My mother’s Irish connection stands out very proudly and clearly. Not as clear to my family is our Irish connection on my father’s family tree. There are many links to Germany & Switzerland. Although our Irish ancestors have not as yet been closely researched, they do exist. One Irish connection is through the Dillon family that moved from Virginia to the Carolinas and into Mississippi came from Ireland. Richard Dillon, son of James Theopilous Dillon and my 5th great grandfather, served in the Revolutionary War.
Luke Ward Conerly, SOURCE RECORDS FROM PIKE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI 1798-1910; South Carolina, Southern Historical Press, 1989.
Richard Dillon enlisted in the patriot militia near Edenton, N.C., under Captain Faulk. In 1781 Richard "again saw service as an enlistee on the vessel 'Greyhound,' a privateers man commanded by Samuel Butler. With the capture of that vessel, he was made a prisoner on the English frigate 'Baloosa' which carried 36 guns and was commanded by a Captain Kennedy, a Scotsman. After a nine-month imprisonment, he again returned to Bertie County." After the war he and “his wife came to Mississippi and settled on Bogue Chitto, at what is known as Dillon's Bridge, or Dillontown.”
I recently searched family trees on ancestry.com to look for connections to this family, hoping to learn more about the Irish roots. I found trees that claimed the father of James Theopilous Dillon was James Dillon, b. 1697 in Cork, Ireland and d. 1798 in Virginia, married to Martha Parsons. However, there are no sources connected with these trees. I would love to claim James & Martha as my own but I’d like to find some documentation to support their link to our family. There are many times when this happens with the family trees on ancestry.com. I usually email the people who post the trees to discover more. The response is often that they have no sources; they just saw it on someone else’s tree and copied it onto theirs. I do not want to follow their lead. Hopefully further research will bring James & Martha firmly into our family.
Descendants of James Theopilous Dillon
..... 1 James Theopilous Dillon b: Abt. 1719 in Ireland
..... + Mary Dillon
........... 2 Richard Dillon b: 07 Oct 1745 in Norfolk, Virginia, d: 07 Oct 1833 in MS
........... + Anne Lawrence b: c. 1762 in Bertie, NC, m: Abt. 1776, d: c. 1830 in MS
................. 3 Lawrence Dillon b: Unknown in NC, d: Unknown
................. 3 Joanna Dillon b: 1778 in Bertie, NC, d: Aft. 1821 in Pike, MS
................. + Jeremiah Smith b: 23 Dec 1773 in SC, m: 1798 in SC, d: 1843 MS
....................... 4 Hollander Smith b: 08 July 1800 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown
....................... + Benjamin Morris Jr. b: Abt. 1792 in SC, d: Aft. 1870
............................. 5 James Morris b: 26 Nov 1824 in Pike,MS, d: Abt. 1888, LA
............................. + Valinda b: 10 June 1819 in Pike, MS, d: 28 Aug 1883
............................. + Theodosia Easley b: 09 May 1865, d: 19 Jan 1942
............................. 5 Hollander Elizabeth Morris b: 1829 in MS, d: 1868 in LA
............................. + Benjamin Blades b: LA, d: Aft. 1900
............................. 5 Salina Theresa Morris b: Abt. 1838 in MS, d: 29 July 1899
............................. + Henry Lewis b: 24 Oct 1824 in Pike, MS, m:1849, d:1888
............................. 5 Ben Morris Jr. b: Abt. 1842, d: Abt. 1863
............................. 5 William Morris b: Abt. 1843, d: Abt. 1963
............................. 5 Eli Morris b: Abt. 1844, d: Abt. 1863
....................... 4 Martha P. Smith b: 25 March 1802 in SC, d: 08 August 1861 MS
....................... + Edwin B. Alford b:Nov 1792 in NC, m: 1818 MS, d: 1878, MS
............................. 5 Rev. Warren J. Alford b: 12 Sept 1819 MS, d: 1899 in MS
............................. + Celia A. Lewis m: 08 June 1841 MS, d: 30 Jan 1900
............................. 5 Cynthia Ann Alford b: 11 December 1820 in Progress, MS
............................. + Jesse Ball b: 15 November 1808
............................. 5 Ira P. Alford b: 22 Jan 1822 in MS d: 15 Sept 1901 in LA
............................. + Elizabeth Hope b: 1826, m: 1843, d: 25 Dec 1871 in LA
............................. + Mary Hughes Parker
............................. 5 William Harmon Alford b: 03 August 1823 in MS
............................. 5 Harriet Jane Alford b: 22 March 1825 in MS
............................. + Tyra Jennings Tynes m: 05 October 1847 in Pike, MS
............................. 5 Lacey Alford b: 24 September 1828 in MS
............................. + James Michael Ball
............................. 5 Jeptha J. Alford MD b: 1830 in MS, d: 21 Nov 1914 MS
............................. + Fanny Roberts
............................. + Corinne Edwards
............................. 5 Julia Ann Alford b: 21 March 1832 in MS
............................. + John Ratliff McEleveen
............................. 5 Seaborn S. Alford MD b: 15 Aug 1834 in MS, d: 22 Feb 1906
............................. + Anice Ball
............................. 5 Elijah Hayden Alford b: 1836
............................. 5 Juluis Newton Alford b: 14 Nov 1838 in MS, d: 26 May 1916
............................. + Mary Marguerete Brumfield b: June 1846 in LA
............................. 5 Martha Elizabeth Alford b: 08 Aug 1846 in MS, d: Aft. 1910
............................. + Jessie Alexander Brumfield b:1838 LA, d: Aft. 1910
............................. 5 Julia Ann Alford b: 30 August 1856 in MS
....................... 4 Eli Smith b: 21 Jan 1804 SC, d: 2 Aug 1838 in Pike,MS
....................... + Orpha Roberts
....................... 4 Jane Smith b: 09 Oct 1805, d: 1846
....................... + Thomas Coulter Warner m: 25 Dec 1825
....................... 4 Edwin Smith b: 03 June 1807 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown
....................... 4 Wyatt Smith b: 31 Aug 1809 in LA, d: 16 Feb 1894 MS
....................... + Euseba Fortenberry b: 03 Dec 1809 in SC, d: 13 Oct1878 MS
............................. 5 Emmaline Smith b: 13 Sept 1831 Pike, MS, d:1920 MS
............................. + Allen Moses Brown b: 1836 MS, m: 1858, d: Aft. 1870
............................. 5 Saryntha A. Smith b: 31 Aug 1833 in MS, d:1905 MS
............................. + John Shaffer Ellzey Jr. b:1829 in MS, m:1851, d:1874
............................. 5 William J. M. Smith b: 14 June 1835, d: 04 June 1862
............................. + Rachel Ellzey Smith Schilling b:1840, m:1859, d:1896
............................. 5 Jasper R. Smith b: Abt. 1841
............................. 5 Newton Oscar Smith b: Abt. 1842, d: 04 May 1862
............................. 5 Rankin Smith b: Abt. 1844
............................. 5 Eliza Jane Smith b: 21 Jan 1846, d: 31 August 1919
............................. + David Jackson McClendon b: 10 March 1838, d: Texas
............................. + John Narvel Fortenberry b: 05 Oct 1851 MS, d: 1920 in MS
............................. 5 Adolphus Scott Smith b: 22 June 1848, d: 18 Oct 1921
............................. + Julia Jane Simmons b: 03 Sept 1853, d: 25 Nov 1916
............................. 5 Walter Lorraine Smith b: 13 Sept 1853 MS, d: 21 April 1930
............................. + Emma Julia Warren b: 27 Nov 1858 LA, d: 09 Oct 1932
....................... 4 Eliza Smith b: 14 Feb 1811 in Pike, MS, d: 06 April 1837
....................... 4 Calvin Smith b: 22 Sep 1812 in Pike, MS, d: 22 Jan 1843 in MS
....................... + Sarah Brumfield
............................. 5 Wyatt Rankin Smith b: Abt. 1845
............................. + Irene Bankston b: Abt. 1845
....................... + Sarah Brumfield b: 09 April 1824 LA, m: 1843
....................... 4 Lidda Smith b: 06 April 1816 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown
....................... + Harris Harvey
....................... 4 Mehala Smith b: 15 July 1816 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown
....................... 4 Milevey Smith b: 13 April 1818 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown
....................... + Don Harvey
....................... 4 Joanna Smith b: 05 October 1819 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown
....................... 4 Jeremiah Smith b: 30 April 1821 in Pike, MS, d: 13 May 1894
....................... + Pernecia Smith b: 26 Sep t1820, m:1841, d: 04 April 1887
............................. 5 Jarratt Cylmon Smith d: Unknown
............................. + Eliza Jane Brock m: 03 October 1878
............................. 5 William George Smith b: 04 Dec 1842, d: 10 June 1862
............................. 5 Ancil Green Smith b: 14 March 1845, d: 18 June 1862
................. 3 Nancy Ann Dillon b: 26 October 1779 in NC, d: 28 May 1869
................. + John Stallings d: 23 September 1851
................. 3 Clarkston Dillon b: Abt. 1785 in NC, d: Unknown
................. + Sarah Dillon b: SC
................. 3 Willis D. Dillon b: 31 December 1787 in NC, d: Unknown
................. + Mary Dillon b: 1783 in South Carolina, USA
................. 3 Mary Dillon Morris b: 1793 in NC, d: 04 July 1876
................. + Salathial Morris
................. 3 Theophilous Dillon b: 26 May 1796 in NC, d: Unknown
................. + Peggy Pearson b: 1808, d: 05 September 1857
................. 3 Clara Dillon b: 1799 in NC, d: Unknown
................. + George Smith d: 1833
....................... 4 William Dorten Smith b: 1818 in Pike, MS, d: 1906
....................... + Lucretta Dykes
............................. 5 Cinderilla Smith b: 1856 in MS
............................. + Thomas Dolphus Bickham
....................... 4 Nancy Smith b: 1829 in Pike, MS
....................... + Densmore Winston Smith
............................. 5 Mardenie Smith
............................. + James Wince Simmons