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In Johnston County N.C. on Nov 16, 1787 a William Rainwater married a Molly Reaves (aka Medley Rives). There is a family tradition among some Rainwaters descendants that Molly Reaves was known amongst the family as “Granny Cherokee”. She was said to speak the local Indian languages. Has anyone any information about Molly Reaves and her Cherokee/Indian connection ?
Johnston County was very far east of any Cherokee settlements in 1787.
The 1790 Johnston Co census shows:
William Rainwater:
….1 male of 16 or older.
….2 males under 16 yrs old.
….2 females.
….0 FPC.
….0 Slaves.
8 houses away from William was a
Moses Rainwater, Sen’r:
….2 males of 16 or older.
….2 males under 16.
….4 females.
….0 FPC.
….0 Slaves.
The only other Rainwaters indexed for NC were:
John Rainwater, Granville Co.
James Rainwater, Surry Co.
No Reaves/Rives closer than Wake, Orange, Granville Co’s.
(just ocurred to me that I didn’t check for “Reeves”)
Bill
It has been said that William and Molly moved on to Tennessee. The tradition that Molly spoke the local Indian languages could be a hint that she in fact was not living near her own people but did speak the language of the local Indian (non Cherokee) people. (?)
Do you know of any Rainwater’s that moved into Arkansas or Oklahoma? Some married into my family in the 1880s/1890s.
vance
Here is some hearsay and as such the accuracy is questionable, as the more mouths information passes through the more it might be distorted. Well anyhow it came out the Rainwaters “might be” Tuscarora. I think if you do a search you can find those old messages. Go to the top of the forum and next to “home” is “search”. Just click it adn type in “Rainwater”.
vance
Vance,
Yes, several descendants moved to Jefferson Co., Tenn and by 1850 to Crawford Co., Ark and descendants of the Crawford Co Ark people moved later to Adair Co., Ok and one recent one d.1966 in Okla. City.
This Rives/Reaves line may be from George Rives, related to the “Red” Bollings and others.
This William Rainwater line is related to the Hodges (Lynella’s line – not posted yet) of 1770s Surry Co NC and to her Gentry, Shelton & Reed lines in Indiana. I’m still working on firming that up but it certainly looks like it.
Bill
Bill,
You sly ol’ fox. What else you diggin’ up in that ol’ hen house?:D
I came across this by accident. I’m all kinds of excited!:D 😀 This just made my whole month! And to think, you’re not even done yet! You are just so AWSOME! You are a very talented individual. Love & Light, Lynella.:D
?????????? What, that you’re awsome? You’re not ill are you? Now you’ve got me worried……:confused: Love & Light, Lynella.
Bill I missed this when you first posted it. Hugh Rainwater was the preacher that married my great grandparents, Jeffrey Richey and Josephine Brown. One of Hugh’s daughters (possibly a granddaughter, I really have never looked too hard at it) also married one of Jeff’s half or step-brother’s (he has several of both, but his step brothers were also his cousins).
My Rainwater’s were in Lawrence County, Arkansas as early as 1815 (same as my Waylands) and they also helped build the first Methodist Church in Arkansas territory as did my Waylands. Some of these Waylands were in IT as early as 1830 but my Richey’s first appear in IT in 1871. I wonder if teh Rainwater’s who made it to Adair County were descended from or related to Rev. Hugh Rainwater who was in Lawrence County, Arkansas? That’s interesting, thanks.
vance
Vance,
WOW! We really are related! Step brothers who are cousins, I’m glad I’m not the only one with strange relations!:D It’s so good to know we have one another. Love & Light, Lynella.:) 😉 :p
Vance,
I’m working on recovering the notes I made from the source for that original info I posted. The notes are now golden because the “source” is now a “subscribtion service.”
Bill
Lynella, What people say about folks in Arkansas is true, I guess huh? 🙂
But it isn’t as bad as it sounds. Joseph E Richey married Sarah An Wayland in 1848 and great grandpa was born in 1851. Joseph died in 1852 and Sarah married Joseph’s brother, Hamilton Richey the next year. Sarah died in 1857 and hamilton married Sarah’s sister, Mary Stuart Wayland (making me think Sarah and Mary’s mother, who was Elizabeth, might have had Stuart as a maiden name. So my great grandpa Jeff Richey was raised by his paternal Uncle and maternal aunt, mostly, and he had many brothers and sisters. In all Hamilton had a dozen or more kids .
Bill — thanks. Those subscriptions are expensive, aren’t they? I wonder if several people could go together and pool a single subscription . . .
vance
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