Nathaniel Bailey, Sr.

Some claim he was born in Belfast, County Antrim; others claim Ballybay in County Monaghan, but no one thus far has produced any proof of his birthplace. It is by no means proven that Nathaniel Bailey was even born in Ireland.

What we know: the Brig (Brigantine) Lord Dungannon carried passengers who embarked from Belfast and Larne. They sailed from the port of Belfast, Ireland, on Sept 8, 1767, and arrived at Charleston, SC, Feb 13, 1768. It must have been a difficult voyage!

from researcher Cheri Reeves:

"The original manifest did not list the town they were from per se but listed they were from Antrim, which could mean they were from Belfast which was in County Antrim, or it could mean they were from the Town of Antrim in County Antrim. Ballybay was ruled out early, as County Monaghan had a very small Presbyterian population led by [those] who were moved to New York and South Carolina en mass starting in abt 1758 and led by a Presbyterian minister by the name of Thomas Clark. I had originally thought that the Baileys might have been included in one of his congregations at this time because Dr. Clark eventually moved to the Abbeville District himself, or at least bought land there while still living in New York about 1767. After reading the name lists of his Monaghan congregations who emmigrated with him, I found the Baileys not among them. Not hard to figure out that that meant they did not come from County Monaghan. I have tried to put this word out there but the rumor persists that this is where they originated....

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The following is from Bailey researcher Cheri Reeves:

"Nathaniel Bailey (age 50) was accompanied by his wife Jean (Jane) (age 45) and eight children. The children were

Janet (23),

Joseph (20),

Elizabeth (18),

Isabell (17),

Anne (16),

William (15),

James (8),

and Nathaniel (6).

This ship was between 180 and 200 tons and on this ship were 139 Irish protestants. Council Journal, SC, from the book "Protestant Immigrants to SC, 1763-1773 by Jane Revill."

Council Journal 34, pages 53-61. "Meeting of 13th. February 1768.

"Ordered that the Secretary do prepare Warrants of Survey accordingly. "The following persons presented petitions to his Excellency the Governor setting forth that they were protestants and arrived in this provence in the Brig Lord Dunagannon, Robert Montgomery Master, on the encouragement and Bounty given by the Act of the General Assembly of this Provence passed the 25th July 1761 and therefore prayed to be allowed the same. "That the prayers of their petitions were granted and the public Treasurer was ordered to pay the Bountys of four pounds and two pounds sterling according to their respective ages in consideration of their passages to this Province to Messrs Torrans and Ponag in behalf of the owners of the said Brig and the remaining twenty shillings sterling to themselves agreeable to the directions of the said Act. "

Nathaniel Bailey received a warrant of survey on July 29, 1768, for 250 acres in Granville County on Holidays Creek, a branch of Long Cane. Various family members received additional grants of 100 acres each, including Jannet Bailey, William Bailey, Joseph Bailey, Elizabeth Bailey, Isabell Bailey, and Ann Bailey. The youngest two boys, James and Nathaniel, were apparently not yet old enough to own land and it appears that as head of household, Nathaniel Bailey (Sr.) may have received 50 acres each for each of the two boys as well as 50 acres for his wife, in addition to the hundred he received for himself.

Family members identified in passenger records and in the Council Journal were:

Nathaniel Bailey age 50 Jane Bailey age 45 Jannet Bailey age 23 Joseph Bailey age 20 Elizabeth Bailey age 18 Isabell Bailey age 17 Ann Bailey age 16 William Bailey age 15 James Bailey age 8 Nathaniel Bailey age 6

The land was supposedly located on a branch of the Upper Long Cane Creek near the town of Abbeville in the 96 District. Although the name "Holidays Creek" has not survived on any map and so far I have found no record of the land survey for their land, Jean Bailey's Will, dated 1780 and proved 1792, indicates that her plantation was located adjacent to John Bowie's. A map of Abbeville County, dated 1820, shows a Meeting House named "Bowie M.H." to the north of Rocky River, about a mile from the Pendleton County Border and a few miles east of the Savannah River. Although there is no plantation listed in this area under the name of Bowie, it is possible that this was the area of the Bowie plantation and that the Bailey plantation may have been in this area as well.

The family were members of the Upper Long Cane Presbyterian Church, which is situated on the Northeast outskirts of what is now the town of Abbeville. Andrew Pickens, a hero of the Revolutionary war, was a member of this church as well.

Some sources list Nathaniel Bailey's death as having occurred around 1780; however, I have not yet found positive proof of this. Because Jean Bailey's Will was written and recorded in February, 1780, it is a likely assumption that her husband was already dead since she had no land registered in her name prior to that time. A will for Nathaniel Bailey was recorded in Abbeville County Wills, date 1787-1815, page 84. I have been unable to obtain a copy of this will from the Abbeville Courthouse and I am unsure as to whether this will is for Senior or Junior.

A Pre-1790 SC Census (1787), ostensibly done as part of the creation of Abbeville County, lists a "Nathaniel Bayleigh" in Abbeville County as an adult male head of household. This could as easily be Nathaniel Bailey's youngest son, who was 25 years of age at the time of that census. The 1790 Census (which was not completed in Abbeville County until some time in 1792) does not list Jean Bailey as a head of household. She died during the winter of 1791/2 during what was called the harshest winter in over a decade. Nathaniel Bailey is listed in both the 1790 Census and the 1800 Census.

Sources: Bailey history compiled by Virginia Smith of Griffin, Georgia. Protestant Immigrants to South Carolina 1763 - 1773. - by Janie Revill. Council Journal 34, pages 53-61 1787 Abbeville County Census 1790 Abbeville County Census 1800 Abbeville County Census

Series Number: S108092 Reel: 0004 Frame: 00538 ignore: 00

Many sources claim that Nathaniel Bailey was born in Antrim, Ulster Province, Ireland, other claim Ballybay, but I have found no evidence for either. However there were two Nathaniel Baileys born about 1718 in England. He could easily have been born in England, gone to Antrim and settled there and come to SC claiming to be Irish, which the Scots-Irish Protestants in Antrim believed with their whole hearts. Those who emigrated to American usually did so because the landloard in Northern Ireland were making the cost of owning or renting a home totally unreasonable for the average family. Many were eventually evicted from the land they lived on and their only hope was to go to America accepting the bounty for settling in the back country. The Council in Charleston not only gave 100 acres to the head of the family, but 50 acres for any child over the age of 7 and also a wagon a horse or mule and food and tools enough to make a start on a home.

The Nathaniel Bailey who supposedly settled in Gwinnett County, Georgia, was the youngest son of the original Nathaniel. In Jean Bailey's will, she turned over the property she owned to her son Nathaniel as long as he cared for his elder sister Isobel, who, according to Ms. Smith, was rumoured in the family to have been a dwarf.

http://boards.ancestry.it/thread.aspx?o=10&m=4238.1.1.2.2.1.1&p=sur...

http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/r/e/e/Cheryle-L-Reeves/GENE2-0001.html

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South Carolina Immigration Land Bounty

Nathaniel Bailey 250 Acres Jane Bailey 50 to Husband Jannet Bailey 100 Acres Joseph Bailey 100 Acres Elizabeth Bailey 100 Acres Isabell Bailey 100 Acres Ann Bailey 100 Acres William Bailey 100 Acres James Bailey 50 to father Nathaniel Bailey 50 to father Source Immigration and Land

A Compilation of the Original Lists of Protestant Immigrants to South Carolina, 1763-1773 by Jane Revill Ancestry Link (Paid Site)

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About the Bounty Act:

http://sc_tories.tripod.com/migration_to_sc_before_the_revolution.htm

http://boydroots.net/Places/southcarolina.html

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Advertisement for the Brig. "Lord Dungannon"

For CHARLESTOWN in SOUTH-CAROLINA,

The Brig Lord DUNGANNON,

Robert Montgommery [Montgomery?] Master,

two hnudred Tons Berthen,

will be clear to sail from this

Port against the 10th of October

next. Such as incline to embrace this

favourable Opportunity of being agreeably

conveyed to a fine Country are requested

immediately to apply to Campbell and Donaldson

James Henderson, James Park, and John Gregg, either

of whom will agree with them. She is a fine vessel

and not Ten months old, the Captain well acquainted

in the Passenger Trade, as he served his time under

his cousin Captain John Montgommery [Montgomery?] of

Larne, who is well known to have made as many good

Passages as any Master from Ireland; besides the owners

are determined not to engage more Passengers than she with

ease can accomodate, and to spare no expense in laying in

Plenty of the best of Provisions of every kind. Should any

choose to pay their Passage here and claim their Bounty at

the other side, they will be agreed with on easy Terms.

Belfast, 19th August 1767.

N.B. The above vessel is just arrived from Antigua.

http://www.dippam.ac.uk/ied/records/25498

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Notice to passengers for Brig Lord Dungannon.;The Belfast Newsletter And General Advertiser, Tuesday, 6 October, 1767

The Passengers who have engaged to go to

     Charlestown in the Brig Lord Dungannon 

are desired to take notice, that she will
be clear to sail against the time appointed,
or at furthest on Monday the 12th Instant.
She wants about thirty of her Complement,
but that will not detain her a day after She
is clear, and those who offer first will be
preferred. With respect to such as shall not appear

to fulfil their Engagements by the 12th Instant

at farthest, the Owners will not look upon themselves

as any longer under promise to secure their Berths

in the said Vessels. October 5, 1767.

http://www.dippam.ac.uk/ied/records/30014

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Plats of land in Granville County (now Abbeville) for the Bailey family:

http://www.bfthompson.com/abbeville_colonial_plats/AbbevillePlatsA_...

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Member of Upper Long Cane Society (Presbyterian Church) in Abbeville, SC

However, a 1793 list of members shows him to have been "excluded."

http://faculty.nmu.edu/jstrain/Strain1/Family%20History/Text%20File...

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Images of the Belfast Newsletter, 1767, from "Holmeshorse," Penny Argroves Holmes, at Photobucket

[URL=http://s277.photobucket.com/user/holmeshorse/media/MOORE/DOCUMENTS/...][IMG]http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk45/holmeshorse/MOORE/DOCUMENTS...[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s277.photobucket.com/user/holmeshorse/media/MOORE/DOCUMENTS/...][IMG]http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk45/holmeshorse/MOORE/DOCUMENTS...[/IMG][/URL]