I year or so ago, I sent the following e-mail to the Blakeney list offering
to copy John O. Blakeney's book for those interested researchers who had been
unable to locate a copy. Shortly thereafter my wife's father died and her
81 year old mother needed attending to so I was unable to complete my promise
to make the copies. Things are better now so I will try again. Here is
the e-mail I sent last year.
The following is from the book, "The Blakeney's in America and Some
Collaterals" With Some References to English-Irish Families, by John Oscar
Blakeney, Little Rock, 1928. Limited for Private Distribution.
"On August 1, 1925, a reunion of the Blakeney's and relatives was held at
the old homestead near the northwest corner of Chesterfield county, South
Carolina, where the ceremony of unveiling a tombstone furnished by the War
Department in honor of the Revolutionary War record of "Captain John
Blakeney, S.C., Mil. Rev. War," was held. Similar service was held in
unveiling a stone to Adjutant John Blakeney Jr., S.C. Mil. Rev. War. After
a sumptous picnic dinner in the grove at Dudley Church, the building was
filled to overflowing to hear the addresses which were made by Whiteford S.
Blakeney of Monroe, N.C., this writer and his brother....
My mother in law's cousin Edgar Rivers of Chesterfield, S.C. ((still going
strong)) was present at that ceremony and he is alive at this very moment and
remembers the unveiling quite well. His mother gave him a copy of this
book by John O. Blakeney and he in turn gave it to my wife. I have never
seen another copy. It is 100 pages of Blakeney and allied family genealogy
which includes Evans, Rivers, Laney, Jackson, Cato, Lowry, Sanders, Sellers,
Haile, Beaver, and many others. It contains additional information on the
Blakeney's in Ireland and Canada.
The Historyof the Old cheraws relates "among the first settlers who came
here were Charles and George Evans of the Welsh stock, on Pee Dee, and John
Blakeney. John Blakeney was an active Whig during the revolution. His
name appears in the records of "St. David's Parish." The first record of
his residence on Lynch's River, in the northwest corner of Chesterfield
county, is in a deed from James McManus for 100 acres of land, August 31st,
1785, where he lived the remainder of his life and is buried...
Toward the close of the 18th century, Bishop Asbury planted the Methodist
church in the eastern section of the states bordering the Atlantic and makes
entry in his diary that he "came to Blakeney's on the wathers of Lynch's
Creek. Here I preached to forty people." This item is dated Christmas
1793. The Bishop organized the church now known as Zoar.
My wife can visit eight generations of tombstones in an afternoon which I
find a refreshing contrast to my own personal genealogy, which is
Scotch-Irish and always on the move. Edgar Rivers was kind enough to take
us to every corner of Chesterfield county to visit these many generations of
my wife's ancestors.
If you are interested in obtaing a copy of John O. Blakeney's book please
contact me privately at cscunc(a)aol.com for details. There are close to 500
entries in this document and it may prove useful to many.
Regards,
Robert Cowan
525 Harrogate Rd.
Matthews, North Carolina 28105