| Notes |
- History of Chatham Co., NC: Small notation about the Rives family from Fra nce to Chatham Co.; see http://content.ancestry.com/Browse/BookView.aspx?d bid=29999&iid=dvm_LocHist013621-00225-1&cr=0
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The will of Thomas Henry Rives, in which he disposed of some 33 slaves a nd other property, was dated June 10, 1807, and proved February 1809, in C hatham county, N. C., as follows:
In the name of God Amen I Thomas Rives of the County of Chatham and Sta te of North Carolina being of sound and perfect mind and memory (bless ed be to God) do this tenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousa nd eight hundred and seven make and publish this my last Will and Testame nt in manner and form following viz:
1st. I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Rives in addition to the la nd I have before given him One Negro Man named Step to him and his heirs f orever previously delivered unto my said son Thomas.
2nd. I give and bequeath unto my son Edwards Rives in addition to the La nd I have before given him, one Negro Man named Pompey to him and his hei rs forever previously delivered unto my said son Edwards.
3rd. I give and bequeath unto my son John Rives in addition to the Land be fore given him one negro Man named Adam to him and his Heirs forever previ ously delivered unto my said son John Rives.
4. I give and bequeath unto my son Reuben Rives one Negro Man named Antho ny and all that tract of Land whereon I now live known by the name of t he Barrax with all the other Lands belonging to me adjoining said Tract, o ne good Feather Bed and Furniture, one good Horse Four Head of Cattle wi th other furniture necessary for a new beginner as to Housekeeping and wor king Tools sufficient for his plantation and unto him my said son Reuben h is heirs and assigns forever.
5. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Martha Four Negroes (to wit) Lu cy and her two children named Jerry and London, also a negro Girl Priscil la and their increase unto my said daughter her heirs and assigns foreve r. 6th I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Two Negro Women that is F rank and Clarissa, also one Negro girl Sarah and two negro Children one na med Lewis and the other Dilly and their increase unto my said daughter h er Heirs and assigns forever.
7th I give and bequeath unto my daughter Rebecca a negro Winch called Silv ey a negro girl named Veney and a negro boy named Osborne and their increa se unto my said daughter Rebecca her Heirs and assigns forever.
8th. I give and bequeath unto my Two children William Rives and Johanna Tu rner Fifty dollars to be divided equally between them having given ea ch of them their portion of property at the time of my residence in Virgin ia.
9th. I give and bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Mary Rives daught er of my son Thomas Rives, one Negro Girl called Lizza and her increase un to my said Grand daughter and her heirs forever.
10th. I leave unto my wife Mary Nine Negroes that is two fellows young Ph il and old Phil and three boys Caleb, James & John, also two Negro Wome n, Jude and Hannah & Hannah's two Daughters, Jinny and Jude and at my sa id Wife's decease I will that the nine Negroes should be equally divided a mong her children to have and to hold them and their Heirs forever. I al so lend unto my Wife Mary Rives as much of my Household furniture, Wago n, Still, working Tools, Horses and Stock those things I lend during her l ife or rather such a part, as she shall deem necessary to support her comf ortably during her life and at her decease to be equally divided among h er Children. And I further devise that my wife should have the use of t he Land and plantation or as much thereof as is necessary for her suppo rt comfortably during life and after that to be immediately be possess ed by my son Reuben as before mentioned. Further I give and bequeath un to my present Wife's Children, seven negroes that is old Ned Young Ned, Pe ter, Tom, Stephen, Pere & a Negro Winch Clark with her increase. Also I wi ll that all my remaining Stock, furniture, Money &c. should be equally div ided after paying all my Just debts among my present Wifes Children to ha ve to hold to them and their heirs forever. And I hereby make and orda in my Four Sons Thomas, Edwards, John and Reuben Rives and also my Three s ons in law James McMath Robert Wilkinson and Abraham Gerred executors of t his my last will & testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my ha nd & seal the day & year before written.
Thomas Rives (Seal).
Signed, Sealed & published in presence of us Wm. Edwards J. B. Edwards
To those whom it concerns, be it remembered by them that as part of the Ne groes included in my Will were left unto my Wife Mary by her Father duri ng her life and at her decease to her Children Jointly; as such to preve nt any contention among my said children after my decease relative to sa id negroes I do hereby promote this obligation.
It is therefore that my said Children do hereby obligate and bind themselv es their heirs &c. firmly to abide by the contents of my last Will and Tes tament in full. And they do hereby agree if they should ever intentional ly either of them deviate from the same that then and in that case their p roperty contained in the Will shall devolve unto the other Legatees, other wise toremain firmly and substantially theirs as by the Will. In witness w hereof they have hereunto set their hands and seals this 10th June 1807.
Witness John McMath
William Clark
Thomas Rives Seal
Edwards Rives Seal
John Rives Seal
Reuben Rives Seal
James McMath Seal
Robt. Wilkerson Seal
Abraham Gerred Seal
SOURCE: http://www.patch.net/pegram/pegg05.html#7036
Thomas married (2) Mary Edwards in 1769 in Dinwiddie Co., Virginia. Mary w as born in Dinwiddie Co., Virginia. She died after 1807.
Others have shown her name to be Ann.
Thomas and Mary had the following children:
+ 159 M iii Thomas Rives was born about 1770. He died in 1842.
+ 160 F iv Martha Rives was born about 1772.
+ 161 F v Mary Rives was born about 1774.
+ 162 M vi Edward Rives was born on 19 Mar 1775. He died on 2 Feb 184
163 F vii Rebecca Rives was born about 1778 in Mecklenburg Co., Virgini a.
Rebecca married Abraham Gerred in 1798 in Mecklenburg Co., Virgini a. Abraham was born in Mecklenburg Co., Virginia.
164 M viii John Rives was born about 1780 in Virginia.
John married 1 Nancy Brooks daughter of Thomas Brooks Jr. and Mart ha Temple on 28 May 1811 in Chatham Co., North Carolina. Nancy was bo rn in Chatham Co., North Carolina. She died in Tennessee.
+ 165 M ix Reuben Rieves was born about 1781.
SOURCE: http://www.patch.net/pegram/pegg05.html#7036
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Hickory Mountain United Methodist Church
The information was sent to me by Mr. C.G. "Soupy" Campbell of Brown Summi t, NC. I thank him very much!! Here is his data:
Historical Notes Concerning Hickory Mountain United Methodist Church
Pastor Charles S. Hubbard, 1983
Although Methodism was first introduced in North Carolina in the easte rn part of the state, Frances Asbury visited Chatham as early as 178 0. He entered from the east in a light one horse carriage with Frances Poy thress as guide. He crossed, or rather forded, North East Creek, Haw and R ockey River in fear of his life, and reported he had never seen such roc ky and desolate country. He crossed Deep river on a flat boat and wrote t he ferry man cursed him becasue he did not have a shilling to pay. Befo re 1798 he visited Chatham two more times on horseback.
In 1798, Bishop Asbury again rode toward Chatham from the northeast a nd entered the country on what was then known as the cumberland Road, a si mple cart--track that meandered from Fayetteville toward Guilford Courthou se and Salem. On this trip the Bishop made the important statement f or us that he rode thirty miles to reach the new meeting house on Hicko ry Mountain. It was called Hickory Mountain Chapel. He obviously expecte d, for he writes that he stopped there and preached and then dined with th is friend, Thomas Reeves (The details of this visit are recorded in Asbury 's Journal and is also mentioned in Methodism in North Carolina, Vol. 1, p g. 215, - W.L. Grisson)
I find no deed in evidence of Hickory Mountain Chapel in the Chatham C ounty Courthouse, so I must infer that the chapel was probably a log build ing, either constructed or used on the personal property of one of the mem bers for the purpose of Methodist Worship.
Until now the process of this research I find no record of the perso n, Thomas Reeves.
owever his name would be recorded in those early records only in transf er of real property.
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NOTE: New information received from Bebe Fox.
She says "since Thomas Henry RIVES lived in Hickory Mt. township I belie ve that it must be he. (The Thomas Reeves)
Thomas Henry RIVES, had lived in current Warren Co. on Nutbush Creek be f. removing to Chatham. His son, Edwards Rives, m. Lt. Col. William Alsto n's dau., Mary Ann. Alston was b. in Halifax Co., NC, son of Joseph Jo hn and Elizabeth Chancey. He was 1/2 brother to "Chatham Jack". Wm was s till "of Halifax" well into the Rev. War, as proven by Chatham deeds, b ut did remove to, live, and die in Chatham.
Father-in-law of Wm Alston was Samuel Yeargain of the Roanoke River, curre nt Warren Co., NC. Yeargain's chapel was the first Methodist chapel in t he south and probably in all of America. Asbury also wrote of preaching t here and staying with the Yeargains for a week when he was so ill th at he thought
that he was dying. That is even more reason to believe that Thomas Reev es was indeed Thomas Henry Rives. There is a new genealogical book out wh ich contains a number of later Rives descendants who spell their surname R eeves."
My observation- This seems to be the solution to the puzzle.
This is a prime example. of why, we must always, consider the sound of a n ame, not just the current spelling.
There is a Latin phrase "Idem Sonans" that my genealogy Instructor alwa ys used. "If it sounds the same, it IS the same !!"
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(CONTINUE WITH ORIGINAL TEXT)
However, I note there are several black Reeves families now residing in Ch atham County, and one is a Thomas Reeves. Most slaves took surnames of the ir masters when freed.
In the year 1800, Bishop Asbury again visited Chatham County. He enter ed from Wake County and crossed the Haw River on the Redfield Ferry. An ea rlier source claims the bishop erred in his Journal, and crossed the H aw on the old Redfield ford (But Chatham County 1771-1971, page 151 repor ts that in February 1778, a permit was given for a ferry over Haw River ne ar the Redfield Ford). I emphasize this tiny point to witness that Bish op Asbury was not careless in his Journal.
Crossing the Haw, the Bishop records that he rode 14 miles to the Reev es homes, and then on to Hickory Mountain Chapel. Here he ordained as deac on a William "Masters". Again I find no "Masters" in the Chatham County de ed books in this time frame. But, according to Randolph county records, ma ny families of "McMasters" lived there in 1800 and it is quite probable th at "William Masters" is really William McMasters who sold a piece of prope rty on Deep River in Randolph County in 1834.
And by this time, the McMasters clan did have a representation in Chath am ( I have in evidence a portion of a deed attached, dated 1832). Maybe t he Bishop did make a slight error in his report on McMasters descenden
After this fifth visit to Chatham County, Bishop Asbury headed nor th on the Cumberland Road and never again returned to this are
By the year 1800, Hickory Mountain chapel was part of the Haw River Ci rcuit (The early ministers of this Circuit are recorded in the Historic al Archives at the Methodist Building in Raleigh, N.C.)
We, living in the year 1983, must realize that Chatham County in 18 00 and many years later, was thinly populated. The roads were paths or car t-tracks, incapable of handling even a 4 wheel wagon. The people were se lf sufficient. They grew corn, what, pigs, cattle and made liquor. They co uld ot expand for they had no way to get crops to market. Hogs and catt le had to be driven many miles on foot. There were o towns. Pittsboro w as struggling to begin, and what is now siler City, was Love's Creek wi th the Siler Farm nearby. The regional roads, or tracks were built on t he ridges. The farms were in the lowlands. You could ride through Chath am and see hardly a soul.
In 1800, Frances Poythress, who was one of the first Circuit preache rs in North Carolina, was appointed presiding elder on a district embraci ng the following charges or circuits, which extended from Asheville to Ca pe Hatteras, and from Wilmington to the Virginia line. They were Morganto n, Swannanoa, Yadkin, Salisbury, Haw River, Guilford, Franklin, Caswell, T ar River, Newbern, Graham, Wilmington, Contentea
Pamli co, Roanoke, Mattamuskeet and Banks. On this District there was a membersh ip of 4429 whites and 1253 blacks- Methodism in North Carolina, - Grisso n, Vol. 1, pp 214-215.
In 1801, James Douthet was appointed presiding elder of the Salisbu ry District. The District embraces the following circuits: Caswell, Guilfo rd, Yadkin, Morganton, Swannanoa, Salisbury, Haw River and Franklin. He lo cated in 1803.
Again, in the year 1983, we modern Methodists must realize the hardshi ps of the ministers of that older time. They travelled on horseback circui ts much larger than our present districts. They had no home - so could n ot marry. There were friendly houses, called preacher houses, where they c ould wash their clothes and rest. After a few years, they were forced by s tress of health to locate for a while and rest. If they married, they h ad to locate After locating a few years some would start all over agai
In 1803? (the date is presently fuzzy) at the quarterly meeting on t he Caswell Circuit, Jonathan Jackson, presiding elder of the Newbern Distr ict, was present as a visitor and made this report: "At Hickory Mounta in on the Haw River Circuit, we had the greatest time that had ever bee n, there. The power of the Lord came down on Saturday like a mighty rushi ng wind, and appeared to rest on the congregation during the meeting" - Me thodism in North Carolina, Grisson, Vol. 1, pp. 319-320.
Now we come to one of the famous pioneer preachers of Methodism, Thom as Mann. On April 21, 1805, Thomas Mann was presiding elder of the Salisbu ry District, when he wrote in his diary: "We rode to Hickory Mountain. I p reached from Matthew 10:7, ant there was a move and a shout, and I exhorte d. Brother Robert Wilkerson exhorted and the move died away. We administer ed the sacrament. My mind and body hurt, though. We had a great shout a nd joined three black people in society. We rode to Thomas Reeves, and Bro ther Wilkerson walked out in the evening and talked about old times, and a ll the pains of preaching, the pains of stopping, travelling, etc
In 1812 and 1813, Thomas Mann was preacher on the Haw River Distric t, and preached at Hickory Mountain on several occasions, and visited wi th William Perry, Gideon Goodwin, and Benjamin Harris. There was a two d ay meeting in June 1813. Thomas Crutchfield exhorted. The folks must ha ve gotten stirred up. He reported: "We had a shout and a dance - it was t oo wicked for me".
At this time I leave my manuscript and present in evidence two deed s, the first dated July 19, 1832 and the second, dated July 24, 1856. I wi ll conclude the historical notes at this time with a review of these instr uments.
the 1832 deed transferred 4 acres of land to the trustees Hickory Mounta in Church from Joseph John
Alston. The price was one dollar; and the deed was attested by Phill ip K. Alston, the seller's (or donor's) half-brother, who built and liv ed in the "House on the Horseshoe" now a state monument. Joseph John
Alston was known as "Chatham Jack" and was the owner of 40.000 acres of la nd, practically all the land between the present Pittsboro and Siler Cit y. The trustees listed on this deed were listed as Edward Perry, Thomas Cr utchfield, Lewis Lutterloh, Turpee Perry, Henry Rogers, William Perry, Jo hn Cole and Joseph John Alston. It was stipulated that a house of worsh ip would be built on this land, which was at the junction of the Cumberla nd or Fayetteville road and the Raleigh or Stage Coach Road, from Ralei gh to Salisbury. There is no record that his land reverted, which it woul d, if no church building had been constructed.
Twenty four years later, a second deed transferred 3 acres of la nd to the trustees of Hickory Mountain Church from Robert P. Alston. The t estators were Joseph Johnson and John George. The trustees listed in 18 56 were: Innis A. Alston, Oliver McMath, I.E. Nettles, George Rogers, Will iam Fike, R. N. Green, B.E. Brown, Obadiah Henderson and Samuel B. Perr
There were Methodist preachers in the immediate area since 1779. Befo re 1797 the circuit was called New Hope. After, Haw River.
1797 William Early
1798 Joseph Purnell
1800 Robert Wilkerson, Jesse Coe
1801 John West
1802 William Allgood
1803 Louis Taylor
1804 Josiah Phillips
1805 Samuel Garrard
1806 John Weaver, Hezekiah McClelland
1807 William Blair, Jack Arrington
1808 B. Hovendale, Thomas Y. Cook
1809 John French, Thomas Burge
1810 James M. Arthur, Jesse Broom
1811 John Moore, Jesse Branch
1812 Thomas Mann, Peter Wyatt
1812 Thomas Mann
1832-33 Issac Haynes
1855-56 P.W. Archer
SOURCE: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncchatha/hkrymtn.htm
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Abt 1740 - 1809 (~ 69 years)
