Lassiter Ancestry

Sources:

According to The Saga of the Family and Descendants of David Vestal Henley and Eleanor Lassiter of Randolph County, North Carolina by Eleanor Parker Bell (the primary source for the Lassiter Ancestry), "old spellings of Lassiter are: Lasater, Lasiter, Lassater, Lester, Leister, etc." (p. 712).

Ancestry according to FamilySearch
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George Lassiter
b. 15 May 1560
St. Peter Cornhill, London, England or Linton, West Yorkshire, England
d. 1586, Craven, Yorkshire, England

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Dorothie Anne Johnson
b. 1565		 Dorothie Anne Johnson is per the research of a friend of Janet Lassiter and still needs verification.
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Thomas George Lassiter
b. 15 May 1586, Craven, Yorkshire, England
d. 1650, Nansemond, Virginia
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Anne Lewes or Lilly E. Ford (1605-1705)

One source1 indicates that this is probably the same person as Thomas Leister, living in James City County in 1623, arrived in the ship Abagaile in 1620. Reference: (The Complete Book of Emigrants, by Peter Coldham). Janet Lassiter has a friend whose research supports that Thomas George Lassiter was the one that immigrated to the US in 1620 on the Abagaile (Thomas Leister???), listed as 33 years old at the time on ship records. The family records/tree show him as 44 when he married Lilly E. Ford.

Janet Lassiter has a friend who also researched this ine and in her family tree/individual records, Thomas George Lassiter (1586-1650) and Lilly E Ford (1605-1705) are listed as Robert Lassiter's parents.

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Robert Lassiter, according to one source, immigrated from England to America with his wife Sarah and sons to Nansemond County, Virginia, October 8, 1672, for 400 acres adjoining the lands of John Ellis, Bk 6, P 416, and based on land grants, it appears he had at least three sons (Source: Bell). However, another source has b. ca. 1635 in Nansemond Co., VA; d. ca. 1745. And Margo Williams has stated that he was born in Nansemond Co., VA, but was married to Priscilla.

Janet Lassiter mentions complications with Robert Lassiter when it comes to information based on family/individual records and family trees on Ancestry.com. Based on a friend's research, Robert Lassiter was the son of Thomas George Lassiter. According to this source, Robert was born in 1635 in New Kent, Nansemond, VA, and was married to Prudence Eason of Nottoway, her father being Guy Eason and her mother being Fredia of the Cheroenhaka. While some sources1, 2, 3, 4 list Robert as a having wife named Prudance Eason (ca. 1637-1675), speculated to be of the Cherokee of the Nottoway, my DNA results do not overtly support a Native American ancestor though this does not fully rule out the possibility since it was pretty far back and may not be traceable. If Prudence Eason was of the Cherokee, she would have been only half Native American and her children even less so which might not show in DNA at the level of testing. They had a number of children, among them Thomas Lassiter, Janet's 7th great grandfather. The information indicates both Thomas and his brother George (my ancestor shown below) born on June 2, 1670; however, given a different source having George's birth year listed as 1668, they may have not been twins. She does have clear records going back to the first US census done in 1790, wills in 1792 for Joseph L Lassiter as well as one for his son Charles Lassiter in 1803. These are all from NC. It looks like sons of Robert Lassiter migrated to NC in the 1700s as it shows births in Nansemond, VA but deaths in NC.

I am 5th cousin, 4 times removed, to Larcena Pennington Page, later Scott, who shares Robert Lassiter as a common ancestor. Thanks to 9th cousin Jeremy Conlin for providing this information. Larcena is daughter of Julia Ann (Hood) Pennington, daughter of Charlotte Parker Hood, daughter of Chloe (Lassiter) Parker, daughter of Jonas Lassiter, son of John Lassiter, son of Robert Lassiter. She was a Western folk hero pioneer. She was kidnapped by Apache Indians, stabbed and pushed off a cliff and left for dead. She amazingly survived. For source and more detail, see https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Pennington-4220.

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George Lassiter
(1668-1764)
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Anne Riddick ?
b. ca. 1675		   Joseph Booth      
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Aaron Lassiter
b. 1704
d. 1781		   Christian Booth
b. 1704		      
      Alleged Ancestry of Sarah Hill:
Geni.com,
Ancestry
(local snapshot)		  ← Contains surnames Hill, Pugh, Hinton, Hardy and O'Dwyer
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They migrated, likely with son Micajah to Rowan Co., NC, now Randolph Co., NC, though "tradition" suggests they came from Northampton Co. in mid to later 1700. Ezekiel* (mistakenly referred to as Josiah per correspondence with Margo Lee Williams) purchased 620 acres from Richard Shackleford. (Source: Bell). "Published genealogical information about [Ezekiel]* and Sarah Lassiter states that they came to the area around the mid 1760s, from eastern North Carolina, probably Gates County. When [Ezekiel]* and Sarah came in the 1760s, Randolph County was still part of Rowan County. Descendants of this Lassiter couple have written that they acquired a large piece of property of 620 acres, in the southwestern quadrant of what had become Randolph County, in 1782. However, according to one descendant, [Ezekiel]* died in 1778, making that purchase by him impossible" (p. 24, Miles Lassiter (circa 1777-1850): An Early African-American Quaker from Lassiter Mill, Randolph County, North Carolina: My Research Journey to Home by Margo Lee Williams). Ezekiel Lassiter
d. 1778
(He is erroneously listed as his brother Josiah Marion Lassiter in some genealogies, but Josiah was married to Martha Russell when Sarah was widowed - Source: correspondence with Margo Lee Williams)		   Sarah Elizabeth Hill "The only Sarah Lassiter of whom I was aware was the Widow Lassiter. She was reportedly the widow of [Ezekiel]* Lassiter. She was a White woman who lived in the Lassiter Mill area of the county, southwest of Asheboro. She and her descendants were the only White Lassiter family in Randolph County. I suspected the that the Widow Lassiter very likely had some relationship to Miles, but just what kind of relationship I didn't know" (p. 13, Miles Lassiter (circa 1777-1850): An Early African-American Quaker from Lassiter Mill, Randolph County, North Carolina: My Research Journey to Home by Margo Lee Williams). Refer to Who was Miles Lassiter? below.
           
 

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Who was Miles Lassiter?

"[The obituary of Miles Lassiter] said that Miles had been 'left to the wife of his master' when he was a small child" (p. 83, Miles Lassiter (circa 1777-1850): An Early African-American Quaker from Lassiter Mill, Randolph County, North Carolina: My Research Journey to Home by Margo Lee Williams). "[Miles Lassiter] was always a slave and never freed during Sarah's lifetime... [H]e had become the manager and overseer for the Widow Lassiter and her family. According to the account therein, he had been very successful in this position and had significantly improved her family's financial well-being. It mentioned also that he was injured in a riding accident. The accident left him permanently disabled, nevertheless, the Widow continued to rely on him to manager her affairs. The obituary also stated that Miles and his wife, a free woman of color, acquired land adjacent to the Widow's land, and that he then managed both properties." (Miles Lassiter ... by Williams). "Over the years, some of Sarah Lassiter's descendants have told Miles' family members that the two families are blood relatives. In support of that premise, I noted again that Sarah was charged with bastardy in 1783 for the birth of two children. Since those children cannot be accounted for among her White descendants, I wondered if one of them could be Miles" (Miles Lassiter... by Williams). In correspondence with Margo Lee Williams, she indicated that Miles Lassiter was not a genetic Lassiter and in regards to his mother, her name is unknown, assumed to be an enslaved person on the Lassiter property. Margo is a descendant of Miles and Healy Lassiter and I - James "Jamie" Johnson - am a descendant of the white Lassiters, Ezekiel and Sarah. And while we do not have an autosomal DNA match (which doesn't mean we're unrelated as autosomal DNA sometimes doesn't get beyond a few generations), we know our ancestors lived and shared life side-by-side. We even share an ancestor in Jonas Cranford. I am especially touched by the story about her ancestor Miles Lassiter and my ancestor Micajah Lassiter standing together in tears when Miles was to be sold. "Ezekiel's probate record showed that he owned three male slaves: Miles, Samuel and Jack. Miles was bought by 'Heley Phillips, col'd,' for five cents, and Jack by 'Colier, col'd,' for $12.50, but Samuel was sold to Sawney Cranford for $262.25, in order to recoup losses incurred from Samuel's recapture as a runaway in Raleigh. ... Heley was Miles' wife, a free woman of color. Colier was their son. Again, according to the obituary, Miles had stated that on the day of the sale, Sarah's son Micajah stood with him crying while Miles was offered for sale. ... The obituary stated that no one would bid for Miles. ... In any event, Miles was purchased by Healy Phillips [his wife] ... [Miles] died 22 June 1850, the only known African-American Quaker in North Carolina at that time" (Miles Lassiter (circa 1777-1850): An Early African-American Quaker from Lassiter Mill, Randolph County, North Carolina: My Research Journey to Home by Margo Lee Williams).
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↓		 "[T]he presence of Sarah Lassiter and that of her son Micajah, as landowners in Randolph County has been well documented. Sarah Lassiter is listed in the first tax list for Randolph County, in 1779, when it was first created from Guilford County, as reported in The Genealogical Journal by the Randolph County Genealogical Society" (p. 25, Miles Lassiter (circa 1777-1850): An Early African-American Quaker from Lassiter Mill, Randolph County, North Carolina: My Research Journey to Home by Margo Lee Williams) "[S]ome descendants of Sarah's son Micajah, have written that her husband [Ezekiel]* died in 1778, while others have said he died as late as 1790. The 1790 date is highly improbable, if not impossible, based on the information in the 1779 and 1785 tax lists, and the 1790 census itself, indicating that Sarah was already a widow" (p. 84, Miles Lassiter ... by Williams). "There was a Josiah Lassiter in Gates County records who died in 1790, however, there is nothing to link him with Sarah and Micajah" (p. 85, Miles Lassiter ... by Williams).

I have multiple DNA matches with Micajah Lassiter, Sr., as common ancestor. Nancy Smith, Lisa Moore, John Mims, Michael Spears, Jeanette Barker, Martin Babb, Mary Brown, Elizabeth Andersen, Dena Clay, Tisha Holle, Genet Hutcheson, Blake Denny, Larry Denny, Michael Ingram and Colleen Peck.

Micajah was part of the third Lassiter generation in America. According to the book The Saga of the Family and Descendants of David Vestal Henley and Eleanor Lassiter of Randolph County, North Carolina by Eleanor Parker Bell, Micajah bought land that became Lassiter's Mill and the surrounding neighborhood became known as Lassiter Community. He, his sons and some sons-in-law farmed many of the land in what is New Hope Twp. His family was active in Oak Grove UMC and other churches. Micajah also served as a Justice of Peace in 1811. He was the was the only child of Ezekiel* (erroneouslyy referred to as Josiah per correspondence with Margo Lee Williams) and Sarah (Hill) Lassiter. However, he himself had 21 children with 2 wives according to his tombstone, though looking at the far right, Laster Family Genealogy mentions 3 wives.

NOTE: Don't confuse the Micajah Lassiters! The Micajah Lassiter to the right is father of both Micajah Lassiter, Jr., and Hill Lassiter (among 19 others). Hill Lassiter had a son named Micajah Benson Lassiter. Further, Gene Kearns, fellow Lassiter descendant, mentions a fourth Micajah Lassiter -- son of Feribe Lassiter and an unknown father, and this was part of a discussion about yet another (5th) Micajah Lassiter (married to Jane Dunbar) who ended up with Kansas with some Hadleys. So, there are at least 5 Micajah Lassiters: 1) the one to the right - Micajah Lassiter, Sr., 2) his son Micajah Lassiter, Jr., 3) his grandson via son Hill, Micajah Benson Lassiter, 4) the son of Feribe Lassiter and an unknown father and 5) the one who ended up in Kansas with his wife Jane Dunbar Lassiter.		 Micajah Lassiter, Sr.
b. 1764 in Albemarle Province, eastern NC
d. 3 June 1854; buried at Oak Grove UMC Cemetery in Randolph Co., NC 		m. ca. 1813, Randolph Co., NC

US Census data 1830 including Micajah Lassiter		 Mary Tadlock
b. 1784
d. 27 September 1852

I've had correspondence on Geni.com in regards to Mary's parents being Edward C. Tatlock, Jr., and Susannah Mourning (Brothers) Tatlock. Meanwhile, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume I, by William Wade Hinshaw has Edward and Susannah Tadlock as parents of Mary born February 15, 1789. More detail on Edward is available on WikiTree.

Mary, my ancestor, was Micajah's second wife and was "burled in Oak Grove Methodist Church Cemetry besided Micajah. The tombstone has been broken and mended with cement that has erased all but 'Sacred to the Memory of MARY' showing. The 1850 census lists wife Mary age 65 which would have been Mary Tadlock's age" (Bell, p. 747). His first wife was Celia Spivey, who is not my ancestor, whom he married 19 November 1787 in Gates Co., NC. According to Laster Family Genealogy, he had a third wife - Sarah Albertson - and his marriages produced 10, 4, and 7 children (21 total), respectively. Also see Genealogy.com Forum: Wives of Micajah Lassiter 1764-1854, NC.

I have multiple DNA matches who descended from Micajah (Sr.) and Mary (Tadlock) Lassiter. These are the great-great grandparents of Dorothy Etta O'Hanlon (born Smith), to whom I am 3rd cousin twice removed via Micajah and Mary Lassiter. Other DNA matches sharing this couple as ancestors are as follows: Susan Sheffield, Mary T. Stratton, John Garner, Phyllis Giles, Samantha Bingham and George Winslow.

           
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Silas K. Kearns
He owned a grist mill.

Pages 854 and 932 of The Saga of the Family and Descendants of David Vestal Henley and Eleanor Lassiter of Randolph County, North Carolina by Eleanor Parker Bell (1986) verified and bridged the gap!
Sara/Sarah Lassiter
(from Randolph Co., NC)		    
  b. 23 December 1815
d. 5 March 1890
Burial: Salem UMC, Randolph Co., NC		 m. 15 March 1837, Randolph Co., North Carolina
Bond record
(source: FamilySearch)		 b. 5 January 1815
The Kearns Heritage: Ireland to Randolph County, NC, p. 27, says she was born 1816.
d. 3 October 1890
tombstone
Burial: Salem UMC, Randolph Co., NC		    
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descendants through daughter Margaret Jane Kearns via her marriage to Wenborn W. Cranford		       
Lassiter Ancestry was uncovered 11 March 2015.