FIRST EARLY SETTLERS

In the early division of the Province of South Carolina, this whole Pee Dee region seems to have been embraced in what was called Craven County; named, it is supposed, in honor of William Earl of Craven, one of the first Lord Proprietors.  Its immense area stretched from the Santee River to the North Carolina line, and from the seashore to the mountains.  While some measures were adopted at an earlier date looking to its organization into parishes, and near the coast some settlements were made, yet not until about 1730, did the authorities take any active steps encouraging emigration to this part of the colony.  About this time, however, several townships were marked out.  One was laid off near the mouth of Little Pee Dee called Queensborough; and settlers were encouraged to occupy it, by the offer of "fifty acres of land to each soul that would settle and offer of "fifty acres of land to each soul that would settle and improve the grant."  But not yet did this bring set tlers, permanent residents at least, to that portion of country included in the present limits of our county.  It was not until 1736, or early in 1737 that any permanent settlement was effected.  That first settlement seems to have been so manisfestly directed by Providence, and so fruitful in results, important and lasting, as to justify special notice.

     The recital must take us back to the beginning of the century, and to the principality of Wales.  "Several Baptist people, pining for larger religious liberty, living in the counties Cairmarthen and Pembroke, in the year 1701, resolved to remove to America."  And as one of their number, by name of Thomas Griffith, was already a minister, they were advised to be constituted a church emigrant.  The names were as follows:  Thomas Griffith, Griffith Nicholas, Evan Edwards, John Edwards, Elisha Thomas, Enoch Morgan, Richard David, James David, Elizabeth Griffith, Tennant David, Margaret Mathias and Tennant Morris."  These sixteen persons met at Milford Haven in the month of June, 1701, and embarked on the good ship William and Mary, and on the 8th day of September following landed at Philadelphia, and first settled about Penepeck, but finding certain inconveniences there, "in 1703, they took up land in New Castle County, about 30,000 acres, and built a little house of worship ."  This Welsh Tract, as it was called, was in Pennsylvania, but by a change of boundary fell into Delaware.  Gregg still further records that the first visit from this colony to the Pee Dee appears to have been made in 1735, or early in the following year; that it led to a remarkable act of favor on the part of the Colonial Council to induce the Welsh to come.  That act was an order to admeasure and lay out for these Welsh families 173,840 acres of land situated and being in Craven County.

     In 1736, or early in the following year, a portion of this original colony from Wales, or their descendants came South, and at first stopped near the mouth of Catfish Creek, in what is now Marion County; but having much sickness there, they remained but a short time, and most of them removed about fifty miles up the Pee Dee River, and settled in what has ever since been called the "Welsh Neck;" a district embracing the lands on the east side of the river from the mouth of Crooked Creek
 to the Red Hill or Hunt's Bluff.  Upon the bank of the river, a few hundred yards above the Society Hill Bridge, this colony of Welsh people met and organized themselves in to Baptist church in January, 1738, calling it Welsh Neck.  These are the names of James James and wife, Phillip James and Wife, Daniel Devonald and wife, Abel James and wife, Thomas Evans and wife, John James and wife, David Jones and wife, Thomas Harry and wife, Daniel Harry and wife, John Harry and wife, Samuel Wilds  and wife, Samuel Evans and wife, Griffith John and wife and Thomas Jones and wife.  But these are not all who came.  Bishop Gregg in his "History of the Old Cheraws" mentions a number of others as coming about the same tiem, such as "Thomas James, Griffith John, Wm. James, John Newberry, Wm. Evans, James Rogers, David James, Samuel Sorency, Evan Vaughan and Wm. Terrell."  We are not suppose that all these settled on the east side of the river, in what is now Marlboro.  Now are we to infer that none others than the above mentioned came.  Some settled on the
 west side of the river, and others outside the Neck, above and below.

     The names of Owen and Jenkin David are mentioned in connection with the settlement at Catfish, and it is quite well established that both these brothers were early upon Marlboro soil, here lived and died, and have had in all the years an extensive and respectable posterity in the country.  Indeed, it is doubtful if any of our old families have so clear and satisfactory a genealogy, or one so ancient, as this family.

  The writer had access to an "Old Family Bible" in which the record goes back through several generations in Wales, before the coming of Owen and Jenkin to the Pee Dee.  The father of these, it is recorded, was John David, of Wales, and wife Ann, and John was the son of David and Lydia his wife; David was the son of Thomas who was the son of David Bevan.

  Before coming to America, Owen married Catherine Vaughan of Wales, who died childless.  He then married Dinah Underwood, who became the mother of Joshua, Josiah, Benjamin and Sarah.  These three sons were soldiers in the Revolution.  Joshua and Benjamin were both wounded, Benjamin in the head, and Joshua in the hand, at Eutaw Springs.  Joshua married Lucy Hodge, daughter of Thomas Hodge, who was also a soldier in the War of Independence.  From this marriage came John H., Sarah, Joshua, Welcome, Jesse, Dinah and Betsy.  John H. married Mary, the daughter of Shadrach Fuller, who became the mother of thirteen children, Lucy, Ann, James E., John O., Mary, Alex. H., Evander, Ssarah, Joshua, Charles, Elizabeth and William J.  Of these, James E., the first son, represented his people in the State Senate and House of Representatives.  John O. and Alex H. were well-known citizens for a long time; they sleep in Marlboro's sacred soil, and are represented by sons and daughters in the County.  Dr. W. J. David died at Dillon in 1895, Evander past 80, yet lives in North Carolina.

     Capt. Joshua David the second son of the first Joshua, was for many years a civil officer in Marlboro, as sheriff, clerk and ordinary.

  He was correct, honest, truthful; and no man has left more beautiful penmanship, or a clearer record upon the books.  He ultimately married his cousin, Miss Susanna David, and their only son, Joshua, died soon after reaching manhood.  Welcome, another son of Joshua the first, has descendants among us yet.  Jesse, the third son of Joshua, reared a large family by his two marriages; first with Miss Harry, and then with Miss Webster.  Joseph H., James F. and A. Judson David are sons of this good
 man, and Mrs. J. S. Liles, a daughter, while Mrs. Barnes and a number of others are among this grandchildren.  Josiah was the son of Josiah, who was the second son of Owen, previously mentioned, and has descendants among us, but none bearing the David name, except Wm. R. David and his children, who maternally descended from Josiah.  Benjamin, the other son of Owen, went West many years ago.

     Jenkin David, who came from Wales with his brother Owen, had four sons, John, Azariah, Owen and Jenkin.  Of this old man it is upon record that he was a soldier under General Wayne, in the French and Indian wars; that he married Miss Rachel Rogers, daugher of Nicholas and Martha
 Rogers.  Of his sons Owen and Jenkin nothing is known, except that they left the country at an early period.  Azariah, a faithful soldier, also soon disappeared.  John, however, remained, was a soldier and non-commissioned officer, and rose to a lieutanant in Marion's Brigade.  He was five times married.  His first wife was Sarah Booth, became the mother of three children and died; his second wife, Mary Jones, lived but three months; his third wife was Isabella Allison, and the mother of
 five children; his foruth wife was Sarah Stephens, who had two children and died.  His fifth marriage was with Mrs. Mary Stubbs, the daughter of WIlliam Bridges, and widow of John Stubbs.  One daughter was the fruit of this last marriage.  Of these eleven children, all except two died unmarried, and most of them when quite young.  The two who survived were both daughters.  Mary, whose mother was Miss Allison, became the wife of Lemuel Pearson.  A daughter of this pair, Rachel by name became the wife of Meekin Townsend, and the mothers of a large family.  Her sons are R. E., C. P. and Walter Townsend.  She died only a few years ago.  Another daughter of Mrs. Pearson was the wife of the late Joel L. Easterling.  AN only son, William Pearson, who went to his reward a number of years ago, was the father of the late John D. Pearson, Mrs. J. F. Breeden, Mrs. J. L. Stubbs, and Mrs. W. Bennett.

     Eliza, the other daugher of John David, was the fruit of the union with the widow Stubbs.  Mr. David was sixty-two, an Mrs. David forty-six when the babe was born and both lived to see her a full-grown woman, and the mother was for many years an inmate of the daughter's house after she had become the wife of Wm. D. Bridges.  To Mrs. Bridges the Lord gave no children of her own, but many another's child had reason to love her and honor her memory.  She passed to her reward, in the
 eightieth year of her life.

     So that so far as this writer knows there is no descendant of Jenkin David, the progenitor of this branch of the family in Marlboro, bearing the David name.  All bearing the name are descended from Owen, and yet the descendants of both Owen and Jenkin are numerous.  Many interesting traditions of the family must, for lack of space, be omitted from these pages, but in connection with the David family another name deserves to be mentioned.  It has been stated that Joshua David, of revolutionary fame, married Lucy, a daughter of Thomas Hodge.  Londen Harwell, another soldier of the Revolution, married her sister Mary.  Both were natives of Robertson County, North Carolina, and after marriage removed to Marlboro.  Londen Harwell, at the age of thirteen years, became a soldier of Marion's Brigade in 1777, and remained steadfastly with him until peace was declared, when he returned home, married Mary Hodge and settled in Marlboro.  An only son was born to them, Londen Harwell,  Jr., who married Mary Britton, a daughter of John Britton (called
 Jacky) a soldier of Marion's, and a member of the family who lived in Britton's Neck.  Of this marriage the only child was Elizabeth, who married Philip Miller from Frankfort on the Main.  The old soldier, Londen Harwell, died in July 1838.  Mrs. Miller, his granddaughter, is now eighty-three years old and the mother of nine children, Mary, wife of ex-judge J. H. Hudson; Anna; Martha, wife of John R. McKellar; Lizzie, wife of J. B. Adams; Sue, wife of J. R. Newton; and four sons, John, Henry,
 Philip and George.  John and Henry each lost a leg in the late war, John at Chikamauga and Henry at Knoxville, worthy descendants of good Whig ancestors.  Narcissa, the oldest daughter of J. H. Hudson and the wife of Dr. J. L. Jordan, is the mother of Mrs. Mary West, who is also the mother of an infant, Annie, thus making the unusual record of five living generations.