Joseph C York I is the ninth child of ten children born to Jeremiah York I and his wife Sarah Ann Wilson. He was born on 1734 in the beautiful Terrapin Neck, Frederick County, Virginia (now Jefferson County, West Virginia) where he grew up and married his first of three wives.

Note: Dedicated York Family Researcher, Diane Stark Sanfilippo believes the C. is COWEN as the middle name of Joseph Cowan YORK.

Joseph Cowan York I age seventeen first married Martha Spinks age seventeen in 1751 in Terrapin Neck, Frederick County, Virginia (now Jefferson County, West Virginia).

The ten Children of Joseph Cowan York I and Martha Spinks are:

1. Joseph Cowan York, II, b. 1752 VA; d. 1810 TN
2. Mary York, b. 1752 VA
3. Sarah Martha Jane, b. 1753 VA
4. Rebecca York, b. 1754 VA
5. William W. York, Captain, b. 1755 NC; d. 1837 GA
(Perhaps William W, York was Adopted as an infant because the YDNA of his descendants do not match the YDNA profile of this Joseph York family Group)
6. Taylor York, b. 1756 NC; d. 1761 NC
7. John William York, Sr., b. 1857 NC; d. 1840 SC
8. Aaron York, b. 1758 NC; d. 1840 NC
9. Jesse James York, b. 1763 NC; d. 1830 NC
10. Thomas York, b. 1765 NC; d. 1820 GA

The Joseph Cowan York I family was part of the migration in 1755 from Virginia to North Carolina. Jeremiah York I and his family of six sons including Joseph and one son, two daughters along with their minister Rev Shubal Stearns migrated in a wagon train down the Great Wagon Road through the Shenandoah Valley. They broke through the Appalachian Mountains at Roanoke, Virginia then continued into Colonial Orange County, North Carolina by the fall of 1755 to the Sandy Creek Settlement. This was following the great unrest that was caused by marauding bands of Indians engaged in raiding for plunder, especially roaming about and ravaging the rural areas of colonial Fredrick's County, Virginia; after the French and Indian War in July 1755.

The first wife Martha Spinks died in 1769, most likely from child birth, in Colonial Orange (Randolph) County, North Carolina. This left Joseph Cowan York I with ten young children without a mother. Immediately Joseph married in 1770 a second wife, Cynthia Leah Bryson, age eighteen in Colonial Guilford (now Randolph) County, North Carolina.

The four known children of Joseph Cowan York I and his second wife Cynthia Leah Bryson are:

1. Agnes "Annie" York, b. 1770 NC; d. 1810 GA
2. William 'Jeremiah' York, b. 1772 NC; d. 1843 KY
3. Jonathan York, b. 1774 NC; d. 1830 TN
4. William York, b. 1779 NC; 1859 KY

Cynthia Leah Bryson most likely died in 1779 age twenty seven from complications at child birth of their last child, William York. Now Joseph had fourteen children with an overwhelming need for a new wife and mother.

So Joseph Cowan York I age forty eight married a third time in 1781 to a neighbor nineteen year old Jemima Burrow in Randolph County, North Carolina. Following the events and disturbances of the Revolutionary War Battle at the Guilford courthouse in 1781, British General Cornwallis marched his Red Coat Troops through Randolph County. Joseph York decided to leave Randolph County to start a more peaceful new life elsewhere. Some of his older children had married and started life in Randolph County. These descendants elected to remain in North Carolina. Joseph C York I with his young wife and other children most likely joined a wagon train in 1782 heading to the Madison/Lauderdale County area in the newly opened northern Mississippi Territory. This area is now Limestone County, Alabama.

The seven additional children of Joseph Cowan York I and Jemima Borrow were born in western North Carolina and Lauderdale County, Alabama are:

1. Moses Alexander York, b. 1785 NC; d. 1840 TN
2. Susannah "Susan" York, b. 1786 AL; d. 1857 MO
3. Uriah York, b. 1788 AL; d. 1835 AL
4. Giddeon York, b. 1790 AL; d. 1840 AL
5. Jemima York, b. 1791 AL; d. 1828 AL
6. John York, b. 1792 AL; d. 1865 AR
7. Solomon "Sol" York, b. 1799 AL; d. 1860 TX

Joseph Cowan York I endured a lot of tragedy and no doubt much grief but lived a very full joyful life with three wives and twenty one children. After seventy five years Joseph Cowan York I died on 8 October 1809 in Limestone County, Alabama, previously Madison County, Mississippi Territory. Joseph Cowan York I is most likely buried in an undiscovered cemetery in Limestone County, Alabama.

A big thank you to those descendants of this large family who have contacted me about their branch of the Joseph York family. These new inputs of descendants have filled in gaps that I had not previously discovered. These branches of of the family are most appreciated. Please contact me for any needed edits or additions to improve the accuracy of this large Joseph Cowan York family group.

I want to thank especially Diane Stark Sanfilippo for her years of diligent research in pursuit of the ancestor of her ancestry Captain William York. Diane writes; "Glad to see that the marker I ordered for my 3rd great-grandfather, Captain William York is on this site - however the rest of the data, except for Josiah is incorrect! Our group of York's participated in the York DNA program and our YDNA is not anywhere close to that of Joseph Cowan YORK or any other known York family! I believe William was the son of a widow who married Joseph, but he is NOT Joseph's son. We have no idea of the names of any but Joseph's last wife - no other can be proven and I believe in prove it or don't claim it!"
...
....Diane Stark Sanfilippo
Added: Mar. 16, 2016

I Agree with Diane Stark Sanfilippo that Captain William York 1755 is NOT the biological son of Joseph Cowan York. The YDNA testing of three of descendants of Captain William York proves by the YDNA genetics they are not connected. The first two wives of Joseph C York most likely died at child birth. I suggest a probable scenario is that this Captain William York 1755 was adopted as an infant by Joseph Cowan York and his first wife. It is suggested as a likely scenario that this Captain William York born in 1755 in old Fredrick County, Virginia was a surviving infant from an unknown couple who were killed by the aggressive pursuing Indians into Colonial Virginia following the terrifying aftermath of the French and Indian War in the summer of 1755. Perhaps this is a question we will will have answered when we arrive in heaven?
- Dennis York
Added: Apr. 9, 2017

New data added on 4 October 2020 by Dennis York, #47405652:

Joseph Cowan York family living in Alabama is confirmed with the the discovery of the 1809 Madison County Alabama Census | My ALGenWeb Sites
Search domain algw.genealogyvillage.com/madison/1809-census.htmhttps://algw.genealogyvillage.com/madison/1809-census.htm
In 1809, Madison County was still a part of the Mississippi territory. This 1809 census was published in the Mississippi Territorial Papers. This 1809 census gives a reasonably accurate portrait of the families residing in Madison County at its earliest point in history. The Joseph York family is listed with 8 family members among the 349 families with a total population of 677 in 1809.