Dorcas (Abney) Hill (abt. 1732 - abt. 1804)

Born about 1732 in Virginia

Ancestors

Wife of Mattox (May) Mayes — married 1758 in Wise, Wise, Virginia Colony

Wife of William Hill — married 1801 in Edgefield, SC

Descendants

Died about 22 May 1804 at about age 72 in Edgefield, Edgefield, South Carolina, United States

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Biography

Dorcas Abney was born in 1732, in Virginia, a daughter of George Abney, 1695-1766. In 1757, Dorcas married Mattox Mays, as his second wife. Children of Dorcas and Mattox include

• Abney Mays, born 1758, in Virginia, died February 5 1805, in Cambridge, Greenwood county, South Carolina, married Elizabeth Smith, in 1779

• Samuel Mays,

• William Mays, born 1761, in Virginia, died September 11, 1801, in Edgefield county, South Carolina, married Olive Mays

• Sally Mays, who married William Waits

• Tabitha Mays, born 1768, in Virginia, died April 4, 1844, in Edgefield county, South Carolina, married Joshua Dean, in 1782

• John J. Mays, born 1770, in Virginia, died November 11, 1803, in Habersham county, Georgia

Mattox died in 1773, in Virginia, and Dorcas married, secondly William Hill, son of Thomas Hill and Bathusua (Abney) Hill. William was Dorcas' maternal cousin. Children of of Dorcas and William include:

• Dannett Hill, (son) born 1774, in Virginia, died August 7, 1807, in Edgfield county, South Carolina, left a wife and four children: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/153217790/dannett-hill#view-photo=161516825

William Hill died in 1801, in Edgefield county, S. C., and is buried in the Old Mays Cemetery in Edgefield county, South Carolina. Dorcas (Abney) Hill died February 27, 1804, and is buried with him. ^[1]

Slaves

14 slaves noted in her last will and testament, names were not disclosed.

WILL OF DORCAS HILL

In the name of God, Amen, I, Dorcas Hill, being Sick of Body, though of Sound mind and memory thanks be to God for the Same, do make this my Last Will and testament, as follows-----------------------------------------------------

Item I give and bequeath to my son, dannett (sic) Hill, my thirds of the Estate of William Hill, deceased, my late husband, that is to say, the one third of all the Land belonging to the Estate of Said William Hill also the one third of fourteen negroes also the one third of all the Stock household furniture, and Plantation tools to him and his heirs forever--------- further it is my will that in case my son dannett (sic) Hill should die without heir or heirs Lawfully begotten of then in that case it is my will that it return to my Children by my first husband, except he Should will it to all or a part of my Said first children------------------------ I do hereby Appoint Samuel hays (sic) and Dannett Hill executors of this my Last will and testament Signed Sealed and confirmed this nineteenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and one in the presence of---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S. hays (sic), J. Abney and J. Whitely. DORCAS X HILL (her mark) (SEAL) SOUTH CAROLINA, EDGEFIELD DISTRICT } By John Simkins, Esq. Ordinary John Simpkins, O.E.D. Recorded in Will Book B, May 22, pp 194, 195. A true copy of will recorded in my office. W.J. Kincaid, Probate Judge, Edgefield, SC.

Personally appeared before me Samuel Mays and John Whitley, who being duly sworn do make oath and say that they were present and saw Dorcas Hill sign, seal, publish and Deliver the within to be her last will and testament and that the Said Dorcas Hill was then of Sound and disposing mind and memory to the best of these Deponents' knowledge and belief, and that they Saw Joseph Abney Sign his name as a witness thereunto at the request of the Testator; at the same time Qualified Dennett Hill, exc. Given under my hand at my office the Twenty Seventh Day of Febry 1804.'' ^[2]

Researchers Notes

According to the "Abney Research" quoting a letter by Thomas Hamilton Abney naming his 5 brothers and 1 sister, Dorcas children of George Abney..

The Mayes Family by Samuel Edward Mayes, Plant City Florida page 52: states "abt. 1770 Joseph Mayes - son of Mattox Mayes and Dorcas Abney settled in GA. His son Samuel b. 11-11-1803 father of Joel Bryan Mayes described in Starr who later became chief of the Cherokee Nation." Edward Mayes traced Mayes family to arrival on the second boat to reach James Town in 1611 with wills included in his book.

Samuel Abney, Sr. was born in 1715, in Virginia. At the time of the American Revolutionary War, Samuel and his wife, Martha Collins made their residence in the Ninety-Six District of South Carolina, where Samuel served in the military as a Sergeant. Samuel is honored for his military service by the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution as DAR Ancestor A000254. Although the Genealogy of the Mays family and related families to 1929 inclusive ^[3] states that Dorcas Abney was the daughter of Samuel Abney, Sr. this was later disproven by Sam Mays ^[4]

Notes I posted on son John Joseph Mayes wiki. Father: Mattox Mayes, Mother: Dorcas Abney daughter of Samuel Abney, Sr. and had a husband after Mattox by the name of William Hill, where she moved on from South Carolina, her will being on file in Edgefield County, South Carolina. Her father, Samuel Abney, Sr. was in the militia of South Carolina where he and her brother, Samuel Abney, Jr. were tortured and massacred by tories at Cloud Creek in 1781. - via "NSDAR 414950 and 362414" and...

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/138426698/dorcas-mays_hill
2. ↑ Dorcas Hill's Will: South Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980 Author Ancestry.com Publisher Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Publisher Date 2015 Publisher Location Provo, UT, USA Repository Information Name Ancestry.com
3. ↑ https://archive.org/details/genealogyofmaysf00mays/page/26/mode/1up?q=%22Mattox%22
4. ↑ https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A000254

• 1773 Will of her Husband https://selenamayespublicdomain.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/5/5/14559880/mays_mattox-halifax_co_va__16_aug_1772.pdf