Laid off to Nancy A. Rivers, Update

In my blog post ”Laid off to Nancy A, Rivers the wife of James Rivers” found here,

http://carolinafamilyroots.blogspot.com/2014/10/laid-off-to-nancy-rivers-wife-of-james.html

I closed the article with these comments:
If James Rivers did in fact die in the Civil War; what happen to his wife Nancy A. (Dozier) Rivers. No record of James or Nancy A. has been found after 22 December 1859, the date of the above land deed.  Did Britten Dozier move to Georgia? Did Nancy A. Rivers move with her?
This family has created more questions than answers.

With thanks to Renee Werth, we now know that Nancy A. (Dozier) Rivers moved to Sumter County, Georgia and married Noah Meeks on 16 January 1862 in that county.[1]

Marriage License, Meeks-Rivers

Noah and Nancy would go on to have three sons, Andrew, Henry and Russell, born between 1866 and 1876. Nancy and Noah are enumerated in the 1880 Census for Geneva County, Alabama.

1880 CENSUS: Geneva County, Alabama; Roll: 13; Family History Film: 1254013; Enumeration District: 078, Page: 639A(stamped); Line 18, Dwelling NL, Family 138; Noah MEEKS, male, age 49, born in GA; Nancy A. MEEKS, Wife, age 48, born in SC; Andrew MEEKS, male, age 14, born in AL; Henry MEEKS, male, age 6, born in AL; Russell MEEKS, male, age 4, born in AL and Rebecca FELTS, Sister-in-law, age 46, born in SC.[2]

Living in the household with Noah and Nancy is Nancy's sister Rebecca H. Dozier Felts. Rebecca H. Dozier married George G. Felts on 22  December 1852 in Sumter County, Georgia.

This suggest that the Dozier family had moved to Sumter County, Georgia sometime before December 1852. On-line trees state that James Dozier died in 1849 but this is doubtful since there is no listing in the 1850 Mortality Census for James Dozier.

The marriage of Nancy A. Rivers on 29 January 1862 in Sumter County, Georgia suggests that James Rivers entered the Civil War and died as a result of this action (killed, disease) between January 1861 and  29 January 1862.

Neither James nor Britten, his wife, death dates have been determined. The Burned Deed, page 50, dated 22 December 1859 in the Chesterfield County Courthouse states:
“which said tract of land was conveyed to me by Wm. A. Rivers, by deed bearing date 10^th Dec. 1858. Said tract of land being a portion of the real Estate of Britton Dozier, laid off to Nancy A. Rivers the wife of James Rivers, reference being had to a…” [3]

page 50, burned book

This suggests that Britten Dozier died prior to December 1858 at which time William A. Rivers bought a portion of her “estate lands”.  There is no doubt that the Dozier’s did in fact moved to Georgia. Still this story does not end. Beyond 1880 nothing is known of Nancy A. Dozier Rivers Meeks and her sister Rebecca H. Dozier Felts.

If you have information on these families please contact me.


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[1] "Georgia Marriages, 1808-1967," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWCJ-7Q5 : accessed 23 May 2015), Noah Meeks and Nancy A. Rivers, 16 Jan 1862; citing , Sumter, Georgia; FHL microfilm 255,437.
[2] 1880 U. S. Census, Geneva County, Alabama, population schedule, Geneva, Alabama, enumeration district (ED) 078, Page: 639A(stamped); Line 18, Dwelling NL, Family 138, Householf of Noah MEEKS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 24 May 2015); citing NARA publication T9, Roll: 13.
[3] Burned Book, Page 50, Probate Office, Chesterfield County, SC Courthouse