South Carolina

The American Branch

SC genealogy

There are more Gregories with the "ie" spelling in the United States of America than anywhere else. The US Federal Census of 1998 revealed 171 Gregories, while a register compiled from various sources lists the addresses of 122 Gregorie households. A futher seven Gregories are listed in Canadian telephone directories.

Anne King Gregorie of South Carolina traced her family's lineage back to Professor James Gregorie (d. 1742), the 11th child of David Gregorie of Kinairdy by his first wife, Jean Walker. James Gregorie and his wife Barbara Oliphant (d. 1714), had eight children, of whom James and William are known to have married and had children.

James Gregorie (1740-1807) was born in Edinburgh and emigrated to Virginia in 1757. In 1780 he moved from Virginia to Charleston, South Carolina and in 1783 he became a United States citizen. His wife and three of their children were lost at sea, leaving only their eldest son, Alexander Frazier Gregorie, and their youngest child, James Gregorie.

These two were the progenitors of large families extending down the generations to the present day. The preceeding chart shows the descent through the eldest sons to 1970. A separate chart shows the 21 grandchildren of Dr Henry (Harry) Baker Gregorie, who are ninth half-cousins of the Hennebry grandchildren.

Harry Gregorie has kindly sent me pictures of his family, including a photograph of his grandchildren, two short books about the Gregories in the United States and a magazine feature about his home at Plum Hill, Yemassee, South Carolina.

Bob (Robert Guerard) Gregorie has taken on the role of family historian for South Carolina and has sent me a 4m scroll of the complete family tree.

Other references