The Steele Brothers of Georgia Ancestors Arrive in America
In the last Post
we found William Steele in Charleston,
South Carolina in 1820 – 1832 as a lumber merchant and the builder of a
fine mansion at 59 Beaufain Street.
Apparently, he and Martha Smith Steele separated and she traveled to
Henry County, Georgia with 5 children, purchased a farm and began the legacy of
the Steele Brothers of Georgia.
William’s 2nd
marriage was to Eliza R Steele and they had a son, Edwin C Steele. William died in 1832 and soon after that
Eliza died. Their son, E C Steele, inherited
the estate of William and Eliza. Then,
Edwin C “E C” Steele, a minor, died with no Will, leaving William Steele’s
Estate tied up in the Charleston County, SC Court of Equity. Some 36 years later on January 21, 1868 the
Steele heirs with the help of the Smith family of Henry County, Georgia filed a
claim in the Charleston County Court of Equity to force the appointed Executors
of the E C Steele estate to now sell the Beaufain Street property and pay their
rightful claim of inheritance the sum of $605.00.
Further research of old and new information on the internet now this new Steele
family history can be published.
This negates old assumptions the Steeles arrived in Philadelphia and
migrated south down the Great Wagon Road and that William was born in Virginia. It also verifies the old family stories that the
Steele’s came through Charleston and lived near the SC State Capital of
Columbia. This new history has been
documented where possible, but some of it is based on reliable reports by
others.
Robert (Steil) Steele and his son James
(Steil) Steele arrive in Charleston, SC January 5, 1768
James (Steil) Steele 1761 -1825 is William
Steele’s father.
(Steil
was later changed to Anglicize the spelling as Steele to appear more Protestant
English)
On January 5, 1768 William Steele's Father, James Steele, at
age 8, arrived in Charleston, South
Carolina aboard the Brigantine ship Chichester with his family. The ship had sailed from Belfast, Northern
Ireland with 146 passengers on board and the Master was William Reed.
This voyage was one of the last to sail under
The Bounty Act because the Act came
to an end in July 1768. The Charleston Agents
Torrans, Greg and Poaug were responsible for most of The Bounty Act voyages, but later other agents were involved. Agents, Greg and Cunningham, based in
Belfast, Ireland, owned the Brig Chichester. See the
Belfast, Northern Ireland newspaper ad that states “free passage”. This is the 102 day voyage the Steele family
took to Charleston.
Belfast
Northern Ireland Published Ad:
GREGS
and CUNNINGHAM received Advice Yesterday from Charlestown, South Carolina, that
the Bounty to Passengers ceases the first of January, 1768. Those that have
agreed to proceed in the Brig Chichester,
William Reed, Master are desired to be
ready to go on board the 25th September next, for she will sail first Wind
after; and they request all that intend to take their Passage in this Vessel,
may be
speedy
in making their Agreements, for after this Bounty ceases they will not have an Opportunity of a free Passage.
Belfast, August 7th, 1767.
Image
of type of ship the Steele family traveled on for the 102 day voyage (September
25, 1767 – January 5, 1768) to begin a new life in the American Colony of South
Carolina. A Brigantine ship was a two
massed square rigged ship that was swift and easier to maneuver. The size ranged from 50 to 200 tons.
Publications of Immigrants aboard the Brig Chichester
The Steele Family were on the last ship in the scheme of The Bounty Act because the act ended later in 1768.
Robert Steele did receive the reward he was promised. A copy was found of Robert Steele receiving an Indenture from the State of South Carolina on June 16, 1768 to grant to Robert Steele a 350 acre tract of land in Fairfield County on the Little River, recorded in Book DDD, page 207. This is in an area north of present day Columbia, S C in Fairfield County, southwest of the county seat town of Winnsboro, South Carolina.
The county lines and name of this area changed several times. It was once called the Craven District, then the Camden District. When counties were designated the area names changed again. Fairfield County lies in the Piedmont Region and contains several major rivers, making it excellent farm land.
 |
The American Revolutionary War Was Fought 1775 – 1783
1776 American Independence
1783
Treaty of Paris signed |
Q. Why did the Steele Family leave Northern
Ireland and come to the American Colony South Carolina?
A. The South Carolina
July 25, 1761 Bounty Act.
This Act
was passed to bring certified Protestants to Charleston, SC to establish new
inland settlements at least 100 mile inland or more from Charleston. These new pioneer settlements were to expand
the Colony and to create a buffer zone between the refined coastal settlements
and the Native American Indians. The
Scotch Irish were Protestant, strong and hard workers. In return The Bounty Act promised them freedom
of religion, land and money to clear the land and establish a homestead. This Bounty changed and increased over time
and by 1768 when this Steele family arrived they were to receive the
following:
100 Acres for
the head of the family
50 acres for each person over 12 years old
4 £ pounds Sterling for each person over 12 years old
2£ pounds Sterling for each person under 12 but older than 2
years
 |
| The Steele Family headed inland to their 350 acre homestead in present day Fairfield County located between the Broad River on the West and Wateree River and Lake on the east. It is just southwest of Winnsboro, the county seat of Fairfield County and north of Columbia, SC. The Steele Family may have traveled inland from their port of entry, Charleston, to their new home by some sort of boat or a pole boat up the Cooper River and the Broad River to their land on Little River which is a tributary of the Broad River. Some pioneers chose the overland route of wagon trains or pack mules, using ferries to cross rivers and streams. Over the decades the Steele family homestead location name changed due to the changing of boundary lines. They did not move, the location changed names. |
South Carolina Parent County/Boundary
Changes after the Steele family’s arrival in 1768:
1785
– 33 counties were created within existing South Carolina Districts.
Fairfield
County was created within the Camden District.
1791
- Chester was transferred to the newly created Pinckney District.
1797
- Richland exchanged with Fairfield County.
1800
- Fairfield re-christened a district and Camden District was abolished.
1800
- Chester was re-christened a district and Pinckney District was abolished.
1868
- Chester and Fairfield Counties and all other districts became counties
1913
- Richland gained from Fairfield and Lexington Counties.
William Steele’s Father – James Steele
(Continued)
1760 Born in
Ireland
1768 Arrived in
Charleston January 5, 1768, age 8
1768 Residence
at age 8 was Craven District, South Carolina
1780 Marriage to
Elizabeth Ann Carr, age 20, born 1760 in Fishing Creek, Chester, SC, died June
19, 1824, age 64, in Fishing Creek,
Chester, SC. Elizabeth Ann’s Parents –
David Carr born 1740, died 1812 and Margaret Powell born in VA, married 1760 age 20,
Augusta, Rockbridge, VA 1740, died March
15, 1825
1800 Residence
Fairfield, South Carolina
1820 Residence
Fairfield, South Carolina
1826 Died July 17,
1826, age 66, Fairfield, South Carolina
James and Elizabeth Ann Steele’s children
–
all born in Fairfield County, SC (details below)
- Robert Steele II 1790 -1862 - moved to Bibb Co, AL and Bienville
Parrish, LA
- Ann Steele
Morgan 1792 – 1806, age 14
- Henry
Steele, II born in Camden (Fairfield) County, SC about
1800, moved to Shelby County, AL and d. 1842
***
William Steele b. 1797 in
Fairfield County, SC, moved to Charleston, SC and died in 1832 (our ancestor)
-John
Steele 1798 - 1857 – moved to Bibb
County, AL and died in 1857
- Margaret
McGill Steele 1801 – 1838 or 1850
- James
Steele, Jr. 1803 – 1880 - moved to
Bibb County, AL and died in 1880
The 1790 U S
Census of Fairfield District SC, list James Steele as head of household as
follows:
1 free white male and 2 white females
The 1800 US
Census of Fairfield District SC, list James Steel as head of household as
follow:
2 white males, 5 white females
The 1820 U S
Census of Fairfield, SC dated August 7, 1820 list James Steel as head of
household as follows:
Household: Total
8 persons; 2 white males; 4 white females; l male slave and 2 female slaves and
3 persons engaged in agriculture.
As was the
tradition, James Steele, the first born son of Robert Steele, and his siblings were
willed the 350 acres from their father, Robert Steele, who received it from SC
for participating in The Bounty Act settlement.
This is where our ancestor, William Steele, grew up. A copy was found of the deed transaction
where James Steele sold this property for the sum of £35
Pounds Sterling to Alexander
Kinkaid on December 2, 1794 (12th year of American
Independence). The Indenture was hard
to read, but transcribed as follows:
Robert Steele Indenture
from State of South Carolina June 16, 1768 grant to Robert Steele a 350 acre
tract in Fairfield County on Little River bounded and recorded in Book DDD, page 207, Robert Steele in his
Last Will and Testament did give said
land to his wife and 4 children. Now
this Indenture witnessed that the said James Steele for and in consideration of
the sum of 35 pounds Sterling sorting money to him truly paid by the said Alexander
Kincaid and before the signing and delivery of these presents the receipt
were of the said James Steele doth hereby and acknowledge and himself to be
will content satisfied and said have granted bargain sold with
and conveyed and confirmed and by these presents do bargain sell where
convey and confirm to the said Alexander Kincaid in his convey and confirm to to the said Alexander Kincaid in his ? now being by virtue of a bargain and sale
to him thereof made by the said James Steel and by force of the statute for
transferring of what propositions now being by virtues of a bargain sale him therefore made by said James Steel and by force of the
statute for transferring of into portion and his heirs and assigns forever all
that track of land containing 351 acres together with house triangular the house houses Edifices buildings, barns
stable yard and woods under wood timber
and timber trees lakes, water courses
ford fits commodities aputitaments to the same respectively belong or in
anywise appertaining and the revision and
or remainder and remainder rents
profits thereof as also all the gate with letter portrait prosper claim and demand whatsoever
of him the said James Steel of into or out of the said premises and every part
thereof, to have and to hold the said plantation or tract of 350 acres of land
with every the and aputitaments thereunto belonging with the said Alexander Kincaid his heirs and assigns to
the only proper and obsolete the proof
of him the said Alexander Kincaid his heirs and assigns forever and the James
Steel doth hereby for himself his heirs and assigns D and assigns covenant premises and agree and with
Alexander Kincaid his heirs and assigns in manner and foresight l that is to say, that the said Alexander
Kincaid his heirs and assigns, shall and may from time and at tall times
thereafter, presumably an quietly have hold prosperously and enjoy the said
tract of 350 acres of land with the rights members and apertures is without
any manner of trouble molestation interruption and denial of the said James
Steel his heirs and assigns and the said James Steele for himself his heirs
Executors and of the said grant of 350 acres of land with the m? and
appurtenant unto the said Alexander Kincaid his heirs and assigns
against him the said James steel his heirs and
years shall and will warrant and abide by this presents For Wilmip where of the said James Steel hath
now set his hand and seal this December
September sign seal and deliver here under of us X
Received the day and year within written of the
within Alex Kincaid the sum of 35 pounds sterling money bring the full
consideration written received by me
James X Steele
James Kincaid – merchant of the state and county aforesaid a certain
plantation or of one hundred and eight
acres originally granted to Hadrick Jacobs by his Excellency Arnold Vanderkofth
having Indenture made Dec 2, 1794 (12th year of American Independence)
between the State of South Carolina Fairfield County, South Carolina – Granted Robert Steele
Note: Alexander Kincaid is the younger brother of James Kincaid. Information regarding James Kincaid is furnished below.
James Steele’s Will
is transcribed below showing he left his estate to his youngest son, James
Steele Jr, and one dollar each to the other children. However, as shown above, James had sold the
350 acres in 1794, but he may have purchased other land. His son Henry bought 200 acres adjoining this
land in 1804.
THE WILL OF JAMES STEEL, SR
Made and Signed on December
23, 1825
He Died July 26, 1826
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
– FAIRFIELD DISTRICT
In the name of God Amen
– I James Steel Senior of the State and District aforesaid being of sound and
disposing in mind and memory as far as my age and infirmities of body admits;
so that I deem myself capable of disposing my property and being desirous to
settle my little estate and earthly concern before I die, do make and ordain
this my last Will in manner following, that is to say, it is my will that my
land including two tracts – the one whereon I live containing fifty acres more
or less and an adjoining tract containing one hundred acres more or less, Shall
after deceased in part kept for the support of my wife during her natural life
with a joint use with my son James
and after her death wholly to my son
James & his heirs my
personal estate I also place & bequeath in the same situation for the joint
use of my wife for her life and after her death to my son James, upon
conditions of son James shall pay all my just debts and he shall pay to my sons
Robert, Harry, William & John, my daughters Anne Morgan, and Margaret
McGill each one Dollar in due of
any other dividend of my estate, also to pay my funeral expenses &c. I do further and lastly appoint my son James
my sole Executor to this my last will and testament.
Signed sealed and
delivered xxx this 23rd day of December eighteen hundred and twenty
five
(December 23, 1825) in the presence of
Robert D. Cato Charles Montgomery, Junior Henry Nelson James (his mark X) Steel
Senior
James Steele’s Obituary
in the Charleston, SC “The City Gazette”
Notes from “The City Gazette”, of
Charleston, SC, dated Wednesday July 26, 1826, died at his residence in
Fairfield District, South Carolina on the seventeenth ultimate Mr. James
Steele, age 65. His will was recorded
7-11-1828 and named “my wife”, and children Robert, Henry, William,
John, James, Margaret McGill, and Ann Morgan.
He sold a parcel of land on 12-2-1794 to Alexander Kincaid, described as
being a part of an “original tract” granted to Robert Steele, recorded in Book
DDD, p. 267, and left by said Robert Steele to his wife and four children, Deed
Book L, p. 60-61 His
burial site could not be located.
Side Notes regarding James Steele’s land
and his neighbors:
Location: His
land was located on or on a branch of the Little River, a tributary of the
Broad River that flows through present day Columbia, SC. James Steele sold the 350 acres he inherited
from his father, Robert Steele, to Alexander Kincaid, younger brother of
James Kincaid. The Kincaids emigrated
from County Tyrone, Ireland. They
established a large plantation and historic brick mansion still standing today
at 7430 Landis Road, Jenkinsville, Fairfield County, SC. This is the area of the Steele Homestead of
James’ father, Robert Steele. The
Kincaid family purchased several tracts of land adjacent to or near the Steele
land to establish a large plantation. Refer
to additional information about the Kincaid Plantation
at the end of this document.
Neighbors:
Several generations of the Smith family lived adjacent and near the
Steele land. They were: Robert Smith 1756 – 1853; Robert Wilson
Smith, Jr 1794 – 1870; Patrick Smith Sr 1705 in Ireland – 1808; Patrick Smith,
Jr 1730 – 1790 and others. In 1804 Henry
Steele purchased 200 acres for $350 from
Robert E Smith and Jane Smith, a land grant to Patrick Smith, on a branch of Little River bounding on James
Steele land on the West. This is
possibly why William Steele married Martha Smith because, relationships
often formed within the local settlement.
Time Line of Steele Land:
- January 5, 1768 Robert Steele and his family arrive in
Charleston, SC aboard the Brig Chichester
- June 16, 1768 Robert
Steele was granted 350 acres on the Little River in present day Fairfield
County, SC
- January 5, 1794 Robert Steele died and first son, James
Steele, inherited the 350 acres
- December 2, 1794 James Steele sold the 350 acres to James
Kincaid for 35 £
Sterling
- January 28, 1804 Henry
Steele purchased 200 acres from Robert and Jane Smith for $350.00, land granted
to Patrick Smith and Robert E Smith inherited.
It is described as land adjacent to the James Steele land and running
from the spring of James Steele. This is proof the Smith and Steele families
were neighbors. Henry Steele must have
made this purchase to help his father, James, because he was living in Shelby
County, AL at this time. Perhaps this is where James Steele lived out his last
days.
- 1824 James’ wife Elizabeth Ann Carr
Steele died
- July 26, 1826 James Steele, Sr died in Fairfield
County
James Steele and Elizabeth Ann Carr’s
Children (details):
- Robert Steele II 1790 -1862
Born 1789 in Fairfield County, SC, Died 11-30-1862
age 73. Married Rachel Duggan Steel
(1800–11/30/1862) both died in
Bienville Parrish, LA and are Buried at
Oak Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery, Lincoln Parrish, LA
Robert Steele
went to Bibb County Alabama soon after Alabama became a state after 1826. He
served as Justice of the Peace for Bibb Co as late as 1837 and was still buying
land as late as 1842. He served as
Commissioner 3rd Precinct, appointed by court to improve the road
from the falls of Chaba, Centerville to Tuscaloosa, about ¼ miles, between 3rd
and 4th post and report at the next meeting. He was also the Overseer of 2nd
precinct for road from Centerville to Bucksville, of the 2nd term –
1830.
About 1849 he moved to Bienville Parish,
LA. In the 1850 U S Census for The Western district
of Bienville Parish, Louisiana, he is listed as a farmer with an estate valued
at $150 and with children Amanda age 21, Oliver J. age 18, and Romulus age 12.
The same census showed they were living close by daughter Sarah Steele
Canterbury and son Richard J Steele. Bienville Parrish, LA is located south of I-20
and east of Shreveport, LA. Lincoln Parrish,
LA is the same place, the Parrish borders changed. Simsboro is south of exit 77 on I-20 east of
Shreveport.
Children of Robert and Rachel Duggan Steele
are:
-Alexander
Steele, b. 1812 in Fairfield, SC d. 1851
-Sarah Steele
b. 1814, Fairfield County, SC; m. Zachary Canterbury, 12-11-1834 d. 1890
-Elizabeth Steele b 1816, Fairfield
County, SC m. Kneedham Holland, 1-14-1835 d. 1850
- Edward
Steele b 1817, Fairfield, SC m. Rebecca Bunn, 11-10-1842, Bibb Co AL
-Mary Pierson Steele Stewart b. 1826 in
Fairfield, SC m. Alabama Philemon
Stewart 11-05-1845 in Bibb Co AL
d. 11-13-1881 in Louisiana buried Oak Grove
Presbyterian Church
-Richard J
Steele b. 1827 AL m. Mary Ann Mitchell 7-10-1847 Bibb Co AL d. 1861
-Amanda Steele b. 1830 in AL d.
1880
- Oliver J
Steele, b. 1832, Alabama, d. 1854, Bibb County, AL, m. -Sarah Nichols,
8-04-1852, Bibb Co AL
- Romelus
Augustus Steele, b. 4-05-1838, Bibb Co Ala. d. 5-01-1908; m. Mary Elizabeth Mitchell; lived in Bienville Parish, LA; married Sarah
Emily Fitzgerald; lived in Anderson Co, TX;
Navarro Co, TX; Married Sallie Elizabeth Harding; died and buried Midway
Cemetery, Navarro Co, TX; Served in Confederate Army and Civil War until
2-2-1863
From “The
Steeles of Bibb, A Pioneer Alabama Family”, a published book by Miriam
& Parker Steele: According to Miriam
Steele, Robert owned land near Simsboro in Lincoln Parish, LA. and
donated land for Oak Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where he and his wife are buried. Oak Grove Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana
USA
The land for the
Oak Grove Cemetery was originally donated by Robert Steele. The first person
buried there was his wife, Rachel, who died July 15, 1850. The original lot was
three acres, located in the fork of two roads. One road ran from Arcadia to
Hodge, and the other road ran from Arcadia to Simsboro. The deed was made by
Philemon Wesley Stewart, Mary Pierson Steele Stewart’s husband, and Robert
Steele's son-in-law. This area was originally in Bienville Parish, but was
taken into Lincoln Parish when it was created during Reconstruction, in 1873. It is located on the south side of I-20 at Exit
76 in the town of Simsboro.
Burials: - Sarah Steele Canterbury, Robert Steele’s
daughter, b. 1814 in SC, d. 1-23-1890.
Family lore is that Sarah and her husband, Zachariah Caswell Canterbury
b. 1809, are buried here in unmarked graves.
Date of death taken from a deed where she sold her land to W L Carr, her
son-in-law, listing heirs as R S Canterbury, Jane Brown, James H Canterbury and
John H Canterbury. Her parents were
Robert Steel 1789 – 1862 and Rachel Duggan Steel 1800 – 1850.
Oak Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Lincoln Parrish, formerly Bienville Parrish, Louisiana
In Memory
of Rev. John
Steele Who Died March 25th
1857 aged 59
years
“I am the
resurrection and the life,
he that believeth in me, though he were dead yet
shall he live”.
John Ch.
11 Vs. 25
- Margaret McGill Steele 1801 – 1850 age 49, born and died in Fairfield County,
SC, married ? McGill 1781 – 1838 2 children:
Mary 1828 – 1829 and Jane 1835 – 1836
- James Steele, Jr. 1803 – 1880
b. in Fairfield County, SC d. June 8, 1880 in Bibb County, AL
Married Mary Woodward
(1800 – 1880) in 1824 in Fairfield Co, SC
In 1833 James
went to Alabama to homestead under the Homestead Treaty of April 24, 1820 where at the land
office of Cahab, James was awarded 80.21 acres, Described as 1 E1/2 NE St
Stephens No 14N 6E 8, Classified as sale-cash entry.
In 1830 and 1840
his residence was Bibb County, AL
In 1830 and 1840
his residence was Bibb County, AL
In 1830 James
Steele of the 6th Precinct was
appointed by the Court, et al to make such alterations of road leading from
Falls of Cahaba, Centerville to Tuscaloosa, about ¼ mile between 3 & 4
posts, as may comport best the general good, etc. and report to the next term
of this court. Feb. 1830 term of
Commissioner’s Court – Bibb Co. See
Minutes of Commissioner’s Court – Bibb Co 1828 – 1831, pages 30 – 31.
In 1840, age 37,
is residence was Bibb County, AL with a household of 6 people and 1 male and 1
female slave
In 1850, age 47,
his residence was E C River, Bibb County, AL
In 1860, age 57,
his residence was West Side Cahaba River, Bibb County, AL
In 1870, age 67,
his residence was Scottsville, Bibb County, AL, household of James and Mary
In 1880 age 77,
Mary age 79 - their residence was Scottsville, Bibb County, AL where he died
June 8, 1880 and wife Mary also died in 1880.
James Jr. and Mary Steele’s children;
- George
Washington Lafayette Steele 1825 – 1895
- Margaret
Jane Steele 1828 – 1849
- Mary Ann
Steele 1828 – 1898
- William Madison
Steele 1838 – 1898
- Amazon
Steele 1842 –
- Christopher
Columbus Steele 1842 –
- Frederick
Harrison Steele 1844 –
What attracted the Steele family members
to Bibb County, Alabama?
The Alabama
Homestead Act was signed April 24, 1820 to attract settlers to the area. Bibb County was a fast growing thriving place
due to the ample water supplied by several rivers for crops, citizens and land
elevation to provide water powered factories.
It is located south of Birmingham between I-20 and I-65.
The Steele
brothers were all farmers and most likely grew cotton or other crops and are
considered pioneer settlers of the county.
See the published book “The
Steeles of Bibb, A Pioneer Alabama Family
In 1836 a very large water powered cotton mill was built on Shultz Creek 7 miles north of
Centreville. The mill was built of brick
3 stories high 90 X 44 feet. It ran 500 spindles and 430 spools of thread per
day producing a cloth called osnaberg which was known as “slave cloth”
to make salve’s clothing. Later the mill
also produced fine cloth, linseys, superior cotton thread and batting. The Scottsville Cotton Mill owned 3,000
acres of land and was the largest cotton mill in the country at that time.
There were
hundreds of water powered mills of every kind in production throughout the
county. The area commerce thrived with
plenty of jobs and demand for crops of all kinds, especially cotton for the
mill. During the Civil War the mill made
cloth for the Confederacy.
The town was
originally called Cahawba, a
Choctaw word meaning “water above” or Cahaba
for the river but later changed to Scottsville after David Scott and other men
from Tuscaloosa invested heavily in the mill. The town of Scottsville grew to
200 residents. Mr. Scott created a model
cotton mill town with a company store and employee housing. The citizens formed the 44th
Alabama Regiment for the Civil War in 1862. David Scott was from the north but later
adopted the use of slave labor in the mill and purchased a few slave families
to work in the mill along with the whites.
By 1860 the mill employed 30 blacks, 87 whites at $8 a month for women
and $12 a month for men.
Toward the end
of the Civil War the mill was destroyed by Gen. James H Wilson’s 13,500 Calvary
Troops purging it with fire and gunpowder.
Gen. Wilson then dispatched Gen. Edward McCook of Ohio to Scottsville to
finish the destruction.
Scottsdale no
longer exists except a road named Scottsdale Rd between Selma and Tuscaloosa
and a few churches that contain the name Scottsdale. The area is located between I-20 and I-65
south of Birmingham and is 7 miles north of the county seat of Centerville, AL. The mill site is covered in vegetation and
not recognizable. Reports are that
treasure hunters have for years searched the site.
Under the
fertile farming soil was discovered fast mineral deposits of ore, coal, clay, limestone, dolomite, barite,
calcite, Celestine, goethite, hematite, illite, kaolinite, limonite, marble,
marcasite, montmorillonite,
petrified wood, quartz, rhodochrosite, sphalerite and sulphur. There
were on record 150 mines in Bibb County, AL and many associated with the iron
industry.
 |
American
Civil War
April
12, 1861 – May 9, 1865
|
James Steele’s Father Robert Joseph
Steele
1719 Born in Ireland
1745 at age 25 in Ireland married Margaret Ingrid Hubbard b.
1729 in Ireland d. 1768, Fairfield Co, SC
January 5, 1768 -Arrived in Charleston, South Carolina
with his wife and 4 children
Aboard the Brigantine
Chichester
He was
considered a religious refugee encouraged to immigrate by the Bounty Act passed
7-25-1761.
1768 -
Residence Craven District SC, later became Fairfield County, SC
Died January 5, 1794 Fairfield District, SC
Robert Joseph Steele and Margaret Ingrid Steele’s children
-
Nelly Steil b. 1735 d. 1736
-
Nellie Steele b. 1754 died 1722, age
32
[It
was a tradition that if a child died very young, the next child of the same sex
would be given that name]
**James Steele b. 1760 in Ireland d. 1826
in Fairfield County, SC – our ancestor
- Henry Steele b. 1763 died 1781, age 17 in Fairfield
County, SC
- Elizabeth
Steele b. 1764 - died 1768 in Fairfield County, SC
Robert Joseph Steele’s Parents In Ireland
Father: William Steele b. 1694 d. 1768
Mother: Eleanor b. 1695 d. 1722
The
Scotch-Irish Religion and Religious
Freedom
Traditionally,
the Scotch-Irish were Presbyterian.
Christianity in
Scotland dates back from the 6th and 7th centuries. Presbyterianism triumphed in 1567 with the
teachings of protestant reformer John Knox who preached of original sin,
predestination, stern retribution for wrongdoing. These beliefs raised from the Calvinism
beliefs. They rebelled against the Roman Catholic and Anglican Church of
England.
Thus, the
Protestant Reformation of the 16th century was harsher and more
intense in Scotland and produced a hatred of Roman Catholicism. They believed that the best road to heaven
did not go through Rome. They did not
believe in the separation of church and state but believed that government
officials should be ministers. They
believed in schools, individualism and preaching the gospel. They were smart, used common sense, very
practical, hard workers, honest, kindness to others, but would fight for what was right.
They did not like pledging to the Crown of England, building great gold inlaid
cathedrals in which to worship and being highly taxed by the Crown.
In the 1700’s
there were many religious uprisings of the Scotch-Irish in County Ulster,
Ireland located on the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
They were known
in Northern Ireland as Ulster-Scotts and those involved in the revolts became
known as the “Hearts of Steel” and Hearts of Oak” or “Steelboys” and “Oakboys”. There were revolts of the tenants against
their landlords, high taxes by the Crown and religious freedom. The ring leaders were arrested and hung.
Thousands sought
safety in the American Colonies. An
estimated 12,000 left each year. Between 1771 and 1773 an estimated 30,000 fled
to America. By the time of the American
Revolution it is estimated 250,000 had come to America and they were ready to
join the fight for American Freedom.
The early
settlers found themselves still under the rule of the Crown. The British Parliament sought to establish
the Anglican Church as the official church of the British Isles and the
American Colonies. The Pioneer Settlers
established their own settlements centered around a house of worship based on
their Christian belief. The British
Parliament proceeded to establish Anglican Parishes and send Anglican ministers
into the backwoods settlements in an attempt to convert the Scotch-Irish to the
“correct” religion. They declared that
Presbyterian ministers were forbidden to perform marriages and declared any
performed as null and void. Other
settlers from Europe also brought their own religious beliefs. The pioneer settlers stood their ground and
fought for their beliefs.
The Old Brick Church - Fairfield County,
S C
Located about 4 mi north of Jenkinsville on SC
213 in Fairfield County, SC
Before the
American Revolution, Scots-Irish settlers including the Steele family came to
western Fairfield County and established a farming community. This was
probably the Steele Family’s church and located about 3 miles from Robert
Steele’s homestead. His grave site could
not be found or has deteriorated from the age of the grave markers.
Author’s note – I personally visited this
church and saw firsthand the very old and illegible grave markers and many were
missing. But, it was an inspiring site
at a beautiful old church.
The settlers
soon began worshiping at this site just west of Little River. It was first known as Little River and later
as Ebenezer Church. The congregation
was part of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The congregation worked hard to build a brick
meeting house, with homemade bricks from
nearby clay deposits and working on the church building after crops were laid
by.
According to tradition the original meeting
house was completed in 1788 and underwent renovations over the years. It
remains one of the oldest church buildings in upper SC. Associate Reformed Presbyterian congregations
met on that day and formed the Synod of the Carolinas, one of four regional
synods of the denomination, which had been created in 1782. The Synod of the Carolinas later became the Synod of the South and today continues as the
General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The Old Brick Church is one of the most
important historic sites for members of the denomination.
One
of the most colorful events in the long history of the building occurred during
the Civil War. Many of the men of the community had enlisted in the Confederate
Army. Union forces moved through the area in 1865. Retreating Confederates
burned the bridge over Little River to slow down the federal advance. The Union
forces ripped up the floor of the church to build a temporary bridge over the river.
One Union soldier penciled the following message, which is still visible on the
wall at the rear entrance:
“Citizens of this community: Please excuse us for defacing your
house of worship so much. It was absolutely necessary to effect a crossing over
the Creek (Little River), as the Rebs destroyed the bridge. – A Yankee.”
Steele’s
Buried at the Old Stone Church that are legible
Steele, J. H.
43075921 b. unknown d. Jul. 6, 1900
Steele, J. H.
45219797 b. unknown d. Jul. 6, 1900
Steele, James
Martin 43075922 b. 1851 d. 1932, Son of Frank Steele and Margaret [Martin]
Steele
Steele, Janie
43075923 b. 1873 d. 1873 Birth: 1873 Death:
1873 Listed with Mary Steel
Steele, Mary
43075925 b. 1899 d. 1899
Steele, Robert
Lee 43075926 b. Jul. 10, 1878 d. Sep.
27, 1953
Steele, Janie
Glover Moore b. Jul., 1855 d. Jan. 7, 1931 Daughter of John Moore and Janie
Glover Moore b Ireland
Where did the Robert Steele family live
before immigrating to the American Colonies?
Robert Steele
and his family sailed from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They most likely had settled in Northern
Ireland or on the Ulster Plantation just across the border with Ireland. Before settling in Northern Ireland they
lived in Scotland or just across the border in England. They were known as Lowland Scots as opposed
to Scottish Highlanders from the Scottish northland. This fertile low land farming area is known today
as the breadbasket of the British Isles, particularly in the County of
Ayrshire, just south of Glasgow.
Side
Note: General James Oglethorpe, who in
1733 settled the Georgia Colony at Savannah, called upon the Scottish
Highlanders led by Gen. Lackland McIntosh to assist the Georgia Colony to fight
off the Indians and the Spanish encroaching from the south. Darien, Georgia is known as the Scottish city
of the South. The Scottish Highlanders
were fierce fighters but were able to negotiate with the American Indians for
more territory for settlement. The
Highlanders wore similar clothing as the Indians and knew how to live off the
land. They were willing and able to
defend the Colony and fight off the Spanish approaching from the south.
The Lowland
Scotts lived in the agricultural region along the borders of Scotland and England. In the early 1600’s these people were living
in poverty and had turned to a life of marauding and horse thievery. Rather than pledging to the Crown, they had
become a burden to the Crown.
A plan was
devised to establish new settlements in Northern Ireland and encourage the
Lowland Scotts to migrate to the island of Ireland in 1605 – 1697. This was a way to eradicate Scotland of the
hordes of lowland Scots, to neutralize the spread of Catholicism on the island
and expand the British Empire. Prior to
1707, Scotland was a distinct Kingdom from England and governed by its own
manners and customs.
The organized
settlement scheme was for a plantation settlement in the Province of Old Ulster
in the Counties of Antrim, Down, Amagh, Tyrone, Donegal, Cavan, Fermanagh, and
Londonderry that became known as The Ulster Plantation. The southern
pioneer settlers brought the plantation idea with them which resulted in many
southern plantations in agricultural regions of the South.
Approximately 200,000 Scots crossed the North
Irish Channel to settle in Ulster during this 92 year period. The migration was organized in stages and
immigrants were assigned areas in which to settle. Presently, the Ulster Plantation is actually
in Ireland along the border of Northern Ireland. Records show the Steele’s were assigned to settle
in County Cavan. However, current
immigration maps show that by the late 1600’s people with the name of Steele
are primarily located in Northern Ireland in the vicinity of Londonderry,
Belfast and all over Northern Ireland.
The name Steele is found all over the British Isles including Ireland,
but more prominent in Northern Ireland.
When the
Scottish immigrants arrived at their new home, their first task was to build
cottages and booths out of sod and saplings, then till the soil. This is exactly what Robert Steele experienced
when he immigrated to the British colony of South Carolina, but the big
difference was he now owned his land.
The Political
Scheme of the Ulster Plantation Settlement:
The organized scheme was to divide the land into 1000, 1500 and 2000
acres called baronies or precincts. Some
immigrants who received these lots were termed “undertakers”. Over each barony was a Chief Undertaker who
was allowed to receive 3,000 acres.
These Undertakers were chosen by the King and included one Duke, one
Earl, three Barons and four Knights.
Fifty ordinary Undertakers were then chosen by the Chiefs. For every 1,000 acres received, there had to
be 24 able bodied Scots or Englishmen to work. Two of the families were to be freeholders or
leaseholders; and the remainder could be cottagers. The Undertakers mustered their tenants twice
a year and provided them with weapons.
Many immigrants
were not happy with this scheme. After
1630 Scottish migration to Ireland waned for a decade. Many Scots went home after King Charles
forced the Prayer Book of the Church of England on to the Church of Ireland,
thus denying the Scots their form of worship.
In 1638 “The Black Oath” was imposed on the Scots in Ulster, binding
them on no account to take up arms against the King. Insulted twice, many returned to
Scotland. In 1641 the native Irish broke
out in armed rebellion, slaughtering defenseless men, women and children. The survivors rushed to the seaports and back
to Scotland. In 1642 10,000 Scottish soldiers,
many Highlanders, arrived to quell the Irish rebellion. Thousands stayed on in Ireland, replacing
those who had left, thus expanding the Ulster population.
Author’s Note -
In 2013 I visited beautiful Scotland, Ireland
and Northern Ireland. I felt very much
at home in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Scotland was beautiful,
interesting and the people are very friendly, but it does reflect their British
heritage.
In Ireland and Northern Ireland I could
see many habits, foods, lifestyles and friendly people that were just like
family. They love “the States” and
watch American TV shows and feel a real connection to us in the “the
States”. They are fun loving people who
enjoy singing and playing traditional instruments. The music sounded very much like our country
or Application music. It was very
evident the American pioneers did bring their music with them. Ireland joined the European Union, therefore,
their currency is the Euro ¤.
Northern Ireland is an amazing small
country that really did feel like home.
It was clean, neat, and nice with good roads and friendly people. The economy is good and prices seemed
lower. Folks come over from Ireland to
shop. Northern Ireland is loyal to
England, therefore, their currency is the British pound £.
The Northern Ireland people are faithful Protestant Christians, fun loving, hard workers and very friendly. They also love their music and traditional instruments.
In Northern Ireland there is still
evidence of “the troubles" the long schism between Catholics and
Protestants. They are very thankful that
President Clinton was able to negotiate an agreement and settlement of the issue. Now schools, police and fire departments are
no longer segregated. As part of their
history, billboards and signs are everywhere showing scenes of “the
troubles”.
Flags are very important to the people of
Northern Ireland and displayed everywhere.
The Irish flag means a Catholic pub or neighborhood and the British flag
means they are Protestant. It is not
wise to enter an area wearing symbols of the wrong flag or there will be
trouble.
Belfast, where the Chichester sailed
from, is an amazing modern thriving city and where we boarded a ferry ship to
cross the Irish Sea back to Scotland. The
Titanic was built in Belfast and they still grieve over the tragedy. Some of their ancestors were on board, along
with the crew from Liverpool, England.
It set sail from South Hampton, England to cross the Northern Atlantic. A beautiful museum about the Titanic is
located at the old shipyard site. The assembly building is now one of the largest
movie sound stages in the world.
I was very proud to see and feel firsthand
the area of my heritage. The name Steele
is a popular name particularly on the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland
and the areas of Belfast and Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Since the Steele’s were originally immigrants
from Scotland/England we do not have an Irish Family Clan, but we truly are
Scotch-Irish.
The Author
Additional Information:
The Location of the Robert Steele
Homestead
Near the Kincaid Plantation - House pictured below
This
Kincaid-Anderson Plantation and House located at 7430 Landis Road, Winnsboro,
SC or SC Sec. Rd. 48, Jenkinsville, SC is adjacent or close to the
land grant of Robert Steele which James Steele, Jr sold to Alexander Kincaid on
December 2, 1794. Alexander Kincaid is
the younger brother of James Kincaid who built this plantation home. The Kincaid family bought a lot of land in
this area including the Steele property. In 1820 Alexander Kincaid owned 34 slaves and by 1850 he had 71 slaves to
work on his large estate. The Steele
property was probably located in this area.
This elegant
Georgian mansion was constructed in 1774 by James Kincaid, Captain in the
American Revolution under Generals Francis Marion and Thomas Sumter,
agricultural innovator, religious leader, and member of the South Carolina
House of Representatives. The house was built on land granted by King George
III which contained the famous ten-acre rock that later became the Anderson
quarry.
James Kincaid was one of the first purchasers
of cotton in the South Carolina upcountry and was possibly involved in the
early development of a cotton gin. He is thought to have also locally promoted
the tomato as a food. Kincaid was also
instrumental in the local promotion of Associate Reformed Presbyterianism,
aiding the establishment of nearby Ebenezer Church also known as The Old
Brick Church, the same church that the Steele family attended. This house was listed on the National
Register of Historic Places July 30, 1974.
Captain James
Kincaid was an entrepreneur known for introducing cotton farming to the South
Carolina upcountry. He was also a private banker, watermill builder, canal
developer, and avid traveler. During a trip to the Caribbean he noted the
natives using a machine made of revolving saws for husking coconuts. He brought
the idea back home and adapted it to make a machine for carding wool. This machine
was then developed into a very early version of a working cotton gin. Hudgens
Holmes was living at Kincaid estate at the time, and was engaged in
perfecting this invention. Local legend states that Eli Whitney, who had worked for and was discharged by Kincaid,
later came back to the estate for a visit and then patented his own version of
the gin based on Kincaid’s original creation. What is known for certain is that
Whitney patented his gin in 1794, and that Kincaid already had a working saw
gin at his grist mill on Mill Creek, a tributary of Little River in Fairfield
County, as early as 1795.
The estate has
been passed down through the family and later sold. It has been upgraded, expanded and remodeled
numerous times and became an elegant Hunt Club. In 2015 the plantation was for sale for $1.4
million dollars.
On this land is
the famous “10 Acre Rock” which later became the Kincaid-Anderson Quarry of
famous Fairfield blue granite that operated until 1946. Now the quarry has been declared dangerous
and off limits.
_______________
Research
Resources:
Ancestry.com
Google Chrome
Search
“A Social
History of Scotch Irish” by Carlton Jackson
History Museum
of Winnsboro, Fairfield County, SC
Charleston
County SC Record and Deed Room
Charleston, SC Historical Society Reference Room
Georgia State
Archives, Morrow, GA
South Carolina
State Archives, Columbia, SC
South Carolina History Room of City of
Charleston SC Library
Live Oak
Library, Savannah, GA
On site personal research and observations
