Welcome
Welcome to the Blog for all things about Louisa County history. We are actively engaged in preserving and sharing our 250 year plus history. If you aren’t actually here to explore our rich history in person, then join our online community by visiting our blog often and posting some pieces of your own research.
If you’re hunting for more information, we invite you to visit us online at www.louisahistory.org . There you’ll find information about what’s in our two museums, links to our genealogy and African-American Schools websites, and some of our YouTube videos. Better still, we invite you to come visit Louisa County and enjoy exploring our history for yourself.
Oh, and if you’re close enough to join our many activities at the Sargeant Museum in the Town of Louisa, send us your email at louisahistory@verizon.net and we’ll be sure you receive timely notices of upcoming events.
It seems most of our postss are related to family history or homeplaces. You might also leave a question at our Rootsweb site . Several of our local family history researchers monitor the site and will contact you if they can provode you with more information.
Looking for information on Joel and Emma Walton my family were “workers” for them back around 1800
Joel was my 4th Great Grandfather
Same here! He had children with Alice Herden as well as with Emma, my family are descendants of Joel Walton and Alice Herden.
I’m looking for info on Joseph Bond b.1802….and the Marina Whitlock family. My gr.gr.Grandmother is Catherine Bond…she married John Robert Hicks after the Civil War.
Thank you,
Carole Hicks
I am interested in any help that anyone can provide with the Louisa County Arnett and Robertson families (James Robertson’s will in Louisa County records). I am particularly interested in knowing about the marriage of Sarah E F Arnett and James Crockett (found in Louisa County marriage records of 1842) and whether there were any Crockett families from Louisa, or if James was from another county. I have been searching for about 15 years now for answers to the ancestry of my great great grandmother, Mary Crockett. She and her grandmother, Mary Arnett, lived in Tennessee (Hardin County) in 1850, along with another of Mary Arnett’s daughters, Mary Winn (moving there from Madison County, AL I believe). Shortly after her grandmother died, Mary Crockett was adopted by her aunt’s husband, Gideon Winn. Every census record notes that Mary was born in Virginia (September of 1843) and I know the Arnett family I am interested in comes from Louisa. Her grandmother, Mary Arnett, was originally a Robertson. She married James Arnett and one of her children, Ann Arnett, became a Robertson when she married Mordecai Robertson. It cannot be coincidence that the year prior to Mary Crockett’s birth, there is an Arnett who marries a Crockett. The only problem is, this is where my trail goes completely cold. Any help with discovering who James Crockett was, and verifying Mary Crockett’s parents, would be vastly appreciated.
Look in counties surrounding Louisa Co, VA for the people you are searching and also who the neighbors were in TN and AL and if those same surnames are found in Louisa Co, VA. Sometimes seeing a pattern helps. Winn, I am sure is a melungeon name. And, the first name Gideon shows up in my Gibson family repeatedly, in the late 1600’s and 1700’s, for what that’s worth.
This is for Joan Gibson. Or anyone with info on Oragin Gibson’s daughter Martha P Gibson. She married John Anderson in 1852, in Louisa, Va….what happened to her and her boys Frederick and Eugene Anderson?
Info please! John S Harris. ..Louisa County, Va. Born Abt 1834. Died of Typhoid on July 27, 1862. Parents: William T and Martha Harris. Wife: Hulda Luck, daughter of Larkin Luck and Jane Butler of Louisa, Va. Hulda had a brother Peter Luck. He married a girl named King. Her parents owned land in what’s now Ashland. Peter had one son Thomas Luck. Peter was killed in the Battle of Chancellorsville. Anybody related to these Lucks, Butlers and Harrises??? Please email me: khakiberrie@hotmail.com Thank you!
Khaki
Looking for information on the Johnston family of Columbus Junction, Iowa; specifically Howard and Lillie Johnston
Erin, you need Louisa County Iowa. I suspect that we, Louisa County, Virginia, are the source of the name for your county in Iowa…many of the surnames we get requests for by accident are also LC Va names!
Hello, Looking for any information on the Isbell family.
They lived, I’m told, in Bumpass. Thanks!
Elaine, I am related to the Isbells, from Fayette County,TN, who moved there from Louisa CO,VA. Eliza Isbell Swift is my great-great grandmother, and iI have a copy of her gravestone in TN., Her daughter, MInnie India Swift Green moved to AR after she married my great-grandfather, Dr. Henry Dixon Green.
I have some more info on the Isbell family, but have houseguests right now and will have to get it to you next week. BUT wanted to let you know ASAP that I am excited over finding a “cousin” related to the Isbells!
Please rsvp and we can get this info going.
Mary Lou Green Peterson
I am descended from Martha Ann Isbell, who married Stephen Parrish. Martha Ann and Stephen had a daughter called Adelia Agnes Parrish (born about 1857) who married John Thomas “Tom” Diggs. Tom and Adelia lived in Bumpass. I know exactly where their graves are. If you want to know more, contact me at hybridizeroses@gmail.com
HI, back to the Isbells, We were in Liuisa County iin NOv. and documented an Isbell cemetery there, but have to find the info. I am in rehab from a busted femur. Can you give me the background of your Isbells–grandfathers,etc. I think we can find a match! mary lou green peterson
I am descended from Martha Ann Isbell, who married Stephen Parrish in 1852. I believe that Martha Ann Isbell’s parents are James T. Isbell and Elenor ISBELL. E-mail me if these people are in your family tree too.
Hello Rosalie
Just received some interesting information from someone well-versed in Nuckolls/Knuckles. I’m still waiting access to a YDNA chart, but what is interesting is that she knows of a (2nd) modern Knuckles whose YDNA ties to Sanders. She stated mine will also tie to Nuckolls, but it sounds like there are two distinct lines of Nuckolls- one tied to E-series African haplogroup, and one tied to R-series European haplogroup, I do know I am R-M269. I can’t wait to see the Nuckolls chart….
My Swift YDNA has been somewhat solved. Well, the ‘When’ has… Just need to sort out the ‘Who’…. Through cM levels and name/profile matches on Ancestry DNA, as well as comparison of files on GEDMatch, it has become obvious there is a distinct break between offspring of my grandfather, Wilmer C Thacker, b 1911, and offspring of two of his sisters. Quite simply- those from my grandfather’s lines do not link to the Vinton County, Ohio and Louisa County, VA, Thackers or related names, while those of my grandfather’s sisters DO link to Ohio, Virginia, etc. In fact, they are link to Gibson, etc. My grandparents, Thomas Elton Thacker and Miranda Ellen (aka Ella) Coffey (Thacker) divorced within a short time after Wilmer’s birth. Perhaps this is related… Anyway, the lines are distinct. This is where my paternal line’s YDNA begins its link to Swift. Now I need to figure out the ‘Who’…..
So interested in your Swift DNA as I am a Swift. My great grandmother was Minnie India SWift and her father was William Swift, born in louisa couty about 1795, moved to TN around 1820. I can go back with you as needed. So hopeful you can shed some light on this Swift line.
many thanks, mary lou green peterson
Mary Lou–I am one of those Knuckles/Nuckolls to whom Karl is referring; however, it is quite evident that we have Sanders Y-DNA. I tie into the Swift and Gerard lines at some distant point, according to FTDNA. My first job is to learn where and when my male lineage wound up with the Sanders Y-DNA. The Sanders with whom I’m familiar and spread throughout eastern/southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois. Our Sanders and Knuckles/Knuckolls families have been quite close since at least the very early 1900s in Scott County, MO. Karl and I have chatted a lot lately about our lines and where we stand with research. To his credit, he has solved many more mysteries to date than I have. One of these days we’ll solve these mysteries! Take care–Steve Knuckles (O’Fallon, MO)
Steve, so, re my -and perhaps-your Swifts: Did you have a DNA test to see that you are related to the Swifts? I am interested in some this DNA Stuff,just don’t know where to start.
So keep looking for the Swifts,many thanks, Mary lou Peterson
For anyone researching the Yancey Family of Louisa County
Check out these resources:
http://yanceyfamilygenealogy.org/
http://yanceyfamilygenealogy.org/louisa_county.htm
anyone having Yanceys in your database/research
please contact me.
Dennis J Yancey
dyancey@miami.edu
Just noted on the 1751 Jefferson-Frye map of VA a “Swift Creek” about five miles south of Manakin (French Hugenot settlement, early 1700’s and abandoned Monacan Indian town, 1690’s), area of Gilbert Gibson, Sr.’s domain, near Tuckahoe Creek, 1690’s, Henrico County at that time – mid 1690’s – from what I have seen. One line of my family referred to themselves as “Tuckahoe” Indians, as they were Indian mixes and dug the tuckahoe tubers (would have been 1700’s or earlier up to the early 1800’s). The present day Pamunkey Reservation has tuckahoes throughout the reservation from what I was told by a tribal member. Check out Swift Creek and who lived along and near there prior to the mid 1700’s and you may find some fascinating answers re the Swift genealogy. Also, Elaine, when was this area NO longer considered Indian domain? When, approx. were the Indians forced out? I know the Monacans abandoned their town in the 1690s but I am curious re other tribes in the area and basically when that area began to get settled by white folks????? Thanks. Joan Gibson, juanagibson@juno.com
rosalie, I am very interested in you blog re Swift Creek, in Louisa Cty. I have tried to find it, but can’t seem to . My ancestors were Swifts, so this could be very important. Do you have any place where I could look this up.
Thank you so much; mary lou peterson
Well, see if you can pull up the 1751 Frye-Jefferson map of VA online. Swift Creek is about 5 miles from Manakin and south of Tuckahoe Creek where I was told Gilbert Gibson was (this I need to verify but the creek isn’t far from some of his other haunts and the family called themselves Tuckahoe INDIANS from what one Gibson cousin and superb genealogical researcher shared with me re her oral family tradition on her Gibson/Bramham lineage). The Swifts sound like they intermarried with the Gibsons or a common ancilliary family. Also, you can check worldfamilies.net/surnames/results/Gibsons and see if any of the lineages show Swifts. The Swifts were probably in Louisa Co, VA prior to 1751 as I imagine Swift Creek is named after them. Anyway, you can order the above map online, but, it is expensive and huge and one needs a magnifying glass to read it. I have it laid out on a king size bed and it takes half the bed. It’s an absolutely incredible map, showing all the creeks off of the major rivers and the courthouses at the time. I am using it to try to establish a migratory path on my Gibsons and corroborating that with land deeds and other public records. We pretty much covered large areas of Henrico Co, VA in the 1600’s and we are found in Surry Co, VA and Charles City Co, VA in the 1600’s, as well. I think the Swifts were around in the 1600’s, just try to find out which county and see if that county has extant public records. Your people may have been Indian or an Indian mix depending upon how early they were in VA and where they became established and what their occupations were. We were yeoman planters and also tradesmen in wood, probably cask makers for tobacco. I know we were coopers and my Gibsons were involved with many other families in what looked like possibly well established ongoing Indian trading in VA very early and later into NC. Also, if it helps, I have a FB page called Gibsons of Old Jamestown and Louisa Co, VA. I know of no Swifts in my direct line but I believe we did marry into Stouts, one of the families associated with the Swifts. If your Swifts were Indian or an Indian mix, I may be able to better help you, also. I have an idea now which families were Indian mixes in Louisa Co, VA. Just let me know.
Correction, family is NOT Stout but SANDERS. Also, Swift Creek was also know as Randolph Creek on the 1751 Frye-Jefferson map.
rc heath, I plan to visit Louisa county soon, to find graves, etc of my Swifts.. and Dukes. . Clevears Swift was also my 6th grandfather. Daughter Amediah duke swift, thomas,jr, william, minnie india swift…then the line changes to Dr. Henry Dixon Green.Is it possible to see the Duke home in Louisa County?? And are there gravestones to be copies?
I live in CO so am trying to get all the info I can prior to making this trip, hoping you can help.
many thanks, mary lou peterson
I know little about Louisa Co, VA except re the history of the Gibsons and ancillary famiies. Elaine Taylor of the Louisa Co, VA Historical Society would b e the one who could guide you re the Dukes family home and possibly cemeteries. Cemeteries are often held by private families in VA, just to forewarn you. And because of this some of them are hard to find. It is law that if you are a relative of one buried, you have the right to visit the gravestone for upkeep and family visits, so to speak. It’s nice to get permission from the landowner if you can, as a courtesy. “Find-a-Grave” online is a good place to start, but, don’t trust all the info there. I’ve found some blatantly undocumented garbage by one poster.
Thank you, Joan, for answering. Mary Lou, as Joan said, the homes and cemeteries are privately owned. Find a Grave is one of the very best resources. There is an index of gravestones which have been documented on trevilians.com with the GPS coordinates. Although the actual photos of the markers nor the GPS Coord are online, copies of the volumes are here at the museum, in the courthouse, and at the public library. If you find your ancestor’s names in the list on the website, then you know you’ll be able to find their stone once you arrive by simply plugging in the GPS. Most property owners understand your rights and are quite willing to give you access as the two of you communicate. Seeing their home is an entirely different matter, of course.
You can email me directly at louisahistory@verizon.net closer to your visit or if you need some additional assistance and I can recommend someone to you.
Elaine Taylor
Elaine, I have been reading your comments with great interest. I talked to you yesterday, briefly, but I hope to see you in person early December.
Do you have a copy of the Swift Bible at your “place”?
thanks, mary lou Forsyth Peterson
You will want to check out “Swift Creek” while visiting. Don’t know what it’s called today and it had another name, as well. Its on the 1756 Fry Jefferson map. The creek is near where my gramp Gilbert Gibson lived and the Swifts, Saunders, etc. apparently married into the Gibsons from what other family members have come up with. Anyway, if there is a creek named “Swift” it’s gotta be because the Swifts lived on it or near it and their may be an old homestead or unrecorded (online) cemetery there. Enjoy! Someday I will get to Louisa Co, VA! You are in good hands with Elaine Taylor. Also, the Library of VA in Richmond, Archives, is a good resource.
Joan, thank you for your reply re SWift Creek I haven’t gotten hold of the map you mentioned but i will. From the bit of research I have done, SWift Creek was truly named for the Creek, and I saw no mention of the Swifts. But did you know there is a SWifts Creek Mill Theatre built on the site of the old Swift Creek Mill? We are going to Louisa County in early Dec. and i hope to go to the theatre, plus do LOT of research in the county.
I also have(had)Dukes and Forsyths in that county. So who knows??
Mary Lou Forsyth Peterson
Just read my previous entries and Swift Creek was also known as Randolph Creek. Many creeks in that area seem to be named after families, like Valentine Creek, and the Swift family was somewhere nearby I believe. But, you may be entirely right that “Swift” may be an adjective for the creek vs. the name of a family that lived there. But, most creeks in VA seem named after settling families.
Joan, I so appreciate you interest in Swift Creek, and I will keep checking. i see that I did not finish my blog to you. I was going to mention that that now there is a Swift Creek Mill theatre built on the old foundations of the Swift Creek Mill…interesting.
BUT you also mentioned that the Swifts lived around there, and my ears pricked up! My husband and I are coming to Louisa/ Hanover County in a few weeks,actually Nov 12 for 10 days ( to include some family visits in Culpeper. I am determined to find out more about my Dukes, Swiifts, Forsyths, and Matlock/Medlock families all whom lived there.
Coming from Colorado, so this is a big chance to see and learn about my early families., so if you have ANY ideas, please send them on to me.
thanks again, Mary Lou Forsysth )=(medlock)peterson
There is a Swift’s mill over on the eastern side of Louisa County…and an old home place which was known as Swift’s…from the 1855 Swift owners. That’s also an early Cleavers Duke place. If you want to email me at louisahistory@verizon.net I can send you a bit more or help you when you arrive. Elaine
Elaine, You just keep on helping me, MANY thanks. Yes, I would be so happy to get any of the info on the above, re Cleavears Duke home and the Swift mill. My email is cameron.peterson@comcast.net . I think you are saying that the Swift’s Mill alluded to earlier is not the one I should be looking for. Actually it made no sense as it is basically in Richmond…
Coming your way in early Nov. now. And we will be going to Richmond and the library of VA. per your suggestion.
Mary Lou Forsyth Peterson
p.s.s anything in your library about the Forsyths??
Just a suggestion for down the road, but, I would recommend DNA testing at some point. You will be amazed at the families in VA you may be related to and then can compare notes with them and cross document. Meantime, I would call Library of VA ahead of time (probably Archives) and see if they can put aside for you any Swift family bibles or other Swift family info THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE LIBRARY. I know the Gibson families of VA have about 60 such documents (not all of the VA Gibsons are related, but, the very, very early ones certainly seem to be and these are the mixed race Gibsons who mated/married into the VA tribes, so, I am very interested to see at some point what LVA has on early Gibson families, documents that can’t leave the Library). You will have a fun time!!! I wish I could live at LVA!!! Also, I would try to visit cemeteries and take a camera. Wills and tombstones and now DNA testing are the backbone of genealogical research.
Thanks for your help. I am off to Louisa County soon, hope to find something or somebody to tie up loose ends. mary lou peterson
Seeking information on John Martin Cameron and Edmonia “Eddie” Payne Cameron, husband and wife, both born in the 1800s. Believe Eddie Payne died between 1905 and 1910, leaving John Martin, her widower, and several small children, one of which was my father, Medford Allen Cameron, born in 1901. Trying to locate gravesites and any additional information about them.
Are there any Garlands still living in Louisa County? I descend from John Garland & Nathaniel Garland of Garland’s Neck on the Little River/Pamunkey River (1700’s). I will be visiting in September and would like to find the area where they lived. Is there much information available in local histories? I also descend from William Garrett of Frank’s Run (same Colonial time period).
Hi Pat, Did you every get a response? My maternal grandmother was placed in an home for “colored & indian children” in Powhatan VA in 1901 and I am trying to trace her ancestors.
Hi happy to run across this site. I am researching the Harris family from Green Spring Louisa VA. My grandparents were Roy and Blanche Grant Harris 1900. I believe Roy parents may have been James and Alcinda Harris; Blanche parents Decker 1873 and Maria Poindexter Grant 1876. Seems the family moved from Louisa to WV and Ohio. I am interested in any info you have
Hi Linda, your post caught my eye as I know a person who lives in my area—we call him Dexter Poindexter; could he be a descendant? I c this family often; they r African-American.
Thank you. Here’s my email lindaharris12@yahoo.com.
Hi Gloria I sure would like to connect with that family. I have researched the Poindexter name back to Charles Poindexter b. 1820
My email address is below
By chance could this Harris family also have family in KY (very close to Ohio – Lexington area)? I am looking for information on Daniel “Melvin” Harris. I am trying to find out who his parents are. The 1900 census shows him living with a Tolbert family at the age of 9/10. He was from the Versailles area. He also lived in OH.
Renita Rhodes I don’t recognize the Daniel Harris or the surname Tolbert but that doesn’t mean there’s no connection. My family surely lived close to the KY area. Thet livef in Cincinnati and Cleveland Oh. Do any of the other names I mentioned or the last name Tisdale ring a bell with you?
Looking for the birth and death of EMMETT E. McGHEE or McGEHEE. 1900 census indicates he was born June 1855 and he doesn’t show in the 1910. So I am assuming he died between 1900-1910. My maternal uncle told me many times he is interred at the McGhee homestead in Louisa County (?) but he never told the location. His wife is MARTHA (MATTIE) W. CLEMINTINE BOATWRIGHT born September 1856 and died c.1910.
My brick wall is the Brown and Moses family. I first see them in Princess Anne County Virginia. I would appreciate any help with this Free African American family. They are both on the 1850 census. The daughter of Henry Moses marries into the Barnes family.
I hope this is the right discussion My 3 ggf Thomas Layton from Middlesex va then the family moved to Fredericksburg va This is my grandmothers family on my dads side any info would be appreciative ty
I am researching the Poindexter family of Louisa county, Virginia. They were free people of color as early as 1850. the head of the family was Janian/Jane Poindexter ( Born about 1815). In 1850 and beyond she and her children are living with a white man named John Fletcher (born about 1800). She had 3 children Matthew/Madison Poindexter (born about1831). Kesiah Poindexter (born about 1840) and Lucy M. Mosley born around 1833.
Madison is my 2x great-grandfather. He fought in the Civil War and was married to Margaret Ann Smith and moved to Richmondale, Ohio. His sisters stayed in Louisa with their mother. Lucy married Butler Mosley. Kesiah was married twice. Her first husband’s surname was Groom/Gromer. She married Henry Fletcher on September 17, 1867. Jane Poindexter and John Fletcher are listed as her parents.
Hello! Saw your message and I am too looking for the Poindexter family. My grandfather was Robert Poindexter who was from Lousia County, I never met him because he died wayyyy before i was born in 76 and he died when my dad was 14 or 15 yrs old. My dad died when i was 15 and my grandmother has relocated to Texas with my aunt and is suffering from Alzheimer…I dont know any of the Poindexters and would love to meet them…
Hi, my father’s maternal grandmother was a Poindexter. Her father was from Louisa County. His mother and sisters remained in Louisa. He moved to Richmondale, Ohio after their Civil War. My dad and I live in Chillicothe, Ohio.
Matthew /Madison Poindexter was there only son born to Jane/Jani an Poindexter. He had two sisters: Lucy and Kesiah. They lived with John Fletcher. That is all I know so far. I have hired a researcher there in Louisa and hope to make a visit this summer.r
Dear all,
We are so pleased that so many of you are using this as a place to connect! Ruth, also check out our digital archive online…it has the actual images from the one book still in the Clerk’s office of the Free Black Register. It will have your Poindexters in it. http://www.piedmontvahistory.org/archives14/collections/show/18
Albemarle Minute Book 1854-1856 pg 79: Nov 7,1854: Rachael Poindexter is 54 and was emancipated 13 Aug 1800 by Rev. John Poindexter recorded in Louisa Co. She and all her family have persmission to stay in Va. They registered in Louisa co. last year (1853). Rachael Poindexter is 54, David Poindexter 24, Elizabeth Poindexter Blackford 18, Ann 7, John Lewis 3, Mary Eliz 18, Mary Jane Blackford (dau of Eliz) is 3.
I have been researching my Harris family ancestry and my great grandmother is Maria Poindexter Grant. I believe her parents are Charles 1834 and Ella Carter Poindexter, grandparents Edward 1810 and V. Poindexter.
My great grandmother was Maria Poindexter Grant, her parents Charles and Ella Poindexter.
I have five Charles Yanceys born 1642 1660 1675 1684 and 1741 in my family tree on Ancestry, all from Hanover and Louisa counties.
interested in learning more . . .
I am not aware of any Yanceys prior to 1704.
are you a Yancey descendant?
I am related to Bond and Whitlock in Louisa County. I have. 5th gr grand mother named Mary Yancy who was married to a Richard Stone. He died 1797 in Lunenberg County. I have no info on Mary Yancy. Do you have her in your research?
Billy
I have seen mention of the Richard Stone – Mary Yancey connection. But have never really seen any proof (direct or circumstantial) for the connection. What do you know?
I believe it comes from a book on Southern Families, but I am not aware of any confirmation. I have seen speculation that she was actually Mary Winn/Wynn/Wynne. No documents for that either. It does appear that the Stone Family and Winn family inter- married through several generations.
Not much. I have Mary Yancy the daughter of Captain Charles Yancey Born 1741 and married to Mary Crawford of a line to Captain David Crawford born 1662 my seventh great grandfather. No documentation for Mary Yancy, sorry.
Phil Smith
can you email me directly – about the Yanceys
Dennis Yancey – dyancey@miami.edu
Thanks.
I do have a find-a-grave record and marriage record for Mary.
Phil Smith
Looking for information on Garfield Brown. He was my 6Th g,grandfather. He lived in Louisa in the 1740s. He had a brother, William that was there also. Any information will be appreciated,
Ric Brown
Arlington, TX
A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment.
I believe that you need to publish more on this subject, it may not be a taboo subject
but usually people do not talk about such topics. To the next!
Kind regards!!
Hello all, I am trying to find out more information on the family of Michael Ailstock. According to Paul Heinegg’s work, Rebecca, Michael Jr., Joseph, Absalom, Mary, William, Elizabeth and Susanna are his chidren. I understand Moses Going bought land from the Ailstocks I am particularly interested in Absalom’s daughter Becky and Jenny. As I understand it, they married two Goings brothers, James and Jesse.
I am seeking information about the Quakers who lived in Virginia in the 1700’s. Specifically: Abraham Stanley b. 1777 Cedar Creek Mm, Louisa, VA, m. Polly 1800
Try the Quaker Order books. Not sure where you can find them, but, Library of VA, archives, may know. Samuel Bunch was a Quaker as I believe was Paul Bunch (I think it is Paul who is Obama’s grandfather). Samuel was a neighbor of my grandfather Gilbert Gibson in about the mid 1700’s. Some of the Bunches were big Quakers and Cedar Creek I believe was where they met. I think Louisa Co. was a religious dissident hot bed as early as the late 1640’s. I believe Thomas Gybson of Old Rappahannock Co. settled in Louisa Co (then York, I think) in 1648 to somehow address or support the dissidents. He was a clerk magistrate and also a “man of the cloth,” there being no separation of church and state. If anyone has further info on the Louisa Co, VA area during the mid 1600’s, I would be appreciative. I believe it was still a wilderness inhabited by Indians and possibly Quakers had moved there to convert them to Christianity (George Fox founded Quakerism in the early 1640’s and I believe he did visit VA).
I am trying to find out what I can about my husband’s ancestors in Louisa Co. He is related to the Straughns and the Poindexters, and some of his people reputedly were slaves on a plantation owned by the Fox family. Can you suggest a direction to go in or a resource I should delve into? Quite willing to travel there if it would be worthwhile to do so. Thank you so much!
Dear Sandra,
As you know, the starting place is the Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records, which are available online at FamilySearch.org. If the first marriage in your family took place after 1865, you are in better luck. If you know the year, go to our digital archive of those records at http://www.piedmontvahistory.org/archives14/collections/show/20 . Some are indexed, others still in the process but you can browse them by year. All is segregated, of course, so the white marriages are listed in the first pages of each year. Usually only 5-6 pages per year to review. The beauty is that they list bride and grooms parents, place of birth, etc. Sometimes you can find the names of enslaved persons in an owner’s will or estate inventory, although usually just first names and ages (and value.) These would need to be researched in the court house. If you want assistance, email us at louisa history @ verizon.net Hope this helps.
I am a novice trying to prove that my great-grandfather, Richard Franklin Nuckolls of Buckingham County,Virginia was the son of Joseph C. Nuckolls and Elizabeth Terry of Buckingham County. I believe the Buckingham County records were burned in a courthouse fire but I hope since Joseph C. Nuckolls was born in Louisa County in 1796 that I might get some clues here about eith Joseph or his father William Nuckolls born 1761 in Louisa County.
Thank you.
What type of factory was on factory mill road in bumpass and when did it operate
Are you referring to http://yanceyfamilygenealogy.org/yanceymills.htm?
I am wondering if I am related to the Sargeants for whom the museum is named. Thank you, Samuel Rowell Sargeant, Jr.
Im looking for the african American family, ” the poindexters” any information you have would be great.. i dont have any family members alive that i know about them. I was told they are from Louisa County and they owned a store. My grandfather was Robert Poindexter and married my gradmother Isabell Scott and they moved to Alexandria,Va and had two children Bernadett and Harry ( my dad) Poindexter..
Heather, email me at louisahistory@verizon.net and we can begin to share with you some of the information we have. There is much about your family here and we just need to connect you with one of our researchers who can get from you what you know now and bridge it to what we know earlier. Elaine Taylor, Museum Director
I might have information I am Ken to the Poindexters Morris Lewis Saunders Scotts and more my name is Phillip Alston. Contact me at my email Culpeper94@gmail.com
Heather, if you notice of this post, another Poindexter researcher or two has joined the blog…see if those near the top of the posting list help you any.
I live on Indian Creek rd. purported to be the home of Jack Jouett I understand Court House burned and all records of that, were destroyed my husbands grandmother who was one of the last Callisons living there the house is in the historic houses of louisa county book and is now owned by her grandson Raymond Brooks, would appreciate any info that you may find that we don’t have found article in library about the tin kitchen it once had, do you know how I could come across that again and have you ever had reports of it being haunted.
Hi, my family has been on Indian Creek rd for 70 plus years. I know of Raymond Brooks and I still have a uncle that lives a 1/2 mile from there. I have been looking for any history on that road as well. My family is the Bollingers. If I find out anything I will pass it along to you.
Thomas Riley
My 10 year old son just did a report on Jack Jouett and I wish he could have taken a picture of the house. He is very interested in Jack Jouett still.
http://www.rcasey.net/acrobat/bro0405c.pdf. Brooks family history in Louisa VA
Seeking any information on the Solomon family from early Louisa County, Virginia. Lewis Solomon, perhaps Drury Solomon.
Hi. Just stumbled across this page, and I’m hoping someone can help me. I am searching the Mann line from Virginia (Louisa). I can get as far as Arthur Mann Sr b.1768, says his father is Henry Mann, but I can get nothing farther. I’ve been stuck almost ten years on one ancestor. Anyone have any ideas. Some records show he was in the American Revolution and served as a quartermaster at York Garrison, and is not entitled to land, but again nothing further. He supposedly died 1804 in Louisa County, Va, but just no proof.
Please email me with any ideas or help, anything plz.
lylamann@gmail.com
Thank you so much
I am from the Month family. They start out in Christ Church Parish, Middelsex County. They have a name change to Mann. They are also listed as Moneth. Ambrose Month is the Revolutionary War Veteran. His mother is Sussannah. She is in Spotsylvania County. I hope this helps.
I love Louisa’s Historical Soceity and all the work they do. I am always searching for the Walker, Isbell, Tenham family members from this county. Would love to hook up with others also.
I am a descendant of William Swift and
Elisa A Isbell. /elisa’s father was Robert Isbell. Hope to connect with you. Mary Lou Peterson
Mary, I have seven Isbell listings in my database, including Robert. T and William. I have three children of Robert: Martha Jane, Eliza, and Malinda P. I would be happy to compare notes with you sometime.
tom, there are so many swifts, and i have researched them back to Canterbury, UK, where the Rev SWifts were ministers. then a Rev. William was sent to Bemuda, and was the first of my family in VA. Ipick up again with Amediah Duke m Thomas Swift Sr. then Thomas Jr, (rev war) then William married Eliza A Isbell in louisa cty, then m;y great grandmother Minnie India Swift Green.
Can you fit any of your family in here? I also have the children of some of this family.
Mary lou Green Peterson
Tom, I am hopeful that you can fill me in on this Isbell line,especially Liza A Isbell SWift, bot Louisa County 1805, married William Swift 1821, moved to Fayette County, TN around 1840 died Knoxville,TN
thanks so much, on my way to Louisa County tomorrow, to do research!!
My husband, Dr. Cam Peterson is going with me, He is NOrrwegian…..
Looking for any info on the Bollinger family in cuckoo or Hunter Hill farm on Indian Creek rd (rt.699)
Thanks,
Thomas
I don’t have much info other than I own property on Rt 699 and know that S.B. Cox has bought a large area of land on the road and there is at least one family on the road with the name Bollinger (saw it on a sign near the residence) and as long as I can remember he/they have been farming land on that road. I have an uncle that lives on the road still and I get all of my Louisa info from him. I will ask him any questions you have or see if he is interested in talking with you.
Thanks, Actually my uncle John Bollinger still lives on that rd. I’ve been looking for any info on Hunter Hill Farm before my family starting farming it. I have heard the old farm house was a old school at some point. At one time it was a Dairy farm and by looking at a map of 1863 there was several houses on it. Thanks for responding and if your uncle knows any more please let me know. triley5148@aol.com. Thanks so much again!!!
Can anyone tell me if the black cemetery that was on the property S.B.Cox bought was documented on any records. I heard he covered it over… thank you
MA Santore
Looking for any information on James Cole Dickinson, his wife Mary Sandridge and their daughter Jane Robertson Dickinson-Riordan-Gillespie. These are my great grandparents. Jane is My line though her son, Lafayette Washington Riordan. Jane was married to my Great (several greats) Francis D. Riordan from Ireland, after his death she married David Shelton Gillespie, who would be my step-grandfather. He also died and I can not find any information about Jane after 1860. Jane’s daughter Francis married into the Moss family and her other daughter (Mary or Elizabeth) married into the chewing family.
Also How are Mary sandridge and the overton family connected, I think they are cousins.
The James Cole Dickinson family plantation was called Belle Isle. I understand the home is no longer standing, but the grave yard still contains the graves of several of the Dickinson family members. And would like to know how I would be able to gain permission to visit the graveyard when my husband and I visit Louisa in the fall of 2012?
Thank you for any information or help you might be able to give me.
Diane Marie Hacker
Diane: saw your blog – wondering if you had any results in getting permission to visit the graveyard. I am gggrandaughter of Jeremiah Leslie Riordan, (Lafayette Washington Riordan, Francis D. Riordan).
Thanks for any assistance.
Patricia Evrage Nolan
Patricia, I haven’t asked for the permission yet. We had planned on going to see the old Dickinson homestead area, but my husband got very sick. We hope to make that trip next summer or next fall. I’m the Great Granddaughter of Jeremiah Leslie Riordan, His son Hubbard, is my Grandfather, and Margaret, his daughter is my Mother. If you wish you can contact me at: dianemarieh@yahoo.com perhaps we can trade information on the Dickinson/Riordan family. I haven’t been able to find anything about Jane passed 1860 when she was staying with her daughter Francis Moss . Most documentation was lost, burned, destroyed, during the civil war, so everything I have, I have tried to cross check though legal avenues, college archives,
I have heard though other distant cousins though my search on this family that There’s an old letter written about Francis D. Riordan dying at sea with a shipment of cotton back to England, I think though the Chewing family, I think Francis died around 1830-1833,,because Jane was back at Belle Isle around that time period.
Diane
Hello, I’m seeking information about my 5th Great Grandfather, Cleavers Chrisholm Duke. He resided in Louisa, County, Virginia; born in 1717 and died in 1785. Actually, information regarding his entire family, during this period would be much appreciated. I’m anticipating a trip to this area, in the near future.
cleavers chisholm duke was my sixth great grandfather. he was known as the king of little river. his home is still on diggstown road, here in louisa county. have been working on my duke line for most of the last year. would be glad to extend to you what i have. what line do you come from in his children?
as i have it documented, cleavers had four daughters; amediah amy, jane, dorothy, and my fifth great grandmother elizabeth cosby. which line do you descend from? your fourth great grandmother would be my fifth great aunt. you may actually help me with my line.
I am also descended from this Clevears Duke family. my family, Swift goes down from Thomas, SR.marriage to Amediah Duke. Then on to clevears Swift, then William Swift who “removed” to Fayette County,tn. His daughter, Minnie India is my great grandmother.
I saw somewhere that Clevears was in the Rev War from Louisa cty v but I can’t find out any thing else. I am hopeful that you will write me and we compare notes!!” Thanks,
Mary Lou Green Peterson
Hello. I don’t mean to ask others to do my research, but I’m stuck in my own paternal line. David Thacker, b. 1795, Louisa County, son of Mary Branham/Dalton. David Married Salley Lemay in 1816. Their son, Thomas Benjamin Thacker and his wife Nancy Ann Vaughn are my 3rd gr-grandparents. However, my YDNA does not match any Thackers… I match to 2 Swift at a distance of 1, and to 2 Sanders at a distance of 2. (plus a couple of more Swift and Sanders and unnamed) So far neither the modern Swifts or Sanders have replied to my request for ancestors/family trees. David Thacker appears from nowhere and I suspect it was with him that the Swift link begins. Any thoughts or information would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Karl Thacker
West Des Moines, Iowa
I think if you do some research on your Bramhams you will see they probably are related to the Gibsons of Louisa Co, VA (Benjamin Bramham was married to Frances Gibson, my aunt, in the early 1700s, Louisa Co, VA). I know we had Daltons (Indian) (Ruth???Dalton) and Bramhams (Indian – common Monacan and Mattaponi surname then, as well as today) in the family, as well as Thackers – none in my direct Gibson line. ‘ But, they were found, I believe in Frances Gibson Bramham’s descendants as well as her nephew’s, Gilbert Gibson, Jr., all of Louisa Co, VA. You may wish to see how those families are related to the Swifts and the other family you match (I assume you are speaking of YDNA) – were they neighbors, for instance? Often, neighbors were family members, at least among many of the Indian mixed people as they tended to live in semi or pseudo tribal groupings. Somewhere you had a non paternity event re your YDNA and a male ancestor may have been adopted into the Thackers or he was the illegitimate son of male non-Thacker (there apparently was some raping done by Union troops during the Civil War, as well). Or, as has been the case with my Gibsons in many cases, your Thacker line is carrying the MATERNAL surname of Thacker, common among Indian tribes and your actual paternity is Swift. My email address is: juanagibson@juno.com, Joan Gibson. Also, I have a Facebook Page called Gibsons of Old Jamestown and Louisa Co, VA. I would be interested in how far back you can document your Bramhams.
Oh, meant to add re Sally Lemay: the LeMays and Bramhams in my family married one another after about 1775 or so. Sarah Turner Lemay Gibson was my step grandmother and her son John Lemay married one of Sarah’s granddaughters, a Gibson, from what I recall. John was Gilbert Gibson, Sr.’s step son and Gilbert was Sarah’s husband/common law. We married half nieces, and such, not unusual in Indian mixed families. Sarah like Gilbert, was “handfuls”, and left numerous public records. I match via autosomal DNA loads and loads of Turners though it must be through the Gibsons as I am no blood relation to Sarah. George Gibson, her stepson, may have married a Susannah Turner (Sarah’s sister??), and I am a direct desendant of George and Susannah. The LeMays have a wonderful history, back to Pierre/Peter Lemay, a French Hugenot, who came to Manakin, VA around 1700, with several other French Hugenot families. Manakin had been the town for the Monocan Indians and was abandoned by them a few years earlier. Bramham is a Monocan tribal name, as well as Pamunkey. Lots of info on these Bramhams, particularly, Pinkard Bramham (direct descendant of Frances Gibson Bramham and dad Benjamin Bramham).
Hello Joan
Yes, my 5 gr-grandmothers were Branham. David Thacker’s mother was Mary Branham/Dalton. His wife, Sally LeMay, was the daughter of John LeMay and Annis Branham, Mary’s sister.
My only detail on the Branhams is that from
http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/Gibson_Gowen.htm
as well as a breakdown starting with Benjamin, but I’m not seeing the link.
As mentioned, I have no idea who the father of David was, nor am I 100% convinced Mary was truly his mother. I find it a bit peculiar the birth of her other children were noted, but not David and his apparent brother, Robert. There is also no mention of a marriage of her to a Thacker, nor a divorce to a Thacker, nor the obvious death record of a Thacker male that corresponds with dates and shows ties to Mary.
As noted, my male DNA does not match to that of any Thacker. Just to note, nor to any Sprouse/Sproce, Branham, Gibson, LeMay, Dalton/Dorton etc. Other than a couple of Swift at distance of 2 and 1 at distance 3, as well as William Sanders (d 1803), I match to the ancestor of a Carl William Nuckolls IV. Aside from Nuckolls being a Monacan name, there is record of a Nuckolls marrying the sister of Thomas Swift, Sr
My Swift link appears to be through Flower Swift (Regulators militia) and on to Thomas Swift Jr & Sr. I do not yet know my link to Swift, but there has to be the possibility of it being after the Regulators moved from the Carolinas into Virginia in 1771 after the battle of Alamance. I need to look into what happend to the Swift males and when…. David Thacker appears out of nowhere and I need to figure out why…..
Karl, my great grandmother was minnie india swift. Her father was william swift, and the family moved to Fayette Coiunty,tn from Louisa County. this family goes down from Clevears Duke, with a Thomas and another William thrown in.
I do not have the time at the moment to provide exact dates, but can do later. If you know any of this Swift family line, let’s talk! Mary Lou Green Peterson 303 4403922
Hello Mary Lou. Thank you for the information and offer. I only just yesterday received actual Swift names on which to begin my research. Through a modern day Swift, he supplied information back to Thomas Swift, Sr. b 1784, who comes from Flower Swift, of the Flower Swift Militia and the Regulators.
Karl, thank you so much for the info re Thomas and Flower Swift. I will get out my info re this Swift family, and make the connections. How are you related to the Swift/Duke group and where do you live? I want to make a trip to VA,but not sure what I will find in Louisa County–anything of historical interest that I can glom onto?
I live in Boulder,Co, , but one of my VA families are the “Red Greens of VA”. from Culpeper. Huge family, like the Dukes. I did get the book by Henry Duke, but I can’t trace my Swifts past Amediah Duke, married Thomas Swift
This is more than you wanted to know , but I am so thankful to get help with this Swift family!! do not go away.
Mary Lou Green Peterson
There is a Sanders/Saunders family that I am familar with in Louisa County Virginia as well as those that migrated to West Virginia. http://www.oocities.org/~rewoodham/sandma29.html
http://gwandrw.com/Images-Genealogy/Saunders-Sanders%20Family%20Report%20from%20Lyford%20Hale%20July%202009.pdf
Thank you very much for the links Sandra. The site may be of great value once I start putting together names, dates and places. It’s time for me to get out the giant dry erase board and start plotting out information….
Karl, you have a LOT of information on your line, though you may not yet know this. The Bramhams and LeMays can be documented back fairly easily to about 1700 and you can work out from there. If your YDNA matches Nuckolls, that should be pretty easy because they lived nearby in Louisa Co, VA to the Gibsons or thereabouts, from what I recall. You have geography, time period, names of individuals and families, and you can check out all the neighbors and the land deeds and public records to see what these relationships were. You may be a Thacker, maternally, too, something to keep in mind. But, you know your are a Nuckolls (male YDNA) and you know the descent from Benjamin Bramham (my uncle through marriage)and his wife Frances Gibson. Their daughter Annis, from what I recall, married her half-uncle Gideon Gibson, in an Indian wedding ceremony and then in a white man legal one – I think it was in a church, in the mid 1700’s. This comes from cousin Dee Dovey Randall, also a Benjamin and Frances Bramham descendant and this was told to her by her Bramham aunt and it was sort of a secret in the family. I imagine we were Monacon (as well as Pamunkey and Saponi, documented on the Saponi and pretty much documented on the Pamunkey) as the Gibsons lived so close to Manakin and I believe before the tribe left in the 1690’s. Also, I made a mistake in my just earlier post when I referred to Swifts marrying into Stouts. I meant Sanders. One of my Gibson cousins, male, I believe has Sanders and Swift matches, DNA. His Gibson line left for NC in the mid 1700’s and if your line did, too, let me know, because the genealogy starts getting very convoluted.
Rosalie, hello. Well, right now I wouldn’t say I’m related to the Nuckolls. The only connection to that name via DNA is to the (modern day) Carl William Knuckles IV, and I have seen a Knuckles-Sanders marriage in the Sanders YDNA line my profile is matching to at this time.
If my YDNA is from a Melungeon male, it’s one whose profile isn’t on Family Tree DNA. I realize FTDNA is some ‘official’ collection point for Melungeon, but out of approximately 260 male profiles, not one is close to mine. My profile is also not close to that of Bramham, Sprouce/Sprouse, Dalton, etc. With traces of Indian and African in my autosomal DNA, yet my paternal DNA matching to Swift & Sanders, at this time the logical argument is that a grandmother or two were Melungeon, but not my grandfathers in a direct manner.
At this time I have serious questions about the true father of Thomas B Thacker, b 1809. His birth 7 years before his parents married and then started spitting out children every 1-2 years. I’ve also seen a Virginia Petitionary index which mentions behavior records for a David (and Henry) Thacker in 1809. Was (my) David Thacker in prison in 1809 and he’s simply not Thomas Benjamin’s father? Or, was Peggy/Margaret Bramham Dalton’s husband Kimbrough Sanders somehow my gr-grandfather? As far as I know the only mention anywhere of who was David’s mother was a deed which calls him one of her children. What I’d love to see are birth, marriage, birth of children, and death notes for Peggy and Mary Bramham.
I’m even curious why Peggy and Mary were mentioned when Benjamin Bramham’s will was drafted, but when it was proved John Dalton and (M)imbrogh Sanders were mentioned, not Peggy or Mary. Annis is mentioned as Lemay, so it’s not a ‘wife’ thing. Were Peggy and Mary already dead at this time?
With my supposed 3rd gr-grandfather Thomas Benjamin Thacker being noted as Mulatto, I have no doubt he somehow is Melungeon/Monacan, but right now my YDNA doesn’t point to his paternal line having been. Part of the problem is getting other Thacker’s on FTDNA, Thacker Genealogy Forum, etc., to posted who their profiles are matching to. For some reason they are not willing to share this information.
On December 1, 1794 John Madison wrote a letter from Philadelphia to Mrs. Sally Gooch which was addressed to “Mrs. Gideon Gooch, Duckinghole Plantation, Orange, VA.” and says”
“My darling daughter,
I shall be leaving Philadeliphia tomorrow to return to the plantation before the holy days. Nancy shan ? have prepared many packages for your enjoyment….
I have promised your Aunt Nelly that I will stop … visit … Uncle James as he is still mourning the untimely passing of cousin Ambrose last year. … will join … (looks like “all of the”) Madison children in the celebration of our Lord’s birth again this year.
Your loving father,
John Madison”
R.C. Heath, Thank-you for your reply. My line comes down from Cleavers Chrisholm Duke’s son, Cosby Duke. I especially would like pictures of any of our ancestors and their documents and especially the extent of our family still residing in the Louisa area. My efforts, to date, have extended over a number of years. I will help in any way I can. How far up the line have you ventured — it gets very interesting.
Hello, sorry to butt in on the correspondence. But I am a descendant of Amediah Duke and Thomas Swift. I live in the Richmond area and would love to be included in an exchange of information. I have been researching at the Library of Va and through the internet for about 8 years. Don’t have much on the Dukes but would love to learn more.
rita, I am going to be in richmond on NOv 12 for 3 days, at the library of VA, also lookiing for my descendants, Amediah Duke and William Swift!!” I am right now on the trail of William swift and his wife, Eliza A Isbell, moved from louisas to Fayette Couinty,tn. eadrly 1800’s.
Should we meet at the LIbrary??? Your cousin, Mary Lou Peterson cameron.peterson@comcast.net
Please excuse the break in but wondered if you have seen the book written by Walter Garland Duke which is a mountain of information of the Duke family as well as the Swifts, published 1949. I have a copy since my family too is related.
Rita, Please consider yourself included and welcome. Glenn
glenn, can you email some time? (rheath@louisa.org) i will be happy to forward what i have. it was only after literally hundreds of dukes in my tree, that i uncovered that apparently, i believe it was written, that the duke line is the largest line in the world. i have so many that i have actually taken a break at the beginning of the w’s. is it possible that you can access my tree on ancestry.com ?
rich
rita, amediah was my aunt. that would make both you and glenn cousins. as with mr. shrader, i will send you what i have. it is not unlikely that you both will be able to help me.
rich
Rich, Thank-you for your continuing replies. My E-Mail address is gshraco@comcast.net. I would very much appreciate your information. As you note the Duke line has many connections and I have found Ancestry.com quite useful in my research. Glenn
Hello,
Cleavers C Duke was my 5th great Grandfather and lso am looking for more information.
Mary Ann Duke Voss
Cleaver and several Dukes are listed on the Ancestry family tree “Garland family research 05–0 2–1968 ” . My great grandmother Mary Duke was born in Hanover County from which Louisa County was formed.
phil, amadeus duke was also my great—-grandfather! But his daughter married William swift. M;y great grandmother was Minnie India Swift, married Dr. Henry Dixon Green.
I will get more info to you , SOON, I promise. Don’t let go of this link,please.
Mary Lou Peterson
Hi Mary Lou…
Are you subscribed to Ancestry.com and have you taken a DNA test?
I have several DNA matches for both Mary Duke and Anne Duke Who come from different branches of the Duke family. I do not have either Cleaver are Amadeus in my tree.
Keep in touch
Phil
Cleavers 1 was my sixth great grandfather. His home still exists on Diggs town (one word. Phone wouldn’t allow it ) Road. Built in middle 1700s. He is buried in the Duke family cemetery off Bethany Church Road. I can help you with what I know. Let me know when you will be here. I might have time to take you there. R.C. Heath Rheath@louisa.org
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
Cleavers 1 was my sixth great grandfather. His home still exists from the 1750s. He is buried in the Duke cemetery ten minutes away. If you let me know when you will be here, I might be able to give you a tour and offer what I do know. I know the county well enough because of my job and live here. R.C. Heath – rheath@louisa.org
Mary Ann, Clevears was also my Great–grandfather! His daughter married William Swift,and I have a great deal of info re the Swifts, but some on the Duke family .
I can’t do any research on them today, but I hope to get back to you very soon!! Does this make us 6th cousins??
Mary lou Forsyth Peterson ( am looking for m;y Forsy)
There is a book which may help answer many questions titled: Henry Duke, Councilor His Descendants and Connections; Comprising Partial Records of Many Allied Families. by Walter Garland Duke, published in Richmond Virginia 1949, Dietz Press. This book is a great source with few errors.
Thank you for this book suggestion. I will get right on it.
Mary Lou Forsyth Peterson
Dear Dana, My sister Allison Jane Thacker Haleua wrote the post of Sept. 1, 2011. Currently, we now believe that John and Mary Betsy Thacker had daughters Susan b 1831, Anna b 1832, and Elizabeth b 1834. We do not know of a daughter who married John Butler, unless there is a record we have not discovered showing that Anna was his wife. To our knowledge there is no record of Anna getting married at all. Unfortunately, a connection was never made with Carole Hicks Berry, so we do not know if a relationship exists, nor do we have a Will for Mary. If these records relate to our family, we would love to have info about them. We haven’t found a William yet, but just a month ago we discovered John Thacker Jr. born 1831. So anything is possible. We have a public tree on Ancestry…Thacker, Tate and Johnson, which you are welcome to visit. Robert Anderson Thacker is our 2nd great grandfather. Hope we have something that might help one another on our journey to our ancestors.
Anne Thacker Fetzer
afetzer@fetzerwood.com
I have ordered the Henry Duke book, many thanks for your suggestion. Questions: I would like to visit the Duke House in Louisa county-I have not been able to get hold of the owners (lne always busy).Do you know if one can visit it, inside?
Does Louisa County have a viable geneological library or somewhere I can further research facility?
Many thanks, Mary Lou Peterson
Email me when you can. Rheath@louisa.org
I do not know anything in regards to the Duke home. The Louisa Courthouse is the only place I know which hold physical records. There is a Louisa County Historical Society and they do have a web-site (http://www.louisacountyhistoricalsociety.org/genealogy.htm) as well as the Louisa County Genealogy (http://trevilians.com/)
Dear Mary Lou,
We have a genealogy research room with all volumes in print on Louisa County (will, deed, abstracts, etc.) at the public library on Davis Hwy. jmrl.org for hours.
There is a research room here at the museum with the same volumes but more limited hours.
As to a visit to the house, I’m afraid those homes in private ownership are only available at the invitation of the owner.
Elaine at the museum
Searching for our ancestors John Thacker and Mary Ailstock (Allstott), or John Thacker and Betsey Lewis, Louisa, Louisa County, born around 1788. Lived in the area through 1862. Parents of Robert Anderson Thacker, and Susan and Anna. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Hi! John Thacker and Mary are my ancestors. There daughter married John Butler, one of my gr gr gr gr grandfathers who lived in Hanover…..he and his son, Peter….my grandfather…were in the Revolution……khakiberrie@hotmail.com…I have Mary’s will and some info on the family.
Carole,
I’m so excited to read this information, I can barely type! Please reach out to me at your earliest convenience! My direct email is ahaleua@hotmail.com. Thank you so much for sharing your information.
Allison Jane Thacker Haleua
Do you know if John and Mary Thacker had a son named William (born abt 1822 in Louisa.va)? I was wondering if you could share the info in Betsy Mary Thacker’s will. Thanks.
I am still trying to find information about my GG Grandfather, Matthew Walton Lacy, his father was Matthew Charles Lacy, his siblings were: Martina Hamilton Lacy, Marrion Elizabeth Lacy, Willie Fleming Lacy, Mary E. Lacy and Justina Harriet Lacy. I have searched in vain for information but because he was deaf maybe census takers, etc., have not recorded the correct information….if anyone knows or has any information on any of these people I would love to hear from you…
Thanks
Matthew Walton Lacy was my great great grandfather. His sister, Martina Hamilton Lacy was my great grandmother. Just e-mail me and I will try to answer any questions. Betty
bwild13@verizon.net
I am looking for information on my great grandparent who lived in Louisa, Cuckoo area. James E and Barbara J Whitlock, James’ parent were Jesse and Sally Whitlock and Barbara’s parents are Wash and Mary Johnson. Also any information on paternal great grandfather Rev Edward Harris and Pearl Daisy Atkinson of Louisa too. Thank you Jean
My name is Eugene Maury McGehee and I live in Brandenburg, Kentucky My great, great, great, grandfather was William L. McGehee and he was born May 1768 and was the son of James McGehee and Lydia Hansford Cole Mullun. He was married to Mary Burrus who was born about 1779. He moved to Kentucky in 1804 from Louisa County Virginia and fought in the War of 1812. When he arrived in Kentucky he purchased 1,000 acres of land along the Ohio River 30 miles west of Louisville, Kentucky 2 miles east of the Solomon Brandenburg Trading Post in an area now Meade County Kentucky.
On February 28,1825, he and four others were appointed trustees for a new town to be laid off on lands of Solomon Brandenburg, and the town would be called Brandenburg. In 1829 he was a charter member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist church of Brandenburg(now First Baptist Church). He had at least six chirdren. He died on July 4, 1851 at the age of 83 years and is buried in the McGehee grave yard in Meade County.
One of his sons John H. McGehee was born May 6, 1805 and died on June 4, 1856.
John lived on the McGehee farm until she death on 1856.
I need any information you have on my McGehee ancestors in Louisa County Va. please E-Mail me at gmcgehee_klc@yhoo.com
Looking for descendants of Pettits and Omohundro. My grandmother was Tarah Pettit and her mother was Amanda Washington Omohundro.
I just discovered this blog; my family began in Louisa Co. with a man named William Darwin (1707-1786). He appears in Louisa Co. court records from 1743. His son was Jesse Darwin, whose name later changed to ‘Durvin’ around 1799. His son, William D. Durvin, and all later family members used the Durvin surname. Either William Darwin or his grandson William D. Durvin built a house in the Eastern part of the Louisa Co. that still stands today and is known locally as the ‘Strong house’ (it was owned by the Strong family from 1844 to 1972). One of William D. Durvin’s sons was John Washington Durvin (1820-1893), who served in the Hanover Artillery (and the Amherst Artillery) during the Civil War. John W. Durvin was born in Bumpass and in 1841 married Mary Catherine Gunnell from Buckner. In some records the surname is misspelled ‘Dervin’. The 1902 Confederate widow’s pension for Mary C. Dervin (this is actually the wife of John W. Durvin) says that her husband died in June 1893 in Hinton, Summers Co., West VA, however I cannot find any record of his death in W. VA. I believe he may have been buried in a ‘family cemetery’ in Louisa Co. Perhaps near the property where the Strong house stands? I have the death certificate for one of his sons, James Alexander Durvin, who was born in Bumpass, Louisa Co. around 1851 and died in Beaver Dam, Hanover Co. on 18 Nov. 1926. He was buried on 19 Nov. 1926 in Bumpass. The undertaker is listed as Powell & Flynn of Beaver Dam, VA. I have not been able to locate the grave of James A. Durvin either. I would appreciate any information on the Durvin family, especially the location of the graves of John W. and James A. Durvin.
Your request dated almost 2 years ago, hopefully you have found answers. A relative of mine has a picture of John Washington Durvin displayed in her living room. Email me if interested.
Yes, I am still looking for answers. I would really like to get a copy of the photo of John Washington Durvin, or any other information about him. Please email me at durvin2@verizon.net
Looking for the stories behind the Cosby families of Cub Creek. I plan to visit the end of June 2011. The first names are Dabney, Zachius and Mary. Also looking for stories about Susan Dabney. I have the vital dates if you are interested.
Thanks in advance,
Michael Helmantoler gggGrandson
I am American-American and searching for long lost family members. My grand father was Matthew Yancy, Sr. and his second wife was Lillian Brooks. They had 6 children Matthew Jr., Clarence, Frederick, Henderson, Charles and Ruth.I believe my grand father was born in or around Louisa County. My father Fredrick was born in 1925. At some point around 1925 my grand father and family moved to Ed Wyte, West Virginia to work in the coal mines. My grand father had a brother named Charles Yancy, who stayed in Virginia. Charles Yancy had two sons Chat and Levi Yancy who lived in Louisa County. My grand father also had a brother named Thornton Yancy and sisters named Anna, Nannie, Fannie, Rick and Prea. My father Fredrick Yancy married Mary Elizabeth Morton. My maternal grand parents were Frank and Maude Morton. I would appreciate any assistance in locating my extended family members. Thank you
Hello, I am the grandson of Charlie Yancy who was the brother of your grandfather. I am Levi Yancey,Jr. My father is Levi Yancey, Sr. and Chat was my uncle.
Hi Levi Jr. I don’t know if you were able to contact Sandra Yancy-Smith or not but I am in constant contact with her. My name is Don Yancey and I believe that I am your 3rd cousin. I am willing to share genealogical information with you. I can be reached via email at edunceo@yahoo.com
Levi,
would really like to hear from you
and discuss Yancey genealogy.
please email me at dyancey@miami.edu
Hi cousins..My nearest Yancey ancestor is My 5th GGM:Sarah Jane Yancey b 1756 in LouisaJohn Yancey b 1734 VACapt Lewis Davis Yancey b 1689 New Kent VACharles Yancey Jr b 1660 Hanover VACharles Yancey Sr b 1642 WalesI have some DNA matches to other lines from here..Philip Smithsailor9man@yahoo.comFlower Mound TXAncestry “Philip Smith Family Tree”
Hi Levi, thank you so much for responding. I remember your grandfather, his sons Charlie, your dad Levi and Chat use they use to bring fresh fruit, vegetables, Virginia ham and bacon to the Yancy family in Philadelphia in the early 1960’s. It was a big event when they all came to Philadephia. I am your second cousin Sandra, daughter of Frederick, grand-daughter of Matthew Sr. Jules, Don, Ron and I have been tracing our geneology/ancestry and we certainly would like to welcome you, your dad and any other family memebers you may know of.
Hi Sandra,
Sorry it took a while for me to respond. I live in Goochland, VA and my Mom and Dad live in Sandy Hook, VA. You may reach me directly via my E-Mail address at Leviyanceyjr@comcast.net. Contact me and we will coordinate things from there. My Dad was very excited when I told him about you….He’s almost 80 years old!
Take care,
Levi Yancey, Jr.
I am trying to locate photos for Judge Alexander Tazewell Gordon and his wife, Mary McDonald Gordon. Any assistance will be appreciate.
I would like to know where “Gibson’s Mill” was located in Louisa County. Several documents mention “Lickinghole Creek”, and “South Anna River”. There is a creek and river by these names northwest of Louisa, and also a “Mill Creek”. Can someone be a little more specific.
Hi, T.L. – did you ever locate where Gibson’s Mill Creek was? My family owned the land in the early 1700’s and into the early 1800’s. We apparently were Pamunkey, with other Indian mixes and white. Joan Gibson. juanagibson@juno.com
Dear Joan,
Yes. Gibson’s Mill Creek, also known as Gibby’s Creek, flowed into the South Anna (earlier known as the S. Pamunkey) river just north of where current Rt. 22 crossed the river between Valentine Mill Road and Rt. 15. You should be able to see the bridge on Google Earth. He also has another property of Lickinghole Creek a bit closer up toward Gordonsville and in all probability had a mill there, too, as one existed when the property was purchased by William Gooch from the Gibsons around 1810.
Elaine Taylor, Louisa County Historical Society
THIS IS A REPLY TO ELAINE TAYLOR – sorry Karl Thacker, not sure what happened here! Belated, but, thank you so much Elaine for this info on Gilbert Gibson’s land holdings. I did buy a 1750’s Jefferson-Frye map of Viriginia and found Lickinghole Creek. I believe Gilbert lived on Tuckahoe Creek, as well, earlier, in the 1690’s. Can you tell me where “Indian” country, ie., the Virginia frontier, was in the 1690’s? Richmond wasn’t laid out until the 1730’s, I believe, so, I wonder if where Gilbert was living in the 1690’s was in fact Indian territory. Appears so to me. He was given some monies by Henrico Co, VA in the mid 1690’s for his trapping of wolves. Does this sound like an Indian endeavor, situation? He was f rom Henrico Co and best I can tell never really left as the county was whittled off into other later counties. Thanks, Joan Gibson, juanagibson@juno.com
Dear Joan…nice to hear from you!
I can tell you that in 1700 the Huguenots were settled just west of Richmond as a buffer between the Crown lands and the Indians…at a recently abandoned Monacan village in Manakin-Sabot. That would be about the area Gilbert may have lived or traded in in 1690. That would mean everything west of Henrico would have been Indian lands .
Thank you for all the answers you give to so many people asking questions here. Elaine
My thanks to you, Elaine, again, for all the good info you provide! I suspect Gilbert Gibson had been living on Indian lands on the border of Crown and Indian lands in the 1690’s, possibly, involved in Indian trade, possibly, living semi-tribally. He would have been a very young man at that time, maybe only about twelve or thirteen when he was awarded bounty money for trapping wolves in 1696, in and from Henrico Co, VA (not sure where in Henrico but may have been on Tuckahoe Creek). I am beginning to see the family may in fact have been living tribally, along Indian trading paths, in VA, until the early 1700’s. Gilbert was definately Indian with minimally an all white grandmother, Elizabeth Chivers/Chavis of Surry Co, VA. His sisters Tabitha Gibson Goodman and Mary Gibson Smith Chavis I strongly suspect were Indian traders down in NC on William Eaton’s land, after relocating there in the early to mid 1700’s. His sisters were considered Saponys, living near or among other families who were considered Sapony, many having migrated en masse, as a tribe, from Louisa Co, VA in the late 1740’s. Capt. Thomas Gibson, Sapony Chief, on the NC militia muster in the early to mid 1750’s, was extremely closely related to Gilbert as the YDNA is just about identical on these two men. They possibly were father and son, though Thomas is not mentioned in Gilbert’s will, but, he may have received a deeded land gift prior to Gilbert’s death in 1763, in Louisa Co, VA. Thomas and Gilbert lived next to one another in Louisa Co and Thomas had a pretty good sized land holding. Thomas left Louisa Co, VA permanently in 1749, with several other mixed Indian families, to settle and “live like Indians” in NC, telling me this was the type of life they were accustomed to and it was rapidly diminishing in VA by that time (no mention of existing Sapony is made after 1760 in VA records, meaning my family was the last remnant). These Sapony-mix families may have followed the Indian trading paths into NC, following the Meherrin Trading Path. I believe this was the case from what I recall. Thomas died around 1780, from what I have seen online (John Hall’s research). Also, the family I believe may have been categorized Sapony but in fact may have been a mix of Monacan, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Chickahominy and Quiyenouchcanock (very poor spelling, but, this tribe lived near the Upper Chippokes in Surry Co, VA, very near to Gilbert’s grandfather, Indian mix Thomas Gibson/Gibbons, born about 1647 and Bacon Rebellion’s participant). It is so very hard to really dig up historical information on these old mixed race families, largely Indian. I move forward, in the dark, groping along for landmarks, while I hear my ancestors speaking out to me, to guide, in the research I continue to find. Sounds weird, but, that’s how it’s been working for me. I know it doesn’t sound weird to most Native Americans.
I don’t think it sounds weird at all! Thank you, Joan, for all the good information you are providing for those looking for it.
Does anyone know where Duckinghole Plantation is? What road is it on? It was owned by Rev. William Douglass in the 1700s.
I am looking for a family from Louisa County area. Their names are David LeMay and Sarah Napper. The children took the mothers surname, and moved to southeastern Ohio around 1835.
Hi, TL –
I am aware of that family. You may want to check out Dee Dovey Randall’s website – my distant cousin. My step-grandmother was Sarah Turner LeMay Gibson who was married to my grandfather Gilbert Gibson of Louisa Co (Gilbert was born in the the very late 1600’s). The Nappers were intermated with us Gibsons (common law marriages due to mixed race statuses). I believe us Gibsons can be traced back to Jamestown, 1608 as Thomas Gibson of the Second Supply arrived then and it appears he intermated or married a Pamunkey woman. I have some extremely, extremely strong circumstantial “leanings” to this belief. My family was largely Native American by 1640, from Charles City Co., VA – that I have documentation on; have also searched early to mid 17th century public records, the originals, on Surry Co., VA – records are extant for that county and that county was next to Charles City Co. up until 1703 (south side of James River). A George Gibson and a Thomas Gibson (this Thomas born in 1647 and participant of Bacon’s Rebellion) show up in the Surry records. This Thomas seems quite clearly to be my grandfather – he was a Native American mix as well. Seems to all be the same Gibson family – Native American mix, in Jamestown area up until about the early 1720’s and then we headed up to Louisa Co. Have been Y-DNA tested, whole works. Joan Gibson
Joan Gibson, can you contact me for further coordination about these families. Several of my maternal lines ends up with Gilbert Gibson of Louisa County. tahwey at hotmail dot com
Hi, TL Metheney,
My direct email address is: juanagibson@juno.com. I have the Gilbert Gibson family tracked back through public records to the 1640’s in Charles City Co,VA/Surry Co, VA, mainly through extant wills, tithe records and Bacon Rebellion’s depositions (be glad you missed that one! Poor old Grandpa Thomas Gibson/Gibbons had to come up with 1000 pounds of British sterling as a fine due to his participation in the Rebellion – at least he missed being drawn and quartered). We also have had extensive DNA testing done. I am working back past the 1640’s and believe I may have tracked the Gibson family of Charles City Co., VA/Jamestown back into England through John Wilkinson’s London will, 1614/1639, which is online, or rather the old book that has it is available online (the will mentions brothers Thomas and Edward Gibson, both men of these names were found in early Jamestown and the names are in my family in the 1600’s, too, and the will mentions other family members – the Bowmans – I am related to them, the ones of Henrico Co, VA and I am sure this is the same family, the Byrds of Charles City Co, VA, as in William Byrd who was neighbors of my grandfather Gibson Gibson, and a Lady Margaret Gibson who was the mom of Thomas and Edward, above and also the Wilkinsons were found in Charles City Co, VA in the mid 1600’s. Too many cross connections here to NOT have a solid footing to move forward on this. ) We were very Native American by the 1640’s, predominantly Pamunkey, Pocahontas’ tribe. It’s looking pretty clear – but, not yet proven – Thomas Gibson of the 1608 Second Supply to Jamestown – soldier, sailor, artisan/tradesman (some kind of worker in wood, possibly a shipwright or cooper and I believe the son of Lady Margaret Gibson and Sir John Gibson, above)- and a Pamunkey woman are the grandparents of Thomas Gibson/Gibbons, above, a sawyer, worker in wood, of Surry Co, VA, born about 1647. We are related to many of today’s Pamunkey tribal members, like the Adkins, Bradbys, and probably the Cooks (we look a lot like today’s Cooks in that tribe). Also, we are related to the Collins, strongly (predominant tribal family in the 1800’s), as well as the Goins/Goins. I know my direct line is white, black, and Native. I will email you directly. We will probably need to speak via phone if you have specific questions.
I am trying to find when Shelton;s Mill on the South Anna River near Holly Grove was established.
Marie,
Would you please e-mail me? I’m descended from a Shelton man and Ann Winston, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Winston ,of Louisa County, Ann and Mr. Shelton had a son, Richard in 1779 in Louisa. A DNA test done by a cousin shows we are related to David Shelton , of Louisa and Caswell Co.,NC. I would like to share what I have documented in the hope you might help me. rreedy@mics.net. Thanks, Marie Reedy
I am searching for the parents and siblings of David W Humphrey, born abt 1739 in Louisa Co. His first child was Merrit (Nerry) born about 1759 in Louisa Co. I would like to have some kind of push in the right direction if you can help.
William Humphrey
I just ran across your blog on David W. Humphrey who is an ancestor of mine. I have been looking for info on the family for last two years. Isaiah Humphrey 1775-1814 is brother of Merritt Humphrey.
Joann,
What info do you have on the family?
Having the “Curse of the Smith Surname”, I have desperately sought the parentage of my ggg grandfather, Ezekiel Smith.. Ezekiel (b.1790)was married to Mildred Grinstead (b.1796) in her father David’s house in 1811.. Witnesses were her brothers, Thomas and Bartholomew.. Ezekiel served under Capt. Nicholas Poindexter in the War of 1812, and subsequently moved to KY about 1816-1820..
HELP!!
Update on HELP!!
Also, marriages which may have been Ezekiel’s parents incl:
Chas. Smith & Nancy Johnson, both of Louisa-20 Nov 1783..
Christopher Smith & Mary Anderson, both of Louisa-21 Nov 1786..
Rhodes Smith & Unity Thomson, of Louisa-10 Sep 1787..
Robt. Smith & Susannah Woodrum, both in Louisa-8 Jul 1780..
Shilton Smith & Dianah Moss, both of Louisa-3 Apr 1788 (11 Children)..
The marriage of Ezekiel Smith and Mildred Grinstead took place in the home of Mildred’s father, David, with her brothers Bartholomew and Thomas, as well as John POINDEXTER as witnesses..
David Grinstead married Nancy Ann Warren 4 Sep 1793…Surety was James POINDEXTER…
Ezekiel served in the War of 1812 with Capt Nicholas POINDEXTER…
Mary Grinstead married Shelton Evans 2 Sep 1794…John Grinstead gives consent..
Sarah Crawford, daughter of David Crawford b. 1625 (GGGGG/F of Keziah Crawford, who married Joseph B Smith, son of Ezekiel), married James POINDEXTER in Louisa County..
Elizabeth Crawford, Sarah’s sister, married Col Nicholas Meriwether II in nearby New Kent Cty, and died in Louisa Cty, as did her son, Col David Meriwether…
Married in Mildred’s father’s house in Louisa Cty, VA, Mildred’s brothers Bartholomew(age 16) & Thomas(age 9) Grinstead, John Poindexter (likely the Reverend or Elder), witnesses. Father David was her Surety… Married by Rev John Lasley-Methodist minister
The curse of the Smith Surname is right! I descend from Gulielmus Smith of Louisa VA. I have not heard of Ezekiel, but I will keep a lookout for him!
I am trying to find out more about Agnes Goings/Gowen who was according to Paul Heinegg’s work was “born say 1725, was living in Louisa County on 10 October 1743”. Are there any more record about her and her children?
I am in contact with Agnes Goings relatives, are you related? Email me for contact info.
I have been researching this family for about ten years. My fellow Goins researchers and I believe we are descendants of this family based on an 1828 order book in Albemarle County where four Goins’ swore they were who they said they were before a public official.
How do I send you my email address?
Any more info on the Goins women of Louisa Co? They were on the public records as being involved with my male Gibson lineage – Gilbert Gibson and a George Gibson, whom I believe this particular George was Gilbert’s son and my direct line. I think one of the Goins women was married to one of Gilbert’s sons and her name became Phoebe Jones. I could be wrong on that. We had a Gibson Jones in the family who appeared to be a grandson of Gilbert. If you want a howl, check out the public records in Louisa Co. on Gilbert Gibson. He was quite a character. We are also, per family oral history, Portugese/Spanish Hugenot gypsies who where from Northumberland – just south of Edinburgh, Scotland. Probably settled there during the Spanish Inquisition as the oceanic current went right up from the Continent to western Scotland, so, many “odd” folks ended up in Scotland, to be left unmolested by “civilization.” “Gibson” is a Scots gypsy name and our Y-DNA indicates Spanish and Portugese blood lines and also south African bloodlines (probably Angolan, which was a colony of Portugal). Joan Gibson, juanagibson@juno.com
Hello, I am Looking For Info On Agnes Goings/Gowens She Would Be My 8Xs Great Grandmother, Her Son Sherod Goings Being My Direct Line. Specific Information That I am Looking For, Who Are The Fathers Of her Children. Any Info Would Help!!!
Latonya
Thanks For The Info, Agnes Goings Would My 8xs Great Grandmother, Sherod Goings Would Be My Direct Line…
There is absolutely NO documentation whatsoever Gilbert Gibson was married to Agnes, none. George Gibson, who appears to be either Gilbert’s brother or, possibly, his son, was summonsed to court by Agnes in Louisa Co, VA, about 1745, “on behalf of her children.” George never showed up. Those kids were parceled out, sadly. It seems to me he may have been the dad, or, one of several. I believe she was an alcoholic?. But, who knows. If you want to be DNA tested, we can find out if you are a descendant of Gilbert, his dad, or his brother. You very well may be. But, AGAIN, there is NO documentation to whom Gilbert was married to, period. Sarah Turner Lemay, his “second” wife, may not have been his wife, at all, but, they were common law. Joan Gibson, juanagibson@juno.com
hello, joan! i do believe there were several fathers for her children…i was also told that she had a relationship with thomas collins, and that they lived in flat river, nc together??? thank you.
Yes, I have seen that same info re Thomas Collins but I can’t verify or document it, though there probably are some kind of records. Your best bet is to find a living male Goins in your line, if you can, and have him Y-DNA tested (try to make sure there were no adoptions or illegitimacy in his line as he may not be a Goins and the test is then useless) and you, being female, should get autosomally DNA tested and you may match me or other male or female Gilbert Gibson descendants. Family Tree DNA in Houston runs the tests and the results are matched against others, millions of people, in their worldwide database. The Gibson Family DNA Project has almost 300 members and we have been able to connect our lineages, including descendants for those of us who were illegally enslaved – the family is white, black and Indian with just loads of public documentation going back into Jamestown, 1600’s. Many early Jamestown settlers were the patriarchs of free mixed race families, the Gibsons, Collins, and Goins, the Bunches and Basses and on and on and many settled in Louisa Co, VA in the early 1700’s. Henry Collins and Thomas Gibson arrived on the 1608 Jamestown Second Supply Ship and you sure gotta wonder why there were Indian Gibsons (we’re Pamunkey descent) in Jamestown by 1640 (all publicly documented) and the Collins were members of the Pamunkey tribe in the mid to late 1800’s (Simeon Collins) and I am sure much earlier and we all look alike. Thomas lived with the Pamunkeys in 1608 per Captain John Smith and worked at building an European style home for Chief Powhatan, so he knew something of carpentry and was some kind of artisan, soldier, and sailor. My documented grandfather Thomas Gibson, born around 1647, of Surry Co, VA (was part of James City Co, VA until 1652) was Indian and white and some kind of sawyer and carpenter and apparently Indian trader along with his neighbors, like Joseph Rogers (his son Gibson Gibson was also a carpenter/cooper). He, like the others, also appeared to be a Tidewater Planter, small scale, like most Surry Co. residents. You may want to email me directly at juanagibson@juno.com as the blog spot may not be the place for going into great detail about DNA testing and analysis, if you are interested. But, that’s your ticket. We have so much info on the Gibsons and Collins, all the way around, we may be able to figure who Agnes’ mate was to your line. DNA testing is like falling into “Lost Sock” Heaven! It’s worth the $300.
i will definitelty email you tomorrow with more details thanks!!!!
I do wish to say the DNA testing worked for me and opened up my tree from 1850 to 1699 in just weeks after looking for many years. It is well worth the money. As for testing of females I have not found anyone that I did not already know I related to!
Thank you, Joan..I deleted my comment and appreciate so much your additions to the comment log.
Hi, Elaine,
Didn’t mean to come across as harsh re Gilbert’s “wives.” I wish we could find them! We just can’t find anything for verified legal wives on Gilbert Gibson and folks at the time weren’t sure if he were even married to Sarah Turner Lemay as one depositee/testee stated re the lawsuit after his death, among his two families, no one was sure, thus, questioning the legality of her children in claiming inheritance (Poor Sarah was desperate at the thought of her children being left destitute or bound out as clearly seems to have happened with other family members while the kids from Gilbert’s first marriage/liason could have inherited all). Unless one can find church records with published banns intact, we may never know who the spouses were. Gilbert was kind of on the casual side, anyway! But, his case and lifestyle in VA at the time were not unusual, at least among mixed race status families who couldn’t legally marry anyway – church banns, marriage licenses or not. He and Sarah’s son, William Gibson, did not marry Mary Adams Napper, because she was black or a black mix, per their descendants, and therefore their marriage would not have been legal. Their children retained the name of Napper until his death, when they took on the name of Gibson. His will is very clear about his Napper/Gibson family. The DNA has proven they are in fact Gibsons and William and Mary had a long domestic life together with many children, William passing on in the 1820’s, and their descendants are very clear on their particular lineage. Joan Gibson
I am trying to find information about my Great Grandfather, Matthew Walton Lacy. Born 4/20/1859, in Louisa VA. Father was Matthew Charles Lacy. Mother was Mary Elizabeth Walton. He married Cora Alice Fultz. Both were deaf.
He worked in a shoe factory in Fredericksburg Va.
He disappeared after he and Cora had their 5th child and no one knows anything after that.
Have not been on the Louisa County site in a while and surprised at the new format! Congrats on such a great site. I have been searching the county for quit a few years for any Walker/Isbell/Tenham/Jennings/Duval connections
I am just getting around to reading my Spring Magazine and find the Auction of Joseph Isbell which I have not seen before. It mentions 1500 acres on Taylor’s Creek that he left to his children one of them my Gggrandmother Mary B. Isbell Walker – Does anyone know about where this plantation was or if anything is left of it! Mary left the county in 1830 leaving her 5 children her portion of the estate. Thank you for any info you can provide. Marie
Marie
I may be able to help with the Duval connection. My grandmother, Electra Duval Sims, had a brother, Clifton W Duval, who lived in Mineral. I have additional info on their family in Goochland and Louisa
I am looking for information on an old cemetery on my brother’s property on Old Apple Grove Road at Cub Creek. There are two headstones that are legible. One reads ‘Sarah Shelton, March 15, 1879-April 25th, 1905’. The other is ‘Jabez F. Duke, CO-C 5VA. CAV. CSA’. There is one other that is illegible. Just curious as to who these people were.
Thank you. Any information or point in the right direction is appreciated.
Cassie Bohannon
jabez duke is listed in my tree as a cousin. i have little on him as i work through duke line; probably a 1000 names at this point. having online problems with current carrier and should have new connection by end of day. will advise you on what i find on him. i’d be sure he is direct of my 7th great grandfather cleavers chisholm duke of little river, louisa, virginia(often referred to as the “king of little river”) will be in touch. thanks for tip on cemetery location
Cassie-
Replying late after two years have passed, but Jabez F. Duke was my great grandfather. We have his CSA records and have the tree plotted out. We would be happy to share any info with you.
Steve Harris
Cassie, Did you find any other graves in the cemetery? I’m researching Sheltons but only know my 4 th great was married to Ann Winston, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Winston of Louisa Co.. Their son , Richard , is buried in Greensboro , NC and b. in Louisa Co., in 1779. Would like to figure out where Richard’s parents were buried and who Ann married . Thank you. rreedy@mics.net Marie Reedy
I am seeking information about Shelton’s Mill located on the South Anna River in Louisa County near Holly Grove. Specifically, information about the Brooks family who may have lived nearby. My great grandfather was Thomas Edwin Brooks, son of John Brooks and Emma Perkins. We have a painting of that belonged to Tom Brooks a family house at Shelton’s Mill. Tom’s grandparents were Bettie Adams and Thomas Bias Brooks.
Kathryn,
Thanks for contacting us. Have you browsed around on our genealogy site at http://www.trevilians.com ? There is a master list of names at the top of the left hand column. I went to the Bs and after flipping seven or eight pages came to a lengthy list of Brooks references. You might start with seeing if any of these seems like they might be your John or Thomas. There are many Brooks in the section of the county near Shelton’s Mill. If you can give us birth and death years, we may be able to find a little more for you, but I think you’ll be surprised how much you can find at the site above. Elaine Taylor at the Sargeant Museum.
I have some info on Thomas Bias Brooks. a list of his children. he was my gggrandfather. Contact me. Marie Drake at mtd19381@verizon.net .
Shelton’s Mill still stands today on the South Anna River. It is being restored presently. It is on Holly Grove Dr in Louisa VA. Cross streets West Chapel Dr. and Owens Creek Rd. I believe it is presently owned by the Dunn family. Thomas Bias Brooks is my husband’s gg grandfather on his father’s side. We live in Holly Grove. Do you have a specify question?
Thanks for your reply Crystal! I would love to know more about the Brooks family and their life in Louisa County. I’m also trying to find out more about Thomas’s father Elkannah Brooks and his family. You are welcome to contact me directly at kscross@aol.com.
For those of you interested in Genealogy, see the entries in the Genealogy category for Louisa County specific jewels.
I am searching for the family of John S Harris….we think it’s “S”….he got sick with typhoid once he got back to Louisa (1862)…I found his dad and mom were listed in a Louisa book of death records, as William and Martha Harris…..does anyone know this family? I think William’s middle initial is “T:…..I had thought Martha might be a Lipscomb. Please let me know if you are related!! Looking forward to hearing from you all!!!
All my mom’s family seems to have been in Louisa County in the 1800’s! Larkin Luck…..married Elizabeth Butler…..Rhoda Sims married Peter Butler……Elizabeth Wiltshire married Oragin Gibson……Mary Terry, Mary Talley…..Harris, Hall, Lipscomb, …..I have notebooks 3″ thick on each of these families….who else is searching Gibsons? Lucks? Harris? Andersons? I live in SC, but I want to visit Louisa and find more about my ancestors……I would love to hear from others like me!! Luck, Butler, Gibson, Sims, Thacker, Terry, Talley, Harris, Lipscomb, Whitlock, Bond, Hicks……..I have lots of info on all of these but cant get back beyond the Revolution…..1780’s or so……HELP!
I am a Gibson descendant and have the info you are looking for. It’s enormous. See my above posts. I feel confident I now have us back to 1608, arrival of the Second Supply in Jamestown – Thomas Gibson, sailor, soldier, and artisan – some kind of wood workeras he and others went to the Pamunkey village in 1609 and built an European style home for Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas’ father (recorded by Capt. John Smith). We are Native American and you can probably figure out why. Joan Gibson, juanagibson@juno.com.
My GIbson line is only back to J. Dabney Gibson born in the late 1700s. However, I have Butler, Thacker, Harris, Luck and Sims in my database. I am connected through William Franklin Gibson who married a great aunt (Sarah Ina Tate) and his father William G. Gibson who married another Tate relative.
My name is Joan Gibson and feel free to email me directly at: juanagibson@juno.com. I descend from Gilbert Gibson of Henrico and Lousia Cos, VA. We are very distant cousins. My line never left Louisa until about 1820 and we settled into what is now central WV and around 1912 left for Marietta, Ohio. I have our Louisa Co. Gibsons traced back into the 1640’s, Charles City Co, VA. I have earlier comments on this blog spot you may wish to read. Also, Dee Dovey Randall has an excellently researched website on our families, just google. We are related to the Andersons back into the mid to late 1600’s, best I can tell, Surry Co or Isle of Wight, VA. Note they show strong relations to the Eppes and Gibbons families of Surry Co, VA. I believe these Gibbons were in fact us Gibsons. Read on. I think it was Gideon Gibson who married into these Andersens. The Andersen family has an excellently researched website on line. We have Harris connections, but, I am unclear on those. You will want to contact Joanne Pezzullo at joannepezzullo@aol.com on any Harris connections. She is an excellent Gibson, etc. researcher, though, we are unclear if she is related to our Gibsons. Our grandfather was Thomas Gibson/Gibbons of Surry Co., VA of Bacon’s Rebellion born about 1647. He sold his 400 acres on Upper Chippokes Creek in March, 1688. Our name morphed from Gibson to Gibbons in Surry, over a twenty year period, 1668-1688, as evidenced by the tithe lists and Edmund Howell’s Surry Co, VA 1679 will and the Elizabeth Chavis family connections (she was a white emigrant from Dublin), but, the man was Thomas Gibson and I can argue that based on all the 17th century research I have done the last several years. All documented and it took me two years to sift through Surry’s records on microfiche and I still am sifting. That county has the most extant oldest records in the country, apparently. Thank God as for some reason they weren’t stored in Richmond for the Yankees to sift into ash. The Civil War just about exterminated my direct line, records and men. We were Confederates, at least my direct line. We are all over those Surry Co, VA 17th century records but one needs to see through the various phonetic spellings of our name to make sense of them – Gibson, Gibon, Gibbon, Gibbons, Gibsinge, Gibsin, Getting. and also see that this one man, Thomas Gibson, had the same geography, neighbors and friends as all the above “men” listed with the various name variants. We were Indian and white, probably Pamunkey, as early as 1610, though I can’t confirm that date. Thomas Gibson of the 1608 Second Supply I believe is our first emigrant and I am working on getting DNA samples from the UK Goldingston Gibsons of whom it is claimed he descends and based on what have researched, it certainly seems so. This Thomas lived with the Pamunkeys in 1608. We are Pamunkey per family oral tradition and we are related to Pamunkey families through DNA testing, like the Atkins and Basses (they were Nansemonds, south side of the James River).By 1640 we were largely Indian, “very dark mulatoos.” We later became black, one line of us, and the Evans family, a black family, descends from us Gibsons.. Ditto on the Jacksons. We went to NC and SC in the early mid 1700’s to live like Indians because by that time, we were very Indian, at least one branch, the Capt. Thomas Gibson, Saponi Indian, of Louisa Co., VA. His DNA is just about an exact match to Grandpa Gilbert Gibson, whom I mentioned far above. Thomas and Gilbert lived next to one another in Louisa Co up until about 1747. Thomas was in the NC militia in 1752 and he and the Bunches, Turners, etc. and other Louisa families were mustered as a small Saponi village of about 70 men,women, and children living within a white community, probably, similar to how life had been in Louisa at one point and certainly similar to how life had been along the Upper Chippokes Creek in Surry Co, VA during the 1600’s as that Creek had four Indian villages and Indian fields there, about a mile or less from the James and it appears we Gibsons lived among them. Thomas Gibson, Saponi, was not a nice person and had murdered one of the colonial Colonels during this time, in cold blood, in front of the Colonel’s homes. I believe the Colonel’s sons were murdered as well, all for whipping Thomas’ boys. House was then burned down. That’s a mean grudge.. He, Thomas, was a Tory, on the side of the British, like many Indians of the time. Anyway we had three distinct lines – white, Native American, and black very, very early on, another sign of early Jamestown settlers being our ancestors. We also seem to descend from Thomas Garnett of Jamestown, via autosomal DNA research recently. One of his female descendants appears to have married a Gibson in the early to mid 1600’s, Jamestown. Garnett lived with Captain William Powell around 1619, possible a relative of his, and had his ears nailed to the public pillory for four days for very naughty openly lewd behavior with one of Powell’s widow servants, probably, a drunk, like Powell. All in extant Jamestown court records Jamestown was infamous for such goings on based upon the class of people it attracted, not so in New England. John Rolfe had it right. The Gibsons left a slew of public records throughout the centuries, Tidewater Planters, slave owners and slaves, owned by cousins. All documented. Has taken years to find all this info and it is all documented and we have a very large Gibson family DNA project, ongoing, results which have confirmed centuries of “passing,” running, and mystery. We were a spirited people, often in trouble, and when provoked were swift with “street” justice and survivors and many of us had loads of illegitimate kids. Other lines were more gentile, more white and less infused with various races and the troubles due to racial prejudices of the times. One cousin, Tom Evans, was illegally enslaved and ran away so many times, he was finally hung. The Lightfoots and then Meriwhethers owned him(the Meriwheters originated in Surry Co, VA, were neighbors of Thomas Gibson of Bacon’s Rebellion and they migrated to Louisa, like several Surry families had). The Lightfoots apparently were our cousins. Best I can tell, Philip Lightfoot, the Merchant Prince, was Grandpa Gilbert’s distant cousin. I believe Gilbert’s mom was Frances Lightfoot, aunt to Philip. Also, about five percent of the white Jamestown colonists by 1612 had Native mix families. That’s a lot and what happened to their descendants? We know about Pocahontas and John Rolfe and their descendants which are very well documented, the red Bollings of whom we were associated with for centuries in migratory patterns and public documents. Thomas Rolfe had 2000 acres in Surry Co, VA given to him by his Indian uncle and “approved” by the VA Council in 1636. Louisa Co. is a goldmine for these early Surry Co, VA families/settler.
Am interested in what info you may have and wish to share. Everything I state can be documented. JG
Carole –
I am a descendant of the Bond/Whitlock connection in Louisa County. You may contact me directly at mfstn007 at yahoo.com
Billy
Hello, I am trying to break through my brick wall on my Butler line. I descend from Lancelot Butler, b. bet 1804 / 1810 Louisa Co., VAi; d. aft 1880 Nelson Co., VA
Anyone have any information on my Lancelot, I would so happy to hear from you.
Christy
Anyone know of an Irish tailor named John Anderson who married Martha P Gibson, dau. of Oragin Gibson and Elizabeth Wiltshire Gibson??? Married in 1851….got their license in the Louisa CH….lived in Spotsylvania…(Waller’s Tavern…..near Good Hope Church)…..They had Frederick Anderson is 1855 and moved away right after. Eugene Anderson was born in 1858 but I don’t know where….maybe NJ….both boys were orphans in 1860 and living with Dr. Hancock and Leroy B Gatewood…(Spotsyl and Caroline, respectively) Oragin Gibson had a big family…..several girls ….why did 2 different unrelated families take in these 2 orphans..? What happened to Martha Gibson Anderson and John Anderson?? It’s a mystery and YOU can help me solve it!!!! Accept the challenge……PLEASE….lol. Family lore says “they” died mysteriously and together….a psychic told me they died close but not at the same time….yes, I sought a psychic after 27 years of searching death records….I’ve even stumped the Morman Church….
looked on Ancestry and see a John Anderson born in Ireland 1825 and died in St. Louis Missouri 1858 at 33 years of age with the same wife and children. I also have a tailor from Ireland born the same year and he came from the British Army where he made uniforms when he came here he also made uniforms for the Confederate army in downtown Richmond. I also checked Chronciling America where I found lots of ads for my tailor.
See my above “reply” posts. I wonder if this Anderson family is of the Native American Andersons (also, named John Anderson) descended from Pocahontas (Pamunkey tribe). Google and you will see. We Gibsons, the one you mentioned above (Jeroboam bastardized to Orabigm or whatever it is of my family – Jeroboam Gibson descended from Gilbert Gibson – Jeroboam was one of the kings of Israel – many of us had biblical first names starting in the mid to late 1700’s – may have been the Quaker influence) were Native American mixes and also had African blood introduced at some point – some of us were illegally enslaved in the mid 1700’s and one relative was hung for running away repeatedly from his slave master, who was apparently a distant cousin (the LIghtfoots). We Native American/white mixes married into free black families, as early as 1710, or earlier – documented. Some of us were white, black, and Native American, but, all mixed race in different proportions. Anyway my family married into other Native American mixed families, like the Bramhams/Brannons. The Andersons intrigue me as they are of Pamunkey heritage and it is traceable due to Pocahontas. The rest of us poor slobs have been left with huge gaps in our genealogical lines because the Native Americans weren’t too good at recording lineage nor at all happy about being decimated by the white settlers, so, I have had to really hunt to find us. But, we are there, peering out from the past. So are many other VA families, like mine. By 1612, five percent or so of the male English colonists in Jamestown had taken Native American wives as documented by a Spanish spy who had been taken prisoner in Jamestown and wrote a letter to the Spanish ambassador to England – all documented. We were around before John Rolfe and Pocahontas got together, but, they had their marriage recorded and it became history as Pocahontas had converted to Christianity and seemed to love the English culture. She was a special person. The Pamunkeys today seemed to have disinherited her and will give out no genealogical info and turn a blind eye to the mixed race descendants that emerged from the melding of the New World. Understandable from their perspective and my Gibsons were also the last remnant of the Saponis in existence in the mid 1700’s and essentially fled Louisa Co. in 1749 to “live like Indians” in Bertie Co., NC, just over t he VA border. Very sad. Some of us spoke only an Indian dialect up until the early 1800’s. We are melungeons, some settled in Newman’s Ridge, TN and some stayed in Louisa and moved westward to WV and into OH and beyond. The Y-DNA testing has pulled all of our lines together the last few years. All that I state is documentable through public records, Y-DNA testing and collaboration with historical events. Also, we have family oral tradition to support the former and lots of old time photos showing family resemblances to the Pamunkies, Saponi, and Tuscarora tribes. Joan Gibson, juanagibson@juno.com
Russ: In “Old Home Places of Louisa County”, Ben Venue is listed on Page 125. There is a half of a page of history about the house, including that it probably dates to about 1771 and was built by Dabney Minor. If you would like, I will try to scan the page (as best I can using a flat bed scanner) and send it to you. Mike
Mike,
Thank you for your reply. Yes I would like to see the page when you get a chance to scan it. Is “Old Home Places of Louisa County” a book? Thank you russ
Yes, it is a book. While it is out of print, you might search for it on Amazon or some place like that. The authors are Claudia Chisholm and Ellen Lillie. The Library of Congress Catalog Number is 79-55459. Printed in 1979. I hope to get around to scanning that page today.
Forgot to mention the street I live on is now called Palomino drive in Bienvenue its off off Daniel road. Not sure what the name of the road was back in the days of the farm. I have only been here for 5 years. Thanks Russ
I am trying to get some information of the Bienvenue plantation in Louisa. I was told the property was once a farm and the old farm house was once a field hospital in the Cival war. How can I get some info on this as well as the area? Thank you
Russ: If you send me your direct email address, I will send you a reply with the scanned page from the book that contains the writeup on Ben Venue.
Mike
I cannot figure out how to put the Pdf file up here.
Russ: Guess I forgot to give you my own email address: mbseaton@hughes.net
Hello, this is a wild stab at trying to find the source of “the other officer” mentioned in two publications. Here is a portion of the letter I received:
“Captain Archibald Govan Hill commanded Company C in the Battle of New Market. Recently I discovered a remark published on the VMI Archive site and traced it to a book written by Richard Mcmurray “VMI Alumni in the Civil War”. The statement in the book reads, when referring to Captain Hill’s service in the engineers during 1861-1862 “Thrown out May 5, 1862 noted another officer”. This has perpetuated itself into another upcoming book written by Mr. Al Conner titled “Not for Fame or Reward: VMI’s Civil War Soldiers and Sailors”.
I would like to locate the source for this comment. Does anyone know of any official report that is a source for this comment? Is it just hearsay and should be recarded?
Captain Hill is buried at Corduroy (plantation), Trevilians, Louisa County.
Any help will be appreciated.
Sarah Reveley
http://www.picturetrail.com/vminewmarket
Sarah,
I happened to run across the “Thrown out” notation on Footnote.come for A. Goven Hill. As you know, Footnote has simply put online the microfilms of the service records of now located at the National Archives. It is a simple form in his file that state, May 5, 1862 and “thown out.” Signed by what appears to be his commanding officer of the muster roll for that month. Apparantly the books are quoting from the official record. Footnote is a paid subscription, so I can’t just forward you the link. However, his record came up as I was searching udner Civil war Service Records, Confederate, Virginia. It’s one of about 8 pages in his file.
Hope this helps, Elaine Taylor at the Sargeant Museum