It seems nearly certain that the references below (except as noted) refer to the same Ennis Hooper. The immigrant Thomas Hooper and his wife Sarah Innes had four sons, two of whom, James and Innes, died without issue. Their older son Thomas Hooper II must have been the father of the Innes Hooper, born about 1736, who appeared on a military roster in 1755 and who apparently accompanied Thomas Hooper to South Carolina and who was ultimately hanged in 1774 in Florida. The Ennis Hooper born about 1749 must have been the son of William Hooper.
ca1749
Birth of Ennis Hooper according to his pension application on 21 August 1832, when he was “aged 83 years”.
23 March 1761
Ordered that the Churchwardens bind out Wm & Ennis Hooper orphans of Wm. Hooper to Jas. Campbel (sic) acc’g to Law. [Bedford County, Virginia, Minute Book 1B, page 149.]
George Rust had married William Hooper’s widowed mother in the late 1720s while William was still a minor. He has been in the part of Bedford County that later became central Campbell County since at least 1752. At this time he apparently has a second wife, evidently has little interest in supporting his stepson’s orphaned children. Their only full-blood relatives are their brother James, bound out in Frederick County, and their uncle Thomas Hooper and his family who are now settling in South Carolina. Jeremiah Rust, born by 1731, was a child of Sarah Innes (who was still alive in 1732) and therefore a “half-blood uncle” of William Hooper’s sons. Sarah may have had other children by George Rust but we can’t be certain when she died and George Rust remarried.
James Campbell may have lived nearby. George Rust and later, Jeremiah Rust, after whom Rustburg is named, lived next to Long Mountain (originally called Rust’s Mountain) and Mollys Creek. A. James Campbell was appointed commissioner at Long Mountain when Campbell County was formed in 1781. I did not find James Campbell’s acquisition of land prior to 1760.
Ennis Hooper would be about 12 in 1761, under the age at which he could choose his own guardian. Whether William was older or younger is unknown.
November 1778
Probable month of Ennis Hooper’s first enlistment in Guilford County.
He would have come of age about 1772 but I haven’t found record of him. He was probably living in either Campbell County, Virginia or the adjacent Guilford County (later Rockingham), North Carolina.
7 August 1779
Discharge Certificate: “Discharge certificate to Enis Hooper, who completed 9 mos. service in the 4th Bn. of the Continental Service of N.C., dated 7 Aug 1779, and signed by Jas. Armstrong, Maj.” [North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 10 (1984), No. 4, p238.]
The explanation for these items (on p235) is ” ‘Revolutionary War Service and Final Settlements, 1776-1792″\’ file in the Military series of the Treasurers and Comptrollers Records at the North Carolina State Archives. These records are the final settlements of individuals with the United States for service in the Continental Line of North Carolina during the American Revolution.”
The NC regiments were constantly changing, but the 4th Battalion must have been the same as the reorganized 4th Regiment, as that unit’s activities in Georgia and South Carolina match the claims in Ennis Hooper’s pension declaration.
How Ennis Hooper came to be in Guilford (or Rockingham) County in 1778 is mysterious, although it is just over the state line south of Bedford (Campbell) County. He would have reached majority in 1772 and been free to leave Bedford County (assuming James Campbell remained there).
Early 1780
Ennis Hooper‘s second enlistment.
1782
Revolutionary Pay Vouchers: Enos Hooper received three vouchers, all from the Upper Board of the Salisbury District of North Carolina:
Voucher #1068 on 30 July 17__ (digits obscured) for £7:11:0 plus ):7:11 interest (about 7.33%)
Voucher #1479 on 8 August 1782 for £8:0:0 plus 0:11:5 interest (about 7.14%)
Voucher #3231 undated, for £2:5:0 plus 0:2:5 interest (about 1%). [North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers 1779-1782. LDS Film 004348181.]
The Upper Board served just Surry and Guilford Counties and all three vouchers were signed by James Hunter and Charles Bruce, both residents of Surry, who were two of the auditors for that board In theory, persons filed their claims from their home counties which fits with Ennis Hooper’s statement that he enlisted in Guilford County. Note that Guilford County included what became Rockingham County in 1785. (There were no Hoopers on tax lists or court records of Surry County during the 1770s other than a single mention of a James Hooper in 1779.)
Vouchers were also issued to Thomas Hooper by the Lower Board, which served Anson, Montgomery, & Richmond. Counties, and to James Hooper by the Morgan District, which served the western counties including Tennessee.
1781-1785
Pay Voucher: Voucher issued to Enos Hopper received by C. Dixon. [The DAR compendium “Roster of Soldiers from North Carolina in the American Revolution”, page 531. The source (per page 504) is Army Accounts – Halifax and Warrenton Vol. XVII 1781-1785, described as “Abstract of the Army Accounts of the N. C. Line. Settled by the Commissioners at Halifax from 1st Sept. 1784 to the 1st Feb. 1785, and at Warrenton in the year 1786 designating by whom the claims were receipted for, respectively.”]
This is apparently a mis-spelling. “C. Dixon” was Charles Dixon, paymaster of the same regiment in which Ennis Hooper served his second enlistment and who receipted a number of claims. Nor could I find any record of a Enos “Hopper” among contemporary records. (Somewhere I think I saw that the voucher was for £41 but can’t recall the source.)
15 March 1786
Deed: John Duncan to Elijah Joyce, both of Rockingham County, for £50, 200 acres on the waers of Sheperds Creek… Signed: John Duncan. Witness: Enos Hooper, Andrew Joyce, John Barnes. [Rockingham County, North Carolina, Deed Book A, page 88-89.]
This courtesy of Anne Goodwin. I assume that Anne checked Irene B. Webster’s Rockingham County, North Carolina Deeds, 1785-1800 and found no other references to Enos Hooper. There are no deeds to or from any Hooper in the grantee/grantor indices for this time period. No Hooper is in the 1790 census for Rockingham.
26 February 1797
Revolutionary Warrant: #4733 to Enos Hooper a private in the continental line of this State, 274 acres of land… Given under my hand at Raleigh this 12th day of February 1797, J. Glascow. On reverse: “I assign the within warrant to Robert Stothart for value rec’d of him this 26th February 1797, witness my hand &c. (Signed:) Wm. Hill for Enos Hooper. [North Carolina and Tennessee Revolutionary Warrants 1783-1837, Volume 8. LDS Film #7538483.]
Ennis Hooper was likely already in or near Nashville. Robert Stothart lived in Nashville town, operating with a brother as Robert Stothart & Co. (he also succeeded his brother as postmaster in 1801). Stothart initially used the warrant to enter a claim in Montgomery County, Tennessee on 1 April 1797 but quickly withdrew that claim in favor of an entry of 9 May 1797 on the waters of the Stones River in Davidson (later Rutherford) County, which was also abandoned. The warrant was eventually used by a William P. Anderson to enter a claim for 274 acres in White County and was granted same on 4 September 1807 [Tennessee Grants Book 6, page 83.]
William Hill was at this time the secretary to James Glascow, the N.C. Secretary of State (He was later Secretary of State himself, serving for more than 40 years) and the same person who in 1833 proved Ennis Hooper’s service by referencing this warrant. It seems likely that Ennis Hooper was already in Davidson County and wrote to that office to have the secretary there execute a transfer the warrant to Stothart.
1798-1799
Indictments of Ennis Hooper in Davidson County. See Hooper Records in Davidson County, Tennessee
It isn’t clear whether these records refer to this Ennis Hooper or to Ennis of Absalom, but the latter seems more likely.
18 September 1800
Deed: James Garrett of Davidson County to William Hooper of Montgomery County, for $160, 84 acres and 24 poles on Pond Creek south of Cumberland River… See Hooper Records in Davidson County, Tennessee
William Hooper had settled on a plantation about 25 miles west of this tract in Montgomery County. Why he bought land on Pond Creek and kept it for ten years is mysterious. Was he providing someone else a place to live?
18 December 1801
Marriage License: Gabriel Joslin to Elizabeth Hooper. Bond by Gabriel Joslin & Ennis Hooper, same date. No return noted. [Davidson County, Tennessee, Marriage Book 1, page 38.]
Ennis Hooper of Absalom died more than a year earlier, so this Is apparently Ennis of William. Elizabeth Hooper was the daughter of Churchwell Hooper, who was settled on Pond Creek a short walk north of William Hooper’s mysterious tract, and who witnessed the deed to Willam Hooper for that tract.
30 August 1802
Marriage License: Ennis Hooper to Elizabeth Thomas. Bond by Ennis Hooper & Drury [Holmes?}, same date. No return noted. [Davidson County Loose Marriage Bonds, and Marriage Book 1, page 40.]
The signature appears to be that of the Ennis Hooper who was bondsman for Elizabeth Hooper of Churchwell in December 1801. And it’s not inconsistent with the signature recorded in Rockingham County. Assuming it’s the same person, he’s about 53 years old, awfully ancient for a first marriage. Need to learn more about Elizabeth Thomas.
There were several men named Thomas in Davidson County. Future research may identify which family Elizabeth Thomas belonged to.
10 May 1803
Ennis Hooper of Nashville a defendant in Mero District Superior Court of Law and Equity. On 11 May 1803 he posted bond with William Hooper security. [Anne Goodwin found this in an index to Mero District court cases, indexed as on page 732 — have not been able to find the court record.]
1805
Ennis Hooper not on 1805 tax list for Davidson County
Where he was between 1803 and 1830 is a mystery. He does not appear to have owned land anywhere.
1820 Census
The 1820 census is missing for 22 counties in East Tennessee: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamilton, Hawkins, Jefferson, Knox, McMinn, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Rhea, Roane, Sevier, Sullivan, and Washington. The rest of Tennessee (and all of western North Carolina) is available. Ennis Hooper’s absence from census records suggests that he may have been in one of those 22 counties.
Marion was formed from Indian lands in 1817, so he probably wasn’t there prior to that year.
1830
Census, Marion County, Tennessee: Ennis Hooper 02011000001 – 002001
Census, Jackson County, Alabama: Ennis Hooper 01111000001 – 002001
Clearly the same household. Marion and Jackson adjoined. There are no deed records for a Hooper in either county. There are no surviving marriage or probate records for Marion County and few records of Jackson County prior to 1830..
Note that the children in the household may not have been his. The older female is younger that the woman he married in 1802 and therefore the children may have been hers. The male aged 20-30 may be Daniel T. Hooper, born about 1802 according to the 1850 census.
21 August 1832
Pension Application: Ennis Hooper a resident in the County of Marion in the State of Tennessee aged 83 years… Declares that he enlisted “in the year 1777 (as nearly as he can recollect) [actually late 1778] in Guilford County in the State of North Carolina with Captain John Nelson in the Regiment (not numbered being called new levies) under the following named officers, to wit, Col. John Armstrong and Major Lewis, that the regiment was marched from Moons Creek to Monks Corner in the State of South Carolina where they were placed under the command of Gen’l. Lincoln, and march from there to Purrysburg and from there marched to Briar Creek in the state of Georgia where they had an Engagement with the British, and Returned to Purysburg, and shortly thereafter was in an Engagement with the British at Stono in South Carolina [two weeks before his discharge], that he was marched from there to Bacons Bridge near Charleston where he was discharged (the date he cannot recollect) by Col. John Armstrong, from a service of Nine months the Time for which enlisted. [See discharge certificate.] That he again Enlisted, at Bacons Bridge in the state of South Carolina (in 1778 or 1779 (as well as he can recollect) [Probably early 1780] for the Term of Eighteen months, with Captain William Armstrong and served in the 7 Regiment of the continental line under the following named officers to wit, Col. Armstrong, Maj. Dixon, and Maj. Lewis that he was marched through South Carolina to Peedee where they joined Gen’l. Gates’s Army, and was marched to Camden where General Gates was defeated, that he was marched from there under Gen’l. Smallwood up Saluda River, and through Charlotte and Hillsborough near with latter place they joined Gen’l. Greene and was marched in different directions through the lower part of North Carolina, and then up to Guilford Courthouse where we had an engagement [March 1781], and was then marched to South Carolina, to the High Hills of Santee where they were stationed a short time, and was then marched to the Eutaw Springs and was there in another Engagement [September 1781], that they were then marched a few miles distant from the Battle ground and stationed, where they remained but a short time He declarant was discharged by Maj’r. Tillman Dixson but cannot recollect the date at which he was discharged (having lost his discharge) declarant expressly states that he participated in each of the Engagements herein mentioned and served the full terms for which he enlisted. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present, and declares that his name is not [on] the pension Roll of any agency in any state. Signed: Ennis (his mark) Hooper.
The first enlistment was in the 4th NC Regiment, which in the Fall of 1778 was organized with “new levies” which required enlistments of only 9 months. It was disbanded in the late summer of 1779 when nine months were up. It was reconstituted many months later back in North Carolina with the officers named above, so it seems that Hooper reenlisted in the same regiment rather than in the 7th for his second tour after having spent several months as a civilian in either North or South Carolina. However, Tighman Nixon was in the 1st NC Regiment in 1781-1782 when Hooper says he was discharged. Hard to tell what parts of this declaration are faulty memory.
The pension is labeled “Invalid” although the file does not include the customary plea of poverty.
18 February 1833
William Hill (N. C. Secretary of State), responding to request for verification of Ennis Hooper’s Revolutionary service: “ I do not find the name of Ennis Hooper on the muster rolls of the line of this State in the revolutionary war but it appears from the Warrant Book in this Office that a Warrant was issued for his service as a private Soldier in the revolutionary war on the certificate of a field officer for the quantity of land allowed by law for three years service.” [Included in Ennis Hooper pension file No. 1833.]
William Hill was the same person who signed for Ennis Hooper to transfer his warrant to Robert Stothart in 1797. Hill was a clerk in that office in 1797.
4 March 1833
Pension Issued to Ennis Hooper at $80/year with arrears to 4 September 1832 of $120 plus semi-annual payment of $40 ending 4 March 1833.
There is nothing in the file to suggest that he received any further payments. He is not listed in the 1841 census of pensioners.
==> A Marion County courthouse fire in 1922 destroyed probate and marriage records prior to the 1870s.
1840 Census
Marion County, TN: Danil(sic) Hooper 2110001 – 01111
Jackson County, AL: Martha Hooper 00001 – 00010001
Daniel T. Hooper, age 48, is in the 1850 census of nearby Dade County, Georgia with a wife Ann and several children, born in Tennessee, named Pleasant, Polly, William, Enos, Margaret, Martha, Sela, and James (the last one month old and born in Georgia.). His birthplace in North Carolina doesn’t fit the narrative above.