Virginia focused genealogy and history
Tag: asonofvirginia
My connection to the Joneses is through my 5x great grandmother Martha (Jones) Walker Holland (c.1755-c.1821). She married (1) Capt. Henry Walker who was killed in 1779 at the Battle of Stono Ferry in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War and (2) Capt. Richard “Dick” Holland (c.1750-c.1803). By her first husband she had two children … Continue reading The Jones Family of Slate River, Buckingham County, Virginia – Part 1
In 1757, my 6x great-grandfather Robert Vaughan I (c.1710-c.1779) and his brother Abraham Vaughan (1721-c.1795) served as interpreters and guides during the French & Indian War (1754-1763). Both men were sons of Nicholas and Ann (----------) Vaughan of Prince George County, Virginia. In 1757, Robert Vaughan was living in Amelia County having settled there by … Continue reading Brothers Robert Vaughan and Abraham Vaughan – French and Indian War Interpreters and Guides
Robert Vaughan III (c.1770-c.1819) was born in Nottoway Parish, Amelia County, Virginia [1] to Robert II and Elsie (Motley) Vaughan. You can read about Robert Vaughan II here: https://asonofvirginia.blog/2024/08/11/robert-vaughan-ii-c-1736-c-1805-of-amelia-and-nottoway-counties-virginia/ In 1800, Robert Vaughan II bequeathed Robert Vaughan III a 484 acre tract in Henrico County, which Robert III sold in 1802 never having lived there.[2] … Continue reading Robert III (c. 1770 – c. 1819) and Sarah (Truly) Craddock Vaughan (c.1770-1839) of Amelia County, Virginia
![Robert Vaughan II [c.1736-c.1805] of Amelia and Nottoway Counties, Virginia](https://asonofvirginia.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/june1780.jpg?w=624&h=172&crop=1)
On 22 April 1756, Robert & Martha (----------) Vaughan gifted their son Robert Vaughan, Jr., 200 acres of land on the lower side of Flat Creek for the “natural love and affection they bear unto thee the said son.” The deed mentions that the tract crossed Vaughan’s Creek [formerly Frank’s Creek] below Robert Vaughan’s plantation … Continue reading Robert Vaughan II [c.1736-c.1805] of Amelia and Nottoway Counties, Virginia
On 24 March 1740, for £4 of “good and lawful money” my 6x great grandfather Robert Vaughan I received a grant for 800 acres described as “lying and being in the County of Amelia on the lower side of Flatt Creek.” The bounds are given as “Beginning at his lower corner Poplar on said Creek … Continue reading Robert Vaughan I (c. 1710-c.1779) of Amelia County, Virginia – my 6x great grandfather
This c. 1900 photograph was given to me by my paternal grandmother Marian Berryman (Rowell) Craig (1914-1979). Of the many family photographs I have been fortunate to acquire, this is one of my favorites. The seated couple are my 2x great grandparents Patrick Henry “Pat” Rowell (1834-1916) and Sarah Judkins “Sallie” (Berryman) Seward Rowell (1844-1933). … Continue reading A Call to Arms – the Rowell Brothers of Surry County, Virginia
On the 24th of February 1823, Richard Rowell and Francis Holt bound themselves to the James Pleasants, Governor of Virginia in the amount of $150. This was for a marriage bond that reads in part “whereas a marriage is shortly intended to be had and solemnized between the above bound Richard Rowell and Rebecca Holt, … Continue reading Richard IV & Rebecca (Holt) Rowell of Surry County, Virginia – my 3x great grandparents – and their seven sons
Several weeks ago I met Claude Morris when he accompanied a group of my Morris cousins to two Morris cemeteries in Buckingham County. See my earlier blog post A Field Trip to Buckingham County – meeting cousins and making new friends: https://asonofvirginia.blog/2024/05/11/a-field-trip-to-buckingham-county-meeting-cousins-and-making-new-friends/ Claude descends from Nicholas Hudson Morris (c.1770-c.1846) called “Hudson” while I descend from … Continue reading A Field Trip to Buckingham and Prince Edward Counties – Finding Morris’s Mill: John Morris, Esquire (1779-c.1862) of Buckingham County – my 4x great grandfather
When someone finds out I am a genealogist, the first question I am usually asked is “How far back can you go?” As someone who focuses on their Virginia genealogy, I usually tell them that I have identified more than 100 ancestors who arrived in Virginia before the American Revolution including seven (so far) that … Continue reading How Far back can You Go?
My 9x great grandfather Thomas Gwaltney died in late July 1666 in Surry County, Virginia. On 4 September 1666, two people provided testimony at Surry Court about his nuncupative will [spoken in the presence of witnesses]. John Clarke testified that he was at Thomas Gwaltney’s house in late July two days before he died and … Continue reading Thomas Gwaltney of Surry County, Virginia
Descendants of Nathaniel “Natt” & Ann “Nancy” (Jeffries) Morris at the Morris family cemetery at Vassars. Pictured from left to right: Mardi (Morris) Deluhery, Russell Harper, Jennie (Morris) Gundy, Mary (Morris) Becker, Andrea Morris, Betsy (Morris) Sinnott and Steve Craig. I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days in Buckingham County in late … Continue reading A Field Trip to Buckingham County – meeting my Morris cousins and making new friends: (Nathaniel Morris c.1745-1813) my 5x great grandfather
The Virginia legislature met from 18 April to 12 May 1705 at Williamsburg, which had been the capital since Jamestown was abandoned in 1699. During that session they considered a petition from a group of men “born in France and other foreign countries” asking to be made naturalized English citizens. Among them were my 8x … Continue reading My Huguenot Ancestors settle at Manakintown – the Dupuy, Le Villain & Remy families
Brick Wall Ancestor #2 “Jas. A. McHugh, a well-known railroad man on the L. and N. [Louisville & Nashville] road, was killed early yesterday morning near Lebanon Junction, by falling from a rapidly moving freight train. About 5 o’clock McHugh, who was brakeman, was running from one car to another, when his foot slipped on … Continue reading James Irvin McHugh (c.1853-1890) – my 2x great grandfather
I don’t remember a time when I was not interested in history. Growing up in Yorktown, Virginia, a part of the Historical Triangle along with Jamestown and Williamsburg, it literally surrounded us. An early colonial Virginia port, Yorktown is principally famous for the October 1781 surrender of Lord Cornwallis to American and French troops that … Continue reading How I became interested in genealogy and family history: Edwards family of Surry County, Virginia
My great grandmother Annie May (Blanton) Morris (1884-1977) is my gateway to the Blanton family. According to my grandmother she knew a lot about family history. She died when I was 13 years old, but her memory left her before I was old enough to connect with her in that way. We called her “Big … Continue reading My Blanton Family Roots – Thomas Blanton (c.1650-1697/8)
My 7x great grandfather Charles Hudson (c.1690-1748) wrote his last will and testament on 19 April 1745.[1] The original was no doubt among the countless records consumed by fire on 3 April 1865 fire at Richmond, Virginia where Hanover County and many other old eastern Virginia counties had sent their records during the Civil War … Continue reading The Last Will & Testament of Charles Hudson of Hanover County
In 1991, my maternal grandmother Rebecca Blanton (Morris) Eisenbeis (1913-1994) wrote the following about her life [in italics]: A Thing of Beauty Is A Joy Forever[1] I was a lonely twenty-two year old young lady many miles from my family and home in Virginia - November 24, 1935 I had been to church, then … Continue reading Recollections on life by my grandmother Rebecca Blanton (Morris) Eisenbeis (1913-1994)
My 6x great grandfather Thomas Atkinson (c. 1731-c.1803) operated a store for many years in Amelia County and Nottoway County (formed out of Amelia in 1789). A photocopy of his “daybook” survives among the holdings of the Library of Virginia.[1] A daybook was portable and used to record transactions to later record in an account book, … Continue reading Thomas Atkinson’s Daybook – my 6x great grandfather
Well, it's getting to look a lot like Christmas around our house. We decided to have an additional tree this year - a Virginia history book tree! The idea came from a friend (thanks Annette) who is a fellow book lover and a regular A Son of Virginia reader who recently posted about a book … Continue reading Happy Holidays from A Son of Virginia
My 6x great grandparents Hector and Sarah (Holt) Truly’s arrived in Amelia County in 1743.[1] Truly was then – and is now – an unusual surname. The American Dictionary of American Family Names states that the surname is “probably English, perhaps a variant of Truelove.”[2] The given name Hector is also unique in my family … Continue reading The Truly family of Amelia County, Virginia
A Son of Virginia 