USA > West Virginia > Braxton County > History of Braxton County and central West Virginia > Part 45
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REV. IRA F. RICKETT.
Rev. Ira F. Rickett was born Jan. 23, 1868, in B ....... county, Va. His father, W. H. Rickett, and mother, Lucy A. Rhodenhizer, were both natives of Virginia. He was married May 28, 1890, to Miss Jenny Sarver, and names of their children are, Bernice, Lucy, Willa, Thelma, Vida, Nellie, Robert and Cal- lie. Rev. Rickett has been minister of the Methodist Episcopal church for sev- eral years, and is above the average in ability, filling good stations in the min- isterial work. He preaches with great earnestness, and is popular as a pastor. He has had charge of the Sutton church the past two years.
SUTTON FAMILY.
In addition to the account given of the Sutton family in Baxter's Notes, it is stated that John Sutton was the progenitor of that branch of the family in America, and we presume that his father's name was John, as the name
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John preceded his in the bible records for two or three generations and as far baek as 1717. His mother's name was Ann: she died in England between the years 1778 and 1789.
John Sutton visited Ameriea before the Revolutionary war began but re- turned to England and remained there until after peaee was made. In 1776 his youngest son was born, and he said he was so impressed with the new world that he named him James Ameriea, and at the elose of the war, he with his three sons, John D., Daniel I. and James A., eame to America and settled at Alexandria, Virginia, and later John D. and Daniel I. went south, John D. to South Carolina where he married, and Daniel I. to Louisiana and married in that state, where he praetieed law for several years. In 1825 he was living in Monroe, La., and died in the year 1832.
In the year 1910 John D. Sutton settled where the town of Sutton now stands and where he resided until his death which oeeurred in 1839. His father eame here and lived with his son John D. until his death in the year 1825. They are buried in the Skidmore cemetery. James .A. Sutton lived in Alexan- dria, Virginia; was a banker by oceupation, and died about the year 1806.
FELIX SUTTON.
Felix Sutton, of whom mention is made in the sketeh of Braxton's Notes, was born in Alexandria, Va., January 25, 1802. He was the son of James and Caroline Steptoe Sutton. He had one sister, Anna C., who married W. D. Baxter.
Felix Sutton married Susan Skidmore, daughter of Andrew and Margaret Skidmore, Jan. 1, 1829. They had five ehildren, four daughters and one son, the author of these sketehes. The daughters were Anna who married Wm. Waggy, Margaret who married B. F. Fisher, Sallie who married Bailey Stump, and Naomi who married John G. Young.
Felix Sutton was left a widower in 1846 in which state he remained until his death which oeeurred in May, 1884. He died full of years, loved and re- speeted by all. Of his noble character and ability, too much eannot be said. If there is a single attribute in our life or character which is worthy of eom- mendation, it is attributable directly to the life, character and training of this sweet, amiable and noble man. The influence of his life, like the pollen of the flowers, was swept out and impregnated the lives and characters of those with whom it eame in eontaet.
JOHN D. SUTTON.
John D. Sutton, son of Felix and Susan Skidmore Sutton, was born Feb- ruary 4, 1844; married Mariah Virginia Morrison October 23, 1866, she was born September 4, 1847; oeeupation, farmer and stoekman. Their children were Alexander Clark, born July 12, 1867; married Luey Squires; oeeupa- tion, farmer and stoekman; Susan Margaret ,born Deeember 9, 1868, died Jan-
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uary 27, 1877; Bertha Ann, born January 4, 1871. died October 27, 1877; Naney Gertrude, born September 25, 1872, died October 25, 1877; John Davi- son, born February 4, 1875, died November 3, 1877; Oley Ord, born Deeember 17, 1879, married India D. Williams, daughter of Rev. G. H. Williams, August 18, 1903, profession, lawyer; Felix Oren, born January 29, 1881, married Bes- sie C. Sager Sept. 15th, 1907, who died Oet. 11th, 1915; he married Anna L. Rexroad June 25th, 1917; profession, lawyer; Jessie Leah, born November 9, 1882, died June 29, 1909; Mary Elizabeth, born January 31, 1885, married John H. Watkins, June 20, 1904, occupation, farmer; James Wesley and Mariah Virginia, twins, born March 24, 1887; James W. died April 15, 1887, and Mariah V. died April 27, 1893.
JAMES SUTTON.
James Sutton, son of John D. and Sally (Darley) Sutton, was born about 1810. He lived with his parents and followed farming until his marriage to Polly, daughter of Andrew and Margaret Skidmore Nov. 3rd, 1829. After his marriage, he settled on the upper end of the Buckeye bottom, and continued farming for many years. He was made Constable and Crier of the Court. He subsequently learned the stone eutter's trade, a business that he followed as long as he was able to labor. His children were: Matilda, Taylor, Felix J., Sylvester, Sarah, Adam and Susan. His children are all dead, but there are several grandehildren and great grandehildren living. Mr. Sutton, his wife and several of his children are buried in the cemetery on the Asa Long farm. He was a member of the M. P. Chureh.
F. J. SUTTON.
F. J. Sutton, son of James and Polly (Skidmore) Sutton, was born in Braxton county, Oct. 19, 1841. At the age of twenty, he entered the Southern army, enlisting in June, 1861, in Company .... , 25th Virginia Regiment. He was in the engagements of Carricks Ford and MeDowell, and then a participant in the Shenandoah Valley campaign, at Winehester and Cross Keys. He was in the seven days' fight before Richmond, and in the battles of Gordonsville, Harpers Ferry, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Antietam, seeond Bull Run, Cedar Creek, along the Potomae eapes in the battle of the Wilderness where he was captured May 5, 1864, and sent to Fort Delaware, remaining a prisoner there until the war elosed.
The wife of F. J. Sutton was Mary A., daughter of James and Savina (Pack) MeLaughlin, of Greenbrier county. Their children are as follows: Okey S., Rush, Susan, Mack, Frank, Mary S., Julia, and unnamed baby in '83. Mr. Sutton later moved to Cowen, and served a term as Justice of the Peace. He died at Cowen in 1914.
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
THE SUTTON FAMILY BIBLE.
This old book was brought from England to Ameriea by John Sutton prob- ably in 1785. It has been kept in private homes, mansions and eabins, and for several years in a bank vault at Martinsburg and private safe at Clarksburg and bank vault at Sutton until the present. The Bible is now 296 years old and has been in the family for 201 years. It contains a general family tree from Adam to Christ and the songs and prayers of the church that the King foreed upon the church of Seotland which led to bloodshed and war.
This old Bible has survived the war of 1812, that of Mexico in 1844 and the Civil war of the 60's. Its probable eost was greater than that of a thou- sand ordinary family bibles of the present day. It was said that it required the wages of an ordinary laborer for thirteen years to purchase a single vol- ume at the time of its publication.
This book has passed through six generations, and as far as the records show they all bore the name of John except one. The first name recorded was John Sutton, 1717, he kept the book fifteen years. It then went into the possession of another John Sutton, who kept it twenty years. It then deseended to an- other who kept it fifty-eight years. Later it became the property of my great grandfather, John, and his son, Jolm D. Sutton, for thirty years. It then went to my father, Felix Sutton, who kept it for forty-two years, and about two years before his death in 1884, he gave it to the present owner, and we have kept it thirty-five years. This prieeless old Bible has been in the family over two hundred years and was ninety-five years old when the first reeord was made. How long it had been in the family or how many generations it had passed through before 1717. we have no knowledge, but we presume to think it was bought by the family at the time of its publication, and has been miraeu- lously preserved through fire and flood all these years. In the recent great flood in the Elk river valley, March 13, 1918, we discovered the water running in the lower floor of the bank building and fearing the destruction of the Bible we went into the building through a window and reseued the Bible which would soon have been submerged and destroyed.
FAMILY HISTORY. JAMES M. STEWART.
James M. Stewart, son of Franeis B. and Rhoda J. (Dove) Stewart, was born in Braxton county, July 1, 1843. He was married June 14, 1866, to Eliza J., daughter of William A. and Hannah (Steele) Davis. She was born Aug. 10, 1846. Their children were William Francis, Ulysses Curtiss, Marietta, Lydia Jane and Sarah Edna. James M. Stewart enlisted Sept. 1, 1862, at Sut- ton, in Company F, 10th West Va. Infantry, and served throughout the war until he was honorably discharged May 15, 1865.
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
UZZIEL W. STALNAKER.
Uzziel W. Salnaker, son of Eli Stalnaker, was born in Randolph county, Virginia, January 31st, 1827; he was married to Martha J. Bush November 1st, 1858. He spent the most of his married life in Gilmer cuanty, but is now a citizen of Sutton, having come to Braxton and settled on Wolf creek some years ago. Mr. Stalnaker and his aged wife are enjoying good health, having lived together for over 61 years. He is a member of the Baptist church. Their children are Mary E., Alfred S., William W., Rue D., French D.
SHUTTLEWORTH.
In 1876 Thomas Shuttleworth, an Englishman, came to Sutton and built a foundry, the first to be built in the county. He was a skilled workman and made many articles useful to the farmer and the other industries that used castings. He died in 1883 and the foundry has since been enlarged and carried on by his son, John H. Shuttleworth, who in addition to the foundry runs a machine shop, being a mechanic of superior skill. He married a daughter of the late Benjamin T. Canfield; his home is in Sutton.
MR. AND MRS. DANIEL STOUT.
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Stout were two of the oldest persons in the neighbor- hood. They had dwelt together for fifty-nine years, and had spent the greater portion of their days in Flatwoods. The first to be taken was the husband, who, on the 6th day of January, 1911, in his ninety-second year, died at his home in Flatwoods. He was followed by his wife, whose death occurred Dec. 14, 1916, in her eighty-fourth year. They were married Oct. 18, 1852. To them were born ten children, four of whom died in infancy. Six lived to adult age, Mary E., Sarah E., D. Amanda, Fletcher H., Addie L. and R. Lina. No family in this neighborhood ever lived a life of greater tranquility than that of Daniel J. Stout. He and his family had long been members of the Baptist church. Aunt Katy, as she familiarly called, was a faithful nurse and at- tendant upon the sick. In the death of these two persons, is the passing away of those whose places may not be easily filled.
ADAM SHIELDS.
Adam Shields, the progenitor of the Shields family of Braxton, came to this country as a British soldier. In time of the Revolution, he was captured and joined the Continental army. He settled on Kanawha, and later his family located on Salt Lick.
EDWARD D. SPRIGG.
Edward D. Sprigg was born early in the 19th century in Maryland, and in 1831 married Martha J. Smith of Lewis county, who was a native of Mary- land. Their children were, John S., Sarah Ann, Amanda E., James D., Mary
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E., William, Debora J., Morgan D., Frederick P., Anna and Martha J. and one child not named. Not long after the formation of Braxton county, Mr. Sprigg eame to the county and settled on the Elk river near Sutton, and for many years there he owned and operated the Dyer mill, afterward called the Sprigg mill. The mill was washed away in the flood of 1861. The latter years of his life he spent on his farm near Bolling Green, where his son, Morgan D. Sprigg, now lives. Mr. Sprigg and his wife lived to a good old age, and were buried in the Skidmore cemetery, where rest several of their descendants.
MICHAEL STUMP.
Michael Stump who introduced the Stump family into the Steer creek valley, was the son of Colonel Michael Stump who served in the Revolutionary army. His wife was Sarah Hughes, sister to the great Indian fighter. Colonel Stump lived on the South branch of the Potomac. Young Michael when he was a boy of eighteen, left home and came to the forts on the West Fork, now Lewis county, and is said to have been with his Uncle Jesse Hughes when they overtook and killed an Indian near Ravenswood, W. Va. He afterwards re- turned to the South branch and married a Miss Richardson, and came back to the West Fork and bought land and settled on Hacker's creek where Jane Lew now stands on land afterward owned by Isaac Jackson.
He was born on the South Branch, Feb. 4, 1766, and died March 27, 1834, at his home on Steer creek. A few years before his death, he became partially insane, and had to be confined. His sons built a cage or small room of strong pieces of timber in which they kept him. Bailey Stump, his grandson, has in his possession the stool, a wooden seat with four legs, upon which he sat, and Fletcher Stout has the old saw that belonged to Mr. Stump which was used in the construction of this primitive asylum, perhaps the first one built in Vir- ginia.
Mr. Stump came to the Steer creek valley in 1804, and was the first white settler in that region of country. He was an honest, rugged pioneer, fond of hunting and enjoyed the rural life of a woodsman. When he settled in the Steer ereek valley, it was a wilderness, the streams abounded in fish, and the forest in game. He was the progenitor of a family that has become very nu- merous, spreading out over many states.
His immediate family was Michael, Jacob, Absolum, John, George and Jesse, and daughters Sarah, Mary Magdalene, Elizabeth, Temperanee and ยท Jemima. These girls all married and reared large families. The descendants of Michael Stump are scattered all over the Steer creek valley and its tribu- taries.
The selection that the old pioneer made for a home for himself and family was a wise one. His son Michael was a surveyor, and was quite a prominent man, living to be nearly a hundred years old. He was bitten twice by rattle- snakes and nine times by copperheads.
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. SUTTON'S HISTORY.
Michael Stump, the progenitor of the family, is buried near his old home on an eminence overlooking the Steer creck valley not far from Stumptown. A few years ago, his descendants placed at the grave a monument made in shape to represent the stump of a tree, with the design of a gun and ax cut in the monument, representing the pioneer and the hunter.
The Stump family are industrious, sober people, frugal in their habits, and almost universally adhere to the Baptist faith. Some of them became min- isters of the gospel and attained prominence. .
BAILEY STUMP.
Bailey, son of Jacob and Jane Boggs Stump, was born in Gilmer county (then Lewis county, Va.), Dec. 22, 1839. He married Sally, daughter of Felix and, Susan Skidmore Sutton, Jan. 1, 1861. Their children are John S., Susan, Draper, Laura and Molly. Mr. Stump owns a valuable farm on Steer creek at the mouth of Crooked fork, also other valuable lands, and is one of the suc- cessful farmers and business men of his county. He is a grandson of Michael. Stump, the old pioneer and Indian fighter, and one of the first settlers of Steer creek.
JOHN G. YOUNG.
John G., son of James and Becky Stephenson Young, was born in Nicholas county, Va., and married Naomi S., daughter of Felix and Susan Skidmore Sutton, Nov. 9, 1864. Mr. Young was a successful teacher and farmer. He served in the W. Va. State Guards in Captain Stephenson's company as Orderly Sergeant. After the war he moved to Braxton county, and followed farming and teaching until his death which occurred in 1893. Mr. Young was upright in character and just in all his dealings.
JOHN SUTTON STUMP.
John Sutton Stump was born Dec. 4, 1861, in Gilmer county, this state. His father, Bailey Stump, was born in Lewis county, an dhis mother Sally (Sutton) Stump, was born at Flatwoods, this county. His grandfather, Jacob Stump, was born in Hardy county, and his grandmother, Jane (Boggs) Stump, was born in Nicholas county. On March 2, 1892, he married Miss Lily Ragland Budwell, and their children's names are Felix Budwell, Josephine Ragland and John Sutton, Jr.
Rev. Stump graduated from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1890; or- dained in May, 1891; missionary in Parkersburg, 1890-91 ; pastor in Buckhan- non, 1891-92; organized the West Virginia Baptist Educational Society 1890- 91, and was its corresponding secretary until 1895; superintendent of State Missions, 1896-1901; district secretary American Baptist Home Mission Society, 1901, and joint secretary of the same with the American Baptist Foreign Mis-
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sion Society from 1908 to the present time. The honorary degree of Doetor of Divinity conferred by Dennison University in 1911. Rev. Stump now resides in Parkersburg.
THE SKIDMORE FAMILY.
According to Bardley's dietionary of English and Welsh surnames, the Skidmore family is of English origin, but traditional history elaims that the Skidmore family is of German deseent, possibly eoming down through Hol- land, thenee to America. The record of the family dates back to the fourteenth century. The name was originally Seudimore, but was at an early date ehanged to Skidmore. The family comes from the southwestern part of England. Wilts, a parish record, shows a baptism of Mary, daughter of Thomas Skidmore, in 1657. An old eensus report from Virginia shows an enumeration having been taken in the years 1782 and 1785. It is entitled, "A eensus of the heads of families," and the name of Skidmore is found as follows: From Fairfax eoun- ty, the eensus for 1782 gives the names of Edward Skidmore, Elizabeth Skid- more, Ann Skidmore and Malinda Skidmore. From Rockingham eounty, the enumeration which was taken in 1784, contains the names of John Skidmore, Joseph Skidmore and Thomas Skidmore, John and Thomas presumably being the sons of Joseph.
Of the early aneestry of the Skidmores, we have but little knowledge. That five generations or more ago, they took an active part in the Indian wars and the struggle for independence, is well established. As a family, they have become very numerous, spreading over many states of the union, and number- ing in their kindred ties many thousands. Some of the characteristies of the Skidmore family have been prominent in every generation. They are domestic in their habits, frugal and industrious, while large families is the rule and not the exception.
The old records show that the early or first generations of the Skidmores owned a great deal of valuable lands. As a rule, they were farmers, and sought the best farming lands. In an early day, those coming to the Tygarts Valley river, the Elk and Holly, sought out the finest bottom lands, and for a hundred years or more much of this land remained in the possession of their deseend- ants. They are tenacious and unyielding in what they eoneeive to be right. Their florid expression and auburn hair characterizes every generation, and is an inheritance that has never faded away. It is most probable that the Skid- mores were originally of Seoteh origin and emigrated from that country, set- tling in Holland before coming to the states. Whether Joseph Skidmore was born in this country or aeross the water, we know not, or whether he eame alone to America, we are not informed.
Mrs. Delila Coger says her great-grandfather, Joseph Skidmore, lived in Pendleton county on a small run, and that the Indians eame to his house and took a hog that was dressed and hanging up in the house, taking it up the run.
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Her great-grandmother was the only person at home, and the Indians ran around the house and looked in through the cracks of the wall and laughed at her while she sat in the middle of the floor and cried. She described her as a large spare built woman. On what a slender thread hung the destiny of a great family. She said that Captain John Skidmore's wife's name was Betsy ; that she outlived her husband several years, and was blind for a few years be- fore her death. She lived with her son John, and requested to be buried under an apple tree.
Josephh Skidmore and his wife, Rachael, moved from near Norfolk, Va., before the Revolution, and settled either in Bath or Pendleton counties. Their son John, it was said, was the eldest of the seventeen children, and his brother Andrew was the youngest. John was married and had children older than his brother Andrew. Of the other members of this numerous family, we have been able to secure only a part of the names. In addition to John and Andrew, we have the names of Thomas, Benjamin, Samuel, Joseph, James; one of the daughters married a man named Taylor, one married Jos. Friend, one married Lawrence, one, a Coger, one, Jesse Cunningham, one, a Stonestreet and one married Robinson. It is of John and Andrew, his brother, that we wish more particularly to speak. John was born in 1725, and Andrew in November, 1750. John was a captain, and commanded the Greenbrier militia at the memorable battle at Point Pleasant, being badly wounded in the hip. Andrew belonged to the same company, and lost a finger in the same battle.
Captain Skidmore married Polly Hinkle and reared a large family. Many of the descendants of the Skidmore family settled in Pendleton, Randolph, Bar- bour, Braxton and what is now Webster county. Captain Skidmore was said to be a man of deep piety. He was buried near Franklin, Pendleton county. Thomas Skidmore, a great-grandson, told us a short time before his death, when he was in his 88th year, that he remembered secing Capt. Skidmore's widow in Pendleton county when he was a boy, and he gave from memory the names of the children of his great-grandfather, John Skidmore.
They were John who died on the Holly river, Braxton county. He was a Baptist preacher, and was granted license by the Nicholas County Court to celebrate marriages. His wife was Nancy Tingler. (Their daughter Sallie married Dr. Cozad, Edie married a Canfield, Polly married George Bickle, Mahala married Edward Robinson and one son died. Prof. R. A. Arthur was related to the Skidmore family through Joseph Friend whose wife was Jos. Skidmore's daughter. James died in Pendleton county, Eliza of whom he gave no further account.) Another son's name was Andrew who lived in Pen- dleton, two of the sons were slave owners, Polly married Adam Lough, Phebe married Alexander Taylor, Edith married Robert Chenoweth, Susan marricd a Harper, Mary married a Rodgers, Rachel never married, Levi lived near Union Mills on the Elk, and many of his descendants are living in Braxton and Webster. Isaac was drowned in Pendleton county, and one daughter's name was not remembercd.
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Samuel Skidmore's wife was named Betsy Parson. He was a son of James, son of Captain John. He settled on the Elk river and owned the Union Mills. He was the father of Thomas, John, James, Isaae, Jesse, Rachael and Mary, splendid upright eitizens, and all reared large families. Jas. Skidmore was a commissioned offieer in the Virginia militia ; he was one of nature's noble- men. The author was shown a copy of his father's will, James Skidmore, dated Pendleton, Va., August, 1827, in which he willed quite an amount of property to his children. He had three sons and three daughters, Samuel, John, Jesse, Mary Belle, Phebe and Sarah. Samuel and John were soldiers in the war of 1812. John died while in the service at Norfolk; Samuel said that he was on picket duty the night his brother lay a eorpse, and that the night was to him the most distressed and horrible that he ever experienced. He died in Pendleton county. "Kiser" Sam was a son of Andrew and grandson of Cap- tain John, and owned the large and valuable bottoms on the Holly. He sold his land and moved West; his wife's name was Kiser, henee his niekname. There were two Joseph Skidmores, one being a son of Andrew, and one a cap- tain in the militia serviee, but whether he was a son of Joseph, founder of the family or grandson, we have no definite knowledge. Henry Robinson who lived near the forks of the Holly, married a daughter of John Skidmore.
Of Andrew Skidmore, youngest son of Joseph, and his deseendants, we have a more general knowledge. He was twenty-four years old at the time of the battle of Point Pleasant, and was a private in his brother's company. That he was a daring, reekless soldier and Indian fighter, is an unquestioned faet. His hostility to the Indians did not cease after peaee had been declared. It is related that he and two others named Judy and Cowen were imprisoned in Pendleton eounty for killing Indians, but the sympathy of the eitizens eaused their release without the form of law. After a man named Stroud had been killed in what is known as Strouds Glade by the Indians in 1792, Wm. Haeker, a Mr. Kettle, Wm. White and others murdered Captain Bull and his little tribe said to be composed of five families, a remnant of friendly Indians who had sought shelter from their northern enemies, and built a fort on the banks of the Little Kanawha river. Andrew Skidmore said that after they had killed the Indians they stepped in a trough of bear's oil to grease their moeeasins, and went on. Whether he had participated in that unjustifiable slaughter or had the aeeount given him by the lips of the other parties, we know not, but the inferenee is that he was along. His grand daughter, Aunt Nellie Rodgers who lived in Roane eounty, W. Va., told the writer when she was ninety-eight, that "Granddaddy," as she expressed it, had done several bad things after peaee was made. It is the history of all nations that when eivilization is at war with barbarous or uneivilized people, that they become barbarous through retalia- tion or demoralization, and often become more eruel than the savage himself. It was true in our Indian wars; it was true in our subjugation of the helpless Filipino; and it will always be true.
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