Heirs at Law of Mary Leach and Flora Sellers

Recently, Chesterfield County has provided a web-based interface for all of their county Land Deeds. Land Deeds in this county before the Civil War were mostly destroyed by fire.  All extant Land Deeds on line are post Civil War with a few dated pre civil war that were brought back to the courthouse and re-register with the local Registrar.

Earlier this week I was browsing Chesterfield County Deed Book 9, pages 37 and 38; Mary McNair and others to Calvin McNair.

This deed caught my attention because of it’s reference to the heirs of Flora Sellers and Calvin McNair married into my Davis line.

The Sellers line is one of my primary direct lines and I wasn't aware of a Flora Sellers that passed away after 1880.

So who is this  Flora Sellers?

“Know all men by these presents that we Mary McNair Mary E. Smith Catherine Martin Mary Davis and Sarah McNair of the County of Chesterfield in the State of South Carolina and John McGugan, Mary McGugan and Harriet E. McGugan of the County of Anson in the State of North Carolina being heirs at law and distributees of Mrs. Flora Sellers deceased late of the County of Chesterfield in the….”

A Look at Individuals named:

• Mary Davis is Mary Cornelia McNair Davis wife of David Richard Davis. The McGugan's are children of Angus & Margaret (???LNU) McGugan
• The 3 McGugan named are siblings and the children of Angus M.  McGugan and his wife Margaret (Last name unknown).
• Catherine Martin is Catherine McNair daughter of Alexander McNair and Catherine McMillian. Calvin B., Mary Cornelia and Catherine are siblings.
• Mary McNair Sarah McNair and Mary E. Smith  have not been fully identified but Mary and Sarah McNair may be the daughters of Neil McNair and his wife Mary Crawford.

While researching these families and trying to piece together information on the families I ran across the probate record of Mary Leach (Probate Folder #288), Chesterfield County.

Ironically, some of the same names mentioned in the above land deed (power of attorney) are also mentioned as heirs at law of Mary Leach.

Image #276 of 1448- Heirs at Law of Mary Leach

















The first family mentioned on this list is the Family of Alexander McMillan and his Wife Mary F. Miller.

The document states:

1. Alexander McMillan is dead. Children are

1. 1. Heirs of Mary Welsh. Mary was married to Francis M. Welsh and  left 3 children Annie John and Pearl.
2. Ellen Blakeney, Ellen married Peter M. Blakeney
3. Dr. Millers wife, this would be Henrietta C. McMillan wife of Robert Peele Miller.
4. Pate Children = Sam Evans wife & Alex Pate. Alexander pate and his sister Sarah Ellen Pate. Sarah Ellen married Samuel Isham Evans. The Pate children mother was Louisa J. McMillan.

The next family is that of Alexander McNair who is also listed as dead. Alexander McNair married Catherine McMillan. Catherine is belied to be the sister of the above Alexander McNair. 

2. Alexander McNair – dead (wife know to be Catherine McMillan)

• C. B. McNair – Calvin B. McNair, son of Alexander McNair
• Katie Martin – as stated earlier, Catherine Martin is Catherine McNair daughter of Alexander McNair
• Mary C. Davis heirs – Daughter of Alex, married David Richard Davis
• Joplin heirs – unknown (??)
• Ida Kor (illegible)

I haven’t sorted out the remaining heirs and how they are related. At the present time based on the research that I have completed thus far I believe that Mary Leach was a McMillan before her marriage to Mr. Leach. All the heirs at law are women with the exception of Alexander McMillan.  Alexander McNair wife is known to be Catherine McMillan sister of Alexander McMillan. I believe Mary Leach is also their sister.

If you have any information about any individual named within this blog post I would love to hear from you. I can be reached HERE by E-Mail.














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[1] Chesterfield County, South Carolina, 9: 37 & 38, Mary McNair & Others to Calvin B. McNair (Power of Attorney); 4 February 1887, Register of Deeds, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
[2] Mary Leach Probate Folder#288 - "South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-N39C-TM?cc=1911928&wc=MPP5-JWL%3A190567401%2C190561002%2C190567402%2C190840701 : 21 May 2014), Chesterfield > Probate Court, Estate records > 1865-1927 > Cases 0282-0330 > image 261 of 1448; county courthouses, South Carolina, and South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia.