The Saga of Mother Elvira and Her Descendants
Have you ever wondered about the roots of our strength and our resilience? It all starts with the extraordinary saga of Mother Elvira and her four children: Grace, Hampton, Rhina and Rosena.
On June 20, 1857, Elvira and her family were sold as a wedding gift to Hext’s daughter, Mary Brisbane Hext and her husband, John Thomas McConnell, of Nesmith, South Carolina. Unfortunately, the entire family was sold for just $5.00.
Mother Elvira and her four young children, all under the age of eight, arrived at the plantation on the near the Burnett Swamp in Nesmith, South Carolina. This very land would later be purchased by Elvira’s daughter Grace and son-in-law George Dorsey from James Zuell McConnell for $165.
Tanya Jones, a Dorsey descendant, meticulously researched slave schedules and land records, documenting that by 1892—only 27 years after the Civil War—all of our Dorsey, White, Green and McGee ancestors had become landowners and the very land that they own was the land they were enslaved on by Mary Brisbane and John Thomas Mcconnell.
Arial shot from https://williamsburgsc.wthgis.com
The Children of Elvira and Their Legacies
Grace, the eldest, married George Dorsey in 1865. On January 21, 1892, George purchased 77 acres in Nesmith, South Carolina, for $165. He was also among our ancestors who championed the right to vote, registering at age 53 in January 1896 in Mingo Township (Nesmith), South Carolina. This was no easy feat, as he had to navigate discriminatory qualifications like grandfather clauses, literacy tests, and poll taxes.
Hampton Green and Rosalina Mack married in 1871. On November 4, 1904, they purchased 50 acres for $90 in Hemingway, South Carolina.
Tanya Jones notes that this was the first deed recorded for Hampton Green in the Kingstree, South Carolina courthouse, clearly establishing him as a property owner.
Rhina married Travis McGee in 1867. While no deed for them is located in the Kingstree, South Carolina courthouse, George Dorsey’s mortgage deed states that Travis’s property was “west” of his own.
Travis McGee is also listed in 1884, 1885 and 1901 as having paid taxes on land and personal valuables.
The youngest child, Rosena, married Jeffrand White in 1872. Similar to Rhina and Travis, no deed for Jeffrand’s property is found in the Kingstree courthouse. However, George Dorsey’s mortgage deed indicates Jeffrand’s land was “east” of his. Jeffrand, like Travis McGee, is also recorded as paying taxes on land and personal property in 1884, 1885 and 1901.
The Next Generation of Landowners
On November 28, 1917, four determined young men—George and Grace Dorsey’s sons Mose and Peterson, Rozena and Jeffrand White’s son Stephen and their friend Charley Chandler—purchased 333 acres for $4,000. They were the next generation to uphold the family’s legacy of land ownership. This area, known today as “Sand Hill” in Nesmith, South Carolina, was acquired with financial assistance from a white man named Jack Johnson.
These are just a few of the many records detailing the land purchase of Sand Hill, and they clearly show the names Stephen White, Charlie Chandler, Peterson Dorsey, and Mose Dorsey, validating this important piece of history.
Upon full repayment of the loan, a celebratory dinner was held at the home of Mose and Martha Dorsey. The strong ties between the Dorsey and Johnson families endure to this day. Rhodie Scott, an elder family member who passed away around 2001, vividly remembered serving dinner to Jack Johnson at Mose Dorsey’s home.
A Legacy of Resilience
Elvira and all of her children defied the odds, not only surviving slavery and experiencing freedom, but also thriving through the Reconstruction era. With little to no formal education, they managed to purchase property, laying a foundation for future generations.
While the Dorsey, Green, McGee and White families form the main branches directly descended from Mother Elvira, we also recognize the daughters of Elvira’s children who married into other families.
If your name is Washington, Nesmith, Swinton, Scott, Mack, Weaver, Ceasar, McCrea, Miller, Cooper, or McKnight, you are still immediate family.
This story is a testament to the resilience, determination, and enduring spirit of our ancestors. What part of their journey resonates most with you?
