Last Sunday I got the chance to wonder through the woods in Surry County, Virginia and visit Old Castle Cemetery, which is the family cemetery of my 3x great grandparents William Holt Berryman[1] (1800-1857) and Sarah Honeycutt (Judkins) Berryman (1815-1901). They are among the 12 people interred there with gravestones. There are other folks interred there without gravestones evidenced only by wooden markers. My brother-in-law Brian Evans, my nephews Dylan and Casey Evans and my first cousins Pam Craig Freeman and Doug Craig also made the trip. The last time I visited Old Castle was more than 40 years ago when I was a teenager with my father and grandfather. With GPS coordinates it was much easier to find this time around, which was great considering the chill in the air.
In addition to my 3x great-grandparents, the other people with gravestones are as follows:
Children of William Holt & Sarah Honeycutt (Judkins) Berryman
Sarah “Sallie” Judkins (Berryman) Seward Rowell (1844-1931) – my 2x great-grandmother
Eliza Jane Berryman (1849-1910)
Rebecca Davis Berryman (1855-1862)
Thomas Rives Berryman (1857-1858)
Grandchildren of William Holt & Sarah Honeycutt (Judkins) Berryman
May Sadler (1890-1890)
Pattie Judkins Sadler (1894-1902)
Lucy Sadler (1896-1896)
Unnamed Infant son of Patrick Henry and Sarah (Judkins) Berryman Seward Rowell (1878-1878)
The three Sadler children above are children of John E. Sadler (1855-1924) and Lucy Susanna (Berryman) Sadler (1851-1931) – another daughter of William Holt & Sarah “Sallie” (Judkins) Berryman.[2]
John R. Seward (1847-1875)
Patrick Henry Rowell (1834-1916) – my 2x great-grandfather
Both husbands of my 2x great-grandmother
Who Was William Holt Berryman?
William Holt Berryman was born on 16 February 1800[3], son of Joseph Berryman (1774-1819) and Keziah (Holt) Berryman (1776-1830). Joseph Berryman was a son of Reverend Nathanial Berryman, Sr. (c.1749-1822) and an unknown wife (d. bef. 1822). For more information on Nathanial Berryman, Sr. and his forebearers, check out my earlier blog post A Base Born Son Makes Good at https://wordpress.com/post/asonofvirginia.blog/136.
William Holt Berryman was named for his maternal grandfather William Holt (c.1741-1801). William Holt Berryman spent his entire life in Surry County. He was the second of eight children born to his parents:
Sally Reaves3 Berryman (1798-bef.1840), m. 1817, John Wilkins Judkins
William Holt3 Berryman (1800-1857), m. 1st, 1825, Sally H. Seward; m. 2nd, 1838, Sarah H. Judkins*
Joseph Davis3 Berryman (1802-aft.1860), m. 1831, Eliza G. Rowell
Nathanial Randolph3 Berryman (1805-1878), m. 1843, Eliza Ridley Williams*
Rebekah Ann3 Berryman (1808-1812)
Keziah Catherine3 Berryman (1811-aft.1860), m. 1841, Thomas Bell
Lucy Ann3 Berryman (1812-aft.1880), m. James T. Pyland
George Francis3 Berryman (1816-betw.1824-30)
A suit filed in Surry Chancery Court on 27 November 1821 to divide the estate of his father Joseph Berryman provides much information about this family. [4] The suit notes that Joseph Berryman died in 1819 intestate [without a will] and that he owned a 100 acre tract of land. His wife Keziah (Holt) Berryman was entitled to a dower share of the land [life use of 1/3] and the seven heirs [all of the children listed above except daughter Rebecca who died about 1812] were to receive the remaining 2/3 of the tract, along with their mother’s 1/3 portion after her death.
According to the suit, only daughter Sally, who was already married to John Wilkins Judkins, had reached the age of 21 when the suit was filed. This conflicts with the gravestone record for William Holt Berryman who, if born 16 February 1800, would have been 21 when the suit was filed. The rest of the children were represented by “their next friend” Nathaniel Berryman [their father’s brother]. He asked, on behalf of the heirs, that the land be sold given it would have been impractical to divide it between seven heirs. Their mother did not object – she would have life use of her portion when the land was sold.
The court decreed that the land be sold on 12 months credit [bonds to be issued to the heirs] and that the proceeds be divided into seven equal parts. The heirs were back in court on 25 February 1822 asking that the court’s decree be amended to include “that the Negro slave named Peter” be sold on the same terms as the land. Unlike the land, their mother was to receive 1/6 of the proceeds in lieu of her dower and the balance of the proceeds be divided among the seven heirs.
On 24 May 1824 the commissioners filed their report with the Court. They reported that William Holt Berryman had purchased the land for $200 and issued his mother [as guardian of each of his younger siblings who were under 21] a bond for $142.86 and issued a bond for $28.57 to John W. Judkins in right of his wife Sally R. (Berryman) Judkins, William’s elder sister. John W. Judkins purchased the enslaved man Peter for $501.25 and issued a bonds to Keziah (Holt) Berryman for $83.54 [her 1/6 share] and $298.36 [as guardian of the minor heirs] and finally a bond for $59.67 to William Holt Berryman who had reached the age of 21 since the case began. Their mother Keziah (Holt) Berryman died about 1830.[5]
On 27 January 1825, William Holt Berryman married Sally H. Seward [1801-1834], daughter of William Carter & Rebecca (Rives) Seward. I could find no record of them having any children. She was deceased by 27 October 1834, when William Holt Berryman was granted administration of his wife’s estate.[6]
Despite being the purchaser of his father’s 100 acres and being married at the time, William Holt Berryman is not listed in the 1830 U.S. Census for Surry County. He remarried on 25 June 1838 – to Sarah “Sally” Honeycutt Judkins (1815-1901).[7] They are found in the 1840 U.S. Census for Surry County.[8] While only heads of household are listed, the record for his household includes:
1 Free White Persons – Males – 40 thru 49 – William Holt Berryman (age 40)
1 Free White Persons – Females – 20 thru 29 – Sarah Honeycutt (Judkins) Berryman (age 25)
1 Free White Persons – Males – Under 5 – Joseph Randall Berryman (born 1840)
William Holt Berryman also held five enslaved people including one female age 36-54, one female age 24-35, one male under 10 years old and 2 females under age 10 years old.
Five people were still enslaved by William Holt Berryman including one 60-year-old female, one 40-year-old female, one 17-year-old male, one 13-year-old female and one 12-year-old female.[10] The ages and genders suggest these were the same people enslaved in 1840.
William Holt Berryman died on 29 July 1857[11] at the age of 48 leaving a widow and 10 children ranging in age from 18 to 1. In 1860, Sally H. Berryman is head of household with real estate valued at $600 and personal property valued at $150. At this point the family held no slaves. With her were nine children ranging in age from 20-5.[12] Her son Thomas Rives Berryman, who was born in 1857 died in 1858 and was interred at Old Castle Cemetery.[13] In 1870, Sarah – now 55 – was head of household and her four youngest surviving children including Keziah, 22, Jane, 20, Susanna, 18 and John, 16 were still at home. She also had a tenant family named Woodley living with her – or perhaps in their own cabin on her land.[14] In 1880, only son John H (27) [erroneously listed as Joseph H.] and daughter Jane (30) were with still their mother. Her daughter Susanna had married John E. Sadler and the couple, with their newborn daughter Bessie, were listed with them but in their own household.[15] In 1900, the last census in which Sarah “Sallie” H. (Judkins) Berryman appears, she is listed as 84 years old, and the census noted that she had given birth to 10 children, seven of whom were living. Living with her was daughter Eliza Jane, 50 (she never married) and granddaughter Hannah B. Sadler, 16 -daughter of John and Susanna (Berryman) Sadler.[16] Sarah “Sallie” H. (Judkins) Berryman died on 14 January 1901 at the age of 84 and was interred beside her husband at Old Castle Cemetery.[17]
Children of William Holt & Sarah (Judkins) Berryman were:
Joseph Randall Berryman (1840-1911) m. 1866, Pattie K. Pyland
Mary Ann Berryman (1844-aft. 1900) m. 1865, James W. Judkins
Sallie Judkins Berryman (1844-1933) m. (1) John R. Seward, (2), 1878, Patrick Henry Rowell
William Holt Berryman, Jr. (1846-1925) m. 1892, Ida Bell Stroud
Keziah P. Berryman (1848-1884) m. 1876, Thomas G. Price
Eliza Jane Berryman (1849-1910) unmarried
Lucy Susanna Berryman (1851-1931) m. 1879, John E. Sadler
John Henry Berryman (1853-1921) m. 1875, Nancy V. Lane
Rebecca Davis Berryman (1855-1862)
Thomas Rives Berryman (1857-1858)
[1] The name appears as Berriman or Berryman. I am using the modern Berryman throughout this post.
[2] The unmarked graves at Old Castle may include John E. Sadler whose death certificate notes his 24 April 1924 burial at “family burial ground” and Lucy Susanna (Berryman) Sadler whose death certificate notes her 5 October 1931 burial at “family cemetery.”
[3] Gravestone of William Holt Berryman, Old Castle Cemetery, Surry County, Virginia; Find-A-Grave.com; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89663284/ber
[4] Surry County, Virginia Chancery Court, Virginia Memory, 1826-007, Library of Virginia, https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/full_case_detail.asp?CFN=181-1826-007#img; accessed 24 February 2023
[5] U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970, Ancestry.com
[6] Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900; Administrators Bonds, 1797-1891; Author: Virginia. County Court (Surry County); Probate Place: Surry, Virginia; Ancestry.com
[7] Virginia Marriages, 1740-1850; Ancestry.com
[8] 1840 United States Federal Census; Year: 1840; Census Place: Surry, Virginia; Roll: 576; Page: 219; Image: 1075; Family History Library Film: 0029691; Ancestry.com
[9] 1850 United States Federal Census; Year: 1850; Census Place: Southwark Parish, Surry, Virginia; Roll: M432_978; Page: 83A; Image: 165; Ancestry.com
[10] 1850 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules; The National Archive in Washington DC; Washington, DC; NARA Microform Publication: M432; Title: Seventh Census Of The United States, 1850; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Ancestry.com
[11] Gravestone of William Holt Berryman, Old Castle Cemetery, Surry County, Virginia; Find-A-Grave.com; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89663284/ber
[12] 1860 United States Federal Census, Year: 1860; Census Place: Surry, Virginia; Page: 918; Family History Library Film: 805379; Ancestry.com
[13] Gravestone of Thomas Rives Berryman, Old Castle Cemetery, Surry County, Virginia: Find-A-Grave.com; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89663478/thomas-rives-berryman
[14] 1870 United States Federal Census, Birth date: abt. 1815 Birth place: Virginia Residence date: 1870 Residence place: Cobham, Surry, Virginia; Ancestry.com
[15] 1880 United States Federal Census, Year: 1880; Census Place: Cobham, Surry, Virginia; Roll: 1392; Page: 28C; Enumeration District: 107, Ancestry.com
[16] 1900 United States Federal Census, Year: 1900; Census Place: Cobham, Surry, Virginia; Roll: 1729; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 0067; FHL microfilm: 1241729, Ancestry.com
[17] Gravestone of Sarah “Sallie” Honeycutt (Judkins) Berryman, Old Castle Cemetery, Surry County, Virginia; Find-A-Grave.com; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89663377/sallie-berryman
A Son of Virginia 
I’m a native of Surry (you and I have corresponded previously)… curious to know where Castle Cemetery is?
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It’s in the Alliance area near Oak Grove Methodist on Chapel Bottom Road – Rt. 634 I think. On private property.
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Thanks! I’m familiar with Chapel Bottom (used to be called Chapel Hill when I was a child).
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I wonder if the wife Seward was related to the Petersburg Sewards that owned the luggage factory there.
I know nothing about that families’ roots but it is an unusual name around the area.
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Seward is a fairly common name in Surry and Isle of Wight. John SEAWARD (later Seward) was the first one arriving from Bristol, England before 1635. He lived in Isle of Wight County and died there in 1650/1. I wouldn’t be surprised if the ones in Petersburg are related.
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Steve,
My dad was Jack Berryman. In the 70’s he made Tombstones from cement and etched in names from Wooden Tombstones and wheel barrowed then to the gravesites. We lived at the end of Beachland Road. He died in 1990. I haven’t been back there since to 80’s. We call that area the Berryman farm near it. Stuart Berryman is my name.757-903-7677
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So glad to hear from you Stuart! What a cool story about your Dad.
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Stuart, Any chance your Dad took photos of the cemetery before the replacements?
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