The Many Joseph Parsons in South Carolina

The parents of Joseph G. Parsons Sr. and his background has been a mystery for Parsons Researchers. Some Researchers believe that our Parsons ancestor came to the Carolinas from Virginia; others believe they came directly from England. As of today I have seen no document that establishes our Parsons family outside of Laurens, South Carolina. Much research will need to be done to discover their origin, but for now a study of the land grants, government documents and census records, give us some clues about the Parsons in North and South Carolina. The great benefit for researchers today is that more and more documents are becoming available online for that time period.
One difficulty faced is distinguishing the different Joseph Parsons in Anson County, N.C. and South Carolina. Some Parsons researchers have taken information from one Joseph Parsons and applied it to another Joseph Parsons assuming they were the same Joseph Parsons. The results have been much confusion. Also, adding to the confusion is the different spellings of the name “Parsons”. In some documents the name is spelled “Person” or “Persons” when without doubt it’s referring to a “Parsons”. I’ve also seen the name “Pearson” used for Parsons in land deeds when it’s obvious the reference is to Parsons. This can be seen in some of the land documents for Laurens County South Carolina which I have available on my web site. Many people during that time could not write and spell their name. Joseph was one of these, and that’s evident by several sales deeds where he used his mark to witness documents.
In my research I have found several Joseph Parsons in the vicinity of the Ninety Six and Cheraws districts of South Carolina. Some of these may be referring to the same individual, but trying to identify these “Josephs” has been a challenge.
Different Joseph Parsons mentioned: Notice dates of Individuals and events.

1. Joseph Parsons in Anson County, North Carolina born 1760 according to his Pension Declaration. Patriot Captain in the Revolutionary War. His history is well documented and I have a copy of his Petition for Pension. In the Pension dated 1832/39 , the file includes a copy of a bond signed 12 Feb 1790 by Joseph Parsons and George Taylor and witnessed by Samuel Parsons for the marriage of Joseph Parsons to Nancy Jordan. Also, it states that he had a brother, Thomas Parsons. The Pension document was signed “Jo Parsons”. Some researchers believe he was the son of Samuel and Rachael (or his second wife—Harriet Ann Wilkins or Elkins). These Parsons are associated with Anson County N.C. Joseph held several government offices in North Carolina in Montgomery County N.C. This is not our Joseph Parsons.

2. A Joseph Parsons who witnessed with his mark “J” the land sale to Joseph Attaway in Anson County N.C. 1765 and Laurens County, S.C. in 1795.
Aug. 10, 1765 Notes from a Parsons file in B’ham, Al. Public Library p. 318 Joseph Attaway and wf Goolspring of Anson, to John Spencer of same, for l90 proc. Money …200 A on Bupores (?) fork of little river, granted to William Stone 26 May 1757….Joseph Attaway (seal) Goolsring Attaway x (seal), wit. William Spencer, Jos. Persons (“J” His Mark), recorded July term 1766, Sam. Spencer, C.C. (My notes: Little River was located in or near Anson County, N.C. where the following Parsons lived…John, James, Samuel and Rachael. Plus James Goolsby, Joseph Attaway, and Abner Bishop).
( In 1795 our Joseph Parsons sold 250 acres in Laurens County S.C. to Soloman Langston. Signed Joseph Parsons (one researcher recorded “ In Lau. County S.C deed bk. F p. 59 and p. 387 Joseph Parsons signed with the mark “J”).
It may be significant that the Joseph Parsons witnessing the Attaway sale in Anson County N.C. used a mark “J” and the Joseph Parsons, who is our Joseph, signed with a mark “J” selling property in Laurens County, South Carolina). It is significant that Joseph Attaway moved to Laurens County S.C. later and acquired a plantation next to Joseph and Alceys.

3. A Joseph Parsons in Nov. 18, 1774 served as a Petit Juror in South Carolina. His name is included in a letter complaining to the British authorities of their taxation in the Cheraws District of Craven County S.C. (This location is near the land grant property of May 15, 1772 just South of Anson County N.C. see #4 below) This appointment would have been made by the British Government.

4. A Joseph Parsons 1778-80 served on Petit Juror in South Carolina, Cheraws Distict. This appointment would have been by the Whig government (Patriots). Before 1775 the appointments would have been by the British government.


5. A Joseph Parsons on May 15, 1772 received a land grant of 150 acres in South Carolina from King George III. This property in South Carolina bordered on Anson County N.C and was bounded to the N.E. by John Westfield property. The location is Westfield Creek in Craven County. Because of the location, this is probably the same Joseph Parsons as #3. In A.B. Parsons list of Land Grants, Deeds, etc. This Joseph Parsons history is well documented and eventually settled in Montgomery County N.C. where he was a prominent leader in the community

I believe that # 3, 4, and 5 is referring to the same Joseph Parsons but I do not believe this is our Joseph. In 1772 our Joseph is in Laurens County, S.C. according to some land deed documents. Also, some books on Carolina History believe that # 3, 4 , 5 is referring to #1 Joseph Parsons. However, that Joseph Parsons was born in 1760. I doubt if he was serving on a Jury at the age of 14 and receiving land grants at the age of 12.

6. A Joseph Parsons who guided Colonel Powell’s battalion in 1760 from Saluda to Broad River in 96 district S.C. Laurens County was created out of this district. He is listed in the Pay voucher of 1760 during war with Cherokees. This is the earliest mention I have found of a Joseph Parsons in the area. If this is our Joseph then he would have been about 17-20 years old. Whoever this Joseph is would have had to be familiar with the area to be able to lead the battalion. Saluda and the Broad River area is where we know that Joseph raised his family later.


7. Joseph Parsons who married Alcey Goolsby in about 1763 in Laurens County S.C. Without any doubt this is our Joseph Parsons.

8. Joseph Parsons who was the son of Joseph Parsons….He would have been Joseph Parsons Jr. born 1763 or 65-1770. Some witnessed land documents has their signature as Jr. and Sr. This is the son of our descendent referred to as Garrett Parsons in Jefferson County Documents.

9. A Joseph Stanyarne Parsons. Listed in Pay abstract 1781. He was a witness to the pay of Daniel Jordan. South Carolina Militia, Captain John Fanning’s Independent Troop, S.C. Volunteer Horse. I have not been able to find any information on this individual. Col. Fanning was a Loyalist.

10. A Joseph Parsons Sen. Listed in the British pay abstract of 1781. Listed as dead and his pay was given to his daughter, Anne Smith. I have not been able to find any information on this individual.

11. Joseph Parsons Jun. Listed in pay abstract recorded in 9. 1781 Listed as dead and pay was given to his sister, Anne Smith. I have not been able to find any information on this individual.

12. A Joseph Parsons is mentioned in a South Carolina magazine. ( Early American Garden and Landscapes) “Joseph Parsons (c1743-1823) was also listed as a gardener on Hampstead in the 1809 and 1813 Charleston City Directories. Parsons was born in Henrico County, Virginia. He married Alcey Goolsby in 1763 in Laurens, South Carolina, and served as an Indian spy in the Revolutionary War”. I have looked at the Charleston City Directory cited and the only thing mentioned is that a Joseph Parsons was a Gardener on the Hamstead. There is no mention of any of the other details. I believe the author of the article found the information about Joseph Parsons our ancestor online and assumed he was the same Joseph Parsons, the gardner. There is no record of our Joseph living near Charleston. In the 1790, 1800, 1810 Census our Joseph Parsons is listed in Laurens County, S.C. Also, the comment in the article concerning Joseph Parsons place of origin and that he was an Indian spy has no documentation that I have been able to find. There was a Joseph Parsons who was an “Indian Spy” but documentation has him in Virginia.


13. In the same magazine article, a Joseph Parsons appeared in the records as a gardener in 1807, as the husband of Esther, the widow of Conrad Hook, a carpenter. They appeared in land records; until his death in 1823. His obituary in the City Gazette in Charleston on April 23, 1823 read, “Died, in the city on Monday, the 7th inst. after a long illness, Mr. Joseph Parsons, aged 40 years, formerly of Wiscasset, but for the last 20 years a resident of this state.” When he died, they were living in Hampstead “near Mr. Nell’s Rope-Walk.”

14. Joseph Persons…The reason I have included this Joseph with a last name Persons is because it was not uncommon to misspell names and Persons is a common misspelling of Parsons. A.B. Parsons in his research (see his Parsons Family dated 1986) tells of finding a document that says that our ancestor Joseph Parsons Sr. was a Captain in the Tory Militia. This information came from a document he found in the Laurens County S.C. Library and was written by William Owens (Owings), husband of Elizabeth Parsons Owen (Owings). Elizabeth was the daughter of our Joseph Parsons Sr. and William was the son-in-law of Joseph.

I have searched for a mention of a Joseph Parsons who served in the Ninety Six district during the revolutionary period that was a Tory Captain but with no success. However, I have found a Captain Joseph Person. He served in the Little River Loyalist Militia, Ninety Six Brigade, Major Patrick Cunningham’s Regiment. One pay abstract is dated 1780. He is also listed as a participant in the Kings Mountain Battle. See my document Joseph Parsons in Revolutionary War. I think this is our Joseph Parsons. He has the correct rank, correct location and dates. The only difference is the spelling of his name which was common.

https://sites.google.com/site/parsonsjeffersoncounty