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John CARNEY

John CARNEY[1, 2]

Male 1752 - 1838  (86 years)

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  • Photos
    U.S. Map 1763 at time John was moving
    U.S. Map 1763 at time John was moving

  • Name John CARNEY 
    Born 1748-1752  North Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    FamilySearch ID GDQ1-JLR 
    _UID 96D001F737C54CEBA59D6CC8079B38BFA06E 
    Died 1838  Davidson County, Tennessee Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I112680638  Carney Wehofer Feb 2024 Genealogy
    Last Modified 21 Jan 2024 

    Father Captain Thomas Arthur CARNEY (KEARNEY),   b. Abt 1732, Orangeburg, South Carolina, British Colonial America Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1783, Georgia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 51 years) 
    Mother Elizabeth ADERTON,   b. Abt 1733, Rowan County, North Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 1769, Mississippi Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 36 years) 
    Family ID F50573639  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Unproven,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Children 
     1. William CARNEY,   b. 1770-1775, North or South Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 1849, Tennessee Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 74 years)
     2. Elijah CARNEY,   b. 1771, North Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1851, Davidson County, Tennessee Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 80 years)
     3. Vincent CARNEY,   b. Abt 1773, Probably North Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 24 Feb 1844, Whites Creek, Davidson County, Tennessee Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 71 years)
     4. Lucy CARNEY,   b. Abt 1779, North Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     5. Martha "Patsy" CARNEY,   b. 4 Apr 1783, Whites Creek, Davidson County, Tennessee Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 19 Jun 1871, Launca County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 88 years)
    Last Modified 2 Apr 2019 
    Family ID F50573460  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • John Carney was born in North Carolina around 1748-1750, as determined from censuses of him and his children. K. Johnson has birth as 15 Apr 1748. Most of his children were also born in North Carolina, but some (if not several), as noted on the Census rolls including sons William, Elijah and Vincent, and daughter Lucy - may have been born in east North Carolina/Tennessee. Martha "Patsy" Carney the last daughter was born about the time the family may have came up through the Natchez Trace in 1782/83 and settled in White's Creek, Davidson County, North Carolina (later Tennessee), which had just formed as a county in 1783. At that time, over 80% of western North Carolina was still Indian Lands which surrounded Davidson County isolated in the middle of this semi-hostile territory with only 200 able bodied men in all settlements. Until the Indian wars ended in 1795, only a trickle of settlers entered. It is important to note, that Tennessee was not formed until 1790 as it was entirely organized and ceded from western North Carolina. It is possible, some of the family children did not move far at all from their birth places and the borders were what moved.

      It is suspected John Carney was related to William and Arthur Carney, who were Indian Traders found trading in these areas from 1783 onwards, in towns such as St. Augustine, Pensacola, Mobile, Chickasaw Bluffs, New Orleans Fernandina, Bon Secour, etc. Other traders of note were Turner Brashear, Lachlan and John McGillivray, John Turnbull, and others. Turnbull has a close family relationship with the Carneys as seem to be locally the Brashears (Brassiers) and the Leflore's

      DNA testing of several Carney Family volunteers has confirmed the Mississippi John Carney (B: 1775) line is related through an exact match with 46 markers to the Tennessee John Carney (B: 1748) line. Despite other researchers speculation, we cannot merge Iklannabee into John Carney (B: 1748) who is believed to be his half-brother. Reasons: (1) This John Carney has children with sufficient documentation proving that they were born and partially raised in the North Carolina and then arrived in Tennessee territory in 1783 - Iklannabee birthdate firmed up about 1758 and would have been father at 12. (2) Iklannabee was Indian in appearance, and ? breeds were not then allowed to own land in Tennessee/North Carolina or serve as juror. (3) It is shown in several Censuses that John and his children were never mentioned to be anything other than white.

      The plausible conclusion as evidenced by the DNA testing and rolls, censuses, land deeds, etc is that Iklannabee of Mississippi and John Carney (B: 1748) of Tennessee have the same father, believed to be the same Indian Trader who plied his wares in Indian Territory. The Choctaw Indian Territory extended from Mississippi to eastern Alabama and up the Natchez Trace into Tennessee.

      The first mention of John Carney in official records is in 1787, four years after arrival confirmed when he was a juror in a trial. Reference: Book - Davidson County, Tennessee County Court Minutes 1783 - 1792 by: Carol Wells page 31 - April 1785 Court Session - "John Boyd vs Ja. Rains. Trespass. Assault & Battery (page 127) Jury: John Cox, C. Ruddle, William Crutcher, John Buchanan, Jn. Tucker, Moses Larracy, Sam' Martin, Samuel Desson, JOHN KARNEY, Wm. Gower, Mark Nobles, Ed Hogan, Ed Hickman. Wit. Francis Armstrong, Wit. Wm. Crutcher. Def' came to plaintiff house picked up a chair, knocked plaintiff down, bit his thumb.

      The Carney men, John, William and Elijah are later mentioned on the 1798 Sumner County Tax Roll. Sumner County was formed from the right (east) portion of Davidson County. A year later, they are also mentioned again in a road improvement filed in Davidson County, Tennessee Court Minutes July 1799 page 20 Isaac Earthman to oversee the Road beginning at the foot of The ridge thence to the head of Long Creek, down said creek about one mile to the tree marked with a large O with all lands above Dry Fork East & West of said Creek To wit: William Smith, JOHN CARNEY, WILLIAM CARNEY, ELIJAH CARNEY...and all taxables in sd bounds.

      Elijah CARNEY and Vincent CARNEY bought more land holdings on Dry Fork Creek on the same day (6 Jun 1809) from Frederick Stump. John CARNEY and William CARNEY bought land on nearby Marrowbone Creek in February, 1812. John Carney bought land known as "Edward Blackburn's old place" on March 25, 1812 - 40 acres on Marrowbone. This follows the worst earthquake in U.S. History which occurred February 7th in Northwest Tennessee where a vast land area drops several fee, tidal waves and a back flowing Mississippi River result in 13,000 acre Reelfoot Lake.

      During the war of Independence from English rule, John Kearney (Carney) was assigned to The Army of General George Rogers Clark and Crockett's Regiment with Richard Brashear who was at Cahokia on 31 may 1780. John is believed to be related to Arthur Kearney, who married Celeste Brashear indicating at least a familiarity with the Brashear family further strengthening the connection to Arthur as John's relative. Most of Brashear's regiment resettled in Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. This would fit with John's resettlement of his family after service from North Carolina to Tennessee in 1783 following the war. Source Book: "Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee" - By: Edythe R. Whitley "The men in Captain Roger's Old Militia Company lived in the North East part of Davidson County from Dry Fork/Whites Creek to Sycamore Creek"

      By 1790, The newly formed United States had 230,000 immigrants from England, and the second most prolific immigrants were 142,000 settlers from Ireland. Together with other immigrant nationalities and all their descendants, the population was now 3,929,326. In 1917, The Irish (later termed Scotch-Irish in 1970's), begin deserting Ireland following 100 years of leasing land with oppressive rents by absentee Anglo landlords and a crumbling linen trade, famine and droughts. The Presbyterians who predominated the Irish were disadvantaged by the Penal laws of the Church of England, but were just a likely to become Methodists and Baptists upon settlement in America. It is estimated over 200,000 Ulster Irish-Scotts relocated to America, followed my more when the potato famines later occurred. Most of the earlier settlers found there independent and unique ways were unwelcome in Boston, Philadelphia, etc unlike the potato famine refugees in later years, and found themselves traveling to the backwoods of America and the Appalachian region, settled almost exclusively by these Irish. The typical migration involved small networks of related families/clans that settled together, intermarried and avoided outsiders. After many years of English oppression in Ireland, these Irish were ardent patriots of their new land America.

      Later, it is noted there were four of these men (John, William, Elijah and Vincent) listed on the rolls of the 1812 Davidson County Militia. John and William were in one regiment, and Elijah and Vincent were in another. It is believed that this John was not a participant, but it would have been nephew John Jr. (B:1775) , as this John would have been in his 60's. It cannot be ascertained with certainty if these Militia members were involved in only defense or saw any action in nearby states against the Spanish. Militia members were not entitled to land grants following the war, only those who served for three years in the regular military.

      We find JOHN KERNEY in the 1830 Davidson County, Tennessee Census 2 males - under 5; 1 male - age 15/20; 1 male - 80/90; 1 female - under 5; 1 female - age 15/20; 1 female - age 20/30; 1 female - age 60/70; 1 female - age 80/90. This would indicate he was married as late as his eighties, but to whom it is not known.

      The rest of the family is well documented in the area for years to come with children, families, extended families etc, but further mention of John Carney after 1830 is not confirmable in context to be our John Carney, and his death was believed to be around 1838.

  • Sources 
    1. [S1105] Carney DNA Project, Carney DNA Project, (Consolidation of documents available through Carney DNA Project).

    2. [SAuth] Jim Carney, compiled by James H Carney [(E-ADDRESS), & MAILING ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Buderim, Queensland 4556 AUSTRALIA.