How Many “Regulator” Ancestors?

In a previous post, I mentioned attending a “descendants reunion” at the Alamance (NC) Battleground Historic Site. During the group participation portion of the event, attendees were asked the question “who has the most Regulator ancestors, and how many?” One gentleman in attendance has over 20 individual ancestors.

I’ve never really thought much beyond the Coxes (brothers Harmon, Thomas, Solomon, and most likely William) and Peter Kivett, so I’ve decided to list those I can document with some certainty. These are signers of one or more of the Regulator “Advertisements,” meaning some may not have actually been combatants in the 1771 battle with Governor Tryon’s forces (for example Herman Husband who stayed away, or William Cox Sr. who died prior to the battle).

These ancestors are blood relatives…grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, but the list doesn’t include in-law relationships. So here goes…

AncestorRelationshipLineage
1Aldridge, James5th Great GranduncleJames Aldridge 1742-1807, brother of
Sylvania L Aldridge York 1731-1791
Sarah York Kivett 1755-1816
John Gilliam Kivett 1792-1848
Malvina Kivet Williams 1827-1888
George R Williams 1860-1932
Dora S. Williams Cox 1892-1974
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
2Aldridge, Jospeh5th Great GranduncleJoseph Aldridge I 1728-1802, brother of
Sylvania L Aldridge York 1731-1791
Sarah York Kivett 1755-1816
John Gilliam Kivett 1792-1848
Malvina Kivet Williams 1827-1888
George R Williams 1860-1932
Dora S. Williams Cox 1892-1974
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
3Samuel Allen 2nd Cousin 6x removedSamuel Allen 1751-1834, son of
John Allen 1720-1754
Amy Cox Allen 1696-1778, mother of John Allen
William Cox 1692-1767, brother of Amy Cox
Harmon Cox 1723-1812
Jacob Cox 1769-1838
Nathan W Cox 1804-1877
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
4Barker, Nicholas6th Great GrandfatherNicholas Barker Sr 1737-1826
Amy Barker Cox 1764-1839
Hannah Cox Cox 1786-1854
Sarah Cox Cox 1805-1892
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
5Barker, Samuel6th Great GranduncleSamuel Barker 1739-1803, brother of
Nicholas Barker Sr 1737-1826
Amy Barker Cox1764-1839
Hannah Cox Cox 1786-1854
Sarah Cox Cox 1805-1892
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
6Bray, Edward 5th great-granduncleEdward Bray 1730-1800, brother of
Henry Bray 1742-1812
William E. Bray 1766-1846
Martha Patsy Bray 1804-1855
Enos York 1837-1922
Mary Frances York 1871-1945
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
7Bray, Henry5th Great GrandfatherHenry B. Bray 1742-1812
William E. Bray 1766-1846
Martha Patsy Bray York 1804-1855
Enos York 1837-1922
Mary Frances York Cox1871-1945
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
8Cox, Harmon5th Great GrandfatherHarmon Cox 1723-1812
Jacob Cox 1769-1838
Nathan W Cox 1804-1877
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
9Cox, Solomon5th Great GranduncleSolomon Cox 1734-1812, brother of
Harmon Cox 1723-1812
Jacob Cox 1769-1838
Nathan W Cox 1804-1877
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
10Cox, Thomas5th Great GrandfatherThomas Cox 1736-1809
Stephen Cox 1783-1837
Sarah Cox Cox1805-1892
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
11Cox, William5th Great GranduncleWilliam Cox 1726-1801, brother of
Harmon Cox 1723-1812
Jacob Cox 1769-1838
Nathan W Cox 1804-1877
Son of Jacob Cox
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
12Cox, William Sr.6th Great GrandfatherWilliam Cox 1692-1767
Harmon Cox 1723-1812
Jacob Cox 1769-1838
Nathan W Cox 1804-1877
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
13Davis, John5th Great GranduncleJohn Matson Davis 1735-1806, brother of
Mary Davis Moffitt 1740-1822
Hannah Moffitt Cox 1771-1842
Nathan W Cox 1804-1877
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
14Husband, Herman
(did not participate
in the battle)
1st Cousin 7x RemovedHerman Husband 1724-1795
Mary Kinkey Husband 1704-1770, mother of Herman Husband
Augustine Herman Kinkey 1674-1732, father of Mary Kinkey Husband
Catherine Kinkey Cox 1696-1744
Harmon Cox 1723-1812
Jacob Cox 1769-1838
Nathan W Cox 1804-1877
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
15Lindley, Thomas1st Cousin 6x RemovedThomas Lindley 1753-1809
Mary Cox Lindley 1735-1779, Mother of Thomas Lindley
William Cox 1692-1767, Father of Mary Cox Lindley
Harmon Cox 1723-1812
Jacob Cox 1769-1838
Nathan W Cox 1804-1877
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
16Moffitt, James5th Great GranduncleJames Moffit 1734-1793t, brother of
William Joseph Moffitt 1730-1799
Hannah Moffitt Cox 1771-1842
Nathan W Cox 1804-1877
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
17Moffitt, William5th Great GrandfatherWilliam Joseph Moffitt 1730-1799
Hannah Moffitt Cox 1771-1842
Nathan W Cox 1804-1877
Calvin Cox 1831-1914
Stephen C. Cox 1861-1938
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox
18York, Semore6th Great GrandfatherSemore York Sr 1727-1783
Nancy Dorcas York 1756-1815
Nathaniel York Sr 1774-1837
Seymore “Simmer” York 1805-1855
Enos York 1837-1922
Mary Frances York 1871-1945
Walter Stephen Cox 1892-1960
Elvin Clarkson Cox 1920-2014
Brian Elvin Cox

According to one account, my 6th great granduncle William Aldridge (older brother of Regultors James and Joseph Aldridge) served on the opposite side with Lord Tryon as a guard for the wounded in the Battle of Alamance. 

Six degrees (or more) of separation:

  1. Thomas Branson, paternal grandfather of husband of 4th great-grandaunt
  2. Simon Dixon, husband of 1st cousin 7x removed
  3. Joseph McPherson, father-in-law of 2nd cousin 6x removed
  4. Enoch Pugh, father-in-law of sister-in-law of 4th great-granduncle
  5. Thomas Pugh, paternal grandfather of husband of sister-in-law of 4th great-granduncle

Potential ancestors yet to be fully documented: Nicholas Aldridge, Isaac Brooks, Jacob W. Brooks, James Brooks, John Brooks, Gabriel Davis, James Davis, Jonathan Davis, Matthew Davis, Robert Davis, Thomas Davis, and William Davis, Surnames to be researched: Williams, Sanders, and Parks.