Was Elizabeth Stephenson 1753-1811 of Lancaster County,South Carolina the wife of Thomas Crawford?

Question

Is there any documented evidence that Elizabeth Patterson was the wife of Thomas Crawford of Lancaster County,South Carolina?Thomas Crawford 1752-1823 was the son of James Crawford and Jane Hutchinson. There is a John Stephenson,lay Elder of the Waxhaw Presbyterian Church who died in Lancaster County,South Carolina in 1785,age 67, and Jean who died in 1796,age 63, who are believed to be the parents of Elizabeth Stephenson 1753-1811.All are buried in the Waxhaw Presbyterian Cemetery in Lancaster County,South Carolina

Mr. Elmer Oris Parker, who worked in the Archives in Washington,D.C. for over 40 years, wrote me in a letter dated November 6,1999, that Elizabeth Stephenson was the wife of Thomas Crawford,first cousin to President Andrew Jackson.  He did not mention  Patterson.

Thomas Crawford left a will in Maury County,Tennessee in 1823. He named daughters Jane Dunlap and Elizabeth Blair.  In the Blair Cemetery in Spring Hill,Tennessee,Maury County,Tennessee, is Elizabeth S. Crawford Blair. Some websites show her as Elizabeth Stephenson Crawford Blair. She had a son named Elihu Stephenson Blair.

Thomas Crawford in his will mentioned his trusty friend James W. Stephenson as his executor. There is a James W. Stephenson in the Old Brick Church also known as Jackson College Cemetery in Maury County,TN who was born in Lancaster Co,SC in 1797 and died 1880.

Why did these Stephensons and Crawfords go to Maury County,Tennessee? Some say that the maiden name of Jean Stephenson,who died in 1796,age 63, was White. The History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina by George Howe mentions James White Stephenson was born 1756 in Augusta County,VA. His parents lived in Lancaster County,Pennsylvania and moved to Augusta Co,VA. where James White Stephenson was born in 1756. They left Augusta Co,VA for Lancaster Co,South Carolina the 1760's.  One of James White Stephenson's students  in Lancaster County,South Carolina, was Andrew Jackson. James White Stephenson eventually went to the Williamsburg District in South Carolina. About 1808,His congregation went to Maury County,Tennessee where they started the Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church.

Thomas Crawford and his daugter Jane Dunlap are buried in the Old Brick Cemetery in Maury County,TN. She married Samuel Dunlap of Lancaster County,South Carolina.Jane Crawford Dunlap died in 1818.

This John Stephenson and Jean Stephenson in Lancaster Co,South Carolina are not my John Stephenson 1724-1773 and his wife Jean who died about 1795 in York County,South Carolina. Lancaster County,South Carolina is the next county to the east of York.

There is a Moses Stephenson who died in Lancaster County,South Carolina in 1802.He is buried in the Waxhaw Presbyterian Cemetery in Lancaster County,South Carolina. His wife Elizabeth Dunlap Stephenson  is buried in the Stephenson Cemetery in Maury County,TN. The James W. Stephenson born in Lancaster Co,SC, in 1797 is buried in the Old Brick Church Cemetery also called the Jackson College Cemetery in Maury County,Tennessee. James White Stephenson b. 1756 in the Augusta Co,VA is buried in the Mt.Zion Cemetery in Maury County,Tennessee

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34213158/elizabeth-stephenson-blair

.

Answer 1

Refer to Sorting the Waxhaw Crawfords by Veach, Nancy Crockett's research and Young Hickory: The Making of Andrew Jackson by Hendrik Booraem,

Comments

Thanks for the information on the books.  This book mentions that Elizabeth Stephenson Crawford Blair was a cousin to Andrew Jackson.

https://books.google.com/books?id=gKo1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA35&dq=Elizabeth+Stephenson+Crawford&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZ3O3Kl7feAhVCiqwKHcnLDEgQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=Elizabeth%20Stephenson%20Crawford&f=false

Thomas Crawford mentioned his daughter Elizabeth Stephenson Crawford Blair in his will in Maury County,Tennessee in 1823. Her husband George Blair was from Lancaster County,South Carolina. 

Tommy Stephenson

---

This Elizabeth Stephenson( 1753-1811), who married Thomas Crawford in Lancaster County,South Carolina, was probably related to a Thomas Stephenson, who on July 28,1828 of Maury County,Tennessee, wrote a letter in which he claimed he lived in Lancaster County,South Carolina, and was acquainted with the mother of Andrew Jackson and knew Andrew Jackson when he was a young boy.  The only Thomas Stephenson I can find in Maury County,Tennessee, is buried in the Zion Presbyterian Church Cemetery. He was born 1766 and died 1848. In this cemetery is James White Stephenson who was a teacher.of Andrew Jackson.in Lancaster County,South Carolina.

A Nathaniel Stephenson of Williamson County,Tennessee also wrote on August 1, 1828, that he was acquainted with Elizabeth Jackson.who was the mother of Andrew Jackson in Lancaster County,South Carolina.

.A James McConnell Montgomery in a letter in 1814 on page 3 asked Jackson if he remembered going to old Mr. Stephenson's school in Lancaster County,South Carolina..

These letters are located here:

https://www.loc.gov/collections/andrew-jackson-papers/?q=Stephenson

Answer 2

I have been looking at wills of Abbeville County, SC Crawfords.  I have a James Crawford, Sr. of Abbeville who died 1783.  His will leaves his wife Elizabeth Crawford the dwelling house and plantation, etc.  He leaves to his youngest son, Thomas Crawford the plantation and tract of land at his mother's death. This makes me think she is a second wife.

This Thomas appears to have died in 1807 in Abbeville who appears to have been married to a Rhoda.

Also in later in 1807, Elizabeth Crawford who appears to be his mother and widow of James above, leaves her plantation, money, and a slave to her grandchildren, James C., John M, Ebenezer, and Rhoda C. Crawford when they come of age.  One of the executors of this will was Josiah PATTERSON.  She also mentions her sister Agnes Crawford [probably nee Patterson] who was the widow of Joseph Crawford d. 1798 in Abbeville.

A number of Crawfords moved from Abbeville to Maury, TN.  I would bet they were establishing a new church there.