Walking with Ghosts..........

a website for the descendants of Angus and Nancy McCutchen MacLeod~~

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1810 - 1820

1810 Enumerated with parents in Richmond County North Carolina 1810 Census Place: Richmond County, North Carolina; "Electronic," img 23 Ancestry.com Census on line - page 70 actual image page, accessed by Lori McLeod Wilke 2005

1816 - Daniel purchases 350 acres on the Beaverdam Branch (waters of Lynches Creek) in Kershaw from James Simms- no other boundary information was given but reference to an earlier plat/survey on file in Columbia was made. Deeds and Conveyances, Kershaw District, South Carolina; Recorded November 16 1816 deed accessed and copied by Lori McLeod Wilke, David Jay Wilke, June 2005

The description is simple saying "all that plantation or tract of land containing three hundred and fifty acres.....situate, lying and being in the State and District aforesaid and on the waters of Little Lynches Creek Beaver Dam Branch". On the deed, Sumter County is rewritten as Kershaw. We already know that Beaverdam Branch crossed the county boundaries but this places the land near the Horsepen Branch on which Alexander I (Daniel's brother) has lived since November 1812.

Land originally surveyed on the 20th of July 1772 for a Barnard Elliot and was granted to Thomas Singleton on April 3rd 1786. Thomas Singleton left this property in his will to his son, Bracey Singleton. Bracey Singleton or his own son, possibly a Thomas D. Singleton according to the records in Columbia, in turn sold the property in 1811 to William Simms. On June 3rd 1815, apparently a suit was filed by the heirs of Thomas Singlton against James Simms and the land was to be sold by James Simms who sold it to Daniel McLeod on November 16th 1816. Kershaw County Deeds and Conveyances - list of McLeod deeds provided to Lori McLeod Wilke by Purdy Belvin McLeod Jr. June 22 2002 (Daniel would have been approximately 26 years of age using a birth year of 1790 as indicated by the 1850 Sumter Census.) NOT YET PROVEN - three Daniel McLeods are present in the 1820 Kershaw District Census; this could be the record of one of them, however, the Beaverdam reference makes it likely to be this Daniel (h/o Catherine McLean)

1817 - John McKay, the witness to the 1812 purchase of the Horsepen Branch acreage by Alexander, purchases property on the Beaverdam Branch. The deed is witnessed by a Daniel McLeod. Researchers of John McKay have stated that this Daniel was our Daniel, John's brother in law. John marries Mary aka Polly McLeod. This deed has not yet been accessed and copied, caution is advised in considering this a proven document of our Daniel. Yet, as stated above, the Beaverdam Branch reference indicates that it is indeed our Daniel.

1820 - Daniel is found unmarried aged 16-29 in his parents home along with at least four of his sisters and an unknown female aged 10-15. Census; Kershaw District, South Carolina, United States of America Census Year 1820, page 151

In December, Daniel's father, Angus, makes what appears to be his first land purchase in South Carolina in which he buys 225 acres with a mill and a pond on 1 acre; the land is located on the Beaverdam Branch (in the present day Egypt Community of Lee County, shown on Lee County Maps as the McLeod Mill Pond).

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1820 - 1830 "How are our Boykin Cousins?" "He had Cousins who were Bethunes"

1824 - On January 15th, Daniel's brother, Alexander makes his will, stating that he was "very sick and weak in body". He names his two brothers, Daniel and Normand as his co-executors. The spelling of our surname varies between MacLeod and McLeod throughout the will. The will was witnessed by Malcolm Fraser and Jacob Nichols. Alexander died sometime between the writing of the will and its probate on March 8 1824. Kershaw County Genealogical Archives/Camden Recorded 3/8/1824 in WILL BOOK K page 147 Vol. 2, E- D Will of 1/15/1824

On March 8 1824, Daniel and Norman appear in the probate court and swear the oath of executorship / administration; both sign the document, Norman with quite an elegant hand. From that date until a final accounting of the estate's management was given on February 20 1835, Daniel executed the estate of Alexander. By 1835, all the children of Alexander and Sarah except Angus had reached their majority. Norman does not appear to have been present at any future date regarding the estate. Estate File 1775; copied June 30 2003, Camden Courthouse, Camden, Kershaw County South Carolina by David and Lori McLeod Wilke

1825 - On November 10th, Daniel and Catherine's first child is born Annie McLeod who would marry Col. Stephen Madison Boykin in 1851. Annie and Stephen would live next to Angus McLeod (the youngest son of Daniel's brother, Alexander) and his wife, Eliza Arrants. Upon Angus' death while serving the Confederacy, Boykin would marry the widowed Eliza Arrants McLeod in 1866.

1827 - On Aug 20, their only son, John Robert McLeod was born.

1828 - On Jun 14th, his sister Margaret writes her Last Will and Testament naming Daniel and Roderick Bethune as the co-administrators. Although she left her slaves to her unmarried sister Catherine, she left the bulk of her estate to her sister Nancy McLeod Bethune despite naming all of her living sisters and their husbands in the will. Roderick Bethune administers the estate primarily by himself as Daniel is administering the estate of Alexander and caring for his minor nieces and nephews. Will of Margaret McLeod, recorded in Will Book D-1 page 187, dtd June 14th 1828, recorded on January 5th 1829 accessed and copied by Lori McLeod Wilke June 2005 /Estate File of Margaret McLeod accessed and copied by Lori McLeod Wilke June 2005

Some have argued that since Alexander and Norman, Daniel's brothers, were not named in the Will of Margaret McLeod that this family is not connected......Alexander was deceased in 1824 and apparently Norman was either deceased or had left the state under threat of debtors prison or the equivalent - see Norman's page for details.

1829 - January 5th - sister Margaret's estate entered Probate.

Unknown Date - a third child is born to John Robert and Sarah - called Margaret (probably after his recently deceased sister - see just above).

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1830 - 1840 Death of Angus McLeod, McLeods Mill Pond changes hands, Bethunes and Boykins migrate to Alabama

1830 Daniel is now as a head of household in Sumter District with four children. Census; Sumter District, South Carolina, United States of America Census Year 1830 Sumter District, S.C.;1 male 0-5 (John Robert b. 1827); 1 male aged 30-40 (Daniel birth year of 1790-1800); 2 females aged 0-5 (Mary b. abt. 1830 & Margaret b. abt 1833/34); 1 female 5-10 (Annie b. 1825); 1 female 20-30 (Catherine birth year of 1800 - 1810)

1831 - On April 7th, Daniel purchases the land which contained the Mill and 1 acre pond from his father. The sale is witnessed by his two brother in law's, Roderick Bethune and John McKay. It appears that Angus and Nancy were now living with Roderick and their daughter Nancy and Angus, between the age of 80-90, was disposing of the last of his property in lieu of a Will and probate as no record of his will has ever been found. The acreage remains in the family today. Sumter County Deed Book HH page 58 accessed and copied by Lori McLeod Wilke and David Jay Wilke

Between 1830 and 1835 two daughters are born to Daniel and Catherine, Elexy Catherine and Mary

1835 - On February 20th, the final accounting was given to the Court for the Estate of Alexander McLeod. The estate had been administered by Daniel, for almost eleven years. Other than the Oath of Administration signed by both Daniel and Norman, it does not appear as if Norman performed any of the duties of administration during that time. Estate File 1775; copied June 30 2003, Camden Courthouse, Camden, Kershaw County South Carolina by David and Lori McLeod Wilke

On March 17th, Daniel purchases 272 acres on Jennings Branch from what appears to have been a relative of his wife; John McLean and John's wife, Nancy. The purchase was witnessed by Roderick Bethune and Daniel's wife, Catherine. Sumter County Deed Book II page 718 accessed and copied by Lori McLeod Wilke and David Jay Wilke

1838/9 - Two of Daniel's brother in laws begin to sell their property in preparation for migration into Alabama; John McKay, the husband of his sister Polly; Norman McLeod, the husband of his sister Betsy; and, Roderick Bethune, the husband of his sister, Nancy. His parents, Angus and Nancy McCutchen McLeod, had been found in the home of Roderick and Nancy in the 1830 Sumter Census; it is believed that Angus died sometime after April 7 1831 on which date he sold the McLeod Mill Pond property to his son Daniel. The selling of property by three of Angus' sons in law indicates that he was deceased by 1838. By the 1840 census, the McKay's, the McLeod's and the Bethune's are found in Macon County Alabama. Sumter County Land Deeds/ Census Research at Ancestry.com Census On Line by Lori McLeod Wilke 2003 - 2006

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1840-1850 "Daniel's descendants remain in the area today"

1840 - Daniel and his family are found in Sumter District living near his now adult nieces and nephews, the children of his deceased brother Alexander. From the later documents of these nieces and nephews and those of Daniel's own children, the families remained very close. Their neighbors were: same page (32) his neice Catherine McLeod and her husband, John C. Moseley; on page 30 his nephew John N. and Kitsy Davis McLeod (lived on property of father in law, Thomas Davis located near Roxanna James shown on page 31 of the census - Also on page 31 are his nephew Alexander McLeod II and his wife, Harriet Yates; his neice Jane McLeod, the wife of Alfred Davis - also living on property of Thomas Davis Census; Sumter District, South Carolina, United States of America Census Year 1840 Page 32 1 male 10-15 (John R. age 12 or 13); 1 male 40-50 (Daniel age 50 birth year of 1790 -1800); 2 females 5-10 (Catherine b. abt 1835/36; Margaret b. abt 1833/34 (?); 1 female 10-15 (Mary b. abt 1830); 1 female 15-20 (Annie b. 1825 age 15); 1 female 30-40 (Catherine)/Will of Thomas Davis, witnessed by William H. Peebles and Randal McCaskill Rec'd Will Book D2 page 51 July 23 1841

1844 - On September 13th, Daniel McLeod witnesses the Will of a neighbor, Stephen Henry Boykin along with Thomas L. Smith and John Lee. In 1852, Daniel's daughter will marry Stephen's son, Col. Stephen Madison Boykin; their children are the children refered to in the interview when Albert John asks "how are our Boykin cousins?". The 1850 Census will show that Boykin was a neighbor of Daniel's. Lee County South Carolina Past and Present Volume II pages 89 and 123/Sumter Wills Project SC GenWeb, Will of Stephen Henry Boykin/Census Records of Sumter County, 1840-1850

1852 - Daniel died on or around June 5th 1852. He died intestate (without a will), this leads one to believe that he died unexpectedly and not as the result of an injury or prolonged illness. His widow, Catherine, petitioned the court for appointment as administrix of the estate. His property was appraised at a value of $3000.00. The Administrative Bond, dated July 1, 1852, was signed by Catherine, their son, John Robert, E.G. Berry and James Corbett. The appraisers of the estate were his nephew by marriage, John C. Moseley, husband of niece Catherine, Thomas L. Smith, Robert M. Huggins, and Daniel H. Richbourg, all known residents of the present day Lee County Egypt community and the Beaverdam area of Old Sumter. Tindale Files - Sumter Genealogical Society, provided by Col. Purdy Belvin McLeod Jr./LDS Microfilm Admin Bond Index of Sumter County accessed in Orange Park Florida 2002 by Lori McLeod Wilke/Estate File of Daniel McLeod, mistakenly indexed as the file of DAVID McLeod in the Sumter County Courthouse; accessed and copied by Lori McLeod Wilke and David Jay Wilke, June 2004

1853 - On September 10th 1853, Catherine, the widow of Daniel McLeod, wrote her will and it was recorded in November that same year. Witnesses for the Will were her nephew by marriage, Angus McLeod the son of Daniel's deceased brother, Alexander McLeod, E.G. McCutchen (possibly the father of Dr. Samuel E. McCutchen who later married her granddaughter by John Robert), , and John Boykin (who had purchased the land bordering Daniel's from his sister and her husband, Roderick and Nancy McLeod Bethune in 1839). The appraisers of the estate were Robert M. Huggins, John McLeod (probably her nephew, John N. since her son John was administrator), her nephew, Angus McLeod, N.S. Garred and John Boykin. Will of Catherine McLeod Rec'd November 1853 Will Book D page 512/Estate of Daniel McLeod Dec'd Inventory Filed Dec 1853

Catherine's will did not name her daughters Annie or Margaret. By the time of Catherine's death, Annie was married to her neighbor, Col. Stephen Madison Boykin. Annie's nephew, Jesse Edward McLeod, stated that her marriage to Boykin was against her family's wishes as he was a womanizer. Had she been the only daughter left out of the Will, it would appear that it was for that reason, however, the fact that Margaret was also not named and no record of her death has been found prior to the date of probate, it would appear she simply didn't name her married daughters. (Research indicates that Margaret was widowed by 1860 and living with her brother, John Robert) Catherine named 9 slaves but gave no indication of the location or extent of her and Daniel's property. Location however, is indicated by the witnesses of her will and the appraisers of her estate. John Robert, named as her Executor, inherited "all the rest and residue of my estate of every nature and description, Real personal and mixed, goods chattels and chooses in action which I shall died seized in, possessed of or entitled to". At her death, she owned 18 head of cattle worth $90.00, a household of furniture consisting of tables, chairs, clocks worth $35.00, 10 slaves valued at $7125.00.

• buried on family property (McLeod Mill Pond in Lee County)
• buried in the abandoned New Hope Presbyterian Church aka McLeod Cemetery located next to McLeod Mill Pond
• buried in an unmarked grave at Antioch Baptist Church which appears to have been a Presbyterian Church prior to 1824 when it was established as a Baptist Church

John Robert's inheritance included the Mill and Pond purchased by Angus McLeod in 1820 and sold to Daniel (John R's father) in 1831. This mill pond remains in the family today. Will of Catherine McLeod Rec'd November 1853 Will Book D page 512/Estate of Daniel McLeod Dec'd Inventory Filed Dec 1853/Estate of Catherine McLeod Dec'd Inventory Filed Dec 1853

The place of Daniel's burial is unknown to date. Three possibilities exist:

• buried on family property (McLeod Mill Pond in Lee County)
• buried in the abandoned New Hope Presbyterian Church aka McLeod Cemetery located next to McLeod Mill Pond
• buried in an unmarked grave at Antioch Baptist Church which appears to have been a Presbyterian Church prior to 1824 when it was established as a Baptist Church.

1855 - On November 12, John Robert appears in Probate Court to swear the oath of administration to the estate of Sarah McLean, Catherine's mother. Sumter County Probate Court Index Bundle 164 pkg 21 Administrative Bond for Sarah McLean dated 1855 admistrator J.R. McLeod accessed and copied by Lori McLeod Wilke, David Jay Wilke, Sumter Courthouse, SC

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1. Annie McLeod married to Col. Stephen Madison Boykin