Warren County GaArchives Biographies.....Rees, Hugh 1742 - 1825 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Davis Reese drr66@verizon.net October 21, 2005, 8:38 pm Author: Davis Reese HUGH REES Hugh Rees, parents unknown, was born 12Dec1742 (per tombstone) in location unknown. His known siblings are brothers William, Isham, Edwin and Benjamin (per Isham’s will). All five brothers appear in SC in the 1760s. Dying there were Edwin (1782), Isham (1801) and William (1810). Benjamin and Hugh moved to GA shortly after the Revolution (about 1784 for Hugh, possibly 1786 for Benjamin). Benjamin died late 1805 in Columbia Co., GA and Hugh died in that county (now McDuffie Co.)12Dec1825. Many have concluded that Hugh was the son of a Hugh Rees in the Bristol Parish Register. One Hugh/Sarah had children Priscilla (1729), Isham (1732), Sarah (1735) and James (1739). The same or another Hugh/Elizabeth had children Elizabeth (1743) and Neil (1745). The second Hugh could not have been Hugh’s father as his daughter Elizabeth was born four months (April 1743) after Hugh (December 1742). It appears unlikely that the first Hugh was Hugh’s father, since the birth of William is not in the Register and he was born 1738 or 1739 (based on age at death). Further, none of Hugh’s brothers named a son Hugh and Hugh only so named about his fifth son. Both William (who appears to be the oldest brother, not Isham) and Hugh named their oldest sons, William and Benjamin (the only other brother having sons) named a later son, William. On this basis, it appears probable that Hugh’s father and grandfather were both named William. Based on available information, the names Hugh, Isham and William Rees were common in the 1700s in Prince George Co., VA and counties descending from it. Only one case of a William, son of William, has been found in that area: In 1732, brothers William and Roger Rees inherited land in Amelia Co. from their father, William. Searches have not further identified the brother William, who might be Hugh’s father. However, neither Hugh, Benjamin nor William named a son Roger, which would be odd considering the 30 odd children they had. Comment: based on land records, a number of Reeses lived on both sides of what became the dividing line between Amelia and Dinwiddie Counties (both were part of Prince George when the extant Bristol Parish Register was recorded). Hugh is alleged to have had three wives and 21 children. He was married, based on acres granted in SC, in 1768. The third wife, Elizabeth Newsom is well documented. Many have said that Hugh married Mary James, daughter of Sherwood James, Jr. However, she actually married William Rees, Hugh’s brother. Her sister, Sarah, married Benjamin, Hugh’s brother. Extant information does not show any of Sherwood’s other daughters marrying a Rees. Based on deed records which contain the given name of Hugh’s wife, his first two wives were named Margaret (deed identification lost; DAR has this name) and Sarah (referenced in 1780 deed, see land records). Hugh married Elizabeth Newsom, daughter of Solomon, 20Nov1794 in Warren Co., GA. She was born 20Feb1772 and died 7Jan1748 (tombstone). Thus, she was about 30 years younger than Hugh, but they had several children. Children: The following names and dates are what have been provided. Nothing is known from the Internet which provides any birth date documentation or how the birth order was decided. It appears some of the estimated birth years may be off by many years. *William c1766/15Feb1856 Married Sarah Rees (cousin); Lettice (Latitia) McCreary *Mary c1769/? Married (?) Burkhalter *Elizabeth c1770(1793?)/bNov1823 Named as deceased in Hugh’s will. Married (Isaac?) Brooks *Dorcus c1771/? Married Jeremiah Burkhalter John c1775/6Apr1819 Not in Hugh’s 1823 will. Married Sarah Ganeway. *Benjamin c1780/c1865 Married Elizabeth Pierson. *Theressa (spelling on marriage certificate) c1782/bNov1830 Married Allen Duckworth, Sr. *Jeremiah c1786/23Aug1833 Married Sarah Porter daughter of Charles Porter. *Hugh c1792 (68 1860 census)/1865 Married Martha McGee. Daughter c1792/b1812 Married Billington McCarthy Sanders.(Named as son-in-law and one of the executors in Hugh’s will.) *Sarah c1795/10Aug1858 Married Albert Holliman. *Nancy c1798/after 1823 Not married in Hugh’s 1823 will. *Simmon/Simeon b c1800 (60 in 1860 census)/after 1860 Married ?. *Brittain C. c1801 (1850 census)-c1805 (1860 census)/after 1880. Married Lucinda McGee. Mariah Prudence c1804/b1823? Not in Hugh’s will. Married Henry Scott 3Mar1820. Named as son-in-law and one of the executors in Hugh’s will. Harrison 22Oct1805/obit 5Jun1875. Married 1) Nancy Todd, 2) Martha Toler, 3) Eliza Norris. Not in Hugh’s will. More likely the son of Reuben Rees (son of John Rees, Sr) who married #2 Charlotte Harrison about 1792. *Moses c1807 (1870 census)/after 1870 Married 1) unknown, 2) Michael Todd. *Vincent (youngest son per Hugh‘s will) c1808/? Married Susan Short. * Named in Hugh’s will 13Nov1823. Note: Some confusion exists because Hugh and his brother Benjamin had children with the same name: William, Jeremiah, Benjamin and Sarah. Personal: Little personal information is known about Hugh. He served on a Camden Dist., SC jury in 1774, along with William (brother) and John (probable cousin; mentioned in Bristol Parish Register). Hugh, William and John were also on a Petit Jury in 1778-9 on the East Side of the Wateree. In 1783 Camden Co., he was named to a jury, it is not known if he served or had moved to GA. He was a Justice of the Peace in Wilkes Co., GA at least in 1788 and 1789. He and his wife Elizabeth were members of the Union Baptist Church, Warren Co. (now McDuffie Co.), GA. The DAR formerly recognized Hugh as a veteran of the Revolution. They now require more proof. Hugh Rees is shown as RS (revolutionary soldier) in the 1827 lottery, however, this was his estate, since he was dead. In the same lottery, Elizabeth Rees, almost certainly his wife, is listed as WRS (widow revolutionary soldier). Since these designations required a signed statement (open for all neighbors to see) (no longer extant), the DAR now accepts them as proof. Someone needs to send this info to the DAR. Land Records: Numerous land records exist for Hugh Rees in SC (also his brothers) and in GA (also brother Benjamin). The following list should not be considered complete. South Carolina: 2Mar1767. Memorial for 75 acres on Wateree River, Craven Co. Note: On this date, Hugh was 24. His brother, William, has a 12June1762 deed for 200 acres in the High Hills of Santee in Craven Co., when Hugh was 19. Deeds for brothers Benjamin, Edwin and Isham begin 1769-72. All the brothers may have been in SC in 1762, but only William apparently was old enough to hold a deed (age 27 to 29). 1772 Leased two plantations from his brother Benjamin. 20Dec1772. Land plat for 150 acres in the Parish of St. Marks, Craven Co. 10Feb1775 Grant for 150 acres Santee River, Craven Co. This indicates he had only one child under 16 in 1775. Alleged births for four children: William- 1766, Mary-1769, Elizabeth-1770 and Dorcus-1771. Apparently, only one of these was actually born by February 1775. 13Feb1777. Sold 75 acres to John Rees Craven Co., Parish of St. Marks. This John Rees and wife Mary Pentecost are mentioned as moving to SC in the Bristol Parish Register. It is likely Hugh and John were related, but not brothers. 20Feb1780 Hugh Rees & Sarah, his wife, of St. Marks Parish, Craven Co. to William Bracey of same…50 acres and 150 acres "near Dry Swamp, Wateree River". Signatures: Hugh (LS), Sarah (X). Witnesses: William Rees (LS) and Isham Rees (LS). This shows Hugh and two of his brothers could write. Georgia: Wilkes Co. 1785 Three land grants of 200, 100 and 200 acres. 2Mar1785 Bought 100 acres from Hezekiah Bussey and wife Amy. June 1786 Bought 50 acres from Claburn Newsome, adjacent to Newsome’s original 1786 grant. 1788-89 Witnessed deeds as Justice of the Peace. Columbia Co. Sept. 1791 Bought 210 acres on "old line path between Wilkes and Columbia Cos." from his brother Benjamin. Warren Co. March 1798 Sold 100 acres on Briar (sic, Brier) Creek, formerly Wilkes, now Warren November 1798 Sold 100 acres on Brier Creek to Hardy Newsom. February 1799 Bought 236 acres from brother Benjamin. Land apparently Wilkes>Columbia>Warren. Tax Digest 1814-17 Warren Co., Reeses: Benjamin, Harris, Hugh, Nancy, Reuben. Death/burial: Hugh died 12 Dec 1825 (extant will dated 13Nov1823; probated 22May1826) and wife Elizabeth 7Jun1848. Both are buried 3 or 4 miles from Thomson, GA, then in Columbia Co., now in McDuffie Co. In 1932 the location was described as "The Old Pope Place", "behind the Benjamin T. Rees old store". Benjamin Taliaferro Rees was the son of Jeremiah and the grandson of Hugh. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/warren/bios/rees854gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 9.5 Kb