The Dempsey Rivers Family

“Dempsey Rivers was born in Cheraw District, S.C. Dec. 13, 1797. He was the son of William Rivers, however, the name of his mother is unknown. He is known to have had one brother, Michael Rivers, who lived in Chattooga County at one time.”^1.

So began the story of the Dempsey Rivers family found in "CHATTOOGA: The Story of a County and its People", by Robert S. Baker.

Mr. Baker went on to say that Dempsey Rivers married Nancy McDuffie whose mother was the former Flora McFarlane about 1818. 

Dempsey and Nancy migrated from Chesterfield County in 1826 and moved to DeKalb County, Georgia where they had relatives. These relatives were most likely Thurman’s that had also migrated from Chesterfield County. 

During the Cherokee Land Lottery, Dempsey purchased a parcel of land allocated to another man in the lottery. The land was located in Floyd County along the Chattooga River.  He was actually living among the Indians of that area. 

Dempsey Rivers and Nancy McDuffie had the following children:
 
i. Eliza Rivers, born abt 1820, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Richardson Stanton, abt 1853, GA; died 17 Nov 1888, Porter Springs, Houston, Texas.
ii. Elizabeth Jane Rivers, born abt 1821, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Hales R. Rice, 15 Dec 1844, Chattooga County, Georgia, United States; died Chattooga County, Georgia.
iii. William Rivers was born in 1822 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. He died in 1824 at the age of 2.
iv. Mary Alice Rivers, born abt 1826, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Joseph Kellett, 28 Oct 1845, Chatham Co., GA; died aft 1910.
v. Nancy Rivers, born abt 1828, Dekalb County, Georgia; married Norman M. Ford, Dekalb County, Georgia.
vi. Sarah A Rivers, born abt 1827, Dekalb County, Georgia; married John White Thurman; died 1909.
vii. Dempsey James Rivers, born abt 1832, Dekalb County, Georgia; married Ann A. Sherling, 9 Oct 1860, Lowndes, Alabama; died abt 1879, Alabama.
viii. John Wesley Rivers, born 24 Nov 1834, Floyd County, Georgia; married Eliza Jane Thurman, 1866, GA; died bet 1910 and 1920, Summerville, Chattooga, Georgia.
ix. Martha Rivers was born about 1836 in Floyd County, Georgia. She died in 1855 at the age of 19 in Summerville, Chattooga, Georgia.
x. Jane Rivers was born about 1838 in Chattooga County, Georgia, United States.

Nancy McDuffie Rivers died in 1855, her husband, Dempsey Rivers died on 14 April 1870 when he drown while crossing a swollen river. Dempsey Rivers and his wife, Nancy M. Rivers are buried in the South Carolina Campground Cemetery located at the intersection of Poplar Springs road and state road 100 in Chattooga Co., GA south and west of Summerville headed toward Holland, GA.
 
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[1] Robert S. Baker, CHATTOOGA: The Story of a County and its People (Roswell, Georgia: WH Wolfe Associates, Historical Publications Division,, 1988), pages 1120-1123.

[2] 1850 U. S. Census, Chattooga County, Georgia, population schedule, Summerville, Chattooga County, Georgia, Page 361A(stamped), Line 27, Dwelling 7, Family 7, Dempsey RIVERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2 May 2012); citing NARA publication Roll: M432_64.
[3] 1860 U. S. Census, Chattooga County, Georgia, population schedule, Chattooga Valley, Chattooga County, Georgia, Page: 556(stamped); Line 2, Dwelling 199, Family 199, Household of Dempsey RIVERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : Viewed 2 February 2012); citing NARA publication Roll: M653_116.