James Preston Appleby came to Colleton County, South Carolina, now know as Dorchester,  about 1785.  Aunt Susie says he came with a fine horse, a pack mule and a slave.  She said he was an affluent young man.

   The 1790 census lists James Preston as head of a household with no dependents (a bachelor) and owner of 65 acres of land.  Later in 1790, he married Mary Rumph, daughter of David Rumph.  They had 11 children.  David Rumph was the son of Col. John Rumph whose family immigrated from Switzerland,  just prior to the Revolutionary War.   James Preston received a land grant of 1000 acres on the Edisto River, ten miles south of St. George in 1793.

   (note to any further researchers:  As you read these early records, remember James, Mary and David were used over and over in families.  In the Appleby family, these names were used  down through many generations.  As you search the records it's easy to be confused, so be careful,  the lineage can be traced back to the Applebys before 1790.)

   The tax records of April 28, 1824 read:  "Appleby, James P. 2409 acres and 65 slaves in St. George Parish."  Records found show that he was commissioned to repair the court house and "GOAL" (jail).

   He was a member of the South Carolina Senate 1810-1818, a Justice of the Peace, Justice of Quorum and Captain in the State Militia in 1812.  He was also a charter member and secretary master of Harmony Lodge No. 61 AFM and founder of the Methodist Church near Grover, South Carolina.  This  church stands today and is known as The Appleby Church.   

   Dr. Gavin Appleby of St. George is a member of the trustees of the church.  He states that the church is not active, the trustees keep it up and the cemetery  is in good repair.  The church looks good.  The grounds were well kept when we were there.  Burial sites are around the church with room to drive

between the sites and the church.  Many Applebys are buried here.  Dr.  Appleby says that a meeting is held each spring and many descendants of James Preston attend.  *Be sure to  read Dr. Gavin Appleby's other notes in a separate section of this document.  They are very interesting.

  James Preston died in 1849.  He and his wife are buried in Hagerman's Cemetery, approximately two miles west of the Appleby Church.  (If you ever have a chance, visit this church and cemetery.  It is interesting.  You will have to ask the way to Hagerman's Cemetery.)  

Two of James' sons, Morgan and David, were quite prominent before the Civil War.

Morgan Appleby, son of James Preston Appleby:

Morgan was a member of the South Carolina legislature for a number of years prior to the state convention that passed the resolution for South Carolina to secede from the Union.  Morgan was also a practicing physician.  

David Appleby, son of James Preston Appleby:

David, a Methodist minister, represented St. George's Parish, Dorchester, in the Secession Convention. He was one of the signers of the Ordinance of Secession.  While attending the convention,  he served as Chaplain and preached two sermons.  

Both, Morgan and David, and David's sons are recorded a fighting in sixteen battles of the Civil War.   David formed his own militia and was in the Battles of Cicamuga, Vicksburg, and Atlanta.  David lost one of his sons in the Battle of Atlanta.

Peter Ridley Appleby, son of James Preston Appleby

He and his wife and four children migrated to Alabama in 1835,  Also, coming to Alabama with Peter Ridley was his brother, Richard,  and his family, but we have no further information of them.   

In  researching the ancestry of Benjamin Franklin Appleby, his father Peter Ridley, was the fifth child  of James Preston.  Benjamin Franklin was Peter Ridley's fourth child born in 1832 or 1833 in St. George. We find that some years before Peter Ridley came to Alabama (Macon County), some of  the Rumph family had settled in the south end of Macon County.   So, the reason for Peter Ridley moving to Alabama  was because some of his mother's family had already settled there.

   Peter Ridley bought a large tract of land six miles east of Tuskeegee from an Indian agent.  At that time, the U. S. Government was not awarding land grants.  The government had appointed  Indian agents to sell the land for the benefit of the Creek Indians who were the original settlers of this area.  This was according to the peace agreement the government had made with the Indian tribes.  

   Peter Appleby became a successful farmer and citizen of this area.   Between 1840 and 1850, he was elected to the county commission.  Because of his efforts, the commission built the first courthouse in Macon County at Tuskeegee.  Peter Ridley and Martha had 9 children.  Peter Ridley died in 1857, leaving a sizeable estate.

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