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Covington name
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THE
COVINGTON U.S.A. LINEAGE
There are many places named Covington in the United States
of America, all are said to have derived from the personal name. Many of which
seem to be named after Leonard
Covington (1768-1820), an U.S. Army General who served under George
Washington. A detailed personal history of this major influence on the
popularity of the Covington name can be viewed by clicking on his link. Places
named Covington in U.S.A. are located throughout the country. Please visit my “Covington Places” page for more info.
The
Covington family name is much more popular in the U.S. so it is not too
surprising that the American people seem to have no trouble in pronouncing it
properly. An American Covington will probably have attained his name in one of
three ways, these being;
1. He is a direct
descendant of a British Covington, who emigrated from the UK, or was
transported as a convict to the U.S. during the 18th century. From my research, I believe that the vast majority of white U.S.
Covingtons first arrived in the U.S having come from an emigrate member of just
5 different strands of the U.K. Covington trees (see yellow highlighted trees
in our Family Tree
chart).
2. He could have taken
the name from the Covington town, or county, in which he lived. In a similar
way to that as the British Covingtons originally took their name.
3.
He could have taken his name from the personal
name of the estate or plantation owner on which he worked, probably as a slave
in such places as Alabama and Mississippi.
Many Afro-American Covingtons can be
found in the U.S. and points 2 and 3 were the usual way for them to be named
following the abolition of slavery. These former slaves would have previously been
known by their given name, in the same way that British names originated. At
the end of slavery, each would have had to register their newly found freedom
with the authorities, who would require a surname. some chose their father's
name, but many were given the name of their former slave owner or the place
they were born or currently lived at.
The following extract from a website
called “Facing History”
provides a fascinating insight as to how complex it can be for a genealogist to
trace the family tree for an Afro American
“After
Emancipation, many former slaves adopted new names and surnames. They did so
either to take on a surname for the first time, or to replace a name or surname
given to them by a former master. Here, three different former slaves discuss
their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. This is Handout
1.6 (p. 13) from ”The
Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy”.
In
the 1930s, ex-slave Martin Jackson explained why he chose his last name after
Emancipation:
The
master's name was usually adopted by a slave after he was set free. This was
done more because it was the logical thing to do and the easiest way to be
identified than it was through affection for the master. Also, the government
seemed to be in a almighty hurry to have us get names. We had to register as
someone, so we could be citizens. Well, I got to thinking about all us slaves
that was going to take the name Fitzpatrick. I made up my mind I'd find me a
different one. One of my grandfathers in Africa was called Jeaceo, and so I
decided to be Jackson.
Dick
Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army
during the Civil War. In 1911, Barnett and Fry’s widow, Mollie, both applied
for pensions from the government. This financial assistance was available to
all Civil War veterans and their families. However, many African Americans
faced a problem when they applied for their pensions. After the war ended and
slavery was abolished, they exercised their freedom by changing their names.
This meant that army records documented their service with their old names
instead of their new ones. In order to receive their pensions decades later,
these former soldiers and their family members had to demonstrate to the
government that they were who they claimed to be. The following documents are excerpts
from government records in which Dick Barnett and Mollie (Smith) Russell
explain when and why they changed their names.
Testimony
of Dick Lewis Barnett, May 17, 1911:
“I
am 65 years of age; my post office address is Okmulgee Okla. I am a farmer.
My
full name is Dick Lewis Barnett. I am the applicant for pension on account of
having served in Co. B. 77th U.S. Col Inf and Co. D. U.S. Col H Art under the
name Lewis Smith which was the name I wore before the days of slavery were
over. I am the identical person who served in the said companies under the name
of Lewis Smith. I am the identical person who was named called and known as
Dick Lewis Smith before the Civil War and during the Civil War and until I
returned home after my military service.
I
was born in Montgomery County, Ala. the child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol
Smith. When I was born my mother was known as Phillis Smith and I took the name
of Smith too. I was called mostly Lewis Smith till after the war, although I
was named Dick Lewis Smith—Dick was the brother of John Barnett whom I learned
was my father.
When
I got home after the war, I was wearing the name of Lewis Smith, but I found
that the negroes after freedom, were taking the names of their father like the
white folks. So I asked my mother and she told me my father John Barnett, a
white man, and I took up the name of Barnett.”
Testimony
of Mollie Russell (widow of Phillip Fry), September 19, 1911:
Q.
Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry?
A.
Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and
was married to him.
Q.
Who called you by that name and where was it done?
A.
I was first called by that name in the family of Col. Morrow in whose service I
was in Louisville, Ky., just after the war. I worked for him as nurse for his
children, and my full and correct name was Octavia, but the family could not
"catch on" to that long name and called me "Lottie" for
short. Lottie had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just
continued that same name. I was called by that name all the time I was with the
Morrows.
Q.
Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville?
A.
Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age
from Mr. Dearing. I belonged to him until emancipation. They called me
"Ock". They cut it off from Octavia. It was after emancipation on
that I went back to work for Col. Morrow and where I got the name
"Lottie," as already explained. I liked the name better than Octavia,
and so I took it with me to Danville, and was never called anything else there
than that name.
Q.
How did you ever come by the name of "Mollie"?
A.
After I had returned to Louisville from Danville, my sister, Lizzie White, got
to calling me Mollie, and it was with her that the name started.
Q.
Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from?
A.
My mother's name was Octavia Smith and it was from her that I got it but where
the name came from to her, I never knew. I was only three years old when she
died. No, I don't know to whom she belonged before she was brought from
Virginia to Kentucky.”
A
further complication for researchers of Afro-American family is the “Great
Migration” which saw the movement of millions of African
Americans out of the rural Southern United States from 1914 to 1960. Most moved to large industrial cities, as
well as to many smaller industrial cities. African-Americans moved as
individuals or small groups. There was no government assistance. They migrated
because of a variety of factors including, fear of racial hate attacks,
& lynchings in the South, the cotton fields infestation
in the South in the late 1910s reduced the demand for sharecroppers, The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
and its aftermath displaced hundreds of thousands of African-American farm
workers Additionally income levels were much higher in the North, with far
higher wages in the service sector, the enormous growth of war industries in WW1,
WW2 and beyond created new job openings, World War I
effectively put a halt to the flow of European immigrants to the industrial
centres, causing shortages of workers in the factories. As a result tracing
family trees is far easier when they stay local. (Demographic
History of The United States)
Americans have a similar naming approach
to the Welsh, in that they like to utilise their wife's maiden name in their
children's names. This naturally creates some unusual christian names, which
are often passed on to future generations by becoming a family name. This style
of naming helps genealogists greatly, as does another U.S. practice, multiple
naming after one's father. For example, if you find that one of your
descendants was Benjamin Disraeli Covington the third, you know that the next 2
back in the family line were also called Benjamin Disraeli. It all helps speed
up the search process!
From
my personal experience, of contacting fellow Covingtons from America, it is
noticeable that the study of genealogy has many more followers in the U.S. than
found in the UK. They are generally very keen on tracing their birth-right
particularly if they can trace a branch in the UK. Of course, any link with
British royalty would be the ultimate find!!
(Surnames
of the United Kingdom) (Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names) (Penguin
Dictionary of Surnames) (Scottish Place Names by W.F.H. Niclaisen) (The
Surnames of Scotland) (American Place Names by George R. Stewart)
SPREAD OF
THE COVINGTON NAME IN THE U.S.A. (2014)
|
Place |
Incidence |
Rank in Area |
|
North Carolina |
4,401 |
346 |
|
Texas |
3,378 |
1,265 |
|
Georgia |
2,510 |
681 |
|
California |
2,180 |
2,324 |
|
Tennessee |
1,930 |
571 |
|
Maryland |
1,828 |
677 |
|
Virginia |
1,642 |
745 |
|
South Carolina |
1,616 |
479 |
|
Florida |
1,392 |
1,862 |
|
New York |
1,053 |
2,748 |
|
Missouri |
1,051 |
1,342 |
|
Mississippi |
1,006 |
514 |
|
Alabama |
955 |
932 |
|
Illinois |
909 |
1,958 |
|
Nevada |
883 |
857 |
|
Louisiana |
797 |
968 |
|
Michigan |
788 |
1,703 |
|
Kentucky |
753 |
985 |
|
Pennsylvania |
680 |
2,830 |
|
Arkansas |
625 |
715 |
|
Utah |
567 |
906 |
|
Indiana |
536 |
1,809 |
|
Oklahoma |
529 |
1,182 |
|
New Jersey |
488 |
2,157 |
|
Washington |
466 |
2,186 |
|
Ohio |
462 |
3,539 |
|
Colorado |
368 |
2,248 |
|
Arizona |
363 |
2,404 |
|
District of Columbia |
323 |
710 |
|
Iowa |
246 |
1,920 |
|
Oregon |
175 |
3,327 |
|
Wisconsin |
154 |
6,220 |
|
Minnesota |
131 |
7,498 |
|
Kansas |
122 |
3,770 |
|
Connecticut |
120 |
4,205 |
|
Idaho |
93 |
2,719 |
|
Massachusetts |
83 |
11,267 |
|
Delaware |
76 |
1,697 |
|
New Mexico |
76 |
3,393 |
|
Hawaii |
74 |
3,188 |
|
West Virginia |
74 |
3,461 |
|
Nebraska |
67 |
5,362 |
|
Alaska |
53 |
1,907 |
|
Wyoming |
41 |
2,253 |
|
Rhode Island |
33 |
5,218 |
|
Montana |
32 |
5,420 |
|
Maine |
12 |
10,715 |
|
North Dakota |
12 |
10,731 |
|
New Hampshire |
8 |
20,242 |
|
Vermont |
5 |
14,751 |
|
South Dakota |
4 |
24,681 |
The Origins of the
Covington name in the U.S.
Many Covington genealogists believe that their initial U.S.
Covington forefather was Nehemiah (ref 5675), who is, I believe, part of the THOMAS COVINGTON (6477), born at Huntingdonshire 1605
tree
Supposedly the first Covington to reach America. Various
sources suggest he first arrived in U.S. in 1652 before returning to England
shortly after having had a brush with the U.S. law for being a "single
man" and was fined a quantity of tobacco (??). He then returned 10 years
later with his pregnant wife and 6 children in 1662. However, many of these
sources are contradictory with regards to dates. Certainly, the biggest myth
expressed by researchers into Nehemiah is that he came from Coventry, Huntingdonshire,
England. This is untrue as the only Coventry in England is in Warwickshire, now
West Midlands (co-incidentally where I was born & spent the first 24 years
of my life). The village of Covington can be found in Huntingdonshire so this
may be the cause of the confusion.
Another source suggests the following: "Immigrated
into Virginia in 1647, a colourful individual whose life has been well
documented in many Delmarva (Delaware) genealogies. From being accused of
'thieving cheese' and 'defaming a woman' on the eastern shore of Virginia, as
an indentured servant to High Sherriff in the new county of Somerset, in ye new
province of Maryland."
Listed under patent of Nicholas Waddilow and Stephen Harsey
in 1647, and under patent of Nicholas Waddilow in 1649. Signed the Oath to the
Commonwealth Mar, 25, 1651 at Northhampton Co. Va. In 1666 and 1674 was sworn in as Constable in
Somerset Co.
1st wife
born c.1626, died Apr 1667 at Great Monie. 2nd wife was a widow, she died 1678
in Maryland. He was a Stone Mason, Grist Mill Builder & Tobacco Planter.
First report of his name appears in Cavaliers & Pioneers: Abstracts of
Virginia Land Patents & Grants, 1623-1666 by Nell Marion. Said to have been
transported to Northampton County by Stephen Horsey and Nicholas Waddelow 13
July 1647. He signed engagement of loyalty to Commonwealth of England, March
1651/2. Was before court and fined, March 1652/3 for "incontinency before
marriage" and in April 1653, appeared before court on account of trouble
he was having with a person to whom he was evidently an indentured servant.
Nehemiah went to Monie section (later Somerset County, Maryland) in 1662,
bought cattle from Thomas Leister on 4 June 1666, settled 300 acres called
Covington's Vineyard on north side of Great Monie Creek in November 1674,
stating his age as about 46 years. He married his 2nd wife Anne Ingram July
1667 who was the widow of Robert Ingram, they had been transported together to
Maryland in 1664. Robert had died before July 1666 and they had had 3 sons,
John, James & Robert. Nehemiah and Anne were married by William Thorne
Justice of the Peace, Somerset County.
According to “Covington Cousins” (a Facebook site
described as being set up to establish a means of sharing information regarding
the family of Thomas Samuell Covington (1643 - 1704). To reach out to current
family members and the members of allied families throughout the United States and the United
Kingdom to increase our knowledge and appreciation of our common heritage).:-
Widely considered to be the first Covington to settle in
the British colonies of North America, Nehemiah Thomas Covington, Sr. (nb.
first reference ever seen of him having a middle name, which, if true would
have been fairly rare at this time) was born in Covington, Huntingtonshire,
England in 1628. His parents are believed to have been John Thomas Covington
and Catherine Ann Tapp Covington. (other research suggests father was named
Thomas & mother, Ann, both of whom were transported by Arthur Allen to
Surry County 20 Aug 1665 (Cavaliers & Pioneers by Neil Marion Nugent 1963)
– which may link to this suggestion)
Shipboard records show that Nehemiah came to America as a
headright indentured servant to Stephen Horsey and Nicholas Waddlowe. The exact
nature and terms of his indenture are not known. He arrived in Accomack,
Virginia in 1647. In 1651 he signed the Oath to the Commonwealth at Northampton
Virginia. He moved to Somerset, Maryland in 1652 but returned to England within
a few years having been tried and convicted for "incontinence before
marriage" for "defaming a woman." Additionally, he was involved
in a dispute over cheese with one of the men to whom he was indentured.
Nehemiah married Mary Vaughan on July 10, 1648 in Eastville,
Northampton, Virginia. Together they had six children: Joan (1650), John
(1654), Margaret (1655), Nehemiah, Jr. (1658), Sarah (1661), and Kathrine
(1661).
In 1661 Nehemiah returned to Somerset with his family. In
1662 he purchased cattle and established Covington's Vineyard on the north
shore of Great Monie Creek. Nehemiah was a stone mason, grist mill builder and
tobacco planter. Additionally, in 1666 and 1674 he was sworn to serve as
Constable. He was a prominent Quaker and worked to establish the religion in
Maryland. One source shows that Nehemiah was hauled into court on one occasion
and convicted of failing to support the Church of England.
Mary died in 1667 and in July 1667 Nehemiah remarried. His
new wife, Anne Ingram, was the widow of Robert Ingram. She brought three
children to her new marriage. They were John, James and Robert. Together,
Nehemiah and Anne had four children: Elizabeth (1668), Thomas (1670), Anne
(1672) and Jeremiah (1675/6). (other records suggest they also had Samuel in
1676).
By 1680,
Nehemiah's health began to fail and on May 8, 1681, he died at Great Monie,
Somerset, Maryland. (Note: There is some inconsistency in dates shown. I have
chosen dates most frequently quoted or taken from sources that appear most
reliable.)
A follow up cites: “Nehemiah Covington, Sr. came to British
America under the headright system. But what was the headright system? The
headright system was established in Jamestown, Virginia in 1618 as a means of
encouraging settlers to come to America. Under the headright system each
newcomer received approximately 50 acres of land. Award was made for each
family member over 15 and each servant brought over. The system was used to
address labor shortages primarily in the colonies of Virginia, Maryland, the
Carolinas and Georgia. Poor persons often came to America under the indenture
system. In exchange for paid passage to America, they agreed to perform labor
for their sponsors for a period of five to seven years. Additionally, sponsors
received 50 acres for each indentured servant brought over.
Thomas
Samuell Covington and his future wife, Susannah Brayfield Cooper, were also
indentured servants. The headright system was ended around 1779”
U.S, Family Tree History via Internet searches
1. Nehemiah
Covington b. cir 1628, Covington, Huntingdonshire, England, m. (1) Mary _____,
d. circa 1667, buried: Great Monie Hundred, Somerset Co, MD, m. (2) ?? Jul
1667, Anne Ingram. Nehemiah died ?? ___
1680/1. He's listed under the patent of
Nicholas Waddilow and Stephen Harsey in 1647 and under the patent of Nicholas
Waddilow in 1649. Nehemiah signed the
Oath to the Commonwealth 25 Mar 1651 in Northampton Co, VA. In 1662, with his wife and children, he
immigrated to Somerset Co, MD, where he acquired a patent to 300 acres of land
on the north side of Monie Creek in 1663/4.
He called his land "Covington's Vineyard." In 1666 and 1674, he was sworn in as
Constable in Somerset Co. Nehemiah was a
prominent Quaker.
According
to information provided to me by Martha Beth Wells she has seen a copy of
the deposition with his signature, the double owl mark (two big O's with a
horizontal line above) in the original records of the Northampton County VA
Courthouse in Eastville VA.
Extract from:
Florida Edition, Makers of America - an
historical and biographical work by an able corps of writers, vol III.
Published under the patronage of The Florida Historical Society, Jacksonville,
Florida.
“The family history in
America is rather obscure. A Thomas Coventon (who later spelled his name
Covington) came from England and settled at Plymouth, about 1740. He was a
master mariner, and retiring from the sea purchased large property in Old
Plymouth. A younger brother, Jacob Covington, inherited his property. This
family appears to have died out entirely in New England. Another branch settled
in Franklin county, New York State, and changed the name of old Fort Springs
Mills to Fort Covington. The Maryland family appears to be the oldest in this
country, and is beyond all reasonable doubt the parent stock of all the
southern Covingtons.
These Maryland Covingtons
came over at the first settling of that colony by Lord Baltimore. The family
tradition has it that there were three brothers. The North Carolina and
Virginia families are both believed to have been descended from these, and it
is a tradition in the North Carolina family that two brothers, descended from
one of the original Maryland settlers, came to Rockingham prior to 1776. These
two brothers were John and William. A third brother settled in Covington, Ky.,
and gave his name to the town. Terrell Covington, father of the three brothers
in Florida, was a descendant of John.
A favorite name in the
Maryland family was Leonard. Rebecca Covington, daughter of Leonard, married in
1750 Lieutenant Benjamin Mack-all, who was one of the earliest Maryland
patriots and suffered much from Tory persecutions. John R. Covington, a member
of the Maryland family, became a gunner in the navy, and died in 1840. Erasmus
F., of the Kentucky family, was a lieutenant in the regular United States Army,
and died in 1833. General Leonard Covington, of Maryland, born the thirtieth of
October, 1768, entered the regular army as a Lieutenant under Anthony Wayne in
1792, was a captain in 1795, resigned late in that year, served in the Maryland
Legislature in 1805-1807, re-entered the army in 1809 as a Lieutenant-Colonel,
was a Brigadier-General in the War of 1812, and fell mortally wounded at the
battle of Chrysler's Field, on November n, 1813, leaving behind a record which
entitled him to be classed not only as a gallant, but as a most capable
soldier.
Another prominent member, Judge Alexander Covington, of Mississippi, who
died October 16, 1848, aged seventy-one, went from Virginia to Mississippi
where he lived for forty years, was a Christian gentleman, charitable,
hospitable, and of rare colloquial powers. It will thus be seen that the family
is of ancient origin, has been long settled in our country, and has made an
honorable record."
The Latter
Day Saints FamilySearch files favour an
alternate descent
(1) John Covington
(AFN:19ZX-S4G)
(2) Nehemiah Covington
(AFN:L8V8-60), born 1628 at Coventry, Huntingdonshire, England (error, Coventry
at this time was in Warwickshire, now West Midlands). Died 1681 at Great Monie
Creek, Somerset, MD, buried at Covington's Vineyard, Somerset, MD. Married Jul
1667 at Covington's Vineyard, Great Monie Creek, Somerset, MD to Anne Ingram
(AFN:L8V8-75)., born 1628 at Covington's Vineyard, Somerset, MD. Died 1678 at
Covington's Vineyard, Somerset, MD
(3) Thomas Covington
(AFN:L8V8-9H), born: 10 May at Great
Monie Creek, Somerset, MD. Died 30 May 1670 at Kent, MD, buried 1715 at St
Paul's Church, Kent, MD. Married about 1690 at Kent, MD to Rachel Ingram
(AFN:L8V8-3G), born 1672 at Kent, Maryland. Buried at St. Pauls Church, Kent,
MD
(4) Henry Covington (AFN:L8V7-ZS), born 1693 at
Kent, MD. Died: 31 Jul 1744 at Providence, Queen Annes, MD, buried 31 Jul 1744
at Queen Annes, MD. Married 1712 at Queen Annes, MD to Mary Blackistone
(AFN:8R0T-6B), born 1700 at Church Hill, Queen Annes, MD, died: Aft 31 1744 Jul
at Queen Ann, MD, buried at St. Pauls Church, Queen Annes, MD
Source (http://home.swbell.net/jwjean/covington.htm) gives the emigrant ancestors as: (1) William Covington b. abt 1585 in England, and d. 22-May-1674 in Essex Co., VA. This source states that William came to America with Lord Baltimore in 1634. This source gives a further descent as (2) John, Sr., then (3) John, Jr., with John, Jr., being the father of (4) Henry Covington (abt 1674-1744) of Queen Anne’s County, MD.
Researcher Mildred Covington Sossaman in her memoir traces her William Covington (ca 1753-1816) line back to Henry Covington (1744 will, Queen Anne’s Co, MD), through his son William born ca 1720 (Queen Anne’s Co, MD), and died after 1789 (will, Richmond Co., NC). She notes that there were multiple Covington lines, which had often intermarried. Sorting out the early generations of Covington is probably impossible, and often is based more on “legends and lore.”
"Our Kin" by W.H.Manning Jr
& Edna Anderson Manning - Published in 1958, this book contains a
significantly detailed section on the Covington tree. Some of it is definitely
inaccurate but nevertheless worthy of a read. This pdf format copy was sent to
me by Duncan Covington Cvngtn@aol.com in May 2012 and can be accessed by clicking on this link OurKin.pdf. That said it is not the easiest document to
read!
Reference:
J.E. & I.C. Huneycutt (1976), “A History of Richmond County”
p.56:
Early families of Richmond County: “The Covington, Everett, Cole, Dockery, Webb
and McDonald families were among the earliest settlers; and the Covington’s
probably have the best claim to aristocracy, having been members of Lord
Baltimore’s settlement in Maryland.”
p. 63ff:
The Covington families (by Elizabeth Williams Covington) - Records indicate a
William Covington who may have come to the Richmond County area in 1743. “They
are directly descended from Henry Covington who came to Queen Anne’s Co.,
Maryland, in 1760. Two of his children
came to Richmond County with their families – William, who married Sarah Newman
and then after her death Rachel Thomas, and a daughter Sarah who married a
Richardson.
“Another
son of Henry was John who married Mary Airy in Maryland. While they did not come to Richmond County,
their ten children did. From these ten
came many other family names in Richmond County.
“From these fine families came many substantial citizens in the Ellerbe-Norman Section, the Zion community where Uncle Billy or William Wall Covington was the leader, .. (etc.). The Covington descendants are the Walls, Everetts, Hunters, Capels, Baldwins, Gibsons, Terrys, Throwers, Ingrams, Ledbetters, Coles, Littles, Dunns, Thomases, Masons, Usserys, Ropers, Crawfords, Kellys, Leaks, Thompsons, Steeles, Entwistles, Baltons, Smiths, Ellerbes, Nichols, Haywoods, Webbs, Watsons, Bosticks, Parsons, and Hudsons and probably others
Most
compiled genealogies for the Covington’s of Anson and Richmond County, NC, are
based upon the biographical sketches of Captain William Everett, which were published in the Rockingham Post Dispatch, Richmond Co.,
Volume 10, No. 35, July 21, 1927. Some
other Covington researchers have criticized some of the speculative assignments
in these sketches, and some errors have been found (as would be true for all
extensive compiled genealogies). Capt.
Everett begins with the traditional “three brothers” fable: “Tradition has it
that there were three brothers bearing the above name (Covington) who came to
Maryland from England with Lord Baltimore in 1632.”
Correspondence
from Vaden Irwin Covington (ref 8288) provides us with his version of the evolution
for his family line as follows:
“Nehemiah de Covington, my ancestor was born
1628 A.D. in Covington, Huntingdonshire, England. Left Covington, and arrived
in Northampton, Virginia, in 1646. He was a grist mill stone cutter, blacksmith
and tobacco planter. He registered this Owl's Head Trade Mark in 1663.
Thomas Covington, son of Nehemiah registered the
"Quarter Circle above the C" brand shown here in 1691. He was a stone
cutter as were many Covington's in our line. He was the Great Grandfather of
General Leonard Covington shown later.
Many Covingtons were prominent in United States History:
here are a few that we have in our Bicentennial display at the County Museum
here in Redlands:
Benjamin Covington, General under General George Washington
in the Continental Army. Elected to Continental Convention in 1788. Later he
was granted "Plantation Acreage" and a pension by Congress.
William Covington, served as Captain in the Virginia
Colonial Army under General George Washington. He served as Adjutant General to
George Washington in the Continental Army and wrote the terms of surrender at
Yorktown. Congress granted him 2500 acres of land for his outstanding service.
Matthew Poythress Covington, was the Colonial Surveyor for
King George III. He joined the Continental Army and was captured by the
British. He made his escape and was later appointed to set up the North
Carolina Military Academy.
Captain Henry Covington, served under General George
Washington and married Winifred Stone, whose father was a signer of the
Declaration of Independence. He was District Judge for many years and had a
large farm on the side.
General Leonard Covington, entered the Army in 1792, was commissioned lieutenant of Dragons in 1793. Joined Wayne's Legion in 1794, and greatly distinguished himself in the battles of the Maumee, Fort Recovery and the battle of Miami. Subsequently, returning to Maryland, he was elected to Congress. He later moved to Natchez, Mississippi, where he took command of Fort Dearborn. He later, with 600 soldiers, took possession of West Florida, (which consisted of the now pan-handle of Florida, part of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi) for the United States from the English and French who claimed it. He then retired and built a mansion at Washington, Mississippi, 6 miles from Natches, which still stands in good repair.
At the outbreak of the 1812 War with England, General
Covington re-enlisted, built and took command of Fort Covington across the St.
Laurence River from Montreal, Canada. He was killed in the Battle of Chrysler's
Field in Canada, November 11, 1813. He was buried at Fort Covington and in
1820, was removed to Mount Covington, Sackets Harbor, New York. Most of the
places, counties and forts named Covington in the Untied States were named in
the General's honor.
James Wall Covington (ref 11748), my grandfather, moved
from North Carolina in 1840 to Mississippi, where he started our present
business of making grinding equipment. He made hand and foot grinders for
grinding farm tools, gem coral and sea shells for trinkets in the Indian Fur
trade. In 1848, he registered the Covington Trade Mark as shown on the front of
our catalog. During the Civil War, at the end he was broke because the
Confederate money was worthless. Things were so bad in the south that he
decided to move to California by ox teams. The Indians were on the warpath,
along the Santa Fe Trail, so he decided to take the long Mormon Trail by way of
Salt Lake City.
He loaded the bottom of the wagons with Covington Grinders
for trading stock and started out on this two year journey (which can be made
in 2 hours by air now). My father, William Vaden Covington (ref 13459), was one
year old when they left and three years old when they arrived where Redlands is
now.
Part of each day was used to herd the oxen for feed and hunting for food, so travel was very slow. My grandfather had a brother in Salt Lake. He helped to make trades of Covington Grinders for supplies and get a guide to take them through the desert to Redlands, California. Feed for the oxen would be poor and very little hunting. Mormon guides always insisted on feeding the Indians along the way to keep on good terms with them, so it took extra food. My folks arrived where Redlands is now in 1868.
In 1873 James Wall Covington registered the "M T"
mark in San Bernardino County which he used on his grinding arbors and
livestock. We (Covington Corporation, Redlands CA) still use this trademark and
brand.
You will notice in our catalog that we are members of the Exclusive California State 100 Year Club. That we have been making grinding equipment in the Redlands area for over 100 years, to serve you.
Covington's and Dr. Gerald Smith, Director of
our San Bernardino County Museum here in Redlands invite you to visit our
display, "The Covington Story 831 A.D. to 1976" (There are currently
no references to this display on the internet)”
Correspondence from Zella Hansen Nesbitt, during
1984
“The exciting find was our No.1 Simon
(Coventon) who married Mary Menard (Maynard) 12 Oct 1671.
Simon and Mary had four children born in St Pauls: Mary,
Simon II, Elizabeth, and William, and little William died a year later. Then we
have nothing more on this family in St Pauls.
Elizabeth brought an interesting line into the family and
we were able to trace her mother's ancestors back into the l400s through wills
on the Tillye ancestors. It is not my
purpose to give all dates and information on these families which are contained
on the Family Group sheets and also only those allied families which had some
direct bearing on the history of our Covington Family and so I will not
elaborate on these lines.
Simon and Elizabeth had eight children all born in St
Peters. The second of which was Simon III; who was born January l704. Simon III
married a girl named Sarah, but we have never been able to find the marriage,
and so we are unable to find her maiden name or anything about her. But we know
they had nine children, and again it was the second son who was named Simon,
our Simon IV. Simon III lived to be nearly 80 years of age and he took on the
job of raising Simon IV’s three small children as we shall talk of later.
At this point we need to go back in time to pick up another
ancestor out at the mists of the unknown. This was a John Dove born about 1634
who lived and had something to do with food or
drinks in St Pauls. In his will dated l680 he leaves to his son William some
leather and shoemaking materials along with the bench and etc. This is
important because we believe that he was then living in, if he did not own it,
the little shop known as the Robin Hoode Inn.
This little bit or history concerning the Robin Hoode Inn
was important to me because in our Family Traditions we had the story of some
property which was left in England and which the family was unable to sell
before they left and which was probably worth quite a sum of money at this
time. My great Uncle Edward Covington was always going back to England to claim
the said property and he had deeds with which to do it. Unfortunately he never
ever was able to make the trip.
So I was eager to find more on this Robin Hoode Inn. On the
25 November 1718 a John Cooch married Dorothy Hensman in Kempston, Bedfordshire
and at this time a marriage settlement mentioned two cottages and the Robin
Hoode Inn, now in the occupation of William Dove. Next we find the Will of
William Dove who was the son of John Dove and who is called a cordwinder
(shoemaker) at this time, and in this will he leaves to his daughter Elizabeth
Berriel the "house she now liveth in, known by the name of the Robin
Hoode, to her and her heirs forever."
He also leaves to his son William Dove jr my house in Mill
Lane the house I now live in. This Mill Lane is in St Cuthberts and this is
important also and may be one of the two cottages mentioned in the marriage
settlement.
Now, to go back to our Simon IV. He was born 21 Sep l735
and married in St Cuthberts to Jane Berrill who was the daughter of William
Berrill and Elizabeth Dove (she is the one in William Dove's will who was given
the Robin Hoode Inn). We have so far been unable to prove the parentage of
William Berrill, but believe he may have came from Northamptonshire which
records we have not as yet obtained for our library. Although much research has
been done there already.
This Simon IV was a thatcher which means he applied the
straw to the roofs of the houses.
At any rate tragedy seems to stalk this little family; They
had two sons: Edward born 1760 and again the second son was our Simon V born
1763, John the third son born l765 only lived one day. Then in 1766 and I
believe that it may have been at the birth of another son whom they named John,
the young mother died on the 4th Sep and one month later on 2 Oct the father
also passed away, at the age of thirty-one years leaving three small children
under six.
This Simon, the thatcher left a will and in it he bequeaths
his share or one half of the house in which my brother William now liveth and
which is commonly called or known as the Robin Hoode in the said town of
Bedford and also all his monies and whatever he has in trust to his Father Simon
Covington and his brother William to be used to care for his three young
children. The will was signed the 30 September which was shortly after his
wife's death.
One more will throws light onto the property deeds which
Uncle Edward said he had in his possession. Our Simon V who became an orphan at
his parent's death had the older brother Edward (brother to his father Simon
IV) who seems to be looking out for him. We have the will of Edward Covington
of St Peters dated 1812, in which he leaves to his nephew Simon, son of Simon,
of Wells St. the cottage with all rights belonging thereto which is situate in
the Parish of St Peters which I lately purchased of Martha Butter and now in
the occupation of John Belden, shoemaker.
This was the Simon V who married Elizabeth Brown and we know he was a
shoemaker and the father of your Simon VI and my Berrill.
I had a researcher in England who knew I was interested to
find out more of The Robin Hoode. He made inquiries and came up with the
opinion that it had now become known as the "Crossed Keys". In those
days they had the shop on the ground floor and lived upstairs. And so one can
imagine that back in 1650 John Dove had an eating and drinking place in the
downstairs part and it may have continued or it may have been partly used as a
shoemaking shop by those who were shoemakers like William Dove and our Simon
Covington.
I know Mother always wondered if the story was true
and if the property was all that was described and I can't help wishing that we
could have found these facts and stories for her to enjoy.
We find also at this time that Simon and Elizabeth’s
children are not listed in any of the five Parish registers in Bedford. We finally found out that they had separated
themselves from the Church of England and joined a congregation which called
themselves Independents and here we found the record of the births of some of
Simon's children and also of Berrill's family. They met in what was called the
Old Meeting House on Mill Lane or sometimes referred to as Independents Mill
Street Chapel.
I feel that this story would not be complete without a
little history and description of Bedford since it is near and dear to the
hearts of all of us who had our beginnings in that famous City.
Bedfordshire is an inland county and contains about 1:63
square miles. It is generally level with its highest hills not more than five
hundred feet high. It's fertile soil make it suitable for farming which along
with stock-raising arid dairying are its main industries. Years ago hat making
and lacemaking were important, but now on a limited scale.
One description I found said that much of it is not so
different or so much changed from the days when our ancestors walked its
streets, attended its churches and struggled for their existence within it's
boundaries. It was here in Bedford City Jail that John Bunyan the great puritan
preacher and writer was a prisoner from 1660-72. He was imprisoned because he refused to give
up his beliefs after the restoration of the Catholic Church, and it was while
he was a prisoner that he began to write and in 1675 while serving another six
months term that he wrote most of his greatest book "Pilgrims Progress"
It was through him and others like him that religious
intolerance was finally broken down and by the time our Covington Family carne along they were free to join any one of
half a dozen churches, but even so they were still labelled as dissenters it
they had their children baptized in one of the Parish churches of that time.
The Berrill Covington family moved from Bedford to Liverpool
some few years before 1852 where they got work making shoes for the army to get
money to go to America. This followed their conversion to the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints or Mormons. But their family was large so three of
them came first. The oldest daughter Mary Ann and Berrill Jr emigrated in 1842.
Later the brother Simon (Simeon) came out but got as far as California and
never did re-join his family in Utah. Josiah another brother never made it to
America but his wife and family along with Berrill’s family sailed from
Liverpool in 1852. They joined a wagon train and crossed the plains to Utah
with most of them walking most of the distance.
I did not know too many of my Covington relatives
personally as most of the older ones were long gone before I was old enough to
care much about those things. Also because my Grandfather Berrill and most of
his family moved to Ogden, Utah which was about sixty-five miles from where we
lived and where he had first settled. In those early days we had no car and
those kind of trips were always just a dream away. And so my memories are
mainly from the stories which came to me through my mother from her mother
Priscilla Covington who was the youngest child in the family of Berrill
Covington. I do remember my grandmother
Priscilla even though I was only about seven years old when she died. My Mother
always seemed to have a particular fondness for her Covington relatives and I
always thought the stories were romantic and fascinating.
Of course, there was the one of the valuable property left
behind which we could dream of selling and making us all rich. Then there was
the stories of Priscilla as a little girl of eight years who was brave enough
to be baptized in January in the frozen over river Ouse in the middle of the
night. This had to be done after a hole was made in the ice and at night
because of the bad feelings against the Mormon church at this time. And then the stories she told of their long
walk to Utah which I thought sounded so romantic at the time.
I remember one of our Covington cousins who had a trained
animal act which included horses that could count and a dog that walked a tight
rope. I was young at the time and don't remember his first name or how he fits
into the family but I have thought that he was maybe a son of Alonzo Covington
who ran a livery stable in Salt Lake City for many years.
Simeon Covington, one of Berril's sons who remained in
California drove one of the big mule teams which were used to haul Borax out or
the desert and I having seen these things portrayed in movies always thought
this must have taken a lot of practice and know-how to handle three or four of
these teams at once with their heavy loads.
I have always thought they must have had their share of the
spirit of adventure to leave their homes, friends, and families, and a lot of
courage to brave the perils of a new country.
And this brings to mind another of our ancestors who was among the
passengers of the Mayflower which brought to the American shores the brave men
and women who were to establish the first permanent colony in the New World.
This was on the Tillie Line which I mentioned
before. Mary Tillie was the grandmother of Elizabeth Upton who married Simon
II. Mary's grandfather was a John Tillie who with his wife Joan and his
youngest daughter, along with his brother Edward Tillie and Edward’s wife made
up five of the passengers who sailed on that famous ship in 1620. We know that due to the fact that the Captain
set them ashore in Massachussetts instead of Virginia and in December which in
Mass. is bitterly cold. And due to the fact that the Mayflower was overcrowded
and that they had to remain on board for the rest of that cold winter that
about a third of the little colony died of malnutrition and disease that first
year. John and Edward and both of their wives were among that number. They were about fifty years of age at the
time and had left the rest of their family in England among which was Robert
Tillie the father of Mary. The daughter Elizabeth survived and married one of
the men of the colony and they have a large family of eleven children many
descendants in New England.
DaCosta
E. Covington in a note to this author (Oct-2000)
then favored the following lineage: George
Covington in Bedfordshire England, through (2) George, (3) William, (4) Peter
(of Bedfordshire), (5) Henry (died MD 1744), then (6) John who came to North
Carolina. The following brief details are taken from D.E. Covington’s book
“Covingtons Remembered” (1991):
(1) George Covington
was christened 10-May-1568. This may be the George Covington that married
Elizabeth Wilbrow 13-Mar-1576. His will, dated 1613 in the Bedfordshire parish
of Turvey in England, lists 7 children, including William;
(2) William Covington
(d. about 1662), a blacksmith, married Ann, and had 8 children, including
Peter;
(3) Peter Covington
married Elizabeth, and had 5 children, including Henry;
(4) Henry Covington
(chr. 14-Nov-1681 in Turvey, Eng.), came to Maryland and died 1744 in Queen
Anne’s County. George Calvert (Lord
Baltimore) had established the Maryland colony.
Henry Covington was living there by 1712 on his land called
“Providence.” He died in Jul-1744, having collected a large estate. He had
seven children, including John;
(5) John Covington,
Sr., was born about 1710, married Mary Airey at St. Luke Church, Church Hill,
MD on 31-Jul-1731. He died about
May-1767 (Will 36ff 2-3 Queen Anne’s Co., MD).
Some
further contribution from Jean LaCoss <jclacoss@earthlink.net> in 2006 suggests the
following: "Nehemiah (b 1628) was a Quaker and refused to
contribute to the Church of England.
Therefore, he was brought into court many times and fined, once
specifically for fornication before marriage, once for stealing for which he
was fined and received "12 lashes on his naked shoulder." He then moved to Maryland in 1662. One report said he married a Quaker and the
Church wouldn't recognize his marriage and he was thus lashed for
'fornication'."
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