William De Veaux (1740 - 1790)

Born 28 Sep 1740 in St. Helena Parish, Granville County, Province of South Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Anne (Barnwell) De Veaux — married about 1767 in Georgia or South Carolina

Descendants

Died 1790 at about age 49 in Savannah, Georgia, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Brenda Breland Shaffer [send private message]

Biography

William De Veaux was a South Carolina colonist.

William was born in 1740.^[1] He was the son of James De Veaux and Anne Fairchild. At the time of William's birth, James De Veaux was recorded in the St. Helena Vestry records.^[2]

The family moved across the Savannah River to Georgia by 1749 when his father was granted land in Georgia on the Skidaway River.^[3]

William married Ann Barnwell, daughter of John Barnwell Senior of Granville County, South Carolina.^[4]

William Deveaux Esquire was elected and returned for the District of Little Ogechee in the Parish of Christ Church, proved himself qualified to serve as a Representative, took the Oaths and his seat on Monday the 17th of November 1769. By the 24th of October 1770 a Writ of Election was ordered to elect a member for the district of Little Ogechee as William had removed himself and resided out of the Province.^[5]

James Deveaux filed a petition setting forth that he had heretofore lands granted him in the Province but was now possessed of more than fifty Negroes in right of whom he had never had any land Therefore praying for (on Family Right) 500 acres of land in St. John's Parish formerly surveyed for his son William Deveaux and that his Majesty's Grant for the same might pass to and in the name of his said son William Deveaux...who would return into the Province with his family.^[6] The petition was read at a Council held at Savannah on Wednesday the 5th June 1771. According to William's will he owned two tracts of land on "Canouchie River" containing 500 acres. The "Canoochee" River was a tributary of the Ogeechee River.^[7]

The Royal Georgia Gazette on the 27th of September 1781 announced the marriage of Miss Nancy Deveaux daughter of William Deveaux, Esq. of Beaufort, South Carolina married Capt. Roworth of the King's Rangers.^[8]

His father set his hand and seal to his Last Will and Testament on the 27th day of June 1771 leaving unto his son William Deveaux all that western moiety or half part of my lot of land in the Town of Savannah known by the Letter M in the plan of the said Town in Ellis's Square Decker's Ward...also all that Tract or parcel of land and plantation called or known by the name of Shaftsbury whereon I now dwell situate and being on the Island of Argyle in the River Savannah...Also all those two small Island situate in the said River Savannah opposite the said Tract hereby devised...and containing together 643 acres and a quarter, But my will and meaning is that the devise to my said son, William, of the Premises containing 643 acres and a quarter shall be and is subject to the Provis. respecting the same herein after mentioned. Also all that my wharf lot situate under the Bluff or Bank of the said River Savannah on the common to the East known by the No. 3 in the plan of the said wharf lots. Also all that my Town Lot in Hardwick on Great Ogechee River.^[9] William also owned lands in Beaufort, and Port Royal Island in South Carolina.^[7]

William Deveaux of the town of Beaufort, South Carolina made a deed of gift to his daughter Ann Deveaux on the 26th of April 1786, being a Negroe girl called Hagar who was in her possession at the time.^[10]

On the 5th day of September 1786, William D Veaux, at present in Savannah in the state of Georgia, set his hand and seal to his Last Will and Testament noting these legatees:

wife Ann DeVeaux

John Berners DeVeaux,

James DeVeaux

William Fairchild DeVeaux

Sarah Martha DeVeaux

Mary Olivia DeVeaux

Mrs Ann Brown wife of James Brown

grandson James DeVeaux Brown, son of James Brown by my daughter Anne

Specific bequests included in the Last Will and Testament of William De Veaux were:

• town lot in the town of Beaufort, South Carolina Number 310 (purchased of William Gilbert)
• stock on Port Royal Island
• my lands on Argyle Island including part of the settled plantation called Shaftsbury [his father's plantation]
• such Island or Islands my property as is or are in Savannah back River
• his fourth part of lands left me on Salthetehers [Salkehatchie] in South Carolina "devised as a part of the residue of my fathers estate"
• his fourth part of two lots in Purisburgh [Purrysburg] "devised as a part of the residue of my fathers estate"
• two tracts of 500 acres each on Canouchie [Coanooche] River
• town lot and improvements in the Town of Savannah opposite the hearhet [?]
• wharf lot under the Bluff of the said Town
• my two lots in Hardicke [Hardwicke]
• seven "negroes" to be purchased out of the proceeds of the plantation

All his children were minors (under 21) (with the exception of Mrs. Ann Brown, wife of James Brown) at the time he wrote the will. He appointed his brother Peter De Veaux, James Mossman and William Stephens, Esquires and sons John Berners, James and William Fairchild De Veaux, as soon as they respectively attain the age of twenty one years, Executors. The will was proven in court on the 20th day of September 1790.^[7]

He passed away between the 1st of April 1789 (date of codicil to will,) and the 20th of September 1790 (date will was proven.)

Children

Children of William De Veaux born to Ann Barnwell Devaux were:

• Ann(e) De Veaux; m James Brown in 1786;^[11] at least one child by 1786: James De Veaux Brown.^[7]
• John Berners De Veaux, ^[7]
• James De Veaux ^[7]
• William Fairchild De Veaux ^[7]
• Sarah Martha De Veaux ^[7]
• Mary Olivia De Veaux ^[7]
• Nancy De Veaux^[7]
• Martha De Veaux ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ The South Carolina historical and genealogical magazine, Volume XXIII, Vol. 1. 1922. St. Helena's Parish Register, Page 56, citing Deveaux, William. Digital images: South Carolina.com eBooks.
2. ↑ Salley, A. S. (Jr.) Minutes of the vestry of St. Helena's Parish, South Carolina, 1726-1812. Columbia, South Carolina. The State Company. 1919. Pages 29, 31, 32, citing James Deveaux. Digital images: Hathi Trust Digital Library.
3. ↑ Georgia Colonial and Headright Plat Index, 1735-1866, Volume 3, Page 48, citing James Deveaux. Digital images: Georgia Archives, Virtual Vault.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Chatham County, Georgia, Will Book A, Page 255-260, citing John Barnwell Senr., Digital images: Familysearch.org [database with images] image 191 of 485.
5. ↑ Candler, Allen D. Colonial records of the State of Georgia Volume XV, 1769 to 1782. Atlanta, Georgia. The Franklin-Turner Company. 1907. Page 56, citing William Deveaux Esquire; Page 199, citing William Deveaux, Esquire. Digital images: Hathi Trust digital library. Accessed 12 June 2021.
6. ↑ Candler, Allen D. Colonial records of the State of Georgia Volume XI, 1770/71. Atlanta, Georgia, The Franklin-Turner Company. 1907. Page 390, citing James Deveaux and William Deveaux. Digital images: HathiTrust Digital Library. Accessed 11 June 2021.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9} Chatham County, Georgia, Wills, v. C-D 1780-1807, page 229-245, citing William De Veaux. Digital images: Familysearch.org [database with images] Film 005759791 image 134 of 363. Accessed 11 June 2021.
8. ↑ The Georgia gazette. (Savannah, Ga.) 1788-1802, August 15, 1799, Image 4, [https://gahistoricnewspapers-files.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82016264/1799-08-15/ed-1/seq-4.pdf column 2, citing Peter Deveaux, Esq, William Deveaux. Digital images: Georgia Historic Newspapers.
9. ↑ Chatham County, Georgia Wills, Volume B, Page 228-239, citing James Deveaux; Page 238-242, citing Codicil; Page 244-245, 2nd Codicil. Digital images: Familysearch.org [database with images] Film 005759790.image 425-434 of 485
10. ↑ Chatham County Deeds, Book G, Page 257, citing Ann Deveaux from William Deveaux - Digital images: Familysearch.org [database with images] Film 008564902. image 140 of 322. Accessed 10 June 2021.
11. ↑ The South Carolina historical and genealogical magazine, Volume XXIII. St. Helena's Parish Register, Page 23, citing Brown, James M. D., and Ann Deveaux Spin. Digital images: South Carolina.com eBooks.