Descendants of the Abbeville Weems Family
(Note: I have seen Eleanor's first name spelled Eleanor, Ellenor, Elinor, and Ellinore. Variations of her last name include Jacobs, Jacoby, Jacobse, and Jacob. I tend to use Eleanor Jacobs for consistency, but to my knowledge there is not necessarily one correct or incorrect spelling. Similarly, the Weems family used the spelling variations Weems, Weams, Weemes, Wims, and several others, all derived from the original Wemyss.)
Notably, multiple Y-DNA tests from Abbeville Weems descendants have shown a recent male ancestor in common with the descendants of John and Kitty Weems of Greene County, TN, which is distinct from any other known Weems/Wemyss families. Although this evidence and other clues seem to indicate a relatively close relationship, the early lives of these two men (Thomas and John Weems) largely remain a mystery due to lack of historical records. Interestingly, although these two lines established themselves separately in South Carolina and Tennessee, there are many familial commonalities and cultural similarities among the descendants of the two groups. Hopefully in the future, the exact relationship and origin of these two prodigious family lines can be determined.
Some of the earliest records of the name Weems in the Long Cane Creek area of Abbeville, SC are land grants dating from 1767 through the early 1800s, freely available from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (https://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/). These Weems land grants are recorded in several different collections: Colonial Plat Books, Colonial Land Grants, Memorial Books, and State Plat Books. In some cases, multiple copies of the exact same land record (sometimes dated years apart) can appear in multiple collections.
I had previously assumed that the separate records for Thomas Weems dated 8-20-1767, 8-14-1770, and 8-30-1770 might refer to separate land grants for multiple individuals named Thomas Weems, most likely father and son. However, this does not appear to be the case. Recently, Weems descendant Gary Duane Lucas ordered a copy of the 8-30-1770 memorial record from the SCDAH, the image for which was not previously available online. This memorial document confirms that the same land was certified on 8-20-1767 and granted on 8-14-1770, meaning all three records refer to the same land and therefore the same Thomas Weems.
Furthermore, the signature of Thomas Weems on this 8-30-1770 memorial appears to be extremely similar to the signature from the 1779 Revolutionary War claim for "Captain Thomas Weems" who died around 1794. This Thomas left behind a widow named Elizabeth, along with children named Elinor, Martha, and Moses. It has long been thought that this Thomas was the son of Thomas Weems and Eleanor Jacobs. Alternatively, it is possible this was actually the older Thomas who was remarried to Elizabeth after Eleanor's death. However, in this case you might expect older male heirs to be named in Thomas' will and estate files, but there are none. Also, the older Thomas Weems would have been in his 70s by the time of the Revolutionary War.
The estate/probate records for Captain Thomas Weems do list a Thomas Weems Senior, Thomas Weems Junior, and possibly a third Thomas Weems all purchasing items from Captain Thomas' estate. As explained in a previous post, it hasn't been determined how these individuals were all related. Perhaps one of them was the father of Captain Thomas. Whatever the case, without a separate land record, it cannot be determined whether the older Thomas Weems and his wife Eleanor Jacobs actually moved from Augusta County, VA to Abbeville, SC, although it is assumed they most likely did.
After this 1767 land grant for Thomas Weems, there were Long Cane / Abbeville land grants and/or plats for Henry Weems, Thomas Weems (again), James Weems, George Weems, Bartholomew Weams, and William Weems, all dated between 1768 and 1789. Both a Thomas and a James Weems also appear on jury lists during this time, and all six men served in the Revolutionary War in some capacity. A John Weems, born around 1762, also served in the war and appears in other records around this time. He was the oldest son of Bartholomew Weems, and therefore presumably a grandson of Thomas and Eleanor.
Going back just a few years before this, the last known record for the Weems family in Augusta County, VA appears to be the 1763 sale of Thomas and Eleanor's land on the Calfpasture River, which occurred the same day as the sale of James and Isabella Lockridge's land. Besides the Weems and Lockridge families, several other families from the Calfpasture River area in Augusta County started showing up in the Long Cane Creek area near Abbeville throughout the ensuing years. Even though Thomas and Eleanor did not appear to own land in South Carolina, they probably lived in the household of one of their children. Their death details and burial location are not known. At the very least, because of association and intermarriage with other Augusta County families, it can be said that this is very likely the same Weems family, and that nearly all of Thomas and Eleanor's children did in fact move to the Long Cane Creek area near Abbeville, SC.
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Thomas Weems and Eleanor Jacobs are believed to have had at least eight children: Isabella, John, Bartholomew, Thomas, James, William, Henry, and George. Most of them were adults by the time they settled in South Carolina, and a few were already married with families of their own. By the turn of the century, they were grandparents and great-grandparents.
Their exact ages and birth order are not known for certain, but it is believed Isabella (born in 1729) and John (born in 1731) were the oldest two, with George (born in 1750) being the youngest. Although Cecil County, Maryland birth records for Isabella and John do exist, no birth records can be found for the others. Presumably some were born in Cecil County, and some were born in Augusta County, Virginia after the family moved in the mid-1740s. Bartholomew was probably the third or fourth child, with the birth years of Thomas Jr, James, William, and Henry falling somewhere between 1732 and 1750. It is possible there were additional children (especially daughters) who don't appear in any surviving records, but the eight listed above are sufficiently documented as adults first appearing in historical records between 1767 and 1790.
As a general rule of thumb, any Weems in the Abbeville area who was born before approximately 1750 is most likely a child of Thomas and Eleanor, and any born between approximately 1755 and 1800 is almost certainly a grandchild or great-grandchild. Unfortunately, since early census records only named the head of the household, and birth/marriage/death records were virtually nonexistent, the documentation of these next two generations is still somewhat incomplete. After spending the last few months searching exhaustively for records, comparing countless names, dates, and locations, I believe I have compiled the most complete version of this family tree so far, although many questions still remain unanswered.
There is no direct evidence showing that Thomas, Eleanor, or any of their children were married more than once, but it cannot be ruled out. The people living in the backcountry during this time often didn't make it to old age. When a spouse died young, it was fairly common to remarry quickly, especially when the widowed spouse still had a large family to raise. In some cases, a second or third marriage would make logical sense and seem to fill in some gaps, even though it might not be explicitly stated on any surviving document.
In addition to multiple generations of men named Thomas Weems, there were also multiple generations of Bartholomews, beginning with Thomas and Eleanor's son Bartholomew Weems Senior, born around 1733. He had a son, multiple grandsons, and several great-grandsons all named Bartholomew as a first or middle name. The first Bartholomew Weems was named after his maternal grandfather, Bartholomew Jacobs.
Other common names like James, John, William, George, Samuel, Eleanor, and Isabella appear to have been used repeatedly throughout the early generations of this family, creating additional confusion. At certain times, there were clearly multiple cousins with the same name around the same age living in close proximity.
Although some descendants of Thomas and Eleanor are relatively easy to trace, others appear in the early 1800s without any obvious connection to a specific lineage. As they moved further westward, very few vital records were left behind. In some cases, these gaps in the records have a strong potential to be filled in by autosomal DNA evidence.
Throughout the first half of the 1800s, Abbeville Weems descendants were documented moving to various counties in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Some continued to Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas. Today, their living descendants can be found in all of these states, and have likely spread to every corner of the country. Since they followed similar migration patterns to the descendants of the Thomas Scott / Redfearn Weems group, it is easy to confuse the two. By the Civil War era, very few Abbeville Weems descendants remained in South Carolina, with most scattered throughout the Southern states.
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I have compiled the following list of the known children of Thomas Weems and Eleanor Jacobs, including virtually all available records which provide supporting evidence for their approximate birth and death dates, spouses, and/or known children.
(Note: Nearly all of these birth and death dates are approximate. Only a few have been confirmed by actual historical records. In most cases, I am using the best possible estimate based on several factors, although a 2 to 3 year margin is usually a safe bet.)
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Isabella Weems
Born 07 Dec 1729 in Cecil County, Maryland
Died between 1780 and 1810 in Abbeville, South Carolina
Married to James Lockridge (Lochridge)
Children of Isabella and James:
Sarah Lockridge (~1754 - 1829), married to John Gay
Thomas Lockridge (~1755 - ), married to Jane Graham?
James Lockridge III (1757 - 1840), married to Ann
Jean or Jane Lockridge (~1760 - ), married to Andrew Edwards
Land Records:
6-22-1764
James Lochbridge
- Plat for 250 acres in Granville County (Norris Creek area)
5-24-1765
James Lochridge
- Plat for 150 acres in Granville County (Norris Creek area)
Some sources have listed James Lockridge's wife as Isabella Kincaid/Kinkead instead of Isabella Weems. It appears there were two generations of James Lockridges, possibly both with a wife named Isabella. There is no direct evidence of the Weems-Lockridge connection, other than physical proximity in both Augusta County, VA and Abbeville, SC, and oral family histories. However, the second generation James and Isabella Lockridge (who moved to Abbeville) are known to have had two grandsons named Thomas Weems Lockridge and John Weems Lockridge.
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John Weems
Born 06 Nov 1731 in Cecil County, MarylandBesides the birth record, a John Weems was recorded as an adult living in Augusta County, Virginia. It would be reasonable to assume this was the son of Thomas and Eleanor, since he is listed alongside other residents of the Calfpasture River area where Thomas Weems lived. However, it is not known if he moved to Abbeville with his parents and siblings. No South Carolina land record exists for a John Weems in this time period, which is notable since all of his younger brothers received land grants in the Long Cane Creek / Abbeville area between 1767 and 1789. More on this later.
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Bartholomew Weems
Born around 1733, probably in Maryland
Died 1800 in Abbeville, South Carolina
Married to Margaret Rosamond
Children of Bartholomew and Margaret:
Eleanor Weems (1760 - 1823), married to Thomas P. Jordan
John Weems (1762 - 1840), married to Margaret Stephenson
Bartholomew Weems Jr (~1765 - 1850), married to Matilda Terrill?
Margaret Weems (1770 - ), married to Robert Ferguson
Samuel Weems (1772 - 1855), married to Mary Stephenson
Isabella Cynthia Weems (1775 - 1841), married to Robert Keown
James Weems (1776 - 1827), married to Agnes Elizabeth Gray
Land Record:
5-19-1785
Bartholomew Weams
- Plat for 300 acres on branch of Long Cane Creek, Ninety Six District
Additional Records:
Bartholomew Weems Probate Record (FamilySearch)
Margaret Rosamond Weems Will (FamilySearch)
Many online family trees have reported Bartholomew's full name as "Bartholomew John Weems" or "John Bartholomew Weems", but the actual records do not suggest he had a middle name, or ever went by the name John. I suspect since there is little evidence for the older son named John living in Abbeville, some researchers have assumed that John and Bartholomew must have been the same person. There is further confusion because Bartholomew Senior had sons named John and Bartholomew, and also multiple grandsons and great-grandsons with these names.
Bartholomew's descendants are relatively well documented compared to his brothers, although some branches are less certain than others.
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Captain Thomas Weems
Born around 1735, probably in Maryland
Died around 1794 in Abbeville, South Carolina
Married to Elizabeth (Unknown Maiden Name), born between 1755 and 1774
Possible previous marriage?
Children of Thomas:
Elinor Weems (~1770 - 1818), married to John Tippins / Tippen
Martha Weems (~1781 - )
Moses Weems (1789 - 1851), married to Elizabeth Hughes and Sarah Love
Land Records:
8-20-1767
Thomas Weems
- Plat for 150 acres on Long Cane Creek, Granville County
8-14-1770
Thomas Weems
- Land grant for 150 acres in Granville County
8-30-1770
Thomas Weems
- Memorial for 150 acres on Long Cane Creek, Granville County
Additional Records:
Captain Thomas Weems Will (FamilySearch)
Captain Thomas Weems Probate Record (FamilySearch)
Known by his military rank of Captain, he served under General Andrew Pickens in the Revolutionary War.
I generally refer to him as "Captain Thomas" or "Thomas Jr." to distinguish him from his father. However, the terms Junior and Senior may have been used loosely and somewhat interchangeably among the Abbeville Weems of this era. A Thomas Sr. and Thomas Jr. both appear on the 1790 census, along with a third Thomas. The estate sale of Captain Thomas shows both a Thomas Sr. and Thomas Jr. purchasing items.
He was not the same person as Thomas Scott Weems who lived in Cheraw District, and there is no evidence for any connection between the Abbeville Weems family and the last name Redfearn. Both historical records and Y-DNA evidence make it clear this is a separate family (see my previous post).
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James Weems
Born between 1732 and 1749 in Maryland or Virginia
Died between 1800 and 1820, probably in South Carolina
Unknown first marriage
Possibly married to Jane Wright (Second marriage?)
Children of James and Unknown First Wife:
Rachel Weems (~1765 - 1848), married to Benjamin Lawrence
Land Record:
5-27-1784
James Weems
- Plat for 200 acres on waters of Savannah River, Ninety-Six District
Additional Records:
Rachel Weems Lawrence Revolutionary War Pension (Revwarapps.org)
William Wright Will (Possible Father-in-law) (FamilySearch)
This branch is probably the most difficult to research of the Abbeville Weems, since apparently there are no surviving estate papers or will for James. Without these crucial documents, there are very few hints about his possible descendants. We know he existed thanks to land records, census records, and a handful of other references. Although he likely had several children, their names are unknown, with the possible exception of Rachel Weems (1765 - 1848) who married Benjamin Lawrence.
Rachel Weems was born around 1765, or slightly earlier, and many online sources show her as the daughter of Captain Thomas Weems Jr. However, James is more likely to be her father for a number of reasons. The pension file for her husband's military service describes Rachel growing up as a neighbor of the Lawrence family in Abbeville. The 1790 census and Abbeville land records show the neighboring properties of a John Lawrence and James Weems. There are no other Lawrences neighboring any Weemses. Also, Rachel's first son Elisha Lawrence was apparently named after her husband's father. It is plausible, if not likely, that their second son James Lawrence was named after Rachel's father.
A James Weems is known to have married a Jane Wright, daughter of William Wright. He is shown living close to William Wright on both the 1800 and 1810 census. If the age on the census is accurate, this James was born in 1755 or earlier, which means he was almost certainly a son of Thomas and Eleanor, and not a grandson. If this is true, then Jane Wright would have been his second wife, since she was too young to be the mother of James' older children.
This is not Captain James Weems, who was a son of Bartholomew.
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William Weems
Born between 1732 and 1749 in Maryland or Virginia
Died around 1801 in Abbeville, South Carolina
Married to Emily (Unknown maiden name)
Children of William and Emily:
William Weems Jr (~1770 - 1833), married to Martha or Polly
Samuel Weems (~1772 - )
Sarah Weems (1782 - 1850)
Nancy Weems (1791 - 1880), married to James H. Chambers
Jane Weems (1801 - 1826)
Unknown daughter, married to Hiram McDannal / McDonnell / McDaniel
Unknown daughter, married to John Roe / Row
Land Record:
Additional Records:
William Weems Probate Record (FamilySearch)
Emily Weems Will (FamilySearch)
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Henry Weems
Born between 1732 and 1749 in Maryland or Virginia
Died around 1814 in Abbeville, South Carolina
Wife's name unknown, possibly married twice
Children of Henry:
* Thomas Weems (Possibly born around 1765), very little information available other than census records, uncertain if he was Henry's son or not.
* Alternatively, a younger Thomas Weems (1788- 1850), married to Mary / Martha Calhoun (he could also be a son of the above Thomas.)
William Weems (~1780 - )
Eleanor Frances Weems (~1780 - after 1850), married to James C. Stevenson
Cynthia Isabella Weems (~1782 - after 1860), married to David Hamilton
Martha "Polly" Weems (~1782 - )
Mary Anne Weems (~1785 - 1831), married to Asa William Burt
Sarah Weems, (~1785 - after 1850), married to William Morrow
Henry Weems Jr (1792 - 1843), married to Hannah Conn
Land Records:
8-2-1768
Henry Weems
- Land grant for 100 acres in Granville County
9-30-1768
Henry Weems
- Memorial For 100 acres on Fraziers Creek, Granville County
4-26-1808
Henry Weems
- Plat for 262 acres on Curltail Creek, Abbeville District
Additional Records:
Henry Weems Probate Record (FamilySearch)
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George Weems
Born 21 March 1750 in Augusta County, Virginia
Died 16 June 1826 in Georgia
Married to Jean (or Jane) Green
Children of George and Jean / Jane:
Margaret Weems (1778 - )
Thomas Weems (1780 - after 1850), married to Mary Ruth Liddell
John Weems (1783 - after 1830)
Eleanor Weems (1785 - )
Robert Weems (1787 - 1881), married to Hannah Sheffield
Jane Weems (1791 - after 1850), married to William McGuire
Samuel Weems (1793 - )
Isabell "Ibby" Weems (1797 - 1865), married to John Ward
Land Records:
11-4-1784
George Weems
- Plat for 61 acres on Mcgills Creek, Ninety Six District (Long Cane Creek area)
1-29-1785
George Weems
- Plat for 246 acres on Conorose Creek, Ninety Six District (Keowee River area)
George and his family appear to be the first of the Weems to move away from Abbeville, living in nearby Pendleton District, SC by 1790. From there, they moved to Georgia.
The exact birth and death dates of George and his family are known thanks to a surviving family bible record which belonged to his daughter Isabell.
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As you can see, the documentation of the next generation (grandchildren of Thomas and Eleanor) is still somewhat incomplete. There are some grandchildren who were well-documented, and left behind dozens of relatively easily traced family lines with present day living descendants. However, there are possibly an equal number who left behind very little evidence of where they moved, who they married, or their childrens' names.
Several likely descendants of Thomas and Eleanor appear in records from the early 1800s in South Carolina and across the Southeast, but it is not clear who their parents were. By cataloguing as many as possible, hopefully they can eventually be placed into the larger Weems family tree as additional evidence becomes available.
Probable descendants of Thomas and Eleanor Weems:
(Grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren)
Mary Weems, born around 1762
- Married to David Drennan in 1795 in Pendleton District, SC.
- Two sons named William Gilliland Drennan and James Wilson Drennan.
- Her maiden name appears as "Wheems" in her husband's 1809 will.
George Weems, born around 1780 in SC
- Died around 1853 in Pickens County, Alabama.
- Married to Mary Goodwin or Goodman (1780 - 1873).
- Children: Alexander Weems, several unknown.
- Lived in Pendleton District, SC, then Georgia, then moved to Pickens County, Alabama.
- Clearly a different person than the older George Weems (born in 1750) who was married to Jean / Jane Green. The older George was already in Pendleton District by 1790, while the younger first appeared in Abbeville in 1800, then moved to Pendleton by 1810.
- Both this George Weems and the older George Weems appeared on the 1820 census living in Jackson County, Georgia, only one page apart. It might be easy to conclude they were father and son, but the younger George was not listed in the family bible records of the older George.
William Weems, born around 1798 in SC
- Married to Rachel, born around 1800.
- Children: David Weems, Susan Weems, William Weems, Mary C. Weems (All born in Alabama).
- Lived in White Oak, Jefferson County, Arkansas on the 1850 Census.
James Weems (~1800 - 1851), born in SC, moved to Lawrence County, AL
- Likely a son of Bartholomew Weems who moved to Lawrence County, AL.
- Married to Jincy McDaniel.
- Children: Bartholomew Washington Weems, Hiram Weems, Andrew Weems, James W. Weems, Margaret Weems, George M. Weems, Sarah Weems.
Andrew Weams (1800 - 1870)
- Married to Martha Neal around 1835 in Pendleton District, SC.
- Children: Thomas H. Weams, Margaret Jane Weams, John A. Weams, Martha Adeline Weams.
- Allegedly born in Abbeville, served in War of 1812, briefly lived in Georgia.
- Lived in Pickens County, SC from about 1835 until his death.
- Not to be confused with Andrew J. Weems (1807 - 1878), son of James Weems (youngest son of Bartholomew Weems).
Malinda Weams (~1802 - 1838)
- Married to John Neal, brother of Martha Neal (above).
- One son: John B. Neal (her husband remarried and had several children after her death).
- Lived in Pickens County, SC, likely a sister of Andrew Weams (above).
Three siblings in Greene County, Alabama, sometimes spelled Weyms, Weymss, or Wemyss:
1. William (or James William) Weems, born around 1801 in SC
- Married Rachel Ward (born around 1805).
- Had at least 13 Children.
2. Narcissa Weems, born around 1805 in SC
- Married William Shaffer (Schaffer), moved to Texas.
3. Alexander Weems, born around 1810
- Married Sophia Peck or Peek around 1828.
- Married Louisa Wright in 1832.
J. Weems (John or James?) (~1805 - ~1840)
- Married to Sarah Ray, daughter of Zachariah Ray.
- One son: William Zachary Weems (born 1828 in Texas).
- Possibly died around 1840 in Louisiana or Texas.
William J. Weems (1807 - 1880)
- Married to Catherine Ferguson?
- Children: George Washington Weems (married to Martha Goodwin).
- Martha Goodwin is the daughter of George W. Goodwin, son of William Thomas Goodwin and Elizabeth Wims? (daughter of William Weems, born ~1780?). Reliability of this info is in question.
Thomas W. Weems (1807 - 1872), SC / Habersham, GA / Chattooga, GA / Yell, AR
- Probably son of a John Weems, born ~1785, lived near him in Habersham GA in 1830.
- Married to Margaret Polly Vickery (1807 - 1860).
- Married to Mary (second wife?)
- Children: John Warren Weems, Christopher Clark Weems, Jane W. Weems, William J. Weems, Sarah Christina Weems, Ruth Ann Weems, Mary Magdeline "Molly" Weems.
James Jackson Weems (~1810 - 1904), SC / AL / Owen County, KY / Sonoma, CA
- Married to Clarissa
- Children: Clarissa Louisa Weems, Helen Margaret Weems, John Davenport Weems, Electa Weems, James Weems.
James W. Weems (1812 - 1889), born in SC, moved to Blount County, AL
- Married to Teresa Posey (1811 - 1920).
- Children: Nancy Weems, Mary Elizabeth Weems, Marion Weems, Lucinda Alabama Weems, Alexander Weems, Mississippi Weems, Joseph Harrison Weems, Elijah Weems.
John Lafayette Weems (1815 - 1860), SC / Bartow, GA / Arkansas / Louisiana / Blount, AL
- Married to Louisa / Lavenia Owens.
- Children: William W. Weems, Willburn Weems, George Washington Weems, James I. Weems, Melinda R. Weems, Sarah A. Weems, Morgan Weems, Francis H. Weems.
Anderson Weems (1819 - 1841), SC / Jefferson County, AL
- Married to Colin Bass (1819 - 1856).
Ruthy Weems (1819 - ~1900), Jefferson County, AL
- Married to Ward Wood in 1840, Jefferson County, AL.
- Married to Raleigh Sykes.
Rachel Weems (born around 1820)
- Appeared on the 1850 Census in Pickens County, SC in the household of J.A. Boggs.
James Weems (born around 1822)
- Married to Nancy Gregory.
- Lived in Jefferson County, AL.
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Many of these descendants were born in South Carolina according to the US federal census and other records, but none left behind any easily obtainable records of their parents' names. Being born in South Carolina tends to distinguish them from descendants of Thomas Scott Weems (Cheraw District, SC), as it appears all of his sons had moved to Franklin County, Georgia (or beyond) by the very early 1800s. None of the next generation (grandchildren of Thomas Scott) appear to have been born in SC, while in comparison most of the Abbeville Weems descendants stayed in SC longer.
As you can see, the lack of records and similarity of names can make researching these lines confusing and difficult. There are almost certainly even more Abbeville Weems descendants who I have been unable to document. In the future, I may update this post with new or corrected information.
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