My McDaniel Family

MCDANIEL is the line of my maternal grandmother Ethel Louise McDaniel Dowling. This has been a very confusing line in the 1700 and 1800s as there are poor records, sons were named after their fathers and first and middle names are used for the surname and more research is needed.

My oldest proven ancestor in this line is Levi McDaniel who was born and lived in the Edgefield District of South Carolina just north of the Augusta Georgia area.  Levi married Anna Holmes, daughter of Fredrick Holmes and Charity Holmes, on 30 Jan 1799. In the 1850 US Census Levi's occupation was shown as a farmer and his real estate was valued at $1000, a large sum for that day. Many of their descendants still live in that area today.

Several people on Ancestry.com claim a William McDaniel (1734-1831) and wife Mary Gilbert as Levi's parents however no documentation has been provided. Also, this couple lived in Spartanburg SC, a long way from Edgefield where Levi lived and was reported to have been born.

Levi McDaniel is not found in the 1830 US Census in Edgefield but there is a Levi McDaniel in Lancaster SC over 70 miles northeast of Edgefield. That Levi did not own slaves whereas the Levi in Edgefield did so it seems unlikely that my ancestor Levi would pick up and move and then move back when he owned a farm.

As documented in History of Edgefield Co from the Earliest Settlement to 1897, Levi was a founder of the Red Hill Church where he is buried. "[Red Hill] church was constituted June 20th. 1S35, by Elder Samuel Cartledge and William Watkins, with the following members: William Watkins, pastor; Reuben Johnson and Erasmus McDaniel, deacons; Levi McDaniel, clerk; members. Martin Rose, Sr. , Frederick McDaniel, Wm. Roberts, Sr. Thos. Ford, Calvin Cox, Eady Rose, Judy Johnson, Henry Baugh, Anna McDaniel, Emilia McDaniel, Obedience McCary, Sealy Shinall, Caroline McDaniel, Elizabeth Holmes, Clarracy Roberts, Martha Cox, Orpha Forde, Lydia Parkman, Lucy Holmes, Elizabeth Collins, Patience Blalock - ten males, fourteen females. Not one of these is living at this date, September 5th, 1893."

Levi died on 1 May 1858. His obituary from the Edgefield Advertiser of 21 July 1858 stated: "He was born April 25, 1779, joined the Callihan Church by Baptism in 1828 and since that time has lived an orderly and consistent member of the church.'"

See historical Dowling & McDaniel Family Photos

Descendancy Chart for Levi McDaniel

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