The Genealogy of the Alexander family, into which Robert Love, commonly known as “Carter Bob”(my Father-F.D. Love) married, having married Sarah Matilda Alexander, May 25th, 1848, Alexanders
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John Alexander, was born in Rowan County, North Carolina, where he married Rachel Davidson (a first cousin of General William Davidson, who in the War of the Revolution was killed at Cowan’s Ford of the Catawba River in resisting the passage of Cornwallis), daughter of John Davidson. John Alexander removed from Rowan County to Lincoln County, North Carolina; thence to Buncombe County, (the Burke County) North Carolina (one of its first settlers); thence to Tennessee, settled on the Harpeth River where he and his wife died.
His son, James Alexander, was born in Rowan County, North Carolina, on Buffalo Creek, December 23rd, 1756. He removed thence to Crowder’s Creek, Lincoln County, North Carolina, near King’s Mountain, and participated in the great battle fought at that place last mentioned on the American side. On March 19th, 1782, he married Rhoda Cunningham, who was born in Pennsylvania, October 13th, 1763 and moved thence to Maryland and thence to York District, South Carolina. James Alexander (Presbyterian) and wife removed to Buncombe County (then Burke), North Carolina, and settled at the Alexander Place on Bee Tree Creek near where it empties into the Swannanoa River, ten miles East of Asheville. Here he died in 1844. His son, James Michell Alexander, was my Grandfather-F.D. Love
William Foster was born in Ireland, immigrated to Virginia, thence to North Carolina and settled in Burke (now Buncombe county, North Carolina) on the Northern bank of Swannanoa River, two miles from Asheville, in 1786. He served on the American side in the Revolutionary War. He was the son of William and Mary Foster, and was born March 31st, 1748, and married Elizabeth Heath-born in Scotland. He died April 2nd, 1830; she died December 8th, 1827.
Thomas Foster, their son, was born October 14th, 1774, in Virginia, and moved with his Father to North Carolina in 1786. Here he married Orra Sams (a Methodist), daughter of Edmund Sams, (born in Tennessee and a Captain in the Revolutionary War on the American side, who removed to what is now Buncombe County, and was made in 1792 the first coroner of that County and whose wife was Nancy Young). Thomas Foster settled two miles from Asheville on the South side of Swannoa River where Biltmore now is. Here he died December 24th, 1858. He was a Universalist, and was a member of the House of Commons of the State of North Carolina, and served several times in the Senate. His daughter, Nancy Foster, became the wife of James Mitchell Alexander, and was my Grandmother-F.D. Love
Note: The above information came from Foster Sondley, who is a grandson of James Michell and Nancy Foster Alexander, being the only son of their daughter Harriette, who married twice; the first time to a Mr. Elisha Ray, the second time to a Mr. Sondley. By her first marriage she had several children, all of whom live in Asheville. Foster Sondly is a very able lawyer, and lives in Asheville, North Carolina. He is not married. I will later on give the concluding genealogy of the Alexander Family, one of whom was my mother-F.D. Love.
