“STOREY – McILWAIN” by June Curry Maddox

by June Curry Maddox (date unknown)

My mother, Grace Storey Curry told me my great-great grandfather John S. Storey left Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1825 and came to Coweta County Georgia. With that information, I began my search for John S. Storey and his ancestors in the Spartanburg County South Carolina Court House in 1963. Lists of recorded wills and land records were what I poured over for six weeks. On the week-ends my husband and I along with my notes began to comb the area. We found land George Storey, the grandfather of John S., received in a grant from King George III. The first house George built burned, the second one was still standing. Remains of Storey’s Fort built during the Revolutionary War were still on the property. The Fairforest Presbyterian Church which was organized by George Storey and other early settlers was not standing, but the cemetery was there with many marked Storey graves. We went to the home of Mrs. Mae Ward who had George Storey’s bible and the land grants from King George III.

The Family Storey published in 1955 gave the information from the George Storey bible. John Storey, the fourth child of George married Nancy McIlwain. The names of the children were unknown but were reared in Georgia.

The first Storey will listed in the Spartanburg County South Carolina Courthouse was John Storey, Nancy Storey, administrator, September 9, 1799. Nancy (Agnes) Storey and James Storey came to the courthouse to settle the estate of John Storey November 23, 1799.

Mr.s Bryan Storey, Rome, GA, sent me a copy of the heirs and distributies [stet] of Nancy Storey from The Georgia Land Lottery Papers 1805-1914. I finally knew that John and Nancy McIlwain Storey were the parents of John S. Storey.

The Newman, Georgia Presbyterian Church gave me the names of early Storey members. John S. and Belinda Storey and five of their children were listed along with Anthony Storey, W. H. Storey and others.

JOHN S. STOREY b. 15 Sept 1797 Spartanburg County, S.C. d. 15 April 1875 Summerville, GA m.Melinda (Belinda) Herston d. 1898 Lindale, GA. Children: Martha Lucinda, Harriett Marie, Pinkney Means, Rhoda Ann, Melinda Henderson and twins Jasper Lafayette and Newton.

JASPER LAFAYETTE STOREY b. 20 Nov. 1841 Carroll Co. GA d. 14 Mar 1920 Rome, GA m. Coweta Co. GA 11 Jan 1866 Nancy Susan Gentry b. 29 Jun 1841 d. 4 Apr 1924 Rome, GA. Children: Carrie, Newton A., John William, Irene and Susan.

JOHN WILLIAM STOREY b. 10 May 1874 Dirt Town, GA d. 3 Aug 1937 Tuscaloosa, AL m 2 Dec 1894 Rome, GA Eula Levada Warren b. 2 Sept 1876 Rome, GA d. 30 Oct 1943 Attalla, AL. Children: Grace Elizabeth, William Ivey, Robert Clifton and Lollie Juanita.

GRACE ELIZABETH STOREY b. 9 Oct 1895 Rome, GA d. 31 Mar 1985 Gadsden, AL m 27 Jan 1917 Alabama City, AL Clyde Almuth Curry b. 28 Jun 1892 Gadsden, AL d. 8 May 1972 Gadsden, AL. Children: Clyde Lalio, William Thomas and June Elizabeth.

JAMES McILWAIN d. 25 May 1807 (age 94 years) m. Jean d. 29 Oct 1803 (age 71 years). Children: James, Jane and Nancy. James and Jean McIlwain and daughter Jane are buried in the Fairforest Presbyterian Cemetery in Union County, S.C.

There are several unmarked graves or graves with badly worn markers in the area of the marked Storey graves in the Fairforest Presbyterian Cemetery. I feel sure John Storey was buried there. I read the early Session Books from the Fairforest Presbyterian Church which are housed in Montreat, N.C. He was a witness Jan 18, 1793. He was recorded as Captain John Storey, his rank in the Revolutionary War.

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Transcribed 12-Oct-2015 by Lynda Peach from June Maddox’s handwritten three page document.