The Smith-Mims Connection

BISHOP FAMILY STORIES

Joseph Matherian Bishop & Ella Martha Cummings

1859-1943

Bishop Family in Horry, Berkeley & Dorchester Counties, SC

The family story is that Stephen Bishop (Joseph's great-grandfather) came from Scotland in the early 1800's - about 1802. Other sources have him coming from Ireland. According to research on the internet, Joseph's grandfather Stephen Coleman Bishop Sr. was born in Horry County, SC in 1803. If this last is the correct one, possibly Joseph's great-grandfather (also a Stephen) was born in Newgate in Surrey, England.

According to various general histories, many of the Scottish families were forced by the English to relocate to the northern part of Ireland - with the aim of breaking up the fierce loyalties of both the Irish and the Scots and making it easier for the British to control both countries. The resulting intermarriages between those Scots families with the Irish families of Northern Ireland were the Scots-Irish descendants (not Scotch, Scotch is whiskey and a brand of tape). As a result of this forced relocation, the Irish people from Northern Ireland have a distinctively different accent and dialect of the Celtic language than the other parts of Ireland. Actually, there are several different dialects of Irish - depending on where you go, and the people in each location state emphatically that their dialect is the correct way to pronounce "the Irish".

So it's possible/probable that Joseph's great-great-grandparents were among those forced to relocate from Scotland to Northern Ireland. It's also theoretically possible that Joseph's great-grand father (Stephen, if that is the correct person) was born in England as the family was making plans to go to the American Colonies and had to depart from England for some reason. It's also theoretically possible that the Bishop's were from England, but that's not probable. If the Bishop's were English, they would not WANT to claim to be either Irish or Scottish. The English thought of the Irish and Scots as primitive heathens. And the Scottish pride was strong enough in the Bishop family to claim that Joseph's great-grandfather came from Scotland. So there you have it. Does anyone have any documented information on these Stephen Bishop's and their journey to the New World?

If the family made it's way through England, then the Bishop family in the person of Stephen Bishop (born September, 1777 in Newagate, England) made the journey from the Old World to the New World

Regardless of which information is correct, the Bishop ancestor came originally from Scotland and settled in Horry County, SC. Whether he married before or after he arrived in Horry County is unknown, as is the name of his wife.

From Horry County, Stephen Coleman Bishop Sr. moved to Bethera in Berkeley County. Then his son Joseph Matherian Bishop moved to the area near the Bend of Four Holes Swamp in Dorchester County. Some of Joseph and Ella's children still live in the Bend of Four Holes Swamp, but others have moved to the upper part of South Carolina near Newberry, and other cities and states.

The Bishop's have been active members of Limestone Baptist Church near "the Bend" for as long as I can remember, and many of the Bishop ancestors are buried in the Limestone cemetery.

Joseph Matherian Bishop and his parents

Joseph Matherian Bishop, the son of Samuel Eleaser Bishop and Rebecca Jane Branton (Brandon), was born on Monday, October 22, 1860 in Bethera, Berkeley County, SC. He died on Sunday, November 22, 1914 in the Bend of Four Holes Swamp, Dorchester County, SC and was buried in Limestone Baptist Church cemetery on Hwy. 178 one mile from the Hwy. # 178 / # 78 fork in the road about 6 miles from Harleyville. Joseph was one of thirteen (13) children.

Ella Martha Cummings and her parents

Ella Martha Cummings, daughter of Lewis Rush Cummings and Martha Ann Moorer, was born on Sunday, August 14, 1859. Whether or not she had any siblings is unknown at this time. She died on Thursday, July 29, 1943 and is buried in Limestone Baptist Church cemetery.

The family of Joseph Matherian Bishop and Ella Martha Cummings

Joseph Matherian Bishop and Ella Martha Cummings were married in 1883 in Dorchester County, SC. They had the following children:

  1. Bennet Lucas "Lukie" Bishop (1884-1959)
  2. Sidi Hamet Bishop (1885-1967)
  3. Cleo Bishop (1889-1977)
  4. Samuel Rogers "Sam" Bishop (1890-1980)
  5. Furman Lewis Bishop (1892-1964)
  6. Josephine "Jo" Bishop (1894-1983)
  7. Cornelia Bishop (1896-1989)
  8. Annie Laurie Bishop (1898-1973)
  9. Ruth Bishop (1900-1973)

The Children of Joseph Matherian Bishop and Ella Martha Cummings

Bennet Lucas "Lukie" Bishop

Lukie Bishop was born Thursday,. November 27, 1884 in Dorchester County, SC. He married Mary Rebecca "Mamie" Buzhardt on Thursday, December 26, 1912 in Newberry, SC. I have two totally different dates for Mary Rebecca "Mamie" Buzhardt's birthday, which I will correct as soon as I get the information from one of her descendants. They had nine (9) children.

Bennet Lucas died on Tuesday, June 16, 1959 and is buried in Newberry, SC, and Mary Rebecca died on Wednesday, April 8, 1964 in Newberry, SC.

Sidi Hamet Bishop (1885-1967)

Sidi Hamet Bishop was born Saturday, October 31, 1885 in Dorchester County, SC.

He first married Annie Mount on Sunday, September 14, 1913. Annie was born Tuesday, February 22, 1898 and died Thursday, June 25, 1914.

Sidi Hamet Bishop's second marriage was to Harriet Elizabeth "Hally" Sillivant, the daughter of William F. "Willie" Sillivant and Gertrude Beatrice Limehouse. Harriet Sillivant (born Saturday, 26 Sep 1896) was the new school teacher in Harleyville when the two of them met. They married on Sunday, May 21, 1916 and had ten (10) children.

Harriet Elizabeth Sillivant Bishop died on Wednesday, May 7, 1941 and Sidi Hamet Bishop died on Wednesday, September 6, 1967.

Cleo Bishop (1889-1977)

Cleo Bishop was born on March 4, 1889 in Dorchester County, SC. She married Avery Dewitt Nelson (born on March 17, 1889 in Hazelhurst, Georgia) on June 28, 1919 in the court house in Charleston, SC. They had three (3) children.

Cleo Bishop Nelson died on August 4, 1977, and Avery Dewitt Nelson died on November 7, 1967.

Samuel Rogers "Sam" Bishop (1890-1980)

Samuel Rogers "Sam" Bishop was born on Saturday. September 27, 1890 in Dorchester County, SC. He married Essie Wren (born on Saturday, January 7, 1905) in 1929. Essie Wren Bishop died on Friday, November 12, 1948, and Samuel Rogers Bishop died on Sunday, March 2, 1980. Samuel Rogers Bishop is buried in the Summerville Cemetery, Summerville, SC.

According to my records, Samuel Bishop had a 2nd marriage to Katie S. Corley Ehney - on Friday, July 29, 1949. Apparently Katie S. Corley had been previously married to someone named Ehney. They had a son, whom Sam Bishop adopted when he married Katie.

Any information on their children would be appreciated - names, dates, etc. As stated in the "welcome" section of this website, the names, dates, etc. of living relatives will not be put on the website to protect their privacy.

Furman Lewis Bishop (1892-1964)

Furman Lewis Bishop Sr. was born on Saturday, November 12, 1892 in Dorchester County, SC. He married Florence Mae "Florrie" Bowman (born Monday, March 21, 1898) on October 24, 1920. They have three (3) children.

Furman Lewis Bishop died on Wednesday, August 26, 1964, and Florence Mae Bishop died in December of 1985. They are buried in the Limestone Baptist Church Cemetery in the Four-Holes Swamp community of Dorchester County - near the towns of Harleyville and Dorchester.

Josephine "Jo" Bishop (1894-1983)

Josephine "Jo" Bishop was born on Thursday, November 29, 1894 in Dorchester County, SC. She married William Oscar Cone (born Friday, July 30, 1886 in Beech Hill, SC) on Sunday, April 6, 1913. They had seven (7) children.

William Oscar Cone died on Saturday, January 25, 1975 in Orangeburg, SC. Josephine Bishop Cone died on Sunday, December 18, 1983. They are both buried in the Limestone Baptist Church Cemetery in Dorchester County, SC.

Cornelia Bishop (1896-1989)

Cornelia Bishop was born on Sunday, October 4, 1896 in Dorchester County, SC. She married Sidney Wells Mims Sr. (born Sunday, September 3, 1893) on Wednesday, October 4, 1916. They had 4 children: Sidney Wells Mims Jr., Ida Lillian Mims, [living], and Thomas Harry Mims.

Sidney Wells Mims Sr. died on Monday, May 15, 1967 in an Orangeburg hospital. Cornelia Bishop Mims died on Sunday, July 2, 1989. They are buried in the Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery in The Bend of Four-Holes Swamp, Dorchester County, SC.

Annie Laurie Bishop (1898-1973)

Annie Laurie Bishop was born on Saturday, December 10, 1898 in Dorchester County, SC. She married Charles Paul Sanders Sr. (born on Sunday, June 25, 1893 in Cottageville, SC) on Sunday, February 17, 1918. They had four (4) children: Charles Paul Sanders Jr., [living], Martha Imogene Sanders, and [living].

Charles Paul Sanders Sr. died on Friday, February 9, 1973 in Orangeburg, SC and is buried in Sandy Dam United Methodist Church Cemetery in Walterboro, SC. Annie Laurie Bishop Sanders died on Monday, September 3, 1973 in Dorchester County, SC and is buried in Limestone Baptist Church Cemetery in Dorchester County, SC.

Ruth Bishop (1900-1973)

Ruth Bishop was born on Monday, September 17, 1900 in Dorchester County, SC. She married John Pierczynski (born on Thursday, October 29, 1903) on Friday, December 14, 1928. They had two (2) sons.

Ruth Bishop Pierczynski died on Tuesday, March 20, 1973, and John Pierczynski died in May of 1982. They lived in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, NC at the time.