I am seeking to learn the family and ancestry of my ggg-grandfather, Daniel
C. CALHOUN. While I have a great deal of information on his descendants, I
can find no clue as to his parents or previous generations. Census records
indicate that Daniel was born in NC between 1790 and 1800. The first record
I have of Daniel is the marriage bond issued in Robeson County, 1828, for
his marriage to Christian D. McInnis. Christian was a native of Robeson,
born in 1795. That marriage is also recorded (as "Colquhoun") in "Marriage
&
Death Notices 1816-1840 - Abstracts from the Fayetteville Observer &
Predecessor Papers". After marriage, the couple resided in the
Stewartsville section of what was then Richmond County (later Scotland).
They had two children: Catherine, born 1830 and Mary Jane, born 1832.
Daniel wrote his will in 1835 and died in Richmond Co. in 1838. His will
was witnessed by John Calhoun.
The Calhoun surname, of course, derives from the Gaelic "Colquhoun", and has
a long list of spelling variations. Although I do not yet have definitive
proof, I feel certain that Daniel's heritage was Highland Scot rather than
Ulster Scot, and have therefore, limited my search to the Cape Fear Counties
in Eastern NC, where the Highland Scots concentrated. I have found the
following names in census data:
1790
Colquhoon, Malcolm - Cumberland Co.
Colquhoon, John - Cumberland Co.
Colquhoon, Archibald - Cumberland Co.
Colquhoon, Mary - Cumberland Co.
1800
Colgahoan, John - Cumberland Co.
Colguhoon, Archibald - Cumberland Co.
Colguhoon - Lachlace - Cumberland Co.
Colquahoun, Duncan - Robeson Co.
Colquhoon, Anguish (sic) - Moore Co.
1810
Colguhoun, Lachlan - Cumberland Co.
Colguhoun, Malcolm - Cumberland Co.
Colgohoon, Archibald - Richmond Co.
Colgohoon, Charles - Richmond Co.
(1)Colgohoon, Duncan - Richmond Co.
(2)Colgohoon, Duncan - Richmond Co.
Colgohoon, Effy - Richmond Co.
Colgohoon, Mary - Richmond Co.
1820
Calhoun, John - Cumberland Co.
Colghoon, Archibald - Richmond Co.
Colghoon, Charles - Richmond Co.
1830
Calhoun, Duncan - Cumberland Co.
Calhoun, John - Laurel Hill Dist., Richmond Co.
Calhoun, Mary - Laurel Hill Dist., Richmond Co.
Calhoun, Catherine - Laurel Hill Dist., Richmond Co.
Calhoun, Daniel - Stewarts Dist., Richmond Co. (my ancestor)
As you can see, the 1830 census of Richmond County suddenly shows four
households with the Calhoun surname. Widows Catherine and Mary head two of
these households in the Laurel Hill section of the county. One household is
that of John Calhoun, also in Laurel Hill, and the fourth is that of Daniel
and Christian in the Stewartsville section. It would seem highly likely that
the John Calhoun of the 1830 census was the same as the one who witnessed
Daniel's will, though I have no proof. It also seems like reasonable
speculation that either Catherine or Mary could have been the mother of
Daniel, and that John was a younger brother, born to the same mother.
Again, I have no proof.
In fact, I have found no information -- wills, estate files, land records --
that definitely connects Daniel C. Calhoun to any other Calhouns. I would be
most grateful for any suggestions, clues, insights or other assistance you
might be able to provide in my pursuit of that connection.