Robert Strong (1752 - 1824)

Born 1752 in Antrim, Ireland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 20 Oct 1824 at about age 72 in Chester, South Carolina, United States

Biography

Robert and his wife, Sarah, are buried in the Hopewell Church Cemetery in Chester County, South Carolina. He is shown in the Chester County Census in 1790, 1800, 1810and 1820. More About ROBERT STRONG: Burial: Hopewell ARP Cemetery, Chester Co., South Carolina More About SARAH SIMONTON: Burial: Hopewell ARP Cemetery, Chester Co., South Carolina

Robert immigrated, in 1771. Destination: Ireland. He began military service in 1781 at Chester Co., South Carolina. He married Sarah Simonton before 1783. Robert was listed as the head of a family on the 1790 Census at Chester Co., South Carolina. Robert was listed as the head of a family on the 1800 Census at Chester Co., South Carolina. He was land contract on 9 October 1801 at Chester Co., South Carolina; On 9 Oct. 1801, Robert brought 580 acres of land on the head waters of Little River, in Chester District and there built a house on the "Charlestown Road" It was a large two story home that burned in the 1890's. It was on the 1820 Mills Map of the county. The "nine mile to Chesterville" stone post stood slightly north of the home on the Charleston Road. He was census 1810 in 1810 at Chester Co., South Carolina. He was census 1820 in 1820 at Chester Co., South Carolina. He made a will at South Carolina in October 1824. Robert died on 20 October 1824 at Chester Co., Pennsylvania. His body was interred in October 1824 at Chester Co., South Carolina, at Hopewell ARP Cemetery. From "The Strong Family Legacy," by Richard Carlton Fulcher, at pages 24 and 27:

"Robert Strong, son of James Strong . . . and Elizabeth (last name unknown), was born 1752. Robert evidently shared land with his father and his brother James, Jr. The father bequeathed to Robert and James each one half of his Bounty land and one half of the 300 acre home property. In 1800 Robert bought his brother's share of the bounty property (Chester County Record of Deeds, Book H, p. 100) and in 1802 sold to his brother, James, Jr., his share of the home place. On October 9, 1801, Robert bought 580 acres on the head waters of Little River, Chester District (new county) and there built a house on the 'Charlestown Road' as it was then called. It was a commodious two-story house which was burned the 1890's. It is shown in the Mills Map of the County made in 1820. The 'nine-mile to Chesterville' stone post stood slightly north of the home on the Charleston Road. "Robert Strong was married to Sarah Simonton who died April 19, 1831 in her 72nd year year. She was a daughter of Robert and Margaret Simonton. Margaret Simonton died in 1810 in her 84th year and is buried at Hopewell ARP Church Cemetery, Chester County, South Carolina, beside her daughter Sarah Simonton Strong. (At this date, Robert Simonton's grave has not been found). Robert and Sarah Strong were members of Hopewell ARP Church; reared their family in this church and are buried in the nearby church yard. Robert Strong died on October 20, 1824 at age 72. "Robert was enumerated in the Federal Census returns of 1790, 1800, 1810 and 1820 . . . . "The Lincoln County Tennessee family of Strongs are descended from a William Strong who, according to the 1850 Federal Census was born 1798 in South Carolina. His first five children were also born in South Carolina between 1817 and 1834, therefore, he was listed in the 1820 and 1830 Census as a head of a household. Children were listed by sex and age only and not by name in the Censuses from 1790 til 1840. By analysing the ages of children in each Strong household in South Carolina Census returns between 1800 (when William was 2 years old) to 1820 (when William was married with family and away from his father's household), we find only Robert Strong, above, to have a male child under 10 years of age in 1800 and missing from his household in 1820. This is proof positive of the father of William."

The connection between William Strong, who according to the records of the Prosperity A. R. P. Church came to Tennessee around 1832 from Chester County, South Carolina, with Robert Strong is proved by much more than Mr. Fulcher's census analysis. Among other things, William is mentioned in his father Robert's will. The following is a copy of a transcript of Robert Strong's will that is contained among the "Strong Family Papers" on file in the Manuscript Collection of the South Carolinia Library, Columbia, South Carolina:

"In the Name of God Amen I Robert Strong of Chester District and of South Carolina being in my ordinary State of health and sound in mind and memory thanks be to God for all his Mercies but calling to mind the Mortality of my body and that it is appointed for all men once to die I in the first place Restore my soul to God who gave it and my body I recomend unto the Earth from whence it came to be buried in decent buriel order at the discretion of my Executors and in the respect of what worldly Estate it hath pleased God to bless me with After payment of all my legal debts I demise and bequeath in the following VZ "1st I leave and bequeath to my well beloved Wife Sarah Strong three beds and all the cloths belonging to them and all the cloths and yarn belonging to her Likewise her wheel and cards and what money is in the house at my decease and also her saddle Likewise four Negros Named Duke, Silvy, Poll and Ned likewise all the stock of horses Cows & hogs to be at hur disposal and half the plantation and half plantation tools and half the waggon and gears hur lifetime and at hur death I allow them to my son John and also the Beaurow and Table & Chest to be at hur disposal "2nd I leave and bequeath to my son James Strong three hundred acres of Land on that side of my plantation he now lives on and has bought also one Negro Girl named Matty and also the Large Bible "3rd I leave and bequeath to my son Robert Strong one Negro Girl named Silvy and also one Cow "4th I leave & bequest to my son John Strong three Negroes named Hanna, Dick & Sarah and also the whole of the plantation at his mothers death and the whole of the plantation Tools & Waggon and Gears at her death and also one Cow after my decease "I leave and bequeath to my son William Strong two hundred acres of Land which he now lives on and also two Negroes Named Rachel & Jack and also one cow and with respect to the Blacksmith Tools I allow them to stand on the plantation so that all my sons may work on them that pleases thus having pointed out every thing I remember, if any thing has Escaped my memory let it be Equally divided amongst my Legal Heirs because none of my property shall be exposed to publick Sale "Lastly I Constitute and ordain my well beloved wife Sarah Strong and my son James Strong and my Brother in Law John Simonton executors of this my last will and Testament and Utterly revoke and disannull all former bequests or Wills here to fore by me made and Ratify and confirm this and none other to be my last will and Testament "Witness my hand and seal this fifth day of January Eighteen Hundred and twenty.

Signed Sealed and Acknowledged Robt Strong (LS) in presence of

Hugh McQuiston James McConnel James Strong Jr.

proved 4 day of July 1826 by Hugh McQuiston

Taken from the recording in Will Book H at page 307. (Original Will missing)."

In addition to the will, in the "Strong Family Papers" referenced above there are family charts, one prepared by Alice C. Strong of Walhalla, S. C. dated June 29, 1917 and the other prepared later in the century by Miss Esther Strong, which identify William Strong, the son of Robert Strong and Sarah Simonton, as having moved to Tennessee and which list with almost total accuracy his many children and in some cases his children's spouses. Lewis Cass is referred to as "Louis . . . Harmes, Tenn." These family records conclusively prove that William Strong of Lincoln County was the same man as William Strong, son of Robert Strong and Sarah Simonton. If further proof is needed, one need only look to the name of his first child "Robert Simonton Strong," who was given William Strong's father's name as his first name and William Strong's mother's maiden name as his middle name.

From "The Strong and Allied Families," a book based on the papers of Miss Esther Strong, edited by Theresa M. Hicks, in the collection of the South Carolinia Library, Columbia, South Carolina (Call No.: SC/929.2/St8s), at page 29:

"Robert Strong d. Oct. 20, 1824 aged 72 years. Md. Sarah Simonton who d. Apr. 19, 1831 in the 72nd year of her age. They are buried Hopewell A.R.P. Churchyard, Chester Co., S. C. Sarah Simonton was the daughter of Robert and Margaret Simonton . . . . In 1779, his father bequeathed to him one-half of the bounty land of 200 acres and one-half of the 300 acre tract on which his fater lived. On Oct. 9, 1801, Robert bought from John Bell of Fairfield District, S. C., 580 acres on the head waters of Little River, bounded on the east by the Charlsetown Road, as it was then called. 380 acres was part of an original grant to John Gordon December 25, 1751 and 200 acres was a grant to John Bell, Esq. May 7, 1787. (Deed Book H, pp 470-77, No. 242.) On this property, he built his home, a large two-story frame building about 1& 1/4 miles south of what was later known as the Cornwell Turn Out on the Southern Railway from Charlotte to Columbia. The stone 9-mile-to CV (Chesterville) post was almost opposite this home. This home is shown on Mills' Map, 1820. This home was burned in the last decade of the 19th Century and was the home in which Robert and Sarah died. On apr. 2, 1811, Robert bought from Hugh Brown 166acres 'on the dividing ridge between the Broad and Catawba Rivers' which was an original grant to John Gordon. (Deed Book P, pp 138-9, No. 132.) Robert Strong and his wife were members of the Hopewell A.R.P. Church, Chester Co., S. C. Robert's estate is in Chester Co., S. C. Will Book H, p. 307, Apt. 63, pkg. 979-A."

In "Roster of the South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution," by Bobby Gilmer Moss, a book published by Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., Baltimore (copyright 1983), at page 904, three Strongs from South Carolina are identified as having served in the Revolutionary War: Christopher, James and Robert. Robert was the least active, serving "fifty-eight days in the militia during 1781." It is quite likely these three men were Robert and James Strong, sons of James and Elizabeth Strong, and their cousin Christopher. Christopher's participation in the war is discussed in "The Strong Family Legacy" referenced above. More research has to be accomplished to verify Robert's and James's participation in the war.

As stated above, Robert Strong and his wife Sarah were members of, and raised their family in, the Hopewell Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. His brother James was a ruling elder in the church, and Robert and his wife, along with many other Strongs, are buried in the graveyard adjacent to the church. This church was one of the seminal churches of today's Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The following is from the "History of the Hopewell Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Chester County, S. C.," by Rev. Robert Lathan (Yorkville, S. C., Steam Presses of the Yorkville Enquirer, 1879), which is in the collection of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Department of History (Montreat) (Call No. : MJJ5/S6/L352). Dr. Lathan was for many years the principal historian of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Robert Strong and Sarah Simonton Strong, were members of and are buried at the Hopewell A. R. P. Church in Chester County, South Carolina, and William Strong was raised in that church. The earliest session records of the Hopewell Church on file in the microfilm records of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Department of History (Montreat) are of a session meeting held on July 25, 1811. Among the ruling elders listed are James Strong, his uncle, and John McDill, the father of his first wife, Margaret McDill. John McDill's father, Thomas H. McDill, had been an elder at the time of the formation of Hopewell and even prior thereto in Ireland. His cousin Charles Strong was an A.R.P. minister, pastor of the Cannon Creek, Kings Creek and Prosperity congregations in Newberry County, South Carolina. Two of William Strong's nephews were also ministers. James Hemphill Strong, the son of John and Martha Strong, graduated from Erskine College and Erskine Theological Seminary in Due West, South Carolina (where in 1854 he married Hibernia Agnes Ellis, the daughter of John Lindsay Ellis and Mahala Ellis). For over thirty years he was the pastor of the Salem A. R. P. congregation in Tipton County, Tennessee, the church of his youth (the Rev. E. E. Strong, also an A. R. P. minister, was the son of John Hemphill Strong). Hugh Strong, the son of James Strong and Jane Blaine, was a 'General Assembly' Presbyterian minister in South Carolina (he died on March 29, 1885 in Wahalla, South Carolina).

Sources

• Source: S-1522156406 Repository: #R-1673165508 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Page: Ancestry Family Tree Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=54443367&pid=1295
• Repository: R-1673165508 Name: Ancestry.com

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Blythe Lowry for creating WikiTree profile Strong-1763 through the import of All research.ged on Jun 27, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Blythe and others.