Tombstone Tuesday~ Eliza A. Rivers and Daughter Georgia

Yesterday, I spent some time at the Kite cemetery with several cousins who had driven quite some distance to meet, visit the cemetery, share information and socialize. It was a beautiful afternoon, made more beautiful when I saw the ‘major’ improvements including a fence made by the Shiloh United Methodist Church and it’s members. Thank you Shiloh. 


Buried in this cemetery is Rolin Kite, a local farmer and businessman, who gave an acre of land to build the first Shiloh Church. Thanks to cousin Betty I now have an 8x10 photo of Rolin Kite. Thank you, Betty.

This is a very old cemetery and has several of my kinfolk buried within it’s boundaries. The cemetery also contained a surprise for me and that surprise is the focus of this Tombstone Tuesday blog.

Also buried within this cemetery is a very young Mother and her first born, a daughter. Eliza Ann Dozier Rivers was a little past her 20th birthday when she and his daughter Georgia Rivers passed away in December 1856. ^{1 2}

Eliza Ann Dozier Rivers

b. 8 April 1836

d. 11 Dec 1856

Georgia A. Rivers

b. abt 1855

d. 13 Dec 1856

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40202633

When Jim Pigg surveyed this cemetery in 1998; he found tombstones, that now no longer exist, for both Eliza Ann and Georgia A. and made this notation in his survey - Georgia A. RIVERS, age 1 year daughter of D. R. and E. A. Rivers; died Dec. 13, 1856. ³

Eliza Ann Dozier was the first wife of Dempsey Rivers (1830-13 Nov. 1861).  After the death of Eliza and their daughter Georgia, Dempsey married Sarah Ann Massey daughter of William Lawrence and Huldah Meadows Massey.⁴ 

Eliza Ann Dozier was the daughter of James Dozier and his wife Britten [LNU]. It is not known when Eliza Ann parents passed away but in 1850 Chesterfield census, Eliza Ann was living in the household of John Isaac Huntley. ⁵

On 7 June 1852, the Georgia Courts gave Lovett R. Dozier guardianship over Nancy, Rebecca, Eliza Ann and James W. Dozier, Orphan children of Britten Dozier. ⁶   

severally, by these presents. Sealed with our seals, and dated this 7th day of June 1852.
The condition of the bond or obligation is such; that if the above bound Lovett R. Dozier, who is this day appointed Guardian of the persons or property of Nancy, Rebecca, Eliza Ann and James W. Dozier, Orphan children of Britten Dozier, deceased, he acknowledging the same by his acceptance of said appointment, and Letters of Guardianship of this date,

Dempsey married Eliza Ann Dozier sometime about 1854-1855. Dempsey died  while serving in the Civil War on 13 Nov 1861 from typhoid fever.<sup>7






________________________________
[1] Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 5 June 2012); Memorial page for Eliza A. Rivers; (8 April 1836–11 December 1856); Find a Grave memorial # 40202633, Citing Kite Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA.
[2] Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 5 June 2012); Memorial page for Georgia A. Rivers; (Unk. - Dec. 13, 1856); Find a Grave memorial # 40202722, Citing Kite Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA.
[3] James C. Pigg, Chesterfield County Cemetery Survey; Chesterfield County Genealogical Services, 1995, page 1129. Tombstone of Georgia A. RIVERS; Unk. - Dec. 13, 1856., Kite Cemetery, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
[4] 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, South Carolina, Page: 115 (stamped); Line 27, Dwelling 299, Family 299, Household of Duncan RIVERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 31 July 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.
[5] 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 175B; Line 11, Dwelling 1182, Family 1182, Household of John HUNTLY; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 14 February 2015); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
[6] "Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," images,FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-30448-1595-78?cc=1999178&wc=9SB9-FMH:267781801,267875801: accessed 26 May 2015), Sumter > Wills, administration and guardian bonds1838-1855 vol 00 > image 124-125 of 208; county probate courthouses, Georgia.
[7] Randolph W. Kirkland 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), page 298.</sup>

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.


______________________
[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