USA > Virginia > Grayson County > Grayson County > Pioneer settlers of Grayson County, Virginia > Part 8
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Of Maj. George Currin and wife, Martha Swift, there were four sons, and three daughters: first, Robert, married Malinda Bourne, daughter of William Bourne, Jr., and wife, Mary Johnstone; their son, William, married; their daughter, Mary, married Mr. Smoot; all went to Oregon. Second son, John, married Miss Swift in Missouri; they now live in Oregon, and have children there.
Third son, William, married.
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Fourth son, Hugh, married Miss Young, Oregon; one son, George, married, and owns large ranches and stock farms in Hepner, Oregon. He is a useful, good man, and has been successful in every respect. He sent a check for $25.00 for the memorial window in the Southern Methodist Church at Galax.
First daughter, Ann Currin, married Joseph Fields of Bridle Creek, Grayson county; settled there first, after- wards moved west. They sold their land on Bridle Creek to Joseph Bryant and wife, Sarah Hale. They had two sons: first, Hugh Fields; second, William.
Second daughter, Catherine Currin, married Martin Cooley, son of Benj. Cooley, Sr., and wife, Miss Jane Dickey.
Third daughter, Surphina Currin, married Thompson Roberts, from near Mt. Airy, Surry county, N. C. They bought out the interests of others in the Maj. Currin farm, and settled there, and reared their family. They died and are buried with Maj. Currin in the family grave yard, in Galax, Va. In this family there were seven sons and five daughters:
First son, Currin Roberts, married Frances Bartlett; they have sons and daughters.
Second son, John, married Mrs. Catherine Leonard; she was the daughter of Thomas Blair, Jr .; they have one son, Sidney.
First daughter, Sallie Roberts, married Alexander Hale, son of Stephen M. Hale and wife, Rosa Bourne, who was daughter of William Bourne, Jr., and wife, Mary John- stone; they have one daughter, Rosa; one son; they live in Texas.
Second daughter, Martha Roberts, died when a young lady with diphtheria in the year 1862. Also three sisters, fourth, Lucy, fifth, Catherine, sixth, Margaret S., all
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died with diphtheria near same time. Their father died soon after them.
Seventh son, Thomas Floyd, married Florence Cox, daughter of Thos. Cox and Nancy Roberts, his wife; their first son, Charles, died young; second son, Dan; third son, Fred; fourth son, Frank Currin; first daughter, May.
Third daughter, Elizabeth, married Friel Nuckolls Anderson; their first son, Charles, married Lillie Rosa Cooper, daughter of Dr. B. F. Cooper and wife, Sarah Frances Nuckolls. Their first daughter, Garnett, died young; first son, Grey, still living. Second son of Friel Anderson and Elizabeth Roberts, Alex Chapman, married May Cooper, daughter of Dr. B. F. Cooper and Sarah Frances Nuckolls; their first daughter, Rhuby, died young; second, Catherine; third, Lula; fourth, Virginia; first son, Ned; second, Dan; fifth daughter, Pauline.
Third son, Hugh, married Alverda Burrus; no children. Fourth son, Logan, married first Evaline Trimble; they have one daughter, Lola, who married Isaac Pope; they have sons; second, married. Fifth son, William, married Martha Jones. Sixth son, James, married first, Elizabeth Hale, daughter of Warner Hale and Mary Cox; they had one son, Clyde, who married Miss Ballard; one daughter, Ollie. First daughter, Olive, in Oregon. James married second time, Miss Blair, of Wythe county; one son, small.
CHAPTER V.
HALE HISTORY
For the beginning of this history, I will copy from "'History of Middle New River Settlements, and Con- tiguous Territory," by David E. Johnston.
THE HALES OF THE NEW RIVER VALLEY
"This family is of English origin, decendants of the Hale's of Kent. The first American emigrants of the name, coming in 1632, bore the coat of arms of the Kentish Hales. The traditional story in the family of these New River Hales is that the family was quite numerous in Massa- chusets and Connecticut, and that sometime prior to the beginning of our war for independence there were in one family of their name, seven brothers, all of whom joined the American army. A great part of them served through the war, under General Washington, in and around Boston, in the Jerseys, and in Pennsylvania; that one of the brothers that had a family drifted south to Virginia, some years prior to the beginning of the Revolution, located in what now is Franklin county, Virginia; that this settler had a son, Edward, who served in the Ameri- can army in the early period of the revolution, and later, in 1779, came across the Alleghenies into the New River valley, and later married a Miss Patsy Perdue, and settled on Wolf Creek.
"Edward Hale was born about 1756, was a man of rather small stature, fair complexion, was a man of information and intelligence, and became a prominent figure on the border in this day, engaging in the Indian wars, fights, and skirmishes.
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THE HALE COAT OF ARMS
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"He was in the party under Capt. Mathew Farley that followed the Indians in the summer of 1783, after their attack on Mitchell Claig's family, on the Bluestone, at Clover Bottom; and was in the skirmish had with a part of these Indians on Pond Fork of Little Coal River, in which he killed an Indian at the first fire. From the back of this Indian, killed by Edward Hale, William Wiley, who was in the party of. pursuers, took a strip of the Indian's hide, which he gave to Hale, and it was used by him and a number of his family for many years as a razor strap.
"Edward Hale marched with Captain Shannon's Company to North Carolina in February, 1781, and was in the engagement at Wetzell's mills on the 6th of March, and at Guilford court house on the 15th day of the same month, 1785. Edward Hale married Miss Patsy Perdue, a daughter of Uriah Perdue, then recently removed from what is now Franklin county, Virginia.
"Mrs. Hale was a sister of the w fe of the Elder, Joseph Hare.
"The names of the children of Edward Hale and his wife are as follows: viz., Thomas, Isaiah, Charles, Jessie, Isaac, Daniel, Elias, and William; and the daughters, Mary and Phoebe."
From the early days down to the present time, the Hale name has been prominent in the affairs of the country. We are all familiar with the story of the heroic martyr, Nathan Hale, the spy of the Revolutionary days, whose monument stands in City Hall Park, New York. Edward Everett Hale's writings are well known and he was for many years the honored and loved chaplain of the United States Senate, to whose halls in later years Massachusetts sent Senator Hale as her representative.
In the preceding pages we state the coming of the Hale family to America, as a Colonial family, from Kent,
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England, in the year 1632, and that they bore the coat of arms of the Kentish Hales.
We also stated that one of the brothers drifted south to Virginia, some years prior to the beginning of the revo- lution, and located in what is now Franklin county, Va. Lewis Hale was from this branch of the Hale family, and married Mary Burwell, who was a descendant from the Burwells of Jamestown, Va. The Burwells were early settlers at Jamestown, and official members of the First Episcopal Church at Jamestown, Va.
Soon after his marriage, Lewis Hale and his family moved from what is now Franklin county, Va., to the upper part of the New River Valley, and settled on Elk Creek, Va.
"At the time he started from Franklin, he and his brother-in-law, John Walden, expected to settle in Ken- tucky. After they came to the New River valley, they learned that the Indians were very troublesome in Ten- nessee, and John Walden (as he had no family) decided to go on horse back, look out a place for them to settle, and return.
He took with him some money, disguised himself as a poor traveller and started on his way, but was killed by the Indians, and robbed of his money. Tradition says he was killed and robbed on Walden's Ridge, Tenn., and that this circumstance gave rise to the name, "Walden's Ridge."
When Lewis Hale learned the fate of John Walden, he and his family decided to remain in the Valley of Elk Creek. He reared a family of six sons and two daughters, settled them all in good homes, in the valley near him, and for years Elk Creek was known as the Hale Settle- ment. The first church was built by Lewis Hale and called the "Hale Meeting-house." When Grayson county was formed in 1792, Lewis Hale was one of the first
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Magistrates of the court, appointed by Henry Lee, Governor of Virginia.
The following was written by Judge D. W. Bolen, of Hillsville, Va .:
LEWIS HALE
"The tradition that Lewis Hale was a soldier in the war of the Revolution seems to be well authenticated. I have heard Capt. F. L. Hale say so, and have heard the same thing from various other sources. It is my recollection that Capt. Hale said that his grandfather served under Col. Wm. Campbell. Once when discussing the monu- ment of Gen. Campbell, which is at his grave near Seven Mile Ford, and in sight of the railroad, and which had been pointed out to me from the train, Capt. Hale seemed to know much more about the history of Campbell and his men than I did at that time. It was in this connection that he mentioned that his grandfather had been a soldier and I am nearly sure that he said that he served with Campbell. I find, however, that he was not a member of Campbell's regiment proper. Campbell was colonel commandant for Washington county, while Walter Crockett was colonel commandant for Montgomery county. Lewis Hale evidently belonged to Crockett's com- mand. A few of Crockett's men served with Campbell at the battle of King's Mountain, October 7th, 1780, and a large part, if not the whole of Crockett's command, served under Campbell in the battle of Guilford Court House, March 15th, 1781. At Guilford, Col. Campbell had a very bitter quarrel with Col. Henry Lee (Light Horse Harry) about certain maneuvers on the battle field, and after the battle was over Campbell resigned his commission as col- onel, and a few weeks later, Governor Jefferson made him a general, and sent him to command in the east with Lafay- ette, and a little later he died of pneumonia. Outside of
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King's Mountain and Guilford, Campbell's military career was in suppressing Indian raids and local bands of Tories. Lewis Hale was in Crockett's territory (Mont- gomery county). To my mind the conclusion is almost irresistible that Lewis Hale, as a member of Crockett's command, was attached to Campbell's command, and participated in one or perhaps both of the above named battles."
Lewis Hale cleared up land, built houses, and accumu- lated property, and was a useful citizen of this once wilderness country. He died July 2nd, 1802, and is buried near his home, which was left to his youngest son, Stephen Hale, and from him, to his youngest son, Eli C. Hale, and now is held by Eli Scott Hale, youngest son of Eli C. Hale.
Lewis Hale was called out in the militia and was in the battle of King's Mountain. His six sons were in the war of 1812, at Norfolk, Va. His third son, Dudley Hale, died while in camp at Norfolk, Va.
Lewis Hale's grave was left unmarked, and in 1902 some of his descendants decided they would not any longer leave it so. They framed the following appeal and sent out to the descendants of Lewis Hale.
"AN APPEAL.
"You are a descendant of Lewis Hale, who settled on Elk Creek, in Grayson county, Va., and was buried there, July 2nd, 1802. His grave is in the cemetery on the farm now owned by Eli C. Hale and has never been marked. We have decided to erect a monument at his grave, with his name, that of his wife, Mary Burwell Hale-and their six sons and two daughters. We appeal to you for One Dollar, more or less, to help pay for the monument
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and thus perpetuate the family history. You are also cordially invited to be present on July 2nd, 1902,-the one hundredth anniversary of his burial-at which time we want to put up the monument. You are requested to make remittance to the member of the committee by whom this is sent.
"COMMITTEE "REV. B. F. NUCKOLLS, "PROF. W. STEPHEN HALE, "E. SCOTT HALE, "JOHN MCLEAN, "DR. SAM MITCHELL, "ROBERT G. NUCKOLLS."
There was a ready response and on July 2nd, 1902, a monument was unveiled at the grave of Lewis Hale, bearing on it the names of Lewis Hale and his wife, Mary Burwell Hale, and the names of their six sons and two daughters.
The following account of the unveiling was written and published in the Southwest Virginia Enterprise by John A. Whitman, great-great-grandson of Lewis Hale. Mr. Whitman is editor and publisher of the Southwest Virginia Enterprise.
THE LEWIS HALE MONUMENT UNVEILED
"Wednesday, July the second, between two and three thousand people assembled on Elk Creek, Grayson county, Virginia, to witness the unveiling of a monument erected to the memory of Lewis Hale and wife, who died in eighteen hundred and two. The procession formed in a grove near the residence of Mr. W. S. Hale and in charge of Marshals E. Scott Hale, Leon Dickenson, Thomas Cornett and Charles Hale marched to the cemetery. 'Coronation,' led by Mr. F. A. Cornett, was sung.
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Then Mr. W. S. Hale thrilled his hearers with an eloquent address containing a fund of interesting information and entertaining facts concerning his pioneer ancestry. The unveiling proper then followed, eight great-great-grand- children of Lewis Hale taking part in the ceremony- Allie Rose Bryant, Sue Waugh, Ethel McLean, Agnes May Hale, Gwyn Ward, Hale Lundy, Leon Hale and William Scott Hale. A photographer was on the ground with his camera and got a good view of the monument and those of the near relatives who surrounded it at the time. The crowd then repaired to a nearby grove where the exercises were concluded. Several selections were rendered in choruses and a sloo "One Sweetly Solemn Thought" was effectively sung by Mrs. Ruth Nuckolls Johnston, of Cleveland, Tennessee. The memorial sermon was ably preached by Rev. B. F. Nuckolls, of Old Town. His text was Acts, thirteenth chapter and thirty- sixth verse, "For David after he had served his own generation, by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption." During the inter- mission which followed a sumptuous lunch was partaken of and the hospitality of Grayson county fully p oven by the keen appreciation with which each man solaced his inner self. The reading of the names of the contributors to the monument next won the attention of the listening throng.
"Mr. A. M. Dickenson, formerly of Grayson but now of Marion, discussed 'A Hundred Years of Progress,' citing the advance made since 1802, when the remains of Lewis Hale were consigned to the grave. A song and the benediction concluded the exercises, but the day will. live long with those who were present, and will pass into the annals of Grayson county as complete and not to be forgotten.
"A few facts regarding Lewis Hale may be interesting
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to the reader. The exact date of his birth is not known, but it was thought he must have been sixty or sixty-five at his death in 1802. In about the year, 1760 Lewis Hale and wife started from what is now Franklin county, Virginia, to Kentucky, but owing to the hostility of Indians they stopped over in Grayson county. They were so attracted by the country and climate that they decided to make it a permanent home. At that time there were but seven families living on Elk Creek; and what is now a beautiful valley dotted with handsome houses, churches and academies, and where progress and pros- perity are so evident, was then an almost untenanted and trackless forest. Here Lewis Hale reared six sons and two daughters, and from these descended men who have been prominent in war, church and state, others playing important parts in the country's history. A great many have emigrated to other states and taken foremost places among the people of the country. A large portion of Grayson county's people are their descend- ants and are noted for sturdiness, uprightness and general worth. The projectors of the plans to thus honor and keep green the memory of these pioneer settlers are to be very much complimented on their success and commended for the spirit of commemoration of the departed to whom they and the country at large owe so much."
LEWIS HALE AND DESCENDANTS
To Lewis Hale and wife, Mary Burwell, were born six sons, and two daughters:
Their first son, Richard, married Elizabeth Stone. Second son, William, born March 20th, 1771, married Lucy Stone, sister to the above Elizabeth Stone.
Elizabeth and Lucy Stone were daughters of Jeremiah and Susanna Stone.
Third son, Dudley, married Mary Burroughs.
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Fourth son, Francis, married Elizabeth Burroughs, sister to Mary Burroughs.
Fifth son, Lewis (2), married Elizabeth Bourne.
Sixth son, Stephen, married Frances Bourne, sister to Elizabeth Bourne.
Elizabeth and Frances Bourne were daughters of William and Rosa Jones Bourne.
Two daughters: First, Elizabeth, married first, Thomas Burroughs, had children; Elizabeth married second time, they had children. One daughter married Hamilton; one son, Rev. Hale Snow Hamilton, of Holston Confer- ence.
Second daughter, Mary, married first, John Hale; had two sons, James, who died young, and Stephen M., who married Rosa Bourne, daughter of William Bourne, Jr .; they had a large family; moved to Texas. Mary married second time, James Atkins; no children.
Richard Hale's children: First, Lewis, Jr., married Celia White and moved to Tennessee; their first son, William, married Miss Russell in Tennessee, Bradley county, near Cleveland, Tennessee.
First daughter, Charlotte, died young.
Second daughter, Talitha, married a Mr. Carden; they had one son, Rev. Wm. C. Carden, of the Holston Con- ference; one daughter, Sarah Carden.
Third daughter of Lewis Hale, Jr., was Lucinda, born on Elk Creek, Va., August 14th, 1818; married John Wesley Stanton and settled in Georgia, in Murray, now Whitfield county. They had nine children; William Lewis, Celia Elizabeth, Peyton Lisby, Elbert Miller, Chap- ell Quillian, Sarah Jane, McClure Hale, Mathew Whit- field, and Mary Irene. All living except McCure Hale, who was drowned in 1896.
Second son of Richard Hale, Rev. Jeremiah Hale, married Susan White, lived on Elk Creek; first son,
LOUIS HALE
WILLIAM FRANCIS
EUZABETH MARY
THE HALE MONUMENT Unveiled July 2nd, 1902
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Tivis, married Telitha Bourne; they had two daughters; first Amelia, married Stephen Clarke; they now live in Wythe county. Sallie married Stephen Cornett; they have children and live on Elk Creek. Second son, John S. Hale, married Susan Troy; lived on Rock Creek.
Third, Oscar, died in the army, 1863; single.
First daughter, Lucinda Hale, married Mr. Byrd.
Second daughter, Jane, married Stephen Clarke; they had two sons, Walter and Oscar; they lived at Inde- pendence and Wytheville, then moved to Elizabethton, Tenn.
Sena, daughter of Richard Hale, married Col. Eli Cornett; lived on Elk Creek, near Summerfield.
Their first daughter, Matilda, married James Hale, son of John Hale and wife, Rosa Blair; they had one daughter, Rosa, who married John Roberts; they live in Missouri.
Second daughter, Elizabeth Cornett, first married Samuel Carson; they had one son, Adolphus, who married Ella Scott, and moved to Missouri. Elizabeth, second time, married James Warrick; they had several children.
Third daughter, Amanda Cornett, first married Capt. Peyton N. Hale, son of Lewis Hale, Jr., and Elizabeth Bourne; he was killed in first Manassas battle, leading his Company; they had one son, Emmett, who died young; one daughter, Bettie, who married Basil Horne, Smythe county; they have two sons, William and Basil.
William Hale was the second son of Lewis Hale and Mary Burwell. Their first son, John Hale, married Rosa Blair, daughter of John Blair and Charity Bourne. They had thirteen sons:
First, Alfred, married Elizabeth Jones, daughter of Maj. Minitree Jones, Jr., and wife, Nancy Golden; they reared a large family on Rock Creek.
Second son, Warner, married Mary Cox, daughter
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of David Cox and wife, Jane Doughton, had a large family in the west.
Third, James, married Matilda Cornett; moved to Missouri.
Three of these brothers, Lorenzo Dow, John B., and Alonzo Sidney, all married daughters of David Isom and wife, Sarah Choate. Thomas married Elvira Cornett; he also moved to Missouri.
Second son of William Hale, Col. Stephen Hale, married first Miss Charlotte Dickenson, daughter of Martin Dickenson and wife, Mary Bourne, of Grayson Court House, Va.
Their first son, Rev. Wiley Dickenson Hale, married Miss Martha Mitchell; their first daughter, Charlotte, married Ben W. Dobyns; one son, James Wiley Dobyns, married Lula Cooper, daughter of Dr. B. F. Cooper and wife, Sarah Frances Nuckolls; they have two sons: first, Ben; second, Brutus Fleming. Second daughter, Vir- ginia Hale, died single; third daughter, Sallie B. Hale, married William P. Waugh. Their first daughter, Eugenia, died; second, Lenora, died; third and fourth, twins, Elizabeth B. and Martha M .; Elizabeth married Edward Reeves, son of George Reeves and wife, Caroline Thomas.
Martha M. married A. Edwin Wolfe; their first daughter Juanita; second, Gladys; one son, Eugene; fifth daughter, Laura Waugh, married Dr. Dunkley. He is connected with the Shenandoah Hospital, Roanoke, Virginia.
Fourth daughter, Caroline Hale, married William Scott; they live in Texas, and have children.
Fifth daughter, Emma Hale, married Frank Williams; their first daughter, Leona, married Mr. Scott; they have two children; second daughter, Sallie, married Dr. Reed; third daughter, Mary, married
Sixth daughter, Alice Hale, married Ellis Lundy, of Independence, Va., son of F. J. Lundy and wife, Eliza-
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beth Dickey; their first daughter married Mr. Rhudy; second daughter married Thomas Cornett; third daughter married Walter Busic.
First son, Clarence, married Minnie Sutherland, daughter of Capt. William Sutherland, of Hillsville, Va. They live at Mt. Airy, N. C .; he is a clothing merchant; they have two sons.
Second son, Fielden Hale, married Rosa Busic; first son of Rev. Wiley D. Hale, James, died in Confederate army, single.
Second son, Stephen Mason, married Emma Cooper, daughter of Dr. B. F. Cooper and wife, Sarah Frances Nuckolls. Their first son, William, married Minnie Burke; second son, Cleveland, single; third son, James, single; fourth son, Scott, single.
First daughter, Clara Hale, married Edgar Oakley; second daughter, Banner; third daughter, Lillie; fourth daughter, Forest; all the family live in Mt. Airy, N. C.
Second son of Col. Stephen Hale and wife Charlotte Dickenson, Reese, married Celia Perkins, daughter of Levi Perkins and wife, Milly Hale; they have a son and daughters in Texas.
Third son, Creed Hale, died single; was killed in First Manassas battle.
Fourth son, Capt. John M. Hale, died single, at Staunton, Va.
First daughter of Col. Stephen Hale, Theresa, married Rev. Russell Rogers; lived in Washington county, Va. Their first daughter, Charlotte, married Mr. Neal; second, Mary; first son, Charles; second son, John.
Col. Stephen Hale married the second time, Mrs. Leonora Gwyn Mitchell, of Mitchells River, N. C .; they had one daughter, Caroline, who died single, a grown young lady. One son, James Gwyn, died single, a grown young man.
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Eli C. Hale, youngest son of Stephen Hale and wife, married, first, Miss Frances Scott, daughter of William Scott and wife, Elizabeth Porter; four sons: first, William Stephen, a graduate of Emory and Henry College. He studied law, was a representative in the legislature, superintendent of public schools; also a teacher. He married Miss Mary Booher of Tennessee; two daughters: first, Gussie, married Vivian Hale; one son, William Scott, died young; another died in infancy; one daughter, Mamie, single.
Second son, Robert Clarke, married Mary McLean; one daughter, Gussie, married Jelane Rhudy, Elk Creek, Va,
Third son, Maurice, married Kate Perkins; two children; they live at Blue Springs, Va.
Fourth son, Eli Scott, lives at the old Hale homestead. He married Miss Eva Hale, daughter of Norman Hale and wife, Miss Lillie Thorntorn of Hillsville (daughter of William Thorntorn and wife, Martha Johnston). They have one daughter, Rachel Holmes; one son.
Eli C. Hale married second time, Mrs Lillie Hale, widow of Attorney Normon Hale, Hillsville, Va .; from this union, three children. Two died in infancy; third, Agnes Hale, in E. C. T. School, Elk Creek, Va.
There were seven daughters of Eli Hale's first family: First, Laura, married Dr. Emmett Vaughn; they live in Lynchburg, Va .; one daughter, Alma; two more children.
The second daughter, Emma, married Mr. Barnett; lives in Lynchburg, Va; first daughter, Bessie; also one son and another daughter.
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