Friday, March 22, 2019

Revised 2019 Steele Brothers of Georgia Genealogy And Time Line


 The Steele Brothers of Georgia
Genealogy and Time Line Revised March 19, 2019

1850 -1939  Walter Simon Steele, father of the Steele Brothers, Henry County, GA  and owner of a cotton gin and country store, Luella Henry County, GA where the Steele Brothers were born.

1823 -1864           Robert Roy Steele, born in Charleston, SC, arrived in Henry Co GA with his mother, Martha Smith Steele, about 1835, He owned his own farm, died due to illness as a Civil War Soldier.

1797 - 1838 William George Steele, born in Fairfield County SC, was a successful lumber merchant in Charleston, SC.  He built a 4,000 sq ft historic mansion at 89 Beaufain St, Charleston, South Carolina.

1761 – 1826 James Steele, born in Newton, Northern Ireland, immigrated with his family at age 8 to Charleston, SC in 1794 under the Bounty Act of SC aboard the Brigantine Ship Chichester. Died 1826

1720 – 1794 Robert Joseph Steele, born in Newton, Northern Ireland, immigrated with his family to Charleston SC in 1794 as head of household under the Bounty Act of SC aboard the Brigantine Ship Chichester.  He was awarded money, tools and 350 acres of land in Fairfield County, SC to immigrate and help establish new settlements at least 100 miles inland from Charleston. He died in 1794.

1694 – 1722 William Steele, born in Newton, Northern Ireland, had one son, Robert Joseph Steele.

1670 – 1729  Sir Richard William Steele was born in Dublin, Ireland.  Both of his parents died when he and his 2 brothers were very young.  Richard was adopted by his Uncle Henry Gascoigne who made certain Richard got an extensive education.  Richard became a very famous writer, poet, and politician and published the first magazine in Britain.  He was knighted in 1715 when he returned to Parliament.   His life and work has been extensively published.

1638 – 1709 Richard Steele was born in Yorkshire, England, a lawyer. He and his wife died early and left 3 young sons, including Sir Richard Steele who was adopted by his Uncle.

1610 – 1680 William Steele, a lawyer, was born in the moated house Giddy Hall at Sandbach, Cheshire, England. He was well educated and admitted to Gray’s Inn and educated at Cambridge.  He was a Member of Parliament, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer and held many positions of honor.  In 1655 he was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland and Keeper of the Great Seal of Ireland, meaning he was sent to Ireland to organize a British Colony.  This is when the Steele Family moved from England to Ireland and became English/Irish.

1580 – 1645 Richard Steele, William Steele’s father was born at Beeston Castle in Sandbach, Cheshire England.  The family vacated the Castle when it was taken in a battle with the Scottish Army in 1643 when his brother was shot.  The family moved to Giddy Hall in Sandbach, Cheshire England.

1540 -1607 Thomas Steele, parents of Richard Steele, born in Sandbach, Cheshire, England.  He was a Yeoman and lived in Weston, Chester Co.  His son, Capt. Thomas Steele, was Governor of Beeston Castle, was shot to death in 1643 for surrendering it to the Royalist during the war of 3 Kingdoms when the Scottish Army attach the area.

1520 – 1595  John Steele  , father of Thomas Steele, as born in England and died in Fairsted, in the Braintree District of Essex England, a  community of farming hamlets.   Many Steele’s of Georgia were farmers.

                             The Steele Brothers of Georgia Genealogy


The surname Steele is a name whose history begins in 1066 with the Norman Conquest of England. This Norman name was used for a person who was strong or reliable. The surname Steele is a metaphor likening the constitution of its bearer to the hard metal of the same name.  Originally, the surname Steele was first found in Cheshire, England where they held a family seat from very early times where they were Lords of the manor of Giddy Hall near Sandbach, and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. They were conjectural descended from Bigot de Loges, a Norman noble who attended King William at the Battle of Hastings. 
The Domesday Book shows a place named Steel, in the 
Hodnet hundred, held by Roger de Courseulles.

The Parents of the 6 Steele Brothers of Georgia

1850   Walter Simeon Steele was born in Henry County, GA.  He married Lucy Ellender “Ellen” Butler.  They are the parents of The Six Steele Brothers of Georgia and 3 girls.  Walter Simeon Steele operated a cotton gin and country store in Luella, Henry County, GA.

Walter and Ellen Steele’s 9 children:  Dora Eddie born 1871; Robert Butler born 1874; Minnie Annie born 1877;  Claudie born 1880;  Wallace born 1882;  Walter Grady born 1888;  Henry Keller born 1892;  Morton Charlie born 1894;  Tom Mitchell born 1897

1823   Robert Roy Steele ,  1823- 1864, Walter Simon Steele’s father, was born in Charleston, SC and  died on February 4, 1864 in Henry County, GA from an illness he received as a Civil War soldier. In 1848 he married Mary Ann Eddelman 1832 - 1939.  When Robert fell ill, Mary Ann drove her wagon to SC to bring him home to Henry County, GA. where he made a death bed Will to bequeathing everything to his wife.
Robert and Mary Ann Steele’s’ 4 children:   Walter Simeon 1796 – 1832; Josephine “Joanna” 1853; George Hill 1858; Sarah “Bobbie” 1863; Sarah Steele 1864  

1797  William George Steele   Robert Roy Steele’s father, was born on Oct 12, 1796 in Fairfield County, SC. Died May 17, 1839. 1st marriage - In 1816 married Martha Smith 1800 - 1863 in Fairfield County, SC.

William and Martha Steele moved to the 4th Ward in Charleston, SC where he was a successful Lumber Merchant.
In 1815 William Steele purchased a large lot for $1,500 from Dr Samuel Wilson
89 Beaufain Street
Charleston, SC
, part of the Mazyck Lands.  William Steele built a 3 story 4,000 square foot regency style Charleston single plan mansion at 89 Beaufain Street where their children were born. The house is still standing and is on the National Historic Register, known as The William Steele House.  William imported marble and slate from Europe and had hand carved mortised woodwork and 6 carved marble fireplace facades for the house.   After William’s death in 1939, the house deteriorated.   In early 2000 the house was   purchased and a 7 year restoration was done.   It recently sold for about $2.3 million.

William and Martha Steele’s children: 
Henry Smith Steele 1821 -1858   married Elizabeth Ann Pair , sisters
William G Steele, Jr 1822 – 1890 married Julia Ann Pair, sisters
Robert Roy Steele 1823 – 1864, Direct Ancestor, Civil War Soldier, M. Mary Ann Eddleman
Martha Jane Steele born 1829- 1896 d. in Alabama
E. Cornelia Steele 1832 - 
2nd Marriage – About 1835 William married Eliza R Steele who died January 1844.  William and Eliza Steele had one son, Edward C Steele, who died about 1856. 

Around 1835, Martha and William’s life took a bad turn.  Records indicate they separated, he remarried and Martha Steele and her children moved to Henry County, GA near Martha’s relatives.  Martha and her Sons, Robert and Henry Steele, purchased 303 acres of farm land Lot # 62, in the 7th District, Mount Carmel area of Henry County, GA including a house, household goods, animals and tools.    Martha Steele’s move to Henry County, GA was the beginning of The Steele’s of Georgia.  The Steele families still reside in the Mount Carmel area of Henry County, GA.

On September 6, 1839 William G Steele made a Will that was proven in Charleston County, SC on May 7, 1840, leaving his estate and 2 slaves to his wife, Eliza R Steele with the stipulation that upon her death the proceeds would go to their son, Edwin C Steele at age 21.  Eliza R Steele died in January 1844 and her son, Edwin C Steele, died about 1856, leaving no heirs to the 89 Beaufain Street property.  The estate went into Probate Court and could not be sold and fell into disrepair.  On January 21, 1868, 24 years later, Edwin Steele, Harold Steel and William Steele filed a complaint in the Court of Equity in Charleston, SC on behalf of William Henry Smith to recover $605.00 he had paid the Court Appointed Executors, William B Minott and Julius P Browne, and a demand that the Beaufain Street property be sold.   On February 3, 1868 the property was sold to Julius P Browne and William Henry Smith was awarded $605.00.

 The burial site of William G Steele has not been found but the historic Old Bethel United Methodist Church then at 57 Pitt Street, near William’s sawdust pit, is thought to be the burial site.  William paid for the burial of his slave, Abraham, at this church.  It was founded in 1797 and slaves were allowed to attend church but sit in the balcony.  In 1852 the black community wanted their own church, so this building was moved across the street to 222 Calhoun St. The New Bethel Church was constructed on the old site at 57 Pitt Street.  When the church needed more parking spaces, they decided to pave over the old cemetery.  First, efforts were made to identify the broken and deteriorated grave stones, before scattering hem about and propping them along the fence.  Many grave markers had deteriorated into the soil and burial records were lost.  A monument was placed to honor the souls resting under and around the asphalt.  It is believed this is William George Steele’s final resting place.

1761 James Steele   William G Steele’s father was born in Newton, Northern Ireland.  At age 8, he arrived in Charleston, SC with his family aboard the Brigantine Ship Chichester on January 5, 1768.  His father immigrated under the Bounty Act of SC and was awarded 350 acres to establish a homestead in Fairfield County, SC.  At his father’s death, James inherited his 350 acres of land which he sold.   James married Elizabeth Ann Carr 1760 – 1824 and they had 7 children.  James died July 17, 1826 in Fairfield County, SC
The children of James and Elizabeth Ann Steele:  Robert Steele 1789 – 1862 moved to Alabama and Louisiana; Jane Steele 1789 – 1806; Sarah Steele 1790 – 1847; Ann Steele 1792 –; Henry Steele 1795 – 1806 – moved to Alabama; William Steele 1797 -1839 ** moved to Charleston, SC; John Steele 1798 -1857 moved to Bibb County, AL; Margaret Steele 1802 -1850; James P Steele 1803 -1880 moved to Bibb County, AL; Elizabeth Steele 1807 – 1907
The Steele Family Arrived in Charleston, SC on January 5, 1768
Aboard the Brigantine Ship Chichester


1720 Robert Joseph Steele, James Steele’s father, was born in Newton Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.  He married Margaret Ingrid Hubbard 1722 – 1768.  The 4 children of Robert “Steil” and Margaret Ingrid Hubbard:  Nellie Steele 1755 – 1756; James ”Steil” Steele  1761 – 1826  ** Ancestor; Henry Steele 1764 – 1781;  Elizabeth Steele 1765 - 1766

  1768 – January 5     Robert Joseph Steele age 48 arrived in Charleston, SC aboard the Brigantine Ship Chichester that had sailed from Belfast, Northern Ireland.  He and his family immigrated under the Bounty Act of South Carolina for which he was awarded money, farm tools and 350 acres in Fairfield County, SC just north of Columbia, SC to create a homestead.   He died there Jan 5, 1794. The Bounty Act was a SC plan to persuade English speaking Protestants to immigrate to the New World and establish settlements 100 miles or more west of Charleston on newly opened lands.  They preferred the strong hard  working English, Irish and Scots who desired their own land and were willing to defend themselves from the Native American Indians of the back country.    

1693   William Steele  (1693 – 1722)  Robert Joseph Steele’s Parents. William was born in Newton, Roscommon, Northern Ireland.  William married Eleanor Daril 1695 – 1794. William and Eleanor both died in 1722.They had one son:     Robert Joseph Steele born in Ireland (1719 – 1794)   *** Direct Ancestor

1671 -  Sir Richard Steele  was William Steele’s Father

Sir Richard William Steele

 was a  Very Famous Writer, Poet and Politician 
Sir Richard Steele's Portrait  by  Godfrey Kneller
  c.1712,  National Portrait Gallery, London             
Sir Richard Steele
He was born March 12, 1671 in St Bridgets, Dublin, Ireland and died  9-1-1729 at Carmarthenshire, Wales.   He had an English father and Irish mother.
 At age 5, in 1709, he was devastated by the death of his father, Richard Steele, a lawyer   and mother Elina Symes in 1710.  Richard was sent to live with his uncle Henry Gascoigne, a member of the Protestant gentry and Lady Katherine Mildma.  His Uncle Henry made sure that young Richard Steele received a high standard of education.
1705 - 1st marriage -  Margaret Stretch,  1665 – 1706, an elderly and propertied widow.  She left Sir Richard her inherited Estate in Barbados, which he sold, and an annual income of 850 £.  Richard and Margaret had one child, Elizabeth, who married 3rd Baron John Trevor.   At Margaret’s funeral Richard met his future wife Mary Scurlock.


1707  2nd Marriage - Mary Scurlock  1678 – 1718.   Her inherited annual income was 400£ and Sir Richard’s income was 1025£. Mary was from Llangunnor, Carmarthenshire Wales, a talented poet and is buried in Poets Corner at London's Westminster Abbey

Children of Sir Richard and Mary Scurlock -   
 William Steele   1693 – 1722 (Direct Ancestor **)
 Andrew Steele 1706- was a Captain in the Revolutionary War in Kentucky
 David Adam Steele 1708, born in Derry, Northern Ireland, died at Augusta, VA married Lydia, arrived in Maine, USA. in 1718 age 12, had 12 children:  Isabella, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Samuel, Martha, Samuel, Robert, John, Lydia, Rebecca, Jannet, Thomas.
 Pvt Samuel Steele Sr  1709–1790
BIRTH 1709 • Augusta, Virginia, United States
DEATH 16 FEB 1790 • Waynesboro, Augusta, Virginia, United States Pvt Samuel Steele 1709, died in Waynesboro, Augusta, VA.  He and his sons James and Samuel served in Revolutionary War with the Rockbridge Co VA Militia 1778 – 1779
                                 Buried Old Providence ARP Church cemetery 

Honoring the soldiers of the Revolutionary war and The War of 1812.
There are 7 Steele solders listed who are thought to be descendants of
Sir Richard Steele
  Martha Steele 1711-1730
 Robert Steele 1717- 1800
 Elizabeth Steele 3-26-1709   Born at St Bridges, Dublin, Ireland - daughter by Mary Scurlock

Sir Richard Steele’s children were born at different locations due to his travels and being known to love a good time which cause stress in his marriage. Some of his children’s names are not known, but during his retirement at his Wales estate he mentions his beautiful young daughters whom he was schooling and teaching.

  Sir Richard Steele’s  education and career was extensive:   Beginning at Charterhouse School where he met his writing partner Addison; Christ Church in Oxford; Merton College at Oxford; joined the Life Guards of the Household Cavalry; 1697 commissioned Captain of the 34th Foot in 2 years and left the Army 1705.   Sir Richard Steele became a well published author, writer, poet, dramatist, essayist, and publisher of the first true magazine in Britain. He published the first weekly magazine in England, “The Spectator”, “The Tatler” and “The Guardian” and others.

“Sir Richard appears to be similar to America’s Mark Twain who also wrote political satire.” Refer to the Biography of Sir Richard Steele at the end of this document.

His gathering of political news and gossip itinerary to the pubs of Scotland, Ireland and England frequently kept him absent from home which caused a stormy marriage.   He wrote over 400 love letters to “Prue” Mary on a daily basis which she kept and cherished.   The letters are preserved in the British Museum and are celebrated as the first full written account of a loving relationship. 
 Mary had a townhouse on Bury Street, St James and a house in Carmarthen, Wales.  Sir Richard bought a house for her at Hampton Court.  Mary sometimes drove her own chariot pulled by four horses.  Sir Richard and Mary had many servants in their households.
           
He was Knighted as Sir Richard Steele in February 1715   when he re-entered Parliament representing Borough Bridge in Yorkshire. 

Sir Richard was in London when he began to suffer from gout and failing health.   Mary’s health too was failing while staying in Hampton Court.  Mary died the day after Christmas 1718 and is buried at Westminster Abbey in the Poet’s Corner. 
 
After Mary’s death, Sir Richard traveled to Scotland where he was entertained by the local people and he studied the Presbyterian religion.  He came back to London where he wrote a comedy play “Conscious Lovers” thought to be about his gay friends, and he built the Drury Lane Theatre for the performance.

Sir Richard retired to Carmarthen, Wales to the home he received from Mary.  He delighted in schooling and entertaining his 2 young daughters.  After 3 years of retirement he died on Sept 1, 1729 at age 58 and is buried in the chancel of St Peter’s Church in Caermarthen, Wales.  A more appropriate burial would have been at Westminster Abby next to his beloved Mary, but Dr. Hoadley, a very close friend of Sir Richard and Bishop of Bangor, Wales became the Executor of Sir Richard’s estate and Guardian of Sir Richard’s children.  He decided that Sir Richard’s burial to be at the 13th Century St Peter’s Church in the Scurlock family vault.
Note:  Sir Richard Steele’s biography is published at the end of this document.  His writings are widely publicized in internet encyclopedias and many publications.

The Very Famous Sir Richard Steele     
      
Sir Richard' House - Langunnor, Wales
Sir Richard's House at Langunnor near Carmarthen Wales where he died in 1729. 
 It became the Bush Hotel, the principal Inn of the town at that time.  

St Peter's Church
Carmarthen, Wales



St Peter's Church, Carmarthen Wales
Sir Richard Steele's Burial Place.  The church was built in the 13th Century.




The Sir Richard Steele Pub
97 Haverstock Hill - London
1638   Richard Steele 1638 – 8-25-1709  (Direct Ancestor**
 and Elina  Symes 1653 – 1710 Sir Richard Steele’s Parents
Richard Steele, a lawyer, born in Yorkshire, England, Baptized 5-2-1639 in Yorkshire Carlton juxta Saith and died at Hatten Garden, London, England.  At age 32 in 1670 he married Elina Symes 1650 – 1710 in Dublin, Ireland.  He died Aug 25, 1709 at age 71 at Hatten Garden, London and is buried at St Andrew, Holborn, London, England.  Richard and Elina Steele died within one year of each other and left 3 young sons who were born in Newton, Northern Ireland.  
They were:  1718   Richard Thomas Steele; 1719 Robert Joseph; Sir Richard Steele (1671 – 1729 Direct Ancestor ** adopted by his Uncle Henry Gascoigne and Lady Katherine Mildma.

1610 William Steele (1610 – 1680)   *** Direct Ancestor 
 Richard Steele’s   (1638)  Parents
William Steele was born in the moated house Giddy Hall at Sandbach, Cheshire, England on August 19, 1610 and married Elizabeth Godfrey (1613 – 1729)  on March 15, 1638 at Elmsted, Kent, England.

William was baptized August 19, 1610 at Sandbach, Cheshire, England.  William was moved by his father to Finchley in Middlesex, where he resided in 1631, the year he was admitted to Gray’s Inn a professional association for barristers and judges in London.  He was educated at Caius College at the University of Cambridge.
Gray's Inn - London

The Honorable Society of Gray's Inn
 known as Gray's Inn, is one of the     four Inns of Court of professional associations for barristers and judges in London. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns.  The Inn is both a professional body and a provider of office and chambers for many barristers. It is ruled by a governing council called "Pension", made up of the Masters of the Bench and led by the Treasurer, who is elected to serve a one-year term. The Inn is known for its gardens, or Walks, which have existed since at least 1597.

William Steele –
 The Lord Chancellor of Ireland William Steele’s
 Professional Accomplishments

June 23, 1637 he was called to the Bar
1639  - returned as Member of Parliament, appointed a member of the Committee for Martial Law
Aug 17, 1644  -1649 appointed by Parliament for the execution of martial law  presiding over many cases
Aug 25, 1649, Recorder of London, England and took part in many trials and made Sergeant-at-law
Feb 9, 1653 Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
June 1644   - William, being a lawyer of distinction, leased for 7 years or purchased the Bidston Estate in Cheshire from the Earl of Derby, a free holder and owner of Newton’s Tenement. 
Aug 26, 1654 M.P. for the City of London
1655 – Made Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
 May 28, 1655 - appointed   Lord Chancellor of Ireland
 and Keeper of the Great Seal of Ireland   

This is when The Steele Family migrated to Ireland

After the fall of Richard Cromwell, William Steele  was one of 5 Commissioners appointed in 1659 to govern Ireland.

At the end of the year he returned to England but refused a committee of safety position due to poor health.  It is said he retired to Holland Ireland for a short time, but returned to England.

He died Sept or Oct  1680 – at Hatten Garden, Middlesex, England. His Will dated Sept 17 and proved Oct 19, 1680 in London.  He left his 2nd wife Mary 4000£, jewels, furniture, and house in Hatton Garden.  His sons William and Benjamin Steele were included in hiss estate in Sandbach described on March 28, 1663 as having 5 cottages, 4 gardens, 4 orchards, 140 acres of land, 50 acres meadow, 160 acres pasture and 40 acres of moor and are now part of the Crewe Estate.  William Steele, Esq. was donor to Sandbach Grammar School and articles to the church donated by Laurence Steele, his brother.

 1st Marriage – to Elizabeth Godfrey March 15, 1638 Elmstead Co, Kent, daughter of Richard Godfrey of Wyle County, Kent
The one child of William Steele and Elizabeth Godfrey -
- Richard Steele – 1638 – 1709 born in Yorkshire, England (***Direct Ancestor) and father of Sir Richard Steele

2nd Marriage – to Mary Mellish, widow of Michael Harvey Mellish - she had 3 sons:  Richard, William and Benjamin.
Children of William and Mary Steele:
- William Steele 1680
- Benjamin Steele  died Sept 23, 1705 at Hatton Garden, London intestate - married Mary who died Sept 27, 1705,  buried at St Andrews, Holborn,  10- 1, 170.  One child Mary Steel, m. married John Johnson and she died 7-19- 1757.
- Elizabeth Steele, buried at St Michan’s in Dublin, Ireland on March 15, 1657
-These children were born in Ireland but dates of birth were not found:  - Ephraim Steele - James Steele - John Steele - Joseph Steele - Ninian Steele - Thomas Steele - William Steele - Samuel Steele

1580    -Richard Steele (1580 – 1645   William Steele’s (1610) parents.      
Richard Steele of Sandbach, Cheshire England was born at Beeston Castle.  He was baptized on July 23, 1581 at Redmarley D’Abitot, Worcestershire, England, an area near the Cotswold Hills with red clay and a prominent Parish.   

1st Marriage -On Feb 10, 1601 Richard Steele married Cicely Shaw (1581 – 1618).
Children of Richard Steele and Cicely Shaw and/or Ann Smith
- William Steele - Lord Chancellor of Ireland b. Aug 19, 1610 -1680, *** Direct Ancestor
Lawrence Steele Baptized July 12, 1616.  Clerk of the Irish House of Commons 1662 – 1697.  His daughter Mary Steele d 1673, married George Boddington (1646 – 1719), a director of the Bank of England
- Dorothy Steele Baptized Aug 30, 1618

2nd Marriage – Ann, Smith, a widow, – Will dated Feb 15, 1649.
-Anna Steele 1603 – 1603
-Isabella Steele Baptized Oct 14, 1604 - d. Sept 11, 1608
-Alice Steele Baptized Oct 11, 1607

The family vacated the Castle when it was taken over in a battle with the Scottish Army on Dec 13, 1643 when his brother Thomas was shot.  He then lived in a house with a moat called Giddy Hall in Sandbach and in 1631 he was living at Finchley, Co Middlesex.     Richard died June 2, 1645 in Sandbach, Cheshire, England, at age 85.

 1540   Thomas Steele (1540 – died  5-28-1607)  England - Parents of Richard Steele (1580)   was born in Sandbach, Cheshire, England.  He married Alice Latham 1536-1561 in 1557
He died May 28, 1607 in England.  He was a Yeoman and lived in Weston, Chester County.
1565 – His Mother was Alice Steele (1536 – 1607) who died in Sandbach, Cheshire, England

Children  of Thomas and Alice Steele

 Richard Steele 1580 – 1645) of Sandbach, Cheshire, England *** Direct Ancestor
 George Steele (1561 – 1567)
Beeston Castle
  Captain Thomas Steele was the Governor of Beeston Castle and was shot to death on January 29, 1643 for surrendering it to the Royalist during the War of three Kingdoms when the Scottish Army swept into the area but were defeated.  Beeston Castle sits on an isolated sandstone rock, 366 feet high, was built as a fortress.  In 1228 it became a garrison between Henry III and his barons with 328 people.  The Steele family lived in Giddy Hall a “moated house” in Sandbach located near Manchester and Liverpool.

Gidea Hall in Romford  c. 1930 pictured before demolition in 1930. 
"Giddy" Gidea Hall 
It is now the site of the Gidea Park Lawn Tennis Club.   Gidea Hall is reported to be the ancestral manor home “Giddy” of the Steele’s of Sandbach.  Giddy Manor had a moat and the birthplace of William Steele (1610-1680), son of Richard Steele of Sandbach (1560-1645), and whose grandson was Sir Richard Steele (1672–1729) the famous writer. 


7th Century Saxon Crosses
Commemorating Christianity

The inhabitants converted to Christianity in the 7th century and 2 Saxon Crosses were built to commemorate the advent of Christianity.  Sandbach is a small city that has preserved its history.















1520   John Steele 1520 – 1595 and Mary Brorcith  1520 – The parents of Thomas Steele (1540)
John Steele and Mary Brorcith had one son:   Thomas 1540 – 1607   (**Direct Ancestor)

John Steele was born in England in 1520 and died at age 75 January 10, 1595 in Fairsted, Essex, England  in the Braintree district of Essex northeast of London and a community of farming hamlets, maybe the true origin of why so many future Steele generations becoming excellent  farmers.
  
h  g

Sir Richard Steele Biography

Sir Richard Steele was Baptized 12 March 1672 – 1 September 1729– 1 September 1729) was an Irish writer, playwright, and politician, remembered as co-founder, with his friend Joseph Addison, of the magazine The Tatler
Steele was born in Dublin, Ireland in March 1672 to Richard Steele, an attorney, and Elinor Symes (née Sheyles); his sister Katherine was born the previous year. Steele was largely raised by his uncle and aunt, Henry Gascoigne and Lady Katherine Mildmay. A member of the Protestant gentry, he was educated at Charterhouse School, where he first met Addison. After starting at Christ Church, Oxford, he went on to Merton College, Oxford, then joined the Life Guards of the Household Cavalry in order to support King William's wars against France. He was commissioned in 1697, and rose to the rank of captain within two years.[2]Steele left the army in 1705, perhaps due to the death of the 34th Foot's commanding officer, Lord Lucas, which limited his opportunities of promotion.
In 1706 Steele was appointed to a position in the household of Prince George of Denmark, consort of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. He also gained the favor of Robert HarleyEarl of Oxford.
In politics Steele became a Whig Member of Parliament in 1713, for Stockbridge.[3] He was soon expelled for issuing a pamphlet in favor of the Hanoverian succession. When George I of Great Britain came to the throne in the following year, Steele was knighted and given responsibility for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. He returned to parliament in 1715, for Boroughbridge.
While at Drury Lane, Steele wrote and directed the sentimental comedy The Conscious Lovers, which was an immediate hit. However, he fell out with Addison and with the administration over the Peerage Bill (1719), and in 1724 he retired to his second wife's homeland of Wales, where he spent the remainder of his life.  Steele was a member of the Kit-Kat Club. Both Steele and Addison became closely associated with Child's Coffee-house in St Paul's Churchyard.
Later life:  Sir Richard Steele's House at Llangunnor near Carmarthen, 1797
Steele remained in Carmarthen after his wife Mary's death, and was buried there, at St Peter's Church. During restoration of the church in 2000, his skull was discovered in a lead casket, having previously been accidentally disinterred during the 1870s.
Works:  Steele's first published work, The Christian Hero (1701), attempted to point out the differences between perceived and actual masculinity. Written while Steele served in the army, it expressed his idea of a pamphlet of moral instruction. The Christian Hero was ultimately ridiculed for what some thought was hypocrisy because Steele did not necessarily follow his own preaching. He was criticized for publishing a booklet about morals when he himself enjoyed drinking, occasional dueling, and debauchery around town.
Steele wrote a comedy that same year titled The Funeral. This play met with wide success and was performed at Drury Lane, bringing him to the attention of the King and the Whig party. Next, Steele wrote The Lying Lover, one of the first sentimental comedies, but a failure on stage. In 1705, Steele wrote The Tender Husband with contributions from Addison's, and later that year wrote the prologue to The Mistake, by John Vanbrugh, also an important member of the Whig Kit-Kat Club with Addison and Steele.
Publications:  Of the 271 essays published in The Tatler, Joseph Addison (left) wrote 42, Richard Steele (right) wrote roughly 188, and the rest were collaborations between the two writers.
The Tatler, Steele's first journal, first came out on 12 April 1709, and appeared three times a week: on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Steele wrote this periodical under the pseudonym Isaac Bickerstaff and gave Bickerstaff an entire, fully developed personality.
Steele described his motive in writing The Tatler as "to expose the false arts of life, to pull off the disguises of cunning, vanity, and affectation, and to recommend a general simplicity in our dress, our discourse, and our behavior". Steele founded the magazine, and although he and Addison collaborated, Steele wrote the majority of the essays; Steele wrote roughly 188 of the 271 totals and Addison 42, with 36 representing the pair's collaborative works. While Addison contributed to The Tatler, it is widely regarded as Steele's work.
The Tatler was closed down to avoid the complications of running a Whig publication that had come under Tory attack .Addison and Steele then founded The Spectator in 1711 and also the Guardian in 1713.
Family
In 1705, Steele married a widow, Margaret Stretch, who died in the following year. At her funeral he met his second wife, Mary Scurlock, whom he nicknamed "Prue" and married in 1707. In the course of their courtship and marriage, he wrote over 400 letters to her. Mary died in 1718, at a time when she was considering separation. Their daughter, Elizabeth (Steele's only surviving legitimate child), married John Trevor, 3rd Baron Trevor. Steele had an illegitimate child, Elizabeth Ousley, whom he later adopted.

In literature:   Steele plays a minor role in the novel The History of Henry Esmond by William Makepeace Thackeray.  It is during his time with the Life Guards, where he is mostly referred to as Dick the Scholar and makes mention of his friend "Joe Addison". Thackeray depicts Steele in glowing terms as a warm, generous, talented mentor who befriends the title character in his youth and his friends despite their political differences.

By J. Steele Posted 3/22/2019

Resources: 

Ancestry.com
Google Research
FamilySearch.org
State of Georgia Archives
Nash Farm Battlefield Museum, Hampton, GA
State of South Carolina Archives
Charleston, SC Library History Room
South Carolina Historical Society, Charleston
 Fairfield County, SC History Museum
Henry County History Museum, McDonough, GA
“First Families of Henry County Georgia”   
   by Joseph Henry Hightower Moore Copyright 1993
Personal Tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland
Charleston County, SC Property Deed Records


1 comment:

  1. Hi my dad was in new Caladonia then. He witnessed explosion. My brother saw some of your photos on Internet and wondered how you got photos. He’d love to hear from you. His email is bobd@umich.edu. Thanks. K Pike

    ReplyDelete