Samuel Downey was born in Ireland about 1800.  He married Mary Hamilton, the daughter of Jane Todd and John Hamilton.  Mary was born in Ireland in 1802.  Sometime between 1830 and May 8, 1834, Mary and Samuel left Ireland and came to Waterloo, South Carolina.  According to Mrs. Leon M. Latimer, a great granddaughter of Samuel Downey, the Downey farm was situated near the old Quaker Church.

The 1850 Census lists Samuel, age 50, and Mary, age 45, in Laurens District, South Carolina.  According to the census, Samuel was a farmer.  His real estate was valued at $1,000.00.

The 1860 Census lists Samuel, age 60, and Mary, age 60, in Laurens County, South Carolina.  According to the census Samuel was a farmer.  His real estate was valued at $3,600.00 and his personal property was valued at $1,200.00.  Others in the dwelling were Thomas, age 17, Carrie, age 15, and S. Hamilton, age 50.  Thomas and S. Hamilton were listed as farm hands.  Carrie was attending school.

The 1870 Census lists Samuel, age 70, and Mary, age 68, living in Waterloo Township in Laurens County, South Carolina.  Samuel's real estate was valued at $1,000.00 and his personal property was valued at $1,000.00.  The census also lists Martha Dorroh, an invalid at age 73, and John Hamilton, a laborer at age 27.  According to Mrs. Latimer, Martha Dorroh was Mary's sister.  The census indicates that all were born in Ireland.

Mary died on August 15, 1874, and Samuel died on September 23, 1877.  Samuel's will was dated March 15, 1875, and was probated on October 9, 1877.  The executors were James Downey, (son) and Joel McDaniel (son-in-law).  The appraisers were Samuel Austin, R. S. Culbertson, and M. E. McDaniel.  At the time of his death, Samuel owned 341 acres of land with an appraised value of $1,620.00.

Samuel and Mary are buried in the cemetery at Union Baptist Church in Laurens County, South Carolina.  According to Mrs. Latimer, the cemetery is also known as Old Quaker Cemetery.

Issue:

1.  Jane Downey was born in Ireland in 1829 and died on October 10, 1847, when she was 18 years old.  She is buried at Union Baptist Church in Laurens County, South Carolina.
 
 
 

2.  Elizabeth (Eliza) Downey was born in Ireland in 1830.  She married Sanford Boyd, the son of Nancy Henry and Samuel McClurkin Boyd.  Sanford was born about 1824.  Eliza died on March 28, 1862 and was buried in the Union Baptist Church cemetery in Laurens County, South Carolina.  Sanford died on October 25, 1901.

3.  James (Jim) Downey was born in South Carolina on May 8, 1834. On February 10, 1858, in Laurens District, South Carolina, Jim married Sarah (Sally) Hudgens.  Sally was born in 1829 and died in 1861).  She was buried in the cemetery at Chestnut Ridge Baptist Church.  Jim married (second) Sarah M. (her last name has not been recovered). Jim died on December 17, 1897.  He is buried at Union Baptist Church in Laurens, South Carolina.  His tombstone indicates that he was a member of the Masons.

4.  Martha Downey was born in South Carolina in 1838.  She married Mathew E. McDaniel in Laurens District, South Carolina, on March 17, 1859.  According to Mrs. Claire Taylor, Mathew was the son of Jane Lowry and Mathew McDaniel.  Martha and Mathew moved to Georgia.  Martha died some time after 1882.

5.  Mary Downey was born in South Carolina about 1840.  According to Mrs. Taylor, Mary married Joel McDaniel (1819-1898).  Joel was the son of Margaret Lowry and Archibald McDaniel.  Joel was born about 1820 and died in 1898.  According to the 1880 Census Joel was a farmer.  Mary and Joel had four children: Robert, Chesterfield, Martha W. (Mattie), and Matthew Evans McDaniel.  Mary died in 1900.

6.  Letitia (Tish) Antoinette Downey was born in Laurens, South Carolina in 1842.  The 1850 Census indicates that Letitia was living with Martha and James Dorroh in Laurens District and was attending school. Martha was Mary Downey’s sister and Letitia’s aunt.

On November 9th 1857, Tish was attending the Holston Conference Female College in Asheville, North Carolina.  On that date her friend Anna wrote the following: Dear Tish, the time has come when we shall very soon have to say a last “farewell” perhaps never to meet again.  It makes me feel sad dear Tish to think of having to part with you after being together for ten long months.  But alas, the time has now come for us to separate and if we never meet again on earth, my prayer is that we shall meet in heaven above where parting is no more.  Written by one who loves you truly and devotedly,  Anna

The 1860 Census indicates that Letitia, age 18, was living with Martha Dorrah, age 56.  On September 18, 1860, at the Laurens County Court House, Letitia married Stirling Chesterfield Merrimon, the son of Mary Evelyn Paxton and the Rev. Branch Hamlin Merrimon.

Stirling was born in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1834.   Letitia died at Cokesbury, South Carolina on October 6, 1893, and Stirling died there on March 6, 1907.  Sterling and Letitia are buried in Hodges Cemetery in Hodges, South Carolina.

7.  Thomas Downey was born in South Carolina in 1843 or 1844.  He was 21 years old when he was killed in battle near Petersburg, Virginia, on April 2, 1865.  He is buried in the cemetery at Union Baptist Church in Laurens, South Carolina.

8.  Carrie Downey was born in South Carolina in 1845 or 1846.  She died after 1882.  She may have married a McDaniel.

Published sources:

Burying Grounds, Graveyards, and Cemeteries Laurens County, SC, Laurens District Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society, 1998.

Old Cemeteries of Laurens County, South Carolina, Vol. I, by Margaret Eltinge Bolt and James Leland Bolt, 1966.

The Scrapbook, Published by the Laurens County Historical Society and Laurens County Arts Council, 1982.
 

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