This is week 11 of my participation Amy Johnson Crow's, once a week challenge to blog about one ancestor a week, tell their story, biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on that one ancestor. More about the challenge can be found at her Blog, No Story Too Small.
Today I am going to talk about my Minnie Maude Remley's (my great-grandmother) grandparents. Her grandfather was Jefferson Grant and her grandmother was Rachel Hargraves\Hargroves. So, this is a twofer week, two ancestors, one post.
Very little is known about Jefferson and Rachel, they are named as Mariah Malvirna Grant Remley's parents on Mariah's death certificate.
This is a summary of what I do know, or think I know. Research in Colleton County South Carolina is hindered by the fact that it is truly a burnt county. Stepping into the courthouse and seeing record books with a start date of 1865 will take your breath away and seriously hinders research prior to the Civil War.
Jefferson is found on the following census reports:
1850 US Census of Colleton County, South Carolina: L.T. Grant, age 42, Overseer, listed below the Larisey family; Rachel J., age 41; Maria, age 16; Roeamond, female, age 12; Francis, female, age 12; and Thomas G., age 7.
1860 US Census, St. Barthelomews Parish, Colleton District, South Carolina, Jefferson is enumerated two times:
Jefferson Grant, age 52, Overseer, value of personal property is $4,000., born South Carolina; Rachel J., age 50, born South Carolina; Thomas G., age 15, born South Carolina. The family is enumerated on the same page as Joel Larisey and John Nettles and Fred Fraser. Joel Larisey is listed as a Planter, with real estate valued at $12,700, which further research will show that he owned the Fish Pond Plantation. Fred Fraser is also shown with considerable real estate, which is valued at $12,000. No research on the Fraser land has been done.
1860 US Census, St. Barthelomews Parish, Colleton District, South Carolina: Jefferson age 50, overseer, value of personal property is $300.00, born South Carolina; Rachel age 50, born South Carolina; Givens, age 18, born South Carolina. Here Jefferson is listed on the same page as L. Ann Sauders, whose real estate is valued at $9,000, but whose personal property is valued at $23,400. No further research on the Sauders family has been done.
There is a J. W. Grant listed among the dead in the work "Roll of the Dead, South Carolina Troups, Confederate States Service", by South Carolina Department of Archives and History. He is listed as a Private, Company G, 19th South Carolina V (for Volunteers?), died at Richmond. There is another J. W. Grant listed in the same work, Pickens district, Segt, Company B, 2nd South Carolina R (?), no death place or date listed. Jefferson Grant would have been a bit old for service in the Civil War, about 55 years of age. This is not unheard of, but rather on the unlikely side of probability.
And, there is not a lot more known about Rachel, as notes from her bio on my data base show:
Consider the possibility that her maiden name is GRAVES, not Hargraves. There are Graves families in Colleton County in the correct time frame.
There is a Rachel Grant living with Henry J. Grant in the 1870 US Census of Walterboro Town, Colleton County, South Carolina, she is listed, simply as Rachel, age 55, born South Carolina. Also in the household are Henry J, age 23, clerk in store; Rosanna, age 31, and Maria West, age 5.
There is a Rachel Grant living with Henry Grant in the 1880 US Census, Verdier Township, Colleton County, South Carolina. She is listed as his "mother", age 75. Henry is listed as age 33; also in the house hold are Rosamond or Rosanna, age 42, wife; Jefferson, son age 8; Rachel, daughter, age 7; Isiah, son, age 5; Frank, son, age 3; Rufus, age 1, son, Robert West, age 19, step-son and Maria West, age 15, step-daughter. It is interesting to note that 2 families later is enumerated John Remley and Mahala his wife.
That is about all that I feel comfortable with. I have visited Colleton County, did some research there. Was it all encompassing, probably not. I did visit the public library, did newspaper research, visited the local cemeteries, visited the courthouse. I have not researched the family in the past few years, online or otherwise, as in my heart I feel I have done about all I can. That said, a re-visit to the facts, the available resources and such, never a bad idea.
Wish list, other than wishing to have a do-over of history and have all those burnt records restored, I suppose my wish list would include death and burial information, photos, and a family bible. I am a big dreamer!
* Additional source data can be obtained by contacting me, see the right hand column for a yahoo email address.
** 52 Ancestors Weeks Button courtesy of Amy Johnson Crow.
*** I use many resources to research, FamilySearch.org is a free site. Ancestry.com is a pay site for which I pay, no discounts, etc. None of these sites have asked me to review them, or use them. See my Disclaimers page for further details.
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