If you are a male FENTON descended from this family, to date no one has DNA tested
from this line. If you are interested in testing, and in knowing how DNA may
help identify earlier generations, please contact me.

John FENTON was first found in 1717 in Currituck Co., NC, being paid for
two "catts" heads on a list of claims for Wolves and wild Catts.1 A 1721
Currituck County list of tithables included Jno: FENTON, Jr. with 1, and
John FENTON, Sr. with 2, those being himself and "son Richd."2

John FENTON was probably the father of:
1. John FENTON, Jr. born before 170425
2. Richard FENTON2 born say 1705;2 m. Lyida;19 died between 14 Sep. 1778 and
   11 Aug. 1780 Currictuck Co., NC19
3. Thomas FENTON [Sr.] born after 17052,4; living 17523

Thomas FENTON in 1742 purchased 40 acres in "Albemarle County in the
Precinct of Pasquotank," NC from John O DANIEL.5  He sold that tract in Oct.
1751 to Thomas GRAY as of Pasquotank County.6 

A 1751 list of tithatbles for Currituck County included Richard FENTON with
2 tithables and Caleb FENTON with 1 titable.7 Caleb was identified in Richard's
1778 will as his son. The following year in 1752, the list of Currituck
tithables included two men named Thomas FENTON each with 1 tithable, Richard
FENTON with 2 tithables, and Caleb FENTON with one tithable.3 The implication
would be that one of the two Thomas's was the man who sold his Pasquotank
land the year before.

As Richard FENTON named no son Thomas in his will, the other Thomas of the 1752
tax list is believed to be the son of the first Thomas.  A ca. 1763 militia
list included Richard, Tomas, and Caleb FENTON.8

Thomas FENTON [Sr.] is possibly the father of:
1. Thomas FENTON [Jr.] born say 1730; m. 174723-175622 Sarah HUMPHRIES22; he d.
   between 19 Sep. 1772 and 2 April 1773 Currituck Co., NC.9  
   Sarah was living in 1779.18

The will of John BARBER written on 17 April 1762 named his "brother Thos:
FENTON" as one of his executors.20 The exact relation of Thomas FENTON
to John BARBER is unknown.

Thomas FENTON [Jr.] and Sarah HUMPHRIES had children:
1. Caleb FENTON9 b. say 1757;11 d. by 178410,12
2. Thomas FENTON9 b. say 1760;12 d. by 178412
3. Mary FENTON9,10 b. say 1764; m. Caleb13 PARR10,12;21 living 180713
4. Elizabeth FENTON9,10 b. say 1767; m. John LEE24 178514 or 178624
   living 18 Oct. 1824 Iberville Parish, LA26
5. Sarah "Sally" FENTON9,10 b. ca. 1771;17 m.1. Giles GIBBS15 1791;14
   m.2. Edward WALKER16


1. 1717 Currituck County, NC tax lists Currituck County, NC GenWeb Project.
2. 1721 Currituck County, NC Land and Tithables list Currituck County, NC
   GenWeb Project.
   Richard at least age 16 as tithable.  If Thomas is a son, he was apparently
   under age 16 in 1721.
3. 1752 Currituck County, NC Tithables list Currituck County, NC GenWeb
   Project.
4. Pasquotank County Births, Marriages, Deaths, Brands, and Flesh Marks
   1691-1797, p. 25.  
   Thomas Fenton listed in index as on page 25.
   p. 10 contains what appear to be store accounts in 1738
   pp. 11-18 missing
   pp. 19-21  more 1738 store accounts
   pp. 22-37 missing
   p. 38  more 1738 store accounts
   The conclusion is that Thomas Fenton was listed in a 1738 store account,
   and of age at that time.
5. Pasquotank Co., NC deeds B:422.
6. Pasquotank Co., NC deeds C:81.
   Note: Thomas Fenton signed with mark of a capital "T".  Compare with
   #9.
7. 1751 Currituck County, NC Tithables list Currituck County, NC GenWeb
   Project.
8. William Doub Bennett, Currituck County, North Carolina Eighteenth
   Century Tax & Militia Records, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing
   Company, Inc., 1994), 93.
9. Thomas Fenton will, Currituck Co., NC wills 1:77, FHL microfilm 0,018,752.
   Note: Thomas Fenton signed with mark of a crossed capital "I". Compare
   with #6.
10. Thomas Farmer file, NC Land Grant Office, Sumner Co., TN warrant #1103.
     30 Apr. 1784 warrant for the surveyor to lay off for Mary Pair, Elizabeth &
     Sarah Fenton Coheirs of Caleb Fenton a privated, deceased in the line of this
     State 6440 acres reserved for officers and soldiers in the Continental line
     in this State. 
11. Of age to have served 84 months in #10.
12. A. B. Pruitt, Tennessee Land Entries, Military Bounty Land, Martin
    Armstrong's Office, Part 4, Warrants first series (#2501-5312), 884.
    Warrant 5025 to heirs of Thos. Fenton for 84 months service and warrant
    5026 to heirs of Caleb Fenton for 84 months.  In 1802 heirs [of Caleb
    Parr] were Isaiah Parr, Caleb Parr & Mary Parr.
13. Caleb Parr will, Currituck Co., NC wills 2:319, FHL microfilm 0,018,752.
14. Currituck County, NC guardian docket 1772-1827, FHL microfilm 0,018,750.
    Unpaginated.
    Mar. 1785 Elizabeth Fenton had Jeremiah Mercer, Jr. as guardian.
    Mar. 1787 Sarah Fenton had Caleb Parr as guardian.
    Mar. 1790 and Mar. 1791 Sally Fenton had Phillip Dauge as guardian.
    June 1791 Phillip Dauge, guardian, had balance due to Giles Gibbs in
      account with Gibbs "wife".
15. Currituck Co., NC deeds 7:223-224.
    Giles Gibbs and wife Sally sold 36 acres, being "that tract of land
    left by Thomas Fenton Father of the said Sally Gibs." (sic)
16. Edward Walker will, Currituck Co., NC wills 3:10-11.
17. See #14.  Sarah Fenton had a guardian in 1791, so she was under age
    21 at that time and born before her father's will was written in 1772.
18. 1779 Currituck County, NC tax list, Currituck County, NC GenWeb Project.
19. Richard Fenton will, Currictuck Co., NC wills 1:157, FHL microfilm
    0,018,752.
20. John Barber will, Currituck Co., NC wills 1:9, FHL microfilm 0,018,752.
21. Currituck Co., NC deeds 5:207.
    Caleb Parr and wife Mary, one of the coheirs of Thomas Fenton, sell
    1/3 of a tract (acres not given) Fenton purchased from John Barber.
22. Margaret Gregory file, Pasquotank County, NC loose estate files, NC
    State Archives, FHL microfilm 1,987,709, frames 531 and 533-534.
23. Margaret Gregory will, NC Secretary of State original wills.
    Margaret Gregory will, transcription.
24. Currituck Co., NC deeds 5:203.
    John Lee and wife Elizabeth of Beaufort Co., NC in 1786 sold 1/3 of
    a 110 acre tract where Thomas Fenton, deceased, had lived.
25. 1720 Currituck County, NC tax lists Currituck County, NC GenWeb Project.
26. Iberville Parish, LA Record of Conveyances K:262 (#365), FHL microfilm 0,336,717.