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Thomas Port

Birth
Wales
Death
1788 (aged 74–75)
Hemingway, Williamsburg County, South Carolina, USA
Burial
Kingsburg, Florence County, South Carolina, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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American Revolutionary Patriot, Sons of the American Revolution Number 60589, 1713 (Wales) - 1790, Port's Ferry [Georgetown District], South Carolina.

Thomas Port, 1713 - 1788, was son of Joseph PORT and of his wife, Anne, immigrants from Wales. A Joseph Port owned land adjacent to Thomas BOSHER (Bossierre) in Prince George's Parish of Craven County, by 1732 and on January 1, 1735, a Joseph PORT secured a land plat for 760 acres on Deep Gully Creek, Georgetown River, in Craven County.

Siblings of Thomas PORT, 1713-1788, include brother, Joseph II PORT, August 25, 1726; brother, Benjamin PORT, born September 4th, 17--; baptized March 24, 1738. [Register Book for the Parish, Prince Frederick Parish, Winyaw]

The Ports were staunch supporters of the Church of England.
Thomas Port obtained lands in both Prince Frederick's and St. David's Parishes, Marion Township.

A tract of 300 acres land in Queensborough Township was laid off southwest to the Pee Dee River, southeast by Morrison's land, north east by Thomas CHARNOCK's land; and northwest by vacant lands for Thomas PORT on April 14, 1755; he continued to purchase land in Craven County, in the area today known as Port's Ferry through 1770.

Thomas PORT, 1713-1788, was enumerated on the Petit Jury List (P:5), residing in Prince Frederick Parish, South Carolina, in 1770.

Thomas Port was commissioned a Captain and organized a Volunteer Company in St. David's Parish in 1775-6, and served as its Captain. When St. David's Parish was set off, he was one of the Commissioners appointed to build a church, chapel, and parsonage [Old St. David's, Cheraw, South Carolina]

He operated a ferry, Port's Ferry, on the Pee Dee River, having been authorized to do so by the State Assembly of South Carolina. During the Revolution this ferry was the scene of a skirmish, on August 12, 1780, where General Francis Marion fought his first skirmish with Tory calvary under Major Ganey. From Bishop Gregg's History of the Old Cheraws, p. 595: 'On August 10, 1780, Marion arrived at the post of Lynches Creek and took command of the party there. He was soon on the move. On the second day after his arrival--that is the 12th of August 1780--placing white cockades upon his men to distinguish them from the Tories, he crossed the Pedee at Port's Ferry to disperse a large body under Major Gainey, stationed on Britton's Neck, between the Great and Little Pedee Rivers. He surprised them at dawn, killed one of their captains and several privates, and had two men wounded. Major James was detached at the head of a volunteer troop to attack the Tory horse. He came up with them, charged, and drove them before him. On this affair he singled out Major Gainey as the object of his attack. At his approach, Gainey fled and James pursued him closely, nearly within the reach of his sword, for half a mile, when behind a thicket he came upon a part of Tories who had rallied. Not at all intimidated, but with great presence of mind, Major James called out: "Come on boys; here they are! Here they are!'" and the whole body of Tories broke again and rushed into the swamp. [Gregg's sources included McCrady's History, Vol. III, p. 651 and Simm's Life of Marion (See Simms' account).--vp],
By an act of December 16, 1815, the ferry was vested in Joseph Davis, the grandson of Thomas Port.

A highway marker, Marion at Port's Ferry, is located on Kingsburg Hwy. (S.C. Hwy. 41/ 51), in the Kingsburg vicinity about 3 miles north of Johnsonville. Port's Ferry, 3 miles northeast on the Pee Dee, was owned and operated by Frances Port (c. 1725-1812), widow of Thomas Port, who was a member of the Provincial Congress from Prince Frederick's Parish. This was a strategic crossing for Francis Marion, who fortified and used it frequently in his fall campaign of 1780 against British and Tories.

Thomas Port, 1713- married circa 1732, Frances Hinson, 1717- daughter of George HINSON, Sr., of North Carolina. Thomas Port is buried at Port's Ferry [Family] Cemetery, on land he owned [Georgetown District SC 70].

To this marriage these children are known:

son, Benjamin PORT, 1730's - ; a veteran of the American Revolutionary War;

son, Joseph T. PORT, 1730's - ;

daughter, Rachel Hinson PORT, March 1732- after 1800 - ; md. February 21, 1748 [Register Book for the Parish, Prince Frederick Parish, Winyaw] Benjamin DAVIS, 1717-1797;

daughter, Sarah PORT, 1740- ;

son, Hinson T. PORT, 1740 - ;

son, James PORT, 1745 - ;

daughter, Elizabeth PORT, 1749 - ; md. Rev. Thomas HUMPHRIES;

daughter, Frances Rebecca PORT, 1752-1770; md. William BELLUNE;

son, John Peter PORT, 1754- , a vertern of the American Revolutionary War; md. Anne DUNHAM (variant spelling: DUNHAM , DUNNAM);

In her will of 1811, recorded on February 18, 1812, Frances PORT states she was the widow of Thomas PORT, mentions Mary Port SNOW, daughter of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; land she now owns, commonly called Port's Ferry, on both sides of the Pee Dee River; Elizabeth Witherspoon HUMPRHIES, daughter of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; John HUMPHRIES, son of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; Frances Rebecca HUMPHRIES, daughter of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; Sarah Capers HUMPHRIES, daughter of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; daughter, Elisabeth Port HUMPRHIES, 'wife' of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; Hugh James ALISON; John BALLOON [BELLUNE] ALISON, son of Hugh James ALISON; James ALISON, son of Francis ALISON; Frances Rebecca ALISON, daughter of Francis ALISON; William Green BALLOON [BELLUNE], son of Old William BALLOON [BELLUNE]; Nancy DAVIS, wife of Benjamin II DAVIS; Thomas Port DAVIS, son of Benjamin II DAVIS; John Calhoun DAVIS; Margaret DAVIS, wife of William DAVIS; John GODFREY, 'eldest son' of Richard GODFREY; Nansey GODFREY, daughter of Richard GODFREY; Benjamin GODFREY, son of Richard GODFREY; 'remaining part of Richard GODFREY's children'; Rachel DAVIS GRAVES, daughter of Benjamin DAVIS; John EVANT [AVANT]; Ann Capers HUMPHRIES, daughter of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; PORT, FRANCES OF PEE DEE, MARION DISTRICT, WILL TYPESCRIPT (MSS WILL: BOOK 1, PAGE 75; ESTATE PACKET: ROLL 645) (4 FRAMES).



American Revolutionary Patriot, Sons of the American Revolution Number 60589, 1713 (Wales) - 1790, Port's Ferry [Georgetown District], South Carolina.

Thomas Port, 1713 - 1788, was son of Joseph PORT and of his wife, Anne, immigrants from Wales. A Joseph Port owned land adjacent to Thomas BOSHER (Bossierre) in Prince George's Parish of Craven County, by 1732 and on January 1, 1735, a Joseph PORT secured a land plat for 760 acres on Deep Gully Creek, Georgetown River, in Craven County.

Siblings of Thomas PORT, 1713-1788, include brother, Joseph II PORT, August 25, 1726; brother, Benjamin PORT, born September 4th, 17--; baptized March 24, 1738. [Register Book for the Parish, Prince Frederick Parish, Winyaw]

The Ports were staunch supporters of the Church of England.
Thomas Port obtained lands in both Prince Frederick's and St. David's Parishes, Marion Township.

A tract of 300 acres land in Queensborough Township was laid off southwest to the Pee Dee River, southeast by Morrison's land, north east by Thomas CHARNOCK's land; and northwest by vacant lands for Thomas PORT on April 14, 1755; he continued to purchase land in Craven County, in the area today known as Port's Ferry through 1770.

Thomas PORT, 1713-1788, was enumerated on the Petit Jury List (P:5), residing in Prince Frederick Parish, South Carolina, in 1770.

Thomas Port was commissioned a Captain and organized a Volunteer Company in St. David's Parish in 1775-6, and served as its Captain. When St. David's Parish was set off, he was one of the Commissioners appointed to build a church, chapel, and parsonage [Old St. David's, Cheraw, South Carolina]

He operated a ferry, Port's Ferry, on the Pee Dee River, having been authorized to do so by the State Assembly of South Carolina. During the Revolution this ferry was the scene of a skirmish, on August 12, 1780, where General Francis Marion fought his first skirmish with Tory calvary under Major Ganey. From Bishop Gregg's History of the Old Cheraws, p. 595: 'On August 10, 1780, Marion arrived at the post of Lynches Creek and took command of the party there. He was soon on the move. On the second day after his arrival--that is the 12th of August 1780--placing white cockades upon his men to distinguish them from the Tories, he crossed the Pedee at Port's Ferry to disperse a large body under Major Gainey, stationed on Britton's Neck, between the Great and Little Pedee Rivers. He surprised them at dawn, killed one of their captains and several privates, and had two men wounded. Major James was detached at the head of a volunteer troop to attack the Tory horse. He came up with them, charged, and drove them before him. On this affair he singled out Major Gainey as the object of his attack. At his approach, Gainey fled and James pursued him closely, nearly within the reach of his sword, for half a mile, when behind a thicket he came upon a part of Tories who had rallied. Not at all intimidated, but with great presence of mind, Major James called out: "Come on boys; here they are! Here they are!'" and the whole body of Tories broke again and rushed into the swamp. [Gregg's sources included McCrady's History, Vol. III, p. 651 and Simm's Life of Marion (See Simms' account).--vp],
By an act of December 16, 1815, the ferry was vested in Joseph Davis, the grandson of Thomas Port.

A highway marker, Marion at Port's Ferry, is located on Kingsburg Hwy. (S.C. Hwy. 41/ 51), in the Kingsburg vicinity about 3 miles north of Johnsonville. Port's Ferry, 3 miles northeast on the Pee Dee, was owned and operated by Frances Port (c. 1725-1812), widow of Thomas Port, who was a member of the Provincial Congress from Prince Frederick's Parish. This was a strategic crossing for Francis Marion, who fortified and used it frequently in his fall campaign of 1780 against British and Tories.

Thomas Port, 1713- married circa 1732, Frances Hinson, 1717- daughter of George HINSON, Sr., of North Carolina. Thomas Port is buried at Port's Ferry [Family] Cemetery, on land he owned [Georgetown District SC 70].

To this marriage these children are known:

son, Benjamin PORT, 1730's - ; a veteran of the American Revolutionary War;

son, Joseph T. PORT, 1730's - ;

daughter, Rachel Hinson PORT, March 1732- after 1800 - ; md. February 21, 1748 [Register Book for the Parish, Prince Frederick Parish, Winyaw] Benjamin DAVIS, 1717-1797;

daughter, Sarah PORT, 1740- ;

son, Hinson T. PORT, 1740 - ;

son, James PORT, 1745 - ;

daughter, Elizabeth PORT, 1749 - ; md. Rev. Thomas HUMPHRIES;

daughter, Frances Rebecca PORT, 1752-1770; md. William BELLUNE;

son, John Peter PORT, 1754- , a vertern of the American Revolutionary War; md. Anne DUNHAM (variant spelling: DUNHAM , DUNNAM);

In her will of 1811, recorded on February 18, 1812, Frances PORT states she was the widow of Thomas PORT, mentions Mary Port SNOW, daughter of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; land she now owns, commonly called Port's Ferry, on both sides of the Pee Dee River; Elizabeth Witherspoon HUMPRHIES, daughter of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; John HUMPHRIES, son of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; Frances Rebecca HUMPHRIES, daughter of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; Sarah Capers HUMPHRIES, daughter of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; daughter, Elisabeth Port HUMPRHIES, 'wife' of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; Hugh James ALISON; John BALLOON [BELLUNE] ALISON, son of Hugh James ALISON; James ALISON, son of Francis ALISON; Frances Rebecca ALISON, daughter of Francis ALISON; William Green BALLOON [BELLUNE], son of Old William BALLOON [BELLUNE]; Nancy DAVIS, wife of Benjamin II DAVIS; Thomas Port DAVIS, son of Benjamin II DAVIS; John Calhoun DAVIS; Margaret DAVIS, wife of William DAVIS; John GODFREY, 'eldest son' of Richard GODFREY; Nansey GODFREY, daughter of Richard GODFREY; Benjamin GODFREY, son of Richard GODFREY; 'remaining part of Richard GODFREY's children'; Rachel DAVIS GRAVES, daughter of Benjamin DAVIS; John EVANT [AVANT]; Ann Capers HUMPHRIES, daughter of [Rev.] Thomas HUMPHRIES; PORT, FRANCES OF PEE DEE, MARION DISTRICT, WILL TYPESCRIPT (MSS WILL: BOOK 1, PAGE 75; ESTATE PACKET: ROLL 645) (4 FRAMES).