Searching for Home

I like maps and I always wished I might visit the old home place in South Carolina. I was prowling through online maps recently and found the following stuff. Heading northwest from Sumter to Camden, on Hwy. 521, there are towns named after the old families; I wonder whether those were sites of their plantations. Rembert, Ellerbee, Cantys Lane, and Deloach were small towns on the map.

According to the SC archives index, Samuel Reily had land on Bear Creek, which is aout 10 miles west of Camden. I once ran across the will of Matthew Neilson, St. Mark's Parish, Craven Co., SC. He died 12 January, 1771. The will mentioned "Baker's Pond formerly granted Robert Rily and transferred to... [Matthew Neilson]. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate Baker's Pond online. Perhaps there are maps with greater detail, but I fear that may be just a local name.

Burton genealogy

Wow, that Burton family is difficult to follow. It was a prolific family, they moved a lot, and they kept passing down those same names. There are Roberts, Williams, Wilsons, Walthalls scattered all around and in every generation. I was very interested in that Robert Burton, born 1736 in Virginia. That one would be the same age as our Robert Reily, but there is continuing evidence of both Roberts, so that particular Robert Burton did not simply move to South Carolina and change his name to Reily. There could have been other Robert Burtons, though. The 1790 census shows a Huchins [sic.] Burton in South Carolina and several William Burtons in North and South Carolina. In the 1800 census, Hutchins is still listed in Laurens, SC, and there are a number of Roberts and Williams in South Carolina. From others’ research, the Burton family was in Kentucky in the early 19th century. I have not confirmed that with census records; the first two censuses of Kentucky were lost in Washington, when the British burned the capitol. It is reasonable that the Burton family migrated into Kentucky during that period; it would certainly conform to their penchant for moving with the frontier. Apparently, the Burton Family came early to this side of the pond. They migrated as the frontier moved and new lands were opened to settlement. The Burtons seem to have much history in Virginia, moving thence to North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana. My Reily- family ancestors were mostly in South Carolina until the exodus of Carolinians to The Old Southwest about 1810- 1820. I need to look for Burton- Reily ties during the period 1700 to the Revolution, and digging out ancestors before the census requires some creative research tactics.

Tracking the Burtons out of Virginia

Robert Burton was born 4 December, 1736 in VA, the son of Susanna Allen and Hutchins Burton. He may need closer scrutiny, being about the same age as our Robert Reily; I must check that he didn’t hike down the Great Wagon Road and change his name to Reily.
Robert Burton's brother, William Allen married Mary Walthall. They had sons William Allen Burton, b 1751 and Walthall, b 1750, all from Virginia. The Wilkinson County MS Burtons apparently descend from this line. No Georgia passports were found for the Burton family; perhaps they came to Mississippi via the rivers. That notion is supported by the birth of Elizabeth Hamilton Burton, 1805, in Kentucky. It was expedient for migrating families to move inland near a waterway and construct a flatboat. The family, their belongings, and produce for market were loaded and they traveled down the tributaries to the Mississippi River. Down the river, they would sell their goods and set up housekeeping in their new home. A biographic sketch of Capt. Walthall Burton states that he was born in Nelson County, Kentucky, March 28, 1807 and his family moved to Wilkinson County, MS in 1811(Mike Miller. BIO: BURTON, Capt. Walthall, s/o Wilson & Eleanor (Bruce) Burton, from Rootsweb.com)
Research notes in the Burton and allied families GEDCOM (6/8/2007, Rootsweb World Connect) referenced William Allen Burton's will of 1767, and deaths often precipitate migration of family members. That mush have been William Allen Burton, Sr (b. 1727). It was also mentioned that William Allen Burton witnessed a deed, 1771, in North Carolina. I suspect that may have been the 20- year- old son, moved from Virginia; that deed was dated after the will. Searching for Burtons in South Carolina turned up some other interesting records. Direct associations were not documented, but there were Burtons in Camden District, where the Reily family lived (Lucas, S. E. 1989. Some South Carolina records. Vol. 2. Southern Historical Press. Easley, SC. 672 pp.). There was a deed in Craven County, made 6 December, 1784, between Daniel Price, Sr. and Walthall Burton. A deed of 4 October, 1786 also involved “Walthall Burton, planter of Camden District….” William Allen Burton witnessed a deed on 2 January, 1786 in Camden District. Daniel Price, a principal in the 1784 deed, appears to have been brother to Sarah “Sally” Price, wife of Walthall Burton (Bird/Byrd- a Gathering of the Flock. GEDCOM 1/7/2007. Rootsweb World Connect). These findings indicate that the Burton family may have migrated south from Virginia into South Carolina. Apparently they remained there for some time before moving west to Kentucky, then south to Mississippi. Walthall Burton ultimately moved to Saint Landry Parish, LA, where he had a sizeable plantation.

The King vs Margaret Reily

Here is an interesting series of items from the South Carolina Department of Archives & History. Dated October and November 1771, there is a series of records, the king vs. Margaret Reily, accused of larceny; the king vs. Margaret Reily, indicted and arraigned for larceny; the king vs. Margaret Reily, trial for larceny; the king vs. Margaret Reily, sentenced for larceny. I have only viewed the index entries for these proceedings, and do not know the seriousness of this matter. I can imagine, however, in the political strife immediately preceding the American Revolution, it might be unfavorable to have a wife or mother named Margaret Reily. I might be tempted to move overmountain and change my name to Burton. I have not discovered who this Margaret Reily is, but closer study may be worthwhile.

Joseph Reily

Searching military records, I turned up a Joseph Reily, whom I do not know. He was with Keith‘s 5th Regiment SC militia (http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com. Source cited: Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers who served during the War of 1812 in Organizations from the State of South Carolina. Microfilm ID M652, Record Group 94 from the National Archives).Perhaps this Joseph Reily is some of the family; maybe he is the one who is listed on the 1820 census in Sumter District. That one is living alone and was born about 1775- 1794. His age would fit with Samuel’s children, but he is not our Joseph Canty Reily.

Samuel Reily’s military service

Having ruled out the potential explanations of surname/ DNA mix-ups after the Burtons and Reilys arrived in the Mississippi Territory, research focus must move backward in time. As previously discussed, the idea was discarded, that Samuel’s sons John Y. and Robert W. were fathered by a Burton because their conceptions were far separated in place and time. Conversely, Samuel’s sons were probably not old enough or in the right place to sire Burton children. That begs the question of Samuel sowing his seed and fathering children in the Burton family. Samuel was born in South Carolina in 1767 and lived there until moving to Mississippi. However, he may have done some traveling or served in the military some distance from home. Reviewing some of Samuel’s life may detect his potential encounters with the Burton family. It would be helpful to know more about those Burton lineages and their descent to contemporaries who have DNA matches to the Reily family.

Samuel Reily was born in 1767, so he would not have been old enough for military service in the Revolution. However, he should have been involved in the War of 1812. His age would have made him eligible (1812- 1767= 43), and able- bodied men would have been expected to participate in the local militias. An indexed pension record for a South Carolina Samuel Reily was found, which may be our Samuel, but further documentation would be needed for verification… maybe the actual pension files or his service records. Reily, Samuel, SC-8926, srv. Capt. Memorial Forest’s Co Ky Mil. (White, V. D. 1992. Index to War of 1812 Pension Files, Vol II. The National Historical Publishing Co. Waynesboro, TN). A few additional details were available on that unit, too. Porter’s Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Militia 7th Company, Capt. Memorial Forrest, Lieutenant Noah Halbert, Ensign John Mann.

An Endicott family history included the following information (http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/woodford/endecott.t.txt). Memorial Forrest (born 1783) enlisted 10 September 1814 in Lt Col Andrew Porter’s Kentucky Volunteer Militia in the War of 1812 and served as a Captain. He received $40 per month pay. He died while on active duty at Ft. Gratiot, MI, 21 days before his enlistment was up. He probably died of disease since the sanitary conditions at military installations were appalling. The war had ended 24 December 1814, but the remote outposts were not aware of it because of the slow communication system of the time. In 1815, a company of Kentucky families from the vicinity of Cynthiana moved to Posey County, Indiana. This included widow Nancy Forrest and her family. Her husband had been Captain Memorial Forrest (b. 1783) who was killed in the War of 1812 while serving under Lt. Col. Andrew Porter at Fort Gratiot on 15 March,1815.
Kentucky connections offer some possibility of associations between Samuel Reily and the Burtons of Tennessee, but the timing is not reasonable. By 1814, Samuel was already settled in Mississippi. General Jackson assembled his forces at Natchez, some marching overland and others transported via the Mississippi River. Perhaps Samuel joined that Kentucky unit there and never travelled to Kentucky; Natchez would have been readily accessible from Samuel’s home near Centreville.
In his application for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution, William B. Reily, Jr. LSSAR 0728B, listed Robert Reily as an ancestor, then Samuel Reily, Lieutenant in South Carolina Volunteers. This service of Samuel Reily is also listed on the application for James Weaks Reily, LSSAR 0717A. Both of these applications cite Stub Entries Book U- W, page 192. However, a review of this evidence (Salley, A. S. 1918. Stub entries to indents, Books U- W. The Historical Commission of South Carolina, Columbia, SC) raises some doubts. The stub entry, issued 13 September, 1785, shows Samuel Reiley received payment for duty as a lieutenant in 1781, 1782, 1783. Samuel was born in 1767; this would have placed him as an officer, a lieutenant, at ages 14- 16. That may be possible, but 14 seems very young for command. The William B. Reily application also lists Samuel as Captain 32nd Regiment of State SC militia under Lt. Col. John Moore 1810 Camden District, Clarendon County. That seems reasonable, considering Samuel’s age, the date, and the location, but supporting evidence has not yet been found… perhaps service records or unit histories may document this.This military information is interesting, but none of it can definitively tie Samuel Reily to close proximity to families of the Burton clan.

DNA test upgraded

An upgrade of my DNA test has been ordered, to the 37- marker analysis. That will provide a more robust evidence of John Y. and Robert W. being identical matches. An exact match across 37 markers would enhance the confidence in the matches and would, therefore, make it redundant and unnecessary for other members of this Reily family to follow with more DNA samples.

Backtracking the surnames and DNA from Mississippi

The family Bible states that Samuel Reily was the son of Robert and Ann Reily. Samuel Reily was in Camden District, SC in the 1790 census. He was in Sumter County in the 1800 census and also in the 1810 census (same place; reorganization of political divisions). Samuel Reily and John Vertu applied in 1784 for administration of Robert’s estate as “near of kin”.

Isaac McDonald Reily, older than his brothers John Young and Robert Wesley, was born in 1791. When Samuel Reily came to Mississippi Territory in 1812, Isaac was with him and both were required to get passports. After the massacre at Fort Mims, August 30, 1813, Isaac and several cousins joined the Mississippi militia, Hind’s Battalion of Cavalry (Mississippi Dragoons). The unit was organized at Liberty, MS in September, 1813, under Lt. Colonel Thomas Hinds. This unit was involved in the capture of Spanish Pensacola, November, 1814 and the Battle of New Orleans, December, 1814- January, 1815. Isaac married Mary Browman [Bowman], Amite Co., MS in 1819(Casey, Amite County) and, 2nd, Amy Higginbotham in 1823, and lived in East Feliciana Parish, LA.
Another aspect that suggests investigation is that Tennessee units participated in Jackson’s expedition to Natchez. However, even if there were Burtons among them, those troops would not have brought their womenfolk along. A Reily offspring among the Burtons would hav been unlikely by those means. Conversely, 1813 was not early enough to introduce Burton genes into the Reily lineage to account for the Reily brothers, Robert Wesley and John Young.

Further study is needed to detect Robert, Samuel, or Isaac being associated with the Burton family. Potential locations seem to be in Tennessee, Kentucky, or the Carolinas.

Burtons and Reilys in the Mississippi Territory

Census searches for Burton families who could have been associated with the Reilys, turned up W. P. Burton in the 1860 census in Wilkinson Co, MS. He was 49, a wealthy planter, born in MS. The children included Nat S., age 9, Walthall, 4, Williamson P., 1. Also in his household was Eleanor Burton, 82, born in MD (his mother?). According to the Greaves-Gerding GEDCOM 6/19/2007, by Paul Greaves, posted in the Ancestry.com World Family Trees, Wilson Price Burton was born 1811, the son of Wilson Burton (born 1779 and died 1825 in Wilkinson County, MS). Wilson Price Burton’s mother was given as Eleanor Bruce, born 1778 in Maryland. Other male children (W.P.’s brothers) were Walthall, born 1807, David Bruce, 1818, and John Lane, 1821. Among the list of W. P.’s siblings, was Elizabeth Hamilton Burton, born 1805 in Kentucky. Birthplaces were not included for some of these children, but that information could be helpful for tracing migration of the Wilson Burton family. The Family Group Record for Wilson Burton and Eleanor Bruce, at familysearch.org, agrees that Elizabeth Hamilton was born in Kentucky in 1805 and the other children were fromWilkinson Co. MS. Sally’s birthdate is given as 1813, Wilkinson Co. (perhaps an error, or was Sallie a different child and not a nickname for Sarah Williams?). The 1803 birth of Sarah Williams Burton, according to Greaves is more likely, if the marriage of Wilson and Eleanor 14 February, 1803 in Hardin Co. KY is true. Judging from the children's ages and places of birth, Wilson must have brought his family down the Mississippi River about 1805- 1807. A river route would have been best for the journey, and they would have travelled in a flatboat or a keelboat.

The Reily family became well established in Wilkinson County during a similar timeframe. Samuel Reily lived in Sumter District, South Carolina and was on the census records there. Samuel received passports through the Creek Indian Nation in 1810 and again in 1812. He was named on the Mississippi Territory tax list for 1813. Early Wilkinson County was plantation country of forests and fields, but it was a big, empty land, with few towns and centers of commerce. Therefore, the Burtons and Reilys must certainly have been associated in Wilkinson County, through business and social occasions.

In Wilkinson County, both the Burton and Reily families seem to have been fairly wealthy, large, and well- enough supported to make adoption of children one direction or the other seem unlikely. Another possibility for crossing the DNA and/or surname would be premarital liaison or infidelity. John Young Reily was born 1798, SC and Robert Wesley was born 1814, MS. These two children of Martha McDonald Reily were born far apart in time and place, so it is logical that they were truly fathered by Samuel Reily. Looking at paternity from the other direction, Those boys were not old enough to father the Burton children. The Burton lines seem to run parallel back to Samuel’s time or earlier and Samuel was in SC. I must also look at Samuel’s other children; I think Isaac McDonald was older than John Young and, however unlikely, male siblings would carry the same y-DNA.

Burton/ Reily y- DNA mystery

Cousin Jack Reily’s y- DNA test indicated relatedness to a family named Burton, with exact matches for the 37 markers that were examined. Those are reasonably convincing results. Matching 37 of 37 markers yields a 95% probability that individuals have a common ancestor within the previous 7 generations, and 90 % probability within 5 generations. The y- DNA markers are passed down, intact, through the male line as are surnames in our patrilineal culture. Tracing the Burton and the Reily pedigrees back through time, one would eventually locate a single male ancestor, common to the two lineages. That common ancestor could have lived before surnames came into use, but surnames were practically universal in Britain by the 15thcentury. Over such a long time mutations in the DNA would likely cause divergence of the y- DNA signatures, and the matches between Burton and Reily y- DNA would not be so close.

My own line traces back to Robert Wesley Reily, son of Samuel Reily and Cousin Jack traces to John Young Reily, also son of Samuel Reily. As we share the same surname, with the same spelling, and our research has documented evidence for these lineages, I interpret this as confirming our pedigrees back to Samuel Reily, 5 generations, in my case. Samuel was apparently the son of Robert Reily, and in 1784 filed for administration of Robert’s estate, as nearest of kin. I have been unable to document Robert’s immigration to America or his marriage to Ann. Robert applied for and received a land grant in 1764- 65. Also, Robert Reily applied for a land grant in 1750, in the Welch Tract, where he had already begun clearing. That was located in the Pee Dee watershed, I believe. I am uncertain whether this was our Robert; our Robert’s later grants and home were on the Black River, in St. Mark’s Parish.

The Burtons who match DNA with us seem to be from Tennessee and West Virginia, with ancestral lineages that go far back, through early Virginia and to England. The DNA matches are from multiple Burton lines just as we are comparing two parallel Reily lineages. Timeline constraints make it unlikely that the surnames Burton and Reily could diverge from a single family after Samuel’s death in 1822, as both families were already well established and were branching out by that time.

If the DNA matches truly indicate a common ancestry, there were several possible scenarios. Samuel Reily or Robert or their ancestor could have been a Burton who changed his name, or was adopted into the Reily clan. It may or may not be significant that “Reily” is an English spelling of the name, although tradition holds that Robert was from County Cavan, Ireland. The Burton family was, apparently, of English extraction.

The alternative name change could have happened, as well: a Reily, related to Robert, could have become a Burton for any number of reasons. Another possibility is that Samuel or Robert sired a son who was adopted into the Burton family. Research to trace back the Burton lines from the DNA matches may be able to rule out these possibilities on the basis of time or proximity. However, this could not rule out involvement of Robert or his ancestors. Also, there were several other Reily families in South Carolina contemporary with Robert, and there were many Reily families in Pennsylvania at the time. We have not established that they were related to Robert but that certainly seems possible with the same name and same timeframe. Any of them could have had a child adopted by the Burtons.
The next research need seems to be a study of the Burton family in America and their interaction with the Reily family. That may not go back in time far enough, but it is a good starting point. In particular, tracing back from those DNA matches to a common Burton ancestor would be helpful. If those specific Burton lines converged before Samuel Reily was of reproductive age, he could be eliminated as ancestor of Burtons. Samuel would still need investigation as possible child of a Burton.

West Feliciana Parish Map, McCausland

This map was hand- drawn by Mae Mc Causland on fabric, and is framed and mounted in the Genealogy department of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, at the Bluebonnet Regional Branch. Immediately below this post are images of the four quadrants of this map. Click on a quadrant's image for closer, more detailed views.

West Feliciana Map, NW Quadrant

West Feliciana Parish Map, NE Quadrant

West Feliciana Parish Map, SW Quadrant

West Feliciana Parish Map, SE Quadrant