{"id":145,"date":"2024-12-02T17:49:28","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T17:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/genealogy.reeveshome.org\/main\/?page_id=145"},"modified":"2026-02-27T18:56:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T18:56:03","slug":"joyner","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/genealogy.reeveshome.org\/main\/joyner\/","title":{"rendered":"Joiner (Joyner)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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\u2019s descendants still live.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Section of 1820 Lancaster Mills Map with “Joyner” marked<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Early Joyner Family<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/sup> 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<\/a><\/sup> Another deed from 1788 reports that Jeremiah Joiner of Lancaster County sold a \u201cnegroe wench Phillis about 40 years of age\u201d to Charles Barber.3<\/a><\/sup> 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<\/a><\/sup> 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<\/a><\/sup> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/sup> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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).<\/p>\n\n\n

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Virginia Gazette<\/em>, 3 Jul 1746<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nehemiah Joyner Sr. was present in Edgecombe County, North Carolina by 1733 when he bought some land from John Scot.7<\/a><\/sup> He was from the Isle of Wight County Virginia where a deed from 1729 gives his wife’s name as Elizabeth.8<\/a><\/sup> The will of Thomas Joyner of the Isle of Wight, dated 21 Apr 1708, names Nehemiah as his son.9<\/a><\/sup> 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<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frederick Joyner Sr.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The earliest known record mentioning Frederick Joyner is a case entitled \u201cThe King Vs. Frederick Joiner and Nehemiah Joiner, Dismissed, Bonded, and Bound Over\u201d from 1770.11<\/a><\/sup> Frederick Joiner also had an Account Audited of Claims Growing out of the Revolution.12<\/a><\/sup> 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<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/sup> 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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/sup> 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\u2019s children was named Middleton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutha Joyner Barrett<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/sup> There appears to be a Will Barrett (although it may be Barnett) listed next to Frederick Joiner in 1800.17<\/a><\/sup> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutha had moved to Covington County, Alabama by 1840. She was listed next to Joyner Barrett and “Prestly” Barrett in the census.18<\/a><\/sup> 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><\/sup> A list of some of the customers with accounts at the store include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n