This Clements family made a mass exodus from North Carolina
to South Carolina. The records indicate
all male children of Benjamin Clements Sr. relocated to Pendleton County, South
Carolina by 1792. Pendleton County was
formed from Native American Cherokee lands in 1789 and was then a county within
the Ninety Six District. The Clements settled in the Broadway Creek area and
were led by Charles Clements, who appeared to have a burgeoning interest in
land investment. According to a 1789
deed, Charles, Culliver, and Jesse Clements were in Pendleton County. Reuben Clements arrived with is in-laws, the
Stewarts, by 1792. And James Clements
was also there by 1792. Of course these
brothers may have arrived a bit earlier as I am merely reporting the time at
which they first enter the Pendleton County records.
A Benjamin Clements did not show up in the Pendleton records
until 1795 when Jesse Clements passed away (in Jess Clements estate papers). He was mentioned once more in Pendleton on a
1799 deed as a witness with James Clements.
In 1800, the entire Clements family was found in Pendleton (Culliver,
James, Reuben. And Charles) along with three different Benjamin Clements
households. The appearance of three
Benjamins further confuses researchers who often attribute one as the father of
the clan and another as Benjamin Clements Jr.
One Benjamin Clements is certainly the son of Reuben Clements (family
#843 near the Brazeals, who married into the Reuben Clements family). Both of the other two Benjamin Clements are
over 45. One is near Culliver Clements
(Benjamin Clements family #944) and is most likely Benjamin Clements Jr. The other Benjamin Clements (family #903)
does not appear to be related. Neither
of the older Benjamin Clements would be a match for Benjamin Clements Sr., who
would be over 70 years old, as they both had wives that appear to have been 26
to 45 years of age and both had young children living in the home.
Clements families in the 1800
Pendleton District, South Carolina census (marked red). Also included in the chart are known family
members and those men associated with the Clements through land transactions.
After 1800, the Clements family began to separate
geographically. By 1801, Charles and
James Clements were in Jackson County, Georgia.
Culliver Clements and possibly Benjamin Clements Jr. arrived there by 1803. Reuben Clements remained in Pendleton County,
South Carolina (and possibly Benjamin Clements Jr., difficult to trace!). These men and their children moved within
Georgia, some arrived in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Texas. From those locations the migration continued
until Clements links were lost.
Charles, James, Culliver, and possibly
Benjamin Clements lived on the waters of Mountain Creek and Walnut Creek in
Jackson County, Georgia bordering Native American Cherokee lands. Jackson County, Georgia was formed in 1796
from Franklin County and bordered Cherokee lands until 1818 when new Georgia
counties were formed to the north and west
Below, each of the male children of Benjamin Clements Sr.
is previewed: