I haven't heard of any European-origin settlers being born in ~1735 in the region that became Ninety Six District, since it remained Indian Territory for another couple of decades. A few Licensed Indian Traders were permitted to keep outposts along the Savannah that early, but it wasn't a place for families. The first appearance of the Messer surname in backcountry SC was in 1758, when a John Messer applied for a 400-acre grant (for himself and 6 household members). He settled in the Long Canes region in Abbeville--not Edgefield--District. That was beyond the official Indian Boundary at the time. I don't know if he survived the Long Canes Massacre in Feb 1760. A Rebekah Messer (widow or daughter?) married a John Deall at the Long Canes settlement in 1765, and a Robert Messer owned property there in the early 1770's. The first Messer with documented property in Edgefield District was a Joseph Messer, who owned land near Cloud's Creek (current Saluda Co just west of Lexington Co) by 1772. This is where John, William and Samuel Messer lived later, so possibly the same family. Either his land petition was misplaced, or he's the Joseph "Measils" who petitioned for 200 acres in 1771. The ones with militia service records in SC were Robert Messer (of Abbeville) and people named James, John and William Messer. They were not necessarily residents of SC at the time of enlistment, since members of several NC units were in military engagements in SC and got post-war land grants there. The SC colonial records are not informative about the location of the James Messer family before the war. In 1754, the Craven Co NC militia company under Capt. John Isler included privates named James Messer Sr. and Benjamin Messer. The 1755 Pasquotank Co NC company under Capt. Samuel Lowman included privates Joseph and Coy Messer. The surname is relatively common in colonial NC, extremely rare in colonial SC. The Long Canes (Abbeville) settlement where the John Messer family moved in 1758 was founded by the Pickens and Calhoun families from PA and VA via NC; most of their fellow settlers had also lived previously in NC. Given the absence of pre-war records for the family of James Messer in Edgefield (or elsewhere in SC), you may need to look in NC. Try the archives for Craven and Pasquotank counties, since some members of the family were present there in the 1750's. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Del Messer" <delnnerk@hotmail.com> To: <SCEDGEFI-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 12:38 PM Subject: [SCEDGEFI] Looking for Messer surname in Edgefield I am the 5th gr.grandson to James Messer born 1735 in Edgefeild Co. S.C. I have read many lists and emails and have yet to see the Messer name. James Messer's children were William, Stephen, John Jr., Jacob, Moses, Sarah, Sion, Prudence, Benjamin and Samuel. John is my 4th gr.granfather. I joined your site hopeing to go back futher to James's father and possably the emigrant origon. I did find a will naming two of his son's as witnesses and that one of them later obtaned some of the land in the Edgefield area mentioned in the will. If anyone has seen the Messer name in Edgefield Co., please let me know. Thank you... Delbert H. Messer Jr. (Del)

Hi Folks, Fort Moore was present in what -eventually- became Edgefield District starting during the 1730s. It was created on the Savannah River at what was to become the New Windsor Township and then became Beech Island (first Edgefield District, then later Aiken County). This was just below the Fall Line at Augusta, Georgia (near Sand Bar Ferry). I checked the listing of surnames for New Windsor and didn't find that of anyone named Messer. Many of the settlers of New Windsor were Swiss in orignins - although, not all were such. The naming pattern for that area -did- change over time. Much of South Carolina was settled in part by Huguenots, of course. Peter Reddick, brother of my gggg-grandfather Nicholas Reddick - had a 'plantation' at Beach Island through 1815 or '16. That's my point of origin (and interest) with the area of Fort Moore / New Windsor / Beech Island. Sincerely, Dale E. Reddick _________________________________ Harriet Imrey wrote: > I haven't heard of any European-origin settlers being born in ~1735 in the > region that became Ninety Six District, since it remained Indian Territory > for another couple of decades. A few Licensed Indian Traders were permitted > to keep outposts along the Savannah that early, but it wasn't a place for > families. > > The first appearance of the Messer surname in backcountry SC was in 1758, > when a John Messer applied for a 400-acre grant (for himself and 6 household > members). He settled in the Long Canes region in Abbeville--not > Edgefield--District. That was beyond the official Indian Boundary at the > time. I don't know if he survived the Long Canes Massacre in Feb 1760. A > Rebekah Messer (widow or daughter?) married a John Deall at the Long Canes > settlement in 1765, and a Robert Messer owned property there in the early > 1770's. > > The first Messer with documented property in Edgefield District was a Joseph > Messer, who owned land near Cloud's Creek (current Saluda Co just west of > Lexington Co) by 1772. This is where John, William and Samuel Messer lived > later, so possibly the same family. Either his land petition was misplaced, > or he's the Joseph "Measils" who petitioned for 200 acres in 1771. The ones > with militia service records in SC were Robert Messer (of Abbeville) and > people named James, John and William Messer. They were not necessarily > residents of SC at the time of enlistment, since members of several NC units > were in military engagements in SC and got post-war land grants there. > > The SC colonial records are not informative about the location of the James > Messer family before the war. In 1754, the Craven Co NC militia company > under Capt. John Isler included privates named James Messer Sr. and Benjamin > Messer. The 1755 Pasquotank Co NC company under Capt. Samuel Lowman > included privates Joseph and Coy Messer. The surname is relatively common > in colonial NC, extremely rare in colonial SC. The Long Canes (Abbeville) > settlement where the John Messer family moved in 1758 was founded by the > Pickens and Calhoun families from PA and VA via NC; most of their fellow > settlers had also lived previously in NC. Given the absence of pre-war > records for the family of James Messer in Edgefield (or elsewhere in SC), > you may need to look in NC. Try the archives for Craven and Pasquotank > counties, since some members of the family were present there in the 1750's. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Del Messer" <delnnerk@hotmail.com> > To: <SCEDGEFI-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 12:38 PM > Subject: [SCEDGEFI] Looking for Messer surname in Edgefield > > > I am the 5th gr.grandson to James Messer born 1735 in Edgefeild Co. S.C. I > have read many lists and emails and have yet to see the Messer name. James > Messer's children were William, Stephen, John Jr., Jacob, Moses, Sarah, > Sion, Prudence, Benjamin and Samuel. John is my 4th gr.granfather. I joined > your site hopeing to go back futher to James's father and possably the > emigrant origon. I did find a will naming two of his son's as witnesses and > that one of them later obtaned some of the land in the Edgefield area > mentioned in the will. If anyone has seen the Messer name in Edgefield > Co., please let me know. > Thank you... Delbert H. Messer Jr. (Del) >