Hampton Plantation #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Hampton Plantation

The Hampton Plantation is situated beside the lower Santee River, south of Georgetown, South Carolina. The actual construction of the house was probably begun about 1735 for Noah Serre, an early pioneer to the area. In those days, the center portion of the house was built first, with wings added later on. In this instance it was Daniel Huger Horry, the son-in-law of Serre, who enlarged the six-room structure. He has a two-story ballroom on one end and large bedrooms and sitting rooms on the other end. After a visit of George Washington, the six-column portico and impediment was added. Open to the public, it is located 8 miles north of McClellanville, off routes 17 and 857.  . . . more . . .

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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The Town of Ninety Six #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

The Town of Ninety-Six

A trading post was established during 1730 named Ninety Six. It was named for the estimated ninety-six miles separating the site from the Cherokee trading post at Keowee at the end of the Cherokee Path. A town developed around this region in 1769 and was a Loyalist stronghold. The location is at the southeast of Ninety Six on Route 248. At the time, the fort was the strongest inland fort in South Carolina. The first battle of the American Revolution was fought here in 1775 and represented the longest siege of the Continental Army. During the summer of 1780, Major Patrick Ferguson mustered a force of some 4,000 Loyalists and built a stockade fence around Ninety Six. Loyalist Colonel John Harris Cruger was the commanding officer when General Nathaniel Greene led 1,000 Patriots against the Loyalist stronghold for 28-days. Afterwards, the British abandoned this old fort of the back country. However, a good many little towns such as this developed around the skirmishes by the militia in South Carolina during the war when the British controlled Charleston and its port and the primary objective was to prevent the British from also seizing Augusta.  . . . more . . .

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Our Hidden Past #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Our Hidden Past Lives on in the Records

Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

Here you are living your life and one day a historian or genealogist comes along and digs deeply into the records, even obscure records, like deeds, wills, estates, old newspapers and church registers. The discovery might be something you thought history would forget. However, it is amazing how much personal data that we leave behind. And what the records do not provide, we can piece together with local histories and events. For example, do you know what drove your families into South Carolina and where did these immigrants hail from? A general answer is that they were Germans and Scotch-Irish immigrants who were seeking religious freedom, rich soil and a prosperous life. But there is more! Witnesses to documents, neighbors, church burials, census records and marriages provide a host of friends and the community life of your families.
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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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The Importance of Searching Charleston Records #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Do you have a Colonial Ancestor? The Importance of Searching Charleston Records

In 1678 the first permanent English settlement in South Carolina was established at Albemarle Point. In the beginning of colonial times, however, the province included both North Carolina and South Carolina. They did not become separate royal colonies until 1712. Major settlement began after 1651 as the northern half of the British colony of Carolina attracted frontiersmen from Pennsylvania and Virginia, while the southern parts were populated by wealthy English people who set up large plantations dependent on slave labor, for the cultivation of cotton, rice, and indigo. South Carolina's capital city of Charleston became a major port for traffic on the Atlantic Ocean, and South Carolina developed indigo, rice and Sea Island cotton as commodity crop exports, making it one of the most prosperous of the colonies. Charleston maintained its port city with a strong colonial government who fought wars with the local Indians, and with Spanish outposts in Florida. The Spanish, well-garrisoned with its fleet in St. Augustine, were always a threat. And pirates plundered throughout the Atlantic from the New England States to Charleston. Since Charleston was an active port city trading with New England States, Savannah and other countries, tis wise for the genealogist to dig into the oldest records there. Interesting, one will discover bonds and affidavits regarding court trials against pirates, and other business which affected the Carolina regions. In tracing SC families one must consider all of the regional and historical aspects. South Carolina Pioneers has an online collection of the oldest surviving wills, estates and deeds dating from 1687 to 1846. The point is that your ancestors could have easily landed at the Charleston port as anywhere else. It is a source which should not be overlooked. . . . more . . .

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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1669 - Ship "Carolina" Reaches Charleston #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

The Ship "Carolina" Survives Hurricanes and Reaches Charleston in 1669

In 1669 the Lords Proprietaries sent out from England three ships, the Carolina, the Port Royal, and the Albemarle, with about a hundred colonists aboard. They sailed the old sea road which took them first to Barbados. At was at Barbados that the Albemarle was caught in a storm, and wrecked. But there was more trouble ahead. As the other two ships, with a Barbados sloop, sailed on anal approached the Bahamas, the Port Royal was destroyed by another hurricane. The Carolina, however, pushed on with the sloop, reached Bermuda, and rested there. Then, with a small ship purchased in these islands, she turned west by south and came in March of 1670 to the good harbor of Port Royal, South Carolina. Southward, the Spaniards held old Florida where the town of St. Augustine had flourished since the 16th century. From this vantage, the Spanish could easily descend upon the English newcomers. The  . . . more . . .

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Names of Charleston County SC Ancestors #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Charleston County Wills, Estates, Records Available for Members of South Carolina Pioneers

Images of Wills, Deeds, Appraisals, Inventories 1729 to 1731

Akins, John | Allen, Richard | Allison, William | Arnold, John to Griffith Rice | Axtell, Daniel to Daniel Axtell Jr. | Ballough, John | Barker, Sarah | Bass, John | Bellinger, William to Mary Donovan | Betteson, John | Betteson, William | Bird, John | Bonneau, Anthony | Brewer, Charles | Brown, Charles | Browne, James | Burnham, Charles | Butler, Christopher | Butler, James | Canty, William, Captain | Canty, William | Carter, Benjamin and wife to William Moore (deed) |Clinch, Alexander | Collins, William | Colwell, John | Cornish, Henry | Cowen, John | Crawford, Samuel | Crichton, George | Cutfield, Richard | Cutfield, Thomas | Danford, Joseph | Dolley, David | Donavan, Daniel | Donnelly, Edward to John Carlow (deed) | Dopson, Joseph | Dormond, Hugh to Thomas Wouvour (deed) | Douglas, George bound to Matthew Beard |Durham, David (deed) to his widow |Eddings, Abraham | Ellery, Thomas | Fushier, Francis | Goodbee, Joseph | Hales, John | Hales, William to Edward Scott(deed)| Hales, William to Edward 

   ...more...

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Don't Forget to Search Charleston SC #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Don't Forget to Search the Port City of Charleston

The social experiment of General Oglethorpe taking the poor citizens of London off the streets providing opportunity for them in the New World, specifically the Colony of Georgia, did not work. Many of those same people, once in Savannah, were lazy and no account. The exception were the Germans brought to Ebenezer, who suffered the same hardships, yet labored long hours in the fields and became an thriving community. By 1741, the lazy people ran off to Charleston, South Carolina. Many of these names may be found in the Colonial Records of Georgia by Candler. The researcher must afterward research the Colonial Records of Charleston, all of which survived. The port city of Charleston thrived during the worst of times and its records disclose affidavits of court cases, deeds, estates, wills, etc. You get everything from the menial activities of mariners to the capture of pirates! The Charleston records dating from 1671 to 1846 are available to members of South Carolina Pioneers   ...more...

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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The Search for Church Records and Monuments #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

A Worthwhile Endeavor. The Search for Church Records and Monuments

Although typically church rolls were kept and maintained, listing members names, baptism dates, marriages and deaths, they were difficult to locate. Oh, If we had the church membership roll along with our own record of the tombstones! Even so, the genealogist should make an active attempt to locate specific church information. After perusing the neighborhood, a search of local libraries and State Archives is indicated. The reason is because some rolls were taken by individuals to the archives and microfilmed. Such a roll could be resting in a microfilm drawer somewhere. I have sometimes found old church membership rolls while visiting cemeteries and asking local people for information concerning the stewards of the church. Interestingly, there is an old church in Charleston whose cemetery has been declared unsafe. Since no one is allowed to enter the cemetery, the names and dates of all of the tombstones were placed on the wall inside the sanctuary. What I am saying is that a stroll around the neighborhood turns up interesting stuff. The preservation of data is precious to the generations which follow. Monuments and other structures provide important historical details. For this reason, we should pause to read the monuments surrounding court houses and other public structures. It will help us to better understand the conditions of the times wherein our ancestors resided.  ...more...

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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York Co. SC Ancestors #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Images of York County Wills, Estates, Land Warrants

York County was first established in 1785 and was part of Camden District. From 1791 to 1800 it was part of Pinckney District, but became a separate district at the dissolution of Pinckney in 1800. In 1897, part of the county was divided to become Cherokee County. It was named for York County, Pennsylvania. This region is known for the Catawba Indians and the famous Battle of Kings Mountain. The Catawbas signed a treaty with the English in 1763 relinquishing their rights to lands and thus ultimately reducing the size of their reservation. This treaty opened up the area to Scotch-Irish pioneers who were removing down from Pennsylvania. During the American Revolution, the battle of Williamson's Plantation was fought on July 12, 1780 and the battle of Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780. The famous mountain victory helped to turn the tide of events for the Americans. Early settlers: John Martin, Colonel William Bratton (1742-1815), Nathaniel Henderson, Walter Thompson, William Edmondson, Elijah Browne, Samuel Watson, John Moffett, Joseph Turnbull. 

Transcripts of York County Wills are Available to Members of South Carolina Pioneers 

Land

• York County Land Warrants 1807-1816

Transcripts of York County Wills 1816 to 1839

|Adams, Francis |Adams, Margaret |Alexander, Hester |Alexander, Herman |Allison, Albert |Allison, Robert |Anderson, Ann |Ardry, William |Armstrong, Arthur |Armstrong, James |Armstrong, Mary |Armstrong, Robert |Barnes, John |Barnhill, John |Barnett, Thomas (2) |Barnette, Richard |Barron, John |Barron, Thomas |Barry, Jane |Barry, John Sr. |Barry, Roger |Barry, Samuel |Bartlett, Daniel |Bates, John |Bates, Robert |Baxter, Mary |Baxter, William |Beamgarde, Godfrey |Beard, Jane |Benson, Jacob |Bigger, Moses |Bigger, William |Black, John |Black, Robert |Blair, Samuel |Blaylock, Jeremiah |Boggs, Aron |Boyd, Joseph |Boyd, Thomas Sr. |Bozewell, Robert |Bradley, Ellfyday |Bradley, Samuel |Bratton, Martha |Bridges, Thomas |Brown, Joseph |Brown, Robert |Brumfield, Elizabeth |Bryan, James |Buchanan, Samuel |Camp, William |Campbell, Elizabeth 

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Capt. Christian Huck Looted the Bratton House #southcarolinapioneersnet #scgenealogy

Captain Christian Huck Looted the Bratton House

The home of Colonel William Bratton, a local militia commander in the Revolutionary War, was built during the 1770s. On July 11 of 1780, Tory forces serving under Captain Christian Huck looted the Bratton house and threatened his wife. The Loyalist, encamped about a mile from the Bratton house, at the James Williamson plantation, was awakened at daybreak by Patriot troops whose commanders included Colonel Bratton. Captain Huck was killed during the battle. 

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Reasons to Personally Examine Old Documents #genealogy

Good Reasons to Personally Examine Old Documents

Genealogy Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

People write some interesting stuff in their wills! Before we had the Internet, a convenient method of discovering the heirs was to read "abstracts" of wills, estates, deeds and marriages which were published in book. This tremendous undertaking by the authors of genealogy was insurmountable in brilliance. It saved the researcher a great deal of time. But now that we have access Internet to full documents on Georgia Pioneers. Reading the entire document is a boon to genealogists for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the heirs are mentioned with the details of their specific inheritance, and relationship to the deceased. Second, some of our previous assumptions taken from the abstracts can be clarified. Third, we can discover new information. And fourth, all the details are included, some of which the abstracter did not include because it was not clearly discernible on the old microfilm equipment. _____________________________________________________________________________ 

Images of Old Wills and Estates are available on (8 Genealogy Websites - includes records in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia).

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Abbeville Co. SC Genealogy Records #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Abbeville County Genealogy: Wills, Estates, Minutes, Land Grants

Abbeville County was part of Ninety-Six District where the old deed may be found. It became Abbeville County in 1785, with parts later divided into Greenwood (1897) and McCormick (1916) counties. The county and the county seat were both named for the French town, Abbeville. The county was settled primarily by Scotch-Irish and French Huguenot farmers in the mid-eighteenth century. After the treaty with the Cherokee Indians signed in 1777 at Dewitt's Corner (now Due West) with a flux ofScotch-Irish and French Huguenot farmers. Abbeville played a major role in the secession from the union of the southern states, and it is the site where the last Confederate council was held. 

Early settlers: Andrew Hamilton, James Jordan, Patrick Forbis, James Moore, William McCaleb, William Young, James Maxwell, Thomas Coker, Tucker Woodson, William Brown, John Lawrence, Ralph Wilson, William Love, Thomas Shockley, William Love, Barnard Putnam, James Shirley, William Anderson, Richard Sadler, Benjamin Alderidge, John Nash, Adam Crain Jones, William Love, Joseph Brown and others.

Probate Records Available to members of South Carolina Pioneers

• Abbeville County Land Grants
• Abbeville Minutes of the Court of Ordinary, Book B (1776-1783)
• Index to Abbeville County Will Book A 1782-1868
• Index to Abbeville County Will Book B 1815-1839
• Index to Abbeville County Will Book C 1839-1855

Transcripts of Wills (1787-1815)

Adams, William ; Agnew, Samuel ; Alexander, Aaron ; Alexander, William ; Astin, James ; Baird, John ; Baird, Thomas ; Baker, Caleb ; Banks, Rivers ; Barksdale, Elizabeth ; Barksdale, Higgason ; Baskin, Hugh ; Bates, Fleming ; Bates, Stephen ; Bayle, Mary ; Bealey, Jane ; Bell, Mathew ; Beraud, John ; Boles, John ; Bond, Robert ; Bouchillon, John ; Bouchillon, Joseph ; Bowman, John ; Bowman, William ; Boyd, William ; Branson, Eli ; Brazbach?, William ; Bredden, Margery ; Brooks, Christopher ; Brown, Cornelius ; Brown, William ; Brownlee, James ; Brownlee, John ; Buchanan, Mary ; Caein, Richard ; Caldwell, John ; Calhoun, Hugh ; Calhoun, James ; Calhoun, Patrick ; Campbell, John ; Campbell, Margery ; Cane, Mary ; Carmichael, William ; Carson, William ; Caruthers, Martha ; Chambers, John ; Chandler, Jesse ; Chiles, James ; Chiles, John ; Chiles, Jonathan ; Chiles, William, Sr. ; Clark, John Huston ; Clark, Samuel ; Clark, William ; Clarke, Benjamin ; Clarke, Mary ; Cochran, Andrew ; Coldwell, John ; Collins, Edward LWT (1837) ; Couey, Samuel ; Covington, William ; Cowan, Andrew ; Cowans, John ; Crozier, James ; Cunningham, David ; Cunningham, James ; Davenport, John ; Davis, Martha ; Delechaux, Sarah ; De La Howe, John ; Delechaux, Jacob ; Donaldson, Mathew ; Drummond,   . . . more . . .

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Barnwell Co. SC Genealogy Records #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Barnwell County Wills, Marriages, Maps

Barnwell County was originally part of Orangeburg District, and in 1785 it was named Winton County. It was given its current name in 1800 when it was named for John Barnwell (1748-1800), a Revolutionary War Leader. Barnwell County has decreased in size over the years as new counties were created within its boundaries (Aiken in 1871, Bamberg in 1897 and Allendale in 1919). The South Carolina Railroad, which connected Charleston to Hamburg on the Savannah River, was built through this area, creating the towns of Blackville and Williston in the mid-nineteenth century. 

Early settlers to Orangeburg District: Robert McCampbell, Gabriel Moffitt, W. H. Lacy, Nathaniel Perry, and others. 

Barnwell County Probate Records Available to members of South Carolina Pioneers

• Index to Barnwell County Wills (1787-1826)
• Index to Barnville County Wills (1787-1856)
• Barnwell County Marriages
• Barnwell County Wills (abstracted) 1778-1810
• Barnwell County Wills (abstracted) 1811-1820
• Barnwell County Wills (abstracted) 1821-1840
• Barnwell County Wills (abstracted) 1841-1856
• 1825 Map of Barnwell District

Transcripts of Miscellaneous Wills and Estates (1787-1798)

Testators: Abney, Nathaniel; Adams, William; Alexander, Raine ; Ashley, Nathaniel; Bassett, William; Bates, Andrew; Blitchendon, John; Bowie, James; Boyit, William; Brown, Tarlton, Estate, 1845; Browne, Charles; Bryant, John; Burnley, John; Bush, John; Cannon, Reddin; Carrel, Thomas; Chase, Peleg; Chitty, John; Colding, Ann; Collins, James; Cooper, Nicholas; Crossle, William; Davis, James; Dillard, Barbara; Duglas, John; Dyckes, Isaac; Edward, David; Evoritt, William; Filput, Thomas; Fitts, John; Foster,Benjamin;Genkins,Elizabeth; Hankinson, Robert; Hargroves, 
. . . more . . .

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Anderson Co. SC Genealogy Records #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Anderson County Genealogy, Wills, Estates

In 1777 after Cherokee Indians signed a treaty ceding its lands to the state, part of the Indian Land became known as Pendleton District (the old deeds also refer to it as the Washington District). In 1790, the town was Pendleton was founded, later becoming a popular summer resort for low country planters in the nineteenth century. In 1826 Pendleton district was divided into Pickens and Anderson Counties. Anderson County was named after the Revolutionary War General Robert Anderson (1741-1812). Most of the early settlers of this area were Scotch-Irish farmers who moved south from Pennsylvania and Virginia in the eighteenth century. 

Early settlers: Drennan, Cox, Morris, Bruster, Watkins, Sego, Chappell, Thompson, Stephens, Hammond, Willson, Tatum, Leonard, Reeves, Neel, Hamilton, Rainey, Herring, Trotter, Rosamon, Morrow, Anderson, Russell, Lawrence, Shelton, Douthit, Dilworth and Pickens.

Wills, Estates, Documents Available to Members of South Carolina Pioneers

• Anderson County Will Book A (Abstracts)
• Map of Anderson County

Anderson County Will Book A (Abstracts)

Index to Anderson County Will Book A (1791-1834)

Digital Images of Original Will Documents:

Names of Testators: Compton, James; Corben, Peter;Dalrumple, Samuel;Findly, Samuel;Gantt, Giles;Gibson, Randolph;Harris, James S., LWT (1831); Major, Elijah, estate (1865);Perkins, Isaac;Pickens, Robert; Pollack, John;Shelton, Lewis;Simms, James;Sinkler, Charles; Smith, John;Thompson, James;Thompson,Mathew;West, Jonathan

Index to Anderson County Will Book B 1835-1845

Digital Images of Original Will Documents:

Testators: Alexander, Aaron; Bowie, Charles;Bowie, Wesley; Brown, George;Browne, Elijah;Buchanan, Ebenezer; Burriss, James;Burriss, John;Burt, Francis; Burt, Moody;Carson, James;Clarke, Matthew;Clinkscales, Francis; Clinkscales, Levi;Corr, John;Cox, William;Cox, William(2); Dalrymple, Sarah; Dean, Gwinney;Earle, John; Elliott, William; Elliott, William (2);Elrod, Isaac; Elrod, Jeremiah;Emerson, Samuel; Fant, Jesse;Forsythe, William; Gentry, John;Gillison, Archibald; Goode, Lewelling;Gordon, Robert;Griffin, James;Guttry, David; Guyton, Aaron;Guyton, Robert;Harper, John; Harper, William; Harris, James; Harris, John; Harris, Nathaniel; Ingram, John; Jennings, John; Johnson, John; Junkin, Margaret; Junkin, Robert; Kelly, Elisha; Keown, William; Lewis, Eleanor; Lewis, Sarah; Linley, John; Major, Joseph; Martin, David; Martin, David (2); Mason, Ambrose; McAllister, Nathan;McCoy, James; McCurday, William; McFee, Samuel;McGee, Jesse;McGill, Samuel; McLin, Hugh; Milford, John; Miller, Crosby; Mills, Elizabeth; Moorhead, John; 

. . . more . . .

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Genealogy Holiday Discount

Over the holiday we are offering a discount for 1-year's membership in Georgia Pioneers (8 genealogy websites) for $135.00 (instead of $150.00).  To take advantage now please click here

Offer expires Monday, May 27th!

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Charleston Co. SC Genealogy Records - Earliest Surviving Records --- #southcarolinapioneersnet

Charleston County Wills, Estates, Guardianships, Deeds, Affidavits 1670 to 1868

Charleston and Charleston County represent the earliest productive economy in South Carolina. English settlers arrived in the colony as early as 1670 and established a town at Albemarle Point on the west bank of the Ashley River. Then Charles Town, named in honor of King Charles II of England, was built a few miles away between the Ashley and Cooper rivers. Charles Town (renamed Charleston in 1783) was the political, social, and economic center of the South throughout the colonial period, becoming the antebellum capitol of the state capital until 1790. Charleston District was formed in 1769, but portions were later split off to form Colleton (1800) and Berkeley (1882) counties. Charleston County of today includes the old parishes of St. Philip, St. Michael, Christ Church, St. Andrew, St. John Colleton, and part of St. James Santee. It was the English and French Huguenot settlers and their African slaves who established the prosperous rice and cotton plantations of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In fact, some of the first Georgia colonials ran away to Charleston so that they could establish agricultural plantations using slave labor. In essence, Charleston represented civilization to the colonials. In June of 1776, Charleston found itself embroiled in the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War and handily defeated the attacking British fleet. A palmetto log fort (later named Fort Moultrie) on the island of Sullivan Island cannonaded British causing them to retreat. During the War Between the States when federals were fired on at Fort Sumter by Confederate forces in April 1861, this act signalled the start of the war. 

Early settlers: Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, General Andrew Pickens, Colonel Robert Anderson, Captain Robert Maxwell, John Bowen, Major John Ford, John Hallum, William Johnson, John Lewis Gervais, Ralph Atmar, George Bampfield, Lewis Newhouse, John James Himely, Edward Trescott, James Bentham, Moses Tomlin, William Moultrie, George Ringland, Jacob Drayton and others. 

Charleston County Wills, Estates, Records Available for Members of South Carolina Pioneers

Images of Wills, Deeds, Appraisals, Inventories 1729 to 1731

Akins, John | Allen, Richard | Allison, William | Arnold, John to Griffith Rice | Axtell, Daniel to Daniel Axtell Jr. | Ballough, John | Barker, Sarah | Bass, John | Bellinger, William to Mary Donovan | Betteson, John | Betteson, William | Bird, John | Bonneau, Anthony | Brewer, Charles | Brown, Charles | Browne, James | Burnham, Charles | Butler, Christopher | Butler, James | Canty, William, Captain | Canty, William | Carter, Benjamin and wife to William Moore (deed) |Clinch, Alexander | Collins, William | Colwell, John | Cornish, Henry | Cowen, John | Crawford, Samuel | Crichton, George | Cutfield, Richard | Cutfield, Thomas | Danford, Joseph | Dolley, David | Donavan, Daniel | Donnelly, Edward to John Carlow (deed) | Dopson, Joseph | Dormond, Hugh to Thomas Wouvour (deed) | Douglas, George bound to Matthew Beard |Durham, David (deed) to his widow |Eddings, Abraham | Ellery, Thomas | Fushier, Francis | Goodbee, Joseph | Hales, John | Hales, William to Edward Scott(deed)| Hales, William to Edward Scull and Thomas Loveless (deed)| Hancock, Charles | Harbin, Richard to Robert Taylor (deed) | Hepworth, Thomas | Hutchinson, John | Johnson, George to Daniel Green (deed) | Johnson, Governor, Lucas Stoutenburg and Joseph Massey (document) | Johnston, Humphrey | Johnston, William | Jones, Philip | Lambert, John | Lanier, Daniel | LaRoche, Daniel and Thomas (deed) | Laurens, John to Lewis Gourdin (deed) | Lorey, Thomas | Lukewrier, Elizabeth | Lyon, Ebenezer | MacDonald, David | MacDowell, Archibald | Macdowell, Mary | Macpherson, James | MacPherson, Mary | Macintosh, Daniel | Manigault, Peter | McDonald, David | Mikell, Ephraim Sr. | Mills, John | Mills, Richard | Morris, John | Mortimer, John | Newborough, Matthew | Nicholls, Henry | Nichols, Mary | Oade, Nathaniel | Osgood, Thomas Sr. | Paddy, Mathew | Parsons, Martha | Perryman, Benjamin | Price, Thomas | Ramsey, Benjamin | Rowe, Richard | Saltus, Mary to Michael Browler (deed) | Sanders, Abraham | Saunders, Samuel | Scott, Edward | Skine, Alexander | Smith, Thomas Jr. | Spoode, William | Stevens, John | Sulivan, John | Taveroon, Stephen | Tilly, James | Townsend, Joseph | Valley, Thomas | Varino, Jeremiah | Veal, Edward | Verdell, Anthony | Wallace, Elizabeth | Warnock, Andrew  ...more...

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Chester Co. SC Genealogy Records #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Chester County Wills & Estates
Find Records of your Ancestors

Chester County and its county seat, the town of Chester, were named for Chester County, Pennsylvania. The county was formed in 1785 as part of the larger Camden District but was later transferred to Pinckney District (1791-1800); it became a separate district in 1800. Scotch-Irish settlers from Pennsylvania and Virginia moved into this upstate region beginning about 1755. During the Revolutionary War, American forces under General Thomas Sumter were defeated here at the battle of Fishing Creek in August 1780; the Americans were victorious at Fishdam Ford in November of the same year. The Landsford Canal was built in 1823 to allow boats and barges to bypass rapids on the Catawba River; this canal is now open as a state park. In later years the availability of hydroelectric power encouraged the establishment of textile mills in the area. South Carolina governor, United States senator, and judge Donald S. Russell (1906-1998) lived in Chester as a boy. 

Early settlers: Price, Akin, Hamilton, Love, Boyd, Featherstone, Griffin, Love, Cherry, Harbison, Dugan, Bell, OBrient, Grisholm, Head, Roden, Hatfield, McLonen, Jordan, Owens, McDaniel, McCannon, McDonald, Harper and Cabean, William Bell. 

Chester County Records Available for Members of South Carolina Pioneers

Chester County Will Book A (1779-1797)
Chester County Will Book B (1792-1802

Indexes to Probate Records

• Book C (1803-1805)
• Book (1789-1819)
• Book A (1789-1817)
• Book E (1810-1814)
• Will Book F (1817)
• Will Book F-2 (1815-1817)
• Will Book G (1817-1822)
• Will Book H (1820-1825)
• Will Book I (1824-1826)
• Will Book J (1826-1828)
• Will Book K (1829-1831)
• Will Book L (1832-1833)
• Will Book P (1838-1839)
• Will Book 3 (1833-1853)
• . . . more . . .

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Darlington Co. SC Genealogy Records #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Darlington County

Darlington County was formed in 1785 and the county seat is situated in Darlington. It was originally part of the Cheraw District, and later (1888) part of it was given for Florence County and again in (1902) to Lee County. Traditionally, Welsh, Scotch-Irish, and Englishmen farmed this land and ultimately planted cotton. Some early settlers were : David Rogerson Williams (1776-1830), Governor and scientific experimenter, James Lide Coker (1837-1918), Moses Scott, Absalom Gallaway and David R. Coker (1870-1938).

Darlington County Probate Records Available to Members of South Carolina Pioneers

Indexes to Probate Records

• Index to Darlington County Will Book 1 (1785-1797)
• Index to Darlington County Will Book 2 (1798-1812)
• Index to Darlington County Will Book 3 (1813)
• Index to Darlington County Will Book 4 (1814-1840)
• Index to Darlington County Will Book 10 (1838-1853)

Darlington County Will Book 1 (1785-1797); Digital Images of Transcripts

Gallaway, Absalom James, William | Scott, Moses | Webb, Jolly
. . . more . . .

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Edgefield Co. SC Genealogy #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Edgefield County Wills, Estates, Deeds

The county was formed in 1785 as part of Ninety Six District; parts of Edgefield later went to form Aiken (1871), Saluda (1895), Greenwood (1897), and McCormick (1916) counties. The county seat is the town of Edgefield. The northern part of the Ninety Six was previously inhabited by Cherokee Indians. The southern part adjoined the Savannah River and was used as hunting grounds by the Creeks, Savannahs and other tribes. Edgefield country was trafficked by white men who created a lucrative trade with the Indians for their buffalo and beaver skins and who exported as many as two hundred and fifty thousand skins a year from the state. It was not until 1748 that permanent settlements were made along the Savannah River. Families trickled in from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Germany, Holland and France as well as from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Others, forbidden to deal in slavery, fled from Georgia to make their plantations along the Savannah River. The first Scotch families settled on the Saluda side of Edgefield south of Chappells Ferry. The site was located near a hill where large chestnut trees grew. Later, the Baptist Church of Chestnut Hill was later organized and built. They called the settlement Scotland. Among the first Scots was Joseph Culbreath, born near Plymouth Scotland in 1747, who was brought to Edgefield by his father, Edward Culbreath in 1756. The father died a year later, leaving his sons, Joseph, John, Daniel and Edward. The sons all lived to be over the ages of 70. The family of Harry Hazel came with the Culbreaths to the new country. In 1770 a ferry was established over the Saluda River on the land of Robert Cunningham and another one over the Savannah River, opposite to Augusta in Georgia. Edgefield was the site of several Revolutionary War skirmishes and was defended by those who had settled from North Carolina and Virginia. One such family was that of William Abney who had settled about a mile or so from Scotland in 1772. Nathaniel Abney served as a captain of a militia company under Major Andrew Williamson at Ninety Six. Opposing the patriots was the Stewart family whose homestead was located on Tosty Creek on the Saluda. 

Early settlers: Peter Finson, Francis W. Pickens, Benjamin Tilman, General Martin Witherspoon Cary, Allen Bailey, Nathan Melton, William Daniel, William Tobler, Spencer Hawes, George Miller, Jeremiah Lamar, Robert Gardner, David Pitts, Arthur Watson, Nathaniel Abney, Jesse Griffin, George Bender, Michael Burkhalter, Thomas Spraggins, Mathew Devore, Allen Burton, George Kyser, Nathaniel Bacon, Wright Nicholson, Joseph McGinnis, John Oliphant, John Blalock, Benjamin Buzbie, Robert Jennings, Jessy Rountree, Amos Richardson, Hezekiah Gentry, Benjamin Hightower, Thomas turk, Stephen Garrett and others.

Edgefield county Records Available to Members of South Carolina Pioneers

• Edgefield County Wills, Bks A, B and C, 1775-1835 (abstracts)
• Index to Edgefield County Will Book D, 1836-1853
• 1817 Map of Edgefield County

Miscellaneous Edgefield County Wills, Deeds, etc. (Images and Transcripts)

• Adams, John (LWT) 1823
• Adams, John Deed to William McDaniel (1816)
• Adams, John Deed to Joel McLemore (1819)
• Adams, John Deed to Henry Anderson
• Adams, John Deed to John Hinson(1824)
• Ballentine, Hugh, 1809 Promise
• Bolger, Elizabeth
• Bush, Isaac
• Cary, William
• Ferguson, William
• . . . more . . .

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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Fairfield Co. SC Genealogy Records #scgenealogy #southcarolinapioneersnet

Fairfield County Wills and Estates

The county was formed in 1785 as part of Ninety Six District and Camden County; parts of Edgefield later went to form Aiken (1871), Saluda (1895), Greenwood (1897), and McCormick. The town of Winnsboro, which was settled around 1755, is the county seat. It was settled both by Scotch-Irish immigrants from northern colonies, and by English and French Huguenot cotton planters from the low country. In the colonial period this area was a center for the Regulator movement, which sought to bring law and order to the backcountry. During the Revolutionary War, Lord Cornwallis made his headquarters in Winnsboro from October 1780 to January 1781.

Early Settlers: Mobley, Killpatrick, Maple, Walker, Hendrix, Austin, Woodward, Williams, Sights, Gibson, Andrews, Thompson, Brown, McKinstry, Alston, Marple, McCaulley, Durham, Davis, McMorris, Martin, Bell, Minor Winn, James Robertson, Benjamin Cleveland, and others.

Wills and Estate Records Available to Members of South Carolina Pioneers

Fairfield County Will Book A (abstracts)

Fairfield County Will Book 1: Transcripts (1787-1791)

Testators: Arledge, Moses; Beasley, Jacob; Belton, Sarah; Briggs, Frederick; Brown, Jacob; Carden, Larkin; Carledge, Isaac; Colfman, Charles; Dods, John; Fellows, Mathias; Graves, James; Hill, William; Hornsby, Leonard; Lewis, John; Lowe, Isaac; Marple, Thomas; McCreight, William; McMaster, Hugh; Miller, Alexander; Neal, Samuel; Owens, Thomas; Peay, George; Phillips, Robert; Robertson, Henry ; Rogers, John; Routledg, Thomas; Scott, George; Starns, Peter; Young, John

Fairfield County Will Book 2: Transcripts (1792-1795)

Testators: Aiken, Charles; Andrews, James; Andrews, John; Auston, Elizabeth; Bell, Thomas; Bennett, Sarah; Boney, Jacob; Brown, Robert; Burns, Dennis; Camron, Joseph; Cassity, Peter; Cockrel, Moses; Coleman, Robert; Colhoun, James; Colhoun, William; Collins, Moses; Cook, Esther; Cork, John; Dods, Joseph; Evans, David; Frazer, William; Funderburgh, Henry; Gamble, Hugh; Gamble, Samuel; Gibson, Jacob; Hardage, James; Hays, Mathew; Holles, Moses; Holmes, William; Hugeley, Henry; Johnson, James ...more...

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South Carolina Wills and Estates

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