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Monroe and Stafford Family Lines
Author: Thomas L. Stafford Date: 18 Feb 1999 12:00 PM GMT
Surnames: Monroe, Stafford
Classification: Query
I am searching for the ancestors, siblings and descendants of JOHN MONRO E, a founder of Davidson County and Chairman of its first Court of Comm on Pleas and Quarter Sessions. He may have been the brother or cousin of H ENRY MONROE who was one of Davidson's first Justices of the Peace. I belie ve my great-great grandmother, ELIZABETH MONROE (b Aug 1789-d Sept 1849) w as JOHN MONROE's daughter. ELIZABETH married JAMES STAFFORD (bMar 1786-d A ug 1849). They lived, I believe, first, in either Rowan or Stokes County be fore Davidson was formed in 1822 and then later in Forsyth County wh en it was formed. ELIZABETH AND JAMES had at least 10 children that I kn ow of.
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ELIZABETH is believed to have been born at the Monroe home place in that part of Rowan County, NC which later became Davidson, County. The Monroe ho me is believed to have been located on the Sand Run of AbbotsCreek -- in t he northeast part of present day Davidson County near southeast Forsyth Co unty. The Monroe home was approximately a halfday's ride by horseback to t he Stafford plantation located in SouthFork Township, a part of present d ay Forsyth County, NC.
An "ABHGY (ABNER ? or ABIGAIL ?) MONROE" (May 20, 1780-September 15, 1839 ), possibly a relative of ELIZABETH, was buried near ELIZABETH in the STAF FORD Family cemetery located on the old Stafford homeplace near present-d ay Winston-Salem, NC. The STAFFORD Family Cemetery is listed in the "Forsyth County, N.C. Cemetery Records, Vol. V, Winston-Salem", compiled by Don ald W. Stanley. Although ELIZABETH is known to have had a sister named Abi gail and a brother named Abner, it is believed both were born much later t han 1780.
The following story, passed down through the ages, is said to be well kno wn in the Lexington, NC area:
" News reached the John Monroe homestead that President George Washingt on was on a tour of North Carolina and was scheduled to speak in Lexington on a certain day. When the day arrived, John, his wife Sally and several of their older children clmbed into the family wagon and headed down t he road to Lexington, leaving the younger children in the care of Elizabet h. After their parents and older siblings had left, a group of men on horseback turned into the Monroe farm and rode up to the house. Elizabeth ca me out to see what the men wanted. The leader of the group asked to ta lk with John Monroe. Elizabeth replied, "He and my mother have gone to Lexington to see the great General Washington."
The leader then asked if he and his companions could have a meal and some hay and water for their horses. Elizabeth, as was the custom, immediately fed and watered the horses. She then prepared a meal for the men.
After they had eaten, the leader of the group thanked Elizabeth for her kind hospitality, climbed on his horse, leaned over and told Elizabeth, "When your parents return, you can tell them you met Gen. Washington before they did !"
Note: Elizabeth, who was born on Aug. 8, 1789, could not have been more th an 9 or 10 years old when she welcomed President Washington to the Monroe home. Following his two terms (1789-1797) as the first US President, George Washington accepted nominal command of the US Army. He is known to h ave spent the last two years of his life consulting and traveling considerable distances on Army matters, e.g., during 1799, shortly before his dea th on Dec. 14, 1799, he journeyed to Harpers Ferry, in present day West V A, and to Philadelphia, PA to consult on matters involving the US Army.
SOURCE: Ann S. Bernard
NOTE: This Elizabeth MONROE (MONROW) was the dauther of John MONROE/MONR OW b 4 MAR 1756 in Scotland and died 1 DEC 1831 in Davidson Co., NC and Sally SHEPARD. John and Sally were married DEC 1831 in Davidson Co., NC.
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1789 - 1849 (60 years)
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