Joseph Peters

Birth: 25 Jun 1794
Barnwell County, South Carolina, USA
Death: 3 Feb 1866 (aged 71)
Winn Parish, Louisiana, USA
Burial: Zion Hill Cemetery

Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID: 8113893 View Source

Joseph Peters was born June 25, 1794 (per Bible of Asa Mercer Meredith, their son-in-law) in Barnwell District, SC. He married Olive Rentz on February 5, 1811, the daughter of Simon and Mary Swan Rentz of Barnwell District, SC. Their first and third child born in Barnwell, SC on April 11, 1814 and Dec 15, 1817. Their second child appears to have been born in Hebron, MS on Jan 14, 1814. For some reason they were in Barnwell, SC afterward as the third child was born there as stated above and they are in the 1820 Barnwell, SC Federal Census. Their fourth child was born Feb. 15, 1822 in Hebron as were all of their later children. Hebron, MS originally was in Lawrence County(now Jefferson Davis County)on the east side and near the head of Pearl River between the east and west prongs of Silver Creek and helped to establish or build the community. Later Hebron relocated across the west prong of Silver Creek because of the railroad construction passing through what is now New Hebron, Lawrence County, AL.

After all but the last of their children were born they moved to Louisiana with their family in about 1840 and established their home in the level hill portion of then Catahoula Parish, the part now in eastern Winn or perhaps partly in Caldwell Parish. Their tenth and final child was born there in 1843.

Joseph and Olive had ten children, eight of whom have been located and are attached. The other two, James who married Emeline Mathis and later moved to somewhere in Texas and Jane Emily who married Matthew Smith and supposedly remained somewhere in Louisiana.

Inscription

The marker showing a date of birth as 15
Apr 1785 was placed in the cemetery in the early 1980's using approximate date information. The actual dates for Olive and husband Joseph vary in day, month and year for birth and death. The birth date for Joseph supposedly matches with Joseph Peters, son of Solomon Peters (born 1738, married to Elizabeth Jarvis) of Cravens County, NC and one of the lines supported by many. Our Joseph Peters (born June 25, 1794), is possibly a son of a John, Joseph or Christopher Peters in the 1790-1810 Orangeburg and Barnwell Districts, SC Census. I have viewed additional census for Joseph in the years 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, and 1860 and they all support the 1794 birth year and the last two confirm he was born in South Carolina. It has been suggested by some who support the South Carolina connection that the date on the cemetery monument was selected as a matter of convenience to support identification with the North Carolina/New England line. It is possible that the date on the stone could be wrong and there still be a North Carolina/New England connection. If anyone has thoroughly constructed evidence supported with documentation of the true lineage, it would be appreciated. Contact can be made through the Find A Grave contact available on this page. MP