William

We are constantly looking for new information and documentation on William and his descendants. We welcome your contributions! To contribute or contact us - click here.

John, Son of William (1764-1849)

Links to Reports on some of John's children:
Jane Allred Carter

Sarah Allred Free

William and Elizabeth Diffee Allred's gravesite was found March 4, 2002. They are buried in the Allred - Trogdon Family Cemetery located near Cedar Falls, Randolph County, NC. This cemetery originally was located on William Trogdon's land and burials date back to the mid 1700's. It is estimated that 150 graves are located in this cemetery along with another 50 - 60 slave graves. Sadly, this cemetery was abandoned around 1925 - 1930 and is in horrible shape today. Very few tombstones are visible now and most of them are barely legible. William and Elizabeth's stones are excellent examples. The East Coast Allreds are trying to get permission from the current property owner so we can search the cemetery for additional tombstones, photograph and record any tombstones found, and clean and maintain the cemetery in hopes of preserving what is left for future generations. If you would like to help with this project, financial or physical help, please contact Eddie Clay Allred or Linda Allred Cooper. Click here to see more photos taken at the Trogdon Cemetery.

tombstone reads: W A May 3 1825. Note William's will was probated during the May session of court 1825 (see below)

tombstone reads E x A Oc 28 1827. Elizabeth's will was dated 1827. (Elizabeth's will is posted below)

Elizabeth Diffee Allred's will - Click here for transcription information about Elizabeth's estate sale

How many times have you looked at an old land record and saw some confusing
description of the land that read something like:

Beginning at a Red Oak running North 70 chains, 3 links to a rock on a ridge
then west 80 chains, 17 links to the big Pine, then south 53 chains 12 links
to the Gum, then east 89 chains and 5 links to the beginning........

I can't help you figure out where the Red Oak or big Pine are, but I can
explain what a link and chain are. Per notes given to me by Ralph Allred of
Greensboro, land grants were described by North to South lines and East to
West lines measured off by Chains. A chain is 66 feet in length and is made
up of 100 links, each .01 chain in length or 7.92 inches.

The Colonies used the Metes and Bounds System for surveying. 80x66' = 5280' or a mile. After the Revolution the Federal Grid System was established during the Jefferson Administration of 6sq. miles by 6sq. miles for a Township. The Mason-Dixon Line that established the state lines of MD. & PA. was the first base line which ran out of PA and into Ohio in about 1785. Jim Allred allred@sbcglobal.net

William received his first land grant in North Carolina November 29, 1753. On page 32 of the book Orange County Records, Volume VII, Granville Proprietary Land Office, Miscellaneous Records edited by William D. Bennett, C. G. on file in the Genealogy Room of the NC State Archives, Raleigh, NC you'll find the following 2 entries:

640 acres on east side of Deep River about 1/2 mile below where PD (Pee Dee) path crosses the river, entered 7 July 1753, surveyed for 180 acres in Orange 20 November 1758, issued 12 January 1761.

180 acres, in Orange County, on north side of Deep River: William Bunch and William Elrod, Jr., CC, entered 7 July 1753

Another description of this same land grant is in a research report written in 1993 by Dawnell Griffin:

On the 29th of Nov. 1753 William Elrod of Orange County, North Carolina received a warrant of 640 acres on the east side of Deep River 1/2 mi. below where the Pee Dee path crosses the river. The warrant was entered on the 7th of July. IN April of 1754, 180 acres of this land was surveyed by William Bunch and William Elrod, Jr. CC (Chain Carriers) and recorded on the 20th of November 1758. The 180 acres were granted the following 12th of January: William Allred, Jr. received a land grant in Dec. 1762 for 296 acres of land on Bush Creek of Deep River in Orange Co., NC and the CC was William Allred, Sr.

On December 11, 1762, William Allred received another land grant

which is described on page 242 of the book The Granville District of North Carolina 1748-1763, Abstracts of Land Grants, Volume Two written by Margaret M. Hofmann:

(Entry 3595 pg 330) William Alred 11 December 1762 296 acres in Orange County on both sides of Bush Creek of Deep River. Witness: Jas Watson, Thos Welborn, examined by Tho Blount and W. Churton, surveyed 29 July 1862, SCC Major Lea, Wm Alred Sr., W. Churton, Sur Plat reads "...Survey'd for William Alred, Jr."

Taking these land descriptions and information handed down by William's descendants, we've been able to pin-point where William's land was located, at the mouth of Bush Creek as it leaves Deep River in today's Randolph County, NC.

On today's map, locate Asheboro (Randolph County) in the center of the state. Follow HWY 64 East to Ramseur. Take HWY 22 North to Franklinville. On the north side of Franklinville, turn left onto the Cedar Falls Road. Go about 1 1/2 mile and you'll cross a small bridge over Bush Creek. Look to your left and you're looking at William's original land. The "mouth" of Bush Creek as it leaves Deep River is about 1/2 mile south of the bridge and road you are standing on.