01.09The Journey
By John William Lockhart
(Updated September 1, 2011)
The journey began in 1972 after a conversation at dinner, when I asked my father, Swanson Banner Lockhart, if he knew anything about our ancestry. He told me he could recall the names of about four generations. He repeated a verbal history that said three brothers came to America together. From there he began a quest to trace our lineage. He wrote two books and expended thousands of hours looking for his roots. For him it was a journey of joy and celebration as he found one ancestor after another.
In 1986, when Swanson died, he believed that the direct lineage of our family went to Captain James Lockhart of Nansemond County, Virginia, who was granted land there in 1682. My father died believing that James Lockhart was a sea Captain. Before his death, I promised him that I would find out who Captain James Lockhart was, and document his lineage.
My father successfully documented nine generations from himself to James Lockhart of Augusta County, Virginia, who acquired lands in Beverly Manor in the year 1748.
My father’s research, however, never established a link between James Lockhart of Augusta County, Virginia, and the descendants of Captain James Lockhart of Nansemond County, Virginia. And, despite our best efforts, we cannot find records that tie James of Augusta County with James of Nansemond County.
The name Lockhart is associated with Scotland, where it originated eight centuries ago. We know the history of the name and that history is shared here at Lockharts.com
In the course of our research, we soon learned that there were many Lockhart families who lived in Scotland. Further, the very first recorded Stephanus/ Stephen who founded the town of Stevenston, in Scotland, also owned land in Ulster, Ireland. Records have also revealed that Osbert/ Albert Locard/ Lochard lived in Ireland in the 1100’s and had a son named Jordan. So, while most researchers of the Lockhart family assume the name is unique to Scotland, the truth is it is also associated with Ireland from a very early time.
As well, the various branches of the Lockhart family in Scotland and Ireland contribute to the puzzle we are attempting to unravel. This is why we continue to document the lineage of each separate sept, if you will, one at a time. Thus, at our website, one will find documentation for many Lockhart families, such as the Lockharts of Cleghorn, the Lockharts of Barr, the Lockharts of Lee, the Lockharts of Waygateshaw, the Lockharts of Carstairs, the Lockharts of Castlehill, and the Lockhart-Ross family of Balnagown.
When my father began his research the Internet did not exist. The Internet has been a wonderful tool in our research, but the Internet is filled with erroneous information, often copied repeatedly from one website to another and embellished to suit the needs of a particular family. Genealogy must be based on records, not on lists compiled which fail to cite sources of information.
There are three myths which need clarification, since at one time or another, we may have suggested a possible connection between Captain James Lockhart and particular individuals and families in Scotland, and those possible connections are now presented by many as facts.
The first myth is that Captain James Lockhart was “James Horatio Lockhart.” There never was a James Horatio Lockhart and there are no records in Scotland which can support this claim. This factual error began when Oliver Cary Lockhart pondered a signature and suggested that the name was “Horatio James Lockhart” when in reality the signature was Herauld James Lockhart. “Herauld” is a title, not a name.
The third myth is that Captain James Lockhart was the son of Robert Lockhart and Anna Fleeming/Fleming. Their son James died in 1661, while a boy, and could not have been Captain James Lockhart of Nansemond County, Virginia.
In sum, there are no records in our possession which connect Captain James Lockhart of Nansemond County, Virginia, with a Lockhart family in Scotland.
Thus our research is focused on the following questions:
1. James Lockhart of Augusta County, Virginia. Where did he originate: Nansemond County, Virginia, or Scotland, or Ireland?
2. Captain James Lockhart of Nansemond County, Virginia. Where did he originate, and who were his descendants?
3. Who were possible individuals in Scotland and Ireland, through the documentation of Lockhart family septs, who might have been the progenitors of James Lockhart of Augusta County, Virginia, and Captain James Lockhart of Nansemond County, Virginia?
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There are many excellent Lockhart family researchers. Among them is Greg van der Werf, who proposes the Ireland Hypothesis.
The work of research done by Greg van der Werf, suggests that Jacob Lockhart Sr. of Augusta County, Virginia, was the son of James Lockhart from Philadelphia and, further, that James Lockhart migrated to Philadelphia from Ireland where the Lockhart family first acquired lands in 1613/14. We are currently looking for the roots of Hugh and Alexander Lockard (circa 1613) in Scotland whom may have descended from the Lockharts of Bar and Boghall in Ayrshire. Establishing this information as fact is very difficult at best. There is a paucity of records for the period of time we are researching. But, it is a route that we are continuing to explore. What we do know is that an Alex. Lockard, got lands in Moneymore, Ireland, on June 10, 1614, and a Hugh Lockard got lands in Magherybeg, Ireland, on May 1, 1613. What we cannot determine presently is whether these two Lockards were associated with the Lockharts who flourished in Ayrshire in the 16th Century. References to Greg van der Werf’s information can be found at Rootsweb’s World Connect Project by visiting this page: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gregvdw&id=I24729
Despite van der Werf’s thesis, he has no records to show that James Lockhart of Philadelphia was a descendant of Lockharts in Ireland, other than supposition based on the name of his son Patrick and the fact that his first wife was the daughter of persons killed in Londonderry.
A record seems to discount the Ireland hypothesis.
“William Lockhart was the son of James Lockhart, who immigrated to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, probably about 1742, from Scotland. Soon thereafter he settled in Augusta County, Virginia, where he held civil, military, and religious offices.” [Source: The East Tennessee Historical Society's publications, Issues 25-26]
This source indicates James Lockhart migrated from Scotland, not Ireland — meaning that Jacob and James were from Scotland.
Part of Greg van der Werf’s thesis is that Jacob Lockhart migrated from Chester County, Pennsylvania, to Augusta County, Virginia. However, I have recently discovered records that show this Jacob Lockhart remained in Pennsylvania. The first is a record of the marriage and birthplace of Susanna Lockhart:
William Jamison, s/o Robert & Sarah (McKee) Jamison, b. ca 1746, Philadelphia, PA, d. 2 Dec. 1804, Ross Co., OH (Will dtd. 29 Nov. 1804), md. ca 1771 to Susannah Lockhart b. ca 1750, Morland Twp., PA, d. 9 Feb. 1824, Ross Co., OH, d/o Jacob Lockhart.
The Jacob Lockhart of Augusta County, Virginia, was not living in Morland Township, Pennsylvania, in 1750. And there are no records, including Jacob Lockhart’s will, which suggest that Jacob Lockhart of Augusta County, Virginia, had a daughter whose name was Susanna.
Another record indicates that Jacob Lockhart owned land in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the year 1771:
101. An act relative to a certain escheated estate therein mentioned. Whereas, a mortgage dated 9 Mar 1771, was made and executed by SAMUEL M’KINLEY, and JOSEPH M’KINLEY, and ELIZABETH M’KINLEY, his wife, of Chester county, to PHILOTESIA STRETTELL and AMOS STRETTELL, executors of ROBERT STRETTELL, formerly of the city of Philadelphia, dec., upon a certain tract of land of about 200 acres, adjoining lands of ROBERT ERWIN and JACOB LOCKHART, in the then township of East Caln, now Brandywine, Chester county, for securing the payment of $300.00, with interest, which was recorded 29 Jun 1771, Book R, vol 17, pg 320, and no satisfaction appears to have been entered on the record. Whereas, CALEB LIGGIT and JOSEPH TAYLOR, the present owners represent they have paid a full and bonafide value for the same, without having any knowledge of the existence of said mortgage, and they are wholly ignorant whether any thing now remains due and payable, nor do they know who are the heirs of Robert Strettell, if any are living, and it is generally believed that the moneys, if any be due are escheated to the commonwealth. Therefore, the right, and claim which the commonwealth may have acquired by reason of any escheat, for want of heirs, in the above mortgage to the sum of $300.00, with any interest due, shall be vested in Caleb Liggit and Joesph Taylor, the present owners of the tract of land. 8 Apr 1829. [Source: http://files.usgwarchives.org/pa/1pa/xmisc/1829laws.txt]
In sum, it appears there were two Jacob Lockharts, one who lived in Pennsylvania and one who lived in Augusta County, both of whom had fathers whose names were James.
Greg van der Werf cites a will in which James Lockart (SIC), yeoman, and Alice, his wife, of the township Abbington, county of Philadelphia, and Province of Pennsylvania, by his will, dated March 29, 1733, divided 210 acres of land in East Caln township, Chester county, Pa, among their four children: i. Patrick. ii. Jacob. iii. Jane; m. – – Richardson; iv. Susana; m. – – Cooper.
The will is dated 1733, yet James Lockhart of Augusta County, lived until 1771. And further, he was the father of Jacob Lockhart of Augusta County.
In the Point Pleasant campaign, Sampson Mathews had charge of the commissary department of the army under Lewis. As a colonel of militia he saw active service in the war for American Independence. In July, 1781, he was quelling the tory organization of William Ward in Pendleton. A little later he was leading his regiment in the Yorktown campaign. In the preceding year he was a member of the State Senate. He favored the formation of Bath and took an active part in its organization. He died in Augusta in 1807 at the age pf about seventy. His first wife, to whom he was married in 1759, was Mary, a sister to his partner, Jacob Lockhart. Other sisters were the wives of Matthew Arbuckle and William Ward of Greenbrier. The last wife was Mary, a daughter of Jacob Warwick. His sons identified themselves with Greenbrier County. It is curious to note that in spite of the services of Colonel Mathews he was so lax in the matter of intoxicants as to expose himself to the action of the grand jury by selling them contrary to the regulations of law. [Source: Annals of Bath County]
Mary Lockhart was the daughter of James Lockhart of Augusta County, Virginia. Thus, if Jacob Lockhart’s partner, Sampson Mathews married Jacob’s sister, Mary, then Jacob was James Lockhart’s son.
This is further corroborated by this record:
5) 1773, May: John Anderson vs. S. Mathews, Mathew and James Lockhart,Augusta Co., VA court. Chancery write dated 29 Jun 1769. James L ockhart was Sampson Mathews’ father-in-law in 1765. Orator became joint security with Mathews on bond of James Lockhart and Randall Lockhart for collection of public levy in 1765. Sometime after securities asked G. Jones and P. Hog to liquidate the account of the Lockharts, when a considerable defalcation was found. Patrick Lockhart was son to James. James Allen was son-in-law of John Anderson. Robert Bratton, aged 60 years, 20 May 1772. Silas Hart, aged 50 years and upwards, 20 May 1772. Randall Lockhart was son to James. William Crow, aged 30 years andupwards, 22 Aug 1772. James Allen’s deposition taken in Botetourt, 1771. Hugh Allen was James’ brother. [Source: Chalkley's]
The record states flatly that James Lockhart was Sampson Mathews’ father-in-law. It confirms that Jacob Lockhart was the son of James Lockhart, not his brother.
In sum, there may have been two Lockhart families, both with similar names, one of which remained in Pennsylvania, and the other which moved to Augusta County, Virginia.
One other note which ties the Lockhart family of Nanesmond County (Norfolk), Virginia, to Augusta County, Virginia, specifically Beverley Manor, is the fact that Samuel Lockhart (born abt. 1727), son of John Lockhart of Norfolk, who was the son of Captain James Lockhart of Norfolk, settled in Beverley Manor at about the same time as Jacob and James Lockhart did. (Aug 1747, Samuel Lockhart owned 179 acres land in Augusta County, Virginia.) [Source: Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, Volume Two: 1666-1695]
If my thesis is correct, Samuel Lockhart and Jacob Lockhart may have been first cousins.
Samuel, in 1755 left Beverley Manor and moved to North Carolina, very near where his brother Colonel James Lockhart established Scots Hall.
He was Major in the Revolutionary War and died June 1784, Northampton County, North Carolina. (Served in the Revolutionary Forces: Major Samuel Lockhart, 15th April, 1776, to 12th October, 1777.) [American Biographical Library of Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution.]
While Greg van der Werf’s research is impressive, one disturbing fact discounts the Ireland Hypothesis, that is, both James Lockhart of Augusta County, Virginia, and his son Jacob, swore an oath of loyalty to the Anglican Church in the 1750s. The Irish immigrants who settled in the Shenandoah Valley during the mid-18th Century were Presbyterians and abhorred the Anglican Church. The fact that James and Jacob took the oath suggests that they were from the tidewater region of Virginia where the Anglican Church dominated. This is one reason I still pursue my father’s original idea that they were descendants of Captain James Lockhart of Nansemond County, Virginia. But, I have no proof.
And, out of respect for the work of Greg van de Werf, I am not dismissing entirely the Ireland Hypothesis. The problem is the date (1733) of the will of James Lockhart and his wife Alice. It simply does not fit with the Lockhart family in Augusta County, Virginia.
It may very well be true that James Lockhart of Augusta County, Virginia, immigrated directly from Scotland or Ireland to Virginia circa 1742. But, that is another story, one that involves James Patton, William Beverly, and the Byrd family of eastern Virginia.
When one reads the story of James Patton and his ship the Walpole, one has to wonder whether, indeed, James Lockhart of Augusta County, Virginia, boarded the ship in either Scotland or Ireland and committed his family to a venture in the new world.
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Since the dinner conversation in 1972, I have stood on our ancestor’s bones at Symington Parish Church and have held the Lee Penny in my hand; I have shed tears while staring at Luce Bay and the Irish Sea beyond at Barlockhart Loch knowing that the spirit of my father was with me; I have prayed at Arbroath, along with my ancestors who stood with others in endorsement of that great declaration of freedom; I have stood at Flodden Field amid the ghosts of 10,000 Scotsmen who died there in one battle; and, I have touched the spirit of my ancestors there and in dozens of other places in Scotland where the Lockhart family began and flourished through the centuries.
I have now visited Scotland 14 times. Each time I go there I marvel at why anyone would want to leave such a beautiful country. But, I am reminded of Scotland’s history, and of places filled with the bones of thousands upon thousands who died seeking freedom and religious expression.
I know too the valleys of Virginia, the rolling hills of Tennessee, the vast plains of Texas, and the rugged mountains of North Carolina where the Lockhart family found land and helped build a nation where freedom and religious expression were foremost.
The Internet did not exist when my journey began, yet its power has given me great insight into my family’s history and has acquainted me with my brothers and sisters. This Internet site is my portal to the past. Here we tell the story of the Lockharts, a family of warriors who became farmers, and lawyers, and poets, and preachers. Please join with us in this journey.
Be patient with us, we have much to relate about our journey and it will take time to present the sojourn with wit and facts as we have found them. We have learned that each time we think we have found truth what we really found was much more complex and stranger than we ever imagined possible. Full of myth and mystery, a story that too often has been mistold.
It is an endless Journey.