Tombstone Tuesday~Malachi “Mally” Rivers

Malachi “Mally” Rivers

b. 22 August 1812

d. 18 June 1884

bu. Zoar United Methodist Church Cemetery

Tombstone Photo Courtesy of Julious Burr

Mally Rivers was the son of William Rivers and Elizabeth “Betsy” Rivers. He is also the brother of my 3rd Great Grandmother, Huldah (Rivers) Davis.

Mally Rivers married Sarah Ann Boatwright, daughter of Drury Boatwright and Lavicy “Vicy” Thurman about 1837. They raised a large family of 15 children; 8 sons and 7 daughters.  Their 2 oldest sons, William and John died during the Civil War. Their first-born, a daughter,  died young.   

Malachi Rivers and Sarah Ann Boatwright had the following children:

        i.    Elizabeth Ann Rivers was born on 15 Oct 1839 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. She died young.
        ii.    William B. Rivers was born on 24 Dec 1840 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, He later died on 19 July 1862 at Richmond, Virginia.
        iii.    John M. Rivers was born on 2 Feb 1843 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. He died in the Civil War.
        iv.    Isaac Rivers was born in 1843 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. He is mentioned in a Land Deed dated 1 February 1883.
        v.    Mary Jane Rivers, born 30 Mar 1845, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Isaac J. Rivers, abt 1858; died 10 Sep 1900.
        vi.    Sarah Boatwright Rivers, born 8 Mar 1848, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Malachi J. Rivers, Dec 1865; died 28 Jun 1931, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
        vii.    Rosa Ann Rivers, born 14 Mar 1850, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married William C. Purvis, 1873; died 16 May 1928, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
        viii.    Thomas Frederick Rivers, born 5 Mar 1852, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Sarah Ann Stowe Fincher, 20 Dec 1879, died 22 May 1919, Rock Hill, York, South Carolina.
        ix.    Louisa A. "Ludie" Rivers, born 22 Dec 1854, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Albert Eddins, abt 1870, died 16 Feb 1921, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
        x.    Thetis Rivers, born 30 Mar 1856, Chesterfield, Chesterfield; married Samuel Davis Watson, abt 1875; died 31 Jan 1924, Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina.
        xi.    Hulda Rivers was born on 7 Jun 1858 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.  She died on 10 Feb 1926 at the age of 67 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
CONFLICT IN DEATH YEAR: Tombstone shows 1926; SC DEATH CERTIFICATE #1885 shows the year as 1927. She died on 10 Feb 1927 at the age of 68 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. SC DEATH INDEX, Book 4, Certificate #1885 shows death date as 10 February 1927
        xii.    Drury L. Rivers was born on 21 Mar 1860 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. BIRTH CONFLICT: Apr 1860 (1900 Census) & Mar 1860 Tombstone. Drury died on 24 Jan 1920 at the age of 59 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
        xiii.    James Martus "Big Jim Rivers" Rivers, born 22 Feb 1862, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Eliza Catherine McDougald, 11 Dec 1887; died 3 Dec 1931, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
        xiv.    Henry Rivers, born 20 Mar 1864, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Margarete Evelyn Hendrix, 1887; died 4 Dec 1922, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
        xv.    Charles "Charlie" Rivers, born 8 Apr 1867, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Winnie Susanna Hendrix, 1889, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 1 Oct 1921, Florence, Florence, South Carolina.

Some online trees show another son, George, born about 1870; died 1873. I have not found a single primary source record that shows the existence of a child named George.


Malachi “Mally” Rivers is my 3rd Great Grand Uncle.





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Sources:

• Ancestry, Military Service Records. https://www.fold3.com/ : 2015.
• Cemetery Survey,  Source: Chesterfield County Cemetery Survey.
• Davis, Harry Alexander. The Davis Family in Wales and America. Washington, D.C.: n.p., 1927.
• Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave. Database, http://www.findagrave.com, 3 June 2013.
• Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave. Database, http://www.findagrave.com, 8 October 2011.
• Kirkland, Randolph W. Jr. Broken Fortunes: South Carolina Soldiers, Sailors and Citizens Who Died in the Service of Their Country and State in the War for Southern Independence, 1861-1865. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina, 1997.
• Obituary for HULDA RIVERS, The Chesterfield Advertiser. Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, 17 February 1927.
• Rev. War Pension and Land-Bounty Application Files. , NARA microfilm publication M804, Roll 766. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
• South Carolina. Chesterfield County. Land Deeds. Register of Deeds, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
• Texas. Travis County. Austin. Department of Health. Vital Records. Death certificate.
• United States. South Carolina. Chesterfield County. 1830 U S Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2011.
• United States. South Carolina. Chesterfield County. 1840 U. S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2011.
• United States. South Carolina. Chesterfield County. 1850 U. S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2011.
• United States. South Carolina. Chesterfield County. 1860 U. S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2011.
• United States. South Carolina. Chesterfield County. 1870 U. S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2011.
• United States. South Carolina. Chesterfield County. 1880 U. S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2011.
• United States. South Carolina. Chesterfield County. 1900 U. S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://ancestry.com : 2011.
• United States. South Carolina. Chesterfield County. 1910 U. S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://ancestry.com : 2011.
• United States. South Carolina. Chesterfield County. 1920 U. S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://ancestry.com : 2011.