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Thweatt
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Branches of the Thweatt Family
Most of the Thweatt families left the parent state of Virginia. Several
Thweatts are now living in Virginia and some within a few miles of the original
landing of James Thweat in the 17th century.
It is remarkable that, within
a 125 year period, the original group had spread over the counties of Charles
City, Halifax, Chesterfield, Greenville, Dinwiddie, Henrico, Isle of Wight,
Brunswick, Sussex, Prince George, Amelia, Lunenberg and Southhampton.
It is from these counties that the migration to other states started. The
question arises, what caused so many Thweatt families to leave Virginia and seek
greener fields? First, it was worn out land. Second, large families and small
inheritances. The third reason was, some of those who left did well; they
wrote 'kin folks' who left and also wrote others, and so the exodus was on. The
question is, when did the exodus begin and what were some of the
conditions encountered and hardships suffered'?
At the dose of the Revolution in 1782, there were, in Dinwiddie County, Vt,
14 Thweatts who were paying personal property; 1814, only two; 1815, the two had
left for Tennessee. In round numbers, we can say the main Exodus was during the
twenty year period following the Revolution.
"From Virginia to Tennessee settlers bound for 'Middle Tennessee
took the old route through Cumberland Gap and Kentucky, or waited at Southwest
Point (Kingston) for a guard to accompany them over the wagon road across the
Cumberland plateau to Nashville.
" From "Virginia Gazette." Emil L. Jordon, in his book
"Americans," has the following to say: "On carts and wagons, on
horseback and on foot thousands and thousands of men and women moved on
steadily, incessantly. They had left the exhausted soil of Maryland and
Virginia to find new homes and fertile grounds on the alluvial lands of the Gulf
states," The approach to the Cumberland settlement was through the
wilderness of Kentucky. The General Assembly of North Carolina enacted a law
providing for a force of 300 men to protect these settlements; their duties also
included cutting roads.
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