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Elizabeth "Eliza" "Iler"
Born by May 1765 Colonial America
Died ?Mar 22, 1823 ?Adams Co. MS

SPOUSE	CHILDREN
William A. Barland unm. Natchez Dist. b. 1750? ?NC or Scotland? d. Jan 30, 1816 Adams Co. MS	Andrew John b. Sep 9, 1785 Natchez Dist. d. after 1824 Jefferson Co. MS	Margaret "Peggy" (twin) b. Feb 20, 1787 Natchez Dist. d. Oct 12, 1854 Lauderdale Co. MS	Elizabeth "Vechy" (twin) b. Feb 20, 1787 Natchez Dist. d. 1839?
	James b. Apr 9, 1789 - May 9, 1790 Natchez Dist. d. after 1833	William A. (Jr.) b. 1792 Natchez Dist. d. after Nov 1, 1817 ?Adams Co. MS	Adam b. 1795 Natchez Dist. d. 1833?
	Nancy Agnes b. Oct 22, 1796 Natches Dist. d. Nov 21, 1877 Dallas TX	David b. Jan 2, 1799 Adams Co. MS d. after Jan 17, 1845 ?Natchez MS	George b. 1801 Adams Co. MS
	Alexander b. 1804 Adams Co. MS	Susannah b. 1807 Adams Co. MS d. 1879?	John b. 1810 ?Adams Co. MS
In May 1782, "Xphal Ryer & wife" arrived at Natchez without children or slaves. The "wife" may be the "Eliza Ophill" in the St. Catherine's Creek area in a different translation of the 1792 Natchez District Census, identified as a widow ("OILOR, La Vieuda", in Spanish) of Marcus Iler [MSGenWeb]. Iler is similar in sound to Ryer. The only other "familia" to arrive that day without children was recorded as William Barland under the name "Guillermo Barland". A total of 13 families were recorded by Spanish authorities as arriving, and the record was signed by Commandant Carlos de Grandpré on Jul 6, 1782 [Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, record at the Archives General of the Indies, Spain].
The last three parties arriving at Natchez in May 1782 were the Ethridge family, the Iler "man & wife", and William Barland, indicating that they came together and possibly knew each other in the Cumberland Settlement. Iler had claimed land there and both Thomas Ethridge and William Barland may have been employed by Capt. Tilghman Dixon to survey lands along the Cumberland River. They also may have been counted last by the Spanish agents because they were the only parties without slaves to process.
Map of the Natchez District as it may have looked between 1779 and 1799.
On Jan 18, 1787 a Census of the Natchez District was reported to the commandant, Charles de Grand-Pré: There were 1,926 Individuals; 25 male births, 20 female births, 4 male deaths, 3 female deaths, and 356 were able to carry arms. In Saint Catherine [St. Catherine's Creek section] 10 individuals were counted in the family of "Mark Oiler": 3 white males in age group 1 [Mark Iler, Jonas, William Barland]; 1 white male in age group 2 [Andrew Barland]; 2 white females in age group 1 [Elizabeth, aged 21, and Anne Marie, wife of Jonas]; 1 white female in age group 2 [?dtr of Jonas' wife nee Miller]; 2 male mulatoes in age group 1 [slaves]; 1 female mulatoe in age group 1 [slave]; and 12 cattle; 3 horses, 30 hogs [Baker, wiki website].
In 1787, a George Forney sold to Marcus Tyler [Iler], "140 arpents he purchased from John Row, near the Fort, bordered by lands of John Hartley, John Lusk and Saint Germain, for $400, $200 at end of present year [1787]; $100 at end of 1788; $100 at end of 1789" [McBee, Book A, p. 46]. This may be where of Marcus Iler had begun building Hope Farm, which was eventually bought by Carlos de Grand-Pré to be his residence.
On Mar 19, 1789, "Having received notice from Jonas Hailer of the death of his father, Marcus Hailer, commandant [Grand-Pré] and others repaired to his plantation, 1 mile from Fort, to take an inventory of the deceased Marcus Hailer who died interstate [without a will], whereupon Jonas Hailer was interrogated and he made the declaration that his father had no children but the deponent and that he left no wife" [McBee, p. 64].
Historians of the Hope Farm off of Homochitto Street in Natchez believe the back part was built by Mark Iler about the time he arrived there in 1774-5 "while the city was under British rule; the front wing was added by Carlos de Grandpré" [Historic Houses of America, American Heritage Books, 1971], after he purchased it from Jonas Iler on Mar 21, 1789 for $100 a "parcel of land formerly belonging to John Row and afterwards to John Forney from whom my deceased father Marcus Hailer, purchased" [McBee, Book B, pp. 247, 581].
In the Will and Testament of William Barland, Adams Co., MS, written Jun 19, 1806, proven in Apr 1816 he states that on Apr 7, 1789 he "did purchase my friend and companion Elizabeth Barland and three infant children ... of Jonas Eiler, then of the City of Natchez, of whom the said Jonas Eiler then put me in possession, and furnished me with a legal Bill of Sale..." [Historic Natchez Foundation, Miss. St. Univ., website].
On May 17, 1790, "Jonas Eiler" son of Marcus Iler sold to William Barland "a mulatto woman 'Elizabeth', aged 25, nat. of America, with her four children, for $700 specie, paid" [McBee, p. 78]. If Elizabeth was the "wife" of Marcus arriving in May 1782, she would have been about 17 years old then.
According to a translation of the 1792 Spanish Census for the Natchez District, there is no Barland household, but there is an "Oiler, the Gentleman" household with 8 White members, and one black, living on 800 arpents of land. This would have to be William, Elizabeth, their five children, and Jonas Iler, the owner of the estate, who may not have been living there at the time. The translator may have confused "Gentleman" for the Spanish word for widow [Adams Co. Gen. Hist. Network].
On Sep 5, 1805, a signed agreement between "Abraham Iler" and the sons of "Mark Iler" was submitted to the Adams Co. Court. A transcription of the agreement which was signed by Abraham Iler, "Jacob Eiler", and "Job Routh". The "believed" death of Jonas Iler is mentioned. The Ilers' eldest stepbrother, Christopher Miller, also signed the agreement on the same day "to lend myself as surety that the above named Jacob Iler shall comply" [Adams Co. Chancery Court file, "Estate of Mark Iler (or Eiler) deceased", box no. 49, item 4].
In the Will and Testament of William Barland, Adams Co., MS, written Jun 19, 1806, proven in Apr, 1816, he states that "on or about" Dec 27, 1792 his house was burned, losing the bill of sale and manuscription from 1789 in the fire. On Jun 6, 1797 he "did confirm the freedom or manuscription" [Historic Natchez Foundation, Miss. St. Univ., website].
The Barland children owned several plantations in what became Jefferson Co. (in 1796) and Claiborne Co. (in 1802), both created from Adams Co., Mississippi Territory. Present day maps of Jefferson Co. and Claiborne Co. show the location of the town of Barland south of Bayou Pierre in Claiborne Co.
Daughter Margaret married William Henderson Mar 24, 1808 in Adams Co.
Daughter Elizabeth married Asa Germain Jan 17, 1809 in Adams Co.
In the 1816 Adams Co. MS Census, page 19 (line 22), there was a household headed by "William Barland" with: 2 males over 20 [sons William A. Jr., James or Adam?], 4 males under 20, no females over 20, 1 female under 20 [daughter?], and 2 slaves. Next to him, on line 21, was the household of his mother "Eliza Barland" with: 4 males under 20 [sons Andrew & James Barland, and William & Abram Iler, sons of deceased Jonas Iler] 1 female over 20 [Elizabeth], 2 females under 20 [daughters Nancy and Susannah Barland], and 15 slaves [MDAH, Adams Co. Census].
Son William Jr. wrote in his will dated Nov 1, 1817 as being "William Barland of the County of Adams State of Mississippi" [Lantern Project, Historic Natchez Foundation, website].
About 1824 son Andrew Barland petitioned the Mississippi State House of Representatives to remove his restrictions of race and stated that he was the "offspring of a white man by a mulatto woman" born in "Adams County" and "now about thirty-nine years of age" - received a "decent education" and had married a white woman, owned slaves, served on a jury, testified in court, and voted [msgw.com, Jefferson Co. History].
Son David became wealthy, planting on 300 acres south of Natchez, owning 16 slaves, 75 head of cattle, and $12,000 worth of furniture [Jan 17, 2021 post on Facebook, Natchez National Historical Park].
Sources: Adams Co. Chancery Court file, "Estate of Mark Iler (or Eiler) deceased", box no. 49, item 4. Adams Co. Mississippi Genealogy & History Network, "1792 Census for Natchez District (under Spanish Government control)", 2009, 1792 Census. Baker, Anne, www.wikitree.com/wiki/Eiler-186, last updated Mar 23, 2024. Cumberland Compact, original document signed May 13, 1780, Washington County NC, website. Clayton, Prof. W.W., History of Davidson County Tennessee, reprod. 1971 by Charles Elder, Nashville TN. MS Dept. Archives & Hist., Will Book Vol. 1, Adams Co. Courthouse, Natchez MS, microfilm, Apr 1816. Drake, Doug, Jack Masters and Bill Puryear, Founding of the Cumberland Settlements, The First Atlas, 1779-1804, Warioto Press, 2009, pp. 23, map E7. Historic Natchez Foundation, "William Barland Sr. and William Barland Jr. Probate File", Box 2, Adams County Probate Records, Miss. St. Univ. website]. Imbert, J. Leopold, map maker, Carte des Possessions Angloises... 1777, reprinted by the Museum of the American Revolution from map image at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, Boston Public Library. McBee, May Wilson, comp., "Land Claims", in Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, Book F, p.21. McBee, May Wilson, comp., Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, Greenwood MS, 1953, v. 2, Book A, pp. 46, 64, Book B, pp. 78, 247-8, 581. MS Dept. of Archives & History (MDAH), Jackson MS, rootsweb, Americans Arriving in Spanish-Held Natchez 1780-1790. MDAH, Adams Co. MS 1816 Census, Territorial Census 1801-1816 website, microfilm. MSGenWeb, Natchez District 1792 Census Index, comp. by Ellen Pack, website, transcribed and translated from Spanish. Potter, Dorothy Williams, Passports of Southeastern Pioneers 1770-1823, Gateway Press, Baltimore MD, 1982, p. 342. Univ. of NC, Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, "Roster of the Troops in the Continental Army", vol. 16, on website, 1st Reginment, pp. 1006, 1009, 1049, 1052. Wells, Carol, Natchez Postscripts 1781-1798, Heritage Books, pp. 101, 144-5, 151, Veach, Damon, "Louisiana Ancestors", article in Sunday Advocate Magazine, Baton Rouge LA, Feb 21, 1982.