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A. ORAL HISTORY The Drakes of Abbeville County, SC, have a rich oral history. Ultimately, such stories were written down, and this is primary form in which they have come down to us today. Here following are some of these documents with analyses. A. 1. MCGUKIN LETTER "Atlanta Ga
Dear Cousin Margarett Your very welcome letter to me of the 27th Jan come to hand the next day and found our family all able to be up and at work as usual except myself I have been feeling rather poorer and weaker for several days past on the account of a bad cold or grip as it is called I think it is caused by so much bad weather as I am and has been sick so long it don’t take much t0 lay me up but it has the appearance of better weather today and I hope for better times soon in the way of weather and my feeling also. I was sure glad to hear from you again and get the news from you You stated in your letter that you would like to have the maiden names of old grany Drake se I have sent you a list of all the names and of course it is correct I guess, after grandfather and grand-mother died your aunt Betsey Ann kept the old Bible that held all the records in it and I got the names and date and put them in my big Bible so as to keep the records correct and that is the record I have sent to you today but I have been feeling so bad with cold and I can’t write as well as used to do, but perhaps you can make out what I have wrote so that you can read it and then you can transcribe it to your Bible or record book. I want you to be sure write to me soon again I have not heard from sister Lutetia at Belton in several days but I want you to be certain to go over there and see her soon as I am sure that she would be pleased to see you there and when you see her I want you and her to make arrangements to get together and come over to see us all a few days and I am sure that you would both enjoy taking in all the sights of the big city here as there is a lot to be seen here all the time When I write to Lutetia again I will tell her to be ready to come over when you agree to start with the trip I think she will agree to come over here with you almost any time you will say that you are ready for the trip then if we live to see you here I will tell you a great deal what I have heard from old Grany and other old people that you have heard of but never seen about our forefathers and mothers that you were too young to hear or remember then if I could see you here you could tell me a great many things I would like to know or hear of about our old home and neighborhood I hope you will decide to come over soon and I think if you will meet Lutetia Sunday at her house in Belton she will agree to make the trip with you pretty soon when you go up to Belton inquire for Gade Massey, Lutetia’s husband and you will have no trouble to find him as they all know him there and they will be glad to see you, so I will close this Arrangling Epistle by requesting you to be sure write me again soon telling me that you will be over to see us before many days.
One son named Robert Dunn and one named James or James Dunn. Aunt Sallie Martin as we called her had a daughter that married a McAdams (old man Bob) and one that married a McLane so that is how the Martins Richeys and McLanes are all kin to the Drakes. James Drake was born Jan 15 1784 died Jan 1857 (sic). Grandmother Nancy Breckenridge was born in Ireland Oct 1786 died Nov 12 1857 they had the following named sons an daughters to wit. Nancy Drake born Sept 11 1807 died Aug 20 1873
Discussion
A.2. PROGRAM FOR UNVEILING OF DRAKE MONUMENT Excerpts from this program: "Unveiling of Monument in Memory of John Drake takes place Sunday" "The unveiling of the Monumental marker to the memory of John Drake took place Sunday afternoon at the "Old Drake Place" about a mile and a half from Donalds and brought together more than 200 of his descendants and their friends to take part in the interesting ceremony." "The meeting was presided over by Mrs. Harvey Drake, of Anderson, and the following program was held... "Brief history of the Drake family by Rev. J. P. Preasley." "Unveiling of the marker by Mrs. Minerva Drake Stivender and Mr. W. E. Drake... "A record of the members of the family who are serving in the World War No. II was read by Mrs. Harvey Drake and the list ran from Lieut Col. Newton W. Drake, the promoter of the monument to privates in service. The list contained 55 names." "The inscription on the marker is ‘This spot is forever sacred to the memory of John Drake who came from Dover England, in 1735, and died in 1799.’" Those unveiling the marker of the Drake family, Mrs. Stivender came from Leesburg, Fla., for the occasion. She is 87 years old.... W. B. Drake, the other member unveiling the marker, is also 87 years old and is well known in the county." Discussion
A.3. LARGE TREE PEDIGREE This is a large tree chart, almost totally devoid of dates. There is a note at the bottom of the page that states, "John Drake came from Dover England in 1635. 100 years before our grandfather James Drake. James Drake was born Jan 1, 1784. Nancy Breckenridge was born Oct 30, 1786. They were married Sept 26, 1805." Discussion
A.4. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE. This narrative is dated 1955 on the first page, which states, "Dedicated to my Father, William Baker Drake, to his five Brothers and to his Five Sisters. Brig. Gen. A. N. Drake, Elberton, GA 1955- ." It begins with an historical account of the Carolinas. Excerpts follow. "In 1789...James Drake, the son of the original settler was in his twenties..." "It is to be noted that when the first Drake settler came over from Dover, England, in 1730, Georgia’s first settlement by Oglethorpe had already been accomplished...... in 1777 .... James Drake, the first-born of the original settlers, was then thirteen years old. In 1776.... James Drake was only twelve years old...." "However, the period in South Carolina’s history in which we are today most interested is the era that brought to Abbeville County these early settlers, the Drakes. Some of the Drakes were believed to be among the earliest settlers of Charleston." "The progenitor of the American Family of the Drake name was John Drake of Exmouth and Ashe, England. It was from this Saxon family established in Devonshire before the Norman Conquest that young John Drake from Dover to America in 1735." "John Drake settled on a grant of land located between Donalds and Due West. The old Drake place is a white two story structure now.... The old grave yard about ½ mile from the residence, enclosed in a rock wall about two feet high with marked entrance by pillars and a metal plate showing records of the family The last burial in this plot was over a 100 years ago. It is here that John Drake lies buried." "To John Drake, who settled on this grant of land, a son was born January 1, 1764 (sic) and this lad was given the name of James Drake. On the 28th of September in 1805 James Drake married Agnes (Nancy) Breckenridge she was born October 30, 1786...." Next follow tables of their descendants. "The bodies of James Drake and Agnes Breckenridge lie buried in Anderson County. John Drake and Amanda Seawright lie buried at old Greenville Church." Next follows the church history. "Among the ancient names in this section were the Drakes, the Seawrights, Hawthornes and Donalds, the Drakes having been in possession of their lands from the earliest times. In the old family cemetery lies the body of John Drake who came from England and died here in 1798. The Seawrights were a very old family, for one of that family was Elder in the Greenvale Church before the Revolution. . The Brownlees and the Sharps were connected with the Church before 1800. Other important names in this section of early settlement around Donalds and Due West were Alewine, McIlwain, McCaslin, Tyler, Lindsey, Webb, Cowan, Haddon, Ellis, Davis, Agnew, Murphy, Sharpe, Stevenson, Wallace, and McAdams. This section was a red-rock of religion. And it is that bed-rock that of religion that furnished the backbone of our nation." Discussion
A.5. ACCOUNT OF ROBERT DRAKE, DONALDS, S.C. "The Drake family entered Abbeville County shortly after the first settlers arrived. John Drake left Dover England, in 1735, as a very young man. He lived briefly in Berkeley County, then took up a 350 acre land grant of Henry Templeton's in Boonesborough Township. The plat was bisected by the Cherokee Trail. John died in Abbeville County in 1799 and is buried in the Drake Cemetery on Mike Wilson's property south of Donalds. My father, John Andrew Drake, was the son of Andrew Seawright Drake and the grandson of James Drake." Discussion
B. SELECT CENSUS DATA There are numerous census entries, which seem to relate to the Drake family of Abbeville County, South Carolina. Seeing it in context together is helpful, so it will be presented here in that form, though discussed separately in the account of the family. SOUTH CAROLINA 1787 Abbeville Co (Tax Roll)
1790 Union Co
1790 Laurens Co
1790 Abbeville Co (p. 59)
1800 Union Co
1800 Laurens Co
1800 Abbeville Co (Roll 47, p. 16)
1800 Abbeville Co (p. 33)
1810 Laurens Co
1810 Abbeville ( p. 31)
1810 Abbeville Co (p. 15)
1820 Abbeville Co (p. 28)
1820 Abbeville Co (p. 22)
1830 Laurens Co
1830 Abbeville Co
1840 Abbeville Co
1850 Census Abbeville Co
1850 Anderson Co
1860 Anderson County
Discussion
The "other" James Drake who was in Abbeville County in 1800 was older than James (d. 1857). He had a very large household, making it possible to tentatively identify him as the James Drake who was on the 1790 Census of Franklin County, NC. This James drops out of the NC census after 1790, precisely when a James appears in Abbeville County. Tylor Drake’s unusual forename makes it possible to tentatively identify him with the Tylor Drake in McMinn County TN in 1830, 1840, and 1850. The early spelling "Tiler" may be a significant clue and not just a clerical peculiarity. I doubt this other James or Tyler Drake figure into the pedigree of the Drakes of Abbeville. They do not interact in the records and are unknown to family tradition. C. ABBEVILLE MARRIAGE DATA OLD 96 AND ABBEVILLE DISTRICTS, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARRIAGES - 1774-1890 FROM ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/sc/marriages/scm_96th.txt B400 BELL, JAMES W D620 DRAKE, AMANDA A
Discussion
D. CEMETERY DATA Drake Family Cemetery, Donalds, Abbeville County, SC
Discussion
Ebenezer Methodist Church and Cemetery Anderson County
Drake, Tho.
Drake, L. Florence Snipes, wife of Thos. F. Drake,
Drake, Lucinda J. daughter of J. A. & M. J. Drake
Drake, Nancy Sacred to the memory of Nancy Drake wife of James Drake
Drake, Louisa Jane Sacred to the memory of Louisa Jane Drake daughter of Rob’t & Louisa Drake Born October 15th 1847, died Feb 18, 1857, aged 9 years, 4 months Drake, James Sacred to the memory of James Drake
Drake, James L. Sacred to the memory of James L. Drake son of Jas. & Jane Drake
Drake, Mary Belle Daughter of M. J. Drake
Drake, James A.
Drake, Malinda J. Emerson wife of J. A. Drake
Drake, Nancy daughter of James & Nancy Drake
Drake, Jesse T.
Drake, Essie Smith wife of Jesse T.Drake
Drake, John R.
Drake, Eula Pruitt wife of John R.Drake
F. STUDY OF ASSOCIATES BRECKENRIDGE
CALHOUN
Captain James Calhoun, Col James Patton, and Col John Buchanan were serving in the Augusta County Militia in 1750 and 1752 (Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck, Virginia Colonial Soldiers, Genealogical Publishing Company, 1988, p. 4) John Calhoun of Laurens District, South Carolina applied for and received a pension for serving in the North Carolina Line, Revolutionary War. He stated in 1833 he was 77 years old. SOUTH CAROLINA - FEDERAL PENSION REPORT 1835. John Calhoun was living adjacent to Thomas Drake on the 1790 Census of Abbeville County, South Carolina. DUNN
James Dunn is said to have been a Revolutionary Soldier. According to the McGukin letter his daughter Mary was born in Ireland in 1750 and came to South Carolina in 1768. This is supported by the following entry, which probably relates to kinsmen of Mary: A Compilation of the Original Lists of Protestant Immigrants to South Carolina 1763-1773. Janie Revill Genealogical Publishing Company (1968) p. 101 Agnes Dunn age 18 (1768)
James Dunn, father of Mary made his will in Abbeville County in 1799 and died before it was recorded in 1805 as follows. Abstract of the will of James Dunn
James Dunn 8 February 1799.
Discussion
RICHEY
The roll of Captain William Christian’s Company of Militia (Virginia) from 6 April until 6 September 1764 includes John Dunn, James Richey, Joseph Drake. (Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck Virginia Colonial Soldiers Genealogical Publishing Company, 1988, p. 227-8) SEAWRIGHT
TEMPLETON
Petitions for Land from the South Carolina Council Journals
19 February 1763
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