Genealogy: Finding Your Folks

The Price family of Fayette and Coweta - Part 2

By Judy Fowler Kilgore
Genealogy Columnist

Judy Fowler Kilgore is the religion editor and genealogy columnist for The Citizen. She regrets that time does not permit her to do personal family research for others. She may be reached at jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com.

This week, we will continue with the story of the Price family, as submitted by Ken Arnold (karnold2@bellsouth.net).

As related last week, Samuel Price, born abt 1692, the youngster who was captured and held by the Abenaki Indians in Canada for several years, finally made his way to Connecticut after being rescued by friends, and married his first wife, Dorothy Fox, with whom he had six children, all born in Connecticut: Samuel, b. 19 June 1715; John, b. 24 Oct. 1716; Dorothy, b. 31 May 1718; Zachariah, b. 13 Oct 1719; Sarah, b. 22 Sept. 1722, and Ebenezer, b. 20 April 1726. Samuel’s wife, Dorothy Fox, died about 1726/27 and in 1729, he remarried to Sarah Perrin.

In 1737, Samuel’s son, John Price, died in a drowning accident, and Samuel was appointed one of the administrators of John’s estate and guardian of his only child, Eleazer Price.

Samuel and Sarah Perrin Price had six children, some born in Connecticut and some apparently born in New Jersey, as he is said to have moved to Sussex County around 1737-1738, leaving the children of his first wife behind.

The children of Samuel and Sarah (his second wife) were: Robert Price, b. 10 Feb. 1728/29 (m. Abigail Coult); Elizabeth Price, b. 18 March 1730/31 (m. James DeVoor); Mary Price, b. 17 Aug 1736; John Price, b. 16 June 1739 (m. Esther Smith); Francis Price, b. 13 Sept. 1741 (m. [1] Esther Dunn, m. [2] Anna Unknown); Zachariah Price, b. 22 Sept. 1744 (m. Mary DePuy); Sarah Price, b. 27 Oct. 1748, and Jerusha Price, b. 25 May 1751 (m. Isaac DeWitt).

Samuel and Sarah settled a large tract of land near Frankford Plains, Sussex County, N.J., and their remains lie in the Frankford Plains Cemetery. The monuments erected to their memory still stand after weathering the elements for more than 230 years: “In memory of Samuel Price who departed this life in the year 1768 in the 75th year of his age,” and “In memory of Sarah wife of Samuel Price who departed this life June 30, 1761 in the 55th year of her age.”

Meanwhile, back in Connecticut, Samuel Price’s first son with his first wife, also named Samuel (b. 1715), was making a life of his own. He first married Lucy Blinn, daughter of Jonathan Blinn and Hannah Clark; he married second Esther Fox, and third, Mary Wheeler, with whom he had a son, Francis Price, b. 22 Jan 1781.

Francis had a brother, Benjamin, and a sister, Nancy, who both stayed in the north, while Francis ventured south, settling in Newberry County, S.C. by 1816. It was there he married Elizabeth “Betsey” Morgan (b. 3 Aug. 1786), daughter of Reuben Morgan and Elizabeth Pope.

Francis and Betsey had five children, all born in Newberry: Rachel Price, b. 2 Oct. 1817 (m. Benjamin Neal); Quintus Samuel Price, b. 1 Dec 1819 (m. Sarah Morgan); Elizabeth Price, b. 22 Feb 1825, died in Newberry; Mary Ann Price, b. 1826; and Sarah Cameron Price, b. 1828 (m. Robert C. Bridges).

Francis and Betsey lived in Newberry during the 1830s and Francis made a purchase at the estate sale of Lydia Chandler there in 1832.

About 1837, Francis, Betsey, and their family moved to Fayette County and settled in the vicinity of Whitewater Creek near Brooks.

In that same year (1837), for $100, Francis Price purchased 202 1/2 acres of land in the 4th District of “originally Henry, now Fayette County,” specifically land lot no. 67, from Dedford Darden of Butts County. James Travis and John S. Nichols were witnesses.

Francis made his will 18 April 1836 in Newberry and it is recorded in both Newberry and Fayette counties. He died 21 Oct. 1847 and his will appears in Will Book A in the Fayette County Probate Office. Witnesses in Newberry were R. Pitts, F.C. Ruff, and H.B. Riggins.

Francis left everything to his wife, Betsey, and, upon her death, everything reverted to the children, Rachel Neal, Quintus Samuel Price, Mary Ann Price, and Sarah Cameron Price. His estate was appraised by T.C. Matthews, Charles Bailey and Thomas Hales.

According to wording in Betsey’s will, she purchased her son, Quintus Samuel Price’s portion of the estate and left him $5, with the remaining estate property to be divided among the three daughters. (Copies of these records may be found in the Fayette County Probate Office in Fayetteville.)

Betsey died in Fayette County and is buried in the Elmore Cemetery in Coweta, along with Francis.

The son, Quintus Samuel Price married Sarah Morgan, his first cousin, daughter of Daniel Morgan and Mary Langford, and they settled down in the same area of south Fayette as their parents. We will learn more about Quintus Samuel and his sisters’ families next week.

Several letters have been found written to Francis Price’s son, Quintus Samuel Price, from Francis’ brother-in-law, Henry Peck of Mount Upton, Chenango County, N.Y., and a niece, Indiana Peck of Rome, Oneida County, N.Y., describing members of their families as well as other members of the Price family. One was written in 1858. (This information was found in notes received from David J. Barnes July 15, 2001.) Ken said this information really helped to put this family together. We also will include parts of those letters next week.

Many thanks to Ken for this wonderful story.

I appreciate and welcome all letters and e-mails about genealogy and info on south metro Atlanta families. Send them to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; e-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com. Any letters and/or e-mails I receive are subject to being used in the column.

Until next week, happy hunting!