Rockey Creek on the Waters of the Wateree River

Date: 1752 [unknown]
Location: Province of South Carolina

Province of South Carolina - Council Journal

Journal of the Proceedings of his Majesty Honorable Council of the Province of South Carolina, 7 Nov 1752 to 1753 and a Royal Grant 1762

Rockey Creek on the waters of the Wateree River [now in Chester and Fairfield Counties, South Carolina].

Contents 1 1753 Land in South Carolina 2 1753 Land Plot in South Carolina 3 1762 Royal Land Grant in South Carolina 4 1763 Memorial in South Carolina 5 Maps 6 Sources

1753 Land in South Carolina

The names in the petitions most likely refer to: John Lee died 1787, Francis Lee perhaps his brother or uncle, and John Lee Sen'r, perhaps their father. It would be nice to see the original handwritten signatures with their marks in order to distinguish between people of the same name. Three John Lees on Rocky Creek

[page] 564

The Petition of Francis Lee for land by virtue of his own right.

Read the petition of Francis Lee humbly setting forth that the petitioner is desirous of building a mill for grinding wheat and making flour and hath found a proper place to build the same on Rockey Creek on the waters of the Wateree River and as he is very old his son begs leave to appear for him and as he never had any land in his own personal right, he humbly prays his Excellency and their Attorney to the Honorable General to lay out to the petitioner 50 acres of land on Rocky Creek aforesaid and that a grant may issue to him for the same and the petitioner as in duty bound shall ever pray. 6 Nov 1752.

[page] 565

The Petition of John Lee for Land by Family Right

Journal of the Proceedings of his Maj.'s Honorable Council of the Province of South Carolina, the 7th day of Nov. 1752:

Charles town the 6th day of November 1752 for my father John Lee. The said petition being considered and the petitioner appearing & swearing to the truth of his said petition, the prayer thereof was granted and the Deputy General ordered to prepare a warrant and the Lord General to lay out the 50 acres of land prayed for, there to a grant may issue to him for the same.

-Read the petition of John Lee humbly setting forth that the petitioner being a native of Maryland & thinking to better provide for his family in this Province about a year ago and finding a proper spot on the Wateree Creek where he set down with his family and cleared 9 acres to wise provision and built proper conveniences for his family, he has a wife, one child, a white servant and never had any land in this province and humbly prays his Excellency and their Honors order the Survr General to lay out the 200 acres of land on the Wateree Creek and that he may have a grant for the same and as in duty bound shall ever pray.

Charles town the 6th of November 1752.

Signed John Lee

The Prayer Granted:

The said petition being considered and the petitioner appearing & swearing to the Truth of his petition found right, the prayer thereof was granted and the Deputy General ordered to prepare a warrant and the Lord General to lay out 200 acres of land prayed for, there to a grant may issue to him for the same.

1753 Land Plot in South Carolina

South Carolina - Pursuant to a precept directed by George Hunter Esqr his Majesties surveyor general dated the 7th day of Novr. 1752. I have surveyed and laid out unto Francis Lee a tract of land containing fifty acres situate lying and being on the S. side of Wateree River on the Beaver Dam branch of Rocky Creek butting and bounding on vacant land on every side and hath such shape, form and marks as the above plat represents. Certified this 19th day of January 1753 by John Hamelton D.S. ^[1][2]

Beaver Dam Branch of Rocky Creek is in the lower right corner of map.

1762 Royal Land Grant in South Carolina

Craven County

South Carolina

Royal Grants, Vol. 10

1762

John LEE

[pg 307]

South Carolina - George the third by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting: ... unto John LEE his heirs and assigns, a plantation or tract of land containing fifty acres situate in Craven County and Branch of Rocky Creek called Bulls Branch,...

Witness his Excellency Thomas BOONE Esqr Capt General Governor and Commander in chief in and over our said Province of South Carolina, this thirteenth day of August Anno Dom. 1762 in the second year of our reign.

Thomas BOONE

Signed by his Excellency the Governor in Council And hath thereunto a plat thereof annexed, representing the same certified by Egerton LEIGH, Surveyor General. 3rd August 1762^[3][4]

1763 Memorial in South Carolina

1763 Jun 18 - Craven County, South Carolina: A memorial by John LEE to be registered in the office of his Majesty Auditor General agreeable to an order of Council __ conditions of the grant thereafter mentioned of a plantation or tract of land containing fifty acres situate in Craven County on the Waters of Rocky Creek bounded on all sides by vacant land survey certified the 11th day of April 1763 and granted the 18th day of June 1763 to the memorialist at the quit rent of __ money per hundred acres to commence two years from the date hereof. In witness whereof he hath hereunto set his hand the 12th day of Dec 1763. John LEE (his mark). Jno GASTON D.S. ^[5]1763 Memorial Photo with signature

John Lee Sen'r Memorial 1763

Maps

Dams have been built and some names have changed.

Lee's Old Mill on Lee's Creek (north fork of the Little River) as described in the John Lee Will of 1786. Today it is in Fairfield County extending for five miles along the Fairfield and Chester County border. This is on the north fork of Little River, not Rocky Creek.

Rocky Creek, Chester County, South Carolina Today. It passes to the west of the towns of Beckhamville and Great Falls and crosses highway 97. The Catholic Presbyterian Church founded by "grandfather" John Lee is located southwest of the intersection of highway 97 and freeway 77.

1876 Map of Fairfield County... Catawaba Wateree River is in upper right corner east of Black Stock on the boarder of Chester County

Sources

1. ↑ South Carolina, Craven County (now Chester County) Colonial Plats Volume 5, Jan 19, 1753, Francis Lee, pg 378)
2. ↑ https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~circuitcourtrecords/genealogy/deeds/sccolonialplat5.html
3. ↑ Grant Book 10, Class 1, p.307, Secretary of State's office, Columbia, South Carolina, 3 Aug 1762
4. ↑ https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~circuitcourtrecords/genealogy/deeds/scroyalgrant10.html
5. ↑ South Carolina - Craven County, Memorials Volume 6; pg 143

• https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~circuitcourtrecords/genealogy/council/sc.html

• https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~circuitcourtrecords/genealogy/fgr3/leejohn.html Click on "Links - SC Council Journals"