William "Red Bill" McGrew

Notes:

Time Line for Red Bill McGrew's family

1815 Approx. date, Tombigbee area, AL, William (Red Bill) McGrew was born to John McGrew Jr and wife Caroline Caller.

1816 Census John McGrew Jr is living in Clarke Co, AL.

1820 Land deed, John Mcgrew Jr living in Marengo Co, AL, formerly of Clarke Co.

1824 Pauline (last name unknown) born in AL.

1835 April 1, William and his cousin William P. (Black Bill), son of deceased William McGrew and Nancy [ Hainsworth] McGrew Phillips, were in a gunfight with 2 younger Kemp boys. Cousins flee to Texas.

1836 Wm P. captured, sent to Mobile,but had escaped before 21 June 1836.
Red Bill was captured in June 1836 and sent to Mobile. He was returned to Sumter County, but the venue was changed to Pickens County. So far we have not found a record of the trial.
There was conflicting testimony by the only witness to the shooting.

1836 Aug. Wm P. McGrew captured and returned to Sumter Co, AL. Tried Nov. 1837, Washington Co. Convicted and sent to jail for one year. Col. William McGrew's son Black Headed Bill died in prison, 4
Feb 1838.

1840 Sumter Co, AL Census, page 84
John McGrew (#3)
John McGrew Sr (# 2) (Called Jr. before his father died.)
William McGrew b 1810-1820, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 0-5 I think this is Red Bill.
Could the child be Frances Williams? or perhaps a child who died?
Thomas E. Lenear (Lenoir)

1842, 16 Aug. John McGrew Jr. (number 2), Red Bill's father, died in Tex. From Caroline McGrew's March 1843 petition for Dower to the Orphan's Court of Sumter Co, AL
List of children: John abt 30, William abt 28, Elizabeth Lenoir, John F. 20, Caroline 17, Clarke 13, Mary 10, Judith 8.

1843 Frances McGrew b MS to Pauline and William McGrew (1850 census Grimes Co, TX, and the estate papers for William McGrew in Montgomery County, TX.)

1844 Census also indicated William J. McGrew born in MS to Pauline & William McGrew .
Between 1844 & about 1846, William "Red Bill" died.

1846 Poll Tax in TX, Grimes Co: Egbert Oliver & John Oliver.

1846-1848 During this period Pauline probably married Egbert O. Oliver.

1848 Robert Oliver born abt this time.

1849 John P. Oliver died in Grimes Co, TX. (Possible brother to Egbert.)

1849, April, Egbert & Louisa Oliver applied for administration of the estate of John P. Oliver.

1849 Oct., Grimes Co., Egbert became guardian of Frances Williams, orphan of James Williams, late of AL.

1850 census Pauline and Egbert Oliver in Grimes Co, TX pg 390
children: Frances 7 MS, William 6 MS, Robert 2 TX, Frances Williams 12 AL.
Mother of Red Bill and siblings are living in Claiborne & Copiah Cos. of MS.

1851 letter ( in possession of Sue Moore) from John Flood McGrew in TX to Clark McGrew in MS mentions Montgomery, TX, "where brother John is." ( John McGrew # 3 ?)

1851 January, Grimes Co., Egbert O. Oliver fails to appear for guardian report. Made an accounting in May. Failed to appear in Nov. Removed as guardian that year.

1853 Newspaper account, Oct., E. Oliver was shot in Montgomery, TX.

1854-55 TX Scholastic list, Montgomery Co, Pauline Oliver has children: Frances, Robert & John.

1856, February, Probate Ct of Montgomery Co, TX, Pauline L Oliver petitioned for Letters of Guardianship over persons & estates of Francis and William McGrew, minor children of William McGrew, dec'd.

1856-8 Pauline married a man named Hall and had a son, James Hall.

1859 John D. Hall died before November this year. Probably not Pauline's husband.

1860 Jan. and Mar., Court records to settle estate of Caroline (Caller) McGrew in Claiborne Co, MS.
Children of William McGrew, dec'd," Frances McGrew & William McGrew, residing somewhere in Texas".

1860 Hardin County, TX census, page 335b
family 28/28
Benjamin McKinney 56 male farmer (2185/10420) b SC
Ann " 35 female Miss Insane
Henry " 20 (2nd number unclear) m farm labor Ala.
Frances McGrew 18 f Tx
Robert Oliver 11 m Tx
John Oliver 9 m Tx
Clark Hill 3 m Tx (Hall?)
Elizabeth Thompson 46 f laboring Ms
Robert " 15 m farmlabor Ms

This census taker had very sloppy writing The Henry above might be 26 rather than 20.


1861 Robert (Bob) & John Oliver were given a guardian for their inheritances, Israel Worsham, Montgomery Co, TX. Money was received from the estate of James Paul of Galveston, TX.

1861 Civil War, William J. McGrew served in the Confederate forces, Pvt TX 4th Reg. Disabled.
Served then as 1st Lt TX 20th Infantry, Co. K, a Home Guard Unit.

1866 July, Montgomery Co, TX Probate Record ..Mother of the Olivers called Mrs. Hall.

1867-68 William J. McGrew was appt County Attorney in Montgomery Co, TX (Republican appointee)
History book of Montgomery Co (CHOIR INVISIBLE) says he was KKK at night.

1868, December A Gunfight in which Bob Oliver, John Oliver, Wm J. McGrew, and Mr (Tex ) Brown were killed by the Cartwright family of Fort Bend Co, TX. One newspaper (Republican) account stated that McGrew was trying to prevent the gunfight. The 3 brothers were laid on Mrs. Hall's porch after their deaths.

1869 Sept. 29, WmSton Williams received letters of Administration for the estates of John & Robert Oliver. Money had been loaned out by Israel Worsham before the boys' deaths.

1870 Census, Hardin Co, TX, page 464, Fanny McGrew (#190) has 2 children in house: William age 6, and Nolia age 5. She is living next door to Benjamin McKinney. (not married? divorced?)

1872 Sept 25, Estate of Robert & John Oliver finally settled. 1/2 to Pauline Hall, Mother; 1/2 divided into thirds: 1 share each, Mrs. Lucy McGrew heir of deceased posthumous child of W.J. McGrew half brother decedents, Miss Fannie McGrew half sister of decendents, and guardian of James Hall, half brother of decedents. One record said Fannie Ward.
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Source: http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=barjeanm&id=I0376

William married Pauline ??? about 1840. Pauline was born about 1824 in Alabama; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. William J. McGrew was born about 1844 in Mississippi; died on 28 Dec 1868 in Montgomery County, Texas.

John married Caroline A. Caller. Caroline was born before 1794 in Mississippi Territory; died before 1854 in Claiborne County, Mississippi. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

(November 1843 Caroline McGrew Petition for Dower}
To the Hon'ble..The County Court of Sumter County: The Petition of Caroline McGrew respectfully ?with that some time in the year of our Lord one Thousand eight hundred and ten she was lawfully united in the bonds of wedlock to John McGrew late of said County who departed this life on the sixteenth day of August last in the Republic of Texas leaving no executor or administrator in the state of Alabama: that she has borne to the said McGrew eight children to wit: John McGrew aged about thirty years, William aged about twenty eight, Elizabeth Lenoir the wife of Thomas E. Lenoir, John F. McGrew about twenty yearsof age, Caroline about seventeen, Clarke about thirteen, Mary about ten and Judith about eight years of age.
Claiborne County, Mississippi Probate Records, page 249

Will of Caroline McGrew, Deceased.
In the name of God Amen, I Caroline McGrew of Claiborne County
State of Mississippi, being of sound mind and disposing memory do make and publish this last will and testament hereby revoking all other wills by me heretofore made.
In the first place I give my soul to that Almighty and Merciful God who formed it and my body to the earth therein to be decently interred.
In the second place I give and bequeath to my daughter the following slaves viz:-
Hatepha a woman aged about twenty eight years, Barbary aged about twelve years,
Armstead a boy about eleven years, & Henry aged about 2 years; And I do also devise & give to her all my real estate being the plantation on which I now reside requiring her to allow and permit my daughter Caroline Dunagan in the event of her separation from her present husband either by death or otherwise to reside on and make her home on said plantation, so long after separation as she the said Caroline Dunagan shall remain single, and said plantation and Four slaves are all of my estate which Mary is to have. She is to have no share in the residue.
I also require my said daughter Mary out fo the proceeds of the labor of said slaves and rents, or income of said lands bequesthed and devised to her hereby bo purchase a little negro girl not exceeding eight years old, not under five within the next six years after she comes to the possession of said land and slaves under this will and give said little negro to my Grand daughter Lavinia C. McGrew daughter of my son John McGrew.
In the third place I give and bequeath to my said daughter Caroline Dunagan the following negro slaves viz:-Charlottle, a girl aged about Fifteen years and Margaret a girl about five years and George a boy about nine years, and these three slaves are all on my estate that she is to have, she to have no share in the residue.
Of the residue of my estate I make no disposition.
In the Fourth place I appoint James S. Mason my Executor to carry out this my last will and testament.
In witness whereof I have this 22nd day of July A.D. 1853 signed sealed and
published this my last will and testatment.
In presence of. Caroline McGrew {seal}
The words "Charlotte a girl aged about fifteen years & " interlined before signing sealing & publishing.

Caroline McGrew {seal}
Witness. James Beesby
A.F. Buckly
T.E. Lenoir
The State of Mississippi, Claiborne County.
I, James A. Maxwell, Judge of the Probate Court of said County certify that the foregoing writing of three pages was this day produced in open Court and propounded as the last will & testament of Caroline McGrew Dec'd., and admitted to probate and recorded as sus Dec. 1 1854. Jas. A. Maxwell Prob. J.


In the 1850 census Caroline Caller McGrew is living in Claiborne Co, MS, and her daughter Elizabeth C. McG. Lenoir is just across the line in Copiah Co, MS. In the household with Caroline is her son John, Lavinia (his wife), Elizabeth, and Lavinia F. (Frances), their two daughters.

John (#3) and Lavinia Hume Barron were married in Sumter Co, AL, 29 Jan. 1836.
John F. and Francis Rebecca L. Herlong were married 16 Nov. 1848 in Claiborne Co, MS. He and Frances are listed under Flood J. McGrew and Frances in Claiborne Co, MS, 1850 census.

When Caroline Caller McGrew wrote her will, she left her land and slaves, etc, to her dau Mary, with a mention that if Dau Caroline (mar Dungan) was no longer living with her husband, she received slaves. Also a slave was left to Lavinia F., her (Caroline's) granddaughter. Mary died before her Mother's estate was settled because her death is mentioned when the settlement occurred. It took a long time to settle the estate of Caroline Caller McGrew. Mostly it was slaves, and the CW took care of that. There was some question as to the fairness of the division, since Caroline (McGrew) Dungan had remarried (to Ephraim Woods) there were a lot of court papers generated.

For example, these are quotes from a paper filed by Ephraim Woods in the Claiborne Co, MS, court 9 March, 1860. "petition of Ephraim Woods & wife for a sale & distribution of the estate of Caroline McGrew, deceased". They were not happy with the administrator, James S. Mason.

Heirs: "children of the late William McGrew residing somewhere in Texas." (These were Red Bill's children.)"the children of the late John McGrew residing somewhere in the state of Alabama" & " children of John McGrew, except Lavinia F. McGrew" (These were the children of John McGrew # 3. Lavinia H. Barron McGrew has gone back to Ala with Lavinia F. & Elizabeth. )

The petition also wanted the answer of " David Herlong guardian of Eliza E. McGrew, Martha McGrew & William P. McGrew, the minor heirs of John Flood McGrew, deceased. ( Martha and William P. died before reaching adulthood. .)

The answer from "Thomas E. Lenoir, his wife Elizabeth, Lavinia H. McGrew widow of the late John McGrew, and guardian of Lavinia F. McGrew, one of the children of the said John McGrew, dec'd, James S. Mason, exec. of of said Caroline McGrew, Joseph M. Hankins and his wife Elizabeth C. Hankins, and David Herlong, guardian of Eliza E, Martha J. & Wm P. McGrew, MINOR CHILDREN OF J. FLOOD McGREW."..."Caroline McGrew died leaving as her children surviving her the said Caroline Woods, the said Elizabeth Lenoir, Clark McGrew & J. Flood McGrew," Then it again mentions Wm McGrew whose children live in TX, and the desc. of John McGrew towit: Lavinia F. McGrew & Elizabeth C. Hankins residing in AL. Also that dau Mary (mentioned in will) has died.

Also, from Claiborne Co, MS Probate court, the petition of "Clark McGrew of said county shows that on the 12th day of February last, John F. McGrew a brother of your petitioner departed this life in said county." Sworn to Apr 23 1855.
Another record in Claiborne County, MS, probate court, "the undersigned administrator of the estate of John F. McGrew.....at the time of the death of said decendent a crop was ptiched on certain lands in the possession of said decendent, your petitioner, and the executor of Caroline McGrew - in which crop said decedent John F. McGrew worked two of his own hands and a third hand which was hired by by said decendant..
sworn to by Clarke McGrew, June 28, 1855.

SOURCE of the above:
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=barjeanm&id=I0375

Notes:

Wynema McGrew writes (p. 7) that it appears that John McGrew may have been a royalist and left the Carolinas in the mid to late 1770s, moving to the area that became the Mississippi Territory. He received a 1500 acre land grant from the Indians in 1782 and a Spanish land grant in 1787 between the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers in what is now Alabama.

According to Feldman's ANGLO-AMERICANS IN SPANISH ARCHIVES he was a resident of Tombecbe in 1781 (pg 34) and an American resident of Mobile on January 1, 1786 (pg 27).

In the Rev. Ball's book titled "A Glance into the Great South-East, or, Clarke County, Alabama, and Its Surroundings, From 1540 to 1877" it was noted that "among the laws of 1807 was also an act for laying out a town in Washington county near Fort St. Stephens, (the streets to be not less than one hundred feet wide,) on the lands of Edwin Lewis; John Baker, James Morgan, and John F. McGrew, being appointed commissioners to lay out the town. In the same year the town of Natchez was incorporated----[settlers] came in wagons, through the Choctaw Indian Nation, finding rough roads, and being on the way twenty-five days. They brought with them a drove of three hundred hogs and a flock of about seventy-five sheep. They found cattle already, in Clarke, in abundance, McGrew alone having one thousand head. The nothern part of the county was then covered with cane which afforded excellent pasturage. Deer, and bears, and wolves, elsewhere mentioned, and also catamounts, called panthers, found hiding places in the tall cane. One of the panthers killed by this family measured nine feet from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. The bears and the yellow and black wolves were destructive to their hogs. Small parties of Choctaws could talk broken English. The Indians, and also the American settlers cut the bee-trees in the woods and obtained wild honey."

The Rev. Ball's book was originally published in Grove Hill, Alabama in 1882. It was reprinted by Photolithography by Willo Publishing Company, Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1962, and a digital image of this reprint can be found on Ancestry. com at

http://content.ancestry.com/Browse/BookList.aspx?dbid=22977

In his biographical sketch of the McGrew family (pages 347-349), the Rev. Ball wrote that "Two brothers, British royalists, William McGrew and John McGrew, were early settlers on the Tombigbee. They were probably refugees from the Atlantic coast settlement. The two brother have left the reputation of having been fine men and of having become good Americans. The active part taken by Colonel William McGrew in the Indian troubles and his death at the hands of the Indians on Bashi Creek will not be forgotten. It has been difficult to obtain clear and certain trace of the descendants of these brothers. Each seems to have left some sons. Major John McGrew, either one of these brothers or a son, in after years lived near Nanafalia. He was wealthy. His wife was a Miss Caller. It is said of her that she would often swim the Tombigbee on her horse Pomp if the flat boat was not of that side of the river where she wished to cross. Major McGrew of Nanafalia is said to have been an estimable man, spending however considerable money to keep his son out of trouble. The names are preserved of three sons, John, William, and Flood, and two younger sons are mentioned and some daughters. William McGrew and his cousin William McGrew have left an unenviable reputation for recklessness, and for an overbearing, tyrannical, and even cruel disposition. They were known in their day as Red-headed Bill and Black-headed Bill, and many are the reckless and insolent deeds attributed to them in the traditions of this region. Sometimes they met with just punishment. (The scene of the following incident has been placed up the river and on a flat-boat. Where it took place is therefore uncertain. The main facts are quite sure.) One of them, it is said, was one cold morning near the landing at Coffeeville, and a stranger coming to the river, McGrew ordered him to take a bath in the water. The stranger glanced at him for a moment and requested, as the water was quite cold, that he might return to his saddle bags and take a drink of whiskey first. To this McGrew assented, when the stranger, taking out of the saddle bags a pistol instead of a bottle, and again advancing remarked to McGrew that he might now enjoy the luxury of that cold bath. The steadily aimed pistol was a very convincing argument, and quite speedily but very unexpectedly McGrew was in the river while the stranger, pistol in hand, stood on the bank and enjoyed the change of situation and circumstances...

Their bad behaviour was not always so lighthearted. Rev. Ball later writes that "After killing some boys they [the cousins McGrew] disappeared from the community. Their mad pranks and ruthless and bloody deeds to not obscure the virtues of the older and other members of this family, and ever with honor in the history of the Indian War of 1813 the name will live of Colonel William McGrew "

According to THE SOUTHERN McGREWS GREW Red Headed Bill and Black Headed Bill were eventually captured, found guilty, and imprisoned around 1836 in Sumter County, Alabama. "Black Haired Bill" was the son of William McGrew and Nancy Hainesworth. Nancy married James Phillips after her husbands death. "Red Bill" was the son of Major John McGrew, Jr and Caroline A. Caller. John and Caroline became guardians of William and Nancy (Hainesworth) McGrew's son, "Black Haired Bill", when William died. They lived in Washington, Clarke, Marengo and Sumter counties, Alabama in the 1830's.

John married Elizabeth Clark. Elizabeth was born about 1751; died about 1808 in Mississippi Territory. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Wynema McGrew, in her book titled THE JAMES MCGREW FAMILY, 1744-1797(Second Edition, 1999, Hattiesburg, MS), writes that she had made the following TENTATIVE conclusions about Alexander and Margaret McGrew and their offspring, using data collected from a variety of sources (some of which may be considered factual and some speculative).

Alexander and Margaret McGrew may have married in Ireland, and appear to have been the parents of six children, places of birth unknown. They were probably from in or near Omagh City, County Tyrone, Ireland, the McGrew family having come to Omagh City from Scotland before the mid-fifteenth centery. The name McGrew probably originated form the sept of MacGrewar or MacGruer of the Clan Gregor.

Esther McGrew Hardin instead suggested that the family descended from Quaker families originally from Pennsylvania. Many McGrew's can be found in Orange County, North Carolina records. Additionally, in the corner of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, many members of the Blackburn, Means and McGrew families were all kin.

James Mims, on his online "Digging the Roots of the Mims Family Tree" has a third theory, showing him as Alexander MacGRUER, born 7 Oct 1706 in Iverness, Scotland, and married to Margaret TATE, also of Inverness. Both were shown as dying in South Carolina.

Wynema lists the probable children of Alexander and Margaret are:

1) Mary McGrew b. ca 1737 d. bef. 1776, married Grove YOUNG. [Note: Janice McAlpine (mcalpage@cox.net) emailed that Mary's husband was actually named Legros Young, and that he died on 5 Mar 1878 in Cambden District, South Carolina].
2) John McGrew b. ca 1739 d. ca 1818, married Elizabeth CLARK
3) James McGrew b. ca 1744 d. ca 1797, married Constantia (Constance) TILLET
4) Peter Alexander McGrew b. ca 1745 d. ca 1792, married Margaret McCLAIN
5) Margaret McGrew b. bet 1746-1749 d. ca 1805
6) William McGrew b. 23 Apr 1752 D. 1815, appears to have wed Mary GOODWYN

She noted that on 4 July 1755, Alexander McGrew petitioned for 550 acres of land in South Carolina, and had 11 persons in his household. On 5 August of that same year, a plat for 350 acres of middle ground between Broad and Wateree Rivers was found with a certificate dated 10 Oct 1755.

In his Will, dated 11 Oct 1776, he names five children--four by relationship, James, Peter, William and Margaret, one by implication of relationship, John--and also his own wife Margaret. His will was probated 7 Feb 1977 in Craven District, SC. Alexander does not name Mary as a child. Wynema cites Caroline T. Moore, comp "Abstracts of the Wills of the State of South Carolina 1760-1784" Privately Published, 1969), pg. 292, as her source for this information.

(pp. 2-7)

Alexander married Margaret ???. Margaret was born after 1715; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]