In 1765, William Halbert married Elizabeth Hill, the only daughter of William and Susannah Hill, originally of Virginia but at this time of Surry County, North Carolina. By the terms of his will, executed in 1777, he gave "the plantation on which I nos!' live" to his son, Dan Hill, and "the adjoining plantation" to hue son, Jesse Hill. He directed that all the rest of his estate be divided equally among his ten sons and one daughter, Elizabeth Hill Halbert.
In 1788, William and Elizabeth Halbert with their ten children: Joel (who was already married), Martha, John, Enos,
Arthur, James, Susannah, Frances, William, and Joshua, together with their slaves moved from Caroline County, Virginia, to the Pendleton District in South Carolina. They settled on the Saluda River about ten miles from Fork Shoals in what is now Anderson County, South Carolina. After they arrived in South
Carolina, their other three children were born. William Halbert died in 1808; and his widow, Elizabeth, lived with her daughter.
Susannah, and her husband Peter Acker on the Halbert home
plantation until her death on November 6, 1836. William and Elizabeth are buried on their own plantation about three miles
south of the Big Creek Baptist Church. which they helped establish and of which they were members until the time of their deathsWilliam Halbert was about five feet, nine inches tall and of stout build. He was calm and deliberate in his manner and actions,
definite and precise in his business transactions. He acquired large land holdings in Anderson County along the Big Creek and along the ;shift River. He also accumulated a large number of slaves. HIS will, which is only two pages long, was quite precise in its terms. He gave each son at least two hilareriiies or more, and to each son he gave one or more slaves. He gave slaves and other property to his daughters but directed that the estate be equalized. He gave the "home plantation and all its appurtenances, including my stock of old Negroes" to his wife for her life, with ultimate distribution to his children. This disposition of his estate was exceptionally fair and equitable. 411 of the thirteen children of William Halbert and his wife, Elizabeth, married in ,South Carolina; but some of their children and many of their descendants migrated westward into Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas.In 1788, when William Halbert and his wife and children moved to the Big Creek Community near what is now the town of Williamston and about six miles from-YorkZu oh sTincirritist preacher from Virginia named Moses Holland also settled in the same community. During that year, the Big Creek Baptist Church was organized. Reverend Moses IIolland became its first pastor and continued to serve as its pastor until his death about forty years later. William Halbert and his wife were active members of this church until their deaths.
William Halbert had a mill on the Big Creek near his home which he operated until his death in 1808. By the terms of his will, the mill together with the surrounding 332 acres of land was given to his son, William Halbert, who continued to operate it. The log cabins built by these early settlers soon gave way to substantial plantation homes. With lumber from his sawmill and with slave labor, Hudson Berg With hisplantation home which consisted of two andone-half stories.In 1844, William Berry and his wife sold their plantation home on Generostee Creek in Anderson County, South Carolli_la, and together with their six married children and five single children moved to Pontotoc County. Mississippi, and settled near the Cherry Creek community. Their firstpursh0se_ of land was made on April 10 1843.
Sarah Anthony Berry and Elizabeth Hill Halbert had been born and reared on plantations and were accustomed to planta-
tion life in a pioneer country. They were, therefore, prepared by birth and rearing to help their husbands in the establishment and the development of their plantations in this pioneer country in the upland section of South Carolina.By 1802, a large number of churches had been formed throughout the old District Ninety-six which included Greenville, Anderson, Laurens, and other counties in this Piedmont section. Each was established and developed in the same manner that the Berrys, the Harrisons, and the Graces helped establish and develop the Fork Shoals Baptist Church, that the Halberts, Williams, the Gambrells, the Lcavells, and the Ackers helped establish and develop the Big Creek Baptist Church and its several "arms," and that the Gaines helped establish and develop the Turkey Creek Baptist Church. In 1802, the Saluda Baptist Association was formed at a meeting at Salem in Anderson County. The Big Creek Baptist Church, the Fork Shoals Baptist Church, the Turkey Creek Baptist Church, and several others withdrew from the small Bethel Association and joined to help form the Saluda Baptist Association, which soon became one of the largest in the entire state of South Carolina. The third meeting of the Association was held at the Big Creek Baptist Church in August. 1804. Reverend Moses Holland was elected Moderator, and Joel E. Grace, a son-in-law of Hudson Berry, was elected clerk of the Association. Both of these men continued to serve in these capacities for several years.
The center of the educational, social, and religious life in
• •
18 THE BERRY FAMILY IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Large, and .the members took their church and community responsibilities seriously. Prior to the building of schools, the church facilities were used where the youth of the community could be taught, while other schools were conducted by private teachers in individual homes.
For more than a quarter of a century, Joel Halbert, the oldest son of William Halbert, served continuously as a deacon of this church. This was one of the strongest Baptist churches in this section; and, as communities nearby became more thickly settled, this church established missions or what it called "arms" at Neal's Creek, Shady Grove, and other nearby communities.
the descendants of Hudson Berry married into these families. Mary Berry, a daughter of Hudson Berry, married Richard Williams. He was the son of Samuel Williams, who owned the land where the town of Williamston is now located.
6 Mary Berry
Mary Berry was born April 4, 1784; she died April 30, 1872. On April 14, 1810 she married Richard Williams; he was born in April of 1811. Mary Berry and Richard Williams had 5 children:
1 Jane Williams m Bruton Gambrell
b. 11-3-1813/d. 11-341893 b. 4-8-1810 / d. 1-7-1877(1) Newell Gambrell m Stegall
(2) Ira Grambrell m Cornella Ball (sister of Jemima)
/1 Virginia Gambrell m D. C. Edwards
#1 Virginia Edwards
#2 Aimee Edwards m Charles McLane
&1 Sullivan McLane
&2 Virginia McLane
#3 Clarence Edwards
(3) James B. Gambrell m Mary Corbell
/1 Roderick Gambrell
/2 Perry Gambrell m Davis
/3 Mary Gambrell
/4 Eric Gambrell m May Cosper
/5 Pauline Gambrel m F. H. Porter
#1 Eleanor Porter
/6 Julia Gambrell m Sid Wiley
#1 Diann Wiley m J. W. Burns
&1 Child Burns
&2 Child Burns
#2 James O. Wiley m White
#3 Louis B. Wiley m Julie Ross
&1 Child Wiley
&2 Child Wiley
&3 Child Wiley
#4 Annie May Wiley m R. A. Miller
&1 Campbell Miller
&2 Audrey Miller
&3 Louis D. Miller
&4 Effie Miller
&5 James Miller
#5 Lilley Wiley m J. M. Wood
&1- Louis Wood
&2 Newell Wood
#6 Allen Wiley
#7 Millard Wiley
#8 John .Wiley
#9 Wilber Wiley
/7 Helen Gambrell m Frank Nesbit
/8 James B. Gambrell, Jr.
(4) Joel H. Gambrell m Victoria Pickens
/1 Halbert - Gambrell
/2 Josephine Gambrell
/3 Rhoderic Gambrell
/4 Herbert Gambrell
/5 Corriee Gambrell
(5) Annie Gambrell m Percy Williams
/1 Mary Williams m Thomas Groom
#1 Annie Groom
#2 Mary Groom
#3 Gambrell Groom
/2 Paul Williams m J. Mc Carthy
#1 Paul Williams
#2 Marjorie Williams
#3 Isabel Williams
/3 Janie Williams
(6) Louis Gambrell--Drew, Mississippi m Ola Odum
(7) Sallie Gambrell m Dr. B. F. Leavell (See Leavell Tree For Children2 Micajah B. Williams m Matilda Tarrant
b. 1-13-1812/d. 9-10-1892
(1) Richard L. Williams m Elija Darracott
/1 Andrew Williams m Fanny King
#1 John Williams
&1 Child Williams
&2 Child Williams
#2 Guyton Williams
#3 Nannie Williams m Sloan Miller
&1 Manley Miller
&2 John Miller
(2) Lillie Williams
(3) Sally Williams
(4) Nancy Jane Williams m Lieut. m Lieut. A. M. Gaylord
/1 D. C. Gaylord m Maggie "Addie" Duckworth
(5) Susan Parmelia Williams,d.1848 m m Wm. J. Smith
/1 Minnie Smith m R. M. Baker--Richmond, Va.
#1 R. M. Baker, Jr.
#2 Kenneth Baker
#3 Eva Pauline Baker
#4 Wm. Williams Baker
/2 Dr. West Allen Smith, m Georgia Parks
d. 1877
#1 Margaret Smith
#2 West Alen Smith m Jessie Sommers
#3 Rev. Albert Williams Smith
#4 Ora Smith
#5 Susie Smith
#6 Elizabeth Smith
#7 Antonie Smith
(6) Matilda Tarrant Williams m A. C. Webb
/1 Percy Webb m Myrtie Drake
/2 Dr. Mac Williams Webb m Pearl Wilson
/3 Tarrant Webb
/4 Elizabeth. Webb
/5 Reginald Webb
(7) Micajah B. Williams, Jr., d. 1908
(8) Lela Williams, d. 1893 m Gus L. Tolbert
/1 Milweeft Talbert m Harry R. Hughes
#1 Elizabeth Hughes
3 Jasper Williams m Nancy Gambrell
b. 1.2-2-1819
(1) Samuel Williams
/1 Child Williams
/2 Child Williams
/3 Child Williams
/4 Child Williams
(2) Mary Williams m Robert Thompson
(3) West Allen Williams
/1 Ella Williams
/2 Lee Williams
/3 Wister Williams
/4 Jasper Williams El
/5 Edward "Ed" Williams
/6 Lesslie Williams
/7 Addie Williams
/8 Lula Williams
/9 Child Williams
(4) Frances Williams m Mr. Scott of Alabama
(5) Rev. Jasper Williams, Texas
(6) Berry Williams, killed in war
(7) John Williams m Sally Lenhardt
/1 Olive Williams
/2 Montez Williams
/3 Lenhardt Williams
(8) Sally Williams m Dr. Dalrymple of Alabama
(9) Newton Williams -- Townsville, S. C.
4. Newton Wiliams - Pleasant Ridge, Mississippi m Emily Garrison (large family)
5 Sally Williams m George Gambrell
(1) Dave Gambrell TIppah Co., Mississipi
Joshua Halbert, a son of William Halbert, had moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 1817. He was a Baptist minister in that area; and he and his family conducted somewhat extensive farming operations near Tuscaloosa. He died in 1842. He had three daughters and two sons. His oldest daughter, Mary Theodocia, was born in South Carolina, in 1812.
David Berry was born August 30, 1789; he died August 29, 1843. He married Lucinda Halbert. David and Lucinda Halbert Berry had 13 children
5 David Berry
David Berry was born August 30, 1789; he died August 29, 1843. He married Lucinda Halbert. David and Lucinda Halbert Berry had 13 children
1 Matilda Berry m McElroxy
b. 11-28-1825 /d. 11-4-1864,Cherry Creek Cemetery2 Xenophan Berry -- Texas
3 William Berry
4 Elizabeth Berry
5 Posey Berry m Stevens
(1) Mrs. Adams-Cleburne, Tx.
(2) Mrs. Caldwell, Cherry Creek
(3) Mrs. Florence Berry m Brown -- Abardeen, Mississippi.
/1 Estelle Brown m Pugh (Peugh)
/2 Ozelle Brown m Saunders
#1 Nelle Saunders
#2 Mary Saunders
/3 Hudson Brown
(4) M. B. Berry-Cleburne, Tx. m :Miss Henry
/1 Glen Berry
/2 Clyde Berry
(5) Walter Berry-Tupelo, Miss. m Susie Gory
/1 Katie Louise Berry m McCullough
/2 Jessie Berry m Dory
(6) Jonathan Berry
(7) Jeff Berry6 Augustus Berry
(1) R. D. Berry
7 Susan Berry m Covington
(1) Walter Covington
(2) Waymon Covington
8 Nancy Berry m Wright
(1) Emma Wright
(2) Corra Wright
(3) Corinna Wright
9 Louisa Berry m Marmon
(1) Corrie Marmon m Dick Hall
/1 Marmon Hall
/2 Houston Hall
/3 Lutie Hall
/4 May Hall
/5 Corrie Hall
/6 Erta Hall
(2) Jeff B.: Marmon m H. Monroe
/1. Jeff Marmon
/2 Kathleen Marmon
/3 Hilda Marmon
(3) Joe Brooks Marmon m Willie Fain
/1 Brooks Marmon
/2 Fain Marmon
(4) Luther Marmon m Emma Holloway
/1 Holloway Marmon
/2 May Marmon
/3 Leon Marmon
10 Mary Berry m James Allen
(1) James Allen
(2) Mrs. Kelley
(3) Mrs. Moorehead
11 S Teresa Berry m Potts
12 Sallie Berry m Durham
13 Malinda Berry m Nesbit,*
Two years later, she and David Berry were married. By the terms of his will. William Halbert left, among other things, "two young slaves" to each of these daughters. Elizabeth and Lucinda. William and David and their wives, with lumber from Hudson Berry's saw mill and with the help of their slaves built homes on plantations acquired by them and their father, Hudson. The home of William Berry and his family was located on Generostee Creek. They and their neighbors established the Generostee Baptist Church, the land for which was donated by Hudson Berry and his son, David, by a deed dated September 30, 1826.AI of the eleven children of William Berry and his wife, Elizabeth, were born on this Generostee Creek plantation. The David and Lucinda Berry plantation was located on the Saluda River not far from the William Halbert home. Their thirteen children were born here.
This second generation of the Berrys and the Halberts was confronted with a problem. David and William Berry and their wives had adequate slave labor to make a good living for themselves and their large families. These plantations were not large enough, however, to afford the eleven children of William and Elizabeth and the thirteen children of David and Lucinda Berry adequate homes. Moreover, soil conservation was not then known; the lands were deteriorating, washing away, and losing much of their fertility. Therefore, the second generation, among whom were Xenophen Franklin, a married son of David and Lucinda Berry, and Joel Halbert Berry, a married son of William and Elizabeth Berry, were confronted with the problem of acquiring a few acres of land, building small houses, and making only a moderate living without adequate opportunities for their young children or do as their grandparents had done and move into a pioneer country where they and their children would have greater opportunities. An able bodied slave cost at least eight hundred dollars.These young couples could not make enough money to buy a farm and a slave or two; Farming without some slave. labor was not very profitable. Already some of their relatives had gone westward and settled in the pioneer states of Alabama and Mississippi.In 1840, shortly after the death of his father, David Berry and his wife sold their plantation which was located on the Saluda River in Anderson County, South Carolina; and, with their three married children and their ten unmarried children, they moved to Pontotoc County, Mississippi. They settled in the Cherry Creek community. David's oldest son, Xenophen, and his wife and two small daughters settled just north of the Cherry Creek community in Tippah County, on a 160 acre farm.
In 1845, or shortly after the David Berry family and the William Berry family settled in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, Joel Bruton Gambrel' and his wife, Jane Gambrel', a granddaughter of Hudson Berry, settled in the Pleasant Ridge community bringing with them their three small children, Newell, Ira, and James Bruton Gambrell. After they arrived, four other children, Annie, Louis, Joel Halbert, and Sallie, were born.
Mississippi had been admitted as a state in 1817. At that time, all of the northern,and central portions of Mississippi were in the possession of the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians. By a treaty signed in 1830, the Choctaw Indians ceded all of the central portion of Mississippi to the United States government; and in 1832, at the village of Pontotoc, the Chickasaw Indians ceded the northern portion to the United States government and agreed to move to Oklahoma. This opened these sections of Mississippi to white settlement; and within a period of twenty years William Berry, David Berry, and many of the children of Mary Williams and Nathan Berry had settled in the northern section of Mississippi. In the same manner that Hudson Berry and William Halbert helped develop the pioneer Piedmont Section of South Carolina, the descendants of William, David, Mary and Nathan helped in the development of the State of Mississippi.
They brought with them an accumulation of fifty years' experience in the development of a pioneer country. All of them knew the details of the operation of Hudson Berry's saw mill, cotton factory, and grist mill. They knew how to select standing timber that was suitable for lumber, how to saw that timber into logs, how to transport the logs to a saw mill, how to convert those logs into lumber, and how to use the lumber to build houses, schools, and churches. They brought with them an adequate supply of cross-cut saws, axes, broad axes, hand saws, hammers, and froes, instruments which they knew how to use. Most of them had attended many log rollings and house raisings. They were, therefore, equipped with a rich background of experience that made it possible for them to develop this pioneer country much more rapidly than the Hudson Berrys, the William Halberts, the Gambrells, the Leavells, and the others had developed the Piedmont Section of South Carolina. Within the brief period of fifteen or twenty years, William and David Berry and their neighbors had developed this section into a rich, prosperous country.The family of David Berry, who was among the first to settle in the Cherry Creek community, were now faced with a serious problem. David Berry passed away on August 29, 1843. He and Lucinda had brought with them the nine or ten slaves they had in South Carolina and had bought and established a large farm in this Cherry Creek community. Now his wife, Lucinda, had to take charge of the farming. Also, she now had the responsibility of rearing a family of ten single children, eight of whom were daughters. This was a great responsibility in a pioneer country when the services of able bodied men were essential. One of her older daughters and two of her older sons were married and had established small homes of their own. Fortunately, she had two unmarried sons, Posey and Augustus, who could assist her in conducting her farming operations. The oldest unmarried son, Posey, more or less assumed the responsibilities of his father in the management of the farm, the slaves, and the business affairs, and in helping his mother in the rearing of her eight daughters: Elizabeth, Susan, Nancy, Louise, Mary, Teresa, Sallie, and Malinda. Posey married Grace Stephens, a relative of Monroe Stephens. He reared his family at Cherry Creek and lived there all his life. Most of his descendants still live in that section of Mississippi.
As has been stated earlier, Lucinda Halbert Berry, under the terms of her father's will, received "two young slaves" from her father's estate in 1809; and at the same time, Elizabeth Halbert Berry also received "two young slaves." Lucinda and Elizabeth each received an additional slave or two from the estate of their mother, Elizabeth Hill Halbert, in 1836. These slaves, together with the seven slaves received by David Berry and a like number received by William Berry from the Hudson Berry estate in 1840. gave them and their families a sufficient number to help them make the long journey from South Carolina to Mississippi and to help them build homes where they settled.
The family of David Berry, who was among the first to settle in the Cherry Creek community, were now faced with a serious problem. David Berry passed away on August 29, 1843. He and Lucinda had brought with them the nine or ten slaves they had in South Carolina and had bought and established a large farm in this Cherry Creek community. Now his wife, Lucinda, had to take charge of the farming. Also, she now had the responsibility of rearing a family of ten single children, eight of whom were daughters. This was a great responsibility in a pioneer country when the services of able bodied men were essential. One of her older daughters and two of her older sons were married and had established small homes of their own. Fortunately, she had two unmarried sons, Posey and Augustus, who could assist her in conducting her farming operations. The oldest unmarried son, Posey, more or less assumed the responsibilities of his father in the management of the farm, the slaves, and the business affairs, and in helping his mother in the rearing of her eight daughters: Elizabeth, Susan, Nancy, Louise, Mary, Teresa, Sallie, and Malinda. Posey married Grace Stephens, a relative of Monroe Stephens. He reared his family at Cherry Creek and lived there all his life. Most of his descendants still live in that section of Mississippi.
Susannah Acker, the daughter of William Halbert and Elizabeth Halbert, and her husband Peter Acker were very active in the establishment and development of the Shady Grove "arm" of the Big Creek Baptist Church. It finally became an independent church instead of an "arm"; and their son, Reverend Alexander Acker, served several years as its pastor. The Halberts and the Ackers were so liberal in the support of the Big Creek Baptist Church and its branches, including the Shady Grove Church, that on June 23, 1833, the entire congregation of the Shady Grove Baptist Church observed the Lord's Supper at the plantation home of Elizabeth Halbert who because of her advance/ ages was unable to attentlElirtwithis occasion. This was a very unusual occurrence and indicates the active support of these churshes by the Halberts and their descendants.
Micajah Berry was born August 3, 1786; he is buried at Fork Shoals Church South Carolina. Micajah married Sara Gaines. Micajah Berry, the fourth son of Hudson and Sarah Anthony Berry, fell heir to the mill & factory in Anderson District, S. C. The Harrison descendants own it now. The Mill is east of Anderson Court House at Cedar Falls. Hudson and Sarah Anthony Berry are buried at Fork Shoals Church, one mile from the mill.
4 Micajah Berry
Micajah Berry was born August 3, 1786; he is buried at Fork Shoals Church South Carolina. Micajah married Sara Gaines. Micajah Berry, the fourth son of Hudson and Sarah Anthony Berry, fell heir to the mill & factory in Anderson District, S. C. The Harrison descendants own it now. The Mill is east of Anderson Court House at Cedar Falls. Hudson and Sarah Anthony Berry are buried at Fork Shoals Church, one mile from the mill.
1 Nancy Berry m Dr. Harrison
(1) Jamas Harrison
(2) Tom Harrison
(3) Cora Berry Harrison
(4) Will Harrison
(5) Ida Harrison
(6) Nina Harrison
(7) Micajah Harrison
Sarah Gaines, who married Micajah Berry, was the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Bush Gaines. They came from Culpepper County, Virginia, to Newberry County, South Carolina, in 1795. Sarah's maternal grandfather was Edward Bush; and her paternal grandparents were James and Mary Pendleton Gaines
John Halbert, likewise a son of William Halbert, moved to Mississippi in 1818, and settled on the Tombigbee River near Columbus in what is now Lowndes County. This was before the Indians had vacated this section. He and his family were really pioneers. He died on July 7, 1854. They had twelve children and his descendants for the most part live in Lowndes County and the adjoining Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. Joshua and John had written letters to their sisters, Lucinda Berry and Elizabeth Berrya_as well as to their mother, Elizabeth Hill Halbert. Mary Theodocia Davis and her husband Reuben Davis, who were intimately familiar with this new state, had written letters to their relatives in South Carolina telling them about the great opportunities in the newly opened and pioneer country of Mississippi.