General Notes

Richard Pearis (born 1725; died 1794 at Nassau), probably born in Irelan
d, was a son of George and Sarah Parris who died in 1752 and 1753, respect
ively. Richard, as a young man, served in the French and Indian War and w
as distinguished by a certain notoriety as an interpreter and trader amo
ng the Indians at Old Chota and other Indian town sites before the Americ
an Revolution. In 1768, he left Winchester, Virginia, and moved to Greenvi
lle, South Carolina, settling on Reddy River. Here, where no white man h
ad cleared land before, he established a large plantation and built a gri
st mill and trading post, stocking it with goods hauled from Charlesto
n. He is known to have sired two children by a Cherokee wife (Pratchey Moy
toy): George Parris, born about 1760, and his sister Nelly (married to Jo
hn Dougherty, son of James Sr.) Some years later, his white wife, Rhoda, b
ore him a son and two daughters: Richard Pearis, Jr., Elizabeth, and Sar
ah (Cunningham).
* This information was culled from "Unhallowed Intrusion: A History of Che
rokee Families in Forsyth County, Georgia" written by Don L. Shadburn, pub
lished by WH Wolfe Associates in Apharetta, Georgia. (c) 1993 by Don L. Sh
adburn. From page 611.
Captain Richard Pearis was sent by the British to arouse the Indians again
st the white settlers. His second marriage was to a Cherokee Indian. Throu
gh the son George, being l/2 Cherokee, he was able to receive 10,000 acr
es of land from the Cherokees, even though it was illegal to buy land fr
om them at that time. The plantation in Greenville, South Carolina was cal
led The Great Plains. Richard became an Indian trader and interprete
r. He was one of the first white men that learned to speak the Cherokee la
nguage. Because of his loyalty to the British, he was banned from the Colo
nies and died in poverty in the Bahamas.
* Information from the Aday-MacDonald Family Home Page:
Richard Pearis, probably born in Ireland. As a young man, he served in t
he French and Indian War and was distinguished by a certain notorie
ty as a interpreter and trader among the Indians at Old Chota and Other In
dian Town sites before the American Revolution. In 1768 he left Wincheste
r, Virginia, and moved to Greenville, South Carolina, settling on Reedy Ri
ver. Here, where no white man had cleared land before, he established a la
rge plantation and built a grist mill and trading post, stocking it with g
oods hauled from Charleston. He is known to have sired two children by a c
herokee wife. Some years later, his white wife, Rhoda, bore him a son a
nd two daughters.
* From "Homeward Bound, The Bahamas Islands to 1850" By Sandra Riley.