The story of my fifth great-grandfather and his early mixed-race marriage
While researching the Castellaw side of my family, one story that deserves closer attention is that of my fifth great-grandfather, John Castellaw (c. 1726–c. 1813), and the relationship he had before his later marriage.
John Castellaw appears in records in Bertie County, North Carolina, by the mid eighteenth century, where he was a landowner and an active figure in local affairs. At some point, likely in the early to mid 1770s, he married Margaret Dawson (dates unknown). The details of Margaret’s background are not fully documented, though she is sometimes described as connected to the Dawson family associated with Eden House on the Chowan River.
The more complex part of John’s story comes earlier.
By 1755, John Castellaw had a son, William Castellaw (c. 1755–after 1771), with Martha Butler (c. 1734–after 1820). William Castellaw, son of John Castellaw and Martha Butler, was born about 1755 in Bertie County, North Carolina.
Martha Butler appears in Bertie County records as a free mulatto female. She is listed in John’s household in tax lists in 1761 and 1763 and continues to appear in his household in lists from 1766 through 1772. She later appears as head of a household of free people of color in Gates County, North Carolina, in 1820, indicating she was still living at that time. Because interracial marriage was prohibited by law in North Carolina during this period, no record of a legal marriage between John and Martha has been found.
The term mulatto in eighteenth century records was not precise and could refer to individuals of African, Native American or mixed ancestry. Some later family traditions identify Martha as Native American, while other evidence places her within the free mixed race Butler families of Bertie County. The available records do not allow a definitive conclusion.
There are several possible connections between Martha and other Butler families in the region. One line of research points to Ann Butler (c. 1670–after 1690), a servant in Somerset County, Maryland, who in 1690 admitted to having a child described as molatta by an enslaved man named Emanuel (dates unknown). It has been suggested that she may have been an ancestor of the Butlers who later appear in North Carolina, though this connection has not been proven.
By the mid eighteenth century, members of the Butler family were established in Bertie County. Margaret Butler (c. 1725–after 1768) was listed in 1761 as head of a household that included Isaac Butler (c. 1738–after 1761), identified as a free mulatto male. In September 1768, John Castellaw appeared in Bertie County court on behalf of Margaret Butler and was described as her son-in-law. In this context, the term may indicate a recognized but legally informal relationship with her daughter, Martha.
John and Martha had at least one documented child:
- William Castellaw, born about 1755, Bertie County, North Carolina. He was identified in 1771 as a free mulatto and was named in a deed from John as “William Castellaw son of Martha Butler.”
In 1771, John made a deed of gift to William. At another point, he sold William 170 acres for 10 pounds. These transactions confirm that John acknowledged William as his son.
Some researchers believe that John and Martha had additional children, possibly including individuals later identified as James Castellaw (dates unknown), Prudence Castellaw (dates unknown), John Castellaw (dates unknown) and Elizabeth Castellaw (dates unknown), though the identities and number of these children are not fully documented in surviving records.
One revealing record comes from 1763, when John’s tax listing included one free mulatto, one Negro man and one Negro woman. While the identities of these individuals are not specified, the record shows that his household included individuals of different legal and racial classifications.
At some point after this period, John married Margaret Dawson. From that point forward, the family appears to divide. The children of John and Martha remained in Bertie County, North Carolina, where they continued to be identified in records as free people of color. Most of the children associated with John and Margaret later moved west, many settling in Haywood County, Tennessee, while at least one moved to Duplin County, North Carolina.
My family descends from their son John Dawson Castellaw (1780-1859).
This story is not entirely complete, and some connections remain uncertain. However, the surviving records document a long term relationship between John Castellaw and Martha Butler and provide a glimpse into a family history that does not fit neatly into later racial and social categories.
For more of my genealogy research, visit rscottwilliams.info.
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