Samuel Cotten ca 1708 - 1774  | his parents
& 1735/1750 Eliabeth ?  | her parents
& by 1756 Lydia ? 17?? - 1783  | her parents
& ca 1750 Solomon Ewell [or Howell]  [div.] | his parents
of Bertie Precinct NC

Bruce Cotten in "As We Were" says " Samuel Cotten, second son of John Cotten came to North Carolina several years before his father and located on land in what is now Bertie County. 
He was a resident of both Bertie and Northampton Counties during his long lifetime and resided for some years at Roxabel in Bertie County. This place was first called Cottens Cross Roads, then for very many years Brittons Cross Roads, until the late Mr. Stephen Norfleet Sr. gave it the attractive name of Roxable from an English novel he was reading at the time.
   "Little is known of Samuel Cotten, except that he was hardy, vigorous, domineering and rich. He was not at all conventional in his relations with women and some other things, I suspect, and having lived to a great age more feared than loved, he finally decided that it was time . .to write his will disinheriting his eldest son and bestowed very little on his other legitimates. . ."  

Northampton Deed Bk 1 - page 467 - 3 Sept 1750 - Samuel Cotton and Elizabeth Cotton of NH Co to James Jossy of NH Co - 11 pounds current money of VA - 40 acres more or less, joining Charles Stevenson, Elias Williams, and a meadow, part of a patent to the sd. Samuel Cotton 20 April 1745. Wit: John Duke, Thomas Wills, Elias Wills - Reg Feb Ct 1750 NH Co J Edwards CC

NH Deed Bk 2 - 345 - 17 May 1756 - Solomon Ewell of Northampton Co to Thomas Davies of Edgecombe Co - 40 pounds current money of VA - one mulatto woman named Nan about 17 years of age and all her future increase. Wit: J. Edwards, Green Hill.  Slave assigned to Samuel Cotton by Thomas Davis 30 Oct 1756 - Reg. Feb Ct 1757

Will of Samuell Cotten 16 Jan 1774 O 10 May 1774 (before Jo Martin) Of Northampton Co. 
"very Sick and Weak in Body"  
 - Wife Lidia - use of manor during her widowhood & then to my son Samuell; lend to her negro men Tony & Will for 10 (2) years & then to my son Samuell; lend to her 2 negro women Nann & Felora & then to her 3 children Elizabeth Cotten Ewell, Sally Cotten Ewell & Rodrick Cotten Ewell.
 - Son Samuell - negro man Limbrick, chest of drawers. 
- My Euridice Gardinar - negro girl Janny.
 - Son John - negro man Jack " If the said John Should Come himself for the said Negro but Not Else;" should he never come then to Roderick Cotten Ewell son of my wife Lidia. 
- Thomas Thomas - 10, VA John Franklin an orphan boy bound to me should stay on my plantation during his indenture or my wife's lifetime or sold & the money put to my debts.
-  Wife Lidia - lend to her negroes Chaine, Rachel, Miner, Harry, Peter & Charles during her lifetime & then Rachel & Peter to Elizabeth Cotten Ewell. 
- Sally Cotten Ewell - a negro girl Chaina, boy Charles, feather bed & furniture. 
- Roderick Cotten Ewell - negroes Miner & Harry, gun. 
- Mary Barnes - 5, VA. Other legacies. 
Ex. wife, Robert Hilliard 
Wit. C E Taylor, Jno Barnes, Sarah (x) Jossey

Children of Samuel Cotten ca 1708 - 1774 and Elizabeth ?:
1. Samuel Cotten Jr ca 1750 - 1795 Edgecombe Co

1. Samuel Cotten Jr ca 1750 - 1795 Edgecombe Co
      ". . located himself in Edgecombe County [ca 1773] where he bought a plantation from William Bell in 1786. He became a large planter and was a man of gentility and highly respected. In 1795 at the death of his wife, he divided his estate among his several sons and one daughter and shortly thereafter followed her into the beyond." Bruce Cotten
   married Elizabeth Ewell d. 1795
     a. Edward Cotten
     b. Alexander Cotten  ?  -  May 1826 Edgecombe co, NC
              said to have been first to import throughbred  horses into Edgecombe Co
Will of Alexander Cotten 12 May 1823 - May Ct 1826 Edgecombe Co NC
- daughter Mary Elizabeth Cotten - all my perishable estate to which I am entitled by the will of Frederick Cotten , also Negroes Moses, Solomon, Nelson, and Susana.
- son Arthur Staten Cotten - 40 shillings.
Surplus estate to be divided between my two children
EX: friends Randolph Cotten and Spencer D Cotten
WIT: Spier W Coffield, Thomas Lyon
       married 1st Temperance Staton
         i.  Arthur Staton Cotten 26 Jan 1804 - 1861 Hamilton, Martin Co NC
           married 8 May 1827 Hamilton, NC Louisa C Mayo 1812 - 1894
              1.  Godwin Cotten twin
              2.  Gimison [Jamison] Cotten twin
                      Twins, both  drowned when about 15
                          when their buggy overturned in Coneto Creek
              3.  M. Agustus [Gus] Cotten 1841 - 1913 Baltimore MD twin   CSA
                    married Lucy Boyle of Scotland Neck NC
                      a. Louise Cotten      no issue
                          married William E Stirling d. Feb 1921 Baltimore MD
                      b. Estelle Cotten d 1922   several children
                           married Rev. Henry Harding
                      c. M Agustus Cotten Jr ca 1887 - 1912 Wilmington DL ca 25 yrs
              4.  George Adolphus [Dolph] Cotten 1841 - 1920  Baltimore MD twin  CSA
                    married 17 Jan 1871 Mary Della Biggs 2 Aug 1851 - 4 Apr 1879 dau of Judge Asa Biggs
                       a. Henry Andrews Cotten 18 May 1876 Norfolk VA -
                             married 26 Sept 1903 Alice Della Keys
                       b. Lucy Cotten married and had issue
              5. Virginia Louisa Cotten  d. 1913
                    married 7 June 1870 Wilson Gay Lamb  d. Feb 1922 Williamston NC
                       a. John Cotten Lamb  lived Baltimore MD
                           married Francis F MacRea
                       b. Virginia Cotten Lamb
                            married Frederick F Bullock
                       c. Della Cotten Lamb   two  children
                             married Howard Herrick
                       d. Eliza Williams Lamb 
                             married Dr. Charles H C Mills
                       e. Wilson Gray Lamb
                       f. Luke Lamb married and had children
                       g. Louisa Mayo Lamb
                       h. Annie Staton Lamb
                6.  Frederick Cotten  dsp. aft 1929
      married 2nd Mary [Polly] Cotten
                     dau of William son of William
         ii. Mary Elizabeth Cotten   issue
           married Henry Downing[Dunning] of Wash. Co
    c. Nancy Cotten 3 Dec 1772 - July 1855
        married 9 July 1789 Jacob Braswell 7 Mar 1763 - 9 July 1836 [25 July 1837]
                           served in the Revolutionary War
          i. Elizabeth Braswell 22/3 Dec 1791 -
         ii. Micajah Braswell  26 Jul 1793 -
        iii. Dr Jacob Braswell Jr  6 Dec 1795 - ca 1871 tax records 
          married 18 Jan 1819 Parthenia Cotton ca 1800 Warren Co NC - 1835 Henry Co TN
                  1. Orlando Braswell NC - 
                       married Henry Co TN 25 Oct 1848 Mary Jane Harvey
                          several children three had children of their own
                  2. Solomon Braswell ca 1827 TN  - 1860 dsp
                  3. John Crockett Braswell 28 Sept 1828 TN - 
                       married Calloway Co KY 16 Dec 1852 Mary Macon Hamlin
                               they had 10 ch - six of whom married and had children
         iv. Priscilla Mason [Macomb]  Braswell 18 Nov 1797 -
          v. Sally Braswell  6 Mar 1800 -
         vi. Willie/y H. Braswell 27 Nov 1801 - aft 1860
              married Edgecombe Co 16 July 1829 Mary [Polly] Bullock ca 1813 - aft 1860
        vii. Peggy Braswell  1 Nov 1803 -
       viii. Temperance [Tempy] Braswell 14 Aug 1805 Edgecombe -
              married 4 Jan 1830 Redmond Lodge ca 1805, Edgecombe Co., NC
         ix. Alexander Cotton  Braswell 3 Oct 1807 -
          x. Nancy Mariah  Braswell 29 Aug 1810 -
         xi. Micajah Thomas Cotton  Braswell 12 Oct 1811 -
        xii. Rhoda Braswell  20 Nov 1813 -
     d. Solomon Cotten ca 1775 - 25 March/22 June 1835 Henry Co TN will
                his cousin Micajah Thomas Jr left him "1000 acres and two years schooling" in his 1788 will
            On 12 Dec 1820, Micajah was granted 1000 A in what was to become northwest Henry Co TN
             [Grant #17043, Henry Co Entry #146] this was many years after his death
            In the early 1820's, Solomon Cotten, son Edward R [Uncle Ned] Cotten, daughter Parthenia with her husband Dr. Jacob Braswell Jr and their son Orlando, moved from NC to Henry Co TN. They settled on Micajah's 1000 A tract - they were among the first settlers of that part of TN.
         married Priscilla Macon Hawkins ca 1775 - 1820/1830 census 
                  [she probably had died in NC before the family moved to TN]
                    daughter of Col. John Hawkins of Warren Co and wife Sallie Macon
             i. Parthenia H Cotten ca 1800 Warren Co NC - 1830 Henry Co TN
               married 18 Jan 1819 Dr. Jacob Braswell Jr 6 Dec 1795 - ca 1871 tax records
                       1832 - Jacob deeded 40 to 50 A of land for the establishment of the town of Naples TN- there was a post office and general store but the town never thrived and the post office was discontinued in 1839.
           ii. Edward R. [Ned] Cotten ca 1800 - 1877 Warren Co NC
            [ Bruce Cotten had this to say about him.   "Uncle Ned" Cotten as he was known to the people of Warren Co is said to have been well off and to have attended Princeton College. He studied law under Mr. William Eaton of Warrenton but was never licensed and never during his entire life had he any occupation or means of support.  He spent his entire life visiting among his friends and relatives.  He became and remained a professional visitor throughout his long life For about forty years he was largely a guest at the home of William K. Kerney of Warren County. After Mr. Kerney's death he visited extensively from house to house, never long satisfied with any one place.
    He was described as a tall, very handsome man, very erect and muscular. He was musical and possessed very lively and fascinating conversational powers. These as well as his finished manners and amiability caused him to always be a welcomed guest wherever he went. His popularity never waned.
     Mr. Cotten never married and died from the effects of a fall on the frozen ground near Littleton, Halifax Co. during the winter of 1877. It is related that "Uncle Ned" was on his way to visit some friends at the time and was carrying his "fiddle" and portmanteau. It being night and the ground frozen and very slippery he fell and broke a hip. Some folks found him there in the road in this condition and proposed to carry him to a house nearby where two old maiden ladies, the Misses Moseley, lived. These ladies were famous in that neighborhood for gossip and promiscuous talking. Uncle Ned positively refused to be taken there, saying that he preferred to die there on the ground rather than be talked to death by these two old ladies.  So he died as he wished.]
           iii. Sarah Cotten [an 1821 deed mentioned her as daughter]
      e. Micajah Thomas Cotten 1777 - May 1834   Talladega City Cem.
                      (in Franklin Co, AL June 1840- Bruce Cotten)
Will of Micajah T Cotton 14 Jan 1833 - prob 6 May 1834. Wife Peggy; Daughter Harriet Eason --Negroes that I mortgaged to Wiley Cotton for benefit of his son John Cotton; my Nephew Alexander J Cotton, Executor and my wife Peggy Cotton, Executrix. Wit: A J Cotton, HG Barclay, Francis Mitchel.
           married Mary Coleman dau of Stephen
           married Margaret [Peggy] Scott 1775 - 28 Oct 1845 Talladega, AL 
                           City Cem          daughter of Peter Scott
from the "Huntsville Democrat" 4 Feb 1846 -- Departed this life on the 28th Oct. 1845. Mrs. Margaret Cotten. wife of the late Micajah T Cotten, deceased in her 71st year. She was born in Hyde County NC and from thence removed to North Alabama and from there to Talladega. where she died. She lived to a very old age and for the last 6 or 8 years of her life has been a devoted member of the Methodist Church.
             i. Harriet Cotten 1809 -
                married Joseph Bonapart Eason 1798 Davidson Co TN -
                                 "Easonville, AL named after this family
                         1. Bolivar Eason 1826 TN -
                               married Talladega AL 1847 Sarah Jane Shelley
                                      [from letter by Viola Allen in 1941]

 
    f.  Willie Cotten d 1833 Madison Co AL
             i. Alexander J Cotton bef 1813 -
            ii. Francis Edward Cotton
           iii. Margaret Jane Cotton
            iv. John Cotten ca 1818 -

     g. Roderick Cotten 16 Mar 1786 - 1814 Edgecombe Co
             ". . .died in 1814 when only twenty six years of age. He was I believe a very admirable young man  and wrote a very beautiful hand as papers in my possession attend."  Bruce Cotten
 
          married 27 Aug 1807 Mary Topping Braswell 1786 - ca 1866 
2. John Cotten 
       father left him one negro man named Jack if he came for him.
3. Euridice Cotten
        father left her "Jenny"
    married  Mr.  Gardiner