Rose Dove Dalton and Albert Lee Dalton Homeplace

Rose Dove Dalton and Albert Lee Dalton Homeplace
This house and property belonged to John Ward, Jr At his death he willed the property to his nephew William Ward

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Jefferson Obituary and other things

Yesterday I posted the newspaper notice of William Thomas Jefferson.  It was sent to me by the Piedmont Genealogical Society. They were very nice and sent it to me right away.  I believe that I must have e-mailed the wrong address the first time I wrote.
The obituary stated that he was born near the Pullens Post office in Pittsylvania County which is about 9 miles from Chatham.  It would have taken about four to six hours to walk a straight line from home to the county seat of Chatham, but a horse and buggy would have taken about three hours. He was seventy eight years old or close to that and would have made his birthday making his year of birth around 1834 which is what I have in my records.
In 1834 Andrew Jackson was the President of the United States.  Our two United State Senators were John Tyler and Benjamin W. Leigh.  The Governor of Virginia was Littleton Waller Tazewell.
During 1834 the McCormick Reaper was patented on June 21, 1834.  John Lane began to manufacture plows faced with steel saw blades. Charles Darwin was aboard the Beagle sailing through Santa Cruz, Patagonia and the Falkland Islands.
In New York City Bob Farrell composed and played for the first time "Turkey In The Straw" and Delmonicos opened serving meals for 12 cents.


Monday, December 19, 2011

Obituary of William T. Jefferson

Published in the Danville Register/Bee on January 4, 1913
Death of W. T. Jefferson Occurred Sunday
Chatham January 3 - Mr. W. T. Jefferson after an illness of some six weeks died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. C. Adkins near Sycamore on Sunday.  Mr. Jefferson was born in Pittsylvania county near Pullens Post office nearly seventy eight years ago and has never resided other than in the county of his birth.  When the war broke out he enlisted in defense of his native state and was four times wounded in the battle of Gettysburg one bullet passing through his body.  He was in Pickett's division and served with unfaltering loyalty until the close at Appomattox.  Since the war he was engaged in farming until feeble health several years ago compelled him to give it up.  His wife preceded him to the grave several years ago since then most of his time has been with his children in different sections of the county.  He is survived by the following children:  Mrs. J. E. Watson, Mrs. J. C. Adkins, Mrs. R. L. Bailey, Mrs Sydney Jefferson, Mrs. James Reynolds, Messrs W.T., D.A. and W. E. Jefferson.
On Monday afternoon interment was in the Chatham cemetery Reverend T. R. Sanford conducting the obsequies assisted by Reverend Mr. Upchurch of Danville.  The pall bearers were J. H. Hargrave, Jr., J. H. Adkins, J. L. Carter, W. B. Shepherd, J. R. Yates and H. Dillard.  Flower bearers-J.J. Waller, John Brown, John R. Yates, and W.E. Waller of Danville, Z. Adkins, J. D. Coleman and G.E. Thompson of Chatham.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Some things to talk about Ward Family

Which Ward Family lived on Old Woman's Creek.

I have not been to the courthouse to research land transfers and surveys, but this is what I think and some things of which I know.

John Ward Sr. and his son John Ward Jr. owned vast amounts of land in Campbell and Pittsylvania County.  First let me get the names in order for the Pittsylvania County Wards in my direct line.

Generations:
1st generation
 John Ward Sr. and his wife Ann Chiles
2nd generation
 John and Ann Ward's son William married Mildred Adams
3rd generation
 William and Mildred's son John married Tabitha Walden
4th generation
 John and Tabitha's  son William married Elizabeth Mumford Adams and they had four children;  Cornelia, Henry, Robert and William Ellen.  The reason I am directing my interest toward them is the fact that some of their descendants still live on the property on Old Woman's Creek.
William Ellen died at the age of 12.  Robert was killed at Gettysburg.  They left no heirs. That left Cornelia and Henry.

 Okay, I know by the census of 1860 that Tabitha Ward, Elizabeth Ward and Cornelia Ward Walden were all still living and in different residences. Elizabeth Adams Ward lived in the North District, Pittsylvania County, No. 851. She was living with her two sons Henry and Robert.    Tabitha Ward lived in the North District, Pittsylvania County, No. 860.  Tabitha lived alone at the time.  Her land was valued at 25,000.  Tabitha's husband passed away many years before 1860. Cornelia Ward Walden Dove lived in the North District Pittsylvania County No. 867.  There is no land value on her census.  She was living with her two sons from her marriage with Littleton Tazewell Walden. Cornelia Walden was a widow in 1860.  She was not yet married to George Dove.  The Post Office for Tabitha and Elizabeth was Berger's Store, but Cornelia's Post Office was Leesville District Bedford County.

I also know that John Ward and Tabitha Walden lived on a Plantation called Edgehill on the Staunton River. See "The History of Pittsylvania County" by Maude Carter Clements page 139.  John Ward's father William also lived on the Staunton River.

I know that my grandfather lived in the house that once belonged to his father Albert Lee Dalton and his wife Rose Lee Dove.  This house is on Paisley Road and is situated on Old Woman's Creek.  Rose received the property from her mother Cornelia.  This is supposedly the house where Cornelia resided.   But I don't know if Cornelia was living here in 1860.  Since she was the widow of  Littleton Walden could she have been living on Walden property.  I don't know, but that is a liklihood.  There was no valuation of property for her. The Walden Mansion burned down in the early twentieth century and was located closer to Tabitha's home at Edge Hill near the Bright's Store area on Leesville Lake.  Actually both of those mansions could be under water now.  I know the Walden Mansion or whatever is left is under water.  And I have found no evidence of Edge Hill, but the Ward cemetery is close to Leesville lake.  The Walden Cemetery had to be moved due to Leesville Dam.  Also Cornelia was married at her mother's homeplace according to her marriage license of 1855 to Littleton Walden.  Her marriage license of 1872 to George Dove states that they were married at Cornelia's home.

Henry Ward supposedly lived in his family homeplace.  So I am assuming and this is just assumptions. that this house was 2629 Paisley Road which is just down the road from my grandfather's house.  This is the house where he lived in 1910 and died.  Just recently this house suffered a severe fire and is terribly damaged.  So this house could be Elizabeth Ward's homeplace.

Tabitha Ward died in 1866.  Elizabeth Ward died in 1880. Cornelia died in 1878.

None of the property near the Ward Cemetery at Brights belongs to the Ward descendants at this time.
Most of the property on Paisley Road close or near to where my grandfather lives still belongs to the family through Charles Dove, Rose Dove and Henry Ward.

The Old Slave Graveyard is located on Rose Dove's part of the property near the gravel pit turnoff on Paisley Road, but it is so overgrown that it would be difficult to find now.

It is my opinion that the old farmhouse on Paisley Road which originally belonged to John Ward, jr and was devised to William Ward should be on the National Historic Sites.

Without proper surveys and careful study of court records there is no way to know who was living in which house in the 1860s.  However, I do know that the Ira Dalton home is part of the Ward land and the Henry Ward house also.

Tomorrow Lynch Dillard


Monday, December 5, 2011

Jefferson Family

I was bogged down before Christmas trying to find a funeral account or obituary for William Thomas Jefferson.  He died in Pittsylvania County, Virginia and I read in a report that someone had found a January 4, 1913 obituary from the Danville Register.  Ancestry.com has the Danville Register/Bee from 1922 to 1977which leaves me out.
After that disappointment, I called the Danville Register and spoke to the archives room.  They couldn't look it up, but they directed me to the Danville Historical Society that directed me to the Piedmont Historical Society.  No luck there either.  I think I am spinning my wheels here.  I may have enough.  This is what I have so far.

lst generation
My information  marriage license, birth certificate.

2nd generation
My mother and father's marriage license and birth certificate.

All the above is pretty simple, but then in the third generation I have the following:

3rd generation
Eros Gray Bailey

His marriage license to Kissie Mae Crawley
His death certificate, but it does not list his mother's name.
The 1910 census listing Eros Gray Bailey as the son of Robert and Henrietta Bailey
The 1930 census listing Eros Gray Bailey and his wife Mae and son Harold.  They were living in Henry County at the time.
I also talked to my mother about Melvin Bailey that was listed in the 1910 census and she didn't remember a Melvin.  But she did remember that he had a sister named Melba. Melba was also listed in some of the obituaries that I found.
Flossie Bailey Owen (Eros's sister) obituary naming Henrietta Jefferson as her mother.
Minnie Bailey Giles (Eros's sister) obituary naming Henrietta Jefferson as her mother.
Eros's obituary only named his parents as Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bailey.

4th generation
Henrietta Jefferson that was married to Robert L. Bailey

Their marriage license
1900 census  married to Robert Bailey
1910 census  Married to Robert Bailey
1930 census  living with Ella Bailey in Chatham, Virginia.  widow
1880 census  living with William T Jefferson and Matilda J. Jefferson and siblings
1870 census  living with William T. Jefferson and Matilda J. Jefferson and siblings

5th generation
William Thomas Jefferson that was married to Matilda Jane Ramsey

Their marriage bond
1850 census  living with Alexander and Polly Jefferson
1860 census  married to Matilda
1870 census  married to Matilda
1880 census  married to Matilda
1900 census married to Matilda

6th generaton
Alexander Jefferson that was married to Mary (Polly) Mahan

Elizabeth Jefferson Will recorded in Pittsylvania County Will Book 1 page 149 naming Alexander Jefferson as one of her sons
Book:  Marriage of Pittsylvania County.  Alexander Jefferson married  Elilzabeth Smith on February 15, 1808 and on April 20, 1829 Alexander Jefferson married Polly Mahan
1850 census  Alexander Jefferson age 70 and Polly 56.  son William 16
1850 slave schedule for Pittsylvania County for Alexander Jefferson
Pittsylvania County deaths for 1854 showing Arabella that died being the daughter of Alexander and Mary Jefferson
William and Mary Quarterly Vol II page 159  The Jefferson Family of Pittsylvania County

7th generation
Peter Field Jefferson that was married to Elizabeth Allen

History of Pittsylvania County by Maud Clement
William and Mary Quarterly 22W(1) page 194-196
Marriage records of Cumberland County, Virginia
18th century Virginia Newspapers  Elizabeth Jefferson relict of Peter F. Jefferson  names son Alexander Jefferson.