Joseph Tanner (bef 1726-1781) and Ann (—) of Chester Co., PA and Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Co., NC

Marty and Karla Grant

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[Tanner Home] - [Table of Contents] - Joseph Tanner (c1726-1780)

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Joseph Tanner and Ann are my 7 times Great Grand Parents.

Joseph Tanner was born before ca 1726 based on him first appearing on a 1747 tax list, assuming he was at least 21 then.

Joseph Tanner was probably born in Chester Co., PA, East Nottingham Township.

Undocumented online trees led me to Phillip Tanner (d 1751) of Chester Co., PA as our Joseph’s father. Phillip left a Will dated 26 Jan 1750 in Chester Co., PA, a resident of East Nottingham Township, naming his wife Mary, sons Phillip, Joseph and James (under 21) and daughters Hannah wife of William Henry, Rachel wife of John Dickey, and Rebecca, wife of John Crossier. Phillip Tanner was a Miller and cloth maker. His son Joseph was a Mill Wright, so that fits since ours was as well. Is there any other evidence that this might be our Joseph Tanner? It fits circumstantially. One rather big piece of circumstantial evidence is that Phillip’s daughter Rachel Tanner and husband John Dickey moved to Iredell Co., NC and lived very near our Joseph Tanner. Coincidence? Possibly, but doubtful. I think it’s enough to conclude that Phillip’s son Joseph is likely the same Joseph we seek, but more evidence would be helpful.

Joseph Tanner is listed on the 1747/48 tax list in East Nottingham Township, Chester Co., PA, and again in 1749/1750 and in 1751. He isn’t listed after that.

On 22 Jan 1750, Phillip Tanner of East Nottingham Township, “Miller” made a deed to Joseph Tanner of the same place, “Wright” in consideration of rents paid, he sold him a small tract by the Hulling Mill containing one acre and 40 perches. On the same date, in the next deed, he sold him 100 acres, being the home place, but with the caveat that Joseph’s parents Phillip and Mary Tanner get to live the remainder of their lives there. Witnesses were Hugh Mahaffey, John Hathorn and Zach Butcher. This deed was filed in 1813 along with a series of other deed showing what happened to land over the years until William Bennett sold it to John Wilson in 1813. It states that on 1 Feb 1750, Joseph Tanner sold the land to John Hawthorn. (Chester Co., PA Deed Book H-3-56, pp. 407-413.)

Just a few days after selling him the land, Phillip Tanner made his Will on 26 Jan 1750 naming his heirs, including son Joseph, to whom he left five shillings.

Joseph Tanner married Ann (—) before ca 1750, probably in Chester Co., PA. I don’t know her maiden name, birth date or birth place.

Joseph’s name last appears on the Chester County tax lists in 1751. I found his name on a 1753 record there, but nothing after that. This is probably about when he moved to Coddle Creek in North Carolina.

Coddle Creek rises just east of Mooresville in present Iredell County, near the present Rowan line, and flows generally southeasterly several miles roughly parallel to the aforementioned county lines. It then crosses into Cabarrus County and continues south easterly through Concord until it joins the Rocky River just below Concord. When the Tanners lived here, Cabarrus was still part of Anson until 1762 when Mecklenburg was formed, and Iredell was still part of Rowan, so they lived close to the Anson, later Mecklenburg / Rowan line of that time.

On 5 Nov 1759, Joseph’s mother, Mary Tanner, made her Will in Chester Co., PA and named her heirs, including son Joseph Tanner to whom she left five shillings. The other children were named in more detail, including their spouses and some of their children’s names, but not so with Joseph, probably because he’d moved away right after marriage.

On 27 Jul 1761, David Templeton Senr and wife Ann of Anson Co., NC, made a deed to David Templeton Junr of the same place. They sold him two tracts of land on the north side of Coddle Creek joining David Houston. David Templeton signed. Ann Templeton made her mark. Witnesses were Joseph Tanner, Robert McDowel, Henry Hendry and Nathaniel Alexander. (Anson Co., NC Deed Book 6, pp. 52-54.)

Templeton and Houston are names that come up often with the Tanners in Mecklenburg. They were neighbors. Perhaps they were related to him or his wife.

There is a 20 Oct 1765 deed that references Joseph Tanner’s bridge on Coddle Creek. (John Davison and wife Violet to James Kerr and John Murphey, Mecklenburg Co., NC Deed Book 1, pp. 202-204.)

The above deed also mentions land sold by Davidson to Joseph Tanner on 1 May 1762. I didn’t find the actual deed for that.

On 5 Apr 1768, a survey was made in Mecklenburg Co., NC for Joseph Tanner for 100 acres on the waters of Coddle Creek joining his “former survey where he dwells” near Samuel Templeton’s line. William Reed and John Murphey were the chain carriers. This land was granted to Joseph Tanner on 28 Apr 1768. (North Carolina Land Grant 281, File 2418.)

On 25 Nov 1771, a land warrant was issued to John Houston for 150 acres on Hugh Parks Creek of Coddle Creek joining James Templeton, John Snady? and Joseph Tanner. The survey, dated 26 Mar 1774, with Joseph and John Tanner as chain bearers.

On 30 Oct 1779 Joseph Tanner of Mecklenburg Co., NC, Mill Wright, made his Will “being very sick and weak in body.” He named:

∙ beloved wife Ann Tanner a third of all my moveable estate ... Negro wench Jean ... plantation and two mills during her widowhood ...

∙ my eldest daughter Elizabeth Reid, five pounds.

∙ my son John Tanner 100 acres between own plantation and Samuel Templeton’s.

∙ my daughter Ann Reid, five pounds.

∙ my son James Tanner, the plantation I now live on and the two mills.

∙ Executors my wife Ann Tanner and son John Tanner.

He signed as Joseph Tanner. Witnesses were Thomas McQuown and Alexd. McQuown.

In April 1781 court, Thomas and Alexander McQuown proved the Will, and John Tanner and Ann Tanner qualified as Executors of the Will of Joseph Tanner deceased. This means Joseph Tanner died between October 1779 and April 1781, probably closer to April 1781.

I don’t know when widow Ann Tanner died. The last record I found for her was the above April 1781 court record.

Children

Joseph Tanner and Ann had four children as named in his 1779 Will. If there were others, they may have died young, or were left out for some reason. I’ve seen some trees that include Thomas Tanner as a child of Joseph. Thomas was also a resident of Mecklenburg Co., NC, but I haven’t yet seen anything that connects him to Joseph other than sharing a surname.

1. Elizabeth Tanner was probably born in the 1750s, either in Chester Co., PA or in Anson (now Cabarrus) Co., NC. She was named in her father’s 1779 Will as Elizabeth Reed. Her husband’s name wasn’t given, though obviously a Mr. Reed.

2. John Tanner was born before 1755, either in Chester Co., PA or in Anson (now Cabarrus) Co., NC. He was named in his father’s 1779 Will as son John, and also named Executor. John was twice married, first to Margaret — and 2^nd to a widow, Mary Nixon, maiden name unknown, married in 1790. John moved to Georgia in the mid 1780s where he died in 1811, Mary in 1817. He is my ancestor. See his page for more information.

3. Ann Tanner was probably born in the 1750s, either in Chester Co., PA or in Anson (now Cabarrus) Co., NC. She was named in her father’s 1779 Will as Ann Reed. Her husband’s name wasn’t given, though obviously a Mr. Reed, presumably closely related to her sister Elizabeth’s husband.

4. James Tanner was born ca 1756 probably in Anson (later Mecklenburg, now Cabarrus) Co., NC. He was named in his father’s 1779 Will. James married Margaret Hair in 1783 in Rowan (now Iredell) Co., NC. They resided in the Coddle Creek region of Mecklenburg County, which became Cabarrus County in 1792. He died there in 1807. Margaret died in Rowan Co., NC in 1848. Both are buried at Coddle Creek ARP Cemetery in Iredell Co., NC.

For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for Joseph Tanner and Ann (—).

Revised: March 14, 2026

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