I found this information off of the freeafricanamericans.com website. I hope this info. is of useful to anyone interested in finding out about the ARTIS surname. Also, if you may have any addition stuff relating to the ARTIS family in NC, especially Wayne County, please place it on the message board. Thanks!


ARTIS FAMILY

1. Easter (Hester) ARTIS, alias Anderson, born say 1687, was one of the slaves freed by the 29 October 1712 will of John Fulcher of Norfolk County, Virginia [WB 9:223]. The August 1733 Bertie County Court described her as "a free Negroe woman living in Virga." when her attorney, Richard Washington, asked the Court to bind "her Son a Negroe boy named Robin ARTIS," as an apprentice. The court ordered that Robin



adjudged by the court to be 12 years...be bound to John Hodgson Gent. of this Precinct and the Court ... knowing this sd boy's father to be a slave ... [Haun, Bertie County Court Minutes, I:93].



Robin was probably named for Robin Richards, another slave that Fulcher freed with the Andersons. Hester's children were

i. Robin, born about 1721.

2 ii. ?John1, born say 1723.

3 iii. ?Abraham1, born say 1724.

4 iv. ?Lewis1, born say 1735.




2. John1 ARTIS, born say 1723, sold a horse and household goods to Albridgton Jones in Isle of Wight County on 12 August 1746 [DB 7:448]. He was granted land in Johnston County, North Carolina, on 20 June 1749 and sold this land on 18 October 1756 [Haun, Johnston County Deed Book, II:137]. He was sued for a debt of 2 pounds, 6 shillings by Albridgton Jones in Southampton County, Virginia Court on 13 November 1760. Since he had left the county, the sheriff attached part of his estate which was in the hands of Matthew Charles [Orders 1759-63, 75]. He was probably the father of the ARTIS families who appear later in Edgecombe and Johnston Counties:

5 i. John2, Jr., born say 1744.

6 ii. Archibald, born say 1753.

iii. Lauer, born say 1755, head of an Edgecombe County household of 5 "other free" in 1790 [NC:54].



3. Abraham1 ARTIS, born say 1724, purchased 50 acres in Nottoway Parish, Isle of Wight County, adjoining John Vick on 24 March 1745 [DB 7:274]. He died before 18 April 1772 when his Southampton County estate was appraised [WB 2:492]. He may have been the ancestor of

i. Edward, taxable in Southampton County on one free tithe and two slaves in 1782 [Fothergill, Virginia Tax Payers, 4], on one free tithe in 1787 [Schreiner-Yantis, 1787 Census, 1126], and head of a Southampton County household of 5 "other free" in 1810.

7 ii. Lydia, born say 1748.

8 iii. Absolem, born say 1755.

iv. Burwell, born say 1762, served in the Revolution from Southampton County [Jackson, Virginia Negro Soldiers, 29]. He married Angey Hurst, 21 August 1783 Southampton County marriage [Minister's Returns, 633]. Drue, Hannah, Solomon, Olive, Mima, and Samuel Hurst were heads of "other free" Southampton County households in 1810. Burwell was taxable on one tithe in Southampton County in 1787 [Schreiner-Yantis, 1787 Census, 1126].

v. Mildred, head of a Southampton County household of 12 "other free" in 1810.

vi. Edmond, head of a Southampton County household of 8 "other free" in 1810.

vii. Miriam1, married Reuben Haithcock, 10 February 1791 Southampton County bond, Charles Birdsong security, 17 February marriage.

viii. Esther, married Simon Vick, 8 March 1792 Southampton County bond, Giles Vick surety. Simon was head of a Southampton County household of 10 "other free" in 1810.

ix. Joshua, head of a Southampton County household of 7 "other free" in 1810.

x. Ann, head of a Southampton County household of 7 "other free" in 1810.

xi. Ainge, married Sampson Cary, 5 March 1796 Southampton County bond, Micajah Johnson surety. Sampson was probably a descendant of James Cary, a "mulatto" taxable in Surry County in Arthur Jordan's household in 1677 and 1678 [Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, v.22, no.1, 58, 61].

xii. Joe, head of a Southampton County household of 5 "other free" in 1810.

xiii. Patty, married Robert Clements, 22 January 1801 Southampton County bond, 23 January marriage. Patt Clements was head of a Southampton County household of 5 "other free" in 1810.

xiv. John3, born say 1761, taxable in Southampton County on one tithe in 1782 [Fothergill, Virginia Tax Payers, 4], his Southampton County tax paid by James Magget in 1787 [Schreiner-Yantis, 1787 Census, 1131]. He first married Pherbe Caton, 10 September 1800 Southampton County bond, Nathan Worrell surety; and second, Blytha Powell, 15 February 1802 Southampton County bond, John Pope surety, Evans Pope witness. He was head of a Southampton County household of 8 "other free" in 1810.

xv. Patience, head of a Southampton County household of 4 "other free" in 1810.

xvi. Matthew, head of a Southampton County household of 4 "other free" in 1810.

xvii. Miriam2, married Aaron Norfleet, 12 March 1808 Southampton County bond, Barnes Bolling surety.

xviii. Fereba, married Moses Browne, 24 February 1810 Southampton County bond, Benjamin Whitfield surety. Moses was head of a Southampton County household of 5 "other free" in 1810.


4. Lewis1 Artist, born say 1735, sued William Lane in Southampton County, Virginia Court on 9 July 1761. The court ordered a commission to take the deposition of several witnesses in Carolina. The suit was decided in ARTIS' favor when Lane failed to appear [Orders 1759-63, 116, 138, 145]. He was listed in the undated colonial Northampton County, North Carolina, Muster Roll of Captain James Fason's Company [Troop Returns, 1-3] and was taxable in Southampton County on one tithe in 1782 [Fothergill, Virginia Tax Payers, 4] and one in 1787 [Schreiner-Yantis, 1787 Census, 1126]. His children were

9 i. ?Abraham2, born say 1765.

ii. ?Mary, a Black person 12-50 years old living alone in Dupree's District of Northampton County for the 1786 State Census. The parish wardens of St. George Parish, Northampton County, paid Peter Steward for keeping her from 1 January to 1 April 1800 [CR 71.927.1].

iii. Honour, "daughter of Lewis ARTIS," married Luke Archer, 26 January 1792 Southampton County bond, Newit Vick surety, 27 January marriage.


5. John2 ARTIS Jr., born say 1744, purchased land in Edgecombe County on the south side of Toisnot Swamp near Mill Branch on 10 June 1765 [DB C:369]. Perhaps this was the John ARTIS who enlisted in 1781 in Abraham Shepard's Tenth Regiment, Colonel Hall's Company. He and John Godwin were imprisoned for robbery in Halifax on 15 August 1781. He left the service on 1 November 1782 [Clark, State Records of North Carolina, 17:190, 16:1007, 15:609; N.C. Historical Genealogical Register, 128]. On 21 December 1782 he sold his Edgecombe County land [DB E:256].


The descendants of John2 and Lauer were probably those bound in Edgecombe County Court and counted as "other free" in the Edgecombe County census:

i. Lewis2, born before 1776, head of an Edgecombe County household of 6 "other free" in 1810 [NC:731] and 4 "free colored" in 1820 [NC:731]. Perhaps his wife was Elizabeth ARTIS, the only heir of Edward Griffith, deceased, who received a land warrant of 1,000 acres for service in the North Carolina Line [N. C. Genealogy XVI:2582].(1)

ii. Edy, born 1775, a "base born" child ordered by the 26 August 1776 Edgecombe County Court bound as an apprentice to Joseph Sims and his wife, Charity [Minutes 1772-84, n.p.].

iii. John4, born before 1776, head of an Orange County, North Carolina household of 5 "free colored" in 1820 [NC:354]. He was a buyer at the 2 March 1803 Edgecombe County sale of estate of Robert Peale [Watson, Estate Records of Edgecombe County, 201].

iv. Mary, born before 1776, head of an Edgecombe County household of 5 "free colored" in 1820 [NC:102]. She was a buyer at the 2 March 1803 Edgecombe County sale of estate of Robert Peale [Watson, Estate Records of Edgecombe County, 201].

v. Absalom2, born before 1776, head of an Edgecombe County household of 2 "free colored" in 1820 [NC:102].

vi. Richard1, born 1779, a "Mulatto" boy apprenticed as a cooper to John Norwood by the 25 November 1782 Edgecombe County Court [Minutes 1772-84, n.p.]. He was a buyer at the 2 March 1803 Edgecombe County sale of estate of Robert Peale [Watson, Estate Records of Edgecombe County, 201].

vii. William, born say 1780, a "Mulatto" head of an Edgecombe County household of 2 "other free" in 1800 [NC:179] and 3 in 1810 [NC:731].

viii. Winney, born 1781, a "Mulatto" child ordered bound by the Edgecombe County Court on 25 November 1782 [Minutes 1772-84], head of an Edgecombe County household of 4 "other free" in 1810 [NC:732].

ix. Ann, born say 1782, head of an Edgecombe County household of 6 "other free" in 1810 [NC:732]. She was a buyer at the 2 March 1803 Edgecombe County sale of estate of Robert Peale [Watson, Estate Records of Edgecombe County, 201].

x. Champion, born about 1790, head of an Edgecombe County household of 2 "other free" in 1810 [NC:731] and 6 "free colored" in Cumberland County, North Carolina in 1820 [NC:154].



6. Archibald ARTIS, born say 1753, died before November 1782 when Stephen Powell was granted administration of his estate in Johnston County on a bond of 200 pounds. The account of sales of the estate totalled a little over 43 pounds [Haun, Johnston County Court Minutes, III:232]. He was mentioned in the Revolutionary War pension application of Holiday Haithcock which had a testimonial by William Bryan, a Justice of the Peace:



... that in the times of our Revolutionary War free negroes and mulattoes mustered in the ranks with white men in said State ..This affiant has frequently mustered in company with said free negroes and mulattoes ...That class of persons were equally liable to draft - and frequently volunteered in the public Service. This affiant was in the army a short time at Wilmington at the time Craig was near that place and remembers that one mulatto was in his company as a common soldier whose name Archibald ARTIS - Sworn to and subscribed this 21 day November 1834.



Since he served in the Revolutionary War and died about 1782, he may have died while in the service. Delilah ARTIS, who was taxable on 60 acres in Johnston County in 1784, was probably his widow [GA 64.1]. In May 1786 the Johnston County sheriff was ordered to bring two of his orphans (unnamed) into court to be bound out [Haun, Johnston County Court Minutes, III:325]. Delila was head of a "free colored" Wayne County household in 1820 [NC:457]. Perhaps Archibald and Delila's children were

i. Luke, born 1776-94, head of a Johnston County household of 7 "free colored" in 1820 [NC:260].

ii. Joseph, born 1776-94, head of a Wayne County household of 4 "free colored" in 1820 [NC:457]. In 1840 he was over 55 years old, head of a household of 3 "free colored" in Harrison Township, Vigo County, Indiana.




7. Lydia ARTIS, born say 1748, was living in