Talk:McCurdy (surname)

This article seems to have its roots in romanticism rather than history. There is no trace in the Scottish parish records of any of the name MacKuredy and not until the late 17th century do a few McCurdy and McKirdy names appear. It is true that only members of the established church of Scotland appear in these records but the holders of baronies would be expected to appear.

As far as can be ascertained the names "Petheric" and "MacKuredy" appear only in this article and the source it came from and not anywhere else on the Web.

I am proud to be a McCurdy and have visited Arran, Bute and Kyntyre in search of my forebears and knowhere does this story ring true.

As far as I can ascertain the McCurdy family are a sept of the Stewarts of Bute and have a long association with Horses and Blacksmithing as a visit to any of the graveyards in Arran and Bute will confirm. My own family were Blacksmiths and Metalworkers from at least the 18th century till well nto the twentieth century. My part of the McCurdy family remain in Scotland and there seems to be no trace of this story here. It seems to occur only in the United States part of the family.

There are many references to Petheric McCurdy both online and in books: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jwroots1/mccbook.html Also the LDS Church records record the marriage of Petheric to Margaret Stewart and their sons emigration to the American Colonies. Petheric and Margaret were married around 1666 in County Antrim Northern Ireland so the records would not appear in Buteshire, Margaret was from the branch of Stewarts known as Stewart of Ballintoy which was the Irish branch of the Stewarts of Bute. The existance of Petheric and his sons is also well known in the Canadian branch of the family and was written about by the author H. Percy Blanchard of Nova Scotia.

I have converted a book my dad got ~1985 here is the link

http://rmccurdy.com/scripts/family_hist/McCurdy_history.docx

http://rmccurdy.com/scripts/family_hist/crest_color.jpg

THE MC CURDY COAT OF ARMS HEREBY ILLUSTRATED IS OFFICIALLY DOCUMENTED IN BURKE'S GENERAL ARMORY. THE ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ARMS (SHIELD) IS AS FOLLOWS: "PER FESS OR AND SA. IN CHIEF A MARTLET OF THE SECOND AND IN BASE A FIR TREE GROWING OUT OF A MOUNT, SURMOUNTED OF A SWORD’S BEND, SUPPORTING ON THE POINT AN ANTIQUE CROWN OR." WHEN TRANSLATED THE BLAZON ALSO DESCRIBES THE ORIGINAL COLORS OF THE MC CURDY ARMS AS: "DEVIDED HORIZONTALLY: THE UPPER HALF IS GOLD AND CHARGED IN ITS CHIEF WITH A BLACK MARTLET, THE LOWER HALF IS BLACK WITH A GOLD MOUNT IN ITS BASE, OUT OF WHICP IS GROWING A GOLD FIR TREE, ON WHICH IS SUPERPOSED A GOLD SWORD, IN A RIGHT DIAGONAL POSITION, SUPPORTING AN ANCIENT. GOLD CROWN ON ITS TIP. ABOVE THE SHIELD AND HELMETS IS THE CREST WHICH IS DESCRIBED AS: "A NATURALLY COLORED HALF WYVERN."

THE McCURDYS Of LONG CANES

VOLUME ONE

THE McCURDYS OF LONG CANES A SETTLEMENT OF ULSTER SCOTS VOLUME I

If I were defeated everywhere else, I would make my last stand for liberty amount Ulstermen."

General George Washington

This book is dedicated to the memory of my mother: Mrs. Thomas Clifton McCurdy, long of Archer City and Denison Texas. Much of the following information came from her records. Also my appreciation to Tom and Lorene Gaines for the information they furnished me.

John C. McCurdy 1985 Third Edition

This stream of Celts poured into Asia Minor and even into Greece. So numerous were they that the Greeks called one part of Asia Minor "Golotia" meaning The Country of the Strangers. Stranger being the Celtic word Gall. The shields of these kilt-wearing hunters and herders were brown in color and they became known as Don Galls or brown strangers. Donn was their word for brown. During the time the Celts were in the area between the Black and Caspian Seas, they came in contact with the Semites. There was an interchange of language terms. Many traditions in Scotland that have a biblical background were probably picked up at this time, including the Stone of Scone said to be the rock Jacob used as a pillow when he had his dream. The Celts Were always known as savage fighters. In the transition from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, they were so impressed with their iron weapons that they added iron oxide to their diets to make them stronger. Maybe it did. It is also given credit for many Celts developing red hair. The Celts pushed northwestward to the muddy watery of a river they called Donnab - Brown River. Later given the Latin name Danbuis - now Danube. (The historian Michelot says this took place about 1800 B.C.). After the Danube, the Celts poured over what now France and later reached the Atlantic. Here they built crude boats and crossed into what is now England and Ireland.

These Brown Galls or Donn Galls were followed many years later by another Gallic tide - the Alaisdairs or followers of Alexander. Their ancestors had served in the armies of Alexander of Macedon. They were better fighters than the Donn Galls and they forced them westward to the Atlantic shores. (This all took place in what is now the northern part of Ireland. The Mccurdys are descended from the people Fowler calls the "Alaisdars" or "Alexanders." These two groups were known to be closely related and descendants of both were to become Scots.) The Alexander’s named their new land for themselves - Alis- dair. Today, is called Ulster. Over in western Ireland, the Donn Galls were licking their wounds and plotting for revenge. They also named their new land for themselves - Donegal. About 495 A.D., Fergus Mor, Big Fergus of the Alaisdars conquered large areas of what is now Scotland. He drained off much of the population of Ulster in order settle this new land. Over in Donegal, Angus, Chief of the Brown Galls, saw his opportunity and seized it. About 550 A.D., Angus re- conquered Ulster. He then crossed over to Scotland and sons of Big Fergus. In the next five years, he battled the so conquered great areas the Highland Country, which was populated by other Celts and also by a strange race of people who painted their bodies green and called themselves, Picts.

CHAPTER II A Synopsis of The Ancestral McCurdys"

The Scots (or Scoti which meant wanderers) came to Ireland from the south sometime during the 6th Century B.C. An interesting point here is that the queen and wife of King Heremon, probably the first Scoti king to rule in Ireland, was Tea Tephi, youngest of the three escaped daughters of Zedekiah, last reigning king of Judah. This takes the Royal Scot line back to the house of David. This ancestry line hangs in the Hall of Windsor Castle. By about 575 B.C., the Scoti had conquered all of what now the north part of Ireland - then known as Scotia. Descendants the Senti still live in the north - the Protestant Scot-lrish. In 258 A.D., the fourth son of the king Ireland, Conar MacMogalainea, established the first Scottish settlement what is the Scotland of today. His name was Prince Reuda. They landed on the Island of Arran and later settled on the Island of Bute and then the Argyle (Kintyre) Peninsula. Prince Reuda's descendants, the MacReuda clan, increased to thousands during the next 250 years. This was the Mccurdy elan and Prince Reuda was the founder. He was a Christian, and a strong Christian heritage was within the clan for hundreds of years. Mc or Mac means son” and anytime we introduce ourselves as McCurdy, we are telling that person the we are the sons and daughters of that ancient Scottish prince who was the son of the king of Ireland. About 503 A.D. three princely brothers the same as Prince Reuda) came over from Ireland - Lorn, Fergus, and Angus. Fergus was later crowned King of the Scots and this was the start of the royal line of Scotland. By 880 A.D.: the Norsemen had begun to overrun the north of Scotland. In 1156, they got title to Arran and Bute by military conquest. The MacReuda clan now lived under Viking rule. In 1263, the Norsemen Were defeated by the Scots under Alexander 111. In 1265, the Norsemen ceded all the islands back to Scotland. The MacReuda clan were now seasoned fighters. There is more than one coat of arms of the Mccurdys. One was the royal coat of arms with an antique crown of gold, which represented Prince Reuda's father, the Scoti King of Ireland. Perhaps only the chief of the clan could use it. Another was a shield that showed a man standing in a field of wheat shooting an arrow. Just as the arrow left the bow, it pierced two crows. The crows, or ravens, represent two Danish pirate chiefs who were killed in single battle while raiding a Mccurdy farm along the coast.

The modern day clan, or family, probably should start with Chief Gilcrist MaKurerdy Many of the American Mccurdys can trace their line back to him . If you are a McCurdy you are kin to this man whether you can trace back to him or not He was born about 1425 and was chief of the clan when official land grants were issued to the Makurerdys by King James IV of Scotland. These grants were on traditional Mccurdy land on the Island of Bute. They can be seen today at the Register Office in Edinburg Scotland. In the early l600's, James VI of Scotland succeeded to the English throne and became James I. He set in motion efforts unite the English Church and Presbyterian Church Scotland. There was little difference in creed or beliefs. There was a big difference how they were governed It seemed that the Scottish clans could not agree on anything. War broke out between the clans. King Charles 1, successor to James was executed. King Charles 11 came to power and the clan wars got worse. Hundreds of Scots were killed by Scots. (It is said that as late as World War I the British kept the Scottish Highlander Regiments separated for fear they would attack each other.) The Mccurdy clan grew smaller, but it was still strong. In the fall of 1666, Charles II sent the Royal troops (the English army) against the McCurdys In the bloody battles that followed, virtually every Mccurdy was slain. Many other Presbyterians also suffered the same fate. A few Mccurdys escaped back into mainland Scotland. Their descendants spell their names McKirdy, MacKirdy and maybe Maccurdy. Most of the Scot-lrish spelled their names Mccurdy. The stage was now set for the most dramatic epoch ever recorded about the clan. Five Mccurdy brothers - Petheric.

 (Patrick) David, William, Johh, and Daniel - their clan defeated and the soldiers in hot pursuit, seized a convenient boat and without pause pushed away from shore.

It was a bitter cold day the latter part of November of 1666. A driving snow storm hid them from their pursuers, but it also carried them out to sea--no time to obtain provisions and in an open boat. For two days and two nights, the "refugees" were driven before a freezing easterly gale. They had to row and row hard to keep from being dashed against the rugged shore of Arron Island. They rounded the Argle (Kintyre) Peninsula and headed directly for Ireland. This was not to be, as the gale and the high seas carried them northwestward toward the open Atlantic. It was all they could do to keep the wind and high waves from swamping their tiny boat. The tide kept driving them on to the northwest and they needed to go southwest. Closer and closer they came to the Atlantic. They pulled at the oars, but the tempest pushed them closer and closer to the open Atlantic. With the ocean spray and the freezing temperature, the pain must have been almost unbearable. The distant hills of Ireland could be seen to their left and the dark Atlantic to their right, and they were moving to the right. Al1 looked lost. Then the Island of Rathlin loomed through the mist, but) they were missing it. With a last desperate effort, they pulled at the oars. They were gaining and with their last bit of strength, they made the shore. The Island of Rathlin is off the north coast of Ireland and was the last land between them and certain death in the Atlantic. Many of the McCurdys in the America are descended from these brothers, and we would be in lost. There is a story that there were six brothers and that ' the youngest, little more than a child, was lost overboard and that an older brother was lost trying to save him. If this is true, and it might be, then David was the older brother as there is no record of him in Ireland. The next day with better weather, the brothers crossed from Rathlin Island to Ireland, landing near Ballintoy, hungry and tired, but among friends - the Scot-Irish John went to America and perhaps he may have raised a family. There is no record. William was unmarried. Petheric and Daniel? raised families and the clan was on way back. The McCurdys married the Scot-lrish and distant cousins but were not known to marry the Irksh Catholics. About 1690 twenty-five years after the arrival of the refugees in Ireland, they were back at war again, this time on the side of the forces of William of orange; the protestants against. the Roman Catholic forces of King James 11 of England. A number of Mccurdys were in the famous battle of Boyne k. that gave victory to the Protestants. This included pathetic and at least two of his sons. The Mccurdy clan motto, taken from the royal coat of arms and in Norman French ts Dieu et mon Pais - God and my Country. Most of the above information was taken from records compiled by H. Percy Blanchard in the l920's. Some Mccurdys scattered around the world, but most migrated to North America. A large number went to Nova Scotia, but most came to what is now the United States. Pennsylvania seems to be the first home for most. From there, they migrated to other parts of the country. The ones I am most interested in migrated south to South Carolina and Georgia.

By the mid 1700's there were two Mccurdy families in western South Carolina in the 1780's there were three Another group of McCurdys came down from Pennsylvania in the late .? 1780'3 and stayed briefly before crossing the Savannah River to make homes in Georgia. North Georgia was a wilderness at that time. One of the above families may have landed at Charleston, South Carolina. Farther west, they came into the area where debater, Atlanta, and Marietta are now located. At this point, the McCurdys were still staunch Presbyterian? but most became Baptist and Methodist as they moved west, probably because their friends and neighbors were and there was no Presbyterian church. One McCurdys helped build the first building ever built in what is now Atlanta. From here, they scattered westward - part of each generation staying put but most pushing westward, many times leaving good homes, good farms and good positions for no apparent reason. From South Carolina and Georgia, they went to Tennessee and Alabama - then to Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana and on to Oklahoma and Texas. Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers who settled in Texas truly lived up to their ancient name - Scots, the wanderers.

EPILOGUE

The crest of the royal shield is a winged dragon. Queen Tea Tephi is described in ancient writings as "a tender twig. She is represented on the royal coat of arms by the top branches of fir tree. There would have been a number of other Mccurdy coats of arms but most would have been lost. Prince Reuda's mother was named Sarah. His brothers were Ethodius (Ethodius I) Musc and Baskin. In the early days on Arran and Bute, the people of Prince Reuda's colony were also known as the Albanach tribe. The only title the MacReuda had to Arran and Bute was that of possession. This title was lost to the Vikings. The Vikings ceded the title Scotland. When Scotland issued title, they granted most of the traditional Mccurdy land to the Stewarts. Blanchard thinks this was all due to political influences but there could have been other reasons. One is that the ranks of the Mccurdys were so thinned by the Viking wars that there were not that many left. A better reason might have been that there were so many Mccurdy girls married Stewarts that the Men couldn't gripe too much. Anyway, the Stewarts and McCurdys were very close. They even shared the same tartan. If you should want to get a Mccurdy be sure it has Bete on it. There are other Stewart tartans, but they have nothing to do with the Mccurdys. Donald McCurdy, born in 1598, married Peqqv Cameron, a great-granddaughter of King James IV of Scotland. They Were known to have had six sons. One - Daniel - was the father of the five refugees. In a letter written in 1660 by William Cameron, he referred to the McCurdys Bute as warriors by choice husbandmen from necessity." James Turner was in command of the English troops that were sent against the kccurdys 1666. He offered amnesty and the right to retain their property to all who would renounce the Presbyterian Church. He apparently got few takers. He ordered all the Mccurdys killed - including the women and children. The last onslaught against the Presbyterians of Argyle and Bute was described as massacre and wholesale extermination Besides the five refugees there would have been a few others to escape to north Ireland, but there are few records. When the refugees were trying to land on Rathlin island, they could not turn the front of their boat toward the Island;

they would have been swamped. They pointed the front of the boat into the wind and worked sideways. They almost touched the shore but were swept past it. They were able to get into the smoother water on the lee side of the Island and make shore. They may have stayed on the island for as long as two days before the weather allowed the crossing to the mainland. 1. Patrick married Margaret Stewart, a descendant of King Robert 11 of Scotland. 2. David probably landed with his brothers and raised a family. 3. William probably died young and that was the reason he was unmarried. 4. John, as noted, went to America. 5. Daniel married Margaret laughing, probably of a Scottish refugee family. Probably every Mccurdy able to bear arms joined the forces of William of Orange in 1690-91. As noted, most of the Scot-lrish and Mccurdys in America spell their name with a Mc prefix. It is a matter of personal choice and Maccurdy is the same name. Blanchard seemed fascinated with the Mccurdys. Although he may have made some mistakes, he spent many years studying the early history of the clan. He also wrote a book on the Mccurdys of Nova Scotia. The writer might perhaps fittingly add that' while closely connected with some members of the Mccurdy family, he yet can- not trace back his own ancestry to the Mccurdy clan itself- H. Perey Blanchard - 1930 “?much of Blanehardl's information was taken from ”A Genealogy

Of the Mccurdy family” by W. D. Mccurdy. of Ohio

“a marlet is martin or bird which has an exact heraldic significance, namely that the arms relates originally to and denotes a fourth son in a family" this along with the anti crown" perpetuates the old legend that the first MccCrdy was the fourth son of the King of Scotia (Ireland).

1506 August 16. Crown Charter by King James the Fourth with consent of the Lords of Council to the feuars of Bute of their respective lands in feudary, as follows: - to

Gilchrist McWerdy - the lands of the other half of Bruchog. Finlay McWrerdy - the lands of the half of Keremanoch. Alexander McWrerdy - the lands of the other half of Cowleing. Donald McWrerdy - the lands of Langilculcathia. Gilchrist McWrerdy - the lands of Bransier. Finlay McWrerdy - the lands of the other half of Langilculcrech. John McWrerdy - the lands of the half of Stramanan. Donald McWrerdy - the lands of the two thirds of Brigadill.

The Charter is dated at Linlithgow the 16th of August 1506, and is witnessed by William Bishop of Aberdeen, Keeper of the Privy Seal; Archibald, Earl of Argyle, Lord Campbell and Lorne, Master the Household; Patrick, Earl of Bothwell, Lord Hailes; Mathew, Earl of Lennox, Lord Darnley; Alexander, Lord Hume, High chamberlain; Andrew, Lord Gray, Justiciar James, Abbot of Dunfermline Treasurer; and Mr. Gavin Dunbar, Archdeacon of St. Andrews, Clerk Register. There were others that received land grants under this Charter, but I only listed the Mccurdys. Gilchrist's name is spelled a little different in the first grant. Probably an error in transcribing from the old handwritten grants. These people are our direct ancestors and this may be the first written official government documents with their names on it. The Island of Bute is about five mites wide and twelve mites long. Our people had held land there for many years without a title from the government. Now they had one, but for less' land than they once held. From Bute, we emigrated to Ireland and on to Colonial America. Just where we lived in Ireland and how long we were there is not known. This is a strong probability - we lived near the North Coast in the eastern part and we were there from about 1666 until about 1735 Perhaps near Bushmills. There are Mccurdys that still live there today and some of them are still interested in their American cousins. There is a handed-down story in our family that two Mccurdy brothers landed at Charleston, South Carolina. This may have occurred about 1735. That one stayed in South Carolina and one went to Pennsylvania. We are descended from the one that stayed in South Carolina. If it didn't happen this way, then our people migrated down from the Northeast, most likely Penn- sylvania. The first census of the United States was taken in 1790. At that time, there were thirty-one Mccurdy families living in Pennsylvania. Seven of these were in Cumberland County. Some of these would be related to our people in South Carolina. If you count fourth and fifth cousins, they may all have been related to us.

CHAPTER V JOHN McCURDY, SR.

This is where John, and Margaret lived with their five children. The ages of the chi may have been in this order - John, Jr., Marga Agnes, Jannet and Sarah. Margaret's family name is mystery, but there a possibility that she was the dought of John and Jean Montgomery. The name associated is almost identical.

MONTGOMERY, JOHN - BOX 63: PACK 1493: Will dated Jan. 4, 1777 in 96 Dist Proved Dec. 13 1782. Exrs: wife, Jean Mon goners, Jas. Finley, Joseph dickens. Wi Saml. Jas. Finley, Joseph Pickers. Margaret, Agness, Jennet, Jeane Jno. Montgomery. (Part of the Inv., the other part of said Inv. destroyed when Saml. Finley’s house was burned by the enemy.) One the first page of John Mccurdy, Sr.'s Will, his daughter Jannet's name appears to be spelled J-a-n-n-e-t. On the second page, J-e-n-n-e-t. That would make the names the same excel for one girl in each family. If this John Montgomery Was our Margaret's father, then he would have been very old when he died. Just when the Mccurdys arrived at Long Canes is not known to me, but there are some good clues. The language of the deed to the tract of land which Governor Glen, in 1747, purchased from the Cherokees for white settlers says that the purchase lay south and easterly of a certain branch or stream commonly called Long Canes... from the head of said branch and down until it falls into the Savannah River. This would put their arrival sometime after 1747. Negotiations for this tract of land were actually started much earlier. The Cherokees suspended these talks while they fought a war with their arch enemy, the Creek Indians. Many early legal papers were lost when a fire destroyed the building they were kept in. John Sr.'s deed to his plantation was apparently among them as is nowhere to be found. To the north of Long Canes. Elijah Clark (later Colonel Clark) was the first settler what is now Spartanburg County. He was joined in the next six years by eight or ten Scotch- Irish families from Pennsylvania. That was the entire population of the county in 1755. Dr. David Ramsey late 1700's "Settlements in other localities took place about the same time. The settlements on the Long Cane, in Abbeville county were made by Patrick Calhoun and other families." Ramsey. Patrick and William Calhoun who, with several others, built the first Scotch-lrish cabins ever erected in this section." - Dr. B. 0. Landrum. Several sources say that the first settlement in the Abbeville area was made on the Long Canes by eight Presbyterian Scotch-lrish families from Pennsylvania in 1756. is my belief that our McCurdy family Was one of these. Patrick Calhoun was a member of this group and he is known to have been a neighbor and close friend of John Mccurdy Sr. I Now believe the old family legend about the two McCurdy brothers is correct except for one point - they landed in Pennsylvania. One stayed and one later went to South Carolina. As late as my lifetime, our Grandfather, Thomas S. McCurdy, claimed to have relatives that lived in Pennsylvania. It would be interesting to visit with this McCurdy family for awhile to hear the sound of their voices. Most of their friends and neighbors would be first and second generation immigrants from the north of Ireland, so they certainly would have had an accent, to hear the stories of life in Ulster the handed-down stories about the escape from Bute. At this point in time, the English settlements along the Coast only reached inland about ninety miles. There was a wide gap of unsettled land between the Ninety-six District and a market for their products. Though provisions were easily raised, the labor of raising them for sale was but indifferently rewarded, for there was no market for any crop nearer than one hundred miles Another way of saying that food, clothing and shelter was no problems but money was hard to come by. Even before the Revolutionary War, tragedy was to strike at Long Canes. In February of 1760, the Cherokee Indians made a surprise attack on the settlement. Twenty-two People were killed and fourteen taken into captivity. The rest escaped into the forest and then took refuge in other settlements. After an extended period of time and with added numbers, they returned and rebuilt their property. They also built some fortifications. The Indians attacked again, but this time: they were able to take refuge in the fortifications and withstand the attack. Daughter Margaret was to marry Nathaniel Weedk Agnes would marry John(?) Cunningham and Jannet would marry Matthew. Young. A1l of the above would have descendants and there would be many records of them in this area in the future. Sarah would be unmarried. John. Sr. and Margaret were the founders of our family. They now have descendants to the 10th generation. Every gene- ration after them can be documented. I have included a little information on Patrick Calhoun, since it appears that he was John, Sr.'s closest and most trusted friend and the leader of the handful of families that first settled at Long Canes. Following that is a copy of John, Sr.'s Will reduced size for this book. Other Wills, deeds and land grants follow will be reduced in size. I have added my own translation to some of the old documents to follow, and I probably made some mistakes. Also to follow page of the original inventory of John, Sr.'s personal property. It is dated August 1783. It indicated he died between March 26 and August 12 as his Will is dated March 26: 1783. Proved 28 April 1784 by William Alexander. There was another inventory made shortly after the death L' of John, Jr. in 1789. would have thought this would have been an inventory of his personal property. By then' he would have been called John McCurdy and not John, Jr. However, the experts say that it was a re-inventory of the personal property of John, Sr., so I have also included it with Johne Sr.'s Papers .

 If it Was a re-inventory of John: Sr.'s property, it   would indicate that his wife, Margaret, died about the same   time as John, Jra, maybe of the same cause.

In the name of God Amen. John Mccurdy Senr. of Long Cane in Ninety Six District & State of South Carolina; weaver: Being sick and weak of body but of sound mind memory & still possessing under -standing BLESSED be God. Therefore; do this twenty sixth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred Eighty three; make and publish this my last will & Testament manner and form following. This is to say _____, I commit my Soul into the hands of God who made me, and my Body to be buried in a decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors, of them hereafter to be mentioned, in hopes of a Joyful Resurrection through the mercies of my savior, Jesus Christ--And as for what worldly Estate wherewith has pleased God to bless me, I dispose thereof as followeth--First I give to my beloved wife Margaret McCurdy her bed and furniture thereto belonging, her Iron Pots & hooks, Iron Skillet & fire-tongs, also my wooden vessels belonging to my house & plantation the time of my Demise, also her flax Wheel & Cheeck Reel and one large Pewter-Basson also a red Cow with a white face (called her own cow) with all her present & future increase, also the Ewe (my said wife got from Mr. Calhoun) and her Increase. ---second, I give & Bequeth to my son John Mccurdy all my Body arterial, my Saddle and Pott-Rack and to his son William McCurdy, I give one guinea. Thirdly, I give to my daughter Margaret Weed one Shilling Sterling, and to her son John Young one guinea. --4th I give Lo my Daughter Agnes Cunningham one Shilling Sterling & to her son John ________ A guinea. –5th I give to my Daughter Jannet Young one Shilling Sterling and to her son John one guinea. –6th I give to my Daughter Sarah her bed and furniture thereunto belonging, also the cow’s price sold to Nathaniel Weed. –7th All the cloth, yarn or thread that is manufactured in or about my house at the time of my Demise to be equally divided between my said wife and daughter Sarah. Only about seven yards of white linen, which is now in my house, I give to my said wife. –item I give and Bequeath also to my said wife twenty eight bushels of corn due. From Matthew Young. –Item I do order and desire that all the crop of the flax and grain that may be on my plantation at my death my be bigen to my said Wife for her to use and support. Item All the residue and reminder of the goods and chattle and personal Estate whatsoever after paying my funeral Expenses and debts, to be sold and equally divided between my said Wife and my said Daughter Sarah. I order that my land be sold and the my said Wife have one third par of the price arising fro the sale of my land and my Daughter Sarah is to have two thirds of the price of the said Land. –And I do order and desire that my said Daughter Sarah dwell with my son in law Mathew Young and his wife, my Daughter Jannet, and that they take my said Daughter Sarah under their care and maintenance during her natural life, and after her demise, her said child’s part now left to her is to be descended to the said Matthew Young and Jannet—his wife, as a compensation for their care and trouble. And I make, constitute and ordain my two well beloved and trusty friends Thomas Weems and William Alexander to be my Executors in trust (of this my last Will and Testament) for my said Wife and Daughter Sarah. –and my good and trusty friend Partick Calhoun, Esq. to over see thereof, to also take care and see the same preformed according to my true internet and meaning--. And I do revoke and disassemble all former Will or Wills and Executions by me made, Establishing and declaring this to be and contain my Last Will and testament and no other. To Witness Whereof, I the John McCurdy have to this, my Last Will and Testament, set my hand and Seal the day and year first written. Written, Signed, Sealed, Published and declared my the said John McCurdy to be his last Will and Testament and in the presence of us, who at is request, in his presence of on other have subscribed our names as witness thereto.

William Alesander his Matthew Yound John McCurdy Her mark Jannet Young Seal Mark

28th April 1784 Proved by William Alexander

This Will gives us a lot of information about John Sr. First of all, he was a strong Christian in the Presbyterian faith of his ancestors of Bute. He as both a farmer and a weaver and had some structure, other then his house, where some of the cloth, yearn and thread was manufactured. He probably had made arrangements to dispose of the equipment in this building before the Will Was made. He loved his daughter Sarah very deeply. She would of had some type of lingering fatal illness and he Was Worried ; more about her care than he was about his own dying. He did everything in his power to see that her remaining days were : is as nice as possible. He felt that Jannet either loved her the most or had the most comfortable place for her to stay. As may have been a custom in those days, he gave each of his grandchildren that was his namesake. a guinea. He also gave William a guinea as he was the only one to carry on his McCurdy name. He had a lot of faith in his Executors, but he also named a special friend as an Executor to oversee the Executors. Probably over concern for Sarah. There is one puzzling thing in his Will that I don't know the answer to, his daughter Margaret Weeded son. John Young. He could have not realized that he said John Young twice because his thoughts Were of Sarah. Margaret could have been married to a Mr. Young that died and she later married Nathaniel Weed. There is another reason that I think is probably the right one. Middle names were beginning to come into use about this time and I believe Young was his middle name. Margaret Weed had six children and John was the youngest or next to the youngest. He probably was given his middle name out of respect for the family of his uncle. Also, John Cunningham also had a middle name or initial that I was not able to make out.

CHAPTER V1 JOHN MCCURDY JR.

As of this time, we have found no records that give the name of John, Jr.'s wife. However, Lorene Gaines has come up With a couple of clues that are almost proof that she came from the Lesley family. The of Samuel Wesley dated November 20, 1784 - Ninety-six District Executors John Mccurdy - my trusty and well beloved brother." John Loosk - my trusty and well beloved friend. Witness - Matthew Young, James Turner and Sally Lesley. John, Jr. and his wife had. two children - William and Rhoda There nothing indicate there were more. The other clue - one of William’s sons was known as Hughey, to the family. In business, he used the name Hugh L. McCurdys. Lorene has check to see what the stood for and she found was Lesley. This would be in honor of William's mother's family. John, was a member of a militia unit that appears to have been made up of men that were mostly from the Southern part of the Ninety-six district Many of the names in the preceding chapter and in this chapter were militia men. Names such as James Watt, Andrew Pickens Samuel Foster, William Shaw Patrick Calhoun, Matthew Young, Thomas Weems, David Hopkins, James Cunningham, John Cunningham, Joseph accord, James McCord, Nathan Lusk, John McConnel, Andrew Hamilton, William Norris, John Harris, Handy Harris, John Cochran, William Alexander, John Lesley, Nathaniel Weed and William Turk and others I have no record on. James Watt is reported to have also served Pennsylvania. John, Jr. may have enlisted earlier, but our records start in 1777, when he lost a horse in the Public Service. He left the Public Service March of 1783. His enlistment would not have been for a period that long, so he apparently would re-enlist when an enlistment would expire. The militia had to furnish their own equipment and the state of South Carolina was to reimburse the militia men for equipment lost while on duty. Evidently, John, Jr. had asked for pay for the horse he lost in November of 1777, and got no results. He put in again and this time he added a few adjectives. Everyone listed on the following affidavit was a fellow militia man, including brother-in-law, Matthew young, who may have added an adjective of his own.

Volunteer firemen are only firemen when there is a fire to be fought. The militia men were only soldiers when there was a battle to be fought the area where they lived. They were citizen soldiers who spent most of their time at their regular jobs - which for most was farming. The militia men of the Ninety-six District Were known to be expert marksmen. Probably much better shots than the soldiers of the regular Army. With only one shot, they knew that With a wounded bear or panther, the battle upon him was terrible. The militia was called to duty numerous times during the time of John, Jr.'s enlistments and he probably served each time. I have found records of two battles his militia unit was involved The first one is against the Loyalists, or Tories, and the second one is against the regular British Army. In February of 1779, John, was with his militia unit, besieging an enemy fort, on the Georgia side of the Savannah River. Leaning against a tree next to him was a Kentucky long rifle. It was wintertime and he was wearing buckskin pants and a wool sweater under his buckskin jacket. His cap was fur - probably coonskin. His shot bag and powder horn were slung from his shoulders. On the ground next to his rifle was a home- made leather backpack. In the backpack were a few necessities, including a heavy wool coat - some gloves a couple of pairs of clean socks and linen sack with some dried cornbread and cheese in it. Also, on this day, there was a new linen bed sheet made of new tow cloth It helped to keep out the cold wind when he slept at night. At this point, Colonel Pickens learned of the approach of Colonel Boyd. and eight hundred Loyalists. Excerpts from Colonial and Revolutionary History of Upper South Carolina by Dr. B. 0. Landrum, Published by Shannon and Co., Greenville, S.C. taken out of context. The Battle of the Canebreaks and Kettle Creek - or lesson military science and tactics by Colonel Boyd. “….. He crossed with his forces Savannah into Carolina; when Colonel Boyd hastened toward the Cherokee Ford on the Savannah. At the ford was garrison of eight men with two swivels, who successfully disputed the passage of Colonel Boyd. He marched five males up the river and crossed on rafts. He was pursued by a detachment of Americans under Captain Anderson , who attacked him in a code break. A severe fight ensued. Colonel Boyd lost one hundred men - killed, wounded and missing. The American party lost sixteen men, killed, and the same number of prisoners. This occurred in February, 1779. Colonel Boyd hastened forward after this defeat by Captain Anderson but was closely pursued by Colonel Pickens who had crossed the Savannah lower down, between him and Augusta, to the Georgia side with about three hundred militia, marching in battle order. Colonel Dooly commanded the right wing, Lieutenant Colonel Clark the left, and Colonel Pickens the center. Colonel Boyd, ignorant of the proximity of his opposes, halted on the bands of Kettle Creek and commenced to slaughter cattle for his Army, and turned his horses out to graze in a neighboring swamp. In this condition, he was attacked. His pickets fired and fled to the camp. The up most confusion prevailed and Colonel Boyd commenced to retreat, skirmishing with his assailants. The contact lasted about two hours. About seventy of the Tories were killed and twenty-five made prisoners. The Americans lost nine killed and twenty-three wounded. Colonel Boyd was severely wounded and expired that night. His whole force was scattered to the winds .

John Mccurdy presented a bill, for a bed sheet that was lost while being used by Andrew Pickens on Feb. 12, 1779, to cover a dead solder." Researcher - name unknown.

( The battle Of Kettle Creek may have been fought on February 14, 1779.)

State of South Carolina) By James Loosk one of the Justices appointed Ninety Six District) to keep the peace in said District.

This day John Mccurdy, Jur. personally appeared before me, and being Solemly Sworn saith that on or near about the 12th day of Feb last being in the Publick Service of said State under the Command of Coll. Andrew Pickens did loose a new bedsheet of new tow cloth containing five yards, and that he had Received no Satisfaction neither in Whole nor in Part for the same and farther this deponent saith not.

Sworn and Signed to July the 24th 1779 John Mccurdy Before me James Loosk J.P.

State of South Carolina ) By James Loosk one of the Justices Ninety Six District ) appointed to keep the peace in said District

This day William Norris and William Turk personally appeared before me and being first Solemnly Sworn did appraise and value said Linnen Sheet at fifty pounds Current Lawfull money Of Said State ---------------------------------

Sworn and Signed to William Norris July the 24th 1779 Certified 11th December 1779 Before me Andrew Pickens Col. Williain Turk James Loosk J.P.

The above mentioned William Turk was born in 1744 in County Antrum, Ireland. He settled in South Carolina in 1757. am not sure just where, but if it was in the upper part, then he would have been a very early settler. At only thirteen years of age, he may have decided to bring his parents along. Country Antrim, Ireland may have well been the home of our Mccurdy family at an earlier time.

Colonel Pickens was honored and presented Congress of the United States for the part he and his militia played. He was also made a Brigadier General. A word about Colonel Pickens. He was born September 19th, 1737, in Buck's County, Pennsylvania. In 1752 his parents moved to the Waxhaw Settlement in Lancaster County , South , Carolina , He later moved to the Long Canes Settlement. At the start of the war, he was made a Captain in the militia. At the end, he was a Brigadier General. in 1765, 'he was married to Miss Rebecca Calhoun of what is now Abbeville County. Later, they made their home in what is now Pickens County. After the war, he served in the State Legislature and later in the United States Congress. He was made Major General of the South Carolina militia in 1795.

He died on the 17th of August, 1817. He would have been a neighbor and was probably a close friend of the Mccurdys of Long Canes Going by the history of the militia in the Ninety-six district , John, Jr. was probably in a number of battles other than the two I mentioned. This area was described as. . ., the classic ground of the American Revolution. There were dozens of other battles fought in upper South Carolina. Perhaps the most famous being the battle of King's Mountain. Many were fought against the forces of Cornwallis a sword by the and not all were won. Though the area was still very thinly populated, the people of Ninety-six District paid a very high price for victoryk There were "fourteen hundred windows and orphans made that way. by the war, but independence had been gained. Virtually all of John, Jr's service was served under dickens. He did serve some under Colonel Anderson. am not informed as to which Anderson this was. This service could have occurred at the start of the war during the time Pickens was a Captain, but think it most likely occurred near the end when Pickens was a Brigadier General. Anyway, I don't think he got paid for

State of South Carolina Pay to Jn Mccurdy

For Duty in the Militia per Capt . Pickens ' Pay Bill Commencing in May 1780 and and ending in March 1780 day 35 __________________________ Duty Service per Col . Anderson's _______________________________

a Horse lost in l 777 _______________________________ a Horse lost in 1780 _______________________________ a Horse lost in Ditto _______________________________

_______________________ _______________________________ _______________________

59 Pounds l 7 Shillings 1 Penny 1/ 2 Penny

Notice the abbreviation of commencing in May 1780 and ' ending in March 1783. This was misread by the Editors of Stub Entries to indents, a book record of the names of those who served in or furnished supplies for the Revolutionary War in South Carolina. This book says he was paid for militia duty in 1780 and in 1783. This was John, Jr.'s last enlistment. There is no record of the days spent on duty before May of 1780, or whether he received any pay for that time. The above amount appeared to be approved, however one of the money amounts would be disallowed at payroll time because it had not been certified.

N 557 N 37 25 August Mr. Jn Mccurdy his Account of Militia Duty as Private Per Capt. Pickens ' s Pay Bill Commencing in 1780 & ending in l783 and ending Horses lost in Service in 1777 and 1780 Amounting to __________________ 35 days _______________________ 3 horses _______________________ Also for Duty per Colonel Anderson ' s account _____________

95.17.1 1 / 2 Interest _______________________

Fifty nine Pounds Seventeen Shillings & One Penny half Penny One of the above money amounts ____________ found not certified Forty six Pounds Nineteen Shillings ( signatures of Payroll Clerk & Officer )

             His interest was figured at the top-right side of the photo copy. First three numbers of the bottom three lines. 3-5-6.

3 Pounds 5 Shillings 6 Pennies

I received, 25th August 1785, full satisfaction for the militia service Indent No, 557 Book W. John McCurdy

There was very little formal education available in the early days of the Ninety-six District. That which was available was in the form of private tutors, and they were few and far between. John, Jr. may have only been able to get a fair education, but his son William must have gotten an excellent one. It would show up in the years ahead. Matthew Young was not only John, Jr.'s brother-in-law, but it would appear that he was his closest friend they probably hunted and fished together and traded out farm work, such as building fences and the harvesting of crops. Matthew seemed to be the kind of person everybody knew and liked. I have seen one legal document where he was ref erred to only as Matthew, not Matthew Young. Why say Young when everyone knew who Matthew a was anyway James Watt also seemed to become a close friend of John Jr. and Matthew. He was a newcomer to the Ninety-six District and is known to have been associated with the McCurdys in Cumber- land County, Pennsylvania. He now lived next door to John Jr. With the war over and the situation a little more peaceful, friends could get together and share thoughts and plans The State was releasing land for private ownership. To qualify, a person had to live in the same general area that the land was located for about seven years. This requirement did not apply to veterans of the war. There was land to be had to the West of Abbeville Village. The old call of the "Scoti" Was knocking on the door, but this time it was only a faint whisper. The land our people chose was only about twenty males from where they now lived. William may have been the first of our people to make the move. He is reported to have had a tract surveyed in 1783. John, Jr. William, Matthew and James Watt all picked land on or near Little Generostee Creek, not far from the Savannah River. This area would later be in the Pendleton District and is now in the Southeast Corner of Anderson County S.C. Rhoda, not to be outdone by the men, soon came up with a plantation of her own in the same area. They were all neighbors. John Jr. also picked up a 240 acre tract back home on the . wakers of Long Cane Creek. Elijah Mccurdy also took up land in the new area, but he chose to locate to the northwest of Little Generostee at a point just a little southwest of where the town of Anderson is now located.

1. John Mccurdy - 150 acres - Little Generostee Creek and Canoe Fork - Waters of the Savannah River. Surveyed 2 June 1784, recorded 5 August 1784. Surveyed by William Tate. Thomas Lesley - 300 acres - on Big Generostee Creek. Bounded on all sides by vacant land. Surveyed 16 June 1784. Recorded 5 July 1784. Surveyed by David Hopkins. 3. John Cunningham - 640 acres situated on both sides of Rocky River, a branch of the Savannah River. Bounded on all sides by vacant land. Surveyed 29 June 1784. Recorded 9 July 1784. (Not far from Little Generostee Creek). Surveyed by David Hopkins.

4. Matthew Young - 200 acres on Indian Camp branch of Little Generostee Creek. Surveyed 26 July 1784. Recorded 14 October 1784. 5. Andrew Hamilton - 200 acres on Beaver Dam branch. Surveyed 15 December 1784. Recorded 19 January 1785. 6. Elijah Mccurdy - 272 acres on Beaver Dam branch. Surveyed 16 December 1784. Recorded 20 January 1785. 7. Elijah Mccurdy - 300 acres on a branch of Little River in Abbeville County. Surveyed 5 April 1785. Recorded 10 August 1785. Surveyed by Thomas Lindsey. E 8. John Mccurdy - 240 acres on the waters of Long Cane Creek, Abbeville County. Surveyed 17 May 1785. Re- corded 15 July 1785. Surveyed by Patrick Calhoun. 9. William Mccurdy - 150 acres on Crooked Creek, a branch of Little Generostee Creek waders of the Savannah River. Surveyed 12 August 1785. Recorded 30 August 1785. Surveyed by William Lesley. 10. John Mccurdy - 65 acres on Little Generostee wafers, - of the Savannah River. Surveyed 26 September 1786. Recorded 26 November 1786. Surveyed by William Lesley. The surveyors, Hopkins, Calhoun, Tate, Lesley and Findley

1. David Hopkins was a fellow militiaman. 2. Patrick Calhoun was probably the Patrick We know, but may have been his nephew. 3 William Tate, Revolutionary war soldier. Captured by : the enemy at the fall of Charleston. He was freed in a prisoner exchange in October of 1780. ! 4. William Lesley may have been related to John, Jr.'s wife. 5. Thomas Findley was a brother of Samuel Findley. Part ' of John Montgomery's Inventory was lost when the enemy burned Samuel Findley's house. John Montgomery may have been the father of Margaret, wife of John McCurdy, Sr. Samuel Findley was married to Isbell Mccurdy Findley. She was from the only other Mccurdy family living in the State of South Carolina at the start of the Revolutionary War.

John McCurdys, Jr. died in 1789, probably in June. He left no Will, so he must have been in good health up to that time. Either an accident or a sudden severe illness most likely took his life. A Will Would have given us valuable information. He missed the first U.S. Census by one year. I estimate that he was born about 1741 or 1742 so he would have been only about forty-seven or forty-eight when he died. I was unable to gain any information about his wife from the 1790 Census. She may have preceded him in death by any number of years, or they could have died together. Williams had two females, living in his home in 1790. One would have been his wife, Sarah. The other may have been his oldest daughter Elizabeth or there is an outside chance it was his mother John Jr.'s wife. She also could have been living with other relatives, but I believe she may have been deceased. During most of John, Jr.'s life there was the ever present threat of a violent death. After things had calmed down a little and he had a chance to enjoy life, he passed away. On July 7th, 1789, son William was appointed Administrator of his Estate. One can only imagine what brother sister conversations took place the next few weeks between William and Rhoda, but the end result was that she thought William could use a little help and she was just the one to provide it. On October 7th, three months after William had been appointed Administrator she rounded up John Harris and Elijah McCurdys. They went before the Abbeville Country Court and Rhoda was appointed Joint Addministrator of her father’s Estate.

State of South Carolina) Know all men by these presents that we Abbeville County, ToWit) William McCurdy, Arthur Morrow and Samuel

Foster of Abbeville County ___________ are held and firmly bound unto the Justices of Abbeville County Court, and their successors in office, in the just and full sum of One Thousand Pounds'Lawful Money of South Carolina, and paid to the said Justices or their Successors in office to which payment will and truly to be made and done, we bind ourselves our Heirs Executors and Administrators, jointly and severally firmly by these presents sealed with f our Seals and dated the Seventh Day of July----in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine and in the fourteenth year of the Independence of the United States of North America.

                           The condition of the above obligation is such, that if the above bound William McCurdy---Administrator of the goods. chattels and credits of John McCurdys deceased, do make a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the goods, chattels and credits of the said deceased which have or shall come to the hands possession or knowledge of the said William McCurdy-------or into the hands or possession of any other person or persons for him, and the same so made do exhibit unto the said Court of Abbeville County, where he shall be there unto required and goods, chattels and credits to well and truly administer according to law and to make a just and true account of his and doings where required by the said Court, and all the rest of the said goods, chattels and credits which shall be found remaining   from the account of the said Administration, the same being first allowed by the said Court, shall deliver and pay unto such   persons respectively as are entitled the same by Law, and if it shall hereafter appear that any Last Will and Testament was made by the said deceased, and the same be proved in Court. and the Execution of a Certificate of the Probate thereof, and the said William Mccurdy ----- do in such case as required, render and deliver up the said Letter of Administration, then this obligation be void or else to remain in full force.

Sealed and Delivered ) in the Presence of ) Wm. Mccurdy Seal

Joseph Mccord Samuel Mccarley Arthur Morrow Seal Seal

Samuel Foster, Senr. Seal

State of South Carolina ) Know all men by these presents Abbeville County, To Wit ) that We Rhoda McCurdy, John Harris

& Elijah Mccurdy are held and firmly bound onto the Justices of Abbeville County Court and their successors in office, in the just & full sum of one thousand pounds Lawful Money of South Carolina to be paid to the said Justices or their successors in office, to which payment will and truly to be made and done. We bind ourselves, our Heirs, Executors & administrators, Jointly and severally, firmly by these presence sealed with our Seals and dated the seventh day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine & in the fourteenth year of the Independence of the united States of North America.

The Condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bound William (&) Rhoda Mccurdy, Joint Admin. of the goods chattels and credits of John Mccurdy --- Deceased. do make a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the goods chattels & credits of the said deceased which have or shall come to the hands, possession or knowledge of the said Rhoda Mccurdy, or into the hands or possession of any other person or persons for him & the same so made to exhibit unto the said Court of Abbeville County when he shall be there unto required, and such goods chattels & credits to well and truly administer according to Law, & to make a just and true return of his and doings therein, when required by the said Court, and all the Rest of the said goods, chattels and credits which shall be found remaining upon the account of the said administration, the same being first allowed by the Court, shall deliver pay unto such persons respectively, as are entitled to the same by Law, and if it shall hereafter appear that any last will and testament was made by the said deceased, and the same be proved in Court and the executors obtain a certificate of the Probate thereof and the said Rhoda Mccurdy do in such case, if required, render and deliver up the said letters of administration, then this obligation to be void, or else to remain in full force. her Sealed and Delivered in the ) Rhoda Mccurdy Seal Presence of _____________) mark W Shaw John Harris Seal Elijah Mccurdy seal

CHAPTER VII MCCURDY KIN

Near the North Carolina line, in the northwest part of the Camden District and in what is now YobkCounty, South Carolina, lived another Mccurdy family. Available records show that there were only two Mccurdy families living in the state of South Carolina at the start of the Revolutionary War -- our family and this family. The Mccurdys of York County Three Mccurdy men - Archibald, John and Robert - lived in the general area. It is my belief that they were all closely related and that John and Robert were father and son or brothers. I have not been able to determine the age of either John or Robert, but I am inclined to believe they were father and son. Archibald either moved to North Carolina or lived on land that was transferred to North Carolina. The state line was in dispute at this location. Army records list him as a lieutenant from South Carolina and later as a captain from North Carolina. Anyway, he raised a large family in Mecklenberg County, North Carolina and it is my understanding that he has descendants by the name of Mccurdy that still live there. ( Mecklenberg county delegates meeting in charlottetown, sometimes called Charlottsburg and now Charlotte, on May 19, 1775, worked throughout the night and into the early morning hours of May 20th. When they adjourned, they had completed work on the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Mecklenburg County now stood alone as it would be over one full year before they would be joined by the United States. Many people thought Thomas Jefferson has used the Mecklen- burg Declaration as a model for the D.S. Declaration of Independence and this annoyed him no end. Forty-five years later, he was still expressing skepticism over the existence of the original Mecklenburg Declaration, re: Hornet's Nest by Le Gette Blythe and Charles Raven Brockman. ) John and Robert furnished supplies to the Army and militia, most of which was grain. A number of their receipts still exist today. They were given the same account number which would further indicate close kinship. After John joined the Army, Robert continued to furnish supplies and when John was killed, his military pay was given to Robert. This was a family of girls and no more boys. Two of the girls married into the Bankhead family and the late Senator Bankhead of Alabama is reported to be descended from one of these Mccurdy girls. The 1790 Census lists Robert as living in York County, Camden District. At that time, the family consisted of one male and four females. Robert died about 1803 and the Mccurdy name was gone from York County.

This is the entire list of the Mccurdys of South Carolina that were in the Revolutionary War. These records were taken from Stub Entries to Indents" and the error in transcribing our John Mccurdy, last war time enlistment was carried over. With Archibald now in North Carolina, our John, Jr. was the only South Carolinian by the name of Mccurdy in the military when the end of the war came. Even though the war was over, feel that the citizens of the Abbeville area would have held their militia intact. There was no other force strong enough to maintain law and order. It would have been volunteer end with no pay. John, Jr. and William would have been there--there is no record.

REV. JOHN HARRIS It was a warm Sunday morning in May of 1778. A group of people had gathered in front of the Long Cane Congregtional Presbyterian Church, as it was almost time for the minister to arrive. This was one of three churches where he would be the pastor today. The men were over to one side having a discussion on the latest reports on enemy sightings. They would decide who would be the pickets today and the best lookout places. This was something to be done every Sunday. The enemy might be males away or they might be behind the first grove of trees. All of the little freckle-faced cousins Were (here-- the Youngly Weeds Cunninghams and McCurdys. A time for the boys to show off their new three-cornered hats and the girls their new long dresses. A time to talk and tell a few wild tales. There would be no talking after the Pastor came and they went into the church. The distant hoofbeats of Rev. Harris' horse was the signal for everyone to take their places inside the church. All the men were armed and the rifles were stacked against the wall just inside the door. When Rev. Harris took his Place, he was also armed. His powder horn and shot bag were slung from his shoulders and he laid his pistol on the pulpit. Rev. Harris Was proud of the people he served--not a Tory in the bunch. He was known to have boasted that every man in his congregations was a Whig." This was perhaps the most beloved man in the Abbeville area. He was not a young man anymore and his health would force him to limit his duties in the near future. This was his family as best I could locate it--Rev. Harris and his wife, Marye had three sons and two daughters. The sons were Handy, John and Thomas. John was reported to have been wounded in the head during the battle of Kettle Creek. The younger daughter, Elizabeth, married a Joseph Erving. The other daughter, Anne Handy Harris, married Elijah Mccurdy.

Although I am jumping ahead over one hundred years, I think this information should be entered here. William Claude Mccurdy (later Dr. W. Mccurdy, Sr. of Purcell, Oklahoma) did some work on our family history while he was in school. This may have been about 1898. He didn't have access to some of the information we can obtain today, but he did have access to something we don't have today--his grandfather, John Mccurdy #4. This John Mccurdy was born in the Anderson District (old Pendleton District) of South Carolina in about 1817, and would have known his grandfather, William Mccurdy. In 1898, John Mccurdy #4 was still sharp of mind and strong of body as he was able to travel about Texas and Louisiana on his own.

None of the papers William Claude's work remains today, but this information does remain. There were two Mccurdy brothers who landed at Charleston. One remained in South Carolina and one went to Pennsylvania. He was able to make contact with the descendants of the brother that went to Pennsylvania and trace some of them as far as Kansas. Nothing more From William Claude's work,. we know that the brother in Pennsylvania did have a family and there was contact between our family and their Pennsylvania cousins. By the time the 1790 Census was taken, not only would the brother's children have families, but a number of his grandchildren would have had families. They may have constituted a goodly portion of the thirty-one Mccurdy; families in Pennsylvania at that time. A11 of them would be well aware of the Mccurdys in South Carolinas and this information would have been passed on to other Mccurdys. It may well have influenced the migration South.

ELIJAH MCCURDY

Elijah was born in 1760 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He was the oldest of eleven children born to John and Mary Fox Mccurdy. One of his younger brothers, Elisha would be- come a noted Presbyterian minister in that state.

In 1780, the rolls of the Cumberland County Militia (Pennsylvania) list one Elijah Mccurdy - 1st Company, 2nd Battalion. Also in the 2nd Battalion was one Elisha Mccurdy. To keep things in the family, there was one Capt. Joseph Irwin who was to marry the sister of Elijah's future wife. Several of the men who were on the rolls the Cumber- land County Militia would soon be associated with our Mccurdys in the Abbeville area. There were also a number of Mccurdys, most would have been from the group we will later call McCurdy of Cumberland, but some were probably descendants of our John, Sr.'s brother. South Carolina recognized the militia service in Pennsylvania, so the newcomers didn't have to sit out the seven years to get a land grant. However, some, like John, Jr.'s friend, James Watt, arrived before the end of the war and joined the militia in South Carolina. Elijah and Anne had three sons born during the 1790's -- John Harrison, Nathaniel Warren and Elijah, Jr. Elijah died about 18OQ and Anne raised the family. When the boys became adults, at least two of them joined in the westward migration that was just starting to take place. By round about ways, Nathaniel Warren and Elijah, Jr. reached what is now DeKalb County, Alabama. The area was still a wilderness at that time and the Mccurdys were early settlers. DeKalb County is located in northeast Alabama on the Georgia line and Fort Payne is now the county seat. Just to the north of Snyder, Texas is the Old Snyder Cemetery. One of the grave markers carries this inscription part in abbreviation: lst Sargent John A. Mccurdy Company E 12th Alabama Infantry Confederate States of America

There are no dates on the stone, but he died in 1909. His home was in Hamilton Countys Texas. His grandchildren had established a ranch to the north of Snyder and he had come out to visit them and his great-grandchildren when he took sicks" and died. Sargent Mccurdy was wounded during the war and one of his legs was amputated at Winchester, Va. on September 19, 1864. Horses were in short supply but. because of his condition, he was given one to ride home on. It was an old gray bag of bones that would have probably been rejected at the glue factory but it did get him home. He was the son of Elijah, Jr. and the grandson of the Elijah we know. One of his daughters, Mary Ann, was married to William O.B. Lyons, who was a peace officer at Fort Payne. William was on night duty when a storm blew in and he stepped into a barber shop to get out of the rain. He was standing under some type of fixture that hung from the ceiling when lightning struck the building. It grounded through the fixture, killing William Lyons.

In the late l800's, Sargent Mccurdy and Mary Ann, with her Lyons children, set out for Hamilton County, Texas. Accompaying them were two of his sons, Billy and Charlie. Billy may have returned to Alabama. There are dozens of descendants of John A. Mccurdy that live in Central and West Texas but not many by the name of Mccurdy. Three of his descendants are:

1. Charlie Mccurdy of DeLeon. Texas. Charlie, along with his son and grandson. owns a peanut marketing company in Fort Worth. 2. Dewey Massingill. a grandson (not a misprint). who is still working as a rancher north of the Leon River in Hamilton County Texas. 3. Burt Massingill, 82 years old as of this writing great-grandson, still an active farmer, rancher, oil producer and coon hunter, of Ackerly, Texas.

Descended from Elijah through Nathaniel Warren is another Mccurdy that came to Texas. Chris Columbus Mccurdy was a Baptist minister and settled in the Newburg Community not long after the war between the States. Newburg is located about 10 mikes south of Comanche, Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Mccurdy of Jacksonville, Alabama are distant cousins. Howard is descended from Elijah through his son, Nathaniel Warren. His wife, Hershellene, is descended from Elijah through his son, Elijah, Jr. They are planning to publish a book on the descendants of Elijahy Sr. and his wife, Anne Handy Harris Mccurdy. They hope to have it out in September of this year, 1985.

MCCDRDYS OF CUMBERLAND

This family is also descended from a John McCurdy Sr., who is believed to have been born in County Antrim, Ireland about 1708. He was the father of twelve children, but we will only be dealing with the descendants of one - David, Sr., the oldest. David, Sr.'s children were (1) Agnes (Nancy). (2) John, (3) James (4) Mary, (5) David, Jr.. and (6) Janet. All of these children were to migrate south. This would eventually include the fathers David, Sr. In late 1787, a wagon train from Pennsylvania arrived in the Abbeville area. They had almost reached their destination which was only a few piles into Georgia. It was at this point that they learned that they had been preceded into the same area by another group of settlers and that this group had been rudely chased back across the Savannah River by the Creek Indians. The newcomers had friends and relatives in the Abbeville area, so this decision was made - to stay where they were for one year, to rent land and make a crop, and then cross into Georgia. This they did. On this wagon train was one John Mccurdy, son of David, sr. Two other family names that were represented on the wagon train were Groves and Appleby. The lives of these two families would be intertwined with the lives of the Mccurdys of Cumber- land for many years to come. Descended from this John Mccurdy is Julius Augustus Mccurdy of Decatur Georgia. Julius is the author of The Mccurdys of Stone Mountain, Georgia, which is still available. Soon to follow was David Mccurdy, Jr. He was married Elizabeth Appleby, August 25, 1789. Their first son, William was born in 1790 in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The second son, James, was born in 1791 in Georgia, so they were very busy people about this time. The next son, John, was born in Georgia in 1793. Then came Samuel, Allen, Wilson, Nancy Mary (Dryden), Ibby (Brewer). There was also a David that died as a young man. After the children were all pretty well grown, David, Jr. and Elizabeth set out again. This time, to middle Tennessee. Most, if not all, of the children joined They settled in what is now the counties of Williamson and Bedford. In the name of God, Amen--I David Mccurdy of the County of Williamson and the State of Tennessee, being of Sound Mind and Memory do make and ordain this my last Will & Testament. Then--l will that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid. Then I give & bequeath to my beloved wife Elizabeth Mccurdy during her natural life all My property, viz., my stock of every description, my household & kitchen furniture, my crops on hand & my farming utensils, except such as I may hereinafter dispose of subject though to the following conditions that if my Executor or Executors shall think it expedient at any time to sell any of the said property and appropriate the proceeds to her use & benefit they shall do so. Then I will that my sons William Mccurdy, James Mcdurdy, John Mccurdy, Samuel Mccurdy, Allen Mccurdy and the heirs of my son David Mccurdy be released from ___________, the sum of Seventy five dollars each which stands charged against them on my books. Then I hereby release my daughters Mary Dryden and Ibby W. Brewer or their husbands from any charge for property they may have received from me heretofore. Then l give to my daughter Nancy Mccurdy one bed and clothing which she claims, also one side saddle, one young cow which she claims and also one bureau which Abraham Priest is owing me provided it is gotten. Then I give to my son Wilson one horse or mare to be valued at thirty five dollars and one saddle and bridle which he now has & uses and also my family bible. Then I will that What money I may have at my death together with what may be owing by note or account be collected by my Executors and if necessary my debts paid out of it and the balance applied to the use of my family in the Way my Executors may think best. Then I will that at the death of my wife. the property remaining be all sold and the money arising therefrom with what money may be in the hands of my Executors be equally divided between all my children, viz., William Mccurdy, James Mccurdy, John Mccurdy, Samuel Mccurdy, Allen Mccurdy, Wilson Mccurdy, Nancy Mccurdy, Mary Dryden, Ibby W. Brewer, and the heirs of David W. Mccurdy, deceased. Then--l nominate and appoint my sops James Mccurdy and John Mccurdy my executors. I ratify and confirm this my last Will & testament, In testimony Whereof I have herewith set my hand and seal this 18th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two. David Mccurdy Seal

David McCurdy, Jr. died in 1834.

Soon most of the family moved westward, some settling in northern Arkansas where Elizabeth - wife of David, Jr. is buried in Mount Comfort Cemetery near Fayetteville. From here, the descendants scattered. Some stayed in Arkansas, some went to Missouri and many came to Texas.

Patricia Jean Mccurdy of Tulsa, Oklahoma is descended from son William. My good and trusty friend Beatrice Mccurdy Moore of Breckenridge, Texas is descended from son James. My good and trusty friend J. R. Mccurdy of Amarillo, Texas, has the double distinction of being descended from son James through his grandfather and son Samuel through his grand- mother. Not all of the sons left Tennessee. The third son, John, stayed in Williamson County. It is my belief that he was a Methodist minister. One of his sons, James Harvey, migrated south to Marshall County, Tennessee where he lived during the War Between the States. My "good and trusty friend John Leo (Jack) Mccurdy of Abilene, Texas is descended from son John through James Harvey. Jack and his wife, Rachel, have raised a nice family that is well known and respected in the Abilene area. Many times, I have been asked am related to them. Jack, now 82 and retired, has devoted his life to law enforcement. He is truly a fine gentleman and a credit to the Mccurdy name. THE STRANGER James Mccurdy, unmarried and living alone. The only Mccurdy in south Carolina in 1790 whose background is not known. Elijah Mccurdy had a younger brother James, but he was living in Kentucky at this time. David Mccurdy, Sr. (of the Cumberland Mccurdys) had a son James who came south. Members of this family say he was not their James as their James married an Appleby. The best guess is that he was a Pennsylvania cousin who came south sometime in the 1780's. There is nothing to indicate his age. He died in 1794. ,

CHAPTER VIII WILLIAM AND SARAH McCURDY

William was born in the 1760's, probably near 1760. Sarah was born in 1760. Their children (1) John 3rd not accounted for and may not have existed, but it is my belief that he did and died as a boy or young man- In an interview in 1905, our grandfather - Thomas S. McCurdy - named him as the first child of his great-grandfather William. It would have been unusual, at that times to have a father and grandfather named John and not name a son for him. Also, with the mortality rate they had in those days, It Would be unusual to raise a family of this size to adulthood without losing a child. (2) Elizabeth, not much known for sure- (3) James (4) Hugh L. (Hughey) (5) Margaret (Peqgie) married a Mr. Aston. Much later the name Austin would be used. (6) Sarah (Sa11y) - unmarried. (7) Mary (po11y) married Stephen Carsey - sometimes spelled Karsey It would appear that the name he was born with may have been Stephen Casey and that years later he went back to Casey. (8) William. Jr.

William was a man of destiny. The right man born at the right time at the right place, although it wouldn’t have appeared that way from the beginning. Born and raised in the backwoods of Colonial American where every day could bring forth a struggle for survival. His entire boyhood was spent under the threat of raids by the Indians or the Torys of the Brithish Army. He got an education where there were no schools. He developed a business mind where there was little or no business, He was hard and determined worker and he was apparently physically strong and able—he was a staunch Presbyterian. A market developed during the late 1780’s for the agricultural products of the up country. There was a market at Savannah for lumber, beef, corn, wheat and most of all, tobacco. At Augusta, large tobacco warehouses were thrown up out of raw lumber. The State of Georgia licensed tobacco graders who would grad the tobacco and then stamp it, “Geogia.” This assured its sale at the Port of Savannah. William could load his products on a flatboat at the mouth of Little Denerostee Creek and shove off for Augusta. The current of the Savannah River would carry the boat along. The only real obstacle was the rapids just above Augusta. They were very treacherous and it took an expert boatman to navigate them. Maybe William called on the skills of his ancestors of Bute, but he did get his products to market. At Augusta, they would be loaded onto larger boats bound for the Port of Savannah. In later years, William may have shipped his products on to Savannah to be sold there. I believe that at this time, he dealt with traders at Augusta The flatboats would probably be sold for lumber and the return trip made with neighbors in a cart or wagon. These carts or wagons would carry home such items as guns and gunpowder, pots and pans, coffee, medicine, iron tools for farming and constructions needles, buttons, books and Bibles. Such was the early adult life of William Mccurdy. At this point, clothing was made almost entirely of wool, linen and animal skins. The luxury of a cool cotton shirt to wear in the summer was hardly worth the time it took to pull the fiber from the seed, comb the fiber: spin the fiber into threat and then weave the cloth. However, in England some things were happening that would soon have a profound effect on the lives of William and Sarah Mccurdy. The Spinning Jenny, the Spinning Machine and the Power Loom were invented. These machines were invented for the purpose of spinning wool and making the thread into cloth, but they could be easily converted to cotton. However, there would still be little or no market for cotton because of the problem of getting the fiber off of the seed. During the Revolutionary War, General Nataniel Green, the Quaker General, was much respected and loved by the citizens of South Carolina and Georgia. In appreciation of his services, each state gave him a plantation General Green had spent his personal fortune to equip his troops and was now in debt, so, he sold his South Carolina plantation and kept the one on the Georgia side of the Savannah River. He called it Mulberry Grove. In the Fall of 1792, his elderly widow, who had been visiting in the northeast, set sail from New Savannah. On board was a young man fresh out of Yale. He had a teaching job lined up in either the back country of South Carolina or the newly created University of Georgia. It has been reported both ways, but it doesn't make any difference anyway as he would never go to either. A friendship formed between Mrs. Green and the young would-be teacher. She invited him to be a guest of Mulberry Grove and he accepted. While he was there, she explained to him the problem of getting the fiber from the cotton seed. His name was Eli Whitney and no more of the story need be told. Within months, Eli's Cotton Engine now cotton gin, was in commercial use. William, who was already prosperous, would become wealthy by the standards of that day and time. He had already added to his land holdings and would continue to add for the next forty years. There would be years of recession when the prices were down and there would be a real depression just before and during 1817 - A cargo of Mccurdy cotton on its way to the Pork of Savannah?

the War of 1812, but all in all, William lived in an era of prosperity for the Mccurdys of Long Canes. On August 1807, on the Hudson River up in New York State, Robert Fulton's Clermont made the first successful voyage of a steam boat. man by the name of William Longstreet had been trying to get financing to bui ld his steamboat f or over f if teen years . He was on the receiving end of many jokes , including this song we sometimes hear today .

Can you row the boat ashore Bi1ly Boy, Billy Boy Can you row the boat ashore Gentle Billy Can you row the boat ashore Without a paddle or an oar, etc.

Gentle Billy" sailed his steamboat up the Savannah in November of 1808, and the era of steamboat shipping and travel on the Meanwhile, down on the lower Savannah Rivers, a Savannah River had begun. It was still a few years before the large steamboats steamed between Augusta and the Port of Savannah, but this was a great plus for the up-river plantation owners. In 1837, William's health was failing and he was preparing for death. During the year he sold off most of his land and probably some of his equipment. On November 28th of that year, he wrote his will. He died a few months later as his Will was proved July 2nd, 1838. Sarah was still in good health as she continued to run the plantation--now much smaller--/or ten or more years. Then her health failed and she was unable to get around on her own. She liked coffee as it was always on her grocery list. There was a bill from Sarah Rice, For waiting on her her last sickness from 4th of July to 20th of September A.D. 1850 - $15.00." There was another from Polly Goodwin, For Services in waiting on said Sarah Mccurdy in her last sickness near two months. Say from about the 4th of July until September - $12.00. dated 1850. She was probably bedridden from July 4th until about September 20th when she died at the age of ninety. She evidently knew she would die soon as there was a bill dated August 31st, 1850 for – 1 C. Coffin $4.00 1 fine Coffin $8.00

They were paid for by the Estate the 13th of January 1851.

The will of William Mccurdy mentions a son William and a grandson William, Jr. Today we would call the grandson William III History would repeat itself many years later in Purcell, Oklahoma when we would again have William Mccurdy, Sr., William Mccurdy, Jr. and William Mccurdy, III Where his grandfather was only able to give his grandsons that were his namesake one guinea William gave them each $100.00. A lot of money in those days. Another interesting point is the one hundred dollars William gave to the Generostee Church. Not to be spent, but loaned out and the interest to go to support the Church. On January 1, 1857, the Treasurer of Little Generostee Church gave the Pastor, J. C. Chalmers, $7.00 interest on the Mccurdy Legacy. ' Again, on November 26, 1858, the same Treasurer gave the same Pastor 1'$(7.) dollars Interest on Mccurdy Legacy, for preaching at Little Generostee during the year 1858." Both receipts were signed by the Pastor, J. C. Chalmers. Little Generostee Church was probably built in the late 1780's. It was rebuilt the third time in 1828 and again in 1897. It burned in the spring of 1985. Even though William had sold off a lot of his property, he still had a valuable estate. There are about fifty papers in the South Carolina Archives covering the Probate in 1838 and when Sarah died in 1850. Sarah was a good business lady as the estate didn't go down under her leadership. Many of William's children and grandchildren, as well as a number of cousins, were in the crowd of buyers at the estate sale.

Besides Tom and Lorene Gaines of Little Rock, Arkansas, there were others who knowingly or unknowingly furnished information used in this book. They are: Mr. & Mrs. J. R. Mccurdy of Amarillo, Texas Mr. & Mrs. Howard Mccurdy of Jacksonville, Alabama Mr. & Mrs. Howard Mccurdy of Cleburne, Texas Julius A. Mccurdy of Decatur, Georgia Descendants of 1st Sargent John A. Mccurdy of Hamilton County, Texas Betty Mccurdy Ellis of Denison, Texas Tom Mccurdy of Denison, Texas

As an after thought, it might be interest to the reader to see photo copy of the two William McCurdy legacy receipts. They appear to be both written and signed by J.C. Chalmers, Pastor of little Ganerostee Church. By this time the legacy had been in effect for about twenty years. The originals are in the Archives in State of South Carolina.

The above line of descent came into my possession in July 1985, and was taken from the records of the Clan MacKirdy of Bute. It was thought that it might be of some interest to some of the American McCurdys, - Courtesy of John Mac Kirdy of the Isle of Bute. It would appear that there may be a typing error in one of the dates in the first sentence.