Was there two Frederick Rivers in Colonial Cheraw?

Since mid-1976 I have researched the families of Chesterfield County South Carolina focusing on those families that are connected to my direct line. Surnames that I have extensively researched are Rivers, Davis, Brock and Graves others less documented surnames are Previtte, Teal, Eddins and others assorted families.

The document within this blog suggests that there were two Frederick Rivers in Chesterfield County at the end of the Revolutionary War. The document is very interesting and contains a nice story; but, after 38 years of research that is all it is – a nice story.


Transcription of Document:

Mrs Laura Thurman of Cheraw says – my Grandfather told me – Frances Marion said to get together & have a 4th of July celebration in Chesterfield - Thomas Davis who married Nancy Rivers dau of Frederick – old Col Claudius Pegues called the roll – when he had finished he remarked that he had called two Fredk Rivers & asked them to step forward --- the Chesterfield Fredk called Big Fred was about 270 lbs (Uncle David Rivers (Grandson of Fredk)
The other one then said both came from across the water – he asked Big Fred where he came from & Fred answered directly from across the water from England to Charleston – The other Dry Fred (dark & thin) said he was French from near the Swiss border.
My Grandfather Fredk had a brother named Franklin who settled at Beaufort near Charleston. Lester Rivers of Beaufort – now an official…

Comments:
In my researched of Frederick Rivers I have not found a single document that names a wife or children. Frederick and his family is listed in censuses for 1790-1820.
From these 4 census we can reconstruct the family and it consisted of two sons and two daughters.

Snapshot of the reconstructed family is:
1 Male 46+ ----------Frederick Rivers, bef. 1754; d. 1820 -1830
1 Female 21-45+----His Wife (Unknown), b. 1755-1765, d. aft 1820
2 Males 10-15------- William Rivers, b. 25 Feb 1776, d. 7 June 1855
------------------------- Frederick F. Rivers, Jr., b. 3 Nov 1779, d. 31 May 1860
1 Female 16-20 ----- Sarah Rivers, b. 1 Jan 1782, d. July 1871, AR
1 Female 10-15 ----- Unknown at this time, b. 1785-1790

I have many documents on Frederick and nowhere does any show two Frederick Rivers of the same age in Chesterfield County.

Documents I have consists of:

• The 1897 Charleston Yearbook – Fall of Charleston Documentation
• The Patriot Index
• 3 Land  Grants, 1000, 200, 227 acres of land
• 1797 Land Deed (Have image of original land deed)
• Witness to a 1814 Land Deed (image of Deed)
• Witness to WILL of Jacob Waldburger
• Accounts Audited – AA-6452
• Census – 1790-1800-1810-1820
• Greggs History of the Old Cheraws, page 421

No proof has been found for:

• The birth of Frederick Rivers
• The death of Frederick Rivers
• The wife of Frederick Rivers
• The name of his second daughter born between 1785-1790

Nor has any proof been found for two Frederick Rivers of the same age alive during the Civil War.

If Thomas Davis and Claudius Pegues got together for a 4th of July celebration it would have made the news. No reference to such an event has been found.

There is a Frederick Rivers referred to as Dry Freddie. He was born 13 May 1800 to Isaac Rivers, seventeen years after the Revolutionary War ended.

No evidence has been found that suggests that Frederick had a brother named Franklin.

The Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution by Bobby G. Moss
Frederick Rivers b.1740, d 20 Feb 1820, m Mary Boatwright
He served in the Militia in the Cheraw  District and was at the fall of Charleston (May 12 1780). A.A. 6425; P.I. ; yearbook 1787

Frederick Rivers b. 1739, d. 1810, m. Sarah Purvis
He served 36 days in the militia during 1782. Patriot Index Supplement ; AA. 6452 ; N650
.
Audited Account AA-6452 is for Frederick Rivers; Audited Account #AA-6425 is not for a Rivers but for John Riggens.  

No proof has been found for two Frederick Rivers living simultaneously in Chesterfield County during the Revolutionary War.














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[Comments attributed to Mrs. Laura Thurman, undated , were compiled by L. M. Rivers and copied from his archived files, Box 3, Folders 74-75-76, reviewed and copied 18 May 2004.]