Family of Nathaniel Pass of Caswell Co., North Carolina

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Family of Nathaniel Pass
Contributed by Mark Phelps

 

1. Nathaniel Pass Sr. was born about 1732 in VA. He died in 1815 in NC,  Caswell Co., near Milton. On 20 Dec 1779, Nathaniel was given a land grant of 430 acres in Caswell  County, NC "on the waters of Smiths Mill Creek". It is not known why the  land  grant was given to a citizen of Virginia. It was not for Nathaniel's  Revolutionary War service which did not begin until a year later. Most  probably it was for some service in the Indian skirmishes which took place  around the middle of the 18th century and which kept the settlers  scurrying  back and forth across the Virginia-North Carolina border.

Sometime in 1780, Nathaniel moved onto his North Carolina grant with his  wife,  Alsey HOLLOWAY, whom he had married in Halifax, VA., and his first son,  Holloway PASS, born 4 March 1762. It can be noted that Nathaniel's wife's
maiden name, HOLLOWAY, is the same as one of the first nine townships that  made  up Person County when it was formed from Caswell County in 1791. Just what  this connection is has not been discovered, but at least some tie between  Alsey's family and the Person County township is suggested.

As the primary fighting of the Revolutionary War shifted from the Middle  Colonies into the Southern Colonies, Nathaniel must have felt the  necessity to  defend his newly acquired land. On 15 September 1780, Nathaniel, at age  46,  and his son Holloway, age 18, volunteered and served in Colonel William  MOORE's  North Carolina Regiment. War records show that Holloway (and presumably  Nathaniel, also) was in the battle at Rugley's Mill during his first  enlistment  period. In the fall of 1781, they enlisted again and were in a battle at  Brown  Marsh.

After the war, both returned to Caswell County. Census records show that  they  remained there at least through 1810. Nathaniel died in 1815 at age 81.  His  will is recorded in Caswell County, NC (Book of Wills "G", page 131). The  census of 1820 shows Holloway living in Person County, but by 1830, he had  moved back to Caswell County. Holloway died in 1845 at age 83. His will is  recorded in Guilford County, NC.

J. Garland Pass Jr. -  In his declaration for a pension for service in the Revolutionary War,  Holloway  stated "that the old family record which contains his age is in the  possession  of his younger brother, Thomas Pass, of Georgia". This declaration was  given  11 Jan 1836 in Caswell County, NC.

Nathaniel was appointed surveyor of roads in place of William Roberts,  then  was sued for not keeping up the road - fined 15 shillings.

Obtained from Halifax Co., VA courthouse by Olive Pass & Eloise A. (Pass)  Adams.

In Court Orders, Halifax Co., VA, the following were listed as defendants;

1760-1804: (1.) Thomas Pass (2.) Nathaniel Pass (3.) Richard Pass (4.)  John  Pass (5.) Holloway Pass (Most charges were minor and were dropped)

Information provided by Eloise A. (Pass) Adams.

He was married to Alsey McGinnis Holloway in 1759 in VA, Halifax Co..
Alsey McGinnis Holloway was born about 1740. She died in Aug 1815 in NC,
Caswell Co.. Nathaniel Pass Sr. and Alsey McGinnis Holloway had the  following children:

+2 i. Holloway Pass.
+3 ii. Nathaniel Pass Jr..
+4 iii. Sallie Pass.
+5 iv. Jemimah (Jennie) Pass.
+6 v. Mary B. Pass.
+7 vi. Ellisada "Ellis" Pass.
+8 vii. Rebecca Pass.
+9 viii. Fannie Pass.
+10 ix. John Pass.
+11 x. Thomas Pass.

 


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