Researched and compiled by Deloris Williams
OVERVIEW
Pleasant Hill,of Warren County, North Carolina, also known as Rivenoak, was built for Philemon Hawkins Jr., also known as the third, (1752-1833) and his wife, Lucy Davis (1759-1807), who were married on August 31, 1775.

Philemon had served in the Revolutionary War and settled down in Warren County to raise a family on lands inherited from his father, Philemon Hawkins (1717-1801), who also left large tracts of land to his children and grandchildren upon his death.

There are several different versions of the ancestry of Philemon Hawkins Sr., and I am relating one of them. Philemon Sr. had come around 1736 to what was then old Edgecombe County, later to become Granville County, with his mother, Ann Eleanor Howard Hawkins (1694-1742) and his step-father.

Ann had been the widow of Philemon Hawkins (1690-1725) who had died in Charles City County, Virginia, whom she had married in England in 1714, with both of them emigrating to Virginia shortly after their marriage.

After settling in North Carolina along Six Pound Creek, Philemon Hawkins Sr. married Delia Warren (1721-1794) in 1743, and together they raised 7 children, Delia, John, Philemon, Benjamin, Frances, Joseph, and Anne Hawkins.

The area of North Carolina where the Hawkins settled later became Bute County, which became Warren County. Still later, the part of Warren County that Pleasant Hill stands on went to Vance County when that County was formed in 1881.

The Hawkins families were prosperous slavers/planters, who also had many businesses including sawmills, banking, machinery and phosphate manufacturing, as well as the fact that they held many offices in the Federal government, and indeed, one of Philemon and Lucy’s sons, William Hawkins (1777-1819), served as Governor for the State of North Carolina from 1811-1814.

LOCATION
Originally part of Warren County, land now located near Middleburg, Vance County.


DATE CONSTRUCTED/ FOUNDED
Late 1700’s, remodeled in 1850


ASSOCIATED SURNAMES
Hawkins, Alston


HISTORICAL NOTES
Pleasant Hill was one of the largest plantation houses of its era, and has been included as part of the National Register for Historical Places since 1979.


ASSOCIATED SLAVE WORKPLACES
none

ASSOCIATED FREE PERSONS
Philemon Hawkins Sr.
Philemon Hawkins Jr., son of Philemon Hawkins Sr. & Delia Warren
John Hawkins, son of Philemon Hawkins Sr. & Delia Warren
Leonard Henley Bullock, husband of Delia Hawkins, daughter of Philemon Hawkins Sr.
Ann Hunt Fuller Hawkins Marshall, daughter of John Hawkins & Sally Macon
Joseph H. Hawkins, son of John Hawkins & Sally Macon; married to Mary * Hardee Alston, daughter of Col. William Alston & Martha Hardy.


ASSOCIATED ENSLAVED PERSONS

--Slaves left by PHILEMON HAWKINS Sr. in his 1801 will.

To son John Hawkins:
Frank, Sukey and child, Wordley
Little Moses.

To son Philemon:
Joe the miller, his wife Rhetta, and their children.

To grandson John D. Hawkins:
two Negro boys named Hopewell and Bud

To Lucy, wife of son Philemon:
two Negro girls named Sal & Rachell (children of Dorcas).

To granddaughter Priscilla Cotton:
a Negro girl between ages 12 – 15.

Slaves to be left at Plantation, supported at expense of Hawkins three sons:
Hannah
Jim
Doll
Robin
Moll
Nansey
Lucy

Emancipation of slaves Old Harry, and Old Jack.
Emancipation of slaves Matthew and Amy; Matthew also to be given 250 acres of land, plus sundry supplies.


--PHILEMON HAWKINS Jr. died in 1833 and left the following in his will.

To daughter Elinor Haywood:
Ben, his daughter Franky, and her child Jinny.
Anderson
Little Sam
Old Sam, his wife Edy
Big Phil, his wife Louisa, child Nutty

Slaves to daughter Ann Little:
Mashoni
Sam, his wife Lid
Dillilah, her children Sinthy & Stephen
Tango
Kissey
Lillie, her daughter Nancy

Slaves to daughter Dillea Haywood:
Ned
Dilsey, her sons John & Tom
Little Mary
Hardy
Little Phil, wife Lotty
Sarah (Ben’s daughter)

Slaves to daughter Sarah Polk:
Punch, wife Mary, their children Eveline & Washington
Jerushee, child Aggy
Prisley
Morry
Abby
Sarah (Edy’s daughter)

Slaves to son John D. Hawkins:
Jesse, wife Penny, their daughter Betty
Old Gloster
Ambrous, wife Rody
Harriett
Moses
Derry, wife Liddy

Slaves to son Joseph W. Hawkins:
James, wife Edy, their 2 youngest children Little Matthew & Judy
Burton
Joe
Matthew (brother to Penny)
Smith Peter
Wagoner Harry

Slaves to son John D. Hawkins in trust for son Benjamin T. Hawkins:
Georem (probably should be George), wife Milley, their 2 youngest children Amey & Dicey
Demsey
Sandy
Little Gloster
Lucy, her grandchild Lucy

Slaves to granddaughter Emily Nutall (daughter of son William Hawkins):
Tilda (daughter of Jesse)

Slaves to granddaughter Lucy Coleman (daughter of son William):
Martha (daughter of James)

Slaves to granddaughter Matilda (daughter of son William):
Phillis (daughter of James)

Slaves to granddaughter Celestia (daughter of son William):
Pinny (daughter of Jesse)

Slaves to granddaughter Mary Jeane (daughter of son William):
Lucinda (daughter of Siller)

Slaves to granddaughter Henrietta (daughter of son William):
Liddy (daughter of Milley)

To be freed, but since the law does not allow, 2 sons to help set them up in trade:
Anthony
Willis


--JOHN HAWKINS (1745-1803) the son of Philemon Hawkins Sr.(d.1801) left the following slaves in his will.
To daughter Ann Hunt Fuller Marshall:
Betty (daughter of Betty)

To son Benjamin Hawkins:
Samson

To daughter Delly Martin Green:
Suckey, her child Betty
Amey (daughter of Molly)

To son Joseph Hawkins:
Cadwallader (son of Betty)

To wife Sally Macon Hawkins:
Ephrum
Ealer
Betty (bought from Henry Macon),and her children Hixey & Harry
Blacksmith Jacob & Patty Lane, to be later given to son John H. Hawkins
.....

RESEARCH LEADS AND PLANTATION RECORDS
Hawkins Family Papers 1738-1895, Collection number 322, at the Manuscripts Dept. of the Library of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Of special interest to researchers is the fact that Philemon Hawkins (1717-1801) freed several slaves over the years, in particular Matthew Hawkins, who remained in Warren Co. and left a sizable inheritance for his family in 1855.
Matthew Hawkins (1783-1855) married Mahaly Mushaw, called "Moosher" in the Marriage record (1783 –abt 1862) on February 26, 1812 in Warren Co.; their children were Amy Hawkins (abt 1815-1845), who married Plummer Carter (1800-1863) (Children: Thomas M. Carter, Elizabeth Carter, Hawkins Wesley Carter, Matthew Carter); Woodley Hawkins, b.1820, married Margaret Blacknall (1826-1914) (Children: Matthew T., Thomas H., Nancy Mary, Jeremiah James Hawkins); Frank Hawkins (1821-1851), married Lucy Ann Ward, b. 1836; and Nancy Hawkins (1824 – abt 1910), married Henry Green, b. 1826 (Children: Lazerus, Mary, Matthew Green).

REFERENCES
Will of Philemon Hawkins, probated Feb.1802, Will Book 11,Pg. 226
Will of Philemon Hawkins, probated Feb. 1833, Will Book 34,Pg.45
Will of John Hawkins, probated Aug. 1803, Will Book 12,Pg.106
Will of Joseph W. Hawkins, probated Aug. 1842, Will Book 38,Pg. 89
Philemon Hawkins Bible, Warren County USGenweb site
http://www.ncgenweb.us/ncwarren/bibles/hawkins-p.htm

Philemon Hawkins of Chicahominy
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~markfreeman/hawkinva.html

Inventory of the Hawkins Family Papers 1738 -1895
http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/h/Hawkins_Family.html

Descendants of John Hawkins
http://www.southern-style.com/hawkins.htm

My North Carolina Roots, Matthew Hawkins descendancy chart
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dwilliams-1&id=I4293


Source: http://sankofagen.pbworks.com/w/page/14230739/Pleasant%20Hill