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Facts and Events
Richard Parris (Pearis) was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia
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Acquisition of Land in the Northern Neck, Frederick County, VA
- 15 April 1762. - Richard Pearis, 209 acres adjoining his father’s late survey including his Still House on Opeckon. [Source: Northern Neck Grants K, 1757-1762, p. 397].
- 18 May 1762. - Richard Pearis, 224 acres adjoining Jacob Vanmeter, and Edward Mercer. [Source: Northern Neck Grants K, 1757-1762, p. 430].
- 7 September 1762. - Capt. Richard Pearis, 51 acres adjoining his own line on the east side of Opeckon. [Source: Northern Neck Grants M, 1762-1765, p. 40].
- 11 February 1763. - Capt. Richard Pearis, 536 acres near Tuscarorah Branch on the Main Road to Watkins Ferry. [Source: Northern Neck Grants M, 1762-1765, p. 131].
- 12 February 1763. - Capt. Richard Pearis, 390 acres at the head of the Swan Ponds, on the drains of Opeckon. [Source: Northern Neck Grants M, 1762-1765, p. 132].
Records in Frederick County, VA
- Richard Pearis was in Winchester on 15 February 1749 and along with William Neilly and John Forwood witnessed several transactions by Richard (T) Lean. Richard Lean (formerly of New Brunswick, New Jersey) apparently was a fairly old man living in Frederick County, VA. In the transactions, Mr. Lean sold his land and household goods in New Jersey to his son John Lean (also living in Frederick Co.) and gave John Lean his power of attorney. During the French and Indian War in the South and Ohio Valley (1754 - 1758), Richard Pearis was constantly involved with the Cherokee and was effectively a leader of the Cherokee forces operating on behalf of Virginia and Maryland. The Pearis Family of Frederick County, Virginia
- G-548: William Mackwell (Maxwell) of Pennsylvana, 358 acres in Frederick County. Surv. Mr. Guy Broadwater. Adj. his Old Patent. Richard Paris, Capt. Morgan. 13 June 1751. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, pg. 50].
- George Pearis Clerk's fees 1753 (6 x 19 ½) Richard Pearis Clerk's fee 1753 (4 ½ x 19 ½). [Frederick County Accounts, 1753].
- John Smith, William Preston and Richard Pearis to the Catawbaws and is given, Fort Frederick, Jan. 13th, 1756. The Chain of Friendship between you and your Brothers of Virginia we hope will be kept clear and bright as long as the Sun and Moon endures. ...for we intend to march in 20 Days with a Body of 300 Men against the Shawannes in which Expedition have great reason to hope for Success especially if attended by a Number of our Brothers the Catawbaws who are known to be a People of undoubted Valour and Integrity. The Indian Messenger Kerorostekee lived formerly in your Nation and since his Departure has killed two of his Enemies which we hope will be acceptable to you with [George Paris] the white Messenger.
From your Friends and Brothers,
- Jno. Smith
- Wm. Preston
- Richd. Pearis.
[Colonial Records of South Carolina, Series 2. Documents Relating to Indian Affairs, pages 98 and 99 contain a letter from John Smith, William Preston and Richard Pearis to the "Catawbaws," written in 1756].
- H-708: John Neily of Frederick Co. 285 acres in Frederick County, adj. William Neily on Opeckon, Richard Paris, Robert Stocton (Stockton), George Paris. 18 Oct. 1756. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, pg. 88].
- K-320: Col. John Carlyle of Fairfax County had 230 acres 29 June 1751 & 164 acres granted Jonah Jones 3 Oct. 1734, who sold to Thomas Rutherford who sold to Carlyle. Resurv. by John Baylis. 1,257 acres surplus and adj. Deed for 1,651 acres to Carlyle adj. Tho's Caton, Joseph Bryan, John Perkins, William Maxfield, Potomack River in Frederick County, Edward Tyler, Richard Paris, drain of Opeckon Creek, 21 Aug. 1761. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, pg. 128].
- O-111: George Neely of Frederick County, 83 acres on Opeckon in said County. Surv. Thomas Rutherford. Adj. John Neelly, Jacob Morgan, William Maxwell, Richard Pearis. 8 Jan. 1768. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, pg. 194].
- O-112: Jacob Morgan of Frederick County, 82 acres on Opeckon near Swan Ponds in said County. Surv. Thomas Rutherford. Adj. William Maxwell, John Neelly, Richard Pearis. 9 Jan. 1768. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, pg. 194].
- Capt. Richard Pearis witnessed a land transaction of 951 acres of Mr. Henry Whiting of Frederick County. [Virginia Northern Neck Grants, 1775-1800, by Gertrude E. Gray, pg. 1].
Records in Augusta County, VA
From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records:
- Page 450.--16th April, 1757. Cap. Richard Pearis to Sarah Paris and Margaret Pearis, £, love and goodwill; his daughters, slaves and other personalty; to Sarah in case she marries with father's consent; to Margaret, same condition (conveys one Indian wench named Pratchey. Delivered: Cap. Peter Hog, December, 1770.
- Page 18, 1762. £100, John Smith to Alex. Sayers, 1/2 of a tract held jointly by John and Richard Pearis, containing 380 acres, part of 900 patented to Garrett Zinn, 20th June, 1753, and conveyed to us by John Miller, 18th May, 1768. described as in above conveyance. Sent to Col. Preston by his order, October, 1773.
- Page 87.--16th November, 1762. Richard Pearis and Rhoda, of Frederick County, to Alexander Boyd, of the Virginia Regiment, £50, 1/2 of a tract containing acres in upper part of Dunger Bottom, conveyed by John Miller to said Richard Pearis and a certain John Smith, August, 1762. Delivered: Alex. Love, November, 1763.
Information on Capt. Richard Parris
From Ancestry.com post:
- Richard Pearis was the son of George and Sarah Pearis who came from Ireland about 1725. It is uncertain if Richard was born in Ireland or in America. Richard was one of four children. Three sons George Jr, Robert and Richard and a daughter Christian. They lived near Winchester, Virginia.
- George Pearis, Sr. died in 1752 and Richard and Robert sold everything includung a parcel of land known as Paris, VA. from there, Richard moved to Lynchburg and by the 1760's Richard was in South Carolina.
- Somehow, Richard Pearis gained fame as a trader with the Cherokee people that occupied part of South carolina. He was apparently well respected by the Cherokee people and was a translator. Richard lived in the area of South Carolina where there were no white settlers and few white men traveled through. He had a Cherokee wife and fathered several children by her. Later, around 1740 he married a European woman named Rhoda and had three more children; Richard Margaret (Elizabeth) and Sarah. Sarah married George Teeter and that is who I descend from.
- During the French and Indian War and American Revolution era, Richard was a Loyalist. He was on England's side in the Revolutionary War because they had offered him a higher rank than the Americans did and he approved of the British plan to give much of South Carolina to the Cherokee people after the War was over.
- At some point in 1776, Capt. Richard Pearis was jailed along with his Cherokee son George Pearis in Charleston, SC. during the Revoltionary War. He and his son were released later. Capt. Richard Pearis had lots of land in South Carolina including the land where Paris State Park is located. I'm also told Paris Island SC was named for or by Richard Pearis.
- Well, the British lost as we know, and Capt Richard and his white wife Rhoda, and white son Richard Jr and dgt Margaret (Elizabeth) moved to British owned East Florida and then to Abaco, an Island in Barbados. His daughter Sarah had married George Teeter and moved to Garrard County Kentucky and so stayed in America.
- His white wife Rhoda is sometiomes refered to as "reluctant" but no specifics as to why. Capt. Richard died in 1794 Barbados, as did his daughter Margaret (Elizabeth) and her husband Gen. Cunningham. They are buried in Barbados and I know of one descendant who states she has a copy of his will and has seen thier graves in Barbados.
From Genforum.com post:
- Captain Pearis was a famous frontiersman and Indian leader; he was a fealess character and an active figure in border history, and with a strong and undisputed influence which he wielded over the Southern Indians. At the head of bands of Catawbas and Cherokees, he led his Indian contingent to the service of Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia, in 1755-1756. He was given a command under Colonel George Washington, then at Fort Loudon against the French and their hostile allies that were at the time driving the borderers back to the shelter of the fortified posts in the Valley of Virginia. Pearis, while in charge of his friendly tribesmen, also rendered aid to Governor Sharpe of Maryland; so, too, he performed similar service for the Province of Pennsylvania in 1755-56, in which he commanded a body of new levies from the lower counties (Delaware), in Colonel William Clapham's provincial forces. He was in Virginia in 1761, at which time, it appears, John Duke sold him supplies.
- Captain Richard Pearis was a remarkable character and the events of his strenous career are full of interest and excitement. After a stormy experience with the military authorities of Virginia he removed to an island in the Holston River, which had been granted him in 1754, and later established a trading post among the Indians of that section, who loved him so well. That post is now Greenville, SC.
Sources
- Ancestry.com post: http://boards.ancestry.myfamily.com/surnames.pearis/12/mb.ashx
- Genforum.com post: http://genforum.genealogy.com/teeter/messages/962.html
- Genforum.com post: http://genforum.com/pearis/messages/32.html
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).
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