In a message dated 2/28/2005 8:26:57 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Nononoall3(a)aol.com writes:
Does anyone have information on the family lines of Alford Carruth who
married an Eckles/Echols in Wilkes County, Georgia? I am working on my Eckles
lines and I need more background on Alford's descendants and ancestors. Barbara
Black in Texas.
Hello Barbara,
I can tell you a little about Alford Carruth and family. Alford was born
about 1790-1795. He was the oldest grandson of Robert Carruth who moved to the
area of Wilkes County, Ga., with his family in the early 1790s. Robert's
father was Adam Carruth who immigrated to America from Antrim Co., Ireland,
along with two brothers in 1729. They settled first in Hanover Township of
Lancaster Co., Pa., and later moved to North Carolina after a brief stay in
Augusta Co., Va. Adam died in what was then Lincoln Co., N.C. in 1782. Robert
was born in Va., in 1746, while the family briefly settled there before moving
on to what was the unsettled western part of North Carolina and America,
arriving in the late 1740s. They settled in what was then Bladen Co., N.C., but
soon became Anson Co., and then Rowan Co. within just a few years. This area
they settled in became known as the Davidson's Creek Settlement. Adam and
his brothers families along with a sister's family (Huggen) all settled there
on adjoining properties. Adam later sold his property in Rowan County and
bought property found in Mecklenburg County before later becoming a part of
Lincoln County (now Gastonia County, N.C.). Robert was living in Rutherford
County, N.C., by 1790 before moving his family to Ga. He died in Madison Co.,
Ga., in 1815.
Alford's father was named Adam who was one of Robert's nine children that
moved to Ga. with him, some of grown up age at the time and buying property of
their own at the time of this move in Franklin Co. as well as Wilkes Co.
(Oglethorpe and Madison Counties had not been formed yet at that time). Adam was
born about 1774 in N.C. and died in 1840 in Madison Co., Ga. Adam is
thought to of operated a mill along the Hudson River in north Madison County and
been known as the bell maker. One of Adam's sisters, Margaret Carruth married
Elijah Echols and they later moved to Lawrence Co., Ala., along with a
brother, Alexander Carruth. Alford's brother James Elbert Carruth is my 3rd great
grandfather. Alford served in the War of 1812. He was in Madison Co., Ga.,
at least until 1840 and had moved to Lafayette Co., Miss., by 1850 along with
his wife Rebecca (daughter of Edward Echols and brother of Nathan Echols)
and son Alford, Jr. Alford and Rebecca had at least three children: Leland
Pinckney, b. 1824, Alford, Jr., b. 1833, and Wilburn, b. 1840. Alford, Jr., d.
in 1892 enroute to Arizona for health reasons. Family tradition says he
engaged in Indian battles in Comanche Co., Texas.
The family information for Alford comes from Lela Grant Carruth's book,
"From Whence Ye Came," and from Myrtle Carruth Cronkrite's book,
"Carruth Story."
Best Wishes,
Harvey Carrouth