| Notes |
- Census 1800*: 4 Aug 1800, Lexington District, South Carolina,
Unaccounted for is 1 female 0-10., free wh male 0-10=Joel Culpepper of
Crawford Co., GA, free wh male 0-10=Daniel Peek Culpepper, free wh
male 0-10=John Jefferson Culpepper, Nancy Culpepper1
Census 1810*: 6 Aug 1810, Richland District, South Carolina,
Unaccounted for are 1 male 0-10 and 1 female 16-26., free wh female
26-45=Nancy Gillespie, free wh male 10-16=John Jefferson Culpepper,
free wh male 10-16=Joel Culpepper of Crawford Co., GA, free wh male
0-10=Daniel Peek Culpepper, free wh female 0-10=Sarah O. Culpepper,
free wh male 0-10=Francis Gillespie Culpepper, free wh male 0-10=James
I. J. Culpepper, free wh male 0-10=George Washington Culpepper2,3
Deed*: Feb 1823, Edgefield District, South Carolina, John Culpepper to
Josiah Langley Sr. for $800, the tract “where I live” as granted to
George Shelnut, 144 acres on Cuffeetown Creek and waters of Stephens
Creek and Savannah River, adjoining said Josiah Langley and the heirs
of Robert Bell. Witnesses: James Harrison, Mathew Rhodes. Nancy
Culpepper gives consent., Grantor=Nancy Gillespie, Adjacent Land
Owner=Robert Bell4
Deed*: Jan 1827, Monroe Co., Georgia, Warren T. Castleberry of Newton
Co. to John Culpepper, Sr. of Monroe Co. for $800: 202.5 acres in Lot
233 in District 13. Wit: Jas. Wilson, E. Dodson, J.P. Sarah
Castleberry releases her dower rights.5
Deed: Feb 1828, Monroe Co., Georgia, John Culpepper, Sr. of Monroe Co.
to Wm. G. Fitzpatrick for $800: 202.5 acres in Lot 223 in District 12.
Wit: G. W. Elliott, John Haynes, J.P. (Then, John Dean witnesses next
deed of John Chappell to Reddick Rutland).6
Census 1830*: 1 Jun 1830, Monroe Co., Georgia, free wh male 10-15=Rev.
Lewis Peek Culpepper, free wh male 15-20=Rev. William Henry Culpepper,
free wh female 50-60=Nancy Gillespie, free wh male 15-20=George
Washington Culpepper7
Census 1840*: 1 Jun 1840, Meriwether Co., Georgia, free wh female
50-60=Nancy Gillespie8
Census 1850*: 1850, Randolph Co., Alabama, household member=Lewis
Washington Culpepper9
Death*: 13 May 1855, Randolph Co., Alabama
Biography*: John Culpepper's Bible is believed to have existed in the
early 1900's. Mrs. J. W. (Ira Gay) Deam of Gay, GA, a descendant of
Joel Culpepper, John's oldest son, preserved a copy of family records
which were supposed to have been in the Bible. Mrs. D. W. (Lavyn
Wright) Sisco transcribed Mrs. Deam's records which began with the
record of the marriage of John and Nancy (Gillespie) Culpepper
followed by the note: John Culpepper was born on October 1, 1772
Full death dates were recorded for John and Nancy (Gillespie)
Culpepper and all of their children except for William Henry and Lewis
Peek Culpepper. A note was made after William Henry's birth record
noting that he had died "1909 Randolph County Alabama." The note after
Lewis Peek Culpepper's birth record read "Living in Chambers Co." So
the record appears to have been copied sometime after 1909 and before
1915 when Lewis Peek Culpepper died. The Bible is not known to be in
the possession of any of the descendants of William Henry or Lewis
Peek Culpepper or of Mrs. J. W. (Ira Gay) Deam. There is a possibility
that the Bible was still in existence 8 Oct 1942 when Rev. George
Bright Culpepper wrote "ONE FAMILY - CULPEPPER" a 25 page typed,
double-spaced summary of the descendants of Daniel Peek Culpepper.
Rev. Culpepper wrote about Daniel Peek Culpepper's father: John
William Culpepper was born in Richland District, fork of the Congaree
and Wateree Rivers, South Carolina, October 1, 1772, according to the
record in his family Bible, set down in his own hand.
The statement raises several questions, one of which is, did Rev.
Culpepper have the Bible when he wrote this or was he working from a
copy of the record or from other notes. Rev. Culpepper later made
reference to "my scrapbook" which had information about the family. A
granddaughter of Rev. Culpepper, Mrs. J. D. (Dorothy Culpepper)
Wingfield, wrote 12 May 1993 that "I have no idea whether Geo. B. ever
had possession of that bible."
A second problem is that only two copies of John Culpepper's signature
are known to exist. On an 1807 bond which was included in the estate
papers of Daniel Peak/Peek, John signed his name "John Culpeper" but
in 1853, he signed his name "John Culpepper" on a letter to his son,
Francis G. Culpepper. Otherwise the signatures are the same. Spelling
was in a state of flux during John Culpepper's lifetime and it was
considered a sign of education if one was able to spell the same word
several different ways. But apparently, by the end of his life, John
had settled on the Culpepper spelling. Neither signature had a middle
initial. As noted above, Rev. George B. Culpepper specified that
John's name was "John William Culpepper" "according to the record in
his family Bible, set down in his own hand." But the record copied by
Mrs. Deam and Mrs. Sisco gave the name as "John Culpepper." Where did
the "William" come from? Joseph Richard Culpepper, a grandson of John
Culpepper, had gotten a copy of a "history" that was being circulated
in various branches of the family which showed that the family
descended from a "John Marlo Culpeper" who was alleged to have been
the John Culpeper of Culpeper's Rebellion and "first cousin to Lord
Culpepper (Colepepper) who was Gov. of Virginia." The list continued
down through "John William Culpepper" born "1774" a son of "Charles
Marion Culpepper." Joseph Richard Culpepper puzzled over this document
and did not know what to make of it. Finally, as Joseph Richard
Culpepper noted in a letter to his cousin, Rev. George Bright
Culpepper: I wrote to Father [Lewis Peek Culpepper] asking him to give
me all the information he could relative to his father, grandfather,
etc. He knows nothing farther back than his grandfather who was John
instead of Charles Marion.... He says there were three brothers, John,
Ben and Joseph. John was my great grandfather as was Joseph, also, on
my mother's side.... John William was my father's father and your
father's grandfather....
If only we had the letter that Lewis Peek Culpepper wrote to his son,
we might be able to see if he had actually named his father "John
William Culpepper" or if he had named both his father and grandfather
"John Culpepper" and Joseph Richard Culpepper had used the "John
William Culpepper" from the history in an attempt to reconcile the
alleged history with what his father had written and in order to
clearly distinguish his grandfather from his great-grandfather in his
letter to Rev. Culpepper. In any event, the source of the name "John
William Culpepper" was probably the alleged history of the family and
Rev. George B. Culpepper would probably have considered Joseph Richard
Culpepper's letter a confirmation of the name because Joseph Richard
appeared to have been reporting information that he had gotten from
his father, Lewis Peek Culpepper.
The only other indication of John Culpepper's middle name, if any, is
an 1829 Upson Co., GA deed (A 434/5), in which John Jefferson
Culpepper deeds land to his father for $5.00, the father's name is
listed not once but three times as "John C. Culpepper." The clerk was
trying to distinguish the grantor "John J. Culpepper" from the grantee
"John Culpepper" and used "John C. Culpepper" to distinguish the two.
Since John Culpepper, Senior was not illiterate, the "C" cannot be
interpreted as his "mark." But if John Culpepper's middle initial was
"C." he did not pass the name to any of his sons. And only one
grandson of John Culpepper is known to have a name starting with "C,"
Charles William Culpepper, a son of Joel. Could John Culpepper have
had a middle name of Charles? It would have been a common name for a
supporter of the Stuarts but would have fallen out of favor after the
Revolution.
Joseph went on in the letter to note that John Culpepper "moved from
Virginia to Congaree, South Carolina and then to Edgefield [SC] and
from Edgefield to Monroe County, Georgia and later to Meriwether
County, Georgia, and to Randolph County, Alabama, where he died in
1855, when I was 12 years old" and not in 1852 as in the alleged
history. Again it it not possible to know if Joseph Richard Culpepper
was still trying to reconcile the alleged history which said that
"John William" was born in Virginia with what his father had told him
about the movement of the family. However, in the 1850 census of
Randolph Co., AL (p. 386, family 189), John Culpepper gave his place
of birth as South Carolina.
No records have been found in South Carolina for John Culpepper's
presumed father, John. The elder John is believed to have lived in
Camden District, SC in an area that became Richland District, SC and
many early records for this district were destroyed. If the parents of
John Culpepper died young, possibly before or during the Revolution,
and John was their only child, then it is unlikely that any record of
their existence, outside of family tradition, will ever be found.
In trying to identify where John Culpepper was born, it is necessary
to look at the extant Culpepper records in districts that existed at
the time of his birth. In 1769, the Province of South Carolina was
divided into seven districts, three of whom have Culpepper
connections: Cheraws, Camden and Orangeburg.
Cheraws District was bounded on the west by the Lynches River and the
Pedee River ran through the center of it. Nancy Gillespie, who married
John Culpepper, is believed to have been born in this district.
Joseph Richard Culpepper noted that "Congaree, South Carolina" was one
of the places where John Culpepper had lived and Rev. George Bright
Culpepper indicated that "John William Culpepper" had been born in
"Richland District, fork of the Congaree and Wateree Rivers." Richland
District did not exist at the time John Culpepper was born but the
Congaree River was part of the Western boundary of the Camden
District. The Wateree River ran through the center of the district
which was bounded on the east by Lynches River and Cheraws District.
The Wateree then joined with the Congaree to form the Santee River. On
3 Apr 1772, Joseph Culpepper, a presumed uncle of John Culpepper,
received a grant by "George the Third... Four hundred Acres, situate
in Craven County on Tom's Creek, in the fork between Santee River &
the Wateree, bounding all sides on Vacant land." Tom's, Thom's or
Thomson's Creek as it was known was halfway between the Wateree and
Congaree near the confluence which forms the Santee river and was
south of present day Columbia, SC. The land was listed as being in
"Craven County." This was one of three counties established in 1682
and although it had ceased to exist in 1769, it was still used in land
transactions to help specify the location of land. 22 Aug 1771, Liddy
Culpepper, a presumed grandmother of John Culpepper, was granted 350
acres of land on Griffin's Creek which has not been located but was
listed as being "in Craven County on the Fork of the Wateree and
Congaree River." If any South Carolina land was granted to John
Culpepper's father before the Revolution, no record of it has been
found. If John Culpepper was born at the fork of the Congaree and the
Wateree Rivers then he would have been born on the land of his
presumed grandmother in Camden District, SC in an area which later
became Richland District, SC and which today would be located just
south of Columbia, Richland Co., SC.
After the Revolution, in 1785, counties were formed within the
districts which had been defined in 1769 but the district boundaries
were maintained. The area in which Joseph and Liddy Culpepper had
received grants of land was then considered to be in Richland County.
In the first census of the United States in 1790, Benjamin and Joseph
Culpepper, presumed uncles of John Culpepper, were the only
Culpepper's listed as heads of household in South Carolina. They were
both listed in Orangeburg District. This district ran southwest from
the Congaree and Santee rivers to the Savannah River. John Culpepper
probably moved across the Congaree River to Orangeburg District, SC
with his presumed uncles and with his presumed grandmother, if she was
still living. It is possible that John Culpepper was one of the three
males age 16 and older recorded in Joseph Culpepper's household in the
1790 census of Orangeburg District, SC. .
In 1793, John turned twenty-one and on May 18th of the following year
he married Nancy Gillespie. Presumably, they would have married in the
county where Nancy was living but it is not known whether this would
have been Cheraws or Camden district. Since Nancy's presumed
grandfather, Daniel Peek, left an estate in what was then Richland
District (Richland County was part of Camden District in 1793), it
possible that the marriage took place in Richland Co., SC. Mrs. J. W.
(Ira Gay) Deam preserved the following John Culpepper Bible record
which was copied by Mrs. D. W. (Lavyn Wright) Sisco: John Culpepper
Senior(?) and Nancy Gillespie were married on May 8, 1794, at 9:00
A.M. Cloudy, evening fair.
In "ONE FAMILY - CULPEPPER" a family summary written 8 Oct 1942, Rev.
George Bright Culpepper also references the Bible record of John's
marriage: According to the same record, John William Culpepper married
Nancey [sic] Gillespie on May 18, 1794, the ceremony being performed
by Reverend Reese, at his house on the Congaree. It was on Sunday,
cloudy in the morning and fair in the evening.
Again, it is frustrating not having the actual Bible record. Which
copiest made the error in the date? Was the name really "John William
Culpepper"? Supporting Rev. Culpepper's version is that fact that 18
May 1794 actually was a Sunday. The location on the Congaree is
logical but was it on the Richland District side or on the Orangeburg
District side? What was Rev. Reese's first name and where was he
located in the 1790 census? There was a Joseph Reese that had land
near Joseph and Liddy Culpepper before the Revolution. The Bible
records apparently also mention the exact hour of birth of each of the
couple's eleven children, a penchant for detail which would continue
in more than one branch of the family.
In 1785, Lexington County was one of the counties set up in the
Orangeburg District. It was directly across the Congaree River from
Richland County in Camden District. The county was abolished in 1791
but was reinstated as a district in 1804. John Culpepper, age 16-26,
was listed as a head-of-household on the 1800 census in the Lexington
portion of Orangeburg District, SC. Depending on when the census was
taken, John would have been 27 or 28 years old. John was living with
his wife and three sons near (1 census page after) Joseph Culpepper.
There was also one girl 0-10 years of age that has not been accounted
for since the first daughter born to John and Nancy's first daughter,
Sarah, was not born until 1802. Since Daniel Peek Culpepper was born
in April of 1800, it is possible that this was a young relative who
was helping out the new mother. In a 2 Feb 1898 article about Francis
Gillespie Culpepper, John Culpepper's son, which appeared in the
Shiner Gazette Francis Gillespie was reported to have born in
Edgefield District, SC. Francis was still living in 1898 and
presumably would have been the source of this information. In
addition, another son, Lewis Peek Culpepper, read this same article
and found it "a tolerable correct historical account." The obituary of
another son, George Washington Culpepper, also gave his place of birth
as Edgefield District, SC in 1808. Edgefield District was to the west
of Lexington District with which it shared half of its southeastern
border. It was bounded on the southwest by the Savannah River which
formed the boundary between South Carolina and Georgia. Francis
Gillespie was born in 1804 and George Washington Culpepper was born in
1808 but John Culpepper does not show up in Edgefield District land
records until 1814. Although the John Culpepper family appears to have
been in Edgefield District at least by 1813, it is doubtful that the
family was there in 1804. It is more likely that the family was still
in Lexington District in the early 1800's.
A Lexington, SC researcher, Lee R. Gandee, wrote in a 23 May 1974
letter to Billy W. Dunn, that the Congaree plantations were noted for
their crops of indigo and tobacco. Lee R. Gandee added: Then nearly
all the people in this area pulled up and left, either to the area
around Montezuma, Georgia or to Alabama--Kirkpartricks, Taylors,
Fitzpatricks, Threewittses--Geigers--everybody who was anybody, for
the River began destroying the low land by floods by 1800, and by 1830
the River swamps were grown up in a jungle and stagnant water made it
a death-feeding pesthole of fevers as malaria and dengue-carrying
mosquitoes swarmed.... Two years ago [1972], I walked 7 miles from
Thom's Creek to Cayce on the Old State Road, along which these
families lived, and did not pass a single house or building. It is now
in huge tracts of swamp or woodland or in fields, and floods still
sometimes put 15 feet of water over the old road. Just back from the
river, not more than a mile or two, the poorest sand land in the
county begins, and here, up from the swampy river land are the few
houses that remain of the Plantation families....
By 1807, John Culpepper appears to have moved his family back across
the Congaree River to Richland District, SC where he shows up in
Richland District, SC estate records as an administrator of the estate
of Daniel Peek, Nancy Gillespie's presumed grandfather. It is
interesting to note in these estate papers that Joseph Culpepper,
John's presumed uncle, signed the $20,000 Administration Bond with
John. And although the name was spelled "Culpepper" throughout the
documents by whomever drew up the papers, both men signed their names
"Culpeper" at the bottom of the bond:
____________________________________________
Administration Bond. S O U T H - C A R O L I N A
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, That we John Culpepper John Slappy
Joseph Culpepper and George Slapy are holden and firmly bound unto
James Guignard Esquire, ordinary for the district of Richland in the
full and just sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars lawful money of this
state, to be paid to the said James S. Guignard or his successors,
ordinaries of this district, or their certain attorney or assigns. To
which payment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, and every
of us, our and every of our heirs, executors and administrators, for
the whole and in the whole, jointly and severally, firmly by these
presents. Sealed with our seals, and dated the fourteenth day of
December in the year of you Lord one thousand eight hundred and Seven.
THE CONDITION OF THIS OBLIGATION IS SUCH, That if the within bounden
administrat ors of all and singular the goods, chattels and credits of
Daniel Peak deceased, do make, or cause to be made, a true and perfect
inventory of all and singular the goods, chattels and credits of the
said deceased, which have, or shall come to the hands, possession, or
knowledge of them the said John Culpepper and John Slappy or into the
hands or possession of any other person or persons for them and the
same so made, do exhibit, or cause to be exhibited into the ordinary's
office of this district, at or before the first Satur day of February
next ensuing. And the same goods, chattels and credits, and all other
goods, chattels and credits of the said deceased, at the time of his
death, which at any time hereafter shall come to the hands or
possession of the said John Culpepper and John Slappy or into the
hands and possession of any other person or persons for them do well
and truly administer according to law. And further, do make, or cause
to be made, a true and just account of their administration, at or
before the first Satur day of January 1809 & afterwards whenever
req[uired]. And all rest and residue of the said goods, chattels and
credits which shall be found remaining on the said administrat ors
account (the same being first examined and allowed by the ordinary of
this district for the time being) shall deliver and pay unto such
person or persons respectively as the said ordinary, by his decree or
sentence, pursuant to the true intent and meaning of the statutes and
acts of assembly, of force in this state, for the better settling of
intestates' estates, shall limit and appoint. And if it shall
hereafter appear, that any last Will and Testament was made by the
said deceased, and the executor or executors therein named do exhibit
the same to the said ordinary, making request to have it allowed and
approved accordingly, if the said John Culpepper and John Slappy
within bounden, being thereunto required, do render and deliver the
said letters of administration, approbation of such testament being
first had and made, to the said ordinary; then this obligation to be
void and of none effect, or else to remain in full force and virtue.
Signed, sealed and delivered,_______in the presence of______ "And
afterwards whenever required" ______Interlined before
signing_______/s/ John Culpeper [seal]
_________________witness______________/s/ John Slappey [seal] William
Guphill_______________________/s/ Joseph Culpeper [seal] Thomas
Watts__________________________/s/ George Slappey [seal] Frederick
Class John Wolf
John Culpepper was again listed as a head-of-household in the 1810
census of Richland District, SC. He was with his wife and a family
which now included six sons and a daughter. An additional 26-45 year
old woman, a 16-26 year old woman and a 0-10 year old boy were also
listed in the household that year and are unidentified. Could they
have been Nancy Gillespie Culpepper's mother, Elizabeth (Peek)
Gillespie, sister, Elizabeth (Gillespie) Slappey, with a young son,
John Slappey? At some point after this census, John Culpepper moved
his family west to Edgefield District, SC. As noted above, the family
might have been in Edgefield District before 1804 and then returned to
Richland District for the administration of Daniel Peek's will but it
is more likely that the family moved to Edgefield District after the
1810 census and possibly because of the War of 1812. A son, William
Henry Culpepper, who was born 17 Oct 1813, gave his place of birth as
Edgefield District, SC on a Civil War Muster Roll. This would seem to
indicate that the John Culpepper family was in Edgefield District, SC
by this date but John does not appear in the land records of Edgefield
District, SC until Nov 1814 when he received a state grant of 138
acres on Cuffee Town Creek. The following is a Grant to John Culpepper
138 A. - Edgefield Nov. 7, 1814, from p. 278 of S. C. Archives State
Grants: Vol. 59: _____THE STATE OF SOUTH-CAROLINA. To all to whom
these Presents shall come, Greeting: _____Know Ye, That in pursuance
of an Act of the Legislature, entitled, "An Act for establishing the
mode of granting the lands vacant in this state, and for allowing a
commutation to be received for some lands that have been granted," and
by these presents do grant unto John Culpepper his heirs and assigns,
a plantation or tract of land, containing One Hundred thirty eight
Acres Surveyed for William Dickson the 3rd Octr 1813, Situated in
Edgefield District on Cuffeetown Creek Waters of Stevens Creek of
Savannah River having such shape, form and marks, as are represented
by a plat hereunto annexed, together with all woods, trees, waters,
water courses, profits, commodities, appurtenances and hereditaments
whatsoever thereabouts belonging: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said tract
of One Hundred & thirty eight acres of land, and all and singular
other the premises hereby granted unto the said John Culpepper his
heirs and assigns forever, in free and common soccage. Given under the
Great Seal of the State. WITNESS, his Excellency Joseph Alstar [?]
Esquire, Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the said State,
at Columbia, this Seventh Day of November Anno Domini one thousand
eight hundred fourteen and of the Independence of the United States of
America, the thirty ninth _______________ /s/ Jos [SEAL] Alstar[?] And
hath thereunto a plat thereof annexed, representing the same,
certified by ___________________ /s/ William Clark Surveyor General
___________________________________________Nov. 1 1814
The land was bounded by Frederick Slappey, Matthew Bassett, and
others. Cuffey Town Creek parallels the Abbeville District border.
John Culpepper and his family were still living in Edgefield District,
SC in 1816 when the youngest child, Lewis Peek Culpepper, was born.
John does not appear as a head of household in 1820 census, but is
presumed to have been living in Edgefield District, SC with his family
since in February 1823, John sold 144 acres "where I now live" on
Cuffee Town Creek to Josiah Langley for $800. This parcel was one
granted to George Shelnut, not his own 138 acre grant, the sale of
which was not recorded. It is possible that one of John's married sons
or daughters had been left living on the original parcel. The lot John
sold in 1823 adjoined Josiah Langley and the heirs of Robert Bell, one
of whom was John Culpepper's son, John Jefferson Culpepper, who had
married Bell's daughter Catherine. This appears to be the land that
William Bell was living on in the 1820 census of Edgefield District,
SC. Perhaps John moved his family from his Edgefield District grant
land to this lot between 1820 and 1823.
John and Nancy moved to Georgia when their son, Lewis, was seven,
about 1823 or 1824. This would be in line with John's sale of the 144
acres "where I now live" February 1823 in Edgefield District, SC to
Josiah Langley. At least two and possibly three of John and Nancy's
children moved out ahead of them. Daniel Culpepper's son, James Marion
Culpepper, was born Feb 1823 and based on later census records he was
born in Georgia. No records have been found showing where the family
was located at the time but James Marion's son, Rev.
John Butler stated that his father was born in Baldwin Co., GA. Based
on later census records, Sarah (Culpepper) Elliott's daughter Cynthia
was also born in Georgia circa 1823. A specific place of birth is not
known. Another son, John Jefferson Culpepper, and his family might
also have moved on ahead although there are no records that any
children were born to them during this time period. Baldwin Co., GA
would have been on the route between South Carolina and Monroe Co., GA
where the family finally emerges in land records.
John William Culpepper, a great-great-great-grandson of John and Nancy
Culpepper wrote about the Wadley City Cemetery in an 18 Aug 1994
letter: On one of the full length stone slabs covering one of the
graves in the Wadley Cemetery, there is carving indicating the
individual was buried in 1856. Many of the graves with such rock slabs
have no carving. It is an old cemetery, and originally the Elliot
family cemetery [John Culpepper's daughter, Sarah married an Elliott].
The grave with the carving is near the grave of Wm. Henry Culpepper [a
son of John and Nancy Culpepper].
.
It is also possible that the unmarked graves are those of Sarah O.
(Culpepper) Elliott and her daughter, Cynthia, who are supposed to be
buried in the cemetery.
Hi Scott,
Thanks for sharing the details on the ancestry of the Alabama's
Governor, Bob Riley (Robert Renfroe Riley).
For those of you who are not familiar with his ancestor Lewis
Gibson
Dean, he was the son of John Wesley Dean and Betsey Culpepper, and she
was
the daughter of John Culpepper and Nancy Gillespie, of early Randolph
County, AL. You can find Betsey (Mary Elizabeth) Culpepper in our
file at:
http://gen.culpepper.com/ss/p32071.htm
Regards, Lew Griffin
|
1772 - 1855 (82 years)
