Granberry-Watts Link In Virginia
I am presently researching the possibility that Greenberry Watts, who was born in Virginia about 1785 and moved to Hawkins Co., Tennessee, was actually named Granberry Watts. I am exploring this hypothesis based on the possibility that the name Granberry when spoken with a heavy Southern accent may actually come out sounding more like Greenberry. If you take the short 'A' in Granberry and stretch it out the way many Southerners do it has more of an "AE" sound. A census taker or county clerk of the time would have written it as it sounded to him and thus Granberry could become Geeenberry.
With this in mind I did some local research to see if there is indeed a Granberry-Watts connection in Virginia. And, to my surprise, I have found one. This is what I've been able to find to date.
1. Josiah GRANBERRY (GRANBY) (b.1764 Nansemond Co., VA d. Norfolk, VA 1811)
sp: Elizabeth COWPER (b.1766 m.1784 d.1812)
|-2. Christian GRANBERRY (b.1785 Nansemond Co., VA)
| sp: Thomas WATTS (b.1781 VA, m.1801, d.1812 Norfolk, VA)
||-3. Robert WATTS
||-3. Joseph WATTS
||-3. Elizabeth WATTS
||-3. Sarah WATTS (b.1807 d.1890)
|+-3. Margaret WATTS
|-2. Louis GRANBERRY (b.1788 d.1848)
|-2. William Francis GRANBERRY (b.1790 d.1836)
|-2. Mary GRANBERRY (b.1795 Nansemond Co., VA d.1856 Norfolk, VA)
| sp: John WATTS (b.1792 Norfolk, VA, m.1815, d.1854 )
|+-3. Joseph Granberry WATTS (b.1816 d.1907)
|sp: Martha Anne Early DRAKE (b.1822 m.1847)
|-2. Gibby GRANBERRY (b.1797 d.1855)
|-2. Richard Allen GRANBERRY (b.1802 d.1855)
|-2. Elizabeth GRANBERRY (b.1804)
The Thomas Watts who married Christian Granberry is a son of Dempsey Watts, Sr. The John Watts who married Mary Granberry is a son of William Watts and Anne Pool. This William Watts was another son of Dempsey Watts, Sr. William Watts was a Revolutionary War veteran who died in Norfolk, VA in 1822.
From William Watts' Revolutionary War Pension Application and other court documents I was able to piece this partial descendancy chart for him.
1. William WATTS (b.1760 d.1822)
sp: Ann POOL (m.1781)
|-2. Joel WATTS (b.1782 d.1819)
|-2. James WATTS (b.1784 d.1817)
|-2. John WATTS (b.1792 d.1854)
| sp: Mary GRANBERRY (b.1795 m.1815 d.1856)
|+-3. Joseph Granberry WATTS (b.1816 d.1907)
|sp: Martha Anne Early DRAKE (b.1822 m.1847)
|-2. Ann WATTS (b.1790)
|-2. Dempsey WATTS (b.1798 d.1800)
|-2. Robert Tucker WATTS (b.1800)
|-2. Isaac WATTS (b.1802)
+-2. Sarah WATTS (b.1809)
Also, I believe I have found four sons of Dempsey Watts, Sr. They are William, Dempsey, Thomas and Abraham. Interestingly, Abraham Watts' daughter Judith married a James B. Foster in 1829 in Norfolk, VA. This may be a coincidence. I haven't been able to find more about them after that date.
So, the upshot of this is that there was a Granberry-Watts link. But, I haven't been able to determine if this sheds any light on Greenberry Watts' origins. It is an intriguing possibility and should be explored further. (It should be noted that the Granberry family was a very prominent family in Tidewater Virginia in its day. The name has come down to us as Granby The well known Granby Street in Norfolk being a prime example.)
I've seen where some researchers speculate that Greenberry Watts' father was the Richard Foster who died in Mecklenburg Co., VA. Unfortunately, Ricahrd's will does not shed any light on the names of his children. One of his daughters is thought to be the Elizabeth Hanner Barbara Watts who married Henry Ashton 1789 in Mecklenburg Co. If, so, this might point us back to the very old Watts family of Westmoreland Co., VA. But I haven't been able to find any link between this family and the family of Dempsey Watts of the Norfolk area.
If anyone knows anything more about Dempsey Watts please let me know.
Bob Foster
Williamsburg, VA