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A Map of the Province of South Carolina, 1773 (39 years after our ancestors came to the Province) |
Don Rigali's maternal side of the family has roots in Scotland and Ireland before coming to South Carolina to settle.
Rev. John Knox (The Reformer) and Rev. James Witherspoon, II
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Rev John Knox. "A Concise History of Scotland" London 1970 |
The Township Act of 1730 in the Province of South Carolina
At this time the British "Royal Governor" of South Carolina, Robert Johnson, was offering an enticing deal: land, tools, and provisions for one year to settle the South Carolina territory. Little did most settlers know they were being used by the King George II of Great Britain to build towns in the interior of South Carolina to be a buffer between the Native Americans and the coastline, so British ships could retrieve supplies and the King could profit off the American colonies. This plan had been originated by Colonel John Barnwell. His plan was to "purposefully establish towns well into the interior of South Carolina and populate these towns with, 'hardy fighting men,' to serve as a deterrent against any future Indian hostilities," after the Yamassee War of 1715-1717, which almost destroyed the colony and ports of South Carolina. It wasn't until Township Act of 1730, that the Royal Governor, Robert Johnson, made it happen. Thus, our family was "used" by Great Britain to drive out the Catholic Irish Nobility in Ireland and the Native Americans in the colonies, probably unknown to our ancestors at the time. They were pawns in the British Empire's expansion plans.Witherspoons Arrive in South Carolina
In 1734, the Witherspoons and James Bradley (along with many other Scottish and Irish relatives) made the journey to South Carolina. Our family landed in Charleston of the South Carolina Province in 1734 and remained for three weeks, until after Christmas.We Were Meant to Be Here - The Witherspoons and Bradleys
As difficult as the crossing was from Ireland to South Carolina and the settling of new land, our family left in time to escape being hit by the Irish Famine of 1740 which killed an estimated 20-38% of all the population in Ireland due to seriously cold weather from the Little Ice Age and lack of potatoes and other food. This is not the same as the Irish Potato Famine/Great Famine of 1845.Our family member Margaret Witherspoon, granddaughter of the above mentioned Witherspoons married James Bradley in Ireland and joined the family as they ventured to the New World in 1734! Sadly, Margaret Witherspoon's mother, Janet/Janette, died on the second day of the crossing the Atlantic in 1734 and was buried at sea, as told by Janette's grandson, Robert Witherspoon. The first daughter Margaret bore after coming to America, she named in honor of her mother, Janet/Janette.
Question: Before the paragraph re John Knox Witherspoon, you say Margaret was the daughter of Janette who died at sea in 1634. In the John Knox paragraph, you say he was the nephew of both Margaret and Janette. I can see how is is the nephew of Janet but not of Margaret. I'm sure I am missing something.
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