Individual Details

James Kilgore was the son of Col. Benjamin Kilgore, a soldier of the Revolution. His mother was Anna McCreary Kilgore.

On April 21, 1766 Anna McCreary Kilgore was horseback riding with her infant son, James. Both were attacked and scalped by hostile Indians. Anna died and James was left for dead but he survived. His father, Benjamin Kilgore, remarried and had more children. Benjamin, with his second wife, Jane McDavid, and some of his grown children, moved to Kentucky between 1799 and 1802 where he died in 1802. James remained near Greenville, SC. He was a representative to the SC Legislature for 16 years. He married Keziah Greer July 19, 1787. They had nine children. James and Keziah are buried in the Kilgore Family Cemetery in Greenville County, SC. It is said that James and Keziah were rocked in the same credle after his mother was killed by the Indians.

James and other Kilgore family lived on granted lands in Greenville District. The size of a man's land grant was determined by how far he could ride on a horse in one day. The person would mark a tree and ride out as far as he thought he could go, mark another tree, make a left or right turn, ride to another tree and mark it, return in the direction towards his starting point, mark a third tree and make a final turn towards the original tree, forming somewhat of a box. All the lands granted to the Kilgore family remained in the family until near the end of the twentieth century when some of it was sold for housing developments. Today, the Kilgore Cemetery sits in the middle of a housing development, Nelson Creek, surrounded by a wooden fence. It is off Woodruff Road near Simpsonville in Greenville County, South Carolina. It sits behind Old Pilgrim Church which is a Negro church built on land given to the church by the Kilgore family. The church members and some slaves are buried in the church cemetery adjacent to the Kilgore Cemetery. In 2010 the stones in the Kilgore Cemetery were restored and the entrance was moved to the side behind Old Pilgrim Church.

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One daughter of James and Keziah is not listed below:
Malinda Kilgore, born November 26, 1806, Greenville District, South Carolina and died 1892, Oxford, Lafayette County, Mississippi.She married Hugh Walter(William) Barry in 1821 in South Carolina. Hugh was born October 5, 1793, Spartanburg District, South Carolina and died June 18, 1874, Lafayette County, Mississippi. Malinda and Hugh settled in Lafayette County, Mississippi and are believed to be buried in Old Liberty Church Cemetery but no stones are present. Her sister, Margaret N. KIlgore and Margaret's husband, Richard Barry, who is the brother of Hugh, are buried in Old Liberty Church Cemetery. The Barry brothers were born at Walnut Grove Plantation, Spartanburg District, South Carolina.

In the name of God Amen
I James Kilqore Sein'r of GrAenville DiEtrict in the State of
South Carolina callinv. to mind that God hath alloted all men to
die and bein~ in a low State of health; but of sound memory and
uerfect recollection of mind, do make and ordain this my only
& last will and Testament to be forever here~fter Valid as such
both in law and Ecuity (to wit) I do absolutely will and bequeath
my Soul to God who ~ave it, and my Body to the dust of the Earth
from whence it came, after bein~ decently Buried, at the discretion
of my Executors, hereinafter to be appointed It is my will
and desire that all my just debts be first paid, an~ as to the
ballance of my worldly Estate which it has been ~lease God to
bless me with, I do absolutely will and bequeath it to be divided
between my loving wife & children in the following manner (to wit)
1st Unto my lovein~ Wire Keziah Kilgore I do absolutely will and
bequeath durin~ her natural ~5fe or widowhood two Hundred Acres of
Land including the plantation whereon I now live together with all
and sinp.ular the premises, rights, profits, & aupurtainances thereunto
belon~in~ or in any wise incident or apuurtaining thereunto
together ':ithall the plantation utensils, DloUR:hs, hoes, mattocks,
Etc. together with all my Household & kitchen Furniture, one Sorrell
Horse. one young Bay horse, and one young i,aymare and all my Stock
of Cattle, Ho~s. Sheep & Geese out of which Stock & its increase it
is my absolute ~ill & desire, that my loving Wife do pay over unto
Josiah Kil~ore one ~ood new feather Bed, including thirty five
wei~ht of new feathers, and ~ood new furniture two Cows and Calves
two Sows and pi~s & two Yews & Lambs, and a like moieties unto each
of the other Legatees as they may ~et married or come of age, Except
Elizabeth & Banister S-.one, who hAve already received a simular
divedend of prooerty. : also do absolutely will and Bequeath
unto my loving wife my negro ~n, Abram, a Ne~ro woman named SaraU
and her three children name~y. Geor~e. ~usah. & Wary. it Is 811$0
my Will that my loving Wife do have the use of the said N~~ro
~irl Mary durin~ her natural life, then to be returned to the
Estate for the benefit of my Legatees, ~nd all the rest of the
pronerty Land, ~e~roes & their increase so willed &s above as
above to my lovln& wife, to be returned to Sd Estate for the
Benefit of my Le~atees, at her death or marriage, all which nroperty
so retunned to be first applied to pay up to my Le~atees,
the different dividends as herein after allotted to them then if
any Ballance remains to be equally divided amongst my Legate~s
in such manner & way as my Executors may think right & just.
It is also my will and desire that my loveing wife do with
the consent of ~y Executors SupDly all ~y Legatees out of the
or6fits arisin~ from the nlantation, negroes and other nroperty
so ~illed to her, with alJ necessary apDarel in decency & f&shion
suitable ror younp."peonle of their ages, untill the ooys r:Jarr'y or
arrive to the af':eof twenty one years and the 'R"et ::12.ri"o,rd ar';·i'JtEo; the ul!e of Eip-hteen ,resrs :~;{ce,"e"itt.her' of
them should trans~ress tow~rds their ~other or act In any other
way or m~nner so as to induce my Executors & ~~ecutrix or a majority
of the~ to think that they have forfeited the above claim.
2nd, I do give ',iilland bequeath unto my Son & Daw;:hter Banister &
Flizabeth ~tone one Tract of Land ~upposed to contain Six Hundred
A.cres be the same more or less, sitl.late,lying, and, bein~, in the
State of South Carolina Greenville District on both sides of the
Eorsepen Creek inCluding the plant:)ti(','Jrlp.r'eon 3d. Stone & Richard
Lock€' n'y,'l,ivp.s al:'oincluding a sr~aL, :,lant-.:1.toifoni::i':;:rLHJ.f~y
acrBS of Land whereon Dinah Mo~in lat01y lived & purchased from her
by said stone, on the north sidl':boundln.~ by a line or my Jones Tract
of Land from wheN~ said line crosses vines branch thence S. and 690
E. 25 Chai~s to a small Post Oak Corr.~r of a 'rract of Land ori~inally
Granted to Jf!m~sDillard. th~nce thr'=,urrh said Tract ;:iouthacross Sd.
Horseren Cr""':kto the oriRlnal lIne ,[ .jd.i'ract together with all
& sirwular the ri.-hts. members her(::·.:"'-·:a:lalenndtasootkrtanances.
there.4ntob":.'''i!n''o~nocrr In any ;yi3~ i:cidenc or a:murta tnlnp: thereunto.
:3rd, It is also !:iY wish, thot all my !10me L~nds i:1G,-:"q·tin.:- t:1F.
i'rRct r:hcI''=:cI:mno'!live i::,oundin:orn ~~e ,'. 9Y J3mes I;. !,;cBrary,
ESQuire and Arc~lbalJ Lester N. W. by d"ni3t~~ Ston813 L~n~ inclwiin"
t:-Jirtyacres ':;.of thp. Charleston road boun,lill of t~e ":>0.by
',-:1~1tams Cr:r::lesLand and E. By 3d. ':iagon;-;.O'lStol. b:T .jarah Jackson's
Junr Lands by Jonathan va."is by 301o~an Jones' by Clemen Horners
Land & William Johnson's Lands. So. E. By John West-Moreland &
John ~oon's Land E. & N. E. ~y Christopher McCrary and Henry 8rockman's
Lanet H. E. «. Ii. By I'hos. Dean's & James Pike's Lands. N. jV.
8y Abraham 3mith's Land, all TIhich described lands after being by
my t~o older Sons Resurveyed and the quantity comoletely ascertained
It is my ';lillthat my Executors, do di-Jide the whole into four
eoual lots aGcordin~ to quantity and quality includin~ the 7ract
p:ivin'~ to m~' '.'fifeand makinp.; such necessary allowance in favour of
the Le~Rt'e to ~ho~ it may be allotted, out of ~y Estats for the
mL11b-sr (If yefJrs th'lt :r:yWife may enjoy it accordinp: to the :,'illl.
4th An'i I da absolutely '·:/illand beque'1 th unt·) m~T four 30ns (to
:.'i:ttJ)osiah KiJ:Forp., ::3enjarninKilqore, Ja.:ne~,: Kil<"oT'o'F:.: Je:13the abO'ie mentione:i fonr lots of L!>_~d 1:0 be lotted or pointed out
to t!lem by my Executors and Execntrix as they m:o.yco'"e of s.ge.
5th, And I do absolutely ';Jilland Bequeath unto my oldest soa Josiah
Kilgore a negro boy named Peter to be delivered UD to him at
my death also one other ne~ro boy named Tom a BlaCKsmith and his
black3mith Tools, but not to be delivered up to him untill the
twenty fifth day of December A. D. Ei~!lteen Hundred and twenty, also
three Hundred dollars for the Dur:)os'-".-:>fllidinhpi;m in finishing his
Steadies and purchasing him a Horse.
nth And I do absolutely Will and bequeath unto my second son 8enja:
nin Kil~ore one negro boy named Ned a Blacksmit!l and his Blacksmith
Tools, also three Hundred dollars for the puroose of aiding~
in finishin~ his ~teady and purchasin~ him a Horse.
7th And I do absolutely ~ill and be=ue~th unto my third son James
Kilg:ore one neRro boy named Jack anJ. two hun,!red dollars to make
him eQu'll to To!!:,also so much ;noney out oJ: the Estate as :nay be
J ,
(o!
h~u...bb~
to defray 'tne ex:)enc~ of com;;letinp:the sead~r of the Lattin &: Greek
Lanr"nap:es,e:np:lishGrami11ar,&: Geo~raphy also to cOI11pletethe Steady
of Physic, also one hundred &: twenty dol~ars to purchase him a Horse,
Sad'He &: 3ridQe.
8th And I do absolutely Will and beque'J.thunto my fourth Son Jesse
Kil~ore one negro boy named Johnson also thr~e Hundred « twenty dollars
to make him equal to Ned and purchase him a Horse, saddle &:
Bridle, and so much money out of the Estate as may be necessary to
defray the expence of compleeting the steady of the Latin &: Greek
Langua~es, En~lish Grammar &: G~o~raphy, also to complete the Steady
of the Law.
9th And I do also absolutely will and bequeath unto my four younger
Dau~hters (to wit) Mary Kilgore Margaret Kil~ore Malinda Kilgore
&: Lavina Kilgore Fifteen hundred dollars each to be paid unto them
ont of my Estate in the follo~i~~ manner, when they come of aF,e (to
wit) one like negro girl to each of them between 12 & 18 years old,
at their value, one Horse, Saddle and Bridle to be Daid to each of
them, worth one hlmdred &: twenty d~llars e&ch the Sallance to b~
Daid up unto them as soon as my Executors & Executrix ~ay thin~ the
Estgte can Day without distressing the Estate: but at fu~th8st to
be Daid at the de9.th or marriage of my 1ifeKeaiah Kil;1'orp.; but
.should either of them get married previous to their comeinF, of a~e
and without the sonsent of their Mother qnd my Executors or a Majority
of them then and in that case no part of their last payment, which
is to be in cash shall be paid unto ~~em untill after the death or
marriage of their mother and the prc:'erty so returned sold and the
money collected, also it is my Will that each of my four daughters
~et, at the expence of my Est~te a 11be~al ~~~lish education at the
disc1'etlon of my Executot's &: Executrix or a majority of them, and
3honld my Estate eventually not holl out to make their dividends
Fifteen h~ndred dollars each then and in such case it is to be fairly
understood that they are only to h",ve such eQual d~.vidend as the
Ballance of my ~state ~111 make af~er all my Just debr,9 are paid and
the ~everal a::J'.)un>t:s:lv~nunto m~' -'oursong, And sho::l-ieither 6C my
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• •.
Legatepg ~et married & die without legitinate issue then the
amount of their Estate to be returned to my'Excqtors, or should
any of my Legatees die before marriage, the amount so willed to
~hem, to be returned also to my Execuuors and so much of Sd. di¥idends
so returned as may be necessary to make good any dificiency
that may have hapnened as to the FIfteen hundred dollars first
allotted to each of my rour YOlmp:er daughters, and the Ballance to
be equally divided amongst all my legatees.
lOth And should any controversies arise in the settle~ent of my
Estate all such controversies shall be decided by my Executors &
Executrix together with two other f-oJd resnectable characters whom
they may call to ~~eir assistance and their decision or a majority
of t~em ~iven in writing under their hand and seals shall be final
& conclusive, and should either of my,Le~atees refuse to acquiesce
or abide by such award or word and appeal to Law he she or they
shall forfeit the whole amount or amounts as above willed unto them
~ 1AAX> ~ 1:0 k p~c1 ~ 0{ hu.t a.-U""o-t: i:;;, ~ (,k"
and the amoill1tso forfeited to be equally dlvid~d among the ba11anc~
of my Legatees--All the ballance of my Estate, except prov1s10ns~~~
Corn ~ other nrovinder and Leather, all which I wish to remain for
the benefit of the family & stock, to be sold on a credit of ~lghteen
months by my Executors & Executrix.
11th And I do hereby aDnolnt my loving ~iife Keziah Kilgore r;;xecutrix
to this my last will and Testament also my true & trust-:'fpiends
Andrew McCrary and Henry Brockman Executors to this my la:~twill and
Testament in witness hereof I have h·reunto set my hand &- seal this
19th day of way 1813.
Test Wm. Johnson
p. Smithson
Benjamin Greer James Kil~ore (L.S.)
Probate~ November 2, 1813.
D. Goodlett O.G.D.
Recorded in Will Book A Pa~e 223-224-225 & 226
Apt. 4 Filp. No.27l

Birth	29 May 1765	Spartanburg County, South Carolina
Marriage	19 Jul 1787	Keziah Greer
Death	23 Aug 1813	Simpsonville, Greenville County, South Carolina
Burial		Kilgore Family Cemetery (Hwy 146), Greenville, Greenville County, South Carolina

Spouse

Keziah Greer (1768 - 1834)

Father	Capt. Benjamin N. Kilgore (1740 - 1802)
Mother	Anna McCreary (1748 - 1766)
Sibling	Nancy Agnes Kilgore (1765 - 1844)

Notes