Margaret (Caldwell) Neelands (abt. 1795 - abt. 1869)

Born about 1795 in Chester, South Carolina, United States

Wife of Robert Neelands — married 1818 in , , South Carolina

Descendants

Died about 13 Feb 1869 at about age 74 in York, South Carolina, United States

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Biography

Margaret CALDWELL NEELANDS (1795-1869) was the wife of Irish immigrant Robert NEELANDS. Her parentage is unknown, but according to the death record of her daughter Melinda NEELANDS HOPE, Margaret's maiden name was CALDWELL (or "Coldwell"),^[1] suggesting Irish ancestry. Based on the 1850 census, Margaret was born about 1795 in Chester County, South Carolina.^[2] South Carolina marriage records from this era are generally non-existent, but based on the children's ages, they were likely married in South Carolina no later than 1819. Robert NEELANDS appears in York County, S.C. in the 1820, 1830, and 1840 censuses^[3][4][5]; the adult female in each census is presumably Margaret.

Robert and Margaret had at least nine children born between 1820 and 1840. The known children of Robert and Margaret (CALDWELL) NEELANDS are:

• Abraham NEELANDS (1820-1862), married Margaret Sophia LOVE
• Mary NEELANDS (1824-1870), married John W. WHITESIDES
• Margaret NEELANDS (1826-1903), married John CALDWELL
• Nancy NEELANDS (1829-1917), married James Henry QUINN
• John R. NEELANDS (1831-1895), married Martha Malinda NICHOLS
• Jane NEELANDS (1833-1900), did not marry
• Sarah A. NEELANDS (1835-1877), married James Alexander WALLACE
• Elizabeth L. NEELANDS (1840-1911), married Robert William SMITH
• Martha Melinda NEELANDS (1840-1919), married Russell Lafayette HOPE

Robert died in 1857, and Margaret continued to live on and operate the family's farm with her unmarried daughters. The 1860 census shows Margaret as head of household, with her real estate worth $1,200.^[6] Margaret died 13 Feb 1869 at the approximate age of 74 (see note below). She was buried next to Robert at Sharon ARP (Presbyterian) Church Cemetery at Sharon (York County), S.C. Her will was probated in York County court in Feb 1869. She named as executor her son-in-law R. W. SMITH, and left her entire estate to her unmarried daughter Jane NEELANDS. The will was probated on 16 Feb 1869.^[7]

Notes

• The tombstone death date has been transcribed as 13 Feb 1868,^[8] but based on the fact that she signed her will on 10 Feb 1869,^[7] this is obviously erroneous; most likely her death date was 13 Feb 1869.
• Some online trees on Ancestry.com list Margaret's parents as John CALDWELL (1764-1818) and Sarah BEASLEY of Abbeville County, S.C.; others list her mother's name as Sarah ASHBERRY. I can neither prove nor disprove these claims, but I am skeptical that these are actually Margaret's parents because of the distance between Abbeville County and Chester County (where Margaret was supposedly born). Can anyone provide more definitive and conclusive information about Margaret's parents?

Name

Name: Margaret

Given Name: Margaret

Name Suffix: Caldwell

Couldn't find any valid last name at birth.

Reference

Reference: 1ROZ-WWT

Burial

Burial:

Place: Smyrna, York, South Carolina

Find a Grave Memorial 97205956 cites DOD as 13 Feb 1868 ^[9]

Sources

"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch [1] : 23 December 2020, Robert Neeland, Yorkville, York, South Carolina, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• 1860 US Federal Census, Meeks Hill, York, South Carolina.

1. ↑ South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1965, database with images, FamilySearch (record, image : 22 Mar 2023), Margaret Coldwell in entry for Martha Malinda Hope, 05 Aug 1919; citing Hope, Martha Malinda, 1919, Department of Archives and History, State Records Center, Columbia; FHL microfilm 1,913,578.
2. ↑ United States Census, 1850, database with images, (FamilySearch : 23 December 2020), Margaret Neeland in household of Robert Neeland, Yorkville, York, South Carolina, United States; citing family 967, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ United States Census, 1820, database with images, (FamilySearch: accessed 23 March 2023), Robert Neelands, Yorkville, York, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 170, NARA microfilm publication 121, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ United States Census, 1830, database with images, (FamilySearch : accessed 22 Mar 2023), entry for Robert Neelands, York, South Carolina, United States, 1830.
5. ↑ United States Census, 1840, database with images (FamilySearch : 8 December 2020), Robt Nulands, York, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 277, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 516.
6. ↑ United States Census, 1860, database with images, (FamilySearch : 24 March 2017), Georgia > Whitfield > Trickum District > image 11 of 16; citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964, images, FamilySearch (image : 21 May 2014), York > Probate Court, Estate records > 1774-1960 > Files 3320-3380 > image 315 of 560; county courthouses, South Carolina, and South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia.
8. ↑ FindAGrave.com, Memorial No. 97205956 for Margaret Neelands (unknown–13 Feb 1868).
9. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 12 May 2022), memorial page for Margaret Neelands (unknown–13 Feb 1868), Find A Grave: Memorial #97205956, citing Smyrna ARP Church Cemetery, Smyrna, York County, South Carolina, USA ; Maintained by Frances Reynolds (contributor 47434756) .