Michael Roark and Letitia Grigsby
Michael Roark was born on 29 September 1745 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, according to his Revolutionary War pension application file, and moved to Augusta (now Rockingham) County, when he was a toddler. In 1766, he married Letitia "Lettie" Grigsby in neighboring Frederick (now Shenandoah) County, Virginia. We do not know the names of either Michael's or Lettie's parents or siblings at this stage in our research.
Michael was enumerated in Rockingham County in the 1784 Virginia state census, and said that he moved his growing family to what is now Hawkins County, Tennessee in 1792--before Tennessee even became a state. He purchased 140 acres of land on Dodson's Creek in March 1793, and remained there until he died at the age of 93 on 9 January 1839. Lettie continued to live in Hawkins County until her own death on 24 August 1844 at the age of 97. Her daughter Polly and Polly's children lived with her.
Michael Roark's Revolutionary War file (under the name of Michael Rork) indicates that he was a spy in the Continental Army (his records are listed under Michael Rork); after moving to Hawkins County, he worked at least for a while as a bounty hunter. Click here to read a passage from Hawkins County circuit court files from 1824 (when Michael Roark would have been 79 years old).
Michael Roark's will and Lettie's pension file provide much of the basic information we have about their children and their spouses. Of their three sons, two -- James and Michael -- apparently moved to MIssouri probably in the 1830s.
The Roark family followed the traditional migration route of many early Scotch-Irish colonial settlers -- from eastern Pennsylvania, down the Shenandoah valley to Rockingham County (and environs), and then on into either western North Carolina or eastern Tennessee. The Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia offers a fascinating look at the different farmsteads and lifestyles of the Scotch-Irish, Germans, and English as they settled in and passed through the Shenandoah Valley.
Michael Roark (b. 29 September 1756, Bucks, PA - d. 9 January 1839, Hawkins, TN)
m. 1766, Frederick (now Shenandoah), VA
Letitia Grigsby (b. ca 1747, probably VA - d. 24 August 1844, Hawkins, TN)
The children of Michael Roark and Letitia Grigsby are:
i. Sarah "Sally" Roark (b. 1767, prob Rockingham, VA - d. 7 September 1855, Perry, KY); m. Elijah Combs
ii. James Roark (b. ca 1768, prob Rockingham, VA - d. aft 1840, prob MIssouri); wife unknown
iii. Julia Roark (b. ca 1770, prob Rockingham, VA - d. aft 1850, prob Tennessee); m. John Kirkpatrick
iv. Mary "Polly" Roark (b. ca 1772, prob. Rockingham, VA - d ca August 1858, Hawkins, TN); m. George Morrisett
v. Elizabeth "Betsy" Roark (b. 1780, Rockingham, VA - d. aft 1850, prob TN); m. Thomas Self
vi. Rebecca Roark (b. between 1780/90, Rockingham, VA - d. aft 1840); m. William Tunnell
vii. John Roark (b. bet 1781/90, Rockingham, VA - d. aft 1846);
viii. Susan Roark (b. 1790, Rockingham, VA - d. aft 1850); m. George Reynolds
ix. Michael Roark (b. 1792 - d. aft 1840, prob. Missouri)