In Part 1 of this series, I started with estimating birth years of Jesse Sr., Jesse Jr. and Josiah to hopefully narrow down the possibilities. Now let’s see what the other records have to say about a possible connection. We’ll start with the land records.

Picking up where we left off in “Jesse Stallings, Sr. and Jr?” we find Jesse mentioned as an assignee of Revolutionary War service payments due to Shadrack Odom’s widow Sarah.

Sarah Odom signed a declaration on 6 August 1784 confirming her deceased husband’s military service. It was witnessed by W. Dunbar, justice of the peace. An indent certificate was issued for the sum owed to Shadrack by the state for his service. Daniel Green signed a receipt that he received full satisfaction on the account 26 July 1785 “by order of Sarah Odom,” meaning Sarah authorized Daniel Green to receive payment on her behalf. Sarah then assigned her interest to Jesse Stallings, which he received in discount of purchase of land.

Rec’d full satisfaction for the within in disc’t of purchase of land for Jesse Stalions. [Signed] W. Dunbar. February 1787

At the bottom of the page is this:

I do assign the right of the within indent to Mr. Jesse Stallings as witness my hand this __(18th?) Sept’r 1786. [Signed] Sarah Odom, Admr [Witnessed] John McElhenny

Now let’s find the land. But first a look at the legal mechanism in place at the time for obtaining vacant land.

Acts were passed by the South Carolina legislature in 1784 and 1785 providing for the sale of vacant lands at $10 for every 100 acres.[1] These are the steps of the land grant process:

1. Settlor petitioned governor in council for land
2. Governor or council will issue warrant for survey
3. Surveyor general would survey the land and return a plat to the secretary
4. Secretary wrote land grant that the governor or council will approve[2]

Three plats were recorded in 1784 and 1785 for Jesse Stallings in Barnwell District. Only one grant was issued. The plats were for 297 acres, 200 acres and 150 acres and the parcels were located on Pen Branch of the Savannah River. The grant was for 140 acres on Pen Branch and Four Mile Branch of the Savannah River. The parcel was part of a grant to John Hall of 8,758 acres. On 26 December 1790, Jesse sold 100 acres of this parcel to Daniel Odom. The deed was witnessed by Absalom, Reuben and Needham Green. 40 acres would be left.

On 3 October 1789 Jesse purchased three parcels from James and Elizabeth Jackson. One parcel of 40 acres was originally granted to Lewis Weathersbee in 1786 and located between Tims Branch and Stamp Branch of the Upper Three Runs. Another parcel of 115 acres was originally granted to James Jackson and located on Tims Branch. The third parcel of 150 acres was originally granted to Daniel Green and located on Tims Branch. The deed was witnessed by William and Absalom Green.

Jesse then sold or transferred parcels. On 1 January 1801 Jesse sold the 40 acre parcel and 50 acres of the 115 parcel to Josiah Stallings, who in turn sold the same two parcels to John Stallings. On 20 June 1812 Jesse sold 50 acres of the 150 acre parcel to Silas Stallings. 165 acres would be left. More on these in Part 3.

Jesse transferred two parcels 13 years later on 31 December 1814. One parcel of 200 acres he transferred to his son Etheldread Stallings. This parcel was located on Tims Branch and identified as land originally granted to Daniel Green. Given the description in the deed and number of acres (200) being so close to the balance of the acreage left over after the previous transfers (205), we might assume the parcel given to Etheldread was the acreage remaining from the previous sales combined into one parcel. The deed was witnessed by E. Bryant Bush and Lewis Weathersbee.

On the same day Jesse transferred another parcel of 70 acres to E. Bryant Bush. A document was not located recording a transfer to Jesse of this parcel. However, it is described as land originally granted to George Galphin and belonging to Mr. Wilson. The George Galphin grant of 100 acres was located, as well as a transfer to Jeremiah Minor. No transfer from Minor to Wilson was located. The deed was witnessed by Thomas Morris and Lewis Weathersbee.

No other documents were located wherein Jesse was the grantor or grantee of land. Next up, well take a closer look at the chain of title of the 40 acre parcel.

[1] A Digested Index of the Statue Law of South Carolina from the Earliest Period to the Year 1836, inclusive, By  William Rice, published by J.S. Burges in Charleston in 1836, page 383

[2] http://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/land-granting/