WAS OUR ANCESTOR THOMAS LINDLEY A PATRIOT OR A LOYALIST?

I HAVE REVIEWED A LOT OF MATERIAL ON THOMAS LINDLEY AND MADE UP MY MIND AS TO WHICH HE WAS!
YOU NEED TO READ THESE FEW STORIES THAT I SELECTED OUT OF ALL THAT I REVIEWED AND MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND!



Thomas LINDLEY. Born on 25 FEB 1705/06 in Bally Brommell, Carlow, Ireland. Thomas died in Orange County, North Carolina on 14 Sep 1781, he was 76. He is buried in Spring Meeting Burying Grounds. On 21 Nov 1731 when Thomas was 26, he married Ruth HADLEY, daughter of Simon HADLEY, ESQ. & Ruth MILLER, in New Garden, Pennsylvania. Born on 12 Jun 1711 in Moate MM, West Meathe, Ireland. Ruth died in Alamance (then Orange), North Carolina on 12 Apr 1785, she was 73. See the Hadley line. *Thomas Lindley and Ruth Hadley our last Emigrant Ancestors moved their family from London Grove, Pennsylvania, to Cane Creek, Orange County, North Carolina, in the early 1750s.

See a great web site with pictures of the Cane Creek are here.

For more than twenty years, Thomas and Ruth lived on a farm in London Grove Township making their living entirely by farming. In the early Spring of 1753, they sold their farm in London Grove and moved to the Piedmont of central North Carolina. This was an area of rolling hills of mild undulations up to as much as 200 feet of relief above the adjacent lowlands or valleys. There were large stands of oak, hickory, and pine forests. It is probable that the move was made because they wanted land and other economic opportunities for their children. Troubles with the Indians had made the Western frontier of Pennsylvania increasingly dangerous as well.

Thomas received two land grants from the Earl of Granville for a total of 1000 acres. The second land grant was for 600 acres and read "On the South Fork of Cane Creek and West side of Haw River, beginning at a white oak by the creek, then running South 100 chains to a black oak, then West 60 chains to a white oak, then North cross the fork 100 chains to a black jack, then East across the fork to the first station."


HUSBAND
Thomas Lindley—12
Yr of Birth
1706
WIFE
Ruth Hadley-86
Yr of Birth
1712
HUSBAND - Thomas Lindley-12
Abstracts of Wills Recorded in Orange Co. NC by Rugh Herndon Shields, 1958 Reference A 252 Will dated 15 Mar 1780, probated August Court 1782 Wife Ruth Son William Daughter Katherine White Other children: Thomas, Ruth, William, John, Elinor Mauriss, Deborah Newlin. Son Jonathan. Shows he was son of James Lindley. Save to ‘Friends of Spring Meeting 2 acres land whereon meeting house now stands”
Executors William and Jonathan Lindley
Witnesses Zacharia flicks, John Carter, John Newlin
WIFE — Ruth Hadley—86
CHILD 1 — Katherine Lindley—160
Birthdate from Our Lindley Emigrants in NC State Library Ben. Branch
also in Hinshaw Encyclopedia American Ouaker Senealogy V. I p. 358
Katherine was 18 when the family moved to NC
Algie Newlin in ‘Friends at the Spring’ cites her marriage under a
minute from Cane Creek MM, but he believes it could have been the first
wedding in the Spring Meeting House. Date of entry 3rd of 4 mo 1756.
Burial place from Hadley Benealogy by Lyle H. Hadley Nc State Library Sen
Branch.
CHILD 2 - James Lindley-161
Our Lindley Emigrants says James was a twin. The other twin, a brother,
named Simon died in infancy. The next child b 1737 was also named Simon.
Marriage from 202 Early Marriage Abstracts, Orange Co. NC
Wife was probably d/o William and Catharine Cox who came to Cane Creek from
Newark MM Kennett PA 1752
Death date not verified.
James was said to be a Tory.
CHILD 3 — Simon Lindley-162
Our Lindley Emigrants shows birthdate and will dated 10 Jul 1760,
probated 1760.
CHILD 4 - Thomas Lindley-163
CHILD 5 — William Lindley—164
FAMILY BROUP RECORD-35
DOCUMENTAT ION
1/1/1980 Page 3
:
HUSBAND
Thomas Lindley—12
Yr of Birth
1706
WIFE
Ruth Hadley-86
Yr of Birth
1712
HUSBAND - Thomas Lindley-12
Abstracts of Wills Recorded in Orange Co. NC by Rugh Herndon Shields, 1958 Reference A 252 Will dated 15 Mar 1780, probated August Court 1782 Wife Ruth Son William Daughter Katherine White Other children: Thomas, Ruth, William, John, Elinor Mauriss, Deborah Newlin. Son Jonathan. Shows he was son of James Lindley. Save to ‘Friends of Spring Meeting 2 acres land whereon meeting house now stands”
Executors William and Jonathan Lindley
Witnesses Zacharia flicks, John Carter, John Newlin
WIFE — Ruth Hadley—86
CHILD 1 — Katherine Lindley—160
Birthdate from Our Lindley Emigrants in NC State Library Ben. Branch
also in Hinshaw Encyclopedia American Ouaker Senealogy V. I p. 358
Katherine was 18 when the family moved to NC
Algie Newlin in ‘Friends at the Spring’ cites her marriage under a
minute from Cane Creek MM, but he believes it could have been the first
wedding in the Spring Meeting House. Date of entry 3rd of 4 mo 1756.
Burial place from Hadley Benealogy by Lyle H. Hadley Nc State Library Sen
Branch.
CHILD 2 - James Lindley-161
Our Lindley Emigrants says James was a twin. The other twin, a brother,
named Simon died in infancy. The next child b 1737 was also named Simon.
Marriage from 202 Early Marriage Abstracts, Orange Co. NC
Wife was probably d/o William and Catharine Cox who came to Cane Creek from
Newark MM Kennett PA 1752
Death date not verified.
James was said to be a Tory.
CHILD 3 — Simon Lindley-162
Our Lindley Emigrants shows birthdate and will dated 10 Jul 1760,
probated 1760.
CHILD 4 - Thomas Lindley-163
CHILD 5 — William Lindley—164

Our Lindley Emigrants says he was murdered.
Marriage date and place from Hadley Genealogy by Lyle Hadley
Typed copy of his will on file.
CHILD 6 - Ruth Lindley—102
CHILD 7 — John Lindley—165
Birthdate from Bellarts also marriage date.
Deathdate and place from Our Lindley Emigrants.
CHILD B - Elender Lindley—166
Our Lindley Emigrants shows a daughter Mary b 1949 who m George Mans 18 Apr 1770. This child does not appear in Bellarts listing of children or in Hinshaw. I have omitted her here. /
Elender was born shortly before the family left for NC
Piedmont NC Cemeteries V. I p. 5 shows Elenor wife of George
d/o Thomas and Ruth and gives deathdate
CHILD 9 — Deborah Lindley—167
Husband’s will bequeathed to my son Thomas all the land on which I now live on the north side of Cane Creek supposed to contain about three hundred acres to him and his heirs forever.. .on the express conditions that he shall support his mother comfortably...
Deborah went with that son and his family when they went to Lick Creek IN
1824. No record of Deborah’s death, but she does not appear on 1830 census.
CHILD 10 — Jonathan Lindley—168
Birthdate from Bellarts, Facts, Fiction... Deathdate from Heiss, abstracts of Duaker Records in IN Lick Creek
Deed to Spring MM NC 1795 copied Orange Ca. NC 3—30-83
1st wife d/a Zachariah and Ruth Dicks. Buried in 1st marked grave in
Orange Co. IN Lick Creek Cem
‘Friends at the Spring’ by Algie Newlin pps. 62—64 describes Jonathan as a leader of wagon train from Spring NM NC to Lick Creek in IN. Some 21 wagons, 75 Quakers mostly related started from NC April 1811. Certificates to Whitewater, only Quaker meeting at that time in IN, received October 1811.
Hinshaw ‘Carolina Experience’ p. 144 also describes this caravan.




Thomas and Ruth's first 8 children were born in London Grove, PA. The family moved to Orange county N.C. sometime after 1750 where the remaining 2 children were born. Thomas built a gristmill in Alamance county, NC that is still in operation by Henry Lindley and some of his other descendants. He was active in the Revolutionary War, where sadly some of his family fought on opposite sides. He died on the day of the battle of Lindley's Mill. For information on this see "The Battle of Lindley's Mill" by Algie I. Newlin or "Lindley Family Roots in PA, NC, SC, GA, and AL" by Terry M. Lindley. Both of these books may be in your library.
Based on Lindley family information by Clarence Roberson. Founders and Patriots of the Republic of Texas, p. 394-396. Samuel Lindley's grandparents, Thomas and Ruth Hadley Lindley, came from Ireland in about 1710 to 1713 to settle in Chester County, Pa., suggesting the possibility that Robert's ancestors and Samuel's had known each other in Pennsylvania before moving to South Carolina. History of Montgomery County, p. 378.


Thomas was an iron master in Swatra, Pennsylvania and was later a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly from 1739-41. H e received two land grants from the Earl of Granville fo r a total of almost 1000 acres. In 1756 he partnered wit h a neighbor, Hugh Laughlin, to build and operate a grist m ill. This mill is still in the Lindley family. The area ar ound this mill was the center of the Battle of Lindley's M ill September 13, 1781 in the American Revolution. Thomas a nd Ruth gave the land on which Spring Monthly Meeting was f ounded. The building has been rebuilt in 1910, but the cong regation is still in existance. [Sadler.GED]





In the early records of Hillsboro, Orange County, North Carolina is found this agreement: "Hugh Laughlin, planter, on the one part and Thomas Lindley, on the other, have agreed to become partners in joint company to erect and build a water grist mill on Cane Creek, to the south side of Haw River. The water to be taken out of that land owned by Hugh Laughlin and the mill to be built on that part owned by Thomas Lindley, 3 and 3/4 acres, September Court 1755. On September 14, 1781 during the Revolutionary War. A battle was fought at this mill and was referred to as "The Battle of Lindley's Mill"

Thomas Lindley was our Revolutionary ancestor who assisted in establishing American Independence while acting in the capacity of giving aid to the Army as a Patriot. The Will of Thomas Lindley is recorded in Book A, page 252, in the office of Clerk of Courts, Hillsboro, Orange County, North Carolina, dated March 15, 1780.

Thomas and Ruth were the parents of 12 children. Their youngest, Jonathon, was a member of the State Legislature and the National Convention. He also was the leader of the first anti-slavery group of Quakers that left Cane Creek in 1811 and went to Indiana. Thomas and Ruth also gave the land on which the Spring Monthly Meting was founded. The first meetinghouse may have been started in the 1770s. This Quaker meetinghouse is still in existence today in a building that was rebuilt in 1910. Thomas, who died on September 14, 1781, the day after the Battle of Lindley's Mill, is buried in the Spring Friends Cemetery immediately across the road from the meetinghouse. Ruth, who died December 4, 1785, is also buried there. In 1928, a large granite memorial was placed in the cemetery to honor Thomas and Ruth.
Thomas was an iron master in Swatra, Pennsylvania and was later a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly from 1739-41. H e received two land grants from the Earl of Granville for a total of almost 1000 acres. In 1756 he partnered with a neighbor, Hugh Laughlin, to build and operate a grist mill. This mill is still in the Lindley family. The area around this mill was the center of the Battle of Lindley's Mill September 13, 1781 in the American Revolution. Thomas and Ruth gave the land on which Spring Monthly Meeting was founded. The building has been rebuilt in 1910, but the congregation is still in existance. [Sadler.GED]

Thomas was born in Balinclash, Ireland and married Ruth Hadley. Both are buried at the Spring Meeting cemetery in Alamance County, North Carolina. Thomas and Ruth's first 8 ch ildren were born in London Grove, PA. The family moved t o Orange County, North Carolina sometime after 1750 where the remaining 2 children were born. Thomas built a grist mill in Alamance County, North Carolina that is still in operation by some of his descendants. He was active in the Revolutionary War, where sadly some of his family fought on opposite sides. He died on the day of the Battle of Lindley' s Mill. For information on this see "The Battle of Lindley 's Mill" by Algie I. Newlin or "Lindley Family Roots in PA , NC, SC, GA, and AL" by Terry M. Lindley. Both of these books may be in your Library.

Thomas Lindley and Hugh Laughlin built a grist mill and went into a partnership. The water coming from Laughlin's land and the mill on Lindley's land. Records show that this was the first mill in the area and was built in 1756 on the banks of Cane Creek. This is present day Alamance County , North Carolina and is a bit north of Siler City, North Carolina. The mill still stands today, and is operated by Henry Lindley, a descendent. This is where the battle of Lindley's Mill was fought. The Tories badly outnumbered the Whigs and as a result "won" the battle.

Thomas Lindley who lived in Alamance County, North Carolina , was a loyalist or a Tory. It is not known if he was an active participant in the Battle of Lindley's Mill or not . The Battle of Lindley's Mill occurred on September 14,
1781. Thomas Lindley died on that day.

The battle was sparked by the action of the Tories who captured Governor Burke the day before the battle. He was governor of North Carolina at the time. They also captured thirteen high ranking Whig officials, all of which they intended to turn over to British authorities at Wilmington, North Carolina. The Tories did turn them over after the battle.

This was a dreadful day for Thomas Lindley as well as all families involved in the battle. Tragically, several families, including the Lindley family were split on which side to fight on. As a result of this, it pitted father against son, and brother against brother. Thomas Lindley was 75 years of age at this time and it is believed that he died this day as a result of a heart attack or stroke, after seeing his family fighting among each other. After the battle the women tended to the wounded at Thomas Lindley's home as well as many others in the area, Tory or Whig, it did not matter.

Thomas had a son and grandson to serve in the Revolutionary War as Captains, serving under Colonel David Fanning on the Tory side.




Thomas Lindley, Patriot
Thomas Lindley b. 25 Feb. 1706, d. 14 Sept. 1781
In discussing the patriotism of Thomas Lindley we should first understand the state of
mind Thomas carried with him during the time leading up to the Revolutionary War.
Thomas lived the first 47 years of his life in New Garden, Pennsylvania. Thomas was a
Quaker and as such could have been a bystander in politics. Thomas was never a
bystander as were most other Quakers at that time. Thomas moved to Cane Creek,
Orange County, North Carolina in 1753 and purchased two parcels of land from the
Grandville District.[I] Thomas and his neighbor Hugh Laughlin formed a partnership and
built a gristmill that will be of interest later in the sketch.[II] Thomas became involved the
Regulator movement at least as soon as 11 May 1768. Thomas volunteered his home for
a meeting of the Regulators on that date.[III] The Regulators were an organization formed
to oppose excessive tariffs and taxes imposed by the British prior to and leading up to the
coming conflict. The most odious of taxes at the time was the Stamp Act. Thomas
Lindley opposed the Stamp Act and is listed in the Regulators of North Carolina.[IV] With
the Johnston Riot of 1771 the Regulator movement basically came to an end. The
existing Regulators that were not involved in the leadership positions of the movement
were given amnesty if they would swear allegiance under oath to support the crown.[V]
Thomas was not listed as having done this for two reasons. One reason is that Quakers
would only give oath to their God. The British governor Tryon made an allowance for
this fact and the Quakers were given the choice of “affirming” allegiance. Thomas did
not do an affirmation either, but he chose silence.[VI]
Moving to the Revolutionary War era we will see Thomas engaged in the rearing of his
family and the operation of the Mill. September 14, 1781 dawned as a very bad day in
Thomas Lindley’s life. His son, James (b. 22 Sept. 1735, d. 14 Feb. 1779), had been a
Tory officer hanged by the Whigs after losing the Battle of Kettle Creek in Wilkes
County, Georgia in 1779, leaving a wife and children. His other son, John and nephew
William, were officers riding with Colonel John Pyle MD, a noted Tory in Orange,
County.[VII] His son Jonathan was supporting the Whigs. Thomas had to be wondering
where he went wrong. After all, aren’t Quakers supposed to be pacifists?
Several more interesting items were going to occur on this day. The Tory forces under the
command of Edmund Fanning, a brutal Tory leader, were marching toward the Lindley
plantation. All the neighbors, Thomas Lindley included, knew the reputation of Fanning.
The Whig forces, under the command of John Butler, were marching to meet them to
rescue the prisoners Fanning held, which included the Governor of the province. For a
full synopsis of the battle see “The Battle of Lindley’s Mill”. [VIII]
How do we prove the patriotism of Thomas Lindley? We have the Revolutionary War
Accounts record listing a man named Thomas Lindley as having provided 11 pounds
sterling of a product to the Revolutionary Army.[IX] We have the actual receipt for 11
pounds sterling specie (silver coin) signed by a Thomas Lindley and the date is 1784.
Thomas Lindley died, however, on that bad day in September 14, 1781.[X] What
happened?

Let’s take this one step at a time. Several items will be of interest in proving Thomas
Lindley Sr. provided the product to the Revolutionary Army.
1. The Revolutionary Army was not in that area of North Carolina in 1784.
2. Thomas Lindley Jr. did not own a mill and was not awarded the mill in the will of
Thomas Lindley Sr. Who signed the receipt?
3. The will of Thomas was probated in October 1782.
4. The payment of 11 pounds was in specie and not in North Carolina script, which
was in use in 1784. This implies an earlier debt than 1784.
5. The Revolutionary War debt was paid long after the debts were incurred. Soldiers
were paid as late as 1792 in some cases.
6. Several references to 39 barrels of flour are extant, for Thomas Sr. delivering on
14 Sept. 1781 that fateful day, by other researchers.
7. A discussion of the graft and corruption in the Revolutionary War Army Accounts
system and conclusion.
1. The Revolutionary Army left this area of North Carolina after the Battle of
Lindley’s Mill. After the Battle of Guilford Courthouse March 15, 1781, General Greene,
technically the loser of the battle, marched his men to Charleston, South Carolina and
basically ignored Cornwallis. Cornwallis stayed in North Carolina for a time and
ultimately moved his army north to the Dan River in Virginia. Cornwallis then moved on
to Yorktown and his surrender occurred 19 October 1781 in the siege of Yorktown.[XI]
The remaining Whig forces under General Butler fought the Battle of Lindley’s Mill in
September and, although another Whig loss, inflicted heavy losses on Fanning. The
Tories and Whigs alike removed to the Wilmington area, the Tories leading and the
Whigs in pursuit.[XII] Thomas Lindley would have had to sell the product prior to 1781 or
at least prior to his will being probated in 1782 as the Revolutionary Army was gone
from this area of North Carolina in 1784.
2. Some concern exists about which Thomas Lindley signed the receipt for goods
delivered. There were five Thomas Lindleys in the area in 1781. Thomas Lindley Sr.,
his son Thomas Lindley Jr., and three grandsons of Thomas Lindley Sr. The grandsons
were minors at the time so they could not have signed the receipt. We must be concerned
with Thomas Jr. The will of Thomas Sr. leaves the land that includes Thomas Sr.’s share
of the mill to William and Jonathan.[XIII]Why is this a problem? Thomas had to provide
some sort of foodstuff to the Army. If Thomas Jr. did not own a mill, providing the large
amount of 11 pounds sterling product would be difficult. When large amounts of money
are involved, or for convenience sake, other concerned people will and do sign for their
deceased kindred. We do not know when the product was delivered. We do know when
the receipt was signed for 11 pounds and that was definitely after Thomas Sr. death. The
receipt was obviously signed for him by someone else. If the product were flour from the
mill as I suspect then Hugh Laughlin would be half owner of the product. In any case we
must doubt Thomas Lindley Jr. provided the product to the Army. Common sense says it
came from the mill of Thomas Lindley Sr. The only other Thomas Lindley to own the
Lindley mill was the son of William Lindley. He purchased the mill in 1796 from the
estate of Hugh Laughlin giving him full ownership in both shares of the partnership.[XIV] Let’s take this one step at a time. Several items will be of interest in proving Thomas
Lindley Sr. provided the product to the Revolutionary Army.
1. The Revolutionary Army was not in that area of North Carolina in 1784.
2. Thomas Lindley Jr. did not own a mill and was not awarded the mill in the will of
Thomas Lindley Sr. Who signed the receipt?
3. The will of Thomas was probated in October 1782.
4. The payment of 11 pounds was in specie and not in North Carolina script, which
was in use in 1784. This implies an earlier debt than 1784.
5. The Revolutionary War debt was paid long after the debts were incurred. Soldiers
were paid as late as 1792 in some cases.
6. Several references to 39 barrels of flour are extant, for Thomas Sr. delivering on
14 Sept. 1781 that fateful day, by other researchers.
7. A discussion of the graft and corruption in the Revolutionary War Army Accounts
system and conclusion.
1. The Revolutionary Army left this area of North Carolina after the Battle of
Lindley’s Mill. After the Battle of Guilford Courthouse March 15, 1781, General Greene,
technically the loser of the battle, marched his men to Charleston, South Carolina and
basically ignored Cornwallis. Cornwallis stayed in North Carolina for a time and
ultimately moved his army north to the Dan River in Virginia. Cornwallis then moved on
to Yorktown and his surrender occurred 19 October 1781 in the siege of Yorktown.[XI]
The remaining Whig forces under General Butler fought the Battle of Lindley’s Mill in
September and, although another Whig loss, inflicted heavy losses on Fanning. The
Tories and Whigs alike removed to the Wilmington area, the Tories leading and the
Whigs in pursuit.[XII] Thomas Lindley would have had to sell the product prior to 1781 or
at least prior to his will being probated in 1782 as the Revolutionary Army was gone
from this area of North Carolina in 1784.
2. Some concern exists about which Thomas Lindley signed the receipt for goods
delivered. There were five Thomas Lindleys in the area in 1781. Thomas Lindley Sr.,
his son Thomas Lindley Jr., and three grandsons of Thomas Lindley Sr. The grandsons
were minors at the time so they could not have signed the receipt. We must be concerned
with Thomas Jr. The will of Thomas Sr. leaves the land that includes Thomas Sr.’s share
of the mill to William and Jonathan.[XIII]Why is this a problem? Thomas had to provide
some sort of foodstuff to the Army. If Thomas Jr. did not own a mill, providing the large
amount of 11 pounds sterling product would be difficult. When large amounts of money
are involved, or for convenience sake, other concerned people will and do sign for their
deceased kindred. We do not know when the product was delivered. We do know when
the receipt was signed for 11 pounds and that was definitely after Thomas Sr. death. The
receipt was obviously signed for him by someone else. If the product were flour from the
mill as I suspect then Hugh Laughlin would be half owner of the product. In any case we
must doubt Thomas Lindley Jr. provided the product to the Army. Common sense says it
came from the mill of Thomas Lindley Sr. The only other Thomas Lindley to own the
Lindley mill was the son of William Lindley. He purchased the mill in 1796 from the
estate of Hugh Laughlin giving him full ownership in both shares of the partnership.[XIV] Let’s take this one step at a time. Several items will be of interest in proving Thomas
Lindley Sr. provided the product to the Revolutionary Army.
1. The Revolutionary Army was not in that area of North Carolina in 1784.
2. Thomas Lindley Jr. did not own a mill and was not awarded the mill in the will of
Thomas Lindley Sr. Who signed the receipt?
3. The will of Thomas was probated in October 1782.
4. The payment of 11 pounds was in specie and not in North Carolina script, which
was in use in 1784. This implies an earlier debt than 1784.
5. The Revolutionary War debt was paid long after the debts were incurred. Soldiers
were paid as late as 1792 in some cases.
6. Several references to 39 barrels of flour are extant, for Thomas Sr. delivering on
14 Sept. 1781 that fateful day, by other researchers.
7. A discussion of the graft and corruption in the Revolutionary War Army Accounts
system and conclusion.
1. The Revolutionary Army left this area of North Carolina after the Battle of
Lindley’s Mill. After the Battle of Guilford Courthouse March 15, 1781, General Greene,
technically the loser of the battle, marched his men to Charleston, South Carolina and
basically ignored Cornwallis. Cornwallis stayed in North Carolina for a time and
ultimately moved his army north to the Dan River in Virginia. Cornwallis then moved on
to Yorktown and his surrender occurred 19 October 1781 in the siege of Yorktown.[XI]
The remaining Whig forces under General Butler fought the Battle of Lindley’s Mill in
September and, although another Whig loss, inflicted heavy losses on Fanning. The
Tories and Whigs alike removed to the Wilmington area, the Tories leading and the
Whigs in pursuit.[XII] Thomas Lindley would have had to sell the product prior to 1781 or
at least prior to his will being probated in 1782 as the Revolutionary Army was gone
from this area of North Carolina in 1784.
2. Some concern exists about which Thomas Lindley signed the receipt for goods
delivered. There were five Thomas Lindleys in the area in 1781. Thomas Lindley Sr.,
his son Thomas Lindley Jr., and three grandsons of Thomas Lindley Sr. The grandsons
were minors at the time so they could not have signed the receipt. We must be concerned
with Thomas Jr. The will of Thomas Sr. leaves the land that includes Thomas Sr.’s share
of the mill to William and Jonathan.[XIII]Why is this a problem? Thomas had to provide
some sort of foodstuff to the Army. If Thomas Jr. did not own a mill, providing the large
amount of 11 pounds sterling product would be difficult. When large amounts of money
are involved, or for convenience sake, other concerned people will and do sign for their
deceased kindred. We do not know when the product was delivered. We do know when
the receipt was signed for 11 pounds and that was definitely after Thomas Sr. death. The
receipt was obviously signed for him by someone else. If the product were flour from the
mill as I suspect then Hugh Laughlin would be half owner of the product. In any case we
must doubt Thomas Lindley Jr. provided the product to the Army. Common sense says it
came from the mill of Thomas Lindley Sr. The only other Thomas Lindley to own the
Lindley mill was the son of William Lindley. He purchased the mill in 1796 from the
estate of Hugh Laughlin giving him full ownership in both shares of the partnership.[XIV]

3. The will of Thomas Lindley Sr. was probated or proved in August of 1782. This
was nearly a year after his death.[XV] The product could have been delivered during the
time between the death and the will being proven. If this is the case Thomas Sr. is still
the provider of the product or, rather, his estate is the provider. It may be noted that the
executors of the estate were William and Jonathan Lindley. Where was Thomas Jr.?
4. The payment was in 11-pound specie.[XVI]Specie means coin, not North Carolina
script. Money was very scarce in coin during this time in North Carolina. We need to
spend some time discussing the financial situation in North Carolina at this time. We
know from Gresham’s Law that bad money drives good money out of circulation. The
State of North Carolina was totally broke in 1780. The issuance of script drove coin out
of circulation and the state had to devise a method to support the troops as the war
resumed in the south in 1780. The continued issuance of North Carolina script drove the
inflation rate for necessities to a prohibitive level. The state devised a method to raise
foodstuffs and necessities for the army. This was started in 1780 and continued though
1782. The system was to loan and tax in “kind”. That is, by requesting foodstuffs and
products from the populace which were stored in warehouses and distributed to the troops
as needed. This system continued from 1780 through 1782. The goods requested were:
Indian corn, wheat, rye, oats, rice, pork, and beef. The State of North Carolina made no
attempt to repay these loans until the Federal Government helped in 1784.[XVII] This may
go along way in determining who was owed what, and when, and why was payment so
late.
5. The Revolutionary War debts were paid long after the debts were incurred. Thomas
Lindley’s 11 pounds was recorded in Volume XI of the Revolutionary War Army
Accounts. We know the payment was made in 1784. It is interesting to see the
Revolutionary War Army Accounts Volume X. You will note the payment is made in
1792. This at least shows the relationship of payment to debt occurrence is
irrelevant.[XVIII]
6. Several researchers have quoted 39 barrels of flour being delivered from the
Thomas Lindley mill[XIX]. This is a large amount of flour. Some researchers state the mill
was “drawn on” for 6 loads of flour on the specific date of 14 September 1781[XX]. Drawn
on implies to me a non-voluntary delivery and it may have been just that based on the
paragraph number 4 above. Would this much flour have caused a hardship in the
Lindley/Laughlin mill business? We know there are 220 shillings in 11 pounds. A bushel
of grain costs around 2 shillings a bushel, prior to the runaway inflation of 1780. The
price varied depending on the type of grain. A barrel contains slightly more than 3
bushels. Doing the math, it can be seen that 11 pounds will roughly buy 39 barrels of
flour at 2 shillings per bushel. An acre of good grain land produced about 20 to 25
bushels of grain. Thomas Lindley owned 1000 acres. Not all was under cultivation, but
based on the above yield I doubt if much hardship would have been caused by 39 barrels
of flour. We can see that 11 pounds went a long way in 1780. We can believe the sale
happened, however, since the Whigs were in the area and Quakers would never deny
foodstuffs to any needy person or army.

7. The Revolutionary Army Accounts system was full of graft and corruption. The
receipts were issued at the time of payment of the debts. The debts were not incurred on
the date shown on the receipt for payment. The debts or IOU’s were frequently traded as
money since there was nearly no hard currency in North Carolina during and after the
War. When the debts were to be paid, they were surrendered to the state in Hillsborough
and whoever owned the debt signed the payees name on the back of the receipt. Thomas
Lindley’s signature may have been signed by anyone owning the debt, not necessarily a
family member. [XXI] This can be seen in the Revolutionary War Army Accounts Record.
You will note the receipts are listed at the time of payment and the numbers are not
sequential.[XXII]
In conclusion, I have no trouble placing Thomas Lindley in the patriots’ column.
Thomas Lindley’s history and actions speak loudly of his feelings. The Greensboro
Daily News article, published in 1928, was written after a reunion of Lindley family
members from all over the country. Some of those family members probably knew the
story of Thomas Lindley’s patriotic acts, as they were nearly 100 years closer to the
actual acts that I am today. Neither they nor I saw Thomas put the flour in the wagon,
but the flour was discussed in 1928 or it would not have appeared in the article. Thomas
was also stated to have remained neutral in the referenced article. Thomas may have
thought himself as being neutral, but providing the flour to the Whigs tells a different
story.
James Lindley 2002, Bellevue, Washington7. The Revolutionary Army Accounts system was full of graft and corruption. The
receipts were issued at the time of payment of the debts. The debts were not incurred on
the date shown on the receipt for payment. The debts or IOU’s were frequently traded as
money since there was nearly no hard currency in North Carolina during and after the
War. When the debts were to be paid, they were surrendered to the state in Hillsborough
and whoever owned the debt signed the payees name on the back of the receipt. Thomas
Lindley’s signature may have been signed by anyone owning the debt, not necessarily a
family member. [XXI] This can be seen in the Revolutionary War Army Accounts Record.
You will note the receipts are listed at the time of payment and the numbers are not
sequential.[XXII]
In conclusion, I have no trouble placing Thomas Lindley in the patriots’ column.
Thomas Lindley’s history and actions speak loudly of his feelings. The Greensboro
Daily News article, published in 1928, was written after a reunion of Lindley family
members from all over the country. Some of those family members probably knew the
story of Thomas Lindley’s patriotic acts, as they were nearly 100 years closer to the
actual acts that I am today. Neither they nor I saw Thomas put the flour in the wagon,
but the flour was discussed in 1928 or it would not have appeared in the article. Thomas
was also stated to have remained neutral in the referenced article. Thomas may have
thought himself as being neutral, but providing the flour to the Whigs tells a different
story.
James Lindley 2002, Bellevue, Washington