Household of William James Rivers

William James Rivers was born 13 September 1830, the 1st born son of Frederick C. Rivers and Sarah Ann Hurst. He had an older sister Charlotte and over the next 20 years a total of thirteen additional siblings.

At this point I feel I need to set the record straight  on William’s given name. many have taken it upon themselves and refer to William as William Jasper Rivers. The Family Bible shows that his name IS NOT William Jasper but his correct name is William James Rivers.

Click to enlarge

William James Rivers married Lydia Jane Massey on 12 February 1857. He was 26 year of age and she was 21. Their 1st child was born 9 months and 1 day later on 13 November 1857; they called him Frederick William Rivers. William James and Lydia had 3 small children and another one due at the time that William James enlisted into the Confederate Army.

William James enlisted with Company “B’ 26th SC Volunteers in January 1862 and served throughout the duration of the war. His time in the Civil War was uneventful except for several bouts of illness one of which resulted in him being hospitalized.  The birth of his 5th child in September 1864 shows that he was home on furlough around December 1863 or January 1864. His military records shows he revived new clothing on 30 July 1864, just months prior to the birth of his daughter, Mary E. Rivers.  At this point there are 5 children; 3 boys and 2 girls. Sometime after the birth of Mary in September 1864, her older sister Sarah E. passed away in 1865. No known date exist on this death.

After the War, William James and Lydia would have 5 additional children, 3 boys and 2 girls bringing the family total to ten. After the loss of Mary E. in 1865 they would lose son Phillip born  10 Mar 1862 in June 1870. The remaining 8 children; 5 sons and 3 daughters, would reach adulthood and have families of their own.

William James Rivers and Lydia Jane Massey had the following children:

i. Frederick William "Fed" Rivers, born 13 Nov 1857, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Charlotte Jane Hurst, 12 Feb 1882, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; died 13 Jul 1925, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
ii. Sarah E. Rivers was born on 8 Apr 1859 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. She died in 1865 at the age of 6 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
iii. Isaac Berkley Rivers, born 4 Jul 1860, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Effie Wadsworth, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; died 27 Mar 1913, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
iv. Phillip Rivers was born on 10 Mar 1862 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He died in Jun 1870 at the age of 8 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
BIRTH: Loose sheet stuck in Family Bible shows a Date of birth of 10 March 1862 for Phillip H. Rivers. Copy of this page was provided to Kathy Lee by her Aunt Flora Belle Sellers Huntley of Chesterfield, SC.
v. Mary E. Rivers, born 9 Sep 1864, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Phillip Opley Melton; died 21 Apr 1931, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
vi. John Lewis Rivers, born 2 May 1866, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Rosanna Hurst, abt 1888; died 18 Feb 1947, Kingsland,Cleveland Co.,AR.
vii. Jacob B. Rivers, born 17 Nov 1867, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Annie Curtis; died 16 Feb 1924, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
viii. James Alfred Rivers, born 5 Jun 1870, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Martha Elizabeth Ballard, 23 Dec 1894, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 21 Mar 1932, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
ix. Nancy Jane Rivers, born 7 Jun 1872, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Hardy Jackson Sellers, abt 1891, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; died 14 Mar 1934, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
x. Margaret Ann "Maggie" Rivers, born 17 Jan 1875, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Steven Lemuel Sellers, 14 Feb 1895, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 26 Dec 1935, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

In his latter years William James spent many hours with his first born grandchild,  Sarah Elizabeth “Bess” Rivers,  daughter of Frederick William Rivers and Charlotte Jane “Lottie” Hurst.  The photo below of William James and Bess, courtesy of Kathy Lee, is one that has survived the years.

Sarah Elizabeth "Bess" Rivers and her Grandfather William James Rivers
Photon Courtesy of Kathy Lee

William James Rivers died 17 April 1894; his wife Lydia Jane died 14 November 1897. They are buried  in the Hurst Cemetery, Chesterfield, South Carolina.













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1. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 13 June 2010); Memorial page for William J. Rivers; (13 September 1830–17 April 1894); Find a Grave memorial # 29992546, Citing Hurst Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA.
2. Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 30 August 2015), entry for W. J. RIVERS, Private; Company "B", 26th Regiment SC Volunteers; Confederate.
3. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database, "Record, William J. Rivers (13 September 1830–17 April 1894), Memorial # 29992546.
4. William James Rivers Family Bible Family Bible Holy Bible, (N.p.: n.p., n.d.), Marriage - William James Rivers and Lydia Jane Massey; 12 February 1857, Obtained from .
5. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database, "Record, Lydia Jane "Liddy" Massey Rivers (5 October 1835–14 November 1897), Memorial # 29992570.