The wives of George Kornegay, the New Bern Immigrant, have long been something of a mystery. The first wife has remained entirely unknown despite some speculation that she may have been a member of the early Craven County Fisher family. Tradition has long maintained that the second wife was "a widow, Susanna Stechey Steven's." No such person has ever been found in the public records. It has been obvious that the name was mangled in transmission since discovery in the Jones County deed records of a reference to Daniel and Elijah Kornegay's interest in the "Maiden's lands" of their mother, Susanna Stevenson. But that reference gave no guidance to the identify of Susanna. The story begins a generation earlier than Susanna Kornegay. Elizabeth, daughter of John Martin Franck, German settler and extensive land owner, married Thomas Harrold of Craven County, the probate of whose estate was granted in May 1752. Edward Franck was appointed guardian to the orphans Susanna, Mary, and Hannah Harrold. William Franck sold to widowed Elizabeth Harrold 320 acres in 1753 which she sold in turn to her daughter Susannah in 1754. Elizabeth then married John Stevenson who became administrator of the Harrold estate.

     Susannah Harrold, daughter of Thomas Harrold and Elizabeth Franck, married Samuel McCubbins, by whom she had children who included Samuel and Nancy McCubbins. McCubbins' Will was proved in Craven County in April 1766. Widowed Sunnah Harrold McCubbins married widowed George Kornegay after 1766. George Kornegay's Will was filed in 1773, including among his heirs their minor children, Daniel and Elijah.

     The then Widow Kornegay married Charles Stevenson, probably in 1774, since their eldest son was old enough to be named executor in his father's will in October 1791. Susannah was living in Jones County at the time of the Census of 1790 but had died by the time Stevenson made his Will in October 1791 in an epidemic which also took the life of her 16-year-old and made Charles Stevenson ill enough to write his Will in anticipation of dying. He recovered, married another widow, Susannah Crutchfield, the marriage having been brief and childless.

     Throughout her several marriages, Susannah Harrold had retained the 320 acres she acquired before marriage. These "Maiden's Lands" were inherited in proportionate shares by her sons who survived her.

The sons of SUSANNAH HARROLD McCUBBINS KORNEGAY STEVENSON were:

1. Samuel McCubbins
2. Daniel Kornegay
3. Elijah Kornegay
4. Thomas Stevenson
5. Stephen Stevenson

     Samuel McCubbins began the process of buying out his half-brothers by acquiring Daniel Kornegay's fifth in 1792. McCubbins died in 1794 and his son Edward bought Thomas Stevenson's fifth in 1802. Perhaps he acquired the other shares in later years.

     It is not clear that Daniel and Elijah Kornegay have descendants in east Carolina. Despite the detective work, the great genealogical question remains: WHO WAS THE FIRST WIFE OF GEORGE KORNEGAY AND GRANDMOTHER OF US ALL?