The Bounty Act of South Carolina

In order to help settle unoccupied lands the General Assembly of the Colony of South Carolina provided financial aid to encourage the immigration of poor Protestants from Europe. As early as 1730, "poor Protestants" were given land if they settled it. The grantees were required to clear and cultivate the land at the rate of at least 3 acres per year for each 100 acres of land granted. After two years, the land owner was required to pay 4 shillings per 100 acres quit rent (essentially land taxes). The amount of land granted was 100 acres for the head of the household and 50 acres for each dependent (wife and children under 15). Although the land was free there were significant fees to be paid for surveys and other legal matters. However, the Governor could and often did waive or otherwise pay these fees for poor immigrants.

In 1752, the act was amended to provided money for tools and provisions. Each person under 50 years old and over 12 years old was given £5. Each person under 12 years, but over 2 years received 2 pounds 10 shillings. In 1761 the bounty was changed to provide money to defray the costs of passage from Europe. Each adult received £4 and each child received £2. Both received twenty shillings to purchase tools and provisions. To receive these benefits, immigrants were required to have certificates to show that they were of that religion and of good character.

"Warrants of Survey for their Lands" were issued on petition of the immigrants, generally at the same time, as authorized under the Act. Encouraged by the Act, large numbers of these protestant immigrants, many otherwise destitute, came to South Carolina, mostly from Europe, but also from other Colonies in America.

The acts that provided for these bounties were amended or expired and reinstated from time to time, but generally continued until 1768 when the Attorney General reported to the General Assembly that the "Bounty Act" had expired and no bounty could be paid to the individuals. He also noted that the eighth clause of the General Duty Act of June 14, 1751, that they were still entitled to "their land free of charge".

 

Source: Jean Stephenson, The Scotch-Irish Migration to South Carolina, 1772 (Rev. William Martin and His Five Shiploads of Settlers), Washington, DC, 1971, reprinted: Clearfield Company (General Publishing Co.) Baltimore, MD 1999 - 2008, ISBN-13:978-0-8063-4832-2 and ISBN-10: 0-8063-4832-1

William Boyd

William Boyd, born and married in County Antrim, Ireland, moved his family to South Carolina before the Revolutionary War. His nephew, Alexander, later came to South Carolina and lived with William. Many Protestants leaving Ireland during the 18th century to escape the economic and religious problems came to South Carolina because of the incentives provided by the Bounty Act.

It is likely that William and his family (wife and two daughters) arrived in South Carolina aboard the snow* James and Mary on 18 October 1772. The James and Mary was one of the 5 ships that were part of the Rev. William Martin migration. The records indicate that William Boyd was granted 250 acres of land, which according the Bounty Act provisions, would have been consistent with a male head of household (100 acres), a wife (50 acres) and two children (50 acres each). William and his family settled in Newberry District, SC. (There was also a William Boyd on the Hopewell who also received 250 acres, but he settled in Laurens county. The family history written by Robert B. Boyd indicated that our ancestor settled in Newberry District. Also, Stephenson1 identifies the William Boyd from the James and Mary as the same William Boyd who's will was probated in 1800 in Chester County. There can be no doubt that this Chester County William Boyd is the correct one based on date of death and heirs, including children and grandchildren.)


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note: you can see the county boundaries in Google Earth by clicking on view larger map and then clicking view in Google Earth at the top right of the map

William Boyd's land was located in what is now Newberry County but was then Berkeley County in Camden District. This is based on the assumption that the modern day Patterson Creek is the same as the Patterson Creek of 1772. It is located between the Saluda and Broad Rivers and is about 5 miles in length, emptying into Indian Creek which in turn flows to the Enoree River. This is consistent with the land survey which identified the particular plot of land as "in Berkeley Co., in fork between Broad and Saluda, on branch of Patterson Creek called Scott Branch; waters of Enoree River; bd'd William Proctor, John Kennedy, vacant lands, Mr. Robert McClento, James Proctor, Alexander Turner, John Armstrong, William Scott." The area is in what is now Sumter National Forest about 10 miles north of Newberry, SC and shown on the above map. William Boyd's land would probably have been within the indicated oval (the source and mouth of Patterson creek are indicated by the arrows). More detailed maps are here.

The James and Mary, captained by John Workman, departed Larne, Ireland on 25 August 1772. There had been several cases of smallpox on board during the journey and when they arrived in Charleston, SC the ship along with its passengers and crew were quarantined on Sullivan's Island for about 7 weeks until 1 December. The other 4 ships of the Martin migration were delayed in departure and by weather and did not arrive until December 19, 20 and 22.

It was the custom, if the passengers were satisfied with the voyage, to write a letter for publication expressing their satisfaction. The following was published in the Belfast News Letter on Tuesday, 22 December 1772.

"To the Printers of the Belfast News Letter.
I desire you will insert and continue three times in your Paper, the inclosed Letter, which I received from South Carolina.
Yours,
James McVickar
Larne, 21 Dec. 1772
P. S. My Friend in Charlestown advises me, that they have a great Crop of Rice, but want Ships to carry it to Market.

Charles-Town, Oct. 21 1772
To Mr. JAMES M'VICKAR, Merchant in Larne.
Sir
THESE will inform you, that we arrived here all well and in good spirits the 18th instant (five Children excepted who died in the Passage) after a pleasant and agreeable Passage of seven weeks and one day. — Pleasant with respect to Weather, and agreeable with regard to the Concord and Harmony that subsisted among us all: And, to confirm what we have heard you assert, before we left Ireland, we must say, that we had more than a sufficiency of all kinds of Provisions, and good in their kind: And to speak of Captain Workman, as he justly deserves, we must say with the greatest Truth (and likewise with the greatest Thanks and Gratitude to him) that he treated us all with the greatest Tenderness and Humanity: and seemed even desirous of obliging any one, whom it might be in his Power to serve. If you think proper, we would be desirous you should cause these Things to be inserted in the public News Letter, being sensible they will afford our Friends and Acquaintances great Satisfaction; and we hope they may be of some Use to you and Captain Workman, if you resolve to trade any more in the Passenger Way. Now, in Confirmation of these Things, We Subscribe ourselves as follows:

We are, Sir, your Most humble Servants,

Revd Robt. McClintock John McClintock Thos. Makee John Dicky
John Peddan James hood Wm. Anderson James Stinson
Joseph Lowry John Montgomery John Thompson Peter Willey
Timothy Mc.Clintock John Snody Hugh Loggan John Caldwell
Nathan Brown Robt. Hadden David Thonmpson Samnuel Kerr
Wm. Boyd Hugh Mansoad James Peddan Robt. Machesney
Robt. Wilson Alex. Brown Wm. Eashler Robt. Ross
John Brown Charles Miller John Parker Thomas Madill
John rickey James Young Wm. Simpson Charles Dunlop
Robt. Neile      

P. S. We had Sermon every Sabbath, which was great Satisfaction to us. We omitted to let you know, that the Mate, Mr. Bole, as also the common Hands, behaved with great Care and Benevolence towards us."1

Upon their release from quartine, the immigrants from the James and Mary petitioned the General Council for land. The entry in the South Carolina Council Journal on December 1, 1772 states:

"The following Persons presented Petitions setting forth that they were Protestants and had lately come to settle in this Province with their Respective Familys from Ireland and were desirous to settle and cultivate some vacant Land in the back parts of the Country. but by reason of their extreme Poverty they were altogether unable to pay the Fees due to the several offices for their Grants, and that they were in hopes to have received some aid from the Province as their Countrymen had hitherto done, and therefore Prayed his Excellency [the Governor] to Grant them such Relief as in his Goodness he should see fit.

His Excellency thereupon observed to them that the Bounty given by the Province had ceased long since, and that they had no Reason from Government to expect any such assistance as they Craved. But it appearing that they were very poor, his Excellency proposed to the several officers to deliver out their warrants without expense to them and to take the Risk of being paid by the Public which they severally agreed to . . . the Secretary was ordered to prepare the warrants of survey."1

William Boyd and Mary Dorman had 4 children, two of which were born in Ireland and the other two born in South Carolina. The four children were:

william the first

It is not known what became of Mary.

Martha married her first cousin, Alexander (who had imigrated from Ireland in 1790 and lived with Martha's father, William). Martha was born about 1772 in County Antrim Ireland and died 13 April 1832 in Chester County, SC. Alexander was born about 1773 in County Antrim Ireland and died 15 November 1815 in Chester County, SC. Martha and Alexander had 10 children. Several records, including the Heritage History of Chester County, indicate that they settled in Chester County, SC. The 10 children of Alexander and Martha were:

Jennie married John Reedy (abt 1777 - aft 1850). Jennie was born about 1776 in Chester County, SC. Her date of death is unknown. John Reedy was born about 1777 in South Carolina (probably Chester County) and died sometime after 1850 in Chester County, SC. John and Jennie had a son named William and a daughter named Margaret who married her first cousin Charles.

Alexander married Elizabeth "Betsy" Allen (1784 - 1864) from near Hebron community in Chester County, South Carolina. Alexander was born about 1780 in Chester County and died 1825 in Chester County. Betsy was born 1786 in Hebron, Chester Coutny, SC and died 24 November 1864 in Chester County. Alexander and Betsy were members of the Old Purity Presbyterian Church and are buried in the Old Purity Presbyterian Cemetery in Chester SC. They had 8 children.

Alexander Boyd, the son of Robert Boyd and Mary People, came to America at age 17 in 1790 and lived with his uncle, William Boyd in the Newberry District.2 Alexander later married his first cousin Martha Boyd, daughter of William Boyd and Mary Dorman

Alexander and Martha Boyd

Alexander and Elizabeth Boyd

* A Snow (or snaw) is a sailing vessel, a type of brig. A snow carried square sails on the two masts and generally a trysail on the snowmast, which was abaft the main mast.

1 Jean Stephenson, The Scotch-Irish Migration to South Carolina, 1772 (Rev. William Martin and His Five Shiploads of Settlers), Washington, DC, 1971, reprinted for the Clearfield Company: General Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD, 1999 - 2008, ISBN-13:978-0-8063-4832-2 and ISBN-10: 0-8063-4832-1

2 Anne Pickens Collins, Editor, Heritage History of Chester County, South Carolina, Vol. I, Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, TX,1995

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