Individual Details

Married Rachel Buckley? Some researchers state that the James who married Rachel was the son of William & Susannah Vardry McBee. But I believe that James had a wife named Sarah and was a generation older. Another suggests he is a son of that James whose wife was Sarah, not William, and a grandson of William & Susannah. However, see the connection regarding land in Pittsylvania Co.

James appears to be the only child of William & Abigail that might have gone to Georgia. There remains a possibility that both William & Abigail McBee and James & Sarah McBee, could have had sons named James. If so, it also follows that they both married a Rachel.

Pittsylvania Co DB 4
p.274 William McBee of Parish Camden in Pittsylvania for natural love & affections I have unto my son James McBee. Tract of 100 acres; begin Walkers corner, on Walkers line, Been's old line. Part of the tract whereon I now live. [This would be the Mountain Creek land] Signed: William (W) Macbee. Wit: Edward (x) Cahol, Richard Lane, William Macbee Junr.
28 Nov 1776. Acknowledged by William Macbee
[The fact that this deed identifies James, son of William as receiving some of his Mountain Creek land, and that Rachel Magbee witnessed an earlier mortgage deed of William Sr that mentions Mountain Creek, may very well indicate that James whose wife was Rachel Buckley was the son of William & Abigail McBee. Then James sold it back to William.]
Pittsylvania Co VA, DB 5, p.335
10 Nov 1779 James Macbee & his wife to William Macbee for 80£. 100 acres in Pittsylvania Co on branches of Mountain Creek, joining sd William Macbee's land, to wit, bounded by Jeremiah Walker. Signed: James McBee. Wit: Joshua Stone, Robert Walters, George Morgan. Rec. 16 Nov 1779. Proved by Oaths of witnesses.

Pittsylvania DB 6, p.21 20 Jun 1780 William Vason to James Mackbee for 20£. 200 acres on branches of Akins Creek, sd Vason's line. Signed: William Vason.
Wit: John Buckley, Robert Finlay, John Wallors. Ack. 20 Jun 1780
Another abstract shows"Allens Creek" and John Walters as witness. I rechecked the deed in February, 2012 - the Creek is most likely Akins and certainly not Allens. I believe John Walters was indeed the witness - the name is written a total of three times and although the "t" in Walters is never crossed it is distinctly different for the "l" next to it and it was definitely "ers" and not "ors".


Pittsylvania DB 7, p.376
October 29, 1784 between Jas Moore of Pittsy and Claude Piat of same for 20 pounds, a parcel of land on the head branches of Allens Creek containing by Estimation 100 acres
Bounded:  James Mackbee’s line where it crosses Clements old road, Daniel Jenkins line, Thomas Vaughan’s line, Chisum’s line, crosses Clements old Road aforesaid, along the Road
s/ James (X) Moore
Wit:  Joshua Stone, John George, Ben Bailey
November 15, 1784

Pittsylvania DB 7
p.465 15 Jan 1785 James Mackbee to Joseph Clark of Halifax. 35£. Tract in Pittsy. 200 acres. Metes and bounds pointers. Signed: James Mackbee. Wit: Joshua Stone, Jno Ramey, John Buckley, Richard Anderson
18 Jul 1785 Proved by three of witnesses.
Apparently this is the above tract purchased five years earlier. Note the witness names Buckley.

Rachel's right of dower for the above land sold to Clark was relinquished and recorded years later:
Pittsylvania DB 12
p.226 Oglethorpe Co, Georgia. Came Rachel Magbey, wife of James Mabgey of county aforesaid and being taken separately and apart from her Husband James Magbey…..her right of Dower to a certain tract of land, 200 acres in Pittsylvania Co on waters of Bannister River adj lands of William Vasan & Daniel Jenkins sold by James Magbey to Joseph Clark.
Signed: Rachel (x) Magbey. Certified 6 Nov 1800, Wm Graves, Geo. Moore, JP's Certified by J W. Lumpkin, clerk of Co Court. 15 Dec 1800. Recorded in Pittsylvania Co

Washington Co, TN [NC], Vol 2, p.86
State of NC Grant #475. 50 shillings for every hundred acres paid by James McBee [Sr or Jr is inserted in superscript - it is impossible to be sure which is meant and the designation appears only in one place. Either way it suggests more than one James McBee]
Grant of 100 acres in Washington County, NC near the head of Fall Branch of Horse Creek. [only metes & bounds markers, no neighbors named] Grant to be registered within 12 months.
10 Nov 1784
Signed: Alexr. Martin, Governor

Washington Co TN, Vol. 4, p.240
27 Nov 1788 James Mackbee of Georgia, Wilks County, to William Macbee Senior of Washington Co NC for 30£ 100 acres in Washington Co NC nears the head of the Fall Branch of Horse Creek being a survey the sd McBee took up.
Signed: James Mackbee
Wit: Thomas English, Israel McBee, Laban McBee
My note: This is obviously the sale of the 100 acres NC State Grant #475 made to James in 1784. He has "gone to Georgia". I have looked very carefully and the word following William Macbee is definitely "Senior". I do know that the William McBee who married MaryAnn Cox was in Washington Co NC [later part of TN] at this time. At first look this appears to be James selling his 100 acres of NC land to his brother William, but it may have been to his father - the William married to Abigail - see next.
Washington Co TN, Vol 4, p.228
28 Oct 1791 William McBee Junr [this one is a toss-up and could very well be Senr] of the Territory of the States South of the River Ohio, Washington County, to Samuel McBee of the same for 45£. 100 acres on or near the head of the fall Branch of Horse Creek.
Signed: William "M" McBee [signed with a mark....]
Wit: Israel McBee, Thomas English
My note: Samuel McBee, believed to be a son of William & Abigail appeared in the 1850 census. He was age 88 as given by the enumerator, or born about 1772. It isn't too much of a stretch to think that his father bought the 100 acres from James who had gone to Georgia and then sold it to son Samuel about the time he came of age or married.


Georgia Headright & Bounty Land Records
29 Jan 1791
By Court of Justices of Franklin County to John Gorham esquire, County Surveyor. You are hereby authorized and required to measure and lay out or come to be measured and laid out unto James McBee a Tract of Land which shall contain 200 acres in Franklin County on old warrant of Elijah Walters. Taking special the same has not heretofore been laid out to any person or persons and you are also hereby directed and required to record a platt of the same in your office...
3 July 1797
[same court] to James Wyly, esquire, County Surveryor. to James McBee ...any hundred acres in Franklin Co on part his family Head Rights.

GA County Formation that may explain the different locations - James may not have had to move all that much for his records to be in these places.
Wilkes Co from Indian lands, 1777
Franklin Co from Cherokee Cession, 1784 Bordered Wilkes Co.
Jackson Co, from Franklin Co, 1796
Clarke Co from Jakcson Co, 1801

Clarke Co, GA, Executors and Aministrators Records, 1805-1821
Jany Term, 1815.
Rachel Magee guardian of Hiram Magee orphan of James Magee, dec'd. Laban Mabee, Security

Clarke Co, Georgia Guardian & Administrative Bonds, Vol. C, p.63
Laban Magbee appointed administrator for the estate of James Magbee, dec'd. Entered bond 6 Mar 1815, $6,000. Security: David Elder, John Orsborn. To make Inventory and present to the court. Distribute to heirs. Signed: Laban Magbee, David (X) Elder, John Osburn.
Recorded 10 Mar 1815.

Georgia Tax Records.
Clarke Co, 1815. Capt Meriwether's District
Magby, Laban. 30 acres 2nd class land; 35 acres, 3rd class. Granted to Few, Adjoining Elder, Clarke Co, Waters of Oconee. 4 Slaves.
"do" for James Magby, dec'd. 90 acres, 2nd class,; 90 acres, 3rd class. Granted to Few. Adjoining Elder, Clarke Co, Waters of Oconee. 9 Slaves.
"do" for James Magby, dec'd. 206 acres, 3rd class. Granted to Magby. Adjoining Gresham, Oglethorpe Co. Waters of Little River
"do" for James Magby, dec'd. 202 1/2 acres, 3rd cladd. Granted Magby. No. 161. Wilkinson Co

Georgia Tax Records.
Clarke Co. 1816. Capt Meriwether's District
Magby, Laban. 65 acres, granted Few, adj Elder, Clarke Co, Oconee River. 4 Slaves
"do" for Jas. Magby Desd. 126 acres, granted Few, adj Elder, Clarke Co, Oconee River 7 Slaves
"do" for same, 206 acres, granted Magby, adj Gresham, Oglethorpe Co, Little River
"do" for same, 202 1/2 acres, granted Magby, #361, Wilkerson Co, Oconee River
"do" for Tabitha Magby (no land) 1 Slave.


Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 00:49:44 -0500 (EST)
Resent-from: MCBEE-L@rootsweb.com
From: Tiafind@aol.com
I have had several requests for information on James T.
Magbee, son of Hiram Magbee and Susan Wooten. .......: James T. Magbee b. c. 1820 in Ga, d. Tampa FL, was married to a woman named Julia. He and Julia adopted a boy named Archie Donnelly who immigrated from Edinburg, Scotland. Archibald Donnelly (he changed his name to Magbee) married Fanny Pinkard in Atlanta c. 1890 and had 4 children, Ruth, Francis, Byron and Kathryn. Mace and Byron are the sons of Archibald and Fanny's son Byron who died in Columbus, OH. According to Byron Magbee, the grandson,
Archibald and his brother Lucius were brought to this country by their parents about 1860, the parents died during the voyage and the two young boys were orphans landing in Key West. They were adopted by Judge Magbee.. Apparently Lucius went to Tulsa, OK (I know there are Magbee's in OK but don't know if they are the descendants of Lucius Donnelly (or Magbee?) Archibald, also was in the newspaper employ in Atlanta and worked last being at The Miami Herald where he died in 1951 in Miami .
James T. Magbee had no children of his own. I was able to find nothing more on James T. Magbee at that time so just filed it away in my "great file" of unknowns. Now to the present! In Jan I was working in the University of South Florida Library, in Tampa, asked to have some copies made of
material I had found on my husband's Simmons line, and had to give them my name. The very nice Librarian ask me if I was related to Judge James T. Magbee, a very well known person in Tampa in the 1880"s. I said no but I knew of him. He printed me out pages and pages about this man and this is what the print out said. He was quite a character, a politician, represented the County in the State Senate, was owned and edited the Tampa Times newspaper, a Mason and a number of other occupations. He was married 3 times, Susan Adaline Tatum, 2. Julia and 3. Carrie Burr Fisher (who was apparently much younger than he. ) James T. was born c. 1820 in Butts Co., GA and died in Tampa 12 Dec 1885,. the son of Hiram Magbee and Susannah Wooten.
Hiram was the son of James Magbee and Rachel Buckley. His older brother was Laban Magbee who married Rebecca Whatley in Greene Co., GA in 1806. Laban is my husbands ancestor...........I believe that James Magbee who was married to Rachel Buckley was the son of James Magbee and wife Sara (they died in Franklin Co., GA , both James Magbees died about the same time. I have not been able to prove that James and Sarah were the parents of James married to Rachel. Surely would like help there. I also don't know of any other children of Hiram and Susannah Wooten'. Hiram was not of age when his father died and Laban, his brother was named his guardian. Clare
Note: I believe that James was instead the son of William McBee, nephew of the elder James. Hiram's guardian was his mother Rachel. Laban signed as her security.

Birth	Abt 1757	Halifax County, Virginia
Death	1814	Clarke County, Georgia
Marriage		Rachel Buckley

Spouse	Rachel Buckley ( - 1833)
Child	[Daughter] McBee ( - 1833)
Child	Laban McBee (1782 - 1863)
Child	Elizabeth McBee ( - )
Child	Tabitha McBee ( - )
Child	Hiram McBee (1796 - )

Father	WILLIAM McBee (1725 - 1812)
Mother	ABIGAIL ?Hubbard ( - )
Sibling	SELETHA MCBEE (1751 - 1830)
Sibling	William McBee (1756 - 1826)
Sibling	Israel McBee (1761 - 1861)
Sibling	Susannah McBee (1762 - 1850)
Sibling	Isaac McBee (1764 - 1849)
Sibling	Abigail McBee (1770 - 1825)
Sibling	Samuel McBee (1772 - 1858)
Sibling	?Tabitha Ann McBee (1780 - )