• Index to Genealogies

Durden of North Carolina; Emanuel, Montgomery, Washington & Wilkes Counties

The Durden family dates back to an old Anglo-Saxon line in pre-Norman times in England. [2]

The first known Durden to Georgia was John Durden, Jr., born 1734 in the Isle of Wight County, Virginia, who died 1800 in Wilkes County, Georgia. He married Sarah Coleman (1736-1786). Later, they removed to Wilkes County to be near their daughter, Elizabeth, who had married Stephen Heard, a gentleman much older than herself. They had seven children, viz:

• Jacob Durden, born 1755 married 1783 Mary Ann Hilliard (born 1765, died 1846), the daughter of Elias Hilliard of Granville County, North Carolina. He was a Revolutionary War Soldier. He is listed in Georgia Roster of the Revolution by Lucian Lamar Knight, pp. 313 and 450 as a refugee soldier in Georgia. [3]Issue:

  1. Zilphia Dunn, born 16 November 1784 in North Carolina, died after 1860 Emanuel County where she was last enumerated on the census with her unmarried daughter, Sarah, wife of Joshua Rountree, of Emanuel County.

• Stephen Durden.
• George Durden.
• John Durden, Revolutionary War Soldier, married Sarah Newton and settled in Montgomery and Washington Counties, which later became known as Emanuel County..
• William Durden, born 1775 in North Carolina, married Mary Dekle of Hanover, Germany (1784-1855). Issue:

1. Dennis Durden, born 1802 in North Carolina, died 1876.
2. Eleazer Durden, born 1809, died 1862.
3. William Durden, born 15 August 1817, died 11 July 1863, married Elizabeth Barwick. He served in the War Between the States and was buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Norristown, Hwy 80 and 221, Emanuel County. Issue:

1. Mary Durden, born 1838.
2. Nathan N. Durden, born 1830.
3. Martha Jane Durden, born 1851.
4. Dennis S. Durden, born 1844.
5. William J. Durden, born 1846.
6. Roan Durden, born 1842.
7. Eleazer L. Durden, born 1851.
8. John Durden, born 1854, married Patsy Knight who died 30 October 1938. Issue:

1. Willie Durden.
2. Norris W. Lucion Durden.
3. Ella DUrden, 1833-1884.
4. Eason Durden.
5. Meady Durden married Ola Yeomans who had Newborn Durden.
6. Bobby Durden.
7. Odie Beatrice Durden.

Sources:

[1] 1850-1860 Crawford County Census; Columbia County Deeds.

[2] Comments: I interviewed H. Kelmer Durden, Ordinary of Emanuel County in 1966. He said that the first Durden to America was Stephen Durden who settled in Nansemond County, Virginia in 1650. The son of Stephen, Jacob Durden, was born 1681, and inherited land in Isle of Wight and Nansemond Counties. His son, Jacob Durden, Jr., was born in the Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and died in 1741. Jacob, Jr. had a son, John Durden who was born in 1710 and died in North Carolina in 1798; a Captain in the Revolutionary War. The son of John Durden, John Durden, Jr., was born 1734 in the Isle of Wight County, Virginia, died 1800 in Wilkes County. He married Sarah Coleman (1736-1786).

[3]See Historical Southern Families by Boddie, Vol. IX, pp. 95-96; also the LWT of William Hilliard of Northampton County, North Carolina, dated 4 July 1754, probated May 1755.