USA > Virginia > Albemarle County > Albemarle County > Albemarle County in Virginia; giving some account of what it was by nature, of what it was made by man, and of some of the men who made it > Part 26
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33
RAILEY.
Martin Railey came to Albemarle from Chesterfield in 1806. He lived on Buck Island, on a farm he purchased from John M. Perry. He died in 1814. His wife was Elizabeth Mayo, and his children Daniel M., John M., Lilburn R., and Catharine, the wife of Anderson Shiflett. Daniel succeeded to the homestead, Woodbourne, married Lucy Jane, daugh - ter of John Watson, of Milton, was appointed a magistrate in 1830, and not long after sold his place, and removed to Southwest Virginia. His descendants continued still further West, and some are now living in Missouri. John married Mary, daughter of William Watson. He died early about 1833. After his death his widow built the brick house on the north end of Second Street, now the residence of Mrs. J. W. Lipop. He had four children, all of whom removed from the county. Lilburn R. was educated at Washington College in Lexington, married Lucy Jane Burks, niece of John Watson, was a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, and was appointed a magistrate of the county in 1838. His home was on his farm near the Hydraulic Mills, recently owned by William Nuttycomb. After the war he resided in Charlottes- ville. He died in 1893.
RAMSAY.
Rev. John Ramsay was the rector of St. Anne's parish, lived in the southern part of the county, and died in 1770.
301
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
In 1772 John Ramsay, of Augusta, purchased from Archi- bald Woods nearly four hundred acres on Stockton's Creek, and five years later sold them to Alexander Ramsay, in all probability a brother. In 1774 William, another brother as is supposed, bought from Adam Dean in the same vicinity more than four hundred acres, and ten years after from Alex- ander all that belonged to him.
William married Margaret, daughter of Andrew Wallace, and granddaughter of old Michael Woods. His home was on the place where James M. Bowen resided. He first built the mill on the place, which in early times went by the name of Ramsay's Mill. The old dwelling still stands near the head of the mill pond. He died in 1825. He had three sons, Andrew, John and William. In 1814 Andrew was living on a farm on the Staunton Road, adjoining the lands of G. W. Kinsolving, William Fretwell and John Dettor. His chil- dren were Thomas, Higginbotham, Margaret, William Albert, Mary J., and Andrew W. John married Mary, daughter of Samuel Black. His home was where Dr. John R. Baylor lived. His children were William, Jane, the wife of John G. Lobban, Catharine, Joseph T., Mary, the wife of James C. Rothwell, and Dorcas. William, son of William, succeeded to the home of his father, and died in 1832. His children were Jane, the wife of Jarrett Harris, William S., Margaret, the wife of Meredith Martin, and Mary, the wife of Jeremiah Wayland. All the descendants of these families, bearing the name, removed to different parts of the West.
RANDOLPH.
William Randolph, of Tuckahoe, was the first of the name to enter land within the present limits of Albemarle. In 1735 he was granted twenty -four hundred acres "on the north side of the Rivanna near the mountains, a little below Moun- tain Falls." On the organization of the county, he was appointed its Clerk. At his death his land passed to his son, Thomas Mann Randolph, of Tuckahoe. Neither William nor Thomas ever resided in the county, but soon after the marriage of Thomas Mann's son, bearing the same name, with Martha Jefferson, and his own second marriage with
302
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
Gabriella, daughter of John Harvie, the land was transferred by the father to the son. The latter then made Edgehill his home. He engaged with much activity in public affairs. He was appointed a magistrate in 1794, elected to Congress in 1801, and chosen Governor of Virginia in 1819. He dis- played a lively zeal in promoting the interests of agriculture in the county. He died in 1828. His children were Ann, the wife of Charles L. Bankhead, Thomas J., Ellen, the wife of Joseph Coolidge, of Boston, Cornelia, Virginia, the wife of Nicholas. P. Trist, Dr. Benjamin F., and George Wythe.
The home of Charles L. Bankhead was Carlton. He was twice married. His children by his first wife were John W., who recently died in Missouri, Ellen Monroe, the wife of John Coles Carter, and Thomas Mann, who settled in Arkan- sas. His second wife was Mary Carthrae, a granddaughter of General Samuel H. Lewis, of Rockingham. He died about 1833, leaving one son, Charles L., by the last marriage. The stalwart and venerable figure of Colonel Thomas J. is familiar to many still living. For many years he took a leading part in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the county. He was a magistrate, a member of the Legislature, a devoted member of the County Agricultural Society, and President of the Farmers' Bank. He married Jane, daughter of Governor W. C. Nicholas. Benjamin F. was a physician, and lived at the south end of Carter's Mountain. He mar- ried Sarah, daughter of Robert H. Carter. In addition to his professional labors, he was appointed a magistrate in 1846, and for several terms was a member of the State Senate. George W. was admitted to the Albemarle bar in 1840, and a few years after removed to Richmond. In the days of the Confederacy, he was its last Secretary of War.
Colonel Richard Randolph, of Henrico, owned land in Albemarle. In 1760 he obtained a grant of two hundred and forty acres on Moore's Creek. At some time he purchased twelve hundred acres adjoining the tract just mentioned from some one, perhaps from William Taylor, who seems to have entered it in 1737. To Dr. Thomas Walker, as trustee of the county, he sold a thousand acres of this land, on which
1
303
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
in 1762, Charlottesville, the new courthouse, was estab - lished. He also entered nearly fifteen hundred acres in the southern part of the county on Green Creek. He probably never resided on this land, but managed it through the agency of overseers.
Governor Edmund Randolph was also a landholder in Albemarle. In 1786 he purchased from John Fry twenty - five hundred acres on Green Mountain, including the View - mont estate. For some years he sought relaxation from his professional and official cares in looking after this property. In 1793 he petitioned for the right to erect a mill on Hard - ware, where Colonel Fry had had one before. He sold this land to William C. Carter in 1798.
In 1805 Dr. Thomas Eston Randolph bought from John - son Rowe the land opposite Milton, on which is situated the estate of Glenmore. His wife was Jane Cary, sister of Governor Thomas Mann Randolph. He was appointed a magistrate of the county in 1807. In 1813 he sold Glenmore to Louis H. Girardin, the continuaior of Burk's History of Virginia, and purchased a plantation further down the river on Carroll's Creek, called Ashton. This place he sold in 1826 to Joel W. Brown, and removed to Campbell County. His daughter, Elizabeth, became the wife of Francis Eppes Jr., the grandson of Mr. Jefferson.
In the decade of 1840, John T. Randolph came to the county from the Valley, and married Ann, daughter of Wil- liam P. Farish. In 1862 he entered the Baptist ministry.
REA.
The name of Rea is found in the county at the time of its formation. In 1747 Fergus Rea bought a portion of the Chis- well patent on Rockfish. About the same time John Rea was the owner of land on the Rivanna near Martin King's Ford, the present Union Mills. Whether these persons were related to those hereafter mentioned, does not appear.
Andrew, Thomas and Samuel Rea were considerably inter - ested in real estate during a period extending from 1744 to 1788. At the first of these dates, Andrew entered a small tract on the south side of the Rivanna, a short distance above
304
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
the mouth of Ivy Creek, and at the time was the owner of land adjoining. Beyond doubt he gave name to the ford so called, though it should be written Rea, not Ray ; in the patent it is written Reay. Thomas owned land on the head waters of Mechum's near Round Mountain, and subsequently pur - chased in the vicinity of Rea's Ford, and on Meadow Creek, not far from the old Poor House. Samuel also had a place near Rea's Ford, and in 1788 bought on Beaver Creek between Crozet and Whitehall. All three were married, the name of Andrew's wife being Mary, that of Thomas's Ursula, and that of Samuel's Jane, daughter of Daniel Maupin and his wife, Margaret Via. These persons, it is likely, were broth- ers. Samuel's children were Daniel, Andrew, Thomas, Rob- ert, and Margaret, the wife of Ezekiel McCauley. Robert married Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel Maupin and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Dabney, lived in the Beaver Creek neighbor- hood, and died in 1831. In a report of Bernard Brown of persons listed to work on the roads near the foot of Buck's Elbow in 1792, Andrew and Thomas Rea are inentioned ; and in an order of Court on the same subject made in 1823, occur the names of Robert, Thomas and Bland.
Thomas, the third son of Samuel, lived beneath Buck's Elbow, and died in 1850. His wife was Ann, daughter of Bland Ballard, and his children Daniel, Jane, the wife of Gar- land Maury, Bland, Jemima, the wife of Richard Beckett, Ann, the wife of John Bales, Samuel, and Margaret, the wife of George Wolfe. Bland married Sarah Alexander, and sec - ondly Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel John Jones. In his youth he was associated with Benjamin Ficklin in the man- ufacture of tobacco, but afterwards settled as a farmer near the old homestead, and died in 1868. His children were John A., Joseph, William, James, Mary, the wife of Bernard Tilman, and Maria, the wife of Oscar Lipscomb.
RIVES.
In the latter part of the last century, Robert Rives, who married Margaret, daughter of Colonel William Cabell, trans- acted an extensive business at Warminster, Nelson County. In the enterprising spirit which inspired his undertakings, he
305
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
established a branch house in Milton, soon after the founding of that town, under the firm of Brown, Rives & Co. The partners were James Brown, of Richmond, Robert Rives, and Robert Burton. He also became the owner of large and val- uable tracts of land in Albemarle. For the Boiling Spring plantation, which he bought from John Patterson, of Balti - more, in 1818, he gave sixty thousand dollars, the largest sum perhaps ever paid for any farm in this region. His sons, William C., George, Henry, Robert and Alexander, all re- sided in Albemarle.
William C. in 1819 married Judith, daughter of Francis Walker, who inherited Castle Hill as her portion of her fa- ther's estate. About the same time he became a member of the Albemarle bar. His career in public is a matter of his - tory. He did service in the Legislature, in the United States Senate, and as Minister to France. He was regarded as one of the most finished orators of his day. After his retirement he was occupied in writing a history of the Life and Times of James Madison. He died in 1868. George married Mary Eliza, daughter of Robert Carter. His home was at Sherwood, on the north side of the Hardware, below Carter's Bridge. He married a second time Maria, daughter of Professor George we plan" and died in 1874. Heury received from his father a plantation on Green Mountain in 1827. Robert married Eliz- abeth Pennill, and resided at the old Nicholas place near Warren. He died in 1867. Alexander was admitted to the bar in 1829, and made his home for many years at Carleton, which he purchased in 1833 from the trustees of Charles L. Bankhead. He was a member of both houses of the Legis - lature, and of Congress, and soon after the war was appointed Judge of the United States Court for the western District of Virginia. He was twice married, first to Isabel Wydown, and secondly to Sarah Watson, of Louisa, and died in 1885.
Paulina, a daughter of Robert Rives, was the wife of Rich- ard Pollard, who lived in the southern part of the county. Their children were Margaret, the wife of James P. Hender- son, Virginia, Rosalie, James R., Lucy, Richard, Edward A., and Henry Rives. Edward and Henry were both jour-
-20
306
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
nalists. Besides his editorial labors on the Richmond Ex- aminer, Edward published a number of works, and died in Lynchburg in 1772. On account of an article which appeared in the Southern Opinion, of which he was one of the editors, Henry was shot by James Grant in Richmond in November 1868, and his remains were brought for interment in the family burying ground in Albemarle.
RODES.
The first of the Rodes name to settle in Albemarle was John, and his coming occurred in 1749. In that year he bought from James Armor four hundred acres on the north fork of Rockfish, and in the conveyance was described as of St. Martin's parish, Louisa. He also purchased land on Moorman's River. He died in 1775. His wife was Mary Crawford, and he left five daughters and four sons, David, Clifton, Charles and John. ʻ
David came to the county in 1756, and lived on the north side of Moorman's River. Besides managing his plantation, he conducted a store. He was appointed a magistrate, and served as Sheriff, probably in 1776 and 1777. He was twice married, first as is believed to Mary, daughter of Matthew Mills, and secondly to Susan, daughter of Nelson Anderson. He died in 1794, and his widow became the wife of James Kerr. His children, all of whom were born of the first mar- riage, were John, Matthew, Charles, Mary, the wife of Robert Douglass, Elizabeth, the wife of Horsley Goodman, Nancy, the wife of William Dulaney, Ann, the wife of James Ballard, Lucy, the wife of Joseph Twyman, Martha, the wife of Joel Yancey, and Mildred, the wife of William Wal- den. The Douglass, Yancey, Walden, and probably Du- laney, families removed to Kentucky. John died unmarried in 1823. Matthew succeeded to his father's place. He was appointed a magistrate in 1816. By becoming security, he was involved in financial difficulties, and his property was sold to pay his debts; it was however redeemed by his son David. He died in 1834. His wife was Nancy Blackwell, and his children David, Mary, Robert, Henrietta, the wife of Clement P. Mckennie, Gilly, the wife of Robert Guy, Aun,
307
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
the wife of Daniel Fishburne, Elizabeth, the second wife of Nathaniel Massie, Mildred and Judith. David about 1816 was deputy Clerk of the county, and afterward removed to Lynchburg. In 1822 he married Martha, daughter of Joel Yancey, of Bedford. General Robert E. Rodes, of the Con- federate army, who fell at Winchester in 1864, was his son. Robert succeeded to the homestead, was twice married, first to Margaret, daughter of Richard Duke, and secondly to Hardenia Williams, of Nelson, and died in 1874.
Clifton first lived at the foot of Buck's Elbow, on a place he bought in 1769 from Matthew Mullins, and afterward sold to Cornelius Maupin. In 1773 he purchased from William Lewis a plantation near Ivy Depot, which he made his home until 1788, when he sold it to George Nicholas, and not long after removed to Kentucky. He was a magistrate of the county, and served as Sheriff in 1783. His wife was Sarah Waller, and three of his children were married in Albemarle, John to Jean Stapleton, daughter of Thomas Burch, Dorothy to David Kerr, and Mary to Joseph Durch, brother of John's wife, and grandfather of Rev. Dr. J. J. Bullock, and the wife of Vice-President Breckinridge.
Charles resided where his father first bought, on the waters of Rockfish. The land now lies in Nelson County. From his family the Methodist Church in that vicinity is commonly spoken of as Rodes's Church. He died in 1798. Mrs. McClunn, who resides near Batesville, is his grand - daughter, and William Rodes, who lives at Brooksville, his great grandson.
John lived on the south side of Moorman's River, and died in 1810. His wife was Sarah, daughter of Robert Harris, and his children Robert, Tyree, Clifton, John, Charles, Mary, Ann, the wife of John Garth, Henrietta, the wife of Rev. Bernis Brown, and Sarah, the wife first of William Daven - port, and secondly of Micajah Woods. Robert was a Captain in the Revolutionary army, and made prisoner at the capture of Charleston, S. C. He married Eliza Dulaney, and removed to Madison County, Kentucky. Tyree emigrated to Giles County, Tennessee. Clifton lived near Ivy Depot on a farm,
308
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
which was given him by his father, and which he sold in 1810 to George Pickett, of Richmond. In 1807 he was appointed a magistrate of the county. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Jouett, and was the administrator of the Jouett estate. After the sale of his property he removed to Kentucky. John succeeded to the paternal estate south of Moorman's River. He was also appointed a magistrate in 1807, and served as Sheriff in 1832. He died in 1839. His wife was Francina, daughter of Bernard Brown, and his children Sidney, wife of Powhatan Jones, of Buckingham, Ryland, John D., William, Sarah, wite of Samuel C. Woods, who emigrated to Missouri, Tyree, Virginia, the wife of W. C. Smith, Jacintha, the wife of J. Smith, Frances, the wife of Garland Brown, and Lucy Ann, the wife of James Payne. Ryland married Sarah Woods, and lived and died in Nelson. John D. married Mrs. Ann Durrett Morris, and died without children. William married E. C. Yancey, of Rockingham, and lived on the old home place, which after his death in 1882 devolved on his sons Thomas and John William. Tyree removed to Tennessee.
ROGERS.
In 1748 John Rogers, of King William, obtained grants of four hundred acres on Naked Creek, and of four hundred on Buck Mountain Creek. At the same time his son George was granted four hundred acres on Piney Run. John further patented upwards of six hundred more on Naked Creek in 1761. Neither of them however ever lived in the county. John died about 1768.
Giles, a son of John, came to the county anterior to 1765. He purchased the interest of his brother George in 1775. His home was on the waters of Buck Mountain Creek. He died in 1794. His wife was Ann, daughter of John Lewis, of Spotsylvania, and his children Achilles, Parmenas, Ann, the wife of Robert Davis, Lucy, the wife of Jonathan Barksdale, Frances, the wife of Samuel Twyman, and Rachel. Achilles married his cousin Mary George, lived on Ivy Creek, near the crossing of the Whitehall Road, and died about 1820. Parmenas succeeded to the home of his father, was appointed
1
309
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
a magistrate in 1807, became Sheriff in 1834, and died in 1836. He was twice married, first to a Miss Baber, and secondly to Elizabeth Ferguson. He had a large family, William, Joseph, Ralph, James B., George, Parmenas, Permelia, Giles, Frances, Orville, Catharine, Thomas, Jonathan, Elizabeth, the wife of Nathan Barksdale, and Ann. James B. was a physician, lived west of Earlysville, married Margaret, daughter of David Wood and Mildred Lewis, was the father of Martha, the wife of ber cousin, Dr. Alfred Wood, and Dr. W. G. Rogers, of Charlottesville, and died in 1863. Frances is the sole member of this numerous household still living in Albemarle.
Byrd, another son of John, was for a time a resident of the county. He was twice married to sisters, Mary and Martha Trice, and had by the first two sons, John and Philip, and by the second one, George. He emigrated to Kentucky about the beginning of the century, and died shortly after. George accompanied his father to the West. Philip spent his youth in Albemarle, contracted roving habits, owned an interest at one time in the Red Sweet Springs, and died in Louisville, Ky. John, familiarly known in his day as Farmer John, passed his life on his plantation in the county, near Keswick Depot. He and his son-in-law, Richard Samp- son, were regarded as occupying the front rank among the sagacious and successful planters of the State. About 1820 the Albemarle Agricultural Society awarded to John Rogers the premium for having the best tilled farm in the county. He died in 1838. His wife was Susan, daughter of Charles Goodman, and his children John, Thornton, Mary, the wife of Richard Sampson, and Janetta, the wife of J. Price Samp- son. John married Agnes, sister of Stephen Sampson, succeeded to the homestead, and died in 1841. Thornton resided at Keswick, a part of his father's place, on which for some years he conducted a classical school, and which gave name to the neighboring Depot. A few years before his death he entered the Presbyterian ministry. His wife was Margaret, daughter of Andrew Hart, and his children Adeline, the wife of Rev. E. L. Cochran, Susan, the wife of
310
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
Rev. Joseph Baxter, Dr. A. Hamilton, Oscar, William A., Julia, the wife of Keating Nelson, Celia, the wife of Rev. James M. Wilson, and John. He departed this life in 1834.
In the decade of 1790, a John Rogers, whose wife's name was Mary, came from Stafford, and bought land in the neigh- borhood of Earlysville; nothing further is known of him. Some years later another John Rogers came from Lancaster County, and lived on the east side of the South West Moun - tain. To distinguish him from Farmer John, the syllable Lan. was affixed to his name, while to Farmer John's was appended the letter M. He died in 1851.
SAMPSON.
Richard Sampson was the descendant of a family that set- tled in Goochland, in the early part of the eighteenth century. He became a citizen of Albemarle in 1804. In that year he purchased from Thomas M. Randolph, trustee of Dr. William Bache, Benjamin Franklin's grandson, the plantation Frank- lin, containing six hundred acres. In 1812 he bought from Francis Gilmer the Pen Park place, containing four hundred. The latter he sold to John H. Craven in 1819, and the former to John H. Craven and N. H. Lewis in 1821. He returned to Goochland, and resided near Dover Mills until his death in 1862, at the great age of ninety-two. His wife was Mary, daughter of John Rogers. Rev. Francis S. Sampson, who studied at Keswick with his uncle Thornton Rogers, was one of the early students of the University, and was Professor in the Union Theological Seminary, was his son.
Jolın Price Sampson, Richard's brother, married Janetta, another daughter of John Rogers. He lived for some years on part of the Rogers place near Keswick, and for a time kept a public house at Everettsville. In 1829 he bought Tufton from the Jefferson estate, which he sold in 1833 to Thomas Macon, of New Kent. The next year he purchased Colle from Eli Alexander. Not long after he removed to the old Meredith place near New Glasgow, Amherst, where he died in 1842. His children were Edward, Thornton, Margaret, the wife of Micajah Clark, Elizabeth, and the wife of a Man- taprise.
311
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
Stephen Sampson was a son of Robert, brother of Richard and Price. He was twice married, first to Ann, daughter of Reuben Lindsay, and secondly to Sarah, daughter of Joseph Campbell. His home was on the old Campbell place on Mechunk, where he died a few years ago.
SCHENK.
Cornelius Schenk was one of the early merchants of Char- lottesville. Coming to the place soon after the Revolutionary War, he carried on the business of general merchandising in partnership with Peter Lott, until the death of Lott in 1803. He was also a partner with Isaac Miller and Daniel Culp in other enterprises, particularly in establishing a tannery in the southern part of the town, which in later years was owned by John Pollock. He first lived not far from Ira Garrett's old home, but in 1792 bought the lots just west of the Epis - copal Church, and there resided until his death in 1810. He purchased from the Woodsons the land north and northwest of the town, and from the fact that a tributary of Meadow Creek flowed through it, arose the name of Schenk's Branch. which remains to this day. For many years he was active in performing useful public services in town and county, but for some reason he declined in standing and influence, pecun- iary troubles overtook him, and all his property was sold to clear off the liens with which it was encumbered.
His wife was Rebecca Winston, of Hanover, who survived him a little more than a year, and his children Peter Lott, Eleanor Winston, Mary, John W., and Richard F. Dr. Frank Carr, whose mother was a Winston, became the guardian of the younger children. Peter Lott lived on the northwest cor - ner of Market and Fourth Streets, and owned the square on which the house stood; and though he died in 1815, his interest in the property was not finally disposed of, till com- missioners appointed by Court conveyed it to Dr. Hardin Massie and John Cochran in 1828. The other members of the family removed from the county, and all trace of them seems lost to the memory of the oldest inhabitants.
312
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE
SCOTT.
Edward Scott in 1732 obtained a patent for five hundred and fifty acres "on the north side of the Fluvanna, at a place called Totier." When the county was organized in 1745, Samuel Scott gave bond for erecting the public buildings on the land of his brother Daniel. These were both sons of Edward, who it is likely was dead at the latter date, as the County Court, at its first adjournment, appointed its next meeting to be held on Mrs. Scott's plantation. The same date John Scott, who is subsequently mentioned as of Cum - berland County, patented four hundred acres on Totier Creek. Whether he was also a son of Edward, does not appear, but the strong probability is that he was. Ann Scott, the wife of George Nicholas, of Dinwiddie, a brother of Robert Carter Nicholas, was also a member of this family. Samuel, the contractor, died in 1801.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.