South Carolina Reily location and a nearby Burton

I previously emailed this map photo to some of the family (click the pic to enlarge). This was from a modern reproduction: Cook, James. 1773. A Map of the Province of South Carolina with all the Rivers, Creeks, Bays, Inletts, Islands..... It shows a "Rilly" homestead on the Black River of South Carolina, and I pondered whether that might be Robert Reily’s plantation. There is ample documentation that the Reily Family lived in the Black River area, and I have been trying to document a more precise location. I believe that the following materials support the premise that this was, indeed, the mapped location of our South Carolina home. Wouldn’t it be interesting to visit that spot! There would be a very good likelihood that Robert and Ann were buried there on the plantation, probably within view of the original house site. It is even possible that their graves could be found. If the markers were formed of stone, brick, or tabby, rather than wood, they might have endured the years.

“500 acres… in Craven County on the S branch of Black River and Deep Creek. Bounded NE by one Smith; SE by land laid out to Robert Riley; other sides vacant. Survey certified 29 June 1774.” (Motes, J. H., and M. P. Motes. 1996. South Carolina Memorials” Southern Historical Press, Greenville, SC. P. 342.)

Note the south branch of the Black River on the maps, and Deep Creek which flows into Pocataligo Swamp. Pocataligo Swamp lies at the fork of the Black River.

“Book F-3, p. 566
5 & 6 Dec. 1766
L & R
ROBERT RAYLEY, yeoman, of St. Marks Parish, Craven Co., to MATTHEW NEILSON, of Craven Co., for d 100 currency, 100 a. in Craven Co., bounding E on BENJAMIN JOHNSON; NW on vacant land; S on GEORGE EVANS; which tract was granted 2 Oct., 1764 by Lt. Gov. WILLIAM BULL. Witnesses: SAMUEL GIBSON, EBENEZER BAGNAL, JOHN VERTEE. Recorded 23 Jan. 1767 by FENWICKE BULL, Register.” (Langley, C. A. South Carolina Deed Abstracts. Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC. P. 330.)

Wain circulated a view of this map that he had found online; it seemed a bit more detailed. Here is a link to the online version.

A later, more detailed map was surveyed in 1821 for Mills’ Atlas. Here is a link. Tearcoat Creek [Swamp] was site of an important revolutionary skirmish. Deep creek, mentioned in the memorial above, is shown. Bear Creek is nearby, where Samuel Reily added 200 acres of land to his plantation (plat dated 18 November, 1784). A Reily plantation was not shown on this map (note that Samuel had moved to Mississippi by 1813). The Burton plantation on this map is due north of Sumterville, on the branch labeled Cowpen Swamp. Here is the link The will of Matthew Neilson, St. Marks Parish, Craven County, SC, died 12 Jan, 1771 mentions “Baker’s Pond formerly granted to Robert Rily and transferred to me [Matthew Neilson]” (Moore, C. T. 1969. Abstracts of the wills of the state of South Carolina 1760= 1784. Vo. 3. Charleston (?), SC.. However, I have been unable to locate this feature on a map.