Grave of William "Buck" Worthy,
of the Wilkesburg area of
West Chester County, South Carolina.
This grave,
located on Buck Worthy's property , is near the
Brushy Fork Creek Baptist Church and Cemetery where his brother
and
other family members lie buried.
We were led to his grave in the late 1980's by an elderly cousin, Marcus
Wade
( He also led us to the Old Shaw Cemetery, and Woods
family cemetery, both of which are located closer to the Broad River
in what is now part of the
Sumpter National Forest.)
Buck's grave is hidden under brush near the
road at an intersection of what used to be part of his property. The
stones were damaged, and the grave was one of the large, above the
ground, vault type gravestones.
According to the information that Louise Crowder gave
when she
compiled "Tombstone Records of Chester County, South Carolina
and
Vicinity " in
1970, the grave said that he had died 23 June, 1843, at 47 years, which
would make his birthrate ca 1795.
Buck's Will was written and filed on 24 July, 1842, wherein he
appointed his
nephew Preston Worthy as Exec. of the Will. Preston was qualified on
5
August, 1842,
and the Will was proven in January of 1843.
Family tradition says that he died 25 July 1842. Because we
couldn't get close enough to read the inscription, it is still unknown
to
me if the compiled data in 1970 was correct, or an error. It' s possible
that the stone was inscribed some time after Buck's death. A book
containing slave narratives from South Carolina slaves compiled
by the
Works Project Administration says that Buck's grave was erected
some time before his death.
This is the only grave at the location. William "Buck" Worthy's
will can be found in Book A, page 19 of the Chester County Court probate
records. In it he mentions being in a low state of health, names his
wife
Louisa, and identifies the land they are living on at the time as being
owned by him, and as being known as the Hill Place.
In his will he states that his yet unborn child is to receive
certain parts of his estate. Also mentioned, and so identified were
his
two nephews, Preston and Henry Worthy, his friend John Darby and Richard
O Neal of Columbia, relationship not mentioned. The two nephews and
John
Darby are to receive that portion of the estate left to his unborn
child
should that child die before reaching adulthood. O Neal was given other
property. William Woods, John Hopkins, and James Worthy witnessed
the
will on 24 July 1842. His wife Louisa Lyles Worthy gave birth to a
daughter , who married Captain Thomas Bynam.
A photo of this grave will be available in a few weeks.
|