The study of traders is important to the study of Native American tribes and ancestors. Most, if not all, traders established Native relationships, and by that, I mean marital or intimate relationships. What that means, exactly, depends on the culture and time times. It can mean anything from the Native cultural tradition of providing guests with a bedpartner for the night to traders who virtually forsook the white world and lived exclusively with the Native people when they weren’t back east trading their wares.
What this means to us today is that it’s very likely to find Native people who would carry the DNA of traders. This of course has nothing to do with their “Nativeness,” because at that time in history, the Native people made no distinction between fully Native and half Native and half white. You were what your mother was, and that was Native. Therefore, it would not be surprising to find Native people, enrolled or not enrolled in Federally recognized tribes, that if they were to test their Y DNA, would carry the DNA of traders, even though today their surname might be something entirely unrelated.
I found a list of traders in two locations, here and here.
The source for the traders is the “Colonial Records of South Carolina: Documents Relating to Indian Affairs 1750-1754” by William McDowell. Of course, there were traders from Virginia beginning in the 1600s, and from NC after that. These SC traders are a drop in the bucket, but still, we do have some compiled names, which is more than we have from Virginia or NC
The second link provides additional information, where known, about the traders.
Associated Trader profiles and genealogy information are found here.
This article describes the vast interrelationships of family and politics of traders and Native people.
Traders to the Catawbas
- Robert Steel
- Robert Tool
- Mathew Toole
Licensed Traders to the Cherokee from Carolina
- James Adair
- The Augusta Company
- James Baldridg
- Charles Banks
- William Bates
- James and Thomas Beamer
- Samuel Benn
- Robert Bunning
- John Butler
- Cornelius Daugherty
- Anthony Dean
- David Dowey
- John Downing
- John Elliott
- Robert Emory
- Robert Goudy
- Ludowick Grant
- ? Haines
- John Hatton
- John Hook
- Bernard Hughs
- Bob and John Kelly
- Anthony L’Antignac
- John McCord
- David McDaniel
- David McDonald
- William McDowel
- James Mackie
- William McTeer
- James Maxwell
- James May
- Daniel Murphy
- Joseph Oliver
- Bryan Sallamon
- Abraham Smith
- Richard Smith
- John Williams
Carolina Traders to the Chickasaw
- John Buckles
- John Campbell
- Cambell and Maccartan
- Jeromy Courtonne
- Courtonne and Brown
- John Highrider
- Robert Vaughan
Carolina Traders to the Choctaw
- John Buckles
- John Nellson
Licensed Traders to the Creeks from Carolina
- Ephraim Alexander
- The Augusta Company
- Isaac Barksdale
- ? Brown
- Patrick Brown
- Rae Brown and Company
- Nicholas Chinery
- Daniel Clark
- John Coller
- ? Cossens
- Samuel Elsinore
- John Eycott
- ? Fitz
- Stephen Forrest
- George Galphin
- James Hewitt
- George Johnston
- John Kennard
- John Ladson
- ? McCay
- Lachland McGillvery
- George McKay
- Lachlan Mackintosh
- Alexander McQueen
- Timothy Millin
- ? Nowley
- Moses Nunes
- John Pettycrew
- John Rae
- Peter Randle
- Walter Rode
- Acton Rowley
- William Sludders
- John Spencer
- Joseph Wright
Traders to the Savannahs
- Enoch Anderson
- Richard Anderson
- William Anderson
- John Anderson
- ? McKinnie
Interpreters of Various Indian Groups (1750-1754)
- Mary Bosomworth, a Creek woman married to a colonist.
- ? Brannan
- Edward Broadway
- Robert Bunning
- James Gaddes
- James Germany
- Mr. ? Kelloch
- Joseph O’Connor
- Aaron Stevens
- Samuel Thomas
- William Thompson
- ? Wiggan
This list is also not exhaustive, as I’m aware of several early Virginia traders whose names are absent here. Please feel free to add names of traders along with sources in the comments.
Hat tip to Elaine for this link.
Native Heritage Project 
The upstate of SC had several native families that remained in the area even during the time of forced removal. I assume one reason they were not targeted is because they were mixed-blood and continued to intermarry with whites in the community. One thing is for sure, there is much needed research still to be done on these families in this area of SC ! Here are some more family names that are connected to upstate Cherokee families.
http://www.cherokeesofsouthcarolina.com/about.html
Was the surname “Patterson” among those surname?
Rhonda, any record of traders by name of Paul (Benjamen, Abraham, William) around Cheraw District?
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Just found your site. Will explore when I return home. My ancestor was Robert Lang/Long, trader in the early 1700s.
Alan
Nicholas Peay was a fur trader in Longtown, SC. He was originally from Hanover County, VA.
Longtown Began As Indian Fur Trade Route.http://fairfieldgenealogical.org/Members_Only/Newsletters-Fairfield/Fairfield-2006-Vol-19-Nr-2.pdf
Pelham, my ggggf was John Liles. He is listed as John Liles 1750. No other information is given. I’ve heard Indian Traders applications at that time, 1750, would be in England. I’ve been wanting to call London to see if they have that information. I believe his son or grandson was my Liles Native American link. Other cousins believe this also.
Latonya, I am Val’s girlfriend and a descendant of the Virginian Nicholas Peay. However, the generations may be confused in the original post. The first Nicholas Peay was from Virginia, but I don’t think he ever lived in the area which would become known as Longtown or Logtown by the last years of the 1700s. His grandson or great grandson Nicholas Peay was the owner of a rather grandiose and ostentatious plantation home in Longtown which was targeted for destruction by a contingency of Gen. Sherman’s army as they marched from the burning of Columbia northward into Fairfield County. This Nicholas’s sister was my great great grandmother and I think he died within a few years of the Civil War. He would not have been involved during the Indian trade years but was well known for the large slave holdings on several nearby plantations that he operated. Their father Austin Ford Peay was estranged from his wife, said to be because of her objections to his fathering some of his own slave children. His will mentions that she had …”left his bed and board”, or something similar (sorry, I don’t have a copy here to be specific). I haven’t been reading this website and don’t know if another family ancestor of mine has been listed. John Liles, I think, has been documented as an Indian trader. His brother, my direct ancestor Ephraim Liles, was scalped on Beaver Creek of the Broad River in present-day Fairfield County around 1761, possibly by Cherokees or otherwise by bandits who wanted it to appear it had been an Indian raid.
My fourth great grandfather was one James Williams, whose father was killed by Indians in the Watauga area, back in the 1770’s. I’ve seen the writings of a grandson of James Williams, who states that James’ grandfather was a shipscarpenter from Wales, who first settled in Charleston, South Carolina, and then moved on into the interior. I’ve seen it stated, on the internet, but without any source given, that said Welsh immigrant was one John Williams, who was married to an Indian, a French woman, or a woman who was half Indian and half French. I’ve also read, ( again, on the internet ) that the John Williams above, mentioned as an Indian trader, was one in the same with the Welsh immigrant grandfather of James Williams. I hope that someone might have either information, or suggestions, which will help to clarify these supposed relationships.
Thank you;
John Cook
John, your 4th great grandfather was the brother of my 4th great grandfather Philip buck spike Williams. John Williams’ son James was in his late teens or early 20s when they went into the Cherokee village. While living among the Cherokee, James, being a young single man, met and married in the village a Cherokee woman whose name translated into something like Floating Cloud. According to the Cherokee customs, the children belonged to the mother’s family and not to the father. They were taught to be Cherokee by their mother’s brother.
Well, it seems that there is some trouble with the Williams. My 4th great grandfather is definitely listed, signed his name as James Williams 2nd. Also, it has always been assumed that he married one Keziah Wilson. It is true that he was Philip’s brother. Please let me know what you think about this. And I’m happy that we are communication.
Trader James Robert Adair was my 6th Great Uncle. He married an Indian woman and had children. My ancestor was his brother Joseph who died in Laurens SC..
Do you have any other information on James Robert Adair’s Indian wife and children? I think I am a descendant of one of his Indian children.
The Indians New World, by James Merrell, 1989, mentions John Evans (Sr), Indian trader, and his son, also called John Evans (Jr) 1698-1779, who married a Cheraw. Later these smaller native tribes formed the Catawba Nation. John Evans (Jr) was stated as a “friend and linguister of the Catawbas” as he was a trusted liaison between many SC Governors. They are my 6th and 7th GGF. Great book for Genealogical info. Thank you for this great Forum!
Was he related to Thomas Evans who died on September 5, 1774 in Amherst County, Virginia?
Paul;
My name is Val Green and I write some Native history stuff, The elder John Evans was from Va. He kept a diary. Its in the Smithsonian. His son had an Indian mother. He did work for the SC government. The elder was probably with John Lawson on his historic journey thru the Carolinas in 1701.
I am a desendant of John ” Trader “Evans I am trying to finf information on his wife FNU Islans married abou 1670’s.
I’m looking for the parents of Thomas Evans who died on September 5, 1774 in Amherst County, Virginia. If anyone has info, please email me at: seansilkmorrissey@aol.com.
Ok, if I’m looking reading this correctly, if my native DNA is from my fathers side, I’m “not” considered native?
Each tribe today decides for themselves. It’s a cultural distinction.
Balthasar Kuhn made his way to the Congarees. He was an escaped indentured servant in GA, overseen by Rev. Bolzius. There are no records on Balthasar, except he came on a Salzburger ship in 1749. We find him in 1753, as a chain holder for a surveyor in 1753 in Old Frederick Co., Virginia.
We want to know what he was doing between 1749 and 1753. Is it possible he could have been a trader with the Indians? Thanks