Most of what we know about the early Barrett family comes from their connection to the Joyner family. Frederick Joyner Sr. mentioned “my daughter Ruth Barret” in his will from 1818.¹ “Ruthy” Barrett is listed in the 1830 census in Lancaster County.² There appears to be a Will Barrett (although it may be Barnett) listed next to Frederick Joiner in 1800.³ This is the only Barrett other than Rutha in the early census records. He may be the William Barrett living in Kershaw County in 1820. It therefore appears likely that this was the husband of Rutha and he had died before the 1830 census.

From various records pertaining to the estate of Frederick Joyner Jr. (see the Joyner article for details), Rutha is known to have had six children: Joyner D. Barrett, Wesley Barrett, Jasper Frederick Barrett, Emily Barrett Auten, Newton D. Barrett, and Sarah C. Barrett Kendrick.

The family had moved to Alabama by 1840 and is found listed in the census in Covington County.⁴ Some of the children are listed there as customers of a store operated by James B. Parker in the Rose Hill area of the County known at the time as Cauleysville.⁵

Rutha probably died before 1850 in Covington County as she is not listed on the 1850 census. Most of the children had moved to Tennessee and some back to South Carolina afterwards, all before 1850. Wesley is the only one who appears to have stayed later in Alabama. He appears in 1850 in Chambers County, Alabama living with a Martha, born about 1785 in North Carolina, and three children, William age 18, born in North Carolina, Thomas age 15, born in South Carolina, and Frances age 12, born in South Carolina.⁶ Given the age difference between him and Martha, perhaps this was a deceased sibling or relative’s family or perhaps Martha was a widow with children when he married her. Also, based on the list of customers of the store in Covington in the 1830s, Wesley was there during that time, but these Barretts were born in North Carolina and South Carolina during that same time. There is a Prestly Barrett living near the Barretts in 1840. The ages of the children match the ones living with Wesley in 1850, so this is either Wesley or a brother who died between 1840 and 1850.

Meanwhile, Newton, Jasper, Sarah Kendrick, and Emily Auten had all moved to Stewart County, Tennessee by 1844 when they appear in a criminal court case.⁷ The State charged Newton Barrett, James P. Kendrick and Jasper Barrett with falsifying bills of sale in order to help slaves run away. Newton appeared to be the main culprit. He was let out on bond put up by Wilie/Wiley Barrett, but then after the first part of the trial escaped custody and eluded capture.⁸ Rewards were offered but he was not apprehended. The court did not make Willie pay the bond. Newton and his family were living in Lancaster County in 1850,⁹ so it’s likely he traveled directly back to South Carolina. Jasper followed him back eventually, and they were both living in nearby Union County, North Carolina in 1860.¹⁰ Joyner D. Barrett was listed in Stewart County, Tennessee in 1860.¹¹ It’s likely his family and the family of his sister Sarah Auten remained there. Sarah C. Kendrick eventually moved down to Georgia,¹² where her husband James died in 1895.¹³

Clues to Early Barrett Family

The post 1870 census records include the birth state for each parent for every individual listed (but not the name). These census records for Wesley and Jasper who both lived long enough to appear in these records list that the father was born in North Carolina and the mother in South Carolina. This fits with the mother Rutha being being in South Carolina as the Joyners lived in Lancaster County at the time she would have been born. This also indicates that the father, William Barrett, was probably born in North Carolina. Interestingly the family cemetery where Newton and Jasper are buried is located in Union County, North Carolina, just across the border from Lancaster County. It is not known how they came to acquire that land or how far back it goes.

Another clue is the association with Wilie/Wiley Barrett in Tennessee. His name is spelled Wilie Barrett in the court record in which he held bond for Newton Barrett during the trial. Other records give his name as Wiley Barrett. He was listed as Wiley Barrett in the 1860 census,¹⁴ living in Stewart County, Tennessee, the same county the court cases are from. He is listed as 86 years old (thus born c1774) and born in North Carolina. Given the comparable age and birth state, this could be a brother of William Barrett.

Another clue has been provided by YDNA testing. A descendant of Wesley Barrett has participated in the Barrett YDNA Project (Kit #971664) and some of the closest matches descend from a George Allen Barrett (13 Apr 1776 – 30 Aug 1836) who is buried in the Bethsaida Cemetery Posey County, Indiana.¹⁵ Very little is currently known about George, but he is thought to have been from South Carolina and had connections to Virginia.

Newton D. Barrett

Newton was born 3 Sep 1820 in South Carolina, probably the next to youngest of the Barrett children. His appearance in the court records of Stewart County, Tennessee has already been mentioned.

It appears that we have Newton’s signature, which appears with very similar style, in both the receipt where he acted as attorney for Joyner D. Barrett in receiving the portion of his uncle Frederick Joyner Jr.’s estate, and also in the court record from Stewart County, Tennessee.

A page from his family Bible was shared on Ancestry by Paul Dean McDonald, a descendant of Newton by his first wife, and by comparison with these signatures it appears he probably wrote at least the entry for his birth date and wife’s birth date.

Newton was married twice. First to Mary E. Barnett by whom he had children: William Jackson Barrett, Eliza Jane Barrett, Robert Angas Barrett, Newton Franklin Barrett, Mary Matilda Barrett, and Martha Alice Barrett. A number of these children died in infancy and are buried along with Newton and Mary in the Barrett Family Cemetery.¹⁶

As mentioned earlier, Newton was living in Lancaster County in 1850, but had moved to Union County by 1860. According to family knowledge recorded by Mr. William Barrett, Newton and Mary lived on or near the Charles Yarbrough Farm near Monroe in Union County.¹⁷

Newton’s first wife Mary died 10 Nov 1862.¹⁸ He remarried to Mary Catherine Blackmon, probably in 1864 or 1865. She was much younger, around twenty years old at the time, while he was about forty-five.

Newton was part of Company D, 1st (Butler’s) South Carolina Infantry during the Civil War. He enlisted on 19 Oct 1863 in Lancaster under Capt Billings and is marked as present in later rolls.¹⁹

The story of Newton’s death is one that has been passed down the family and apparently verified at times in the past with those who had first hand knowledge of the situation. He died 6 Oct 1865. Here is the story as recorded in the Hinson book:

“The following comes from an interview with Brady Green, an elderly neighbor, who lives near the scene of Newton D. Barrett’s accidental death…In Reconstruction days a Mr. McCain owned land and had corn planted on a large area between the Green family farm and the present Hwy. #522. They received a report that some of the Negroes were stealing a lot of his corn at night. A posse was formed to catch them. In the darkness two men were spotted coming out of the corn field. Two shots were hastily fired and, later, they learned they had accidently killed Newton Barrett, a posse member. They agreed that Alex Nesbit’s shot had killed him. (Nesbit was a neighbor and friend.)”²⁰

However, the local newspaper at the time had a different story to tell, one that makes Newton to be the culprit:

Newton’s young wife Mary Catherine was pregnant with their first child when Newton was killed. Newton’s children by his first wife Mary Barnett were raised by Newton’s brother Jasper F. Barrett who lived in Union County, just above Lancaster County. Jasper died in 1904, and he and his wife Elizabeth were buried in the Barrett family cemetery where Newton and his first wife Mary were buried. Jasper is not believed to have had any children.

The widow Mary Catherine remarried to William Estridge on 24 Oct 1875, about ten years after Newton’s death, and her son Albert Newton Barrett grew up in the Estridge household.

Mary Catherine died on 12 Nov 1926 and was buried in the Shamrock Baptist Church Cemetery in neighboring Kershaw County.

Albert Newton Barrett

Grandpa Barrett as he was called by the older generation was born 13 May 1866 which was about seven months after his father was killed. He grew up in the Estridge household after his mother remarried and is listed with them in the 1880 census as “Albert Barret.”²¹

Albert worked at a cotton mill in Rock Hill at one point. Later, the family operated a farm.²² He married Lauran Ann Crimminger, daughter of Robert Adam and Mary Jane Crimminger, around 1886. They had five children: Mamie, Theodicia, Ben, Robert, and Carrie.

According to his daughter Edna, Albert was given 67 acres around 1887 by his father-in-law Robert Crimminger. Albert build the house on the property about 1898 and added a bedroom and rebuilt the chimney around 1902-1904.

Laura passed away in 1900 and left Albert with five young children, the youngest two years of age. Albert remarried to Mary Jane Vincent the next year. Together they had nine children, the first of whom, Martha, died as an infant. The other children were Katie, John, Chapman, Eva Mae, Ernest, Edna, Daisy, and Fred.

Grandpa Barrett enjoyed photography. An item in the newspaper from 1901 reporting on a reunion of the Jefferson J. Reeves family in the Primus section stated that “Mr. A. N. Barrett took a photograph of the group.”²³

The local newspaper was often a way to share items of interest in the community and advertise local business and family news. The Lancaster News carried the following item in 1906:

A grandson, William Barrett, reported that Grandpa Barrett always had a car. He had a Ford Model-T and later a 1930’s era Chevy. The boys would sometimes sneak the car out at night and role it down to the creek before cranking it to go see their girlfriends. When they returned, they would shut it off at the top of the hill and coast down into the shed.²⁴

The Barrett family began having reunions yearly around the time of Grandpa Barrett’s birthday mid-May and later moved it to the beginning of June. Reunions were held at the old family place and later often at nearby Oakhurst Baptist Church.

Grandpa and Grandma Barrett lived in the house until 1951 when Grandma Barrett died. Afterwards Grandpa stayed with Uncle Chapman. In 1954, Grandpa went out one day to get the mail while Chapman was away. On his way back into the house, he was reading the newspaper and stumbled over a chair and broke his hip in the fall. While in the hospital, he contracted pneumonia and passed away.²⁵

Edna Dixon Barrett Reeves

Grandmama Reeves, as our family called here, was born 22 Dec 1915.²⁶ She grew up, along with all her siblings, at the house her father had built on Barrett Rd. She and Stanley “Granddaddy” Reeves were married 4 Nov 1933.²⁷ They moved several times, eventually settling on some property on East St. in Heath Springs where they raised their family.

1. Kershaw County, South Carolina Equity Roll 243. [Original], [Transcript]  ↩︎
2. “United States Census, 1830”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHGY-766 : Fri Mar 08 14:29:20 UTC 2024), Entry for Rthy Barrett, 1830. ↩︎
3. “United States Census, 1800”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRH-BK9 : Wed Mar 06 16:42:20 UTC 2024), Entry for Will Barnet, 1800. ↩︎
4. “United States Census, 1840”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHT8-DVR : Thu Jul 18 01:40:06 UTC 2024), Entry for Rutha Barret, 1840.  ↩︎
5. Tracking Your Roots – Excerpt of article “How Did Rose Hill Get It’s Name?”, The Opp News, 18 Oct 1973. ↩︎
6. “United States, Census, 1850”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHPT-K6Q : Tue Dec 03 21:27:00 UTC 2024), Entry for Wesley Barrett and Martha Barrett, 1850. ↩︎
7. “State vs. Newton Barrett, James P. Kendrick, Jasper Barrett – Falsifying bills of sale to
   assist slaves in running away from John James and Daniel Luton” – Stewart Co., Tennessee Court Case, 1846 [Original] ↩︎
8. “State vs. Wilie Barrett – Forfeited recognizance bond in the state case vs. Newton Barrett” –
   Stewart Co., Tennessee Court Case, 1846 [Original] ↩︎
9. “United States, Census, 1850”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8QJ-SPT : Tue Dec 03 21:51:33 UTC 2024), Entry for D N Barret and M E Barret, 1850. ↩︎
10. “United States, Census, 1860”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDD5-KC6 : Mon Jul 08 16:34:22 UTC 2024), Entry for Newton D Barrott and Mary Barrott, 1860. ↩︎
11. “United States, Census, 1860”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8T2-9VW : Mon Jul 08 22:28:46 UTC 2024), Entry for Joiner Barret and Martha Barret, 1860. ↩︎
12. “United States, Census, 1870”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC3R-2ZF : Tue Mar 05 01:34:54 UTC 2024), Entry for Jas P Kendrick and Sarah Kendrick, 1870. ↩︎
13. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25680313/j_p-kendrick: accessed December 3, 2024), memorial page for J P Kendrick (13 Nov 1809–20 Feb 1895), Find a Grave Memorial ID 25680313, citing Mount Olive Baptist Church Cemetery, East Point, Fulton County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by Sarah Locklin Taylor (contributor 46921363). ↩︎
14. “United States, Census, 1860”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8T2-7WL : Mon Jul 08 22:37:34 UTC 2024), Entry for Wiley Barrett and Eliza Hardison, 1860. ↩︎
15. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34301349/george-barrett: accessed December 5, 2024), memorial page for George Barrett (13 Apr 1776–30 Aug 1836), Find a Grave Memorial ID 34301349, citing Bethsaida Cemetery, Posey County, Indiana, USA; Maintained by New England Family (contributor 47735816). ↩︎
16. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54628330/newton_d-barrett: accessed December 5, 2024), memorial page for Newton D Barrett (3 Sep 1820–6 Oct 1865), Find a Grave Memorial ID 54628330, citing Barrett Cemetery, Monroe, Union County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Paul McDonald (contributor 46977293). ↩︎
17. Barrett, William Alexander. (2005) Our Barrett Family History, p26 ↩︎
18. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63746744/mary_e-barrett: accessed December 5, 2024), memorial page for Mary E. Barnett Barrett (28 Jul 1830–10 Nov 1862), Find a Grave Memorial ID 63746744, citing Barrett Cemetery, Monroe, Union County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Paul McDonald (contributor 46977293). ↩︎
19. Fold3.com. US, Civil War Service Records (CMSR) – Confederate – South Carolina, 1861-1865 ↩︎
20. Whitaker, Mary Hinson. Our Hinson Heritage in N.C. and S.C., p192 ↩︎
21. “United States, Census, 1880”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6SJ-392 : Sun Mar 10 22:22:30 UTC 2024), Entry for William Estridge and Mary C. Estridge, 1880. ↩︎
22. Barrett, William Alexander. (2005) Our Barrett Family History, p33 (Interview with Edna Barrett Reeves, 1996) ↩︎
23. Lancaster Enterprise, 20 Mar 1901 ↩︎
24. Barrett, William Alexander. (2005) Our Barrett Family History, p35 ↩︎
25. Barrett, William Alexander. (2005) Our Barrett Family History, p35 ↩︎
26. South Carolina Electronic Records Archive – Edna Dixon Barrett Birth Certificate ↩︎
27. “South Carolina, County Marriage Licenses, 1911-1951”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Z4SX-DQ2M : Sat Mar 09 05:42:50 UTC 2024), Entry for Stanley Boyd Reeves and Edna Dixon Barrett, 4 Nov 1933. ↩︎

Our earliest proven Joyner ancestor is Frederick Joyner who lived in Lancaster County, South Carolina, in the late 1700s and early 1800s. There were other Joyners who also settled there around that time, but evidence shows that Frederick is the ancestor of any Joyners living in Lancaster County after about 1790. Early records indicate the Joyners settled near the area called Hanging Rock. Later, Frederick and his family appear to have lived near the Camp Creek area of Lancaster County. According to the 1825 Mills map, they lived about four or five miles northwest of present day Heath Springs, where some of Frederick’s descendants still live.

Early Joyner Family

Among the other Joyners in the area were Jeremiah, Nehemiah, and Joseph Joiner. These men served under Col. Richard Richardson in the Cherokee Expedition which took place 1759-1760.¹ They were all from Camden District of Craven County at the time, an area which includes present day Lancaster County. A Lancaster deed from 1789 mentions that John Cornelius was married to Charity Joiner in March of 1776 by Rev. Thomas Stringer (or Stinger) of the Church of England, although it does not say where.² Another deed from 1788 reports that Jeremiah Joiner of Lancaster County sold a “negroe wench Phillis about 40 years of age” to Charles Barber.³ In an earlier Lancaster deed from 1778, there is mention of Nehemiah Joiner Jr. who had previously owned a piece of land in Craven county on the north side of Wateree River adjacent to Wateree River.⁴ Frederick and Jeremiah are the only Joiners on the 1790 census in Lancaster County, and only Frederick and the members of his family appear thereafter.⁵ Jeremiah does not appear in Lancaster deeds after 1791. At this time, it is not known how these other Joyners are related to Frederick, although Nehemiah is suspected by some to be the father of Frederick as there is at least one record directly associating them.

There is a deed dated 18 Feb 1762 from Edgecombe County, North Carolina from Nehemiah Joyner Jr. to John Dew for some land in Edgecombe County.⁶ The deed states that Nehemiah was of Craven County, South Carolina. Craven County was one of the original Proprietary counties of South Carolina established in 1664. Although its boundaries were not well defined in includes much of the northern part of South Carolina including what would later be Lancaster County.

He appears to have had dealings in South Carolina much earlier. A notice in the Virginia Gazette from 1746 lists him among other deserted soldiers from Capt. Robert Hodgson’s Independent Company. It states that he was 22 years of age, born in Virginia (thus born circa 1724).

The notice also states that he was thought to be “somewhere near one Cornelius’s, who lives either in Caroline or Goochland County.” It’s likely this is the same Cornelius family mentioned later in Lancaster County records. It has already been mentioned that a Charity Joiner married a John Cornelius in 1776 according to a later Lancaster deed. It’s likely therefore that this Charity was a daughter of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah Joyner Sr. was present in Edgecombe County, North Carolina by 1733 when he bought some land from John Scot.⁷ He was from the Isle of Wight County Virginia where a deed from 1729 gives his wife’s name as Elizabeth.⁸ The will of Thomas Joyner of the Isle of Wight, dated 21 Apr 1708, names Nehemiah as his son.⁹ This Thomas was the son of an elder Thomas who probably immigrated from England, appearing in Isle of Wight, Virginia by 1665, and died around 1695. The younger Thomas was the administrator for his estate.¹⁰

Although the records indicate a strong connection back to Thomas Joyner from Isle of Wight County, Virginia, YDNA testing from two of Frederick’s descendants reveal they are not connected to the family of Thomas Joyner from the Isle of Wight. Instead Frederick’s descendants show matches to men with surname Palmer and Tedder. This indicates that somewhere between Frederick and Thomas there was a break in the line due to adoption or illegitimacy.

Frederick Joyner Sr.

The earliest known record mentioning Frederick Joyner is a case entitled “The King Vs. Frederick Joiner and Nehemiah Joiner, Dismissed, Bonded, and Bound Over” from 1770.¹¹ Frederick Joiner also had an Account Audited of Claims Growing out of the Revolution.¹² These were accounts that allowed those who helped the war effort to received payment from the treasury. Frederick, listed under Camden District, claimed nine pounds, eight pence and six shillings for one black mare. The earliest record from Lancaster is his appearing on the bond along with Bailey Fleming for Glass Caston being appointed administrator on the estate of Andrew Walker, late of Hanging Rock Settlement in 1787, a Camden District record.¹³

Although Lancaster County probate records were destroyed during the Civil War, a certified copy of Frederick’s will survives in an equity case from Lancaster District that was filed in Kershaw District.¹⁴ The case was filed in 1825. The will, in which he spells his name “Frederic Joiner” was dated 28 Aug 1818. He mentions his wife Ruth and children Middleton, Daniel, Frederic, Green, William, “the legal heirs of my son John Joiner,” “the legal heirs of my daughter Sarah Hide,” “the legal heirs of Rebecca Wallis,” and “my daughter Ruth Barret.” He also mentions “my son in law James Wallis” and “my daughter-in-law Phebe Joiner.”

In addition to the connection to John Cornelius, Frederick may be closely related to the House and McDonald families. John Cornelius and Charity Joiner had a son named Roger Cornelius. In 1804, John and Thomas House brought suit against the minor heirs of John Cornelius.¹⁵ Witnesses in the case included Rebecca Wallace and Ruth Joiner, and one of the witnesses for the Cornelius children was Frederick Joiner (19). Ruth was Frederick’s wife and Rebecca Wallace was his daughter. The Cornelius family were some of the earliest of the Camp Creek settlers. The guardian of the Cornelius children was a George Wade (Jr.). The wife of George Wade Sr. was a Sarah McDonald (b. 1772), daughter of a Middleton McDonald and Elizabeth Reeves or Rives. This is interesting, given that one of Frederick’s children was named Middleton.

Rutha Joyner Barrett

Frederick mentions “Ruth Barret” as a daughter in his will. Her name in other records appears as Rutha Barrett. She may have been one of the eldest of Frederick’s children. “Ruthy” Barrett is listed in the 1830 census in Lancaster County.¹⁶ There appears to be a Will Barrett (although it may be Barnett) listed next to Frederick Joiner in 1800.¹⁷ This is the only Barrett other than Rutha in the early census records. He may be the William Barrett living in Kershaw County in 1820. It therefore appears likely that this was the husband of Rutha.

Rutha had moved to Covington County, Alabama by 1840. She was listed next to Joyner Barrett and “Prestly” Barrett in the census.¹⁸ The name “Prestly” is probably a mistaken misrecording of Wesley Barrett’s name. They apparently lived in the Rose Hill section of Covington County and near what at the time was known as Cauleysville. James B. Parker operated a store there on old Three Notch Rd in the 1830’s.¹⁹ A list of some of the customers with accounts at the store include the following:

• Martha Barret
• Barrett D. Joyner
• Paul Auten
• Wesley Barrett
• Sarah C. Barrett
• Daniel Barrett
• F.J. Barrett

When Frederick Joyner Jr. died, he left no children and his siblings and their children were the heirs. The court had to put out a notice asking the heirs residing outside South Carolina to appear and answer the court concerning the division of Frederick’s Jr.’s real estate. Among the heirs listed are Wesley Barrett, Joyner D. Barrett, Emily Auten and husband Hall (sic) Auten, Jas. P. Hendrick (sic) and wife Sarah C. The individuals appear to be grouped in the list according to each family of the children of Frederick Sr. Together with the record from Parker’s store and later court records, Wesley, Joyner, Emily, and Sarah appear to the be the children and heirs of Rutha Barrett.

Further clues are provided from the receipt records for the sale of real estate of Frederick Joyner. These records are scattered throughout the book and are receipts for money received at various times by the heirs for a tract of land sold to Simon Bennett on 4 Feb 1850. It makes clear that the deceased Frederick Joyner had eight brothers and sisters and left a widow who received half of the amount from the sale. There are five relevant entries, a summary of which is provided here:²⁰

• February 21, 1855 – $16.48 – Received By Hiram Joyner as a 1/6 of 1/8 of ½ as one of 6 children of Middleton Joyner, a deceased brother of Frederick Joyner
• February 21, 1855 – $32.96 – Received share of Rhoda Summerville as a 1/3 of 1/8 of ½ as one of 3 children of Green Joyner, a deceased brother of Frederick Joyner – John M. Joyner (Received under Power of Attorney dated January 24, 1853)
• May 12, 1855 – $16.70 – Received By Johnathan Wallace as a 1/6 of 1/8 of ½ as one of 6 children of Rebecca Wallace, a sister of Frederick Joyner
• June 7, 1856 – $16.00 – Received share of Joyner D. Barrett as a 1/6 of 1/8 of ½ – Newton D. Barrett, Attorney (Received under Power of Attorney dated May 5, 1856)
• September 8, 1857 – $29.00 – Received share of Wm. J. Joyner as a 1/3 of 1/8 of ½ – Samuel J. Caston, Attorney in fact (Received under Power of Attorney dated August 22, 1857)

The numbers indicate that Joyner received 1/6th of 1/8th of 1/2 share. The half was divided between the eight siblings. This implies that six heirs of Rutha received a share. The Returns book contains more details on the amounts allotted to each siblings families. Among the half given to the siblings, it states “6 Children of Rutha Barrett sister 4.72 5/8 gives Each – 78 2/3.”²¹ Since Newton D. Barrett received Joyner’s share as his attorney, this is strong indication that he was one of the children. Jasper F. Barrett who lived in Union County, North Carolina near Newton and who was buried in the same family cemetery is known to be a brother by family knowledge. Thus the complete list of Rutha’s children is: Joyner D. Barrett, Wesley Barrett, Jasper F. Barrett, Emily Barrett Auten, Newton D. Barrett, and Sarah C. Barrett Kendrick.

See the Barrett family for more of this line.

1. Genealogy Trails Article “South Carolina Colonial Soldiers and Patriots”, excerpts from “South Carolina Colonial Soldiers & Patriots” (1952) by Leonardo Andrea ↩︎
2. Lancaster County, South Carolina Deed Book C&E, p24, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS73-JP87?cat=472451&i=314) ↩︎
3. Lancaster County, South Carolina Deed Book B, p60, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS73-JGVL?cat=472451&i=154) ↩︎
4. Lancaster County, South Carolina Deed Book B, p71, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS73-JGDB?cat=472451&i=159) ↩︎
5. “United States Census, 1790”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKN-CVK : Sun Mar 10 16:45:07 UTC 2024), Entry for Fed Joiner, 1790. ↩︎
6. Edgecombe County, North Carolina Deed Book 1, p426, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G983-FQ5Z?cat=306915&i=459) ↩︎
7. Edgecombe County, North Carolina Deed Book 1732-1741, p67, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8983-NG4Y?i=81) ↩︎
8. Isle of Wight County, Virginia Deed Book 4 (1729-1736), p148, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9P6-3W27?i=102) ↩︎
9. Isle of Wight County, Virginia Mixed Probate Records Book Vol. 2, Pt. 1 (1661-1719), p486, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9P6-97K4?cat=416816&i=243) ↩︎
10. Isle of Wight County, Virginia Deed Book 1, 1688-1704, p76, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P6-33Y7?i=276) ↩︎
11. SC Archives Series: Criminal Journals (S145002), Volume [1st Year]: 1769, Page: 00046, Item: 02A ↩︎
12. SC Archives Series: Accounts Audited of Claims Growing Out of the Revolution (S108092) Reel: 0080 Frame: 00055 (https://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/ArchivesImages/S108092/S108092008000055000/images/S108092008000055000.pdf) ↩︎
13. Holcomb, Brent H. (1978). Camden District, S. C. Wills & Administrations 1781-1787, p61 (Apt. 71, Pkg. 2518) ↩︎
14. Kershaw County, South Carolina Equity Roll 243. [Original], [Transcript] ↩︎
15. Lancaster County, South Carolina Equity Roll 164. [Original] ↩︎
16. “United States Census, 1830”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHGY-766 : Fri Mar 08 14:29:20 UTC 2024), Entry for Rthy Barrett, 1830. ↩︎
17. “United States Census, 1800”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRH-BK9 : Wed Mar 06 16:42:20 UTC 2024), Entry for Will Barnet, 1800. ↩︎
18. “United States Census, 1840”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHT8-DVR : Thu Jul 18 01:40:06 UTC 2024), Entry for Rutha Barret, 1840. ↩︎
19. Tracking Your Roots – Excerpt of article “How Did Rose Hill Get It’s Name?”, The Opp News, 18 Oct 1973. ↩︎
20. Lancaster County, South Carolina Court of the Ordinary Receipt Book 1854-1860 (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/391290) ↩︎
21. Lancaster County, South Carolina Probate Court Returns Book 1847-1854, pp. 237-238. ↩︎

Our earliest proven Reeves ancestor is James Reeves Sr. (c1780s – 1844) who lived in the Rich Hill area of Lancaster County, South Carolina. Since early high-school, I’ve spent countless hours tracing out his descendants and researching other Reeves families he appears to connect to. A tree containing numerous descendants of James Reeves is available here.

Early History of the Reeve(s) Family

Y-DNA testing and research with The Reeves Project has revealed that James is closely related to an early Virginia Reeve family which includes brothers George and John who appear in the Northern Neck area (Northumberland County) in the early 1700s but settled in Prince William County by the mid-1730s. These brothers may be sons of an earlier Thomas Reeve(s) who was present in the Northern Neck in the early 1700s and probably migrated to Virginia from England as an indentured servant.

Two of George’s sons, John and Moses, appear in South Carolina in the Chester County area by the late 1770s. Information contained in the Revolutionary War Pension Record of John’s son Daniel indicates they were living in Chester County during part of the Revolutionary War. His cousin Jesse testified in the record and is known to be the son of Moses since he was given administration of Moses’s estate in Kershaw County. John appears to have moved into Lancaster County by 1790 where he is listed on the census and Moses moved into Kershaw County. Most of Moses’s family appear to have moved to Alabama and Tennessee. Two of John’s children, Daniel and William are known for certain, and both moved to Tennessee.

In addition to our James Reeves Sr. being confirmed as a relative of the Prince William County, VA family through my YDNA test, descendants of Reuben Reeves/Rieves of Maury Co., TN, William Reeves of Bedford Co., TN, and James B. Reeves (aka Asa Reeves) of Jackson Co., TN, all of whom moved from upper SC to TN in the early 1800s, are also known through YDNA testing of descendants to be related to the Prince William County, VA families of George and John Reeve(s). Since George’s sons John and Moses are the only ones from this family to appear in upper South Carolina for any length of time, it’s likely all of these are children of either John or Moses.

John appears in the 1790 census in Lancaster County.¹ It’s possible he died there. However, there was a John who appears afterwards in Chesterfield County. Given that Reuben Reeves was also present in that area around the same time, it’s possible some of this family moved on to Chesterfield from Lancaster.

John’s son William owned some land in Lancaster County previous to moving to Tennessee. Since all of Moses’s family appears to have been associated with Kershaw County and moved on from there, it’s more likely that the Reeves who lived and remained in Lancaster County descend from John. There was an Elisha Reeves who also appeared in Lancaster County in the 1790 census with a young man under 16 in the household and disappears afterwards.² Our James Reeves Sr. is thought to perhaps be either a son or a grandson of John and perhaps the son of this Elisha, with Elisha being a son of John. It is of note that Elisha appears several doors down from several of the Blackmon households in the 1790 census. The Blackmon family and our James Reeves’s families were continually neighbors and intertwined by marriage from the early 1800s forward.

For more information on these early Reeves families and their connection through YDNA, see YDNA Group 10 Homepage and associated FamilyOf pages on The Reeves Project website.

James Reeves Sr.

James Reeves Sr. was born in the 1780s based on available census records. His eldest known child, John, was born around 1805, so it appears he married his first wife Betsy Garris before then. She was the daughter of Revolutionary War soldier Bedford Garris, whom she predeceased. The only known mention of her is in her father Bedford Garris’s probate record from 1835 which lists: “Elisha Reeves, James Reeves, John Reeves, Winny wife of W. P. Richardson and Jane wife of Amos Blackmon the children of a deceased daughter Betsy Reeves.”³ Bedford bought some land in Lancaster County in 1805. His pension record implies that he lived in South Carolina for about ten appears, approximately 1803-1813.⁴ Therefore James and Betsey likely married 1803-1805.

Betsey must have died between early 1815 when her youngest child Jane was born and 1825 when the eldest child of James by his second wife Bethenia Williams was born. Bethenia is believed to be the daughter of David Williams and Elizabeth Reeves. According to the Perry Belle Hough Papers, notes collected through various interviews and family information from older generations of Lancaster County residents, Elizabeth’s full name was Nannie Elizabeth Reeves.⁵ Historical records identify Mrs. Williams only as Nancy, not Elizabeth. She was born 1775-1778 and died 28 Feb 1865.⁶ Based on her age, it is thought she could have been a daughter of the John Reeves who moved from Prince William County to Lancaster County.

Not much is known about James himself. He owned land in several parts of Lancaster County, but lived in the area of the Rich Hill Crossroads. His will mentions the land he resided on as including “the dwelling house, mill house, gin and screw and all the other buildings on the said tract of land.”⁷ He also mentioned the “Mike Horton tract of land.” Equity and deed records list four tracts of land sold after his death: the Mike Horton tract of 525 acres bought by his son John Reeves, land by the Blackmon and Baskin families of 78 acres bought by Thomas Fleming, land by the Blackmons and Baskins of 200 acres bought by his son-in-law James A. Blackmon, and land by D. Haile, Susannah Baskin et al of 201 acres bought by John Taylor.⁸ The mortgage of John Taylor to Commissoner James H. Witherspoon refers to the deed and plat from the sale by Witherspoon to Taylor and states “the plat shows the 20 acres laid off to James C. McMullan the tract being known as the James Reeves old place.”⁹ The plat shows these 20 acres as being situated right below Primus Crossroads between Flat Creek Rd and Rocky River Rd, along Flat Creek Rd, approximately between current address number 4280 and 4338 Flat Creek Rd.¹⁰ There are two deeds from 1813¹¹ and 1814¹² in which James bought land along Rocky River Road from James Blackmon and David Miers which may have included this land.

Robert Mills, the famous designer of the Washington Monument and many other public buildings, published an Atlas of South Carolina in 1825 which included surveys of each county. The surnames of prominent residential households were often included on the map along with other locations of interest like mills and taverns. The map for Lancaster County was surveyed by J. Boykin in 1820.¹³ “Reeves” appears marked on the map just to east of Rocky River Road, perhaps about where Daisy Couch Rd connects to Rocky River Road today. Either the plat or Mill’s Map was just an estimate, or James must have moved up the road a bit, and possibly to the Flat Creek side of the property, by the time of his death. It is interesting to note that the map shows a mill located along Bear Creek about two miles west from the Reeves place where there is a fork in the creek. Notably his will mentions a “mill house, gin and screw,” although at the time this was apparently on the same piece of land as his house.

On 7 July 1831, the Weekly Raleigh Register reported that James was offering a reward for three slaves named Frederick, Poll and Dolly who had run away, possibly taken by his son John to Georgia. It seems to imply John could have stolen them. The age of John given in this advertisement is off by about seven years based on later census records, which is surprising.

James Reeves Sr. died on 29 Jan 1844 according to his son-in-law James A. Blackmon’s Family Bible.¹⁴ In addition to his will, there are a number of equity court papers and deeds which name all of his children. Although it is not known where he was buried, his family seems to be consistently associated with Fork Hill Baptist Church, about two miles from where he lived. Three of his children, James Jr., Elizabeth H., and Melissa Caroline, along with a number of other Reeves, were baptized there during a famous Great Revival which took place there in 1839.¹⁵ No family cemetery has been located for the Reeves family. Therefore it’s likely James and most of his family were buried at Fork Hill.

James Brady Reeves Jr.

Although a middle name has not been found in records for James Sr., multiple records give his son’s name as Brady Reeves¹⁶ and he appears as James B. Reeves in numerous records. He was born around 1812 according to the census¹⁷ and lived his entire life in Lancaster County, listed as a farmer. His wife was named Frankey H. Reeves, and a court case concerning the estate of Ervin Sims includes “Franky H. Reeves, wife of James B. Reeves” as one of Ervin’s children.¹⁸ Interestingly, a “Hawkins Reaves” is listed next to James Jr. on the 1839 list of baptisms from the revival at Fork Hill. In addition, the Death Certificate for their son James Calvin Reeves appears to list the mother as Hawkins Reeves.¹⁹ This therefore may have been her middle name.

His grandson James A. Reeves’s wife, “Tish” Robertson Reeves, said he always wore a suit and white shirt, information that has been passed down the family.²⁰ The old minutes book of Fork Hill Baptist Church lists him as a member.²¹ A Common Pleas case states that James B. Reeves died intestate on or about the 11th day of March 1894 and lists the heirs as “Thomas C Reeves, Elizabeth Ellis, J J Reeves, James C Reeves and William D Reeves, and Jane Gardner, who has since died intestate.” Jane Gardner was the wife of Henry J. Gardner.²²

Dora Reeves, a researcher in James A. Reeves’s family, was able to record some information from an old family Bible which now appears to be lost. Although she didn’t make an actual transcription, a family group sheet lists the names and birth dates of the children of James Jr.. and states “As recorded in the old Reeves Bible Cecile (Kinnet) has – the Bible belonged to Aunt Beulah, Grandpa Jim and may have been Johns Bible.”²³ It appears at least the names and birth dates on the family group sheet are from the Bible and are listed by Dora as follows:

• Thomas Columbus Reeves b. 5 May 1840
• Mary Elizabeth Reeves b. 14 Nov 1843
• John Garret Reeves b. 23 Feb 1845
• Sarah Jane Reeves b. 22 Apr 1847
• James Calvin Reeves b. 23 Apr 1849
• William Darling Reeves b. 31 Dec 1850
• Dorcas Missouri Reeves b. 21 July 1854

John Jarrett Reeves

According to Dora Reeves, the family Bible lists his name as originally John Garret Reeves. It’s likely he was originally named for his uncle Garrett Sims. But later records consistently give his name as John J. Reeves. The information from the family Bible states he was born 23 Feb 1845. Notably his death certificate gives a wrong date of 8 April.²⁴ The 1900 census agrees with the information reported from the Bible, stating Feb. 1845 as his birth month and year.²⁵

John enlisted as a private in Company H of the 2nd Regiment of the South Carolina Infantry, known as the Lancaster Invincibles, on 17 Feb 1863.²⁶ The record states he “was only 17 years old when enlisted, is entitled to bounty.” It was six days before his 18th birthday. His older brother Thomas Columbus Reeves, was mustered into this same company the day it was originally mustered, 22 May 1861.²⁷

According to Jim Boyd, a descendant of John’s son Erasmus, he was wounded once at Gettysburg in the heel.²⁸ The family would always tease him, saying that he must have been running from the Yankees to get shot in the back of the foot. He would get mad and say that he was chasing a Yankee around a barn when the Yankee slipped behind and shot at him. Reports from the Battle of Gettysburg reproduced in Jeffcoat’s Confederate Records book do indeed show that he was slightly wounded at Gettysburg.²⁹ John went through the war in the same company as his brother T. C. Reeves. T. C.’s obituary describes some of his own experience of the war: “He was wounded twice, once at Chicamauga, and received his second wound at Little Charlestown, Va. He belonged to the colorguard. The color sergeant was killed in battle and he caught up the colors and the staff was shot off just above his hand. He caught the colors before they fell and received a severe wound in his side. He delivered the colors to Colonel Wallace and was carried off the battle field. He has suffered a great deal since from the wound.”³⁰

According to family information from Dora Reeves, John and Becky lived in a house in the right hand corner where Barrett Road connects with Rob Neal Road close to where Mr. Otis Reeves later lived. John always enjoyed gathering with his fellow men in arms after the war, and continued to attend reunions until his death. After Grandma Becky died in 1909, Grandpa John would walk regularly to Kershaw and meet with his friends at a Café owned by some black people. He’d spend the night with one of his daughters, then walk back home afterwards, a one way trip of over four and a half miles.

Henry Oscar Reeves

According to a grandson, Oscar, as he was called, trained fox-hounds and bird-dogs when he was young. The game caught was sometimes his dinner. Oscar never learned to read. Overall, he had about a 3rd grade education. This did not cripple him though. He memorized long passages of scripture and would sometimes recite them in church.

He and his wife Mary owned a small farm. Once on this farm there were two roosters: the red rooster and the white rooster. The white rooster was a bully and always got to be with the chickens because the red one could never beat the white rooster. So once, when Mary was away, Oscar poured molasses all over the white rooster and put ashes from the fire on him. When the roosters met, the red one fought and won against this new “grey” rooster, not recognizing him as the old white one.

Every night, Mary would read from the scriptures since Oscar couldn’t. Thus, he was able to remember and quote it at length. Oscar is said to have been a very strong man. The story is told that a man once bet him he could carry a cotton bale. They went down to the loading dock, and there Oscar carried one of the bales. Once, he got annoyed with his horse, hit at it, and missed, pealing his hand open. He paid no mind to it, continuing to work with the horse. Oscar loved to play catcher in baseball. Although his hands would swell after every game, he played without a glove. Later in life, Oscar worked at a box factory, cutting wood for the boxes. And although he could remember things read to him, he remained illiterate his entire life.

Stanley Boyd Reeves

As a young boy, Stanley went to the Flint Ridge School. Later, he went to the Heath Springs School. Stan lived next to (or with) his Grandpa Willie Crimminger during some of his teenage years, helping him with the farm. Kids would tie an inner tube from a tire to the fence, making a sling-shot, and shoot rocks at Grandpa Willie’s Cows. Stan’s father, Oscar wanted him to work in the fields instead of going to school. The school offered to let him skip a grade so that he would be with the kids his age after being out of school. Once, when Stan decided he was big enough to go to a party, Oscar told him, “If you’re big enough to go to the party tonight, you’re big enough to go to the field tomorrow.” He went to the party and the very next day was taken out of school. Once, Stan had to deliver Grandpa Willie’s produce to costumers in Lancaster while Grandpa Willie was sick. The horse that he used was accustomed to the trip and guided Stan to each of the costumer’s houses without Stan knowing who they were. Any time he went alone to Lancaster, Stan was afraid that the train might spook the horse.

By 17 years, Stan had moved in with his brother Bill and was working in the mill. About six months later, in November of 1933, he married Edna Barrett. Previous to their marriage, Stan would visit Edna any time he could, even though the distance was a long walk. After their marriage, they moved into the Rob Neal place in Flint Ridge. From age 17-20, Stan moved several times. The family finally settled on a property just on the limits of Heath Springs.

Stan’s farm was not doing well, so he got a job at a mill in Kershaw. He went to Loom School and later became a Loom Fixer. He began teaching loom school after 20 years in the mill. The teaching sessions would last for 8 weeks, the classes taking several hours in the morning. He did this whenever the mill needed more loom fixers. Stan went from loom fixer to assistant overseer to style change coordinator. He worked a total of 42 years at the mill, retiring at 62 in 1978.

Stanley Jackson Reeves, Sr.

As a child, Jack lived in Kershaw. His family moved about 11 times in 13 years. Mary White was a housekeeper of the Stanley B. Reeves house. Jack and his siblings would tag along wherever she went. Mary remained a favorite of the family until her death. Jack graduated from Heath Springs Elementary and Highschool, then headed off to college at Clemson. Jack married Wilma Wilson in 1957. He lived in Abbeville, where he worked at a mill. Jack died on 13 Jun 1972 in Abbeville, South Carolina, from a heart attack. The family moved into a newly completed house soon after.

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1. “United States Census, 1790”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKN-Z76 : Fri Mar 08 00:28:36 UTC 2024), Entry for Jno Reeves, 1790. ↩︎
2. “United States Census, 1790”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKN-CGB : Sat Mar 09 12:16:58 UTC 2024), Entry for Elisha Reeves, 1790. ↩︎
3. “North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KFSW-WW8 : Fri Mar 08 04:34:51 UTC 2024), Entry for Bedford Garris, 1835. (See image 1679 for Reeves references) ↩︎
4. Revolutionary War Pension Record, Bedford Garris, North Carolina, S. 6876 ↩︎
5. Lancaster County, South Carolina Library, Perry Belle Bennett Hough Collection, Folder “30-311 WILLIAMS-TURLEY-LOWERY-PERRY-CLYBURN-HILTON” ↩︎
6. Headstone of Nancy Williams,
   Pleasant Plain Baptist Church Cemetery, Lancaster Co., SC,
   Findagrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51525877/elizabeth-nancy-williams) ↩︎
7. Will of James Reeves, Lancaster County, South Carolina Will Book A, p329. [Original], [Transcript] ↩︎
8. Lancaster County, South Carolina Sales Book of the Master, 1834-1859, p12. [Original], [Transcript] ↩︎
9. Lancaster County, South Carolina Deed Book P, p39. [Original], [Transcript] ↩︎
10. Lancaster County, South Carolina Deed Book P, p23. [Original], [Transcript] ↩︎
11. Lancaster County, South Carolina Deed Book H, p155. [Original], [Transcript] ↩︎
12. Lancaster County, South Carolina Deed Book H, p155. [Transcript] ↩︎
13. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division, G3913.L2 1820 .M5 (Published version of entire atlas available on Amazon) ↩︎
14. Transcript of the James A Blackmon Bible from the Perry Belle Bennett Hough Collection Folder “8-58 BLACKMON” ↩︎
15. Story of the Great Revival at Fork Hill, from The Lancaster News, 2 May 1939 ↩︎
16. Lancaster County, South Carolina Deed Book R, p18. [Original], [Transcript] ↩︎
17. “United States Census, 1860”,, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZT8-XTM : Mon Jul 08 22:36:19 UTC 2024), Entry for J B Reves and Francis H Reves, 1860. ↩︎
18. Lancaster County, South Carolina Court of Probate, Samuel B. Sims vs. J. A. P. Blackmon & Heirs at Law of Ervin Sims Deceased, 1871 ↩︎
19. “South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1973”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9NC-JHS : Mon May 06 19:48:34 UTC 2024), Entry for J. C. Reaves, 22 Jun 1927. ↩︎
20. Family information from Dora Reeves, wife of Walter Reeves, a grandson of James A. Reeves ↩︎
21. Viewed the membership book in the church office ↩︎
22. Lancaster County, South Carolina Common Pleas Pleadings and Judgments Book C, p521. [Original], [Transcript] ↩︎
23. Family Group Sheet from Dora Reeves with information from the Reeves Family Bible ↩︎
24. “South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1973”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N963-G5W : Mon May 06 19:55:06 UTC 2024), Entry for John Reeves and Brady Reeves, 20 Nov 1916. ↩︎
25. “United States Census, 1900”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3TW-G92 : Thu Apr 11 20:50:25 UTC 2024), Entry for J J Reaves and R J Reaves, 1900. ↩︎
26. Civil War Service Record, John J. Reeves, Co. H, 2 South Carolina Infantry (2 Palmetto Regiment) ↩︎
27. Civil War Service Record, T. C. Reeves, Co. H, 2 South Carolina Infantry (2 Palmetto Regiment) ↩︎
28. Phone conversation with Jim Boyd ↩︎
29. Jeffcoat, Frances Reeves. (1986). Confederate Records Lancaster District, South Carolina, p110 ↩︎
30. Lancaster Enterprise, 31 May 1899 ↩︎