Fairfield
County, South Carolina
Page Updated 17 July
2007
Believe
it or not, on a 3-4 day visit to Fairfield & Kershaw Cos.
court houses, the Fairfield Co. Museum, and the SC State Archives
in March 1999, I found a total of 455 deeds and grants to or from
Ross, Rochelle, Harrison, and Kirkland. Part of them were mortgages
or releases included in the Deed Books. Fairfield and Kershaw
Cos. were created 1798 out of Camden District, which was discontinued.
Camden, one of the Original SC Districts, was created 1769.
One of two Peay grave enclosures
at Longtown Baptist Cemetery is Arabella Rochelle Peay and husband;
the tall monument is for Senator Austin Peay. The church having
burned and the congregation scattered, this old cemetery is grown
up with briars.
Reuben
Harrison gave each of his daughters a plantation and built them
a large home when they married. The one he gave daughter Nancy
Ann and husband Anderson Rochelle survived until about 1970,
when it burned. The Gift Deed specified that it pass to their
three children, named (James, Sarah, and Mary). Accordingly,
Anderson and Nancy sold it to her brother John Harrison when
they moved to Alabama, but the deed was not recorded until years
later.
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Reuben Harrison's Grave
shown at HARRISON Family
On a 1779 Map of South Carolina,
the Broad River was named, but the Wateree was not. The Wateree
was shown on a 1725 map of His Majesty's Flourishing Colony of
South Carolina. (University of Georgia at Athens' Rare Map Collection
at the Hargrett Library.) See http://scarlett.libs.uga.edu/darchive/hargrett/maps/1779n44.jpg.
Deeds
For a School
GIFT OF LAND
This indenture made between Isaac ARLEDGE planter of Fairfield
District of the one part and Abner ROSS, James ROCHELLE, Charles
MOORES and John RIVES trustees of the Long Town Academy of
the other part for the time being witnesseth that the said Isaac
ARLEDGE as well for an in consideration of the good wishes I
have and bear toward the present and rising posterity for their
improvement and Education of all youth and more especially for
all those which are in reach and also all those which may come
in reach of the aforesaid Academy, also for the better maintenance
and support of the aforesaid Academy, hath given granted and
confirmed and by these presents doth give grant and confirm unto
the aforesaid trustees and their successors for ever three acres
of land lying on the So. East side of the aforesaid Academy having
such shape and form as a plat will represent made by M. Cashel
D.L. which three acres of land is inserted in a plat of five
acres more which the aforesaid Trustees are to get a letter from
Major W. WHITAKER for the same purpose which said track
of three acres of land. Together with all and singular the rights,
members, hereditaments and appurtenances . . . Witnesseth my
hand and seal this 4th day of August in the year of our Lord
eight hundred and twenty five.
In the presence of
James W. ROSS, John A. Ross
Isaac ARLEDGE
Fairfield Dist.
Personally appeared James ROSS and made oath that he saw Isaac
ARLEDGE sign seal and deliver the within deed of conveyance for
the uses and purposes therein mentioned and that he together
with John A. ROSS in the presence of each other witnessed the
due execution thereof Sworn to before me the 4th Oct 1825
James W. ROSS
Abner ROSS
NOTE: The plat shows the tract surrounded by Major WHITAKER
land, Reuben HARRISON land, and Isaac ARLEDGE's
land.
Deed Book GG, p.
1
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Maj.
Willis Whitaker was Abner Ross's brother-in-law. James W. and
John A. Ross were Abner's sons. James W. Ross married Sarah E.
J. Rochelle, granddaughter of Reuben Harrison and James Rochelle,
Sr. (deceased in 1802). James Rochelle on the above deed was
James Jr., a son-in-law of Charles Moores. John Rives was a grandson
of Darling Jones and married a granddaughter of Reuben Harrison. |
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Gift Deed to Anderson Rochelle from his father-in-law,
Reuben Harrison:
Gift Deed
GIFT DEED - Reuben HARRISON of the
District of Fairfield to Anderson ROCHELLE and ANN ROCHELLE his
wife all that tract of land containing 818 1/2 acres situated
on Morisons Creek waters of the Wateree River bounded by Reuben
Harrisons land & by Darrell Fords land & by Willis Whitaker
and Austin F. Peays land and . . . Anderson ROCHELLE and Ann
his wife during their natural lives and at their decease to belong
to the children Mary A. ROCHELLE, Sarah E. ROCHELLE, James H.
Rochelle their heirs executors and to other children Anderson
ROCHELLE has by his wife, Ann ROCHELLE. . . heirs and assigns
forever. Witness my hand and seal this 20 December 1825.
Reuben HARRISON
Witnesses Alex. McKASKILL, & Francis B. HARRISON
Recorded 0 Apr 1826
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NOTE:
Sloan Mason learned in Feb 2003 that the Rochelle cemetery in
Fairfield Co., SC, which was fenced in, was destroyed by logging
and loggers' roads, leaving no trace.
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Excerpts from A FAIRFIELD SKETCH
BOOK describing homes of our family
Wills and Estates of James Rochelle,
his wife Margaret Evans Rochelle, Abner Ross, Reuben Harrison,
and a Gift Deed to Reuben from his mother
Nancy Kirkland
Harrison Graves
