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After much research,
the time came to publish my findings on the genealogy of The
Descendants of Jonas Ricks and Other Ricks Families In America. This
enormous project includes many surnames in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee,
Alabama, Mississippi and other southern states. The main emphasis is on Jonas
Ricks, who first appeared in Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1768,
and who died in Guilford County in 1821. Other genealogies include the following
five partial histories of Ricks or Rooks families:
(1) Richard Ricks, of Charles City County, Virginia (1638-about 1658;
(2) Isaac Ricks, of Isle of Wight County,Virginia (1687-1723);
(3) Richard Rooks, of Perquimans County,North Carolina (1645?-about 1704);
(4) Exum Ricks, of Rutherford County, Tennessee (1795-about 1850);
(5) Isaac Ricks, of Hardeman County, Tennessee (1790s-1834); and
Francis Rider, of Tishomingo County, Mississippi. The research,
for the moment, and I will no longer accept general input from researchers concerning
these families for publication. However, I continue to update the book for possible
future publication. Please contact me if you have questions or wish to discuss
contribution to improve the book. All material submitted must be from personal
research or knowledge, with properly cited sources. Family bible entries, manuscripts,
notes, and interviews are welcomed.
Research to date has not identified the parents of
Jonas Ricks, but the results showed that there were several previously
mislinked families in North Carolina and Virginia. Those results are in chapter 1. There was not a single hint of association
between Jonas and the descendants of William2,
Isaac2, and Jacob2 Ricks
(Isaac1), of Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Special
attention given to records associated with the Isaac3
Ricks familya family with proven connections to Barnaby McKinnie,
of Virginia and North Carolinadid not produce a family link, either. In
fact, none of the records reviewed supported a genealogical connection
between Jonas Ricks and other Ricks families in North Carolina.
Considering the amount of varied information gathered,
it is unlikely that the family origin for Jonas and his wife Gwin [-?-]
will surface in records of persons associated with them. The remaining
possibilities are the Baldwin, Boyd, Gifford, Hayworth, Kersey and Mendenhall
records not thoroughly searched.
The likely origin of Jonas Ricks is eastern Virginia or
northeast North Carolina. Evidence of his existence should be in records
generated between 17501775. Jonas and his wife Gwin probably married about
1768 in Rowan County. Their first child was born in 1769. The years 17401770
is the period when Jonas would have created records, especially as he approached
marriage age. He had money to purchase property in 1785, perhaps from his
or Gwins family.
In their former communities, Jonas and Gwin Ricks should
have appeared in community records, provided their families had at least
some property and were not just above the poverty level (the latter possibility
was not encountered in any early Ricks family). Even people assigned to
the poor house created records. The Mendenhalls, William Brazelton,
Caleb Bundy, Jesse Carsey [Karsey]; Nathaniel Clark; William Edwards; Isaac
and Solomon Frazier; Jonathan Gifford; Stephen Hayworth; John and Jesse
Henley, Joseph Hiatt; Jonathan and William Hoggatt; Abner and William Hunt;
Isaac Jones, Thomas Kersey; Hugh Kirkpatrick; Henry and Thomas Lamb, Daniel,
William and Mordica Lane; George and William Leonard; Sam Mitchell; George
Pope; Absolem, Thomas and William Scott; David and his son Alexander Smith;
William Stafford; Edward Thornbury; James and William Tomlinson; James
and Richard Walker; Charles, John and Manlove Wheeler; James and Thomas
White; Isaac Widdows, Allen Wilson; and Daniel Worth are amoung those
who also arrived early in Rowan and Guilford County. Many of these surnames
appear on the 1790 Guilford or Randolph County, North Carolina, census.
There are other surnames that connect with Jonas Ricks or his descendants
through early records of Guilford and Randolph Counties, including the
Albertson, Lamar, Poer, and Shelly families.
Generation One
1. Jonas1
Ricks, born about 1734; died in 1821 at age 87, according to a monument
erected in his honor where he is buried at Springfiels Friends Cemetery.
Jonas appears on the 1800 census being over 45 years of age. He married
Gwin ?, probably in Rowan County, North Carolina, about 176768,
but a marriage record was not located.
Jonas first appears in North Carolina on William
Millikans 1768 Rowan County tax list, enumerated between William Brazelton
and Joseph Lamb. That area of Rowan County later became a part of Guilford
County when it formed in 1770. Jonas lived in the vicinity of Deep River
Monthly Meeting, in the southwest section of Guilford County, near the
present post office of High Point. The land he acquired was on Deep River,
Mordecai Creek and Richland Creek. A land grant in 1785 was his earliest
known and recorded property acquisition. Since there were no land records
to prove land ownership before 1785, for Rowan and Guilford Counties, he
either lived on unclaimed land or worked out some arrangement with a local
land owner.
Jonas Ricks was a blacksmith and cooper by trade, but
he also farmed his land. County deed records and census returns prove that
Jonas remained within the area of his first acquired land until his death
in 1821. He did not participate in the Revolutionary War or any other armed
conflict, because he and his wife were Quakers and member of Deep River
and Springfield Monthly Meetings, the latter being near their residence
when first held in 1790.
Children of Jonas1
Ricks and his wife Gwin [-?-]:
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2 |
i. |
Edward2 Ricks,
born 4 August 1769; married (1) Jane Mendenhall 26 December 1792;
married (2) Phebe Mendenhall 22 February 1815, and married (3) Sarah
Wheeler 3 July 1830. |
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3 |
ii. |
Hannah Ricks, born 23 February 1771; married Thomas Baldwin,
John Walter and Rob. Johnson bondsmen. Springfield MM abstracts record
a Hannah Baldwin (former Ricks) condemned for her marriage out of unity
2 January 1796, and with a certificate granted to Westfield MM 2 September
1797. These records are the only known clues to the movement of this Baldwin
family. Several Guilford County families are found in Westfield MM records
during this period, and while there is a Baldwin among them, there was
no mention of a Baldwin with wife named Hannah. |
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4 |
iii. |
Nancy (Ann) Ricks, born 5 January 1773; married George
Hayworth 11 July 1798. Joseph Hoggatt was the bondsman, and John Hamilton
was the witness. |
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5 |
iv. |
John Ricks, born 3 December 1774. He was not mentioned in
his father's 1821 will. No further information. |
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6 |
v. |
Thomas Ricks, born 17 March 1777; married Lydia Lane
in Guilford County, 12 August 1799. |
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7 |
vi. |
Jonas Ricks, born 11 January 1780, married (1) Eleanor
"Milly" Smith; married (2) Rachel S. Boyed (Boyd). |
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8 |
vii. |
Elizabeth Ricks, born 11 June 1783; married Jesse Henderson
in Greensboro, North Carolina, 30 November 1809. William Henderson was
the bondsman. |
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9 |
viii. |
Gwyn Ricks, born 6 February 1786; married William Riley
about 1810-11; died 25 August 1863 in Henry County, Indiana. |
Generation Two
2. Edward2 Ricks (Jonas1),
born 4 August 1769; married (1) Jane Mendenhall 26 December 1792.
Jane Mendenhall, the daughter of Thomas Mendenhall and Phebe Rudduck, was
born 10 March 1769 in Guilford County. Following is their Quaker marriage
record:
Whereas Edward RICKS Son of Jonas RICKS and Gwin his Wife
of Guilford County & State of North Carolina & Jane Mendenhall
Daughter of Thomas Mendenhall Deceased & Phebe [Rudduck] his wife of
the County & State aforesaid having Declard their intention of Marriage
with each other before several of the Months Meetings of the People Called
Quakers at their Meeting house in Guilford aforesaid According to the good
order used among them, and nothing appearing to hinder their procedure
therein were allowed of by sd Meeting; to accomp their Marriage which the
Did the 26th Day of the 12th Month 1792 --- in the presence of many witnesses
twelve of whose names are hereunto anixed:
| Edward THORNBRUGH |
James WILSON |
| Richard MENDENHALL |
Mathew COFFIN |
| Wm. TOMLINSON |
Wm. RUDDUCK |
| Rachel MENDENHALL |
Jane WILSON |
| Mary MENDENHALL |
Hannah RICKS |
(Lengthly narrative follows in the book).
Children of Edward2
Ricks and his wife Jane Mendenhall:
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10 |
i. |
Gwin3 Ricks,
born December 2, 1794; married William Lamb in Guilford County,
North Carolina, 12 August 1817, Seth Ricks bondsman. Please submit
ANY information on this family. |
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11 |
ii. |
John Ricks, born 4 July 1798; married Massey Robbins
in Guilford County, North Carolina, 29 December 1819. Moved to Blount County,
Alabama, about 1825-6. |
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12 |
iii. |
Seth Ricks, born 9 January 1800, moved to Marion County,
AL; married Elizabeth Robbins in Blount County, Alabama, 6 February
1827. |
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13 |
iv. |
Christopher Ricks, born 16 February 1802; married Mary
Mendenhall in Guilford County, North Carolina, 15 January 1825. Lived
in McMinn County, Tennessee, during 1850 (Rix). |
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14 |
v. |
Zaza Ricks, born 1 August 1806; married Jane Thornburg.
Lived a long time in Guilford County but removed to Caldwell County before
1860. Probably died in that county. |
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15 |
vi. |
Asenath Ricks, born 28 February 1809; married Moses Kersey
in Guilford County, North Carolina, 24 October 1833. |
Children of Edward2
Ricks and his wife (2) Phebe Mendenhall (sister of Jane):
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16 |
vii. |
Bulah3 Ricks,
born about 1816; died 10 April 1897; married William Wesley McCann,
son of Michael and Sarah McCann, 19 August 1847. Bondsman was her brother,
Zaza Ricks, and the witness was R. N. McColloch. Children of Bulah: (under
construction) John Emanuel Haworth, born 1845; Shubal G. McCann, born 1848;
Phebe J. McCann, born 1850; James C. K. McCann, born 1851; Nancy Elizabeth
McCann, born 28 September 1852 in Johnson County, Tennessee; Sarah C. McCann,
born 1854; Ada Eliza Isadors (Dora) McCann, born 1858; and Ellen Clementine
(Tiny) McCann, born 1860. |
Generation Three
Rest will be continued and finished when all books are sold....
19 March 2000 
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