I have pulled out all of my records and I now know that Joseph Dunagan in Surry County, North Carolina is not the same Joseph as Ezekiel’s father. According to George Dunagan, whom I trust more than anyone else, Thomas and Sarah Came to America in the 1730’s, they bought land in Orange County North Carolina in 1748. There is record of Joseph serving on the Grand Jury at Hillsboro in 1763. George said that in “the same year he was known to be in South Carolina looking for a place to settle”. He purchased 150 acres on the Pendleton side of the Saluda River in 1768 and in 1769 he purchased another 150 acres adjoining his land. George said, “This is where he raised his family”. So this must be the birthplace of Ezekiel.
George does make mention of the Dunagan’s in Surry County as being an ‘Uncle John’ (not the same as John, the brother of this Joseph) whose son John Jr and of David whom was his brother John’s son. All along with Joseph, Joshua, and Thomas served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
I have found records of Joseph in 1790 census in Pendleton South Carolina. Listed in the house was 3 males under 16 and 2 over 16 and 4 females. We know that he did have at least 6 sons and 3 or more daughters but the daughters names are not known. I also have record of Joseph Dunagin in the U.S. Census Reconstructed Records for Franklin County Georgia, for the residence year of 1790, however household remarks on the record has a date listed for a petition given by the Governor as 11 November 1793. He must have first come into Georgia in 1790 since we find him listed in both census.
But as stated before we have records of land grants given to Joseph and his brother Thomas for land in Georgia, and we find him here in 1793 and 1794.
So now that we have the correct Joseph, we can safely say that Ezekiel was born in Pendleton, South Carolina on the Dunagan land located on the Saluda River.
So sorry for the confusion before.
If your Solomon is the son of Isaac who was the brother to Joseph, then Ezekiel and Solomon would have been first cousins. George believed Joseph to be born in Orange County but we know that the Dunagan’s moved into Surry as well as other areas, so I think it safe to assume that they are all of one family.
Darline Dunagan Scruggs via email to Richard "Dick" Dunagan
