John PEDEN was born June 1709 in Ireland. Margaret McDILL was born August 1715 in Ireland to John McDILL and Janet LESLIE. She was called Peggy by her family. John and Peggy were married in 1730 at Ballymena Parish, Ireland. The family lived in the County of Atrium, Ireland.

They were the parents of::

• 1. Mary, born 1731, Ireland; married James ALEXANDER
• 2. James, born 1734, Ireland; married Mary - Member of the SC Provincial Congress in 1775/76 - Revolutionary War
• 3. Jane, born 1738, Ireland; died AL; married 1. John MORTON SR, 2. 1774 Chester Co., SC, Robert MORROW, born 1734, MD
• 4. Thomas, born 1743, Ireland; died 6 Mar 1825, SC; buried Nazareth Church Cemetery, SC; married Elizabeth WHITE, daughter of Moses WHITE and Mary McCONNELL - Revolutionary War
• 5. William, born 1749, Ireland; died 23 Dec 1817; married Mary ARCHER - Revolutionary War
• 6. Elizabeth, born 24 Dec 1750, Ireland; died 19 Dec 1821, SC, buried Fairview Cemetery, Greenville Dist, SC; married William GASTON
• 7. John, Jr, born in Ireland; married Ginny - Revolutionary War
• 8. Samuel, born 1754, Ireland; died 26 Dec 1835, Kemper Co, MS, buried Smyrna Cemetery, Kemper Co, MS; married 1. Katherine (Katie) WHITE, daughter of Moses WHITE and Mary McCONNELL, 2. Margaret - Revolutionary War
• 9. Alexander, born 1756, Ireland; died 21 Jan 1841, Greenville Dist, SC, buried Fairview Cemetery, Greenville Co, SC; married Rebecca MARTIN - Revolutionary War
• 10. David, born 1 Nov 1760, Ireland; died 6 Oct 1823; married 1. Eleanor GOODGION, 2. Margaret HUGHES - Revolutionary War

John served as a Ruling Elder in his native country from his youth and was a decided advocate of the Presbyterian system of worship. He and his family were very disturbed over the persecution of the Church in Ireland and joined Reverend William Martin who lead a group of Scotch-Irish immigrants to the back country of South Carolina. They were given grants by the government to settle this wilderness area.

The first of the Pedens to come to South Carolina were John and Peggy's son Thomas and their daugher Jane and her husband John MORTON who came in 1768 on the Snow Mary and James. They arrived from Larne, Ireland in Charleston and were administered the oath on 12 January 1768. Five years later the rest of the family arrived in October of 1772 on the same ship the Snow Mary and James. They were forbidden to land because some of the people aboard had Small Pox. They were quarantined on the vessel for several week and a house on Sullivan's Island was provided for the sick. On 1 December 1772, an entry was made in the Council Journal that contains the names of those we know arrived on the Mary and James. As was the custom a letter was written to Ireland stating that the ship had safely arrived and thanking the Captain Workman for his good delivery. This was published in the Belfast New Letter, 21 December 1772. John Peddan, James Peddan, and Thomas Madill signed the letter .

The first land described in the Plat Folder 1482, Pre-Revolutionary plats, was recorded 11 Dec 1772 to John Peden; in Craven Co. on a branch called Ferguson Creek, waters of Tiger River, adjoining land owned by James Pedan and Thomas Peden. This land was surveyed on 18 January 1773. This land later bacame Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

Most of the children settled around Fairview Presbyterian Church, on the waters of the Reedy River in the Greenville District although some had original grants in Fairfield or Chester Counties. During the Revolution, John, Peggy and some of their children went to Rocky Creek area of Chester County near Catholic Presbyterian Church where Rev. Martin was located.

Peggy died in 1788 and John in 1791. They are both buried in the McDill Family Cemetery, Chester Co, SC. Tombstone erected by Peden Clan - 1958.

Note: The descendants of John PEDAN and Margaret (Peggy) McDILL meet on the 3rd Saturday of July each year at the Fairview Presbyterian Church, Greenville Co, SC. I have been twice and it is a joy to attend! MLB

Samuel was born 1754 in Ireland, the son of John PEDEN and Margaret McDILL. Samuel came with his family to South Carolina four years before the Revolution and was living in the Spartanburg District when he enlisted in service in 1775. He received land - Plat Folder 1483 - on 11 December 1772 in Craven Co, South Carolina, on a small branch of the water of the Enorre River on land adjoining Herman Dildinas. This land was surveyed on 16 April 1773.

He enlisted under the service of Captain Andrew Barry on several occasions and was at Cow Pens, King's Mountain and in the Battle of the Blackstocks. He was discharged the last time in March 1781on the Catawaba River because of pains in his limbs. Parts of four years he gave to the Revolutionary War. He volunteered as a private and came out a Captain.

After the Revolution Samuel married Kathernie WHITE, the daughter of Moses WHITE II (-1784) and Mary McCONNELL. His pension application states that they lived in North Carolina for three years.

They moved to Fairview, SC, where Samuel was one of the founding elders of Fairview Presbyterian Church which was founded in the fall of 1786 and accepted by the Presbytery of South Carolina in April 1787. The family lived in this area where Samual farmed and was a blacksmith.

They were the parents of these children:

• 1. John (Jack), died Kemper Co, MS, buried Smyrna Cemetery, Kemper Co, MS; married Elizabeth WHITE, daugher of Thomas PEDEN and Elizabeth WHITE
• 2. William Thomas, buried Smyrna Cemetery Kemper Co, MS
• 3. James, born 1 Jan 1787, Fairview, SC; died 6 Aug 1834, Webster Co, MS, buried Old Pisgah Cemetery, Webster Co, MS; married Frances BROCKMAN, daugher of Henry BROCKMAN (1764-1835) and Susannah PATTERSON (1765-1842)
• 4. Eleanor (Ellen), born about 1800; married John TRIM
• 5. David S, married Margaret PEDEN, daughter of William PEDEN and Mary ARCHER
• 6. Sallie, buried Neshoba Co, MS; married BARNES
• 7. Dillie, buried Neshoba Co, MS
• 8. Katherine (Katie), married 1. John MORTON, Jr, son of John MORTON and Jane PEDEN; 2. Samuel MORROW, son of Samuel MORROW and Jane PEDEN
• 9. Senie, born Fairview, SC; married James M TRIM

Katie died 15 Dec 1807 and is buried in the cemetery at Fairview Presbyterian Church, Greenville Co, SC.

In 1818 Samuel left Fairview with several of his chilldren and went to Fayette Co, AL where he lived until 1834 when he moved to Kemper Co, MS..

On December 1 1832, Fayette Co, AL, Samuel applied for a pension which was allowed and later paid to his widow, Mrs Margaret Peden who stated in 1836 that she was his widow. The date and place of her marriage to Captain Samuel Paden is not listed.

Samuel was one of the founders of the Smyrna Presbyterian Church in Kemper Co, MS. Samuel died 26 December 1835 and is buried in the Smyrna Presbyterian Cemetery, Kemper Co, MS. His grave is reported to be the first one dug in the cemetery.