-----Original Message----- From: Robert Steele <samstee@tds.net> To: STEELE-L@rootsweb.com <STEELE-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Saturday, February 10, 2001 12:18 PM Subject: [Steele-L] Reuben Steele, Scotland?, Virginia, North Carolina 18th Century >I would like to find more information about Reuben Steele, and his >descendants. > >The genealogy of one of his sons, Robert Steele, has been published by Carl >Steele of Tulsa, OK in his book "Gathering of the Clan" but what happened to >the rest of Reuben's fourteen children has not been established. > >This what Carl Steele wrote about Reuben's family in his book: > >"Reuben Steele was probably born about 1720 in Argyll County, Scotland. >Legend purports him to be a son of Alexander Steele and his English wife, >Hanna. Alexander, born about 1680, lived in Glen Strae, Glen Orchy and Glen >Locky, Scotland. He was a famous leader of the McGregor clan, being >declared chief of the clan Gregor in July 1714. The wife of Reuben was a >Crockett. She appears to have descended from Gabriel Gustave de >Crocketagne' through his son, Antoine Desasur Pernonette de Crocketagne a >Huguenot and the father of three sons, one of whom likely was the father of >Reuben's wife. > >Whether they came directly from Scotland or via Ireland is unknown. They >landed in Philadelphia and went soon, perhaps at once, to the Shenandoah >Valley. There, in the present county of Rockbridge, Benjamin Borden was >granted a large tract of land by Virginia's Colonial Government in 1739. >Many settlers, and perhaps our Steele's, bought their land from the "Borden >Grant." > >When Borden died in 1743. There was considerable confusion in the >settlement of his estate, and many settlers were unable to obtain final >title to their land. They left their tracts and pushed on to new >settlements, leaving no trace in the public record of their stay in the >valley. > >River Valley which lay on the edge of the "great wilderness." This fertile >valley was a favorite hunting grounds for the Canawhay, Catabus, Cherokee, >Delaware, Shawnee and Wyandot Indians. Many bloody and bitter battles were >fought among the various Indian tribe to protect their hunting rights. >Although no Indian tribe claimed the New River Valley as a permanent home, >the intrusion of the white settlers was generally resented. In those days, >only the Cherokee was regarded as friendly. They bartered and taught the >white man "home remedies" to cure his ills with herbs and animal fats. >Undoubtedly, our ancestors had many friendly encounters with the Indians and >learned techniques necessary to their survival in this new land. > >Hostility was abundant and brutal. During this period our pioneer ancestors >lived in constant fear of attack from any one of a number of Indian tribes >which frequented the area. The fears of these ancestors were intensified as >news of the massacre of a neighboring settlement at Draper's Meadow was >received. On the eighth of July 1755, every soul at Draper's Meadow was >killed, wounded, or captured. Hardly a settlement in the New River Valley >had escaped the frightful massacres that occurred in the latter half of the >175O's. Our Steele family once narrowly escaped death at the hands of >Indians which may have been a factor in their decision to leave the New >River Valley. > >New River Valley, the proclamation line of 1763 did. This line forbade the >purchase or settlement of Indian lands which extended westerly of a line >running through the heads of the rivers which fell into the Atlantic from >the west or northwest. By the early 1760's, Reuben had relocated his family >in a more settled area. Although he could have taken the family back into >the Shenandoah Valley or perhaps into North Carolina, it seems likely the >family found Prince Edward County a more desirable choice. Both Steeles and >Crocketts were living in Prince Edward County along the Buffalo River in a >Scotch-Irish settlement established some years earlier in 1735 learning to >live without the constant threat of Indian attack. There was time to renew >acquaintance with seldom seen relatives and time to develop new friendships. >Robert may well have met his wife-to-be, Mary, also known as Polly, Keeling >or Kelen, during this time. But their future seemed to lay in North >Carolina, and soon the family was on the move again. Tradition places them >in the "Forks of the Yadkin," a valley lying between the main Yadkin and >the South Yadkin River comprising present Davie and Yadkin counties. There, >Reuben reared the remainder of his fourteen children." > >Two of his sons, Robert and Samuel, moved back to the New River Valley >where they remained for the rest of their lives. What happened to the rest >of Reuben's fourteen children? > > > >First Generation >---------------------------------------- > >1. Reuben Steele. Born abt 1720 in Argyll, Scotland. Reuben died in At Sea. > > abt 1740 when Reuben was 20, he married __________ Crockett, in Scotland? >Born in Scotland. > >They had the following children: > 2 i. Robert (~1745-~1821) > ii. Samuel. > > iii. Margaret. > >Margaret married Walter Crockett. > > iv. Jennie. > >Jennie married John Crockett. > > v. Lettie. > >Lettie married Sam Crockett. > > > >Second Generation >---------------------------------------- > >2. Robert Steele. Born abt 1745 in VA. Buried abt 1821 in Wythe County, >VA. Robert died in Wythe County, VA abt May 1821, he was 76. > > abt 1771 when Robert was 26, he first married Mary "Polly" Keeling, in >Prince Edward County, VA. > >They had the following children: > i. James (~1773-) > ii. Samuel (~1775-1822) > iii. Edmond (1777-1850) > iv. William (1778-1857) > v. Jeffrey Oliver (~1782-) > vi. John (~1782-) > vii. Elizabeth (~1783-) > > abt 1785 when Robert was 40, he second married Rebecca Oury. > >They had the following children: > i. David (~1795-~1863) > ii. Reuben (1797-1866) > iii. Robert (~1798-) > iv. Catherine (~1800-) > v. Crockett (~1802-~1857) > vi. George (~1808->1880) > vii. Nancy (~1810-) > viii. Owry (1810-1863) > > > > > >==== STEELE Mailing List ==== >List address STEELE-L@rootsweb.com >Replies are set "reply to list" facilitating STEELE connections. >List Manager's address STEELE-admin@rootsweb.com > >============================== >Add as many as 10 Good Years To Your Life >If you know how to reduce these risks. >http://www.thirdage.com/health/wecare/hearthealth/index.html > >