stubbs_john-sr

JOHN STUBBS OF CHERAW DISTRICT, LATER MARLBORO COUNTY, S.C. -- {JWC note --the following is edited from a website}
When or where this pioneer was born is unknown. His age can be approximated only by the ages of his children and other circumstances. His oldest son, William Stubbs was born in 1748, and his youngest, Thomas Stubbs, the only one who was not a soldier of the revolution was born between 1765 and 1770. John Stubbs the pioneer sold the last of his thousand acres in Marlboro 8-29-1788 and does not again appear in the records, or the 1792 census. He doubtless died between those dates. His wife REBECCA CONNER, is described on page 184 “History of Marlboro”. Where she came from is unknown, although one of her descendents told Rev. Thomas that he thought the Conners came from Maryland. She had a brother Thomas Conner who died 9-12-1802, aged 75, indicating birth 1727. Reverend Wilson Conner born in Marlboro 7-7-1768 and died in Georgia, was son of Thomas Conner and nephew of Rebecca Conner Stubbs. Among the entries in his interesting Bible are the following:

Thomas Conner, Junr. Junr. died Sept. 12, 1802, aged 75 years.
Ann Conner died Sept. 1791, aged 60 years.
Thomas Conner, Senr. Senr. died Aug. 14, 1768 aged 90.
Margaret, his wife, died ---- aged 60 years.
John Beverly died 1786 aged 80 years
Ann Beverly died 1787 aged 81 years.

His mother Ann Conner was doubtless the daughter of John and Ann Beverly.

But the Conner data is uncertain. Since there is a difference of 49 years between the date of birth of Thomas Conner, Senr. Senr., and Thomas Conner, Junr. Junr. It appears likely that he left out his grandfather, whom he might have called Thomas Conner, Senr. Junr.

This given for the benefit of anyone wishing to continue the Conner search. A complete copy of this Bible data is at the Georgia Department of Archives.
Whether John Stubbs came from England, as his great grandson William Fuller Stubbs thought, or whether he was descended from John Stubbs of Gloucester County, Virginia, is uncertain. The latter seems more likely, although there was a John Stubbs who came to Williamsburg, South Carolina in 1738. Professor Thomas A. Stubbs has visited the Virginia Family, and he thinks that the resemblance is so great between them and the South Carolinians of the name, that they are doubtless of the same family. Lewis Stubbs, one of the younger sons of John Stubbs and Rebecca Conner, states in his pension application, that he was visiting in Granville Co. N.C. at the beginning of the revolution. There was living there at the time a William Stubbs, possibly the brother of John.

William Stubbs, eldest son of John Stubbs and Rebecca Conner, says in his pension application “I was born in Cheraw District South Carolina, December 22, 1748.” But at that time and for many years afterward the state lines were unknown. The first location at which the family has been found is on Mountain Creek, Anson County, N.C. In 1767 William Stubbs took out a warrant of survey for 100 acres, “including the place where John Stubbs now lives”. But he never did pay the 50 shillings for the survey and grant. Instead, beginning four years later in 1771 his father John Stubbs started obtaining grants from the South Carolina authorities. Between 1771 and 1774 he took grants for 1000 acres in the “beauty Spot” in what is now Marlboro County. After 200 years of use and abuse, this is still beautiful land. Prior to 1770, land and game was so abundant and living was so easy, that most people living on the frontiers avoided taxes and fees by living on the land without title.

The known children of John Stubbs and Rebecca Conner are as follows:

William Stubbs R.S. (1748-1839) m. Elizabeth Hubbard [sjo note--second marriage later to Ann]
James Stubbs R.S. (1755-1825) m. (1) unknown. I believe his first wife was Sarah, daughter of Dickson Pierce, but there is no real proof. She was mother of all but one child. m. (2) Sarah Tallant, widow of Abner Miller.
John Stubbs R.S. (1754-1792) m. Mary Bridges.
Lewis Stubbs R.S. (1760-1845) m. Elizabeth Bridges.
Thomas Stubbs died 1847 m (1) Feribe Beverly. She was mother of all his children except one. m (2) Lucy Sparks, her third marriage.
Stephen Stubbs R.S. his age unknown. He served in the regular army during the revolution, as a Patriot, and either died during the war or immediately afterward. No known wife or child.

The revolutionary service of this group is proved as follows:

John Stubbs, Sr. the father was too old for combat, but he furnished supplies and services to the Patriot army. He was paid for this service after the war, by the State of South Carolina. My daughter, Joyce Ann Statham, got his name on the DAR roll of honor by using his record to establish her eligibility.

William Stubbs (Dec 22 1748 – Jun 26 1839) the oldest son, lived long enough to qualify for a Federal Pension, under the Act of 1832, which did not require that the applicant be destitute. All prior laws had had this requirement, so that the percentage of the soldiers who became pensioners is small. See this reference.

James Stubbs (Aug. 25, 1755-1825) did not live long enough to qualify under the Pension Act of 1832, and was never destitute. The only proof of his service is in the pension application under the Act of 1832, of his brother Lewis Stubbs, among the service claimed by Lewis, was “served as a substitute for James Stubbs and William Stubbs.” When Charleston was captured by the British in 1781, the Militia Officers surrendered all the troops in a body and the troops were then paroled. The records were also captured. Of the thousands of Militia Troops paroled at this time, unless they later violated their paroles or lived long enough to apply for a pension, so record of their service exists.

John Stubbs (1754-1792) m. Mary Bridges. But there is doubt that she was the mother of his first two children, Lewis and John Stubbs. Their mother may have been a Miss Fraser. John is readibly distinguished from his father, John Stubbs, by the fact that he signed his name rather than using a mark. Receipts in Indent Files suggest that he was an Officer in the Revolution, but of what rank I do not know. He represented his deceased brother, Stephen Stubbs, as Administrator after the war. After he died in 1792, his brother William Stubbs applied for letters of Administation on the Estate of Stephen Stubbs. John served with the Rangers in 1775, where his age and description are given.

Lewis Stubbs (1760-1845). Applied for pension under Act of 1832. Stated that he was very young when he first served as substitute. It is likely that he was helping his older brothers, who had families. See this reference.

Thomas Stubbs (1768 – June 18 1847), the youngest of the Stubbs brothers, was too young for service in the Revolution.

That the five above were the sons of John Stubbs the Pioneer, is proven by two facts. Mrs. Holden W. Liles, of Marlboro, left a diary, which has been abstracted by the Pee Dee Chapter D.A.R., in which she names the four brothers of her father, James Stubbs R.S., as William, John, Lewis and Thomas. She gives most of the children of these. But this proves only that the five were brothers and not that they were the sons of John. That they were sons of John is proved by Marlboro County Deed Book F-1, Page 327, when William Stubbs, Feb. 10, 1802, appeared in open Court and made oath that he recognized his father’s mark on a Deed “and further, that he has frequently heard his father say he had made such title within mentioned.” This concerned a sale that John Stubbs had made in 1786 to Thomas Dean of land that had been granted him in 1771.