Earliest Ancestor

        It’s difficult to know where to start with my Sherrill line. I find their bravery, explorations and accomplishments  almost unbelievable. My 5th great grandfather Adam “The Pioneer” Sherrill and his father William "The Conestoga Fur Trader”  Sherrill were true adventurers in every sense. There is so much more to their lives than I can put on paper here, but it will give you a small sense of their courage and pioneering spirit with this overview.

Adam Sherrill is my 5th great-grandfather on my dad Roscoe mother’s side. Roscoe’s mom was Rebecca Catherine Sherrill, and she married Stewart Hinch. That is where our Sherrill line comes in.

Adam Sherrill was born around 1696, most likely in Maryland, about 80 years before the Revolutionary War. Adam is not quite my earliest ancestor, but he is one of the earliest that I can prove with high confidence. Adam’s father, William Sherrill, was most likely born in Devon, England around 1666. 

William Sherrill (Adam’s father) lived and owned property in both Maryland and Pennsylvania. He became a registered "Indian Trader" in Pennsylvania, particularly active west of the Susquehanna River. He earned the nickname "The Conestoga Fur Trader" from his presence in Conestoga Township, PA, where he was listed among the English inhabitants in 1718.

Conestoga wagon from colonial days

  

        Adam married in the early 1720’s, and he and his wife had 8 sons, born in Maryland and Virginia, where they settled for a time while traveling on the “Great Wagon Road” between Philadelphia and North Carolina.

        Around 1747, Adam Sherrill’s family, along with friends and other family members traveled to the Catawba River valley, (an area Northwest of Charlotte NC now). Have you heard of Sherrill’s Ford, NC? Well, it is named after Adam Sherrill. Adam decided he and his family would make their home on the western side of the Catawba River, which was total wilderness, and only inhabited by the Catawba Indians. (This was at least 10 years before Daniel Boone came to the area). They found a shallow area with islands in the river, and crossed the Catawba at that place. They eventually built their home on a hill about a mile from the western bank of the river. 

     

Their original river crossing is now under Norman Lake, since there was a dam erected many years later. But the descendants of Adam Sherrill erected a stone monument in 1929 in the town in remembrance of the feat. My brother Jim and I took a road trip to visit it a few years ago.

Adam Sherrill and Sons monument

Our family line continues with Adam’s second son, Samuel Wilson Sherrill (b. 1725, d. 1800). He married Mary “Polly” Preston in 1746.They had at least 9 children together. They made their home on the Nolichucky River In Tennessee. He and three of his sons served in the Revolutionary War, most notably in the Battle of Kings Mountain.

• The Battle of Kings Mountain victory is considered to be a turning point for the Patriots in the Revolutionary war. Sam Sherrill, with three of his sons, fought in this battle on October 7, 1780. 
•         They were part of a group of soldiers called “The Overmountain Men”. Among them was Lt. Col. John Sevier, who also fought in this battle. Later, John Sevier became the first governor of Tennessee.

Great book about the Overmountain Men and early Tennessee

•         John Sevier also became the son-in-law of “our” Samuel Sherrill, as Samuel’s daughter Catherine Sherrill  married John Sevier, after his first wife died. You might have heard of her. Her nickname was “Bonnie Kate” Sevier. They are both buried on the grounds of the old state capital building in Knoxville, TN.

Bonnie Kate Sherrill monument in Knoxville

   Here is a link to a Youtube video about the King’s Mountain battle

• https://thelibertytrail.org/history/stories/kings-mountain-4-minutes

So, I hope this is enough information to stir your imagination, and, for my South Carolina folks, maybe you would like to take a road trip to Sherrill’s Ford NC, or to the King’s Mountain Park in SC - or even the Cowpens battleground, which is just a piece down the road from my brother Bob!   Our family has a ton of history in this area. 

For the record: Here are the details of our direct line from William Sherrill to my dad. Keep in mind - dates are not always an exact science !

William "The Conestoga Fur Trader" Sherrill  (1666 - 1742 ?)

Adam "The Pioneer" Sherrill (1696 - 1772)

Samuel Wilson Sherrill (1725 - 1800)

George Davidson Sherrill (1762 - 1840)

Henry Hunt Sherrill (1799 - 1885)

George Akin Sherrill (1835 - 1912)

Rebecca Catherine Oxier Sherrill (1885 - 1967)

Roscoe Hooper Hinch (1911 - 1991)

Do a Google search or AI search for William and Adam - they are pretty well known.