William Orr

William Orr
The Irish Merchant of Pendleton District

Compiled and copyrighted December 2010 by Linda Sparks Starr

A history of Ireland, specifically in the years dealing with events leading up to and including the 1790s, may explain more thoroughly why William chose to begin a new life in the former colonies. If he is, as we suspect, the William Orr on the 1800 Pendleton District census, he was in his middle twenties to early forties when he left his native country.  Other records suggest he was closer to his upper thirties, if not already in his forties, when he arrived in the Pendleton District.  Perhaps William possessed the wanderlust spirit that led so many of his compatriots to the shores of the newly created United States.  Or perhaps his employers sent him to run a store in the Carolinas.  The exact year of his arrival in the states is not known. There are indications he lived elsewhere before moving to the district; but mention that one note due  his estate came from a Charleston account and this statement by his nephew Thomas in an 1826 petition is all we have: “your petitioner further Sheweth that one William Orr an Uncle to Petitioner being a duly naturalized Citizen of the United States ...”  Questions then turn to his trading store. Did he take over an existing establishment or did he open a new store to accommodate the growing population in the area along Twenty Three Mile Creek? The exact location of his store may have been in the area that fell into Pickens County in 1826.  The 1800 census for Pendleton District shows household #817 William Orr was in Col. Brown’s Regiment. According to the editor, this later area fell into Pickens County. [NGS]  Presumably the single William, who was between the age of 26 and 46, lived near the location of his store, if not in the back room of that store.

Once William made his way to these parts of the Up-Country, it didn’t take him long to become a part of the community. Early in 1800 he witnessed a deed with his future business partner, William Rankin. [Willie p. 240-1 citing Book F p. 122-3]   Grantee William Orr was identified as merchant in the February 1802 deed when grantors David and Rebecca Smith sold him one-half interest in what was later known as Rankin Mills. The deed specified just what his $210 purchased:  “all the one half both Grist Mill and saw mill as they both now Stand and are Occupied by the said David Smith and William Rankin on the 23 Mile Creek with all the rights and priviledges to build  improve and Occupy the same in equal copartnership ...”  A month later William paid William McMahan $200 for 150 acres on the North side of 23 Mile Creek. Both these tracts now lie in Anderson County.

The merchant William Orr died less than eighteen months later. He was buried far from his native land and equally far from his siblings who were regarded by the courts as his only legal heirs.  Later records indicate he left a natural son, named James, who presumably was born in South Carolina. The lack of a marriage between his parents made all the difference in James’s childhood. The little that is known about this James comes from William’s estate papers and later legal dealings between the two cousins: James son of William and Thomas, nephew of William.  Problems for researchers begin with the surname name of the probable mother:  “Mary ___ght”  is smeared in the surety bond Thomas Orr gave to the court-appointed administrators of William’s estate. Mary’s claims against the estate were particularly mentioned in the list of promises Thomas made to protect the original administrators against.  Estate Accounts records show payment to Sarah Paulston (another surname difficult to read) for maintenance of Mr Orr’s child.   Problems with James haunted William’s nephew,Thomas Orr, at least through 1827. The petition Thomas submitted to the South Carolina House of Representatives is a good place to begin the discussion of William Orr’s estate.

Stated within the petition: “your petitioner ... nephew of William Orr a Naturalized Citizen of the United States of America, late of Pendleton District in this State deceased. That the said William Orr about June 1803 departed this life without leaving any Lawful Wife or children and without making any last Will & Testatment.”  The Pendleton District Court appointed three men administrators of William Orr’s estate in September 1803. They, with James Agnew, signed the two-thousand dollars surety bond.     
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Payment of the bond was required only if they failed to locate and make an inventory of all his property, pay his just debts, collect money due him and otherwise manage the closing out of his estate. Three men were appointed, but it appears Thomas Johnston, the accountant for the group, did the most work.   An inventory  of the estate was made 6 September 1803 by local residents

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Signatures of appraisers

The total value of William Orr’s estate was set at $469.75.   An estate sale held just days later brought in $588.87 1/3.  Wm Orr Estate Sale  Both horses brought far more than their appraised value; but, farm rent and five cows, forgotten at the time of the inventory, were added which makes up some of the difference between the two. The sale drew a crowd; the Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens Sr. purchased one of the horses. The Estate Accounting Records, submitted to the courts yearly and audited by a court official, are considered boring to most people. In this case they provide a list of area residents possibly not found elsewhere. 

Thomas Orr arrived on the Pendleton scene early in 1805.  The power of attorney  he carried from William’s relatives living in Ireland is a great aide for researchers hoping to trace this ORR line backwards in time.  It provides the names, residence and occupation in April 1804 of William’s siblings:  Samuel Orr of Carlagan, County Monaghan, farmer; Robert Orr of Muhuaidghuby, carpenter; Alexander Orr of Bellaheagh, County Armagh, weaver; and Alexander Whiteraft of Glassnknow, County Monaghan, farmer and Ann Whiteraft otherwise Orr his wife.  Additionally the POA identifies William as formerly of Gleneheim, County Monaghan.   Information within this POA and mention of his child (not named) in his estate papers is the only hints we have for further research. 

His son, James, is almost as much of a mystery as William. It appears to be a known fact within the community that William was his father. Yet, William didn’t legally acknowledge him as his son. Not wanting to marry the mother is one thing, but not providing for a child is another.  His acknowledgement would have meant the courts would see that James was provided with some, if not all, of William’s estate.  As it is, all legal records suggest William’s siblings in Ireland got everything.  However, Thomas, by himself or likely at the behest of unnamed relatives in Ireland, made some provision for James.  Within his petition to the state House of Representatives in 1827, Thomas wrote: “Your petitioner has greatly assisted the said James in obtaining an education and getting him into Business & is informed the said James is doing good business as a merchant.”  James, understandably and perhaps with reason, wanted more.  Although his petition has yet to be viewed,  the counter-petition submitted by Thomas contains this statement: “... one James Orr __ Natural (or illegitimate) son of the said William Orr has petitioned the Legislature to vest in him the legal title to the said tract of 150 acres of land or to have the same Escheated the proceeds given to him.” The 150 acre tract they are arguing about is the lot William Orr purchased from William McMahan in 1802.  Although the actual events aren’t documented, Thomas indicates he purchased the tract with his own money from his relatives in Ireland.

Nothing more is specifically known about James, son of William Orr.  Researchers differ over which James died 12 September 1873 leaving a widow Georgiana Orr.   After her husband’s death she filed a petition for Homestead against John B. Orr and (who I think were) children of her deceased husband and his first wife.  Some say her husband is this James (born before June 1803) while others think her husband was James, son of Thomas and Sarah, born 1821.  Sarah, wife of that James, died May 1872. 
 


SOURCES

____, compilers.  1800 Census Pendleton District, South Carolina.   National Genealogical Society  1963.

Willie, Betty, compiler & abstractor.  Pendleton District, South Carolina Deeds 1790-1806 Southern Historical Press, 2001  Greenville, SC.



Linda Sparks Starr    copyright (c) December 2010
lsstarr@pilgrimage.us
Home: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lksstarr/