Spotlight on: Frederick Rivers

Genealogical research in Chesterfield County, South Caroline is extremely hard due to the loss of pre-civil war records. Almost no newspapers have survived this period and very few from the civil War until 1900. This has resulted in a potpourri of genealogical miss-information especially on the internet.  

Today I want to discuss the death of Frederick Rivers. First, I want to state unequivocally there are no tombstone, no estate, and no document that states when Frederick Rivers died.  There are many trees on Ancestry that shows Frederick Rivers died in 1810. 

Ancestry.com Family Tree page

There are two documents that's refutes this information. One is the 1820 Census for Chesterfield County.[1]

1820 Census - Ancestry.com

The other documents that proved that Frederick did not die in 1810 is this land deed witnessed by Frederick on 11 December 1814.[2]

State of South Carolina}

Chesterfield District }                     Know all men by these presents that we Alex Melton Rebecca Melton and Edy Wages of the state and district aforesaid for the consideration of one hundred dollars to us in hand paid by William A. Lang of the state and district aforesaid have granted bargained and released and by these presents  do firmly bargain grant sell and release unto the said William A. Lang a tract or parcel of land lying in the State and district aforesaid it being on the North side of Thomson's Creek on Abrams Creek bounded on the north west by part of the said tract to the South West by John Frantoms land now in the possession of others; it being one hundred acres be the same more or less it being part of a thousand acres tract granted to Frederick Rivers the 7th day of Nov 1786 and convey to Barney Wells and from Wells to Simon Lundy and by the last will and testament of the said Simon Lundy to the aforesaid Alexander Melton, Rebecca Melton & Edy Wages together with all and singular the rights members and appurtenances hereunto belonging to have and to hold all and singular the premises before mentioned unto the said William A. Lang his heirs and assigns forever and we do hereby bind ourselves and our heirs Executors, administrators and assigns to warrant and forever defend all and singular the rights and premises the said William A. Lang his heirs and assigns against ourselves & our heirs and against every person or persons whomsoever claim claiming or to claim the same or any part thereof as witness whereof we have set our hands and seals this the 11th day of December 1814 & c.

                                                                (Signed)               Alex Melton

                                                                                             Rebecca Melton

                                                                                             Edy  X Wages

                                                                                                 Her mark

Signed, sealed &

Delivered in the presence of

Frederick Rivers

Lewis Boatwright

Proved in Common form before Peter Robeson, J. P.

All that is known of Frederick Rivers death is that he died after the census was taken on 2 August 1820.

Be certain that you verify any genealogical information you might find on the internet.There a lot of miss-information all over the web.

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[1] Source Citation: 1820 U S Census; Census Place: , Chesterfield, South Carolina; Page: 128; NARA Roll: M33_119; Image: 263.

[2] Cheraw Equity Records, SC Archives, Columbia, SC.