James likely served in the SC Militia during the Revolutionary War (see below) and shortly after the war he served as a Deputy Land Surveyor along the Saluda River. His name can be found on numerous land plat documents. He likely lived on or near the lands of his father along the Saluda (Glasgow Plantation). On June 16, 1787, he married Nancy Conway, who is said to have been an orphan. [2] Her family history is very interesting since it may have some relationship to the Conway and Ball families of the upper neck of Virginia and therefore might be related to Presidents George Washington and James Madison. (I am currently working on this line - please check back later as I will post my research on her family when complete).
I am not convinced that James Robert Mayson is the son of Anne the second wife of Colonel James Mayson. Most likely he is the son of Miriam the first wife of Colonel Mayson. If we had some certain dates of events rather than implied or speculated dates, we could probably determine his mother. We have a 1783 record of his service as a Private in the Revolutionary War which would likely place his birth date no later than 1765. This would make him the son of James and his first wife (Miriam) - if he married Anne in 1767. Additionally, the 1786 land record where he is shown as "heir to his brother Luke" would probably make him at least 21 years old at that time which puts his birth date at 1765 or before. We also have records of him acting as a Deputy Land Surveyor as early as May of 1785 which likely makes him born prior to 1764. If James married Anne in 1767, and if James R. Mayson, Jr. was their first born, he would have been no older than 16 in 1783 and 19 in 1786. Another curious issue is the 1786 land record indicating James as the heir of Luke - why was he the only listed heir on this plat? (See plat below)
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Revolutionary War Records
We only have a few records that prove his service as a Revolutionary War soldier. He likely served in the Militia rather than the Continental Army. The SC Archives has a file on James Mayson which is mostly records for his father but there is one record (undated pay voucher) that lists James Mayson Jr. as a Private in the Militia; The other record is from the website "carolana.com" where he is shown in the Upper Ninety Six Regiment as a Private under Captain John Calhoun. Note that this unit was, at one time, commanded by General Andrew Pickens and Colonel Robert Anderson who were two noted leaders in the Ninety Six area. This Captain John Calhoun might be John Ewing Calhoun, son of Ezekiel, nephew of Patrick Calhoun.
The document is blurred but I can make out the following: Mr. James Mayson, Jr., his account of Militia Duty as Private.....as follows....1783...five pounds, five shillings. Hugh Warnock's name is noted on the side - cannot tell if this is the same record but it does have the same number (245) - did James assign his pay to Hugh Warnock? Hugh is shown to have been in the militia (see carolana.com).
(Original document from SC Archives)
Pay voucher for James Mayson Junior, Duty in the Militia, State of South Carolina, Private
(Original document from SC Archives)
(Original document from SC Archives)
1785 document where James Robert Mayson is signing over his payment to Joseph McNeely.
(Original document from SC Archives)
(Original document from SC Archives)
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November 1786, 125 Acre Land Plat for James Mayson, Jr., heir to his brother Luke
"On the north side of Saluda on a branch thereof called Peach hill branch..."
This land was likely on the Newberry side of the Saluda River near his father's Peach Hill Plantation.
This land was likely on the Newberry side of the Saluda River near his father's Peach Hill Plantation.
(SC Archives)
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Deputy Land Surveyor
There are numerous land plats held by the South Carolina archives which have James' name as a Deputy Surveyor. The earliest date on these plats is May 1785 and the latest is December 1799.[3] Below are two of the more interesting ones.
Note the notation "Fish Dam Road known as Lower Island Ford" and what seems to be an island in the middle of the Saluda River. This is currently under the waters of Lake Greenwood.
(Plat from SC Archives)
Note the name "J.G. Guignard" - John Gabriel Guignard was a famous South Carolinian known for laying out the city streets of Columbia. He was appointed Surveyor General for the state in 1799. During the Civil War, to avoid their confiscation/destruction, it is said that one of J.G. Guignard's descendants stuffed family heirlooms into barrels and sent them into the swamp under the care of slaves.
(Plat from SC Archives)
(Plat from SC Archives)
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Interesting Document: Patrick Calhoun's Estate
Patrick Calhoun, Esq., James Nobles, Alexander Nobles and Andrew Pickens
Ninety Six District, Abbeville County, Abbeville & Cambridge Courthouses, South Carolina
1790 Census, Ninety Six District, Edgefield County, Edgefield Courthouse
Examine the maps below. Note that Edgefield and Abbeville adjoin one another and the town of Cambridge is shown in Abbeville District on the map below. Patrick Calhoun lived approximately 25 miles SW from the town of Cambridge. It is interesting that Robert Mayson was an appraiser given the distance and also that he does not appear to have been living in the same county - but he was in the same legal district and the Mayson lands were right along the border of Abbeville and Edgefield ( probably straddled both). On the north side of the Saluda, the Mayson lands were in Laurens County. Did the Mayson family have a special relationship with the Calhoun family or was Robert acting in a certain legal capacity for Ninety Six District? Note that the homesites of Robert's brothers Archy and Willis are shown on this map.
Patrick Calhoun's land and proximity to Robert Mayson's land at Island Ford road at the Saluda River and the town of Cambridge (now Ninety Six National Historic Site)
(Robert Mills' 1825 Map of South Carolina)
Robert Mayson's land at Island Ford road at the Saluda River and proximity to town of Cambridge
This map may shown the upper and lower island ford roads - note how the road bisects around what may have been Island Ford in the middle of the Saluda River. As another reference, see the Feb. 1793 plat above made for James Mayson.
This map may shown the upper and lower island ford roads - note how the road bisects around what may have been Island Ford in the middle of the Saluda River. As another reference, see the Feb. 1793 plat above made for James Mayson.
(Robert Mills' 1825 Map of South Carolina)
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Home Location
It is likely that James initially lived on or near the Peach Hill Plantation formerly owned by his father but later he can be found living in Edgefield County - just across the Saluda River. Documents for James can be found in the Laurens, Newberry and Edgefield records. His widow Nancy was living in Laurens County on the 1810 census.
For example, on July 1797, James sold land out of a tract known as Butchers tract adjoining Peach Hill land. This would be on the north side of the Saluda River in Newberry County. (Newberry Deed Absracts, Vol. II, Brent Holcomb)
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Will and Descendants
In his Will dated 1805, James R. Mayson names his wife "Nancy" and "children" (no names). His estate was administered by his widow Nancy, Elihu Creswell and Thomas Chiles and it lists ten slaves. His total estate was moderate however, valued at approx. $4,000 ($100K today). His estate was inventoried by Thomas Chiles, Toliver Bostick and Walter Chiles. Notable buyers were Thomas Chiles, Elihu Creswell, Archy Mayson, John C. Mayson, Robert Creswell.
Although his Will does not name his children, we do have an extremely valuable land plat dated 1812 that provides us with the heirs of James R. Mayson which we may presume to be his children: Adeline Miller, Levina Mason, Polly Mayson, James Mayson, Henrietta Mayson, George C. Mayson.
1812 Land Plat for 616 acres listing the "heirs" of James R. Mayson
Adeline Miller, Levina Mason, Polly Mayson, James Mayson, Henrietta Mayson & George C. Mayson. Note that the "Road from Cambridge" and Ninety Six Creek run through this plat. Adjacent landowners are John McKellen, Thomas Chiles and Dr. Zachary Meriweather.[5]
Children of James Robert Mayson and Nancy Conway
- Levina Mayson - no research/nothing is known.
- Polly Mayson - no research/nothing is known.
- Henrietta Mayson - no research/nothing is known.
- George Conway Mayson - born 1804; died 1867; buried Mt. Vernon Methodist Church, McCormick County, SC. He married Susannah Harrison daughter of James Harrison and they had a large family with many descendants many of whom are buried at the Mt. Vernon church cemetery. Mayson family researcher Carolyn Mayson Hill descends from George. George's mother, the widow Nancy Conway Mayson, died at his home in 1856. (I am currently working on Nancy Conway Mayson's ancestry - I will provide a link to that research when complete.)
For my own family heritage, I should point out that my paternal ancestor, John Dorris, (my paternal 3rd great grandfather; The Mayson family is my maternal heritage) was one of the original founders of the Mt. Vernon M.E. Church in 1831.[6]
- Adenia/Adeline Mayson (my line)- Married 1st, James Miller of Spartanburg District, SC; Moved to Franklin County, GA; Married 2nd, Richard B. Hooper. Anecdotal information claims she met James Miller while visiting her aunt Miriam Mayson Anderson in the present day area of Moore, SC. This story might be true: It is clear from reviewing the documents that her grandfather, Col. James Mayson, owned land along the Tyger River. The family may have made a trip to visit his daughter Miriam and to check on his land holdings at the same time. James Miller lived very close to the Andersons and may have even belonged the same Presbyterian church (Nazareth - sometimes referred to as the mother church of upstate Presbyterianism). It is about 42 miles from Peach Hill/Glasgow to the Miller lands near Moore.
- James Lucas Mayson (1799-1881) - arrived in what is now Atlanta in the early 1820s where he was one of the early settlers of the area. Note that this was the Georgia frontier at that time. The Mayson-Turner Ferry which crossed the Chattahoochee River near present day Bankhead Highway in Atlanta was operated by James L. Mayson and Daniel Turner. He was a leader of the small Mayson's Methodist Church that was destroyed by Sherman's troops during his march through Atlanta. He married Lucinda Douglass (1803-1875) and their descendants and associated families became very influential and prominent citizens of early Atlanta and the surrounding area. Their descendants are numerous throughout the Atlanta area, Georgia and beyond.
The eight known children of James Lucas Mayson and Lucinda Douglass: - William Charles Mayson (1823-1862) - Civil War KIA[7], Company B, 7th Georgia Infantry. He married Sarah Williamson whose mother was a Plaster and whose grandfather was Benjamin Plaster an early settler of Atlanta. Plaster Road is named for this family. The home of Charles and Sarah Williamson Mayson stood at the SW corner of Piedmont and present day Lindbergh Drive, north of Peachtree Creek (Atlanta). It is worth noting that my paternal Lemon family ancestors were also early settlers in this same area (now Ansley Park/Piedmont Park).
The six known children of William C. Mayson and Sarah Williamson: - James Lucas Mayson (1843-1850)
- Emma Lucinda Mayson (1848-1911) may not have ever married.
- Dr. John William Mayson (1852-1916) was a Mayor of Decatur and a medical doctor. He may also have been a Judge. He married Susan Ozella Collier who was the granddaughter of Meredith Collier. They lived in downtown Decatur between present day Church Street and Clairemont Avenue, north of the square – most of this area is now comprised of a parking deck, retail businesses and possibly part of the Bank Of America property. Their home may have stood on the corner of Clairemont and Ponce de Leon. Dr. John William Mayson and Ozella Collier Mayson are buried in the Decatur City Cemetery (old section).
Dr. John William Mayson(Internet photo; Unknown author) - Judge James L. Mayson (1905-1993) - A son of Dr. John Mayson and his 2nd wife Lucy Zachry. He was a Cobb County Judge and World War II veteran. James was born in Decatur in 1905 and was raised in the Ansley Park neighborhood of Atlanta. Later, he lived in Acworth and practiced law in the Atlanta area.
- John Roy Mayson (1886-1961) - moved to Portland, Oregon
- Thomas Clifford Mayson (1879-1953) - his first wife was a daughter of the prominent doctor of Atlanta, Buford and Gainesville, Georgia Dr. John Wylie Quillian.
- Mamie Bell Mayson (1878-1978) - married Paul Cozart Smith.
- Alma C. Mayson (1877-1935) - married Dan Odum Neel.
- Virginia Morton Mayson (1908-1998) - married Hal Padgett, moved to St. Simons Island, GA.
- Sarah Jane Exer Mayson (1853-1922) married Judge John Copeland Todd who was the son of Richard Copeland Todd who is said to be one of the earliest settlers in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta. Richard C. Todd was born in Chester District, South Carolina in 1792.
- Carrie/Carolyn Elizabeth Mayson (1846-1920) married Napoleon Cheshire who was the son of Hezekiah Cheshire. Hezekiah’s 2nd wife was Sarah Goodwin the daughter of Soloman Goodwin whose house was said to be the oldest home in DeKalb County as recently as 2015. The Goodwin home was located at the intersection of N. Druid Hills Road and Peachtree Road in Brookhaven until recently when it was dismantled and removed and the land sold. Solomon Goodwin was from Anderson, South Carolina. Cheshire Bridge Road, in Atlanta, is named for this Cheshire family but the road was previously named Mayson Bridge Road - so named for the bridge that crossed the south fork of Peachtree Creek. The land of Hezekiah (and later his son Napoleon), was located where present day Cheshire Bridge Road, Lenox Road, Lindbergh Drive, Interstate 85 and Highway 400 all intersect. The farmhouse was located on the east side of Cheshire Bridge road north of Lindbergh and south of I-85. The house was used well into the 20th century. There is now a nature trail that meanders throughout this former Cheshire property and the trail bears the family name Cheshire Farm Trail. Another son of Hezekiah’s was said to have built a house where the Colonnade Restaurant & Cheshire Motor Inn are located today.
Sisters: Sarah Jane Mayson Todd (left) and Carrie Elizabeth Mayson Cheshire(Ramona Liddell; Images of America) - Rev. James Robert Mayson (1827-1893) - A noted Methodist Minister and one of the first graduates of Emory College (now Emory University). Later he was the President of LaGrange School For Women, now LaGrange College.
- John Wesley Mayson (1829-1830)
- Nancy Conway Mayson (1831-1876) - married Daniel Knight.
- Emeline Lucinda Mayson (1834-1888) - married Benjamin Mell (d.1860) and then Green Jackson Watkins.
- Dr. Asbury Smith Mayson (1836-1897) - Married Rebecca Cotten; Asbury Mayson was a physician and surgeon in Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia. Graduate of Emory, Oxford and Atlanta Medical College. He studied under the prominent Civil War era physician Dr. James Franklin Alexander [4]. Asbury was also a surgeon during the Civil War and one of his assignments was Andersonville Prison. Later, he lived and practiced medicine in Powder Springs and Acworth, Georgia. Their daughter Leilah married Dr. William Patrick Smith and they were living in downtown Decatur, GA at the time of his death.
- Thomas Coke Mayson (1838-1907) - Married Nancy Strickland. He was an Atlanta City Councilman and he owned a large grocery store on Marietta Street, Atlanta, GA. Thomas’s son, James (see below), was the Attorney for the City of Atlanta.
Thomas Coke Mayson(Internet photo; Author unknown) - James Lucas Mayson (1862-1935) - He was an Atlanta attorney and he served as the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. He was the valedictorian of the first class of The Boy's High School in Atlanta in 1879.[8]
James Lucas Mayson(Internet photo; Author unknown) - George Conway Mayson (1841-1841)
- Amanda Jane Mayson (1843-1923) - appears to not have ever married.
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[1] The author is a descendant of James Robert Mayson and Nancy through their daughter Adenia/Adeline who married James Miller of Tyger River.
[2] Married at Peach Hill Plantation on June 16, 1787; Marriage And Death Notices From The Charleston Morning Post and Daily Advertiser And Its Successor The City Gazette; Compiled by Mabel L. Webber; page 25; Jstor online.
[3] This might give us another indication of his age: It would be doubtful that he was born after 1764 as it would be unlikely to have an occupation as a land surveyor under age 21.
[4] Dr. James Franklin Alexander is the grandson of Martha Lemon/Lamont Walker; These Walkers and Lemons/Lamonts are my paternal cousins via the Lemon/Lamont family line. Dr. James F. Alexander is my paternal 2nd cousin and Dr. Asbury Smith Mayson is my maternal 1st cousin. Both doctors served in the Confederacy during the Civil War and both are descendants of Revolutionary War (patriot) soldiers. Interestingly, Dr. James F. Alexander was the uncle of Judge Hooper Alexander of Decatur.,GA Hooper Alexander's great granduncle Richard Brookes Hooper was the 2nd husband of Adenia Mayson granddaughter of Col. James Mayson. Whew!
[5] Some researchers have linked Dr. Zachary Meriwether to the Lewis family of Warner Hall - George Washington's family. I have not yet had time to go down that rabbit hole but it is an interesting relationship when considering James Robert Mayson's wife (Nancy Conway) might also be related to Presidents George Washington and James Madison.
[6] John M. Dorris was a M.E. circuit preacher who traveled extensively. He was living in Georgia but his roots were in Edgefield County and he likely spent considerable time in SC after he moved to Georgia.
[7] The information on Fold3.com indicates that he was "killed in battle" at or near Yorktown, VA on April 16, 1862; However, his unit does not appear to have been near Yorktown on April 16, 1862. More research is needed.
[8] The Atlanta Constitution, Wednesday, June 25, 1879.
(This page was created on 9/27/2023; Updated on January 24, 2024)