Phillip Schofield

Schofield, Scofill, Scofil, Scoldfield, Schofield, Coffell, Scovel, Scovill

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Phillip Schofield (b. 1803 d. 1891)

In 1735, our first Phillip Schofield appears in South Carolina. He may have come to the Colony, with the Reverend William Turbeville, the Episcopal minister from North Carolina. We aren’t sure where Phillip was born or where he married. Our first Phillip Schofield (Scofuld) appears with wife Rachel, in the register book of the old Prince Frederick Episcopal Church of Old Craven County. By 1753, he and wife Rachel, are baptising two daughters on 2 June, 1753, Sarah Scofield born 3 June, 1750 and Elizabeth Scofield born 26 April 1752 at St Mark’s Parish. There were no entries after 1753 at St Mark’s Parish, but by that time Kershaw County had a township on the westside of the Watersee River known as West Wateree.

Phillip Scofield owned land in both Fairfield and Kershaw County at his death in 1786. His will (note 1) proven in Camden Fall Term of Court 1786 and a file in Winnsboro ordered Isaac Love to swear in any three men of Gardner Love, John McKinnie, John Nickle, William Cloud to truly appraise the good and affects of Phillip Scoldfield, deceased, on 10 Nov 1786. Rachel, his wife was deceased and not listed, Hannah Schofield, Elizabeth Moore, Helen Elkins, Nancy Nettles and a grandson William Scofield are mentioned in the will. There is no notation of who the parents of William Scofield were. In fact no sons are mentioned, perhaps because they already had taken their portion of the estate, as was common or because of political differences of the American Revolutionary War.

Although Camden was the British camp of Lord Cornwallis and remained a Tory stronghold, Zachariah Nettles, Nancy Scofield’s husband, was said to have served in the Revolution on behalf of the Colonists. We are unsure of Phillip’s sympathies. Joseph Coffell (note 2), a self-styled backcountry Tory Colonel is believed to be his son. We aren’t sure if Phillip and Rachel travelled to Spanish East Florida with Joseph Coffell like many in the Camden region. Perhaps Phillip was pro-Revolution, like many of his neighbours and son-in-laws.

"Joseph Coffell’s name appears in many different spellings, eg. Scophol. Scofel, Scovil or variants thereof. In the public records it is always Coffell or Cofell. The records do not disclose Coffell’s origin, but he may have come from Prince Frederick Parish, in whose register book Philip and Rachel ‘Schofuld’ are mentioned in 1753. Joseph Coffell seems to have roamed about the Back Country from the Santee to the Savannah. Until 1772 he served as a constable in the Broad-Saluda fork, but in 1771 a tract of 250 acres was surveyed for him on Sandy Run, a branch of Cattle Creek in Saint George Dorchester. Cattle Creek rises a few miles south of Orangeburg and flows into the Edisto. In 1768 and later Coffell was a constable, but in 1772 the provincial grand jury asked for his removal. During the Revolutionary War, Coffell served the British. In the spring of 1778 he gathered together four or five hundred Tories near Ninety Six and led them across the Savannah whence they plundered their way to a camp on the St Mary’s River in East Florida." (note 3)

These men and woman were known as the Scopholites in St. Augustine. Margaret, John, NJ, Luis and Luis Juan, are some of the Scofields to be noted in the Index to White Births 1784- 1792, St Augustine, East Florida.

After the Revolutionary war, some of these Tories returned to South Carolina and Camden, Georgia and tried to rebuild their lives.

Phillip Scofield’s will has a reference to "do this Leventh Day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty six and in the Leventh year of the independence of aMaraca make and publish this my Last Will and Testament.".

Phillip’s grandson William (note 4) had at least one son, Phillip Scofill born 31 March, 1803 in South Carolina. He married Charity Busby (b 21 February, 1809, South Carolina) on 21 December , 1826 in Bibb County, Georgia.

Charity was the daughter of William Reese Busby and Mary Winn Busby, of Bibb County, GA. The Scofield (Scofills) of Crawford County, Ga attended Little Union Baptist Church in Crawford County and they are buried there.

William Winn and William Reese Busby were also members at the Little Union Church joining in 1828. We are not sure of the relation of William Winn, if any to Mary Winn.

Phillip and Charity Scofield had 15 children. Elaine Labs has done an excellent compilation of the descendants of Charity and Phillip, but it should be mentioned, they also raised at least 6 grand children, their Hatfield Grandchildren orphaned in the Civil War, and also Ichabod Scarborough, whom I believe is also a grandchild, in 1840.

We have a copy of a letter he wrote to his grandson Phillip Hatfield and it is copied as it is written, some words are missing from the edge of the paper due to age :

December the 6^th 1887

Dear nephew and neace

I seat myself down to write you a piece, to let you hear from me .

I am as common and doing verry well at this time. Hope these few lines will come to your hand and find you all enjoying the same.

Well Phillip, I have not much to write but if I could see you, I would have a right more to say than I can write. I would like to see your baby, but I know you and Nance have been spoiling it.

Phillip, Jackson Joyner’s wife is dead. She left 3 children and Anis(?) taken them. The baby is very ____ now. I don’t know whether it will get over it or not. The day Frankey was buried Asberry was taken sick at Anis and been there, down with the pneumonia. He is a little better now.

Phillip all the rest of the connection is well as far as I know. I am nearly done gathering all but a little cattering cotton. I don’t know if I will make two bales or not. I have not had it ginned yet. I have corn enough for me. I have not got my hogs fat yet, but I have peas enough to fatten them with, plus the mulberry (?).

I have got Lee with me this year and Frank is with me yet. Well Phillip, I have wrote all I can, think of this time- you must forgive my short letter. I come to a close for this time, write me soon.

I remain as ever your Granpa until death,

howdy (?) and goodbye

Phillip Schofill