Two Minister-Brothers
In Howe's Hist. of Presby Church in SC, Vol 1. there
is a footnote
on pp 611-12, which contains portions of a letter from
Rev John McElhenny to J.H.Saye; it is a short description
of the life
of his elder brother, Rev. James McElhenny:
Rev. James McElhenny(1768-1812) was said to have been
born in
Waxhaws (although Lunenburg Co. VA has also been claimed
as his
birthplace). His father was John, and his grandfather S
McElhenny. His
mother was said to be a Cail. The family lived in the
Waxhaws
(Lancaster Co. SC), and there were 4 sons and 2
daughters. The older
son was James. Their father, John, died after the
Revolution. The
family moved to Chester Co. James McElhenny married Jane
Moore at
Bethesda Church in York Co. It seems likely that David
Leech and
Prudence McElhenny were also married there. Was Prudence
one of James'
two sisters??
James studied with Rev. Jospeh Alexander, pastor of
Bullocks Creek
Church in York Co. He also studied sciences with Dr. Hall
of NC.
Licensed and invited to preach at St. Johns Island near
Charleston.
Due to health he moved to Pendleton District, near the
Old Stone
Church.
(in 1990 the writer bought a house just off Old Stone
Church Road,
about a half mile from the church. At that time he had
no idea there
were kinfolk nearby, but it seems likely that Rev. James
McElhenny was
his gx uncle.)
"Rev James McElhaney married Jane Moore of
Bethesda.
According to Hart: Jane Moore was the 5th child of the
original James
Moore who died (1774-87). She married Rev. James
McElhenny. (In 1779
John McElheney, Jr. had witnessed a conveyance of David
Leech to the
Moore family, of which more is detailed below).
1794 James McElhenny of Chester Co. SC, was one of four
presidents of the Philomathic Society, instituted this
year, a debating
society. Another member was Jackson McElhenney.
(Chester Bulletin for June, 1992 p 58/9.)
(Perhaps the man who had just married Jane Moore and went
to Old Stone
Church in Pendleton.)
In 1801 Rev. James McElhenny was installed pastor of Old
Stone
Church, Pendleton Co, SC, which had just been built. He
built a four
room house about a mile from the Old Stone Church. He
died in 1812 at
age 44 and is buried in the Old Stone Church cemetery.
This is in
Clemson, which is now in Pickens Co.
His son in law was
Rev. James
Archibald Murphy, husband of Jane McElhenny. He died the
same year.
It was said that they were trying to grow rice in the
swamps, which
led to their death.
Rev. James McElhenny's 2nd wife was Mrs. Smith Wilkinson;
his
step-daughter, Susan Wilkinson married Governor Andrew
Pickens. Her
son was Francis W. Pickens who served as South Carolina's
governor
during the Civil War.
(Members of the Pickens extended family are buried at
Rock Springs
Presbyterian Church in Mt. Hope in Lawrence Co. AL, a few
miles from
where Prudence McElhany Leech's son, John lived.)
Rev. James' grandson, James Archibald Murphy, Jr. md
Dorcas Moore,
probably a cousin. Their son, James Archibald Murphy III
died
unmarried.
Jane McElhenny Murphy, a widow, married again to her
first cousin,
Alfred Moore.
Rev. James McElhaney's four room house was
purchased about
1820 by John C. Calhoun. In due course it came into the
possession of
Calhoun's son in law, a man named Clemson. It was
enlarged and
modified into a ten bedroom house with a large Greek
facade on two
sides. At his death Clemson gave the house and
surrounding property to
the state of South Carolina for agricultural
research--out of which of
course developed Clemson University. The house remains
in the center
of the campus.
Before Fort Hill, the antebellum plantation of John C. Calhoun, South
Carolina’s pre-eminent 19th century statesman, there was four-room
Clergy Hall. Originally built in 1803, Clergy Hall served as the
manse or parsonage for nearby Hopewell-Keowee Church, now known as Old
Stone Presbyterian Church. Next, Floride Bonneau Colhoun, John C.
Calhoun’s mother-in-law, purchased the 600 acre property; U.S. Vice
President Calhoun’s family called the expanded structure Fort Hill,
starting in 1830, after Revolutionary War Fort Rutledge.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Rev. John McElhaney (1781-1871)was born in Waxhaws. His
patriot
father died when he was an infant. He was reared by his
older
brother, James. Their father was John.
At school time he chose Yale, but it was closed due to
yellow-fever;
so he went with his schoolmate, Sam Wilson to Washington
Academy in
Lexington, VA. He was ordained in Rockbridge Co., but
served in York
Co.SC most of his life. He died in 1871.
(Another James McIlheny was said to be born in York Co.
SC in 1759
(although there was no York Co. SC at that time) and
living in
District 96 when he enlisted with Capt. John McIlheny.
This may be
the Spartanburg family. He was later Company Captain in
the regiments
of Col John Thomas and Col. Hammond.)
Alexander McElhenny was in the militia under Col Roebuck;
after the
fall of Charleston he lost a horse. (Same unit as Capt.
David
Leech)
There were land grants to a man of this name over on the
Saluda
River.
York Co. SC
The two Rev. McElhaneys were members of Bethesda
Church, probably
organized by Rev. Wm Richardson about the time he
acquired half of
the land grant of Thomas and Jean McKelheney in Lancaster
Co.
It was located a few miles southeast of Yorkville in York
Co. Here
worshiped David Leech of the writer's family and many
other families
associated with LEECH, both in York Co. and later in
Lawrence Co. AL.
This is certain in the cases of ASH and DICKEY and
probably quite a
few others. For example Hezekiah Balch, a missionary
from the New
York Synod, often preached at Bethesda; a person of that
name is found
in the 1820 Lawrence Co. census.
Bethesda Church is a few miles south and a little east
from Yorkville
20 miles from the Broad and 17 miles from the Catawba.
The
congregation is listed in History of the Presbyterian
Church of SC,
by Haire, p. 338.
In 1759 Thomas and Jean Mcelhony got property on the
Catawba, and in
1767 James and Wm McElkene acquired 500a on Fishing
Creek, witnessed
by Tho and Jane McElkeny.
In 1763 James Moore had received a grant on the south
fork of Fishing
Creek. 126 acres of it were conveyed to David Leech in
1769. In 1779
David Leech, tanner, conveyed it back to John Moore, Jr.
perhaps a son
of James Moore, the original grantee. One of the
witnesses was John
McElheney, Jr. (Recall that Rev. James McElhaney was to
marry Jane
Moore, said to be the 5th child of the original James
Moore.
Chester County
1767 McElkene Jas and Wm SC York/Chester
500a from James
Johnston for 200 lbs. on Fishing Creek, which Johnston
bought from Wm
Jones in 1754 (SC Deed Abstracts III p 364)
wit Tho and Jane McElkeny, Catherine McAdoo
(Since a granddaughter of Prudence McElhaney, Jane Leech
married Able
Johnston in Lawrence AL in 1824, one can't help wondering
if this
James Johnston may be an ancestor of Able Johnston of
Lawrence Co.
AL.)
1775 Samuel Dunlap and wife Elizabeth of Bekley Co. to
John McElhany
of Craven Co. for 45 lb 300a on Cane Creek, adj. Thomas
McMeen, John
Dunlap, Eliz Dunlap,
Witnesses Richard Cousart, Alex Thompson, John Dunlap.
In 1799 John McElhany, late of Chester Co for $300 sold
to Eliezar
Alexander 300 acres on e side of Cane Cr. on both sides
of the Road called
the Lands Ford Road adj Eliezar Alexander, Eliz and Wm
McMeen, John
Simpson, Ben. Cudworth and David Adams.
wit Alexdr Moore, Thos McElhenny
Agnes McElheney X relinquished dower rights before John
Simpson, J.L.C.
(Was John McElhany going to KY?)
1814 McElhenny Stephen SC Chester
adj to land on
Fishing Creek which John Blair sold to Sam Rainey
Book R Page 352 Chester County Deeds:
Sept 13 1814, John Blair of York District SC, for 325
dollars, to
Samuel Rainey of Chester, 122 ac in Chester District on
south fork of
Fishing Creek, bounded by Allen Knight on north, Stephen
McElhenny on
east, Thomas Wallace on south, Samuel Rainey on west,
conveyed from
James Wallace to William Miller, and from John Kennedy,
Sheriff of
Chester County, as the property of said Miller to Samuel
McNeels, to
John Blair. (Guardian of David B. Martin) Witnesses:
Thomas Wallace,
?JP, James Martin.
(I have not ascertained the nature of the
relationship between the McElhaney and Blair families,
but it
certainly seems significant. Consider for example that
another
granddaughter of Prudence McElhaney Leech, Clarissa
Fineta Leech,
married John Dickey Blair in Lawrence Co. AL. Consider
also that this
John Blair was the guardian of David Martin, perhaps the
same David
Martin who was a neighbor of Prudence's son, John Leech
in Lawrence
Co.
1819 McElhenny Robert SC Chester
195a from exors
of John Wright Decd (James Gill of Chester and Robert
Love of York)
tract orig granted to James Bigham 6 Oct 1763 (100a),
then resurveyed by
John McReary, Surv for Estate of John Wright it was 195a
adj Wm Brown, Pagan, John Gills corner
wit James Wallace
Sam Bannon
proved before Tho Wallace by Tho McElhennny who said
James Wallace swore
to him.
Chester Wills Vol II, Book G, p 71:
1821 McElheny James SC Chester
will
(He seems to be a batchelor!)
sister: Nancy McElhany 150a where I live.
at her death divided between 3 sons of Steven
McElheny:
James, Robt, and John.
James to get 50a adj Jonathan Wallace.
Brother Sam and James (Sam's son?) the property which
they now have.
exor Sam McNeil
wits John Clark, Eliz McNeil, Esther McElheny
proved 1822
( from this I get:
siblings: James, Nancy, Steven and Sam.
Steven's sons: James, Robt and John
Sam's son: James
This certainly appears to be the McElheny family on
page 276 in
Chester in 1810, while David Leech was on page 274.
Spartanburg and Greenville Counties
Patent Entry Book:
ND McElheney Alexander SC 134a n
side of Saluda
p 75
ND McElheney Alexander SC 200a n
side of Saluda
River p. 12
ND McElheney James SC 400a
South Saluda R.
p 8
ND McElheney John Sr. SC 200a both
sides middle
fork of Tyger p. 69
ND McElheney Wm SC 624a both
side Chechoroa
River of Saluda p 28
1767 McKlekeny, John SC Spartanburg
100a s sides of
n. fork of Tygar River, adj Thomas Collins, John Leech &
his own land.
File no. 86; grant no. 104 Bk 20 p. 43(a SC
instrument)
Mecklenburg Co NC Warrants (may be repetitious):
1769 Mackilhany John NC Meck
100a s side of N
fork of Tyger adj Tho Collins and Francis Dodd's lines
(an NC
instrument)
1769 Mackilhany John NC Meck
200a N fork of
Tyger on Browns Ck betwen John Prince and John Miller
1788 McElheny John and wife Anne Armstrong SC Spartan
500a in
Greenville Co.(N. side of Saluda for 5 shillings to John
and Wm Armstrong
wit: Martin Armstrong, Wm Stiggs, James Jordan
(This was a 1785 grant to Ann Armstrong, which suggests
that John
McElheny may have married Ann Armstrong between
1785-88.
In 1767 John McKlekeny/McIlhenny and John Leech had
adjoining
property on the Tygar. John Leech died in 1799, and most
of his
family moved to Kentucky. Among his sons was James, b.
1779. He
married Martha Drennon. Among their eleven children were
James
McElhaney Leech, b 1819 Caldwell County KY (died 1874)
(married
Elizabeth Ann Dunbar).
The origin of the name James McElhaney Leech is unclear.
There are
two possibilities: one that it stems from his
grandfather, John
Leech's association with his neighbor on the Tygar. The
other that it
stems from his mother's family. It appears that the
Drennons may have
been members of the Old Stone Church in Pendleton (now
Pickens) Co. SC
during the years of the pastorate of Rev. James
McElhaney.
McElhaneys in Alabama
1830 McElhany David Ala Madison
census 130
1830 McElhany James Ala Clar
census 234
The writer welcomes comments, criticism, corrections,
suggestions, any
other sort of correspondence relating to the McElhaney
family. Send
such to
lclay@netzero.net
or slomail to:
Larry Clayton
1906 SE 8th St.
Ocala, FL 34471
