William John Todd - b. 25 Dec 1745 (Moffat)

[SuzanneTF]

Hi, I'm from South Carolina, USA.

I'm researching my family tree and am checking into my Scottish ancestors. My father and grandmother have some information I've been looking through but I just wanted to double check that it is correct and see if I can add to it (obviously mostly what I have is the SC history).

Anyone know much about the Todd family? My relative I'm nearly 100% of is William John Todd. Where can I find out more about Williams parents/grandparents and maybe even his voyage?

Here's what I know:

He was born in Moffat, Scotland (Bodsbeck?)

William was one of 48 who came to Charleston in the fall of 1767 on board the ship Pearl with Walter Buchanan, Master. (I believe that it left from the Port of Glasgow).

Petitioned his excellency for and was granted a royal land bounty of 100 acres in Granville County on the fork of Edisto Landing 12 Sept 1768 (From "The List of Protestants to South Carolina" by Janie Revill 1974)

In 1782 he use his wagon and team to carry supplies for Francis Marion the Swamp Fox (I am EXTREMELY doubtful of this one - sounds like a family legend to me but it's from the Rev. Gene Todd source).

US Census 1800-1810 shows him married to second wife Hannah and 8 children born between 1788 and 1805

Hannah may have been a passenger on the Pearl

(Source Rev Gene Todd The Story of Thomas Todds Family from Horry Co SC Alto Ga 1995)

From what I've found online, though, my ancestor Henry (b. 1771) was from William's 1st wife Margaret Dougal. (I have no information about her or her parents or where she was born or even when they married - however, Henry seems to have been the first child).

Also, on trees I've seen speculated that he was the son of a Thomas Todd (born 18 Oct 1724 in Moffatt, Dumfries, Scotland) but there are no sources.

I would love any information!

---

Also, I guess the Pearl left next for Lisbon? (From "The Papers of Henry Laurens: September 1, 1765-July 31, 1768")
http://books.google.com/books?id=87GH1QOrAYEC&pg=PA550&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&ots=0XFI0njEQf&sig=ACfU3U35ER3mo33lAFDZLnnd4PeHd4SgTQ&w=685

[SuzanneTF]

Update:

I searched "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950" and found a "William Tod" with father Thomas Tod and mother Margaret Bald. It seems to be the correct William as his Baptism/Christening Date is 25 Dec 1745. So does that mean they he just counted the christening day as his birthday or were they one and the same?

Also, found in "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910" that Thomas and "Margret" were married 29 Jan 1745.

William Tod also had a brother, Thomas, born 10 Jan 1748.
(There is another Thomas born 20 May 1753 to To Thomas Tod and Isobel Johnston - a 2nd wife?)

---

Even earlier, I see that Thomas Tod (father) was christened 18 Oct 1724 for parents Robert Tod and Janet Hyslop. Robert married "Janet Hislip" 17 Feb 1717.

In addition to their son Thomas, Robert and Janet seemed to have also had a Jannet Tod (christened 16 Sep 1722 in Dumfries) and William Tod (christened 22 Jan 1726). There is also a Christin Tod christened 17 Nov 1717 in Kirkpatrick Juxta (exactly 9 months after Robert's marriage, hmm!)

Then Robert Tod turns up just a few years later with another marriage and child so I don't know if it's the same guy and Janet died or a different Robert Tod.

There is also a Robert Tod christened on 09 Mar 1729... but the mother is Elizabeth Williamson.

---

Anyways, now I am truly stuck! My resources are exhausted!

I would love any tips! I'd love to know if there are other descendants still in the area.

P.S. - The Mormons have AWESOME resources: https://www.familysearch.org

[longshanks]

If it helps, Bodesbeck is an interesting location. It is actually in Moffatdale four miles north-east of Moffat, on the road to Selkirk via St Mary's Loch. It is a place of legend, and of a fictitious ghost story based on the legend, by James Hogg called "The Brownie of the Black Haggs", written about 1828.  There are still named features there, such as The Brownie's Cave and The Goat's Prison.

Hence it might be worthwhile to follow up on the Bodesbeck connection, as the place is much written about. There may well be stuff on the web, and people exploring family connections to the spot.

[SuzanneTF]

Thank you for your reply! I'll try to look into it. It's nice to hear from someone who actually knows the area.

I guess another lead I should pursue is the records/passengers of ships leaving Glasgow. If such a thing exists?

[longshanks]

Shipping lists should be accessible, I myself haven't researched that side but a co-author on a book I wrote about the Allason family in Scotland and Virginia, he found detailed lists for that time period probably through the Mitchell Library in Glasgow (City Archives) or the Scottish Record Office. These give times and durations of voyages, cargo lists and passenger lists. It is probably best to try Scottish Record Office by email first and then Mitchell Library (as the latter take quite a while to respond due to few staff).

Bodesbeck was purchased by the Moffat family (in the Moffat area) in 1909 and their clan website might help find records. Presumably your Todd ancestor was a tenant.

You can search Scottish Records on line though the possibilities may be limited, but sometimes tenants are given for a property record.

[Oor Wullie]

Hi

My fourth great grandfather was a William Todd born c.1779 in Glencairn, Dumfriesshire and there are a lot of Todd or Tod people in Dumfriesshire so you may struggle to get much more than you have.

Have you tried http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ for information?

Wul

[holleymc]

Hello!  I see this is an old thread but hopefully you will see.  My family is also the Todds.  And they are from Horry Cty too.  I have read your post and that is the same findings I have.  I have my tree posted on Ancestry.com.

I had a "double" relation (I guess you can call it)  My grandfather John Pride Todd was a descendant of William John Todd and Hannah Pride.  His mother, Luttie Stevens is also a Todd descendant.  William John Todd 1745-1820 remarried Margaret Dougal and she is a descendant of them.  Her mother was Mary Rheutillie Todd.  A lot of their family is buried in Cane Branch Cemetery

[SuzanneTF]

Hey! Thanks for your reply! I'm on Ancestry some but like Find A Grave lately.

I'm from Cornelius Benjamin, Mary Rheutillie's brother.

[holleymc]

Glad you got the reply!!  I guess that makes us cousins! LOL!  I noticed you posted that Margaret Dougal was his 1st wife... I may have that backwards in my tree.  Its pretty hard decoding some of the information.  There is not a lot of information about Hannah out there.

There are quite a few pictures that I was able to find from another in this line.  Do you have any posted anywhere or that you would mind sharing?