The Lillington Family - From England to Barbados and the Carolinas
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George Lillington (1619-1713?)
The first Lillington in our family tree is George Lillington, born in 1619 probably in Dorsetshire, in southern England; his father described himself in his will as a "yeoman". At some point, George emigrated to Barbados, where he rose to be a prominent planter and member of the governing council. (One, much later source, says that George was an officer in the British service who took part in operations against the French in the Caribbean, and that's how he came to settle in Barbados.) Not much is known about him with certainty, and it is also more than possible that various generations of George Lillingtons have been conflated. The death date of George is also suspicious, given that he would have lived until age 94 if he lived until 1713; not only very advanced for that time period, but particularly for such an unhealthy climate as Barbados. At any rate, a George Lillington, either this one or a son, started out as a merchant in Barbados and then became a large planter. George also speculated in land purchases on mainland America, although he stayed a resident of Barbados. George, a captain in the Barbadian militia, grew dissatisfied in the early 1700s with the frequency with which the Governor Sir Bevil Granville was calling up the militia; this dispute led to the suspension from the council of Lillington and three other assemblymen. A short while later, an assassination attempt was made on Governor Granville, for which George Lillington was arrested and found guilty, but later, the charges were dropped -- the reports say, "as tempers died down". George definitely had children, but who his wife was is not known. He is my 9th-great-grandfather.
The first Lillington in our family tree is George Lillington, born in 1619 probably in Dorsetshire, in southern England; his father described himself in his will as a "yeoman". At some point, George emigrated to Barbados, where he rose to be a prominent planter and member of the governing council. (One, much later source, says that George was an officer in the British service who took part in operations against the French in the Caribbean, and that's how he came to settle in Barbados.) Not much is known about him with certainty, and it is also more than possible that various generations of George Lillingtons have been conflated. The death date of George is also suspicious, given that he would have lived until age 94 if he lived until 1713; not only very advanced for that time period, but particularly for such an unhealthy climate as Barbados. At any rate, a George Lillington, either this one or a son, started out as a merchant in Barbados and then became a large planter. George also speculated in land purchases on mainland America, although he stayed a resident of Barbados. George, a captain in the Barbadian militia, grew dissatisfied in the early 1700s with the frequency with which the Governor Sir Bevil Granville was calling up the militia; this dispute led to the suspension from the council of Lillington and three other assemblymen. A short while later, an assassination attempt was made on Governor Granville, for which George Lillington was arrested and found guilty, but later, the charges were dropped -- the reports say, "as tempers died down". George definitely had children, but who his wife was is not known. He is my 9th-great-grandfather.
Major Alexander Lillington (1643-1697 ?)
Again, the birth and death dates must be regarded with caution, particularly the birth date, but it appears that Alexander Lillington was born in 1643, perhaps in Barbados, perhaps in Dorset, England, and his father may or may not have been George Lillington. At any rate, he migrated to the Carolinas at some point before 1668, settling in Albemarle Sound area of North Carolina, in what was then Perquimans Precinct. He was a member of the first "free parliament" in 1677, which had as a purpose to loosen British navigation and customs laws -- a very, very preliminary step on the road to independence. He was judge of the precinct court in 1690; president of the Council and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; sheriff of Albemarle in 1693; and ex-officio governor of North Carolina in 1693-1695.
In a book published in 1914 called In Ancient Albemarle, written by Catherine Albertson and published by the North Carolina Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, this is what the author says about political events in the Albemarle region in the late 1600s and Alexander Lillington's role in them:
As early as 1677 the population of Albemarle had grown so numerous that the settlers found themselves strong enough to successfully resist the oppressive rule of the unworthy governors set over them by the Lords Proprietors. And in that year, led by John Culpeper and George Durant, a revolt against the tyrannical Miller, which began in Pasquotank, spread through the surrounding precincts.
Among the men from Perquimans who took part in this disturbance, known in history as Culpeper's Rebellion, were George Durant, Alexander Lillington, Samuel Pricklove, Jenkins, Sherrell and Greene. So successfully did they and their comrades strive against Miller's tyranny, that that worthy was driven out of Carolina, and the reins of government fell into the hands of Culpeper and Durant. And at the home of the latter on Durant's Neck, a fair and equitable people's government was organized, the first of the kind framed in America.
Alexander Lillington, who lent the weight of his wealth and influence to the people in their struggle against Miller, was a rich planter who in 1698 bought a tract of land from Stephen Pane and John Foster, on Yeopim Creek, and soon became one of the leading men in the colony. His descendants moved to New Hanover, and a namesake of his in later years won for himself undying fame at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge. [More about the Revolutionary War era Alexander Lillington further on this page.]
Alexander Lillington, if his birth and death dates are at all correct, lived to be only 54 years old, and in that abbreviated span, not only built a plantation, took part in his region's events, but also married three times and fathered six children. He married his first wife, Elizabeth Cooper (birth date unknown), on June 11, 1668. They had no children and she died before 1675. The records disagree as to who was his second wife and the mother of his children. Her name was probably Sara James or Elizabeth Cook (birth date unknown), while some sources say she was from "the Adams family of Massachusetts". At any rate, they were married on June 13, 1675, when Alexander was 32, and they had six children, five daughters and one son (the fifth child of the six). The oldest child, Elizabeth, born June 19, 1678, is my ancestor, and she married into two prominent North Carolina families, the Swanns and Moores (our line from her comes through her marriage to Samuel Swann, but we are also directly related to the Moores). Sara James (Elizabeth Cook) died in 1695, leaving several small children, and Alexander Lillington married for the third time, Ann Steward, on March 19, 1695. (Perhaps his second wife died before 1695, and the time between her death and Alexander's re-marriage was longer than this makes it appear.) They had no children. Alexander Lillington died on September 4, 1697, at the age of 54, in Perquimans Precinct, North Carolina.
In a book published in 1914 called In Ancient Albemarle, written by Catherine Albertson and published by the North Carolina Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, this is what the author says about political events in the Albemarle region in the late 1600s and Alexander Lillington's role in them:
As early as 1677 the population of Albemarle had grown so numerous that the settlers found themselves strong enough to successfully resist the oppressive rule of the unworthy governors set over them by the Lords Proprietors. And in that year, led by John Culpeper and George Durant, a revolt against the tyrannical Miller, which began in Pasquotank, spread through the surrounding precincts.
Among the men from Perquimans who took part in this disturbance, known in history as Culpeper's Rebellion, were George Durant, Alexander Lillington, Samuel Pricklove, Jenkins, Sherrell and Greene. So successfully did they and their comrades strive against Miller's tyranny, that that worthy was driven out of Carolina, and the reins of government fell into the hands of Culpeper and Durant. And at the home of the latter on Durant's Neck, a fair and equitable people's government was organized, the first of the kind framed in America.
Alexander Lillington, who lent the weight of his wealth and influence to the people in their struggle against Miller, was a rich planter who in 1698 bought a tract of land from Stephen Pane and John Foster, on Yeopim Creek, and soon became one of the leading men in the colony. His descendants moved to New Hanover, and a namesake of his in later years won for himself undying fame at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge. [More about the Revolutionary War era Alexander Lillington further on this page.]
Alexander Lillington, if his birth and death dates are at all correct, lived to be only 54 years old, and in that abbreviated span, not only built a plantation, took part in his region's events, but also married three times and fathered six children. He married his first wife, Elizabeth Cooper (birth date unknown), on June 11, 1668. They had no children and she died before 1675. The records disagree as to who was his second wife and the mother of his children. Her name was probably Sara James or Elizabeth Cook (birth date unknown), while some sources say she was from "the Adams family of Massachusetts". At any rate, they were married on June 13, 1675, when Alexander was 32, and they had six children, five daughters and one son (the fifth child of the six). The oldest child, Elizabeth, born June 19, 1678, is my ancestor, and she married into two prominent North Carolina families, the Swanns and Moores (our line from her comes through her marriage to Samuel Swann, but we are also directly related to the Moores). Sara James (Elizabeth Cook) died in 1695, leaving several small children, and Alexander Lillington married for the third time, Ann Steward, on March 19, 1695. (Perhaps his second wife died before 1695, and the time between her death and Alexander's re-marriage was longer than this makes it appear.) They had no children. Alexander Lillington died on September 4, 1697, at the age of 54, in Perquimans Precinct, North Carolina.
General Alexander Lillington (ca. 1723-1786), Planter, Politician, & Patriot Military Hero
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John Alexander Lillington (he went by his middle name "Alexander") was the grandson of Major Alexander Lillington, and was born sometime in the early 1720s in what was then Beaufort Precinct, in the Albemarle region of North Carolina. His parents were (probably) John Lillington and his wife, Sarah Porter Lillington. They both died soon after the future general was born, and the orphan boy was brought up by his aunt Anne Lillington Walker Moseley, and her husband, Edward Moseley. His Aunt Anne had been married before, to Henderson Walker, who at one point was acting governor of North Carolina, and who was instrumental in the founding of the Anglican Church in North Carolina. A year after his death in 1704, Anne married Edward Moseley. Edward was born on February 16, 1682 in London, While still a teenager, the orphaned Edward ended up Charleston, South Carolina about 1699. He eventually became involved in a number of activities, particularly in North Carolina, as a surveyor, planter, major landowner, lawyer, and politician. Among his prime associates was the Moore family, with Edward first working under Governor James Moore in Charleston, and later, he was closely involved in politics and business with his contemporary, Maurice Moore, one of his James's sons (and later his brother-in-law), when members of the Moore family moved into the Cape Fear area of North Carolina. Not all their activities were on the up and up. The Moores, Porters, Lillingtons, and Moseleys were all tied by marriage as well. Edward and Anne Moseley had two sons at the time they took in orphan Alexander Lillington, and around that time was when the family had settled in the Cape Fear region, founding the town of Brunswick. Anne died in 1732, and Edward died in 1749.
Alexander grew to play a prominent role in the Revolutionary War in North Carolina, but even before the Revolution, he was very involved in the events leading up to the rupture with Great Britain. He was involved in protests against the Stamp Act in North Carolina in 1765, and he served on the New Hanover Committee of Safety, and also served as a delegate to the Third Provincial Congress; he was also a colonel in the militia. It was in the latter capacity that he distinguished himself in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge, the first battle of the Revolution fought in the South. The British started recruiting and organizing Loyalists after the 1775 battles in Lexington and Concord, while Revolutionary patriots were doing the same on their side. In January 1776, the British Army planned an expedition in North Carolina, and the patriot side mobilized to confront the Loyalist forces (mostly Scottish Highlanders) before they could join up with the English Army. This they did on the morning of February 27, 1776 at Moore's Creek Bridge, about 18 miles north of Wilmington. It was a complete victory for the Patriots, with one Loyalist officer killed, another captured, and the rest scattered; many Loyalists were captured in the days ahead. This early battle greatly dampened efforts by the British to recruit Loyalists in the area during the rest of the war, and North Carolina was not seriously threatened by the British again until 1780.
Alexander Lillington played a prominent role in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge. He and his militiamen were able to secure the bridge and keep the Loyalist Scots at bay for four hours before the commander, Richard Caswell, arrived with a larger force, to continue the fight, and both Lillington and Caswell gained great reputations as a result of this decisive and early battle. Soon after the battle, Lillington was appointed colonel of the 6th North Carolina Continentals, and in 1779, he was made brigadier general for the Wilmington District militia. He assisted in the defense of Charleston and fought against Loyalists in the Carolinas.
In his personal life, Alexander Lillington married Sarah Watters, and they had four children, two boys and two girls. One of his sons, Colonel John Lillington, served in the Revolutionary army with his father. After the war, Alexander returned to his celebrated home, Lillington Hall, which had been occupied by British, located about 30 miles north of Wilmington, where he died and was buried in 1786, aged about 63. (The general was my1st cousin, 8 times removed.)
Lillington Hall
Lillington Hall, the drawing of which graces the top of this page and which is reprinted to the right, was much admired at the time. The home was built in 1734 and it was located near the road leading from Wilmington to New Bern on the northeast branch of the Cape Fear River, and at the time it was built, the area was wilderness. (The location is in Rocky Point, Pender County.) The fine mansion survived occupation by the British in the Revolutionary War, with most of its library in tact (much of which later was given to the University of North Carolina), but it did not survive the Civil War, when it was burned to the ground by Union troops. The gravestones of Alexander Lillington and his son John are still there, in the grounds of where Lillington Hall used to be.
The inscription on Alexander's gravestone says:
Sacred to the memory of General John Alexander Lillington, soldier of the Revolution. He commanded the Americans in the battle of Moore's Creek, fought the twenty-seventh day of February, 1776, and by his military skill and cool courage in the field, at the head of his troops, secured a complete and decisive victory. To intellectual powers of a high order he united an incorruptible integrity, devoted and self-sacrificing patriotism. A genuine lover of liberty, he periled his all to secure the independence of his country, and died in a good old age, bequeathing to
his posterity the remembrance of his virtues.
The inscription on his son John's gravestone says:
Sacred to the memory of Colonel John Lillington, son of General John Alexander Lillington, a patriot and soldier of the Revolution, he served his country faithfully during the entire war.
Alexander grew to play a prominent role in the Revolutionary War in North Carolina, but even before the Revolution, he was very involved in the events leading up to the rupture with Great Britain. He was involved in protests against the Stamp Act in North Carolina in 1765, and he served on the New Hanover Committee of Safety, and also served as a delegate to the Third Provincial Congress; he was also a colonel in the militia. It was in the latter capacity that he distinguished himself in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge, the first battle of the Revolution fought in the South. The British started recruiting and organizing Loyalists after the 1775 battles in Lexington and Concord, while Revolutionary patriots were doing the same on their side. In January 1776, the British Army planned an expedition in North Carolina, and the patriot side mobilized to confront the Loyalist forces (mostly Scottish Highlanders) before they could join up with the English Army. This they did on the morning of February 27, 1776 at Moore's Creek Bridge, about 18 miles north of Wilmington. It was a complete victory for the Patriots, with one Loyalist officer killed, another captured, and the rest scattered; many Loyalists were captured in the days ahead. This early battle greatly dampened efforts by the British to recruit Loyalists in the area during the rest of the war, and North Carolina was not seriously threatened by the British again until 1780.
Alexander Lillington played a prominent role in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge. He and his militiamen were able to secure the bridge and keep the Loyalist Scots at bay for four hours before the commander, Richard Caswell, arrived with a larger force, to continue the fight, and both Lillington and Caswell gained great reputations as a result of this decisive and early battle. Soon after the battle, Lillington was appointed colonel of the 6th North Carolina Continentals, and in 1779, he was made brigadier general for the Wilmington District militia. He assisted in the defense of Charleston and fought against Loyalists in the Carolinas.
In his personal life, Alexander Lillington married Sarah Watters, and they had four children, two boys and two girls. One of his sons, Colonel John Lillington, served in the Revolutionary army with his father. After the war, Alexander returned to his celebrated home, Lillington Hall, which had been occupied by British, located about 30 miles north of Wilmington, where he died and was buried in 1786, aged about 63. (The general was my1st cousin, 8 times removed.)
Lillington Hall
Lillington Hall, the drawing of which graces the top of this page and which is reprinted to the right, was much admired at the time. The home was built in 1734 and it was located near the road leading from Wilmington to New Bern on the northeast branch of the Cape Fear River, and at the time it was built, the area was wilderness. (The location is in Rocky Point, Pender County.) The fine mansion survived occupation by the British in the Revolutionary War, with most of its library in tact (much of which later was given to the University of North Carolina), but it did not survive the Civil War, when it was burned to the ground by Union troops. The gravestones of Alexander Lillington and his son John are still there, in the grounds of where Lillington Hall used to be.
The inscription on Alexander's gravestone says:
Sacred to the memory of General John Alexander Lillington, soldier of the Revolution. He commanded the Americans in the battle of Moore's Creek, fought the twenty-seventh day of February, 1776, and by his military skill and cool courage in the field, at the head of his troops, secured a complete and decisive victory. To intellectual powers of a high order he united an incorruptible integrity, devoted and self-sacrificing patriotism. A genuine lover of liberty, he periled his all to secure the independence of his country, and died in a good old age, bequeathing to
his posterity the remembrance of his virtues.
The inscription on his son John's gravestone says:
Sacred to the memory of Colonel John Lillington, son of General John Alexander Lillington, a patriot and soldier of the Revolution, he served his country faithfully during the entire war.