John Shirley married Mary Gwin
I hope this helps some one, I am researching the James McPherson family from whom my dad is from in Laurens County, S.C. I found these records and feel they may help some one who are hunting the Gwin's.
himself and family, if he obtained more than his head right of land, it was in payment for surveying, or for military services in the Province.
Richard Shirley md. Mary, surname unknown, and died between 1769 and 1775, intestate, and only the son, Robert mentioned, probably the eldest and under the old English custom of primogeniture inherited the ancestral
estate.
INDENTURE, 10 Jan. 1775 between Robert Shirley or Craven Co.,
planter, and Jane, his wife, and Mary Shirley, his mother, of the one part to Andrew Cunningham, planter, of the other part for the sum of four hundred fifty pounds, hath granted 350 a. of land, it being the plantation on which said Robert Shirley and Mary Shirley now live, it being a part of 500 a. of land which was originally granted unto Richard Shirley, dec'd, which was the said Robert Shirley's father and the said Mary Shirley's husband, situate in Craven or Berkley Co. on Raburn Creek waters of Reedy and Saluda Rivers, which land was granted unto the said Richard Shirley by Hon. Lord Chas. Granville Montague, Commander in Chief of the Province of S.C., 15 Feb. 1769, signed, Robert Shirley, Jane Shirley and Mary Shirley, wit. David Cunningham, Godfrey Isbell and Joseph Pinson.
MEMORANDUM:Abbeville Co. S.C., 5 Sep. 1788, David Cunningham made oath to their signatures.Note that some thirteen years had elapsed before he made oath as a wit. to their sig.This was not unusual in those days,
but may have been about the time the place was sold again.
The Shirley plantation located on Raburn Creek on Saluda River, was near what was later called "Shirley Town" on the line of Abbeville and Laurens Counties.Turkey Creek Baptist Church, organized 22 Jan. 1785,
was near and of the original members more than half were of the name Shirley, ref. Royal land grants Columbia S.C., Laurens Co. deed bk., C p. 53, Turkey Creek Baptist Church Minute bk.p. 1.
Issue born Va. or Laurens Co. S.C.
2*ROBERT SHIRLEY, ca. 1736, md. Jane
3*JOHN SHIRLEY, 27 Aug. 1738, md. Rebecca
4*THOMAS SHIRLEY
(2)
ROBERT SHIRLEY, (of #l) b. ca. 1736 Va., possibly in Northumberland Co. Va.He settled with his parents in Berkley Co. S.C. and the same day, 11 Aug. 1768, obtained a grant of 300 a. on Beaverdam, a branch of Stephens Creek.(Stephens Creek was in what is now Edgefield Co. S.C.)
He apparently was the eldest and inherited the ancestral home in Laurens Co. S.C.He, with his wife Jane, his mother Mary, sold 350 a. of the original grant on 10 Jan. 1775, and on 5 Oct. 1811, Robert Shirley of Fairfield Co. sold 150 a. to Robert Shirley, son of John Shirley of Laurens Co., same described land on Raburn Cr. wit. Elijah and John Shirley.In 1790 the family lived in Fairfield Co. S.C., two sons u/16.On 2 Apr. 1804 Robert Shirley and wife, Jane, of Fairfield Co. sold to Robert Henson
60 a. it being part of original grant for 520 a. to Robert Shirley.(this is the 520 a. purchased 6 Feb. 1792) adj. Robt. Shirley, Grey Briggs, John Henson, Austin Peay, wit., John King, Jr., Moses Arledge.In Sep. 29 1804 land to John Pickett, balance of 520 a. except what was sold to Robert Henson and what was sold to David M. Washington.He continued to live there in 1811 but no will or estate set. found in Fairfield Co. for him, ref. Laurens Co. deed bk. C p. 53, bk. 1 p. 253, Fairfield Co. deed bk.
O p. 434, bk P pO 171.
Issue born Laurens Co. or Fairfield Co. S.C.
5*JOHN SHIRLEY, ca. 1766, md. Gwin
6*ELIJAS SEIRLEY, ca176S, md. Nancy Gwin
(3)
JOHN SHIRLEY, (of #l) b. 27 Aug. 1738 Culpeper Co. Va.On 28 Aug. 1767 he obtained a land grant of 200 a. on Raburn Cr. Berkley Co. S.C., md. Rebecca.On 31 Jan. 1788 he and wife, Rebecca, of Laurens Co. sold to William Mitchell 200 a. in Laurens Co. which was granted to John Shirley, 28 Aug. 1767, on Raburn Cr., wit. Aaron Starnes, William Goodman, sig. John Shirley, Rebecca Shirley.He died Laurens Co. S.C. 1816, intestate.
On 11 Mar. 1816 Robert Shirley applied for letters of adm. bond John.
Robert Shirley and William McPherson. At the sale was Aaron, Eliz., John, Robert Shirley, Jonathan Forgey, George Elmore, William McPherson.
Joel B. Shirley stated his branch of the Shirley family seton RaburnCreek, known as Shirley Town and Fairfield Co. S.C. early in the seventeenth century, some time later part of the family set. in Elbert, Habersham and
Hart Co. Ga., however some came back to S.C., others set. Ala. and Miss.,
(6)
ELIJAH (ELI) SHIRLEY, (of #2) b. ca. 1768.There is no doubt that
Robert Shirley had a son, Elijah, however there were too many of the name
to identify.Could he be the Elijah Shirley who joined Turkey Creek Baptist
Church 11 May 1793 or the Elijah, son of Thomas Shirley?One Elijah was
living in Fairfield Co. S.C., md. prior 1810 Nancy Gwin, dtr. of John Gwin,
Sr.On 20 June 1810 John Gwin, Sr. to my s.i.l. Elijah Shirley 94 a. on
Beaver Creek, part of 640 a. grant 7 Nov. 1785 adj. James Murdock, John
Gwin, Jr., John Shirley and Moses Hill, wit. Richard Gwin, John Gwin, Jr.
and John Shirley, deed bk T, p. 287, On 29 Dec. 1812 Thomas Gwin of Fairfield
Co. sold to Elijah Shirley of Chester Co. 106 a., part of 450 a.purchased
by Thomas Gwin from Solomon Peters, between Sandy and Little River, wit.
Richard Gwin, Sr., Richard, Jr. and John Shirley, deed bk B p. 1530.Later
Page 137
Elijah Shirley deed GG p. 70 dower by wife Nancy, 106 a.on Sandy River
conveyed to him by Thomas Gwin of Fairfield Co.In a land census of
Fairfield Co. 1828 Elijah Shirley, two in family, would indicate a younger
man or their family away.On 2 Jan. 1813 Elijah Shirley, blacksmith
sold to James Murdock 21 a., part of 640 a. grant to John Gwin, Sr. and
the portion of 94 a. that came to my wife, name not listed, sit. on Lick
Fork of Beaver Cr., wit. Moses B. Hill, Richard Gwin, John Joiner and David
R. Coleman, bk. W p. 125.On 29 Dec. 1830 Elijah Shirley to Richard Gwin
39 a., same location, bk HH2 p. 3150In 1834 Thomas Gwin of York Co. S.C.
109 a. to Elijah Shirley, Sr. of Fairfield Co. on Little River, wit.
John O. Forman, Thomas T. Gwin and David R. Coleman, ref. deed bk MM p.
507.Apparently he had a son Elijah, Jr. Note:In 1840 the heirs of
James Weir, dec'd, met to sign a joint deed:to John Brice, all that
plantation that belonged in his life time to James Weir, his widow
Mary Weir and her children:lands once owned by Minor Winn, Alex Johnston,
Richard Gwin, Henry Childers, Robert Brice and James Weir, sig. Andrew
Downs Weir, John W. Weir, Elijah Shirley, Thomas C. Weir, Jane Estes,
(a widow woman) William Weir, Robert Shirley, James Weir, Jr. and Matthew
Weir and DeBranch Mathis Weir, wit. Wm. Brice and Robert Brice, bk.
PP p. 28. In Chester Co. S.C. 27 May 1870, Sarah Shirley for "All of
our undivided interest in the lands of Mrs. Mary Weir, now deceased, sig.
David Weir, Matthew Weir, William S. Weir, Joseph A. Robinson and James
Lewis. If the same estate, Elijah Shirley md. Sarah Weir and one Elijah
Shirley md. Nancy Gwin, ref. Chester Co. S.C. deed bk. MM p. 168.