This page is included in the UK Seago site as many American Seago researchers are very interested in following-up any clues that might prove to be their earliest ancestors in the USA and possible immigrants from the UK. To assist, we include what information we have been sent to us about a John Sego, born approx 1715 - who appears to be the earliest recorded Sego (Seago) in the USA.
We would be happy to include on this site any further donations of information about early American Seago's - the first Seago immigrants/settlers.
Please note: We do not normally keep or maintain records of American Seago families (those born in the USA) as time and resources do not allow, but we will provide links to any other Seago family history groups that are set up covering other geographical areas.
John Sego (Seago) who married Margaret Birmingham 1740, Queen Anne County. USA
Ruth Ann Rogers at GRMA2001@aol.com has kindly sent copies of documents relating to John Sego (born approx 1715). These are transcripts of a land grant and a land transfer indenture granted and issued in Anson County, North Carolina in 1774/1775. The transcripts read as follows:
JOHN LEGOE'S GRANT 3 July 1774 69
NORTH CAROLINA No. 698
George the Third by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the faith and crown. To all whom these presents shall come greeting know ye that we for and in consideration of the rents and duties herein reserve and hath given and granted and by these presents for us our heirs and successors do give and grant unto John Legoe a tract of land containing two hundred acres lying and being in the County of Anson in the province of North Carolina on the South West side of the Peedee River Beginning at a flat rock among 3 hicorys and 1 pine pointers in Telghman Helm's line near Mays Mill and runs three No. 76 West 179 poles to a Black Jack then No. 14 Et. 179 poles to a stake among 3 hicorys pointers then So. 76 Et. 179 poles to a white oak then So. 14 179 poles to the first station.
This Twenty Third day of July in the fourteenth year of out Reign Anne Queen Domini one thousand Seven hundred and seventy four.
By his Excellencys Command
Saml. Shreadwick Secy. Jo. Martin
[I am not sure if the mis-spelling of the name Segoe to Legoe is an error of transcription - Ed]
AND:
JOHN SEGOE - To - ROBERT SEGOE.
THIS INDENTURE made this Tenth day of January in the of our Our Lord 1775 Between John Sego of Anson County in the Province of North Carolina of the one part and Robert of the other part WITNESSETH that the said John for and in consideration of the sum of five Pounds Proclamation to him in hand paid by the said Robert Sego before the ensealing and delivery of those presents the Receipt whereof He doth hereby acknowledge and himself therewith satisfied contented and paid hath given, granted bargained and sold and by these presents doth grant bargain and sell unto the said Robert Sego his Heirs and Assigns forever a certain Tract or Parcel of land lying and being in Anson County in the Province aforesaid an the S W side of Peedee River Beginning East of the Mudy Branch of the Reedy Prong of Jones's Creek on the first line of John Sego's Survey at a small red Oak and running thence go So 80 Et. to the End of John Sego's first line to a stake among two Pines and a White Oak, then No. 10 Wt. 31chains and 63 links to a stake among 2 Hickorys and a Turkey Oak, then No. 80 Wt. 31 chains and 63 links to March Bank's line continuing down to said Muddy Branch to a stake thence turning up the East side of said Branch and running upon the points of the Hills East side of said Muddy Branch to the first station containing One Hundred Acres more or less. TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said bargained premises with the appurtenances and all Rights Privileges and Improvements to the same in anywise belonging to him the said Robert Sego his Heirs and Assigns forever and the said John Sego for himself his Heirs and Assigns doth hereby covenant and agree to and with the said Robert Sego, that He the said Robert Sego his Heirs and Assigns shall and may from time to time and at all times hereafter peaceably and quietly have, hold, occupy possess and enjoy the afore-granted land and premises without the Lot or Molestation of any Person whatsoever and free and clear from all and all Manner and Incumbrances whatsoever and the said John Sego doth oblige himself his Heirs and executors and administrators to warrant and defend the afore-granted land and premises to him ,the said Robert Sego his Heirs and Assigns forever against the claim of all persons whatsoever.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the said John Sego hath hereunto set his hand and seal the day and year first above written.
His
Signed Sealed and Delivered John X Sego (SEAL)
In the Presence of Mark
William Bennett Junr. Her
Margt. X Sego (SEAL)
Mark
Anson County Sct. January Term 1775.
Then this Deed was in open Court acknowledged
by John Sego the party thereto and ordered to be registered.
J. Auld Clk.
The following notes were sent to the Group some time ago. The notes came originally from from a lady in Kansas City and are credited to a Thomas Sego of Alanta, GA. We would like to be able to correctly attribute the research to the person who did the original 'spade work' and would therefore like to contact Thomas Sego of Alanta, GA. The notes suggest thorough research, but we cannot vouch for their accuracy.
‘The SEAGO, SEGO, name, so far as we have been able to ascertain, first entered the records in the United States with a simple entry in the Parish Register of St. Luke’s, Churchill, Queen Anne Co., Maryland, of the marriage of John Seago and Margaret Birmingham, 17th of April 1740 (St. Luke’s Parish Register, page 40.) We cannot find the date or place of his arrival, where he came from, his parentage or place of birth. We are not ever certain of his nationality.
Family tradition claims the name is of Irish origin and much time and effort has been expended trying to locate the name in Irish records still extant with no success other than the name of a parish, in the Barony of Oneilland East, county of Armagh, and province of Ulster, Ireland. If there is any connection between the family and this locality, it is obscured by the lack of recorded information.
Laying aside tradition as a guide, a search was made for the name in other countries. Many similar names were found but not the name - until the search reached England. There, we felt we had sighted our target! The Bishop’s Transcripts revealed a heavy concentration of SEAGO, SEGO, marriage records in Norfolk and Suffolk Counties, dating back as far as the records go in the 1560s. This may well be the area from which John Seago emigrated and also of significance, is the record of a number of Seago mariners in the new records of Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, that are available. With approximately two thirds of the two county boundary coastline, this is not surprising.
With the finding of the Seago name in England, the tradition regarding Irish ancestry seems to have been proven false - or was it? Could it have come through the Birmingham line? Let us examine the records for Birmingham in Ireland.
The census for 1659 of Ireland shows a number of Birmingham’s - all landed gentry! An extract from “Irish Pedigrees”, by John O’Hart, opens up the picture more clearly and reveals a possible cause for pride in the Irish line - if one is judging from worldly possessions or title. Quote: “William, of Birmingham, in Warwickshire in England - - had two sons, (1) Peter, who stayed in England and (2) Myler, who was the first of the family that in 1170 came with Richard Strongbow into Ireland, and who was second in command of that expedition - - and was the ancestor of all that surname in Ireland.”
Could Margaret Birmingham be a descendant of this line? quite possibly, and very naturally, her descendants would claim with pride their Irish ancestry!
Returning to the search in Queen Anne Co., Maryland, we sought for Birmingham records in a effort to ascertain the parentage of Margaret and found the following will.
“In the name of God, Amen. I, John Birmingham of Queen Anne Co. and
Province of Maryland, being sick and weak estate, but of sound judgment and perfect memory
and calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing it is appointed for all men once
to die, do make, ordain and appoint this to be my last will and first I do bequeath my
soul to God who gave it trusting that he in mercy will reunite again at the last day to
this perishing body. My body I do give to ye earth to be interred in a decent and
Christian manner at the
discretion of my executors and for what worldly goods it hath pleased the Almighty to
endow me with I do devise and bequeath in manner and form following: lmprima - I will all
my lawful debts to be paid. Item - I do give and bequeath to my dear and weak beloved
wife, Elizabeth, 2 cows and calves & 3 ewes over & above her third of my estate.
Item - I do give to my son, Charles Birmingham, my now dwelling plantation containing 50 acres be half of a tract of land called Birmingham’s Fortune to him & his heirs forever but provided he should die without lawful heir, my will is that he wife, Elizabeth, shall have it to dispose of at her discretion but provided she should die first, my will is it should be equally divided amongst all my children. I do likewise give to my son Charles and orphan boy named Nathan one mare big with colt 3 beehives 5 sows 2 two yr. old barrows and 11 shoates.
Item - I leave to my daughter Margaret the plantation she now dwells upon containing fifty acres being the other half of the tract of land called Birmingham Fortune for and during her natural life, but my will is son Charles shall unmolested make use and fetch off timber he shall have occasion for and (7) after my daughters death I do give the said plantation to my son Charles and lawful heirs forever in the same manner and form I gave him my plantation.
Item - I do give my daughters Elizabeth Thorp, Sarah Teat, Mary Wikes, Elizabeth, Rachel and Anna Birmingham two shoats apiece to each of them.
Lastly - I do make ordain constitute and appoint my son Charles Birmingham to be whole and sole executor of this my last will and testament to see this my will performed, utterly revoking and disannulling all other wills heretofore made, or done or suffered to be done, declaring this to be my last will and testament in full and firm confirmation Whereof I have hereunto prefixed my hand and seal this 10th day of April in the year of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred and forty seven.”
Signed Sealed published & declared to be the last will & testament of John Birmingham in the presence of: Elizabeth Martin, Charles Murphy and John Holt.
The administration papers give further information and verification of ties. Note: 3 Dec. 1748
“Charles Birmingham, executor. (John Birmingham died prior to 14
May 1747 since this is the date of
Charles Birmingham’s bond as executor. Document cites the following:
Elizabeth, widow of the deceased. His children are:
? Charles Birmingham, the accountant (of the record).
? Elizabeth Thorp, deceased, her children are Charles, Sarah, not named when this account
was passed.
? Sarah Teat
? Mary Wicker or Wicks or Wickes. (Note: John Wicks was a security on bond.)
? Margaret Seagoe
? Elizabeth Birmingham
? Rachel
? Anne
John and Margaret Seago seem to have lived for some twenty-eight years in Queen Anne County, on the estate willed to her by her father. Here their family was undoubtedly born. However, a search of birth records of St. Luke’s Parish, where they were married, revealed only the birth of one child. “William Cram, son to John and Margaret Seago, born 23 August 1744.” (page 23) We are indebted to records from their Family bible (a sheet of which was attached to Robert’s Reunion claim as evidence of his birth) for the birth records of other members of the family.
(Note: Where dashes are shown, the dates were too dim to read.)
“William Seago was born on August 23rd, 1744.
Ann Seago was born on December 13, 1746.
John Seago was born on February 19th, ________
Robert Seago was born on September 12th, 1754.
Abraham Seago was born on Feb. 6th, 1757.
Margaret Seago was born on August ______,175?
James Seago was born on January 2nd, 1765”
Three years after the birth of Elizabeth, their part of “Birmingham’s Fortune” was sold and the family is next found in Anson County, North Carolina. William Crain, now 24 years of age, may have preceded the family, as he receives a grant for 144 acres of land on Jones Creek, 4 May 1769. This was over 18 months earlier than his father’s first entry, which was on the same watercourse. (24 Dec. 1770) (Land Grant Book 20, pages 451, #2528 & 617 #2690). Both sold their holdings on Jones Creek some two years later and John located on the SW side of Pee Dee River where he received another Grant for 200 acres to which he added at various times until he acquired 700 acres.
The new property adjoined the plantation of one Joseph Dunham, who not
only was a congenial neighbor, but also had the added attraction of two lovely daughters.
William Cram and his brother, John, seem to have decided they couldn’t do better by
looking further for wives, so William took Mary Dunham ‘for better of worse’ and
John chose Lucresey. The dates of their marriages have not been found, as the early
marriage records of Anson County were destroyed in a Court House fire, but the will of
Joseph Dunham, which
follows, names his sons in law, William and John Seago, further designating John as the
husband of Lucresey.
“In the name of God, Amen ‘I Joseph Dunham of Anson County and state of North Carolina, being sick and weak of body, but of sound mind and sense, perfect mind and disposing memory and calling to mind the mortality of my body, knowing that it was ordained for all men once to die, have therefore thought proper to make and constitute this my last will and testament and in the first place, I recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty god, that gave it, my body to the earth to be buried in a Christian like manner as my Executors hereafter named shall think proper nothing doubting but that I shall receive it again at the resurrection of the just in fullness of joy. And as touching my worldly Estate which it hath pleased God to bestow upon e, I give and dispose of in the form and manner following: That is to say First I will that all my just debts be paid and discharged by my Executors hereafter named.
I also give and dismise to my well beloved daughter, Lucresey Seago wife of John Seago, all my real and personal Estate, except one feather bed which I give and bequeath to my well beloved granddaughter, Mary Seago, daughter of John Seago on condition that she continues to live (with) me and her grand mother during our natural lives, also one cow and calf to my daughter in law Margaret Bush and one cow and calf to my daughter in law, Mary Collins and one cow and calf to William Seago, my son in law on conditions that we are not obliged to make use of them to support myself and wife during our natural lives and if by age or impunity we are obliged to make use of them then these legacies to be void. Lastly I do make and constitute John Seago my Executor and his wife Lucresey Seago Executrix and administrators of this my last Will and testament.’
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 21st day of
January 1791. Signed
Sealed and acknowledged in the presence of us.
Ezrah Bostwic Drucilla Bostwic Joseph Dunham Pescuime Bostwic
Anson Court, July Session 1796. (Anson Co., N.C. Wills; Bk A, Page 40)”
There are few references in the Anson County records that remain to reveal much regarding events in the lives of the Seago family. One can only imagine some of the problems after considering the events that were transpiring during this period of time.
Hardly had they had time to establish themselves in this frontier home before the Colonies became embroiled in the Revolutionary War, a struggle which caused much hardship, suffering and bitterness. Eight years of fighting for the right of representative government finally drew to an end and we emerge a new nation with the great task of welding the colonies into a nation of United States working cohesively together.
We do not know how involved John Seago and his family were or how much they suffered. We do know at least one son served in the fighting. Robert’s wife made application for a pension detailing some of his service. Tradition mentions others involved but have not been verified by documentary evidence.
There is no doubt but that the war years saw many changes in the Seago
family. Abraham passed away between 8 April 1777, when he witnessed a deed, and Dec.
6,1784 when his father wrote his will. We have no knowledge of the dates of death of
Margaret, born Aug. 175__, or that of her brother, James, but they must have preceded
their father as he does not mention them in his will - nor does he mention his wife
Margaret. She had signed a release of dower rights to certain property he sold 10 Jan.
1775, ~o she passed
away between that date and December 1784.
Poor health must have plagued John during the latter part of his life. A
note from Colonial Records, Vol. 9, page 1451 shows a certificate dated 26 Nov. 1771, from
Anson County, recommending “John Seago, an aged, decrepit man”, “be
released from the payment of taxes. This was just one year after he came to Anson County.
Was his move from the ____ coast to the inland plateau area prompted by poor health? His
Sons, with the exception of William, do not seem to have acquired land of their own before
their fathers
death, however, as we find under date of 2 Mar. 1785, hardly three months later, where
“William Seago, of Johnson Turner,” sells t Peter Brown of Anson Co., land on
the west side of Pee Dee River by Mr. May’s Mill, surveyed for John Seago “and
by him bequeathed in his last will to William Seago”.
And so ended the life of our emigrant ancestor! A life began we know not where, nor when, but one that left to many hundreds of descendants the legacy of honesty, honor and a love for freedom. May we continue to add glory and honor to the name of SEAGO * SEGO!
***************************************************************************
JAMES SEGO BOUNTY LAND CLAIM #325967
Affidavit of Charles B. Sego, Gentry Co., Missouri, August 24,1869
Charles B. Sego, age 29, resident of Harrison County, MO., says he is son and heir of James Sego, deceased, who was a private in Capt. Simons Co., 3rd Regiment, Missouri Mounted Volunteers: That James Sego enlisted May 20,1847: that his mother, Lavina Sego, died April 1,1847 in Harrison Co., Mo., and that the following children are the heirs of James Sego;
Priscilla J. Noah, born April 17, 1834
Elizabeth Brown, born Aug. 4,1835(8)
Charles B. Sego, born Apr. 9,1840
Lemuel Sego, born Nov. 29, 1841
Mary Bowman, born Feb. 25, 1842
Susannah Jones, born May 26, 1844
James F. (P) Sego, born Feb. 2,1845
That Lavina Sego’s maiden name was Lavina Goodman, and that she married James Sego June 27, 1833, at Hart Co., KY, that he makes this declaration to obtain for himself and brothers and sisters the bounty land that they are entitled to under Act of Congress March 3,1855.
Charles B. Sego
We, Lemuel D. Sego ad Granville D. Sego, resident of Gentry County and State of Missouri, upon our oaths declare that the foregoing declaration was signed and acknowledged in our presence, and that we believe from the appearance and statements of the application that he is the identical person he represents himself to be.
Wit: F. M. Sego Lemuel D. Sego Sen.
B. G. Simpson Granville D. Sego
State of Missouri, County of Gentry
Before me a Justice of the Peace, in and for said State & County
personally appeared Lemuel D. Sego and Elizabeth Sego, whom I certify to be respectable
and entitled to credit, and who, being by me first duly sworn, according to law, do depose
and say, that he the said Lemuel D. Sego is the brother of James Sego, deceased, late a
member of Capt. Simmons’ Co. 3rd Regt. Mo. Vols. in the war with Mexico, and that the
said Elizabeth is the wife of the said Lemuel D. Sego, they both well know the said James
Sego, and lived
neighbors with him from boyhood, and knew that he was only once married, that the children
named below are all the children ever born to him by his wife, Lavina Sego, except one who
died, an infant, unnamed.
That they are familiar with the affairs of the said James Sego and never
knew of any family record being kept in his family and are satisfied that none ever was
kept, but that during her last sickness, while she lay afflicted with a cancer which
caused her death, the said Lavina Sego in the presence of these deponents, referred to the
fact of there being no family record of the births of her children and requested me, Jesse
Blakely, who was present to make a record for her, which he did upon the paper before us,
and which has
been in the possession of his son James Blakely. The said paper reading as follows:
James Sego was born April 14,1810
Lavina Sego, his wife, was born May 20, 1811
Priscilla, their daughter was born April 17, 1834
John Sego was born August 4,1838
Charles Sego was born April 9,1840
Lemuel D. Sego was born November 29,1841
Polly Sego was born February 25, 1842
Susannah Sego was born May 26,1844
James K. __ Sego was born February 2,1845
The John Sego in said paper died unmarried in the year 1859 from an
accidental pistol shot. And they further state that they have neither interest nor concern
in the prosecution of the claim of the children of said John Sego for Bounty Land Warrant.
Lemuel D. Sego
John B. Stout Elizabeth __ Sego
F. M. Sego
(Further papers give the death of Lavina Sego, 15 Apr. 1847, and testify
they were present at the burial, etc., It is also witnessed and signed the following.
G. D. Sego Lemuel D. Sego
G. M. Sego Elizabeth __ Sego