John Stewart of Fighting Creek: The Hatcher Connection and a Genealogical Dead End
In earlier posts, I pieced together the story of the Fighting Creek land transactions and the puzzling appearance of an “orphan” John Stewart, aided in court petitions by Francis Epes and John Bolling Jr. At the time, I believed this John might have been my own ancestor, John Stewart of Amherst. However, new evidence forces me to correct the record: the Fighting Creek Stewarts belong to an entirely different branch—the Ashen Swamp line descending from John Stewart (1634–1706) of Henrico County.
The “Orphan” John Stewart Reconsidered
The court records from 1722–1725 described John Stewart as an “orphan” seeking to secure land at Fighting Creek. Originally, I considered this might have been John Stewart Jr., son of John Stewart Sr. of my line. However, the below Stewart family tree provides a much clearer explanation.
- John Stewart (1658–1714) married Michal Ballow (?-1719).
- They had a son, John Stewart (?-1760), who aligns perfectly with the orphan in the 1723 and 1724 petitions.
- By 1722, both of his parents were deceased, which explains the “orphan” designation, even though he was already a young adult.
Thus, the “orphan” John Stewart of the court petitions was not my ancestor, but rather the son of John and Michal Ballow, firmly tied to the Ashen Swamp Stewart line.
Why the Land Ended Up with the Hatchers
The question of why the Fighting Creek land eventually passed into the hands of Benjamin Hatcher now has a straightforward answer.
- John Stewart (1634–1706), patriarch of the Ashen Swamp Stewarts, married Susannah Hatcher, widow of William Hatcher.
- Through this marriage, the Stewarts and Hatchers were directly connected.
- It is therefore likely that the Fighting Creek tract—whether during the orphan John’s lifetime or shortly after his death—was sold or transferred into the hands of a related cousin, possibly one of Susannah’s children by her first husband, William Hatcher.
This family tie explains why the procession records of the 1760s show Benjamin Hatcher occupying the remaining Stewart acreage on Fighting Creek.
Implications for My Research
This realization means that the Fighting Creek Stewarts are a genealogical dead end for my purposes. They descend from the Ashen Swamp Stewart line, not from the line I am researching in Amherst and beyond.
- The orphan John Stewart (?-1760), son of John and Michal Ballow, never connects to my Stewart family.
- The land transfers to Benjamin Hatcher are best understood as part of the Stewart–Hatcher kinship network rooted in Henrico County.
While the discovery closes one door, it also provides a satisfying resolution: the “orphan” and the Fighting Creek tracts can be firmly placed in their correct historical and genealogical context.
Conclusion
The saga of John Stewart of Fighting Creek serves as a reminder that not every promising lead belongs to our line. Sometimes the most important genealogical work we can do is to rule out connections and correctly assign records to their rightful branches.
For me, the Fighting Creek Stewarts—fascinating though they are—belong to the Ashen Swamp family line tied to the Hatchers, and not to the Stewarts of Amherst. This dead end allows me to focus my research more clearly on where my own ancestors truly lived, fought, and raised their families.
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