William Elliott (1761 - 1808)

Born 9 Jul 1761 in St. Helena's Parish, Province of South Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Phoebe (Waight) Elliott — married 28 May 1787 in Beaufort, South Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died 17 May 1808 at age 46 in Hilton Head Island, Beaufort, South Carolina, United States

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Biography

Information about this person can be found in "The Thomas Pinckney Family of South Carolina" in volume 39 of The South Carolina Genealogical and Historical Magazine in January 1938 at pages 15 to 35.

William Elliott, son of William Elliott and Mary Barnwell, was born 9 July 1761 in St. Helena's Parish, Province of South Carolina.^[1]

William Elliott of Beaufort, South Carolina was a Revolutionary volunteer in the South Carolina Militia and served as a private in a troop of horses under Captain Edward Barnwell. William was present at the engagements at Jacksonborough, Savannah River, and at Matthew's Plantation, John's Island ^[2] where he was severely wounded and captured by the British on 20 May 1779. He was confined 17 May 1781 in one of the prison ships in Charleston harbor ^[3] and was subsequently shipped by the enemy to Yorktown to be exchanged. During the passage, he and other prisoners rose up against the crew, captured the vessel, and escaped into North Carolina, from where William returned to his home in South Carolina.

William's wife Phoebe filed a pension application claiming that a certificate from the Comptroller General's office of South Carolina incorrectly showed a service of only about 19 months, and that she believed her husband served under arms during the Revolution for more than two years. Phoebe stated that she and William were married 23 May 1787 and that William died 08 May 1808. ^[4]

Additional testators in Phoebe's claim stated that ...

• William was born 09 Jul 1761, the son of William Elliot and Mary Barnwell; that he married 23 May 1787 to Phoebe Wright; and that he died 08 May 1808.
• William's uncles were John, Edward, and Robert Barnwell.
• William entered the service with his Barnwell uncles; took up arms against the British in 1775; and served under Colonel Stephen Bull on an expedition into Georgia in March 1776.
• William was among the troops on the Island of Port Royal in early 1779 (03 Feb 1779) under General (William) Moultrie who engaged the British forces under Major (Valentine) Gardiner.
• William served with his Barnwell uncles until May 1779 when the company was surprised by the British at the Plantation of Mr. Matthews of John's Island and dispersed. William was bayoneted in the breast and taken prisoner along with Robert Barnwell.
• William and the other prisoners escaped in Halifax, North Carolina, and William was believed to have joined General Sumter's Brigade.

Sources

1. ↑ “St. Helena’s Parish Register (Continued).” The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine 23, no. 2 (1922): 62 William Elliott Jr, son of William and Mary, born 9 July 1761, married 28 May 1787 Phoebe Waight, buried 8 May 1808 http://www.jstor.org/stable/27569580
2. ↑ The American Revolution in South Carolina: Matthew's Plantation, 20 May 1779
3. ↑ David Ramsay, The History of the American Revolution, Foreword by Lester H. Cohen (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund 1990). Vol. 2, page 542. Accessed 17Nov2019. <https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/547>
4. ↑ Southern Campaigns American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters, Pension application of William Elliott, by wife Phoebe Elliott, Transcribed by Will Graves, 12 Dec 2008, revised 26 Dec 2014

See Also:

• Smith, Anna Habersham Wright. A Savannah Family 1830-1901. Boyd Publishing, Milledgeville, 1999. Page 187.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #87494094 for William Elliott (9 Jul 1761–7 May 1808), citing Saint Helena's Episcopal Churchyard, Beaufort, Beaufort County, South Carolina, USA ; Maintained by Candy Weickhardt Pethe (contributor 47586286).

Acknowledgements

• Halla Johnson through the import of VLJ.ged on Dec 1, 2014.