Rachel Deavours

Married twice.

George Deavours was born in 1757 in Sc. He died on 4 Sep 1829 in Habersham Co., Ga. He married Rachel Bishop Watkins in Sep 1790 in Spartanburg District, S. C..

Rachel Bishop Watkins [Parents] was born in 1757 in Spartanburg District, S. C.. She died on 31 Jan 1855 in Cherokee County Ga. She married George Deavours in Sep 1790 in Spartanburg District, S. C..

They had the following children:

		F	i	Sarah (Sally) Deavours was born in 1776/1804.

		M	ii	Abraham Deavours

		M	iii	Christopher Columbus Deavours Sr.

		M	iv	Isaac Bishop Deavours was born on 24 Feb 1800.

Other marriages: Watkins, John Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters Pension application of John Watkins W7003 Rachel Deavours1 fn87SC Transcribed by Will Graves 5/20/10' [[fn p. 12] State of Georgia at Cherokee County: SS: On this 17th day of March 1851, Personally appeared this day before me Nathan G. Newton an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County Rachel Deavours a resident of the County of Cherokee in the State of Georgia aged ninety-three years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed July 4, 1836, and the act explanatory of said Act passed March 3, 1837, and the various other act in favor of widows of Revolutionary Soldiers. That she was married to John Watkins who was a Private in the Revolutionary war and served in the State of South Carolina and Colonel Thomas Brandon's Regiment. She further declares that she was married to the said John Watkins in September in the time of said war before the fall of Charleston in South Carolina, that her husband the aforesaid John Watkins was killed by the Tories in said, She thinks in the year 1782, that she was afterwards married to George Deavours in September 1790, who died on the 4th of September 1829, and that she was a widow on the 4th of July 1836, and still remains a widow as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed. She also further declares that she made a transfer of all her claims on the treasury of the State of South Carolina for the services of her husband the aforesaid John Watkins in said war to Colonel Thomas Brandon and that she also claims for the services of her latter named husband George Deavours as he also served in said war.

Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above written. S/ Nathan G. Newton, JP S/ Rachel Deavours Georgia at Cherokee County: Personally came this day Abram Deavours and after being first duly sworn according to law, Saith on oath that the reason why the declaration of Rachel Deavours for a pension in right of John Watkins her former husband, was subsequent to the Certificate from the Comptroller General of South Carolina showing his services was, that Thomas J. Hughes, that agent had undertaken a claim for the widow of one John Wadkins and obtained the certificate in question for him but finding that it did not identify his services he 1 Former widow, her last husband George Deavours also served in the revolution and this file contains such information regarding his services as are found in the federal pension records

came to Cherokee to see my mother Rachel Deavours to know if her husband John Watkins did not serve in the Revolutionary War in South Carolina but did not let us know that he had a certificate of the services until we engaged them to prosecute the claim and the declaration was made out and sworn to and then he informed me that he had the certificate and that he should have given it to me if we had not engaged him to do the business. Affiant also further says that it was always a common understanding that his mother and John Watkins were married before the close of the war and that they had two children in time of the war. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 25th day of November 1853 and I certify that the above named affiant may be relied on for truth and honesty, that I am not interested in the result of the case nor concerned in its prosecution and that I believe the increase ask for in her pension should be allowed. S/ Nathan G. Newton, JP S/ Abraham Deavours S/ John J. Wood [fn p. 41] Georgia Cherokee County Personally came this day Rachel Deavours and after being first duly sworn according to law Saith on oath that she appeals to the Secretary of the Interior for the Pension allow her in the year 1852 in right of her former husband John Watkins as a revolutionary Soldier, to be so amended in her favor, as to entitle her to the benefits of the Act of the 4th of July 1836 and for that purpose, States that she knows from the following circumstances that she was married to the said Watkins before the last period of his service, from the fact that they were living together as husband and wife at the time of the fall of Charleston in South Carolina, that they had born in wedlock two children during the war, that her husband the said Watkins was killed by the Tories went on a visit at home while in the service in Colonel Brandon's Regiment and that she was taken after that time and remained a prisoner nine months when she was set at liberty at the close of troublesome times. She further says that her children by Watkins are all dead but that she had children by her latter husband George Deavours as follows, to wit: James Deavours, John Deavours, Elizabeth Deavours, Abram Deavours, Christopher Deavours, Isaac Deavours, Sarah Deavours of whom John is the oldest now living and is now sixty-four years of age. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 23rd day of November 1853, and I certify that the above named affiant may be relied on for truth and honesty and that I am not interested in the result of the case nor concerned in its prosecution and that I believe the increase ask for all to be allowed. S/ Nathaniel G. Newton, JP S/ Rachel Deavours, R her mark S/ John J. Wood State of Georgia Habersham County On this 15th day of January 1853 Personally appeared James McCracken aged 83 years and Lucinda McCracken aged 51 years and after being duly sworn according to law saith on oath, that they have been personally and intimately acquainted with Rachel Deavours from their first recollection and that she must have been married to her former husband John Watkins before he left the service in the War of the revolution and even before he went into the service, from the following circumstances namely, that they have often heard her say that she had three children from her marriage with said Watkins in time of the war, that he was killed in the war, and that she was taken prisoner by the Indians at the same time and carried three hundred miles from home and remained a prisoner until the close of the war when she was set at liberty by an exchange of prisoners with the Indians. Sworn to and subscribed before made this 15th day of January 1853 as above stated. S/ Andrew Gailey, JP S/ James McCracken S/ Lucinda McCracken [fn p. 49: certificate dated November 8, 1850 from the South Carolina Comptroller Generals office in Columbia listing the payments made to John Watkins for duty in the militia during the revolution including service and Brandon's Regiment and including the following: "I Rachel Watkins wife of John Watkins deceased as administrator of the Estate of John Watkins do sell to Colonel Thomas Brandon all my demands on the Treasury of this State for the personal service of my husband John Watkins both principal and interest and his receipt shall be good to the Treasurers of this State against me my heirs and assigns as he has purchased the same of may and do hereby give him full power to receive and dispose of the same. Given under my hand this 27th of August 1792 the Treasurer at Columbia. S/ Rachel Watkins, administrator"] [fn p. 58: in July 1853 in Pickens District South Carolina, John Machen, aged between 76 and 77 years, gave testimony that he believes "John Watkins was married to Rachel Bushop before the close of the revolutionary war, from the following circumstances known to him and recollected by him: That he distinctly remembers that she was called the widow Watkins he thinks before or about the close of the war, he affiant further says that he remembers that when Colonel James Wood, Captain John Wood, Captain Sam Hogg and Captain William Long were killed in the said war and thinks he has understood that John Watkins was killed before or about the same time which he thinks was in 1780 or 81. He also further says that what makes him remember these circumstances so well is that he saw Colonel James Wood after he was killed and a knife lying on him with which he supposes the enemy had killed him. Affiant also further says that he heard the said Rachel after her return from captivity sometimes called the Widow Watkins and sometimes called Rachel Watkins and heard that her husband John Watkins was killed but he does not know when or where, but remembers that she afterwards became the wife of George Deavours and he understands is now his widow." [fn p3-8: family record] George Deavours departed this life 4 of September 1829 Abraham Deavours [&] Abigail was married the 8 January the 1829 Babe was born the 20 June [?] 18?? Smithey Narsisey Henlion [?] was born the 22 day of February 1845 Savina Abigail was born the 29th day of January 1847 Andrew J. Deavours was born the 20 July 1848 And did [died] the 5 of August 1848 Rachel Harnett Deavours was born November the 01 the 1833 George Washington Deavours was born the 3 September the 1835 Nancy Catherine Deavours was born the 2 of November the 1837 John Jasper Deavours was born the 3 of March the 1839 Mary Elisabeth was born the 14th of February the 1841 Sarah Jin Deavours was born the 19th of April 1843___________ [more formal record] John Deavours was born September 8 1789 Polly W. Deavours was born November 15th 1791 James Deavours was born November 16th 1812 Andrew I. Deavours was born May 15 1814 Robert B. Deavours was born May 5th 1816 Joel T. Deavours was born May 25th 1818 Matilda W. Deavours was born April 13th 1821 William C. Deavours was born February 18th 1823 Maryan Deavours was born February 13 1825 Marion a. Deavours was born April 18 1827 John C. Deavours was born February 26 1829 Rachel K. Deavours was born November the 15th 1832 John Deavours and Polly W. Wood was married February 13th 1812 [Widow was pensioned at the rate of $80 per annum commencing March 4th, 1848 for services of her first husband John Watkins in the revolution.]