Several Emails CCed and FWDed...

Dear Family

WOW! Talk about hitting pay dirt with the DNA project. The email from Jim Farmer relates to the DNA results for Renney's direct male descendants. We find that the male descendants of Renny Belew match each others DNA and also to the DNA results from participants with the Farmer, Pruitt, Jackson, and Caldwell surnames. We have found a paper trail from now both the Pruitt and Farmer side that go back to a Thomas Pruitt, who court records show appeared in court with Judith Giles Belew in connection with a hearing in Henrico or Goochland county about her bastard child.

Thomas Pruitt of Halifax County, had a son named Renney Pruitt and one named John Farmer. We are entertaining the idea that Renney Pruitt and Renny Belew may in fact be the same person. Possibly Renny Pruitt chose to adopt his mother's married name as his own when he passed through Anson County, NC and then settled in Union County, SC.

I was hoping that in some unknown way the DNA project might result in some kind of breakthrough. Looks like it did.

Jim F. in his email below notes that the Belues and the Farmers arrived in the Spartanburg area about the same time and my guess is from the same place. Renny Belew and John Farmer may have been raised as brothers or at least half-brothers.

So this is strong evidence that the name Belew came from Giles Belew, husband to Judith Chastain. But is male DNA came from Thomas Pruitt. As Aaron says, the horse jumped the fence or something like that. Giles died in 1728. Judith according to multiple court hearings continue to have children into the 1740s -- five in all.

Isn't family history fun? !! Ron/DAD

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From: Helen B.
Subj: Fwd: FW: DNA results and the Farmer family

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From: Jim F.

Marcia,

You and Helen seem to be right on the money. Both Farmer DNA kits are very likely descendants of John Farmer, son of Thomas Pruitt. In the chart below they are entry numbers 9 and 13. I may not have the exact connections figured out, but I now know for certain we are talking about the same Farmers of Spartanburg. This is all new research done this weekend and I haven't even had a chance to share it with the Farmer DNA members that supplied it. But it all pans out very nicely.

I still don't know what the Joel and Shadrack Farmer connection is to this Farmer/Pruitt line. My current guess is that Joel was an uncle to John. While Joel came down early to all the way to South Carolina, it looks like John Farmer-Pruitt made it at least to the Catawba river in North Carolina. I have two possible records for him there. He may have also gone to South Carolina, as you suggest, but his sons ended up in Rutherford North Carolina as you know. I think they arrived in Spartanburg County the same time as the Belues.

I'll send you what I've pieced together. Just let me know if you have any more great ideas on how this all works. You really have done some amazing detective work.

Thanks,

Jim F.

Records of John Farmer son of Thomas Pruitt:

>>>Mecklenburg Co NC Deed Abstracts
Bk 16 p. 8, 2 Oct 1769 [sic] John Farmer to Wm Falkner for L40 89 acres east side fo Catawba R. adj Wm Ramsey and Samuel Seeley also 150 acres adj. Wit. Richard Barry and Thomas Falkner. Recorded 1798.
Bk 16 #731 p.116 John Farmer died without heirs in this country...

>>>1782 Rutherford Tax List
Samuel Farmer

>>>1790 Rutherford Co NC
Nathan 1-4-4-0:

>>>1800 Morgan, Rutherford (alpha order)
Nathan Farmer 0-0-3-0-1=0-2-0-0-1
John Farmer 1-0-0-1-1=0-0-1-0-0
Samuel Farmer 0-2-2-0-1=1-1-1-0-1

>>>1810 Rutherford Co NC
Samuel Farmer 1-1-0-0-1=0
David Farmer 0-0-0-1-0=3-0-1

>>>1810 Spartanburg
Year: 1810; Census Place: , Spartanburg, South Carolina; Roll: 61
William Farmer 01101=002011 page 381
Abner Farmer 20010 = 10010 page 382
Shad Farmer 01301=0101 page e384
Nathan Farmer 2-2-0-0-1 = 2-0-2-0-1 page 385
Thomas Farmer 00210=1001 page 400

>>>1820
--- Spartanburg
Year: 1820; Census Place: Spartanburg, Spartanburg, South Carolina; Roll: M33_120
p238
Joel Farmer 3-0-0-0-1-2=2-0-0-1-0
p278b
Hezekiah Farmer 1-0-0-0-1-0=2-1-1-1-0
David Pruitt
Hezekiah Farmer 1-0-0-1-1-0=1-2-1-2-0
p 279a
Abner Farmer 0-1-0-0-1-0=1-1-0-1-1
Wm Farmer 0-0-0-0-0-1=0-0-0-0-1
David Pruitt
p 279b
Thos Farmer 0-0-0-0-1=0-0-2-1-0-1
p 236
Joel Farmer 1-0-0-0-2-0=1-0-1-0-0
Nathan Farmer 3-1-0-1-0-1=1-2-2-0-1
Wm Farmer 1-0-0-1-1-0=0-0-1-1-0
p 325
Benj Farmer 1-0-0-1-1=3-1-1-1-1=2
---- Pendleton
Josiah Farmer
Mary Farmer





Descendants of John (Pruitt or) Farmer



Generation No. 1

1. John (Pruitt or)2 Farmer (Thomas1 Pruitt) was born about 1730 in Halifax Co VA, and died Bef. 1769 in Tryon or Lincoln Co, NC.

Children of John (Pruitt or) Farmer are:
2 i. Samuel3 Farmer, born about 1750 in Halifax Co VA; died Aft. 1810 in Rutherford Co, NC.
+ 3 ii. Nathan Farmer, born Bef. 1755 in Halifax Co VA; died Aft. 1820 in Spartanburg Co, SC.
+ 4 iii. John Farmer, born Bef. 1755 in Halifax Co VA; died Bef. 1820 in Pendleton Co SC.
5 iv. William Farmer, born about 1760 in Tryon or Lincoln Co, NC; died Aft. 1820 in Spartanburg Co, SC.
+ 6 v. (which) Farmer.

Generation No. 2

3. Nathan3 Farmer (John (Pruitt or)2, Thomas1 Pruitt) was born Bef. 1755 in Halifax Co VA, and died Aft. 1820 in Spartanburg Co, SC.

Child of Nathan Farmer is:
7 i. Nathan4 Farmer, born about 1800 in Rutherford Co, NC.
and many other children who are unknown.
4. John3 Farmer (John (Pruitt or)2, Thomas1 Pruitt) was born Bef. 1755 in Halifax Co VA, and died Bef. 1820 in Pendleton Co SC. He married Mary.

Child of John Farmer and Mary is:
+ 8 i. Josiah4 Farmer, born 1795 in Rutherford Co, NC; died Aft. 1860 in Anderson Co SC.
(thought to be John's son since other men in Rutherford found later in Spartanburg)
6. (which)3 Farmer (John (Pruitt or)2, Thomas1 Pruitt). All of John's sons had sons and only a few can be correctly connected.

Children of (which) Farmer are:
+ 9 i. William4 Farmer, born 1788 in Spartanburg Co, SC; died Aft. 1850 in Habersham Co, GA.
10 ii. Joel Farmer, born 1790 in Spartanburg Co SC; died Aft. 1850 in Spartanburg Co SC. He married Sally; born 1800; died Aft. 1850 in Spartanburg Co SC.

Generation No. 3

8. Josiah4 Farmer (John3, John (Pruitt or)2, Thomas1 Pruitt) was born 1795 in Rutherford Co, NC, and died Aft. 1860 in Anderson Co SC. He married Jemima. She died Bef. 1860 in Anderson Co SC.

Children of Josiah Farmer and Jemima are:
11 i. Josiah5 Farmer, born 1828 in Anderson Co SC.
12 ii. Mary E. Farmer, born 1830 in Anderson Co SC. She married William Faust; born 1827 in SC.
13 iii. John Farmer, born 1834 in Anderson Co SC; died Aft. 1880.
14 iv. William Farmer, born 1836 in Anderson Co SC.
15 v. Rachael J Farmer, born 1838 in Anderson Co SC.

9. William4 Farmer ((which)3, John (Pruitt or)2, Thomas1 Pruitt) was born 1788 in Spartanburg Co, SC, and died Aft. 1850 in Habersham Co, GA. He married Elizabeth Kimbrell, daughter of Robert Kimbrell and Frances. She was born 1795 in Spartanburg Co, SC.

Children of William Farmer and Elizabeth Kimbrell are:
16 i. James5 Farmer, born 25 Jul 1817 in Spartanburg Co, SC. He married Martha; born 1816.
17 ii. (son) Farmer, born Bef. 1820 in Spartanburg Co, SC; died Bef. 1850.
18 iii. (son) Farmer, born Bet. 1820 - 1830; died Bef. 1850.
19 iv. William Farmer, born 10 Jul 1829 in GA.
20 v. Lewis Farmer, born 1831 in GA.

From: rivermet@aol.com [mailto:rivermet@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 2:18 PM
To: Farmer, Jim
Subject: DNA results and the Farmer family

Hi Jim, Helen forwarded your response to me. I generally agree with your assessment of "other" surname matches, but we've got a little different situation here. Tom Prewitt gave land to his son John Farmer in 1759 at the same time that he gave land to sons Renney and Abraham Prewitt. Researchers in the past have given Tom a daughter and married John Farmer to her. There is no evidence that Tom had any daughters. They have also made John a son-in-law in their data, but the abstract clearly says son.

John Farmer sold his land in 1765 -

Halifax Co, VA Deed Book 2 - 28 September 1765 - John Farmer of Halifax Co to James Bates of same for 50 pounds, 100 acres on one of the brs of the south fork of Catawbo Cr...line of John Russell on the northeast, George Elliot on the southeast, Abraham Abney on the south, Reney Prewitt on the southwest and Abraham Prewitt on the northwest... old line of Thomas Prewitt to the beg. All houses, buildings, woods....
Signed: John (+) Farmer
Wit: Dannett Abney, John (+) Ginnens, Thomas (T) Prewitt, Fleming Bates, Jr
Memo. of receipt: 28 September 1765
This deed is not fully proved & the original delivered out.

Dannett Abney and Tom Jr both witnessed the deed from Tom Sr to John.

In 1766, a John Farmer appears as a neighbor listed on a Granville SC deed. Granville at the time was a long strip on the western side of SC. The 1773 deed that you sent below is land actually in Union, SC and the area was called the Fair Forest Settlement. In 1768, Renney BELUE bought land in the Fair Forest Settlement from Daniel Plummer. David Prewitt (a son of Thomas) and Abraham BELLEW bought adjoining properties on Dutchman's Creek, at that time a part of old Tryon Co, NC. All of these properties were close together.

John was the first to appear, then David and Michael Prewitt and the Belue/Bellews, but all were there by 1768.

There are 3 Rev War pensions from Farmers of Union Co. 2 of them state that they were born in Halifax Co, VA. The 3rd was younger and born and raised in Union Co. All 3 were brothers and I believe that Joel was also their brother and a son of John. Joel died before 1832 when the pension statements were made. He certainly could have been a brother to John, but I don't think so.

The John "Lyles" mentioned in your deed was John Liles, husband of Susannah Belue, Renney's oldest daughter.

We are certain that this is where the lines came together. John was probably raised as a Farmer, but for some reason Thomas Prewitt tried to make things right before he died. There is a whole lot more to the story, but why Renney and Abe switch to Belue/Bellew is a mystery. They had been Prewitts in Halifax. Where the name comes from is not a mystery. Renney and Abe, David and Michael Prewitt, we believe, all had the same mother, Judith Chastain Belue/Bellew. Judith was a kinswoman to Tom's wife Mary Chastain Ducre Prewitt. Mary was too old to be the mother of these children, but was still living in 1737. People have tried to kill her off and remarry him, but she was still alive.

Judith was tried 5 times for bastardy between 1829 and 1840. Tom Prewitt posted bond once, Thomas Walker confessed to fathering one of the children. John Farmer may have been a secret until later in Tom Prewitt's life. Judith was not his mother. There also is a Cardwell in our mix. His DNA doesn't match Cardwells but does match Prewitt, Farmer, and Renney's.

The kicker to all of this is that Judith and her husband Giles Bellew supposedly had a son named Peter after Judith's father Pierre. A descendant has been tested and does not match any other Bellews. He should match the lineage of Leonard. Judith might have been messing around from the get go. Giles died c 1729 and some 8 months later was her first trial. Everyone must have been aware that child was not Giles'.

There are a group of participants, I believe all descended from Jacob Bellew of Greenville - and I'm waiting on confirmation of that. I believe that these are descendants of Abraham. They claim an Abraham bc 1745 who was a Tory and died in the War. There is NO evidence that he had a son Jacob, but a lot of evidence that he didn't. These folks do NOT match Renney. My guess.... Abe wasn't Tom's son, so Judith struck again, but randy old Tom didn't have a clue.

I would be glad to send you reports on the families of these guys. As you might expect, Tom's generation is a bit messy! The association with Farmer families continues for several generations.

Marcia M.


-----Original Message-----
From: Helen B.
Subject: Fwd: DNA results


From: Jim F.
Subject: RE: DNA results
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:58:34 -0700

Helen,

It's normally a good idea to think that any matches you have to other families occurred hundreds of years ago in Europe, long before there was a United States. But your family associated with Farmer in South Carolina. So I don't want to disregard the idea that the connection between the two families was here in America, and possibly in South Carolina. Here is what I know so far:

Joel Farmer arrived in the area about 1773.
>>> Anson County, North Carolina, State Land Grant Book 3, page 126, Grant No. 73, file #376, In: Holcomb, BH (1980) North Carolina Land Grants in South Carolina, A Press Inc, Greenville, SC, p. 16.
1775 January 13, Joel Farmer, 200 acres on small branch of Fair Forest called Rocky Creek. Bounded northeast by Hillory Guy, north by Seth Pettypoole, northwest by Thomas Summersall, southwest on James Mitchell, east on John Lyle, and vacant land. Survey certified 5 May 1773; granted 11 August 1774. Quit rent in 2 years. Wm. Wofford, D.S.
The Belues appeared in the area twenty years later, even buying land from Shadrack Farmer son of Joel. But it appears that this Farmer family had already moved on to Spartanburg County.
>>>Union Co SC Deed Book C pgs 346-48:
1 Mar 1794, Shadrick Farmer of Spartanburgh County, planter, and Susan his wife, to Rany Belue of Union County, for 60 pds sterling SC money, 200 acres on a branch of Fairforrest called Rockey Creek in Union County granted to Joel Farmer 11 Aug 1774 and entered in Auditor Generals Office in book M No 13, pg 240, 13 Jan 1775, adj John Lyles's land, Hillery Gay's land, James Mitchell's land. Shadrick Farmer (+) (Seal), Susanna Farmer (X) (Seal). Wit: Jesse Belew, William Weakes, John Vaughn. Proved in Union County by the oath of Jesse Belue 7 Apr 1794 before Thomas Blasingame, J.P. Recorded 7 Apr 1794.
In 1810 Farmers were again living in Union County, including Ezekial and William, but these I thought were part of my line, out of Cumberland County VA, and would have had different DNA. So I don't know where your line crossed the Farmer line enough to create a connection.

Let me do some more research and see what I can figure out. If you will send me the Belue male line on down from the first male, I'll also look for other Farmers that could have connected somehow in other generations.

Thanks,

Jim



From: David F.
Subject: RE: DNA results

I'm going to forward your email to our Colonial Farmer Expert, Jim F.

Dave

From: Helen
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2008 1:56 PM
To: David F.
Subject: DNA results

David,

I am a descendant of Renny Belue, Sr. of Union Co., SC, b. c1730. d. 1797 S C.. Our DNA participants match William Farmer b. 1788 SC, d. bef. 1851 GA and John Farmer b. SC 1827.

Can you tell me who these Farmers descended from and what is their connection to the Belues.

Any help will be appreciated.

Helen B.