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The Steele Creek Historical and Genealogical Society
Of the Old Steele Creek Township
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Families of Steele Creek:
Blackwelder
| Blackwelder Family of Steele Creek | Thomas Marvin Blackwelder Family |
THE BLACKWELDER FAMILY OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY
The ship "Friendship" landed in Philadelphia on September 20, 1738 bearing the family of Johannes Schwarzwaldar from Wurttenberg, Germany. The family had traveled down the Rhine River to Rotterdam and sailed from there to America. Johannes married Elizabeth Maushardt in 1708. She had died in 1736 and Johannes had remarried to Christina Keller, a widow. His wife boarded the ship with him and his children, however she did not debark with them in Philadelphia, indicating that she had died on the voyage to America.
Johannas made oath that he had transported himself, his two sons Johannas Adam and Gottlieb, daughters Elizabeth and Margareta and his sister Catherine. By 1746, Johannes had anglicized his name to John Blackwelder – Schwarz being the German word for black. By that time the family had moved to Brunswick County, Virginia. Sons John Adam and Caleb (Gottlieb) had married and by 1756 were living in Lunenburg County, Virginia (later Mecklinburg Co., VA). John Adam and his wife "Catron" received a land grant in Anson County in 1762.
Caleb married Betsey Phifer, sister of Martin Phifer, who had married Caleb’s sister, Margaret, in 1745. Martin Phifer came to Anson County locating on Dutch Buffalo Creek after first settling on Cold Water Creek in Rowan County. Caleb followed in 1759 with his wife Betsey and children Catherine, John and Isaac. All of these families attended St. John’s Lutheran church which was founded about 1745 in Anson, then Mecklenburg and today, Cabarrus County, NC.
When the Revolutionary War came to the Carolinas, Caleb was age 60, however, he managed to be imprisoned in the English prison in Camden along with his son-law John Paul Barringer and his son John, who died in that prison.
It is said that Caleb’s wife, Betsey, mounted a horse and set out alone for Camden to secure the release of her menfolk and was able to get behind Lord Cornwallis’ lines. Finding sickness at the prison, she stayed to help nurse the prisoners, however was unable to save her son John. She brought her husband and son-in-law home with her. All of Caleb’s sons except Martin and David, were revolutionary soldiers along with John Adam’s two sons, John and Charles. The DAR magazine, Vol. 59, p. 365, states that Caleb Blackwelder was a Revolutionary War soldier buried at St. John’s cemetery. Caleb would have been 61 years old at the time he was imprisoned at Camden. The children of Caleb and Betsy Blackwelder were: Catherine, b. 1755; Isaac, b. 1757; John b. 1760 (died in British prison); Jacob, b. 1763; Martin, b. 1766; Rachel b. 1772; and Daniel, b. 1774. Caleb died on November 17, 1843 at the age of 86 years which is recorded in the death notices of the Charlotte Journal, 1835 – 1851.
Caleb’s son Isaac, b. 1757 married 1st to Mary Phifer and 2nd to Mary Redling and from these wives had 19 known children. This accounts for the many Blackwelders in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus County.
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Source: The Blackwelder and Allied Families of North Carolina & Illinois, by Deward Williams, Privately printed (1962). The Charlotte Journal, 1835-1851.Briscoe. Mecklenburg County, N.C. Court Minutes Book 1: 1774-1780. Southern Historical Press, Inc., Greenville, SC (1996). Holcomb, Brent H. Anson County, NC Deed Abstracts: 1749-1766. Abstracts of Wills & Estates,1749 – 1795. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, MD. (1980)
Submitted by: Linda L. Blackwelder, 12103 Regent Ridge Ln., Charlotte, NC 28278
(704) 588-6576
THOMAS MARVIN BLACKWELDER FAMILY
Thomas M. Blackwelder, b. 1898, d. 1977 married Lucy Mildred Youngblood, b. 1904,
d. 1994. They married 6 June 1926 and had six children: (1) Thomas M., Jr. who married Rita Stevens, (2) Charles F. who married Sarah Ranson,(3) Emily who married 1st Charles Neely and 2nd Roy Alford, (4) J. Robert married Linda Lawless,(5) Ann married Ralph Gregory and (6) Jean who married Charles Gaither.
T. M. Blackwelder worked in the lumber business for most of his working years and later in life assisted with the building of many homes in the Steele Creek Community. He was an Elder at Central Steele Creek Presbyterian Church from 1944 until his death in 1877.
Thomas M. Blackwelder was the son of Charles W. Blackwelder and Lucy E. Wilson. Thomas M. lived in the Steele Creek Township and his father and mother lived just across the line in York County, SC. Charles W. Blackwelder was b. 1864, in Steele Creek, the son of John P. Blackwelder and Elizabeth Wentz. Charles and Lucy had six children: H. Monroe m. Effie Stroup; D. Louise m. Henry A. Lawing; Lillie, died young; Thomas M. m. Mildred Youngblood; Cleo, never married; and Carrie m. William Ferguson. Charles died when the youngest child, Carrie, was six years old in 1909.
John Paulus Blackwelder, b. 1832, d. 1882, was the son of Paul Blackwelder and Christina Ritchie who moved to Steele Creek Township with their eleven children about 1840 from the area of Mecklenburg County that became Cabarrus Co.
John Paulus married his neighbor, Elizabeth Wentz and John P. and his brothers along with a brother of Elizabeth, worked at the Rock Island Wollen mill on the Catawba River in the Steele Creek Community from 1841 until the owner, Zenus Grier, moved the mill to Charlotte during the Civil war where the wool from this mill was used to make Confederate uniforms. John Paulus and Elizabeth had children: Henry, Mary Ann, Easter (Esther), Harriett, John T., Charles W., Nannie Louise and Margaret A. (Maggie).
Paul Blackwelder, b.1802 was the son of Isaac Blackwelder and his 2nd wife, Mary Redling. Paul and his wife Christina Ritchie had most of their children baptized at St. John’s Lutheran before moving to Steele Creek. Their children were: Mary Ann m. Samuel Thornburg; Elizabeth m. Jonathan Thornburg; Moses m. Sara Kerr; Esther m. John Thornburg; John Paulus m. Elizabeth Wentz; Isaac m. Nellie Hagler; David m. Lucy Hagler; Alfred m. Matilda Berryhill and two children, Catherine and Simon died young.
Isaac Blackwelder had twelve children by his 2nd wife and had seven children by his 1st wife, Mary Phifer. Isaac, born 1757 in Mecklinburg Co. Va, and came to Mecklenburg Co., NC about 1759 with his father, Caleb Blackwelder (Gottleib Schwarzwalder). Caleb, b. 1722 in Germany to Johannas Swartzwalder and Elisabetha Maushardt, had married Elizabetha (Elizabeth ) Phifer in Mecklinburg County, VA. about 1754. Following is the history of their arrival in this county.
The ship "Friendship" landed in Philadelphia on September 20, 1738 bearing the family of Johannes Schwarzwaldar from Wurttenberg, Germany. The family had traveled the Rhine river to Rotterdam and sailed to an English port and from there to America. Johannes married Elizabetha Maushardt in 1708. She had died in 1736 and Johannes had remarried to Christina Keller, a widow. His wife boarded the ship with him and their children, however, she did not debark with them in Philadelphia, indicating that she had died on the voyage to America.
Johannas made oath that he had transported himself, his two sons Johannas Adam and Gottlieb, daughters Elizabeth and Margaret and his sister Catherine. By 1746, Johannes had anglicized his name to John Blackwelder – Schwarz being the German word for Black and the family had moved to Brunswick Co., Virginia. Sons John Adam and Caleb (Gottlieb) had married and by 1756 were living in Lunenburg Co. Va.(later Mecklinburg Co. VA) John Adam and his wife "Catron" received a land grant in Anson Co. in 1762.
Caleb married Betsey Phifer, sister of Martin Phifer, who had married Caleb’s sister Margaret in 1745. Martin Phifer came to Anson Co. NC around 1753 locating on Dutch Buffalo Creek after first settling on Cold Water Creek in Rowan Co. Caleb followed in 1759 with his wife Betsey, and children Catherine, John and Isaac. All of these families attended St. John’s Lutheran church which was founded in 1745 in Anson, then Mecklenburg and today, Cabarrus Co. NC.
When the Revolutionary War broke out, Caleb was to old to fight, however, he managed to be imprisoned in the English prison in Camden along with his son-in-law John Paul Barringer and his son John, who died in that prison.
It was said that Caleb’s wife, Betsey, mounted a horse and set out alone for Camden to secure the release of her menfolk and was able to get behind Lord Cornwallis’ lines. Finding sickness at the prison, she stayed to help nurse the prisoners, however was unable to save her son John. She brought her husband and son-in-law home with her. All of Caleb’s sons except Martin and David, were revolutionary soldiers along with John Adam’s two sons, John and Charles. The DAR magazine, Vol. 59, p. 365, states that Caleb Blackwelder was a Revolutionary War soldier buried at St. John’s cemetery.
The children of Caleb and Besty Blackwelder were: Catherine, b. 1755, Isaac, b. 1757, John b. 1760 (died in British Prison), Jacob, b. 1763, Martin b. 1766, Rachel b. 1772 and Daniel, b. 1774.
It appears that all who carry the Blackwelder name go back to Johannas Schwarzwalder, the only one who anglicized it to Blackwelder when he arrived.
Caleb Blackwelder died on November 17, 1843 at the age of 86 years which is recorded in the death notices of the Charlotte Journal, 1835 – 1851.
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Source: Deward C. William’s "The Blackwelder and Allied Families" and personal research by Linda Blackwelder.
Submitted by: Linda Blackwelder, 12103 Regent Ridge Ln., Charlotte, NC 28278
(Photo caption: Thomas M. & Mildred Youngblood Blackwelder)
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