STONE SURNAME and Needham M. COWARD from NC to SC to MS
Research Paper by ekh
From: Chronicles of Pitt County, North Carolina
Volume II, 2005
Published by the Pitt County Historical Society, Inc. w/
Jostens Publishing Co., Winston Salem, NC
Library of Congress Control Number: 2005901059
(Correspondence Address:
Chronicles of Pitt County
Pitt County Historical Society
P.O. Box 1554
Greenville, N.C. 27835 )
Page 377 (Article #486)
Needham COWARD born c. 1753, Johnston Co., NC to Edward Coward and Dorcas
ROBERTS, married first about 1774 to Phebe UNKNOWN, who was born c. 1758 & died in
Dobbs Co., NC when her youngest son, Needham M. Coward was born. (SEE second wife, Mary
UNKNOWN, at bottom of this research paper.)
Pitt Co., NC -Deed of Gift denotes Phebe & Needham Coward as man and wife by Jacob
BLOUNT (Jacob “B.” Blount of Hencoop, NC) dated 26 January 1778:
“. . . and to Isaac Hardee Coward, the son of Needham Coward and Phebe his wife . . .”
Needham Coward is listed as #29 on the Muster Roll of Dobbs Co, NC Militia in February
1771, which was commanded by Captain John CHARLCRAFT. (Source: Section IV, Military Records, “Old
Dobbs County Records.”
Needham and his father, Edward Coward, Sr., and his brother, Edward Coward, Jr., are also
listed in a manuscript at the NC Archives entitled, “Revolutionary Army Accounts” (Vol. IX, page 10,
Folio 4). They received payment for Patriot Service during the war which could have been for
goods or services. The author of this article (included in Chronicles of Pitt County, North Carolina, Volume II, 2005),
Ruth Coward Cunningham, established for The National Society of the Daughters of the
American Revolution the names of Edward Coward, Sr., and Needham Coward who were
recognized for performing Patriot Service. “Needham Coward was named as a qualified leader
to administer justice after the Revolutionary War during the lawless period,” stated J. M. Creech
in his History of Greene County, N.C.
NEEDHAM COWARD RECORDS
>June 4, 1778, Mary JACKSON to Needom COWARD, hatter, of Dobbs Co (NC/ekh) for 64
Pounds, 81 acres formerly patented to Jacob BLOUNT in 1775. (Pitt Co., NC, Book F, page 495).
>July 9, 1778, Jacob BLOUNT to Needom COWARD, Hatter, of Dobbs Co. for 15 Pounds,
144 acres patented 1775 (Pitt Co., NC Book F, page 456).
From North Carolina Land Grant Office, the following land records were found by the
author, Ruth Coward Cunningham regarding Needham COWARD:
>January 2, 1780, Needham Coward issued patent for 50 acres of land in Dobbs Co. (NC/ekh) on
the north side of Great Contentnea Creek, joining the lines of William MILLER, Edward
COWARD and John BRINKLEY. Chain bearers noted as Edward and James COWARD (Book
45, page 11).
>October 20, 1782, Needham COWARD, Number 1431, Dobbs Co., 27 acres, Grant # 288.
>January 31, 1786, Pitt Co., NC, Needham COWARD of Dobbs Co. to Jacob BLOUNT, 24
acres for 60 Pounds. Land adjoins John SIMPSON, Wm. SMITH, Joseph SMITH. Wit: Wm.
& Joel MOYE. Deed recorded January 31, 1787 (Pitt Co., NC Book L, page 258.)
>Needham COWARD was on North Carolina tax or census lists through 1793. Both he and
his father, Edward COWARD, voted in Glascow Co., August 8, 1793.
After this date, Needham moved his family to Barnwell, South Carolina and by January 17,
1799, he owned 62 acres on Three River Run in Barnwell Co, SC. On December 17, 1813, he
had laid out 383 acres in Barnwell DISTRICT on Lower 3 Runs waters of the Savannah River.
>November 29, 1809, Barnwell Co., SC, Needham COWARD was a witness to the Will of
James ROBERTS (Jr.). Executors named: Stephen ROBERTS, wife Amy, sons, Roger,
James; heirs, Roland, Irwin & Stephen; daughters, Dorcas CURLEE, Elizabeth STANCILS;
heirs, Mary PAREMORE, Winnie BARFIELD.
>Needham COWARD died between March 27, 1818 (when he executed a Deed Gift in Barnwell
DISTRICT, SC) and March 30, 1818 (when this Deed was witnessed by: Hardy DEER, Jr. &
Anderson MORGAN. Deed recorded April 15, 1818, Book K, pages 190-193, Barnwell Co.,
SC).
Known children of Needham COWARD and Phebe UNKNOWN are:
1) Isaac Hardy COWARD, b. Sept. 10, 1776, Dobbs Co., NC, died Aug 16 1844, Big Woods,
Calcasieu Parish, LA) married Elizabeth BATES c. 1803 in Barnwell Co.. SC.
2) George COWARD, b. 1778, NC married Winnefred MITCHELL Sept 12 1791, Bertie Co.,
NC.
3) Cullen COWARD, b. c. 1779, Dobbs Co., NC
4) Catherine COWARD, b. c. 1780 Dobbs Co., NC, married William PARKER.
5) Anna COWARD, b. c. 1785, Dobbs Co., NC & died after 1843 in Pike Co., MISSISSIPPI,
married John ADAMS in 1805, Barnwell Co.. SC.
6) Elizabeth COWARD married UNKNOWN PARKER.
7) Zachariah COWARD, b. 1787, Dobbs Co., NC, died January 1860, Marion Co.,
MISSISSIPPI, married c. 1831 to S. UNKNOWN (b. 1797, GEORGIA).
8) Nancy COWARD, b. Nov 2, 1788, Dobbs Co., NC, died July 1860 in Lawrence Co.,
MISSISSIPPI, married Samuel LEE c. 1814 in Barnwell Co., SC.
9) Malachi COWARD, born Dobbs Co. NC.
10) John COWARD, born Dobbs Co., NC & died Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
11) Needham M. COWARD, b. 1790 in Dobbs Co., NC & died 1869 in Amite Co.,
Mississippi, married Dec 21, 1815, Amite Co, Mississippi to:
NANCY HADLEY STONE who was born 1798 in Beaufort Co., SC & died between
1850's and 1860 in Amite Co., MS.
On Dec 18, 1815, in the Mississippi Territory (M.T.), Amite Co., Mississippi, Needham
COWARD & Henry ANDERSON posted a $200.00 Bond for a license to join Needham in
marriage to NANCY STONE. The bottom of the License states:
“I do hereby certify that I did on the 21st of December last, join together in matrimony
Needham Coward and Nancy Stone -January 19th, 1816, James DENMAN, JP.”
Nancy STONE’s middle name was HADLEY, born 1798 in Beaufort Co., SC to Richard and
Mary STONE . (Could Hadley be the maiden surname of Mary?/ekh)
CHILDREN of Needham & Nancy Stone COWARD:
1) Noah, b. 1818 in Amite Co., MS, died Sept. 23 1877 in Franklin Co., MS, married Mary
Lovina WACTOR on Feb 3, 1853, Franklin Co., MS.
2) Patience, b. 1820 in Amite Co., MS, married William WOODALL 1844 in MS.
3) Celia Ann Ruth, b. Amite Co.,. MS, first married Robert M. BROWN on Nov 28, 1833 in
Amite Co., MS & married secondly, Leaven WROTEN, c. 1845.
4) Elijah, b. July 2, 1823 in Amite Co., MS, died July 23, 1889 in Franklin Co., MS, married
Sarah PARNELL on January 13, 1847 in Amite Co., MS.
5) Martha Jane, b. 1828 in Amite Co., MS, died 1861 Amite Co., MS, married Middleton
Monroe MOAK in 1853, Amite Co., MS.
6) “Dink” was a daughter born in Amite Co., MS who married Unknown MARSALIS and
moved early to Arkansas.
7) Amelia, b. Amite Co., MS & died in DeQueen, Arkansas, married Elzey R. ROUNDTREE
on Sept. 12, 1828 in Amite Co., MS.
8) Margaret E. was born 1835 in Amite Co., MS & married William E. SMALL on Oct. 11,
1859 in Mississippi.
9) Samuel Jasper, b. March 16, 1837, Amite Co., MS, died November 1883 in Poteau of the
Oklahoma Territory, married Rhoda Teresa LEWIS on Nov. 14, 1861, Lawrence Co.,
MS. (Samuel served as a Private in Co. D., 1 Reg., Mississippi Light Artillery. He was
captured at the Battle of Vicksburg, released July 7, 1863 at Vicksburg, MS.)
(Sources for above information: Miss Ida Rebecca Coward; Amite Co., MS Courthouse records; Census records &
Amite County, Mississippi,” 1699-1890 (Volume 3) by Albert E. Casey.)
For his second wife, Needham Coward married Mary UNKNOWN who is listed as his wife in
the 1818 Deed of Gift. They had children named: Mary who m. Caleb KILLINGSWORTH in
SC; Newit who m. Hannah UNKNOWN; Susannah who m. Joseph BECK in SC; Shebana who
married Unknown GRUBBS; and Gideon who was born in Barnwell Co., SC.
(Sources: NC State Archives, land and tax records; History of Greene Co., NC by J. M. Creech; Margaret M.
Hofmann; Family History Center in Salt Lake City, UT & Pitt County (NC) Courthouse, Greenville, NC.)
ekh/October 2012