COUCH
She was Isreal’s daughter (Dan’l bro)
1739- “Indenture made the 2nd day of August, 1739, between Thomas Couch, Sr., Thomas Couch, Jr., and Drury
She was dau of Squire Edward Boone
Stith, Gentlemen, for 30 pounds, conveying 566 acres on the Pine Lick Branch (John Stroud’s corner, Thomas Lloyd’s line, She was dau of Squire & Jane Van Cleeve
Talbott’s line, Morris’s corner), same being granted to the said Thomas Couch, Sr., by Letters of Patent at Williamsburgh, She was dau of Edward & Jane Van Cleeve
1720.
She is Dan’ls cousin.
Witnesses:
She married a 500 lb. man. (Couch)
M. Cadet Young Presented in court and acknowledged on August 2, 1739.
She died in Ashe Co Nc
William Edwards”
John Couch is German
(Source: Brunswick County, Virginia, Deed Book 1, page 530)
Widow Couch married in Orange Co Nc 1783 (debunked 2008)
The entire Couch family relocated to Orange County, North Carolina, and the children of Thomas Couch, Sr. (born:
Which now creates a new can of worms, who is the mother to the boys?
ca. 1685) and his wife, Elizabeth, can be found in Orange County, North Carolina on various land and court documents Widow John Couch marries Elizabeth James, cousin to Jesse.
in the early 1750’s. Known and projected children of Thomas Couch, Sr. & Elizabeth were: (1) Thomas Couch, Jr. [b: ca.
Widow John Couch married Elizabeth Campbell (son-in-laws Mother) divorces her the marries Mary Patterson (we now
1705 to 1714], (2) William Couch [b: ca. 1709 to 1714], (3) James Couch [b: ca. 1707-1714], (4) Mathew Couch [b: 24 July know this is the Mother of Orange Co NC John Couch)
1725 in Prince George, Bristol Parish, Virginia], and John Couch, Sr. [b: after 1725].
A stone for Mary Patterson Couch in Campbell’s Bend cematary Hazard, Ky. someone sure screwed this one up. Now we
THOMAS COUCH, JR. [born 1705 to 1714] was married to a woman with the first name of “MARY.” Their
have no idea who is buried there.
children were: THOMAS COUCH III (born abt. 1739), JUDITH COUCH (born 1740 to 1741), JOHN COUCH (born
Lewis family has a hand written note stating she is a sister to Dan’l.
close to 1745), ELIZABETH COUCH (b: abt 1746), MARTHA “PATTY” COUCH (b: abt 1748), JOSEPH COUCH (b:
Lewis grandson died in Oregon, his obit in the Christian Monator stated his grandmother was from the prominateBoone 1751), POSSIBLE DECEASED CHILD (b: abt 1753), DRURY COUCH (b: abt. 1756) and WILLIAM COUCH (born in
Family.
1758). It is projected that Thomas Couch, Jr. and Mary married about 1738 in Brunswick County, Virginia. Their son, Lewis family had a Bible mentioned Geo as her father & birth in Feb. (fire destroyed Bible)
William Couch (born in 1758), has been confirmed to be a Revolutionary War Veteran (Rev. War Pension Application
And everyone wonders why I talk to myself! :-}
# R2361).
>Mary Polly Boone abt. 1740’s-1750s died 1781 Ashe Co NC. married John Couch (somewhere, sometime) Children: Land had been ceded by the Cherokee Indians in the back country of South Carolina, and in 1767, Thomas Couch,
Mary Couch 1772-1853 m. John Campbell
Jr. received a royal land grant for 300 acres along the Enoree River, just a few miles to the southeast of present-day Sarah Couch1774-1864 m. James T. Lewis
Enoree, South Carolina. The 300 acre grant was surveyed and platted on 20 October 1766. Word was being sent out from Nancy Ann Couch 1776-1851 m Wm. Campbell
the South Carolina back country that it was “the land of milk and honey” because the land was “virgin” and had never (The Campbell men are brothers)
been farmed. The Couch families moved, in covered wagons, along the old Indian Trading Path that was called, “The Martin Couch
Old Road” or “Big Road,” from Orange County, North Carolina, down to the Old Ninety-six District, South Carolina,
John Couch, jr.
to an area that later became Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Thomas Couch, Jr.’s brothers, James, Mathew, and James Couch
John Couch, Sr. also moved from Orange County, North Carolina, in the same time period and settled near their brother.
About 1806 Couch/Campbells/Lewis & more families left the New River & crossed the Cumberland Mts on there way to James Couch and Mathew Couch received royal land grants in 1772 and 1773, respectively. The only Couches to remain Lexington Ky. Many were sick & unable to go any further, and they are still there today.
behind in Orange County, North Carolina were Thomas Couch, Jr.’s brother, William Couch, and Thomas Couch Jr.’s
Here’s a Logical Guess:
son, Thomas Couch III (known as Thomas Jr. in North Carolina.)
The Couch families prospered while living along the Enoree River, not to far upstream from Musgrove’s Mill. They
Biography of Thomas Couch Jr.
intermarried with the Stroud, Waldrop, and Rhodes families. The Couches, Strouds, Waldrops, and Rhodes were neigh-Generously submitted by Paul David Couch
bors in both Orange County, North Carolina and the Old Ninety-Six District, South Carolina.
On 12 February 1776, Thomas Couch, Jr. made his will. He is buried, along with a child, in the Couch-Stroud
THOMAS COUCH, JR.
Cemetery, which is located on his 300 acre royal land grant property. The Cemetery is currently designated as the Stroud Cemetery, but it has been proven that it is the 1 acre that Thomas Couch, Jr. set aside to be buried on; thus, a more appro-By Paul David Couch
priate designation would be the Couch-Stroud Cemetery.
According to genealogy researcher, Joseph Henry Hightower Moore, Clark Howell, writing in 1920, described the
Couch Family as “one of the South’s great industrial and manufacturing families, who were instrumental in the develop-Thomas Couch, Jr. was born between 1705 and 1714 most likely in Virginia. His parents were Thomas Couch, Sr. (born: ment of many southern towns and cities.” Joseph Henry Hightower Moore wrote, “The family is of English origin and ca. 1685) and Elizabeth of Prince George and Brunswick Counties, Virginia. Thomas Couch, Sr. received a 566 acre royal immigrated to Virginia in the 17th Century. They were living in Brunswick County, Virginia, in 1731, and by 1755 had land grant in Brunswick County, Virginia, the plat for which was filed in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1720. In 1736 Thomas moved to Orange County, North Carolina, from which in 1766 they continued to Spartanburg County (Old Ninety-Six
Couch, Sr. sold a portion of the 566 acres to his son, Thomas, Jr. when he came of age (Deed Record: Brunswick County,
District), South Carolina, where they had Colonial land grants on and near the Enoree River.”
Virginia, Court Order Book One, 1736-Thomas Couch Sr. (his Mark) to Thomas Couch Jr. (His Mark) for 5 lbs. 150 Acres in
NOTE: 2010 COUCH SUMMIT: A conference of the descendants of Thomas Couch, Sr. and Elizabeth will be held in
St. Andrews Parish.) Then on 2 August 1739 Thomas Couch, Sr. and Thomas Couch, Jr. sold the entire 566 acres to their the Old Ninety-Six District, South Carolina, on 6 through 9 June, 2010. Parties interested in information should contact neighbor and the Clerk of Brunswick County, Virginia, British Lt. Colonel Drury Stith for 30 pounds Sterling. The sale Summit Coordinators, Jinny Hopp or Kathryn Hopkins at:
of the land is shown in the partial deed recording below.
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