Stoney Fork, Fishing Creek, York, South Carolina

Here are a few photos of Stoney Fork. The main fork of Fishing Creek was later renamed Stoney Creek. This is a few miles from where John and his family lived.

John Bates Property, Fishing Creek, South Carolina

William G. Bates (Texas Bill) got with me and let me know we were just a little off on John's property along Fishing Creek. The Rowell's actually owned the property where the cemetary is. That makes sense, because most of the headstones in cemetary are Rowell's. He pointed out that the Bates began probably began using the Cemetary after Robert died young, he was only 21. Robert's will was witnessed by Benjamin and another Rowell. This makes me wonder if Robert's wife, Catherine, was a Rowell. However, I have not been able to confirm or disprove that yet.

John's property was along 'the main fork of Fishing Creek'. According to Nancy Sims, who visited the property with her daughter, John's property was across the road from the cemetary. Fortunately, we stopped along the road to take some pictures. These are of the property across the road from the cemetary.



This is beautiful, rolling country. I am sure it was a lot of work to clear all of the trees.

This bird house was in the trees along the driveway to the house that now stands on the property.

Visit to the John Bates Family Cemetery

Last week Alisa and I had the opportunity to go to South Carolina to visit our new grandson, Dylan. While we were there, we followed Nancy's directions and went to look for John Bates' old homestead and the family cemetery. We were very blessed, because as we pulled up to the gate, one of the family members was leaving. She called her husband, who graciously showed us the cemetery.

The cemetery is located on a lonely hilltop in a small grove of trees. There are quite a few graves there, but only one Bates, Nancy Jane, the daughter of David Kennedy Bates. However, there are many headstones and markers buried in the briars and under years of debris. I have no way of knowing, but I could guess that John, Rebekah and Miss Kennedy, and other family members, like Thomas A., Robert, Elizabeth, and Isis, could be buried there as well. My guess is that John is not far from the old oak on the north side.

Words cannot describe the solemn feeling that enveloped me as we discussed John, his family, the homestead, and the history of other families in the area. We were on sacred ground.

I am so grateful to the current owner of the property for the care he has taken in preserving the resting places of our family. He spends hours each year removing shrubs and briars. He has reset headstones that have fallen over. Our family is in good hands.

The original homestead that John bought in 1783 was 300 acres. That has been broken up into smaller parcels, but is still largely undeveloped except for several homes and a workshop. It is beautiful rolling county, with deep decidious forests interspersed by open pastures that were painstakingly cleared over the years.

I have now idea how to do it, but I was left with a deep feeling that we, as a family, need to help preserve the cemetery. We need to help clear and clean it, and restore the broken monuments. Perhaps there are things to be discovered there. I hope and pray that we can all think about this and come up with some ideas on how we can do this. Add a comment or send me an email if you have any ideas at bbates@emerytelcom.net.

Bill

Genealogy Data Files

Check out the links on the right side of the page. The third one, 'Bates Genealogy Data Files' has the probate files that Texas Bill has transcribed. That, was a lot of work. Just double click on the link, and then right click one of the files. At that point you can simply save a copy to your computer.

Allen and Letitia Bates

Here are some pictures of Allen and Letitia White Bates. Allen is the youngest son of John and Rebekah Beal Bates. Nancy Sims is a decendent of Allen. Nancy had these published in the Bates Booster in 2003. Ethel Mae sent them to me. The bottom set of pictures are Allen and Letitia. The top set is of their daughter, Nancy, and her husband Daniel Asbury Cowart.

Allen and Letitia had 13 children. Nancy was the youngest, born in 1855. I believe that Nancy told that 5 of their 6 sons that fought in the civil war were lost in action.

Here is their family:

Allen Bates, b. 27 Oct 1803, York, SC, d. 26 Jun 1899, Pike, AL

Letitia White

Rebecca Bates b. 1829, DeKalb, GA, d. 13 Dec 1846, m. Julius Gause

Mairan Allen Bates b. 1830, DeKalb GA, d. 1870, LA, m. Marietta Barnes

James Bates, b. 3 Mar 1831, DeKalb, GA, d. 25 Dec 1917, Bullock, AL, m. Sarah Jane Cox

William Bates, b. 1833, Stewart, GA, d. 1862 (Civil War)

Martha Bates, b. 29 Jan 1835, Stewart, GA, d. 7 Jun 1896, Pike, AL, m. Jesse Gause

Harmon Bates, b. 1839, Stewart, GA, d. 1864 (Civil War)

Edward Bates, b. 1840, Stewart, GA, d. 20 Apr 1862 (Civil War)

David Bates, b. 1842, Stewart, GA, d. 1862 (Civil War) m. Jane Conner

Bryant Bates, b. 5 Oct 1841, Stewart, GA, d. 8 Aug 1861 (Civil War)

Elizabeth Bates, b. 11 Aug 1845, Stewart, GA, d. 1903, Pike, AL

Allen Bruce Bates, b. 23 Mar 1848, Pike, AL, d. 3 Oct 1936, Pike, AL, m. Mary Frances Brooks

Exa Ann Bates, b. 9 Nov 1851, Pike, AL, d. 4 Oct 1911, Pike, AL, m. Charles Henry Dykes

Nancy Bates, b. 22 Nov 1855, Pike, AL, d. 8 Jan 1936, Pike, AL, m. Daniel Asbury Cowart

Perhaps Nancy can tell us a little about her grandparents.

The Life and Times of John Bates

John was a very active participant in the community. He served as a census taker, under sheriff and building commissioner for the court house in York. Below are notes about him Texas Bill, Nancy, Ethel Mae and I have found scattered through census and court records.

In "The King's List of Passengers to Maryland and Virginia", John Bates arrived in Anne Arundel at the age of 27. He came from England. He ran away from his sponsor, Benjamin Howard, before completing the 7 year servitude. In the 1880 AL census, Allen stated his father was born in England and his mother in Maryland.

John's grandson, Thomas Jefferson Bates, son of Zachariah, stated in the 1880 census that his father was from Washington D.C. Perhaps John married Rebekah Beal near present day in Georgetown, Maryland, which is now part of Washington D.C. Mary Bates Ellis was born in Maryland in 1780. Another possibility is Alexandria, Virginia, as Zachariah stated he was born in Virgina in 1781. Alexandria was part of Washington, D.C. for a short time around 1790.

There is a James Beall in Georgetown, MD who had a daughter named Rebecca born abt. 1762. This bears further research.

The 1850 Gwinnet Co. GA census lists Zachariah Bates, aged 69, born in Virginia.

1790 York Co, SC census: (pg 4 of 7)
John Bates 1M>16, 3M<16>16 - John Bates Sr
3M<16>45 - John Bates Sr (47)
1F >45 - Rebekah Beal Bates (40?)

1810 Not Stated, York Co, SC census: (a different enumerator)
pg 12 of 39
John Bates Esqr 2M<10,3m<26,1m>45 - 1F<10,2F<16,2F<261F<45
2M 0-9 - David K. Bates-4, Allen Bates-7
1F 0-9 - Elizabeth-9/10
2F 10-15 - Isis & Dicey-11
3M16-25 - Robert Bates-19, Thomas A. Bates-27, Zachariah Bates-29
2F 16-25 - Alenna Rene Bates-16, Mary Bates-22
1M 45+ - John Bates Sr-57
1F 45+ - Unknown - Rebekah died in 1806. After her death, John married a Ms. Kennedy, who gave birth to David Kennedy Bates. Texas Bill has her name as Alice R. Kennedy.

1800 Census in York, SC: John Bates (p. 942) Males - 1 (0-10), 2 (10-15), 1 (16-25)
Females - 3 (0-10), 2 (10-15), 1 (16-25, 1 (26-44), 1 (45+)
John was the census taker, but evidently left himself off the record.

22 Sep 1783, John Bates purchased 300 acres on the main fork of Fishing Creek on the Indian line from William Hill of New Acquisition, Craven Co. It said John Bates was of the same county. New Acquisition later became York Co.1791, John Bates and Joseph Boggs appointed constables for 1 yr. However, John was still receiving wages as a constable in 1794.1793, John Bates took an oath as under Sheriff for York Co.30 Sep 1793, John Bates and William Ellis witnessed a sale of land. John was a witness on many transactions.Feb 1794, John Bates, John McCall and John McCaw were appointed commisioners to finish the courthouse.John Bates, Sr., was the census taker of the 1800 York Co. census.

Will probated 9 Oct 1833. He left everything to Isis. That action undoubtedly means that Alice Kennedy Bates had also died, or, however unlikely, divorced him by the time of his death.

Decendents of John Bates, Esquire, York SC

John Bates immigrated to Virginia about 1771. He came as an indentured servant from England. He married Rebekah Beal in Maryland abt. 1777. He never finished his servitude, which was usually payment for passage across the ocean, but ran away and joined the Continental Army. After the war he purchased 300 acres in New Acquisition, South Carolina in 1783. His property was on the lower Fishing River near the Indian line. New Acquisition later became York.

Rebekah Beal is believed to be from Maryland. The following are their children:

John C. Bates, b. 1771, Virginia. Married Enda about 1820.
Mary Bates, b. 1780, Maryland. Married Robert Ellis 11 Sep 1807.
Zachariah N. Bates, b. 1781, Virginia. Married Lavinia about 1819.
Thomas A. Bates, b. 1783, Fishing Creek, York, SC. Thomas was never married but lived with his sister Elizabeth in 1850.
Robert Bates, b. 1790, Fishing Creek, York, SC. Married Catherine Rowell about 1820. He died in 1821.
Alenna Bates, b. 1 May 1794, Fishing Creek, York, SC. Married Richard Lawson Reeves in 1827.
Dicey Bates, b. 1799, Fishing Creek, York, SC. She was a twin with Isis. Married Robert Chambers.
Isis Bates, b. 1799, Fishing Creek, York, SC. Isis never married and lived with her father when he died. He left all his possesions to her.
Elizabeth Bates, b. 1800, Fishing Creek, York, SC. Elizabeth never married.
Allen Bates, b. 27 Oct 1803, Fishing Creek, York, SC. Married Letitia White in 1828.
David K. Bates, b. 1806, Fishing Creek, York, SC. Married Mary McHood in 1830. He was the son of John's second wife, Ms. Kennedy.