Our Stevens Ancestry
Eight Generations of
Tobacco Farmers
Joyce Stevens Turel
August 2002
Revised January 2003
This report would not have been possible without some very generous sharing. Family members shared their memories and their photographs, and several amateur and professional genealogists shared their careful research. The only original research here centers around James Stevens, Jr and John MB Stevens. All other information has been gathered from others. Since this report is intended for family members, I've skipped footnoting. I have tried to credit the photographs. And if I actually quoted, I've tried to mention my source. Otherwise, please refer to the Bibliography of Sources toward the back where I attempt to give some credit, at least, to those who so richly deserve it. So, thank you all for your contributions, and please forgive me for crediting you in such a casual fashion.
The earliest Stevens ancestor we can claim is a man named John Stevens who lived in Gloucester County, Virginia in 1662. We found him by tracing the generations backwards from child to parent, through church, court, and census records. We don't know who John's parents were. We may never know who John's parents were. He's our "brick wall."
Here's what we do know: Few records were kept in colonial Virginia between 1607 and 1635. History has preserved the names of governors and dashing leaders, but for lessor folk there's only the 1623 Jamestown census. There was a John Stevens among the 1,033 residents listed there. But how could it be our John Stevens? We know that our John Stevens had a wife born around 1645, and five sons born between 1662 and 1681. If he had immigrated prior to 1623, he would have been too old for such a family. We also know that after 1635 ships captains were required to keep passenger lists. These lists show several Stevens immigrants from England between 1635 and 1662, but none of them connects to our John Stevens who married Mary Munford and lived in Gloucester with his five sons. They all married other people, lived other places, and had other children.So, it seems that our John Stevens either was born in Virginia or immigrated with his parents (probably from England) during the twelve-year interval between 1623 and 1635. If he was born in Virginia, his father may have been the John Stevens of the 1623 census - another brick wall as nothing is known of his birth. Maybe someday new information will surface, and we'll make a connection to the old country. In the meantime, our ancestry report begins in Virginia.
John Stevens ( ? -
before 1704) Page 11
Edward Stevens (1662 - 1735) Page 17
James Stevens (1695 - 1744) Page 19
Nelson County Generations
James Stevens, Sr (1735
- 1813) Page 23
James Stevens, Jr (1764 - 1818) Page 31
Campbell County Generations
John MB Stevens (1805 -
1882) Page 41
James William Stevens (1843 - 1928) Page 53
James William Stevens, Jr (1877 - 1954) Page 95
The next record that helps us is
a deed dated June 9, 1671 conveying to
John Stevens, of Gloucester County, six hundred acres on the south side
of the
Rappahannock River on a creek flowing into the river at the tidewater
line
between Snow Creek and Ware Creek. This was a considerable land holding
- the
equivalent of twelve "head rights." (The king granted fifty acres of
land per head
right to encourage people to recruit other immigrants.) We don't know
if John
Stevens purchased his six hundred acres with cash, with head rights, or
by
providing some other service to the king.
From the baptismal records of his
youngest son, we know that John was
still alive in 1681. In 1704 Quit Rent Rolls were drawn up of real
estate owners. "Quit Rent" was a tax assessment of one shilling for
every fifty acres. (The tax
was payable in tobacco at the rate of a penny per pound.) According to
the 1704
Quit Rent Rolls, John's six-hundred-acre farm appears to have been
divided
among his sons. Based on this, we're assuming that John died before
1704.
John Stevens was the first of
eight generations of tobacco planters in our
Stevens ancestry.
The baptismal records for John Stevens's children
were kept at the
Abingdon Episcopal Church which is located between Gloucester and
Gloucester Point at the lower right of the map.
The six hundred acres John Stevens bought in 1671
is located just north
of Fort A.P. Hill at the upper left of the map. At that time John's
land was in
Gloucester County. Between 1691 and 1727 the county lines moved several
times as King and Queen, Essex, King William, Spotsylvania and Caroline
Counties were created. Which county John's land was in depended on
which
year it was. Since 1727 John's land has been in Caroline County.
The children of John Stevens and Mary Munford were:
- Edward Stevens was born about 1662 in Gloucester
County,
Virginia and died January 1735. More about Edward later as he's
our next direct ancestor.
- John Stevens, Jr was born in 1663 in Gloucester
County, Virginia
and died before May 17, 1724 in Essex County, Virginia. About
1685 he married Ann Griffin, granddaughter of Thomas and Ann
Griffin, who immigrated from England to Jamestown on The Dorset
in 1635. The Griffins were a distinguished
and
powerful family. It must have been a little embarrassing for such
a fine family when Ann's younger brother, John Griffin, was sued
in 1747 by his son-in-law for the dowry he had promised "over a
bowl of punch" to anyone who would marry his daughter Betty.
- Henry Stevens was born about 1670 in Gloucester
County,
Virginia and died before 1726 in Essex County, Virginia. His wife
Rebecca was born about 1670 and died in 1730. Henry bought
500 acres in Essex County, Virginia on March 10, 1713 from
Robert Thomas, Jr, another in-law relative. Henry's sons built a
road from the river to Conway's tobacco market. His son Joseph
was elected Constable in 1741 and served as Major and Engineer
in a regiment defending the colony. Most of Henry's children and
grandchildren lived in Spotsylvania County. His grandson,
Richard Stevens, married Mary Beverley Carter of the famous
Carter family of Virginia.
- James Stevens was baptized April 2, 1677 in Gloucester County, Virginia and died after 1741 in Essex County, Virginia. He first married Sarah and then Mary, and between them they bore him 10 children. One son, Jeremiah, was quite prosperous and had many entries in the public record. James's children and grandchildren mostly lived in Spotsylvania and Culpeper.
- Charles Stevens was baptized May 8, 1681 in Gloucester County, Virginia. He had three wives. In 1701 he married Mary Mumford who died 1707 after the birth of their fourth child. That same year, Charles married Sarah who died about 1709. Charles immediately married seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Mumford, who bore him six more children. Charles died in June 1726 at the age of forty-five leaving Elizabeth with a house full of children. Elizabeth had already remarried by the time Charles's will was probated two months later. The court noted "this will being sworn to by Elizabeth Bledsoe, late ye wife of Charles Stevens, now ye wife of William Bledsoe." Most of Charles's children and grandchildren lived in Spotsylvania and Orange counties. One of Charles's sons married an Anne Washington. Was she related to George? A research project for another time.
It should be noted that some
records show Mary's name spelled
Munford, and other records show it spelled Mumford. This is a name with
a
great many spellings - Monfort, Mountford, etc. The Mumford girls who
married Charles were probably relatives of Charles's mother. As you
read
further, you'll find many instances of multiple marriages between
families. People seemed to marry their in-law's relatives quite often.
There were several
marriages between second cousins. There were even a few marriages
between
first cousins. Some people explain this by pointing out that "The
horses got
tired." In other words, it was a lot easier to court the daughter of a
relative who
came to visit your home, than to ride your horse to and fro to court a
young
lady who lived across the county.
According to the deed recorded June 9, 1671, the
six hundred acre parcel
conveyed to John Stevens was on the south side of the Rappahannock
River
on a creek flowing into the river at the tidewater line between Snow
Creek and
Ware Creek. On the above map, Dick's Creek seems to match that
description. Six hundred acres is a little less than a square mile.
Edward Stevens was baptized in
1662 in Abingdon Parish, Gloucester
County, Virginia and died in January 1735. Around 1683 he married
Martha
Elizabeth Lane, daughter of Valentine Lane. She was born about 1666 and
died
after 1703. The Lane family descends from Adam de la Lone of France,
another Norman who accompanied William the Conqueror to Britain. Over
the
centuries, the name de la Lone became Lane. According to the 1704 Quit
Rent
Rolls, Edward owned 80 acres in Gloucester County which he had
inherited. Ten years later, Edward owned quite a bit more real estate.
It appears to have
been the custom for a father to give land to his sons as wedding gifts.
In some
cases there was a deed at the time, in others the land was willed to
the son and
deeded as settlement of the estate. Often the father constructed a
house for the
son and his new family.
Edward Stevens and Martha Lane
had the following children:
- Mary Stevens was christened April 13, 1684 in Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia.
- John Stevens (their first child of that name) was christened on May 10, 1685 and died shortly thereafter.
- Edward Stevens, Jr was christened July 19, 1687
and died in 1752. Here's a charming deed dated November 4, 1717 whereby
Edward
Jr transferred some land to his brother, James (our next direct
ancestor), around the time of James's wedding.
"To all Christian people
to whom these presents shall
come, I, Edward Stevens Junior send greetings; Know ye
that I, Edward Stevens Junior, for and in consideration of
the love, good will and affection which I have and do bear
towards my loving brother, James Stevens, of the county of
Essex and parish of St. Mary's have given and granted . . .
to the said James Stevens . . . all and singular my lands,
houses, tenements of what kind so ever . . . lying and being
in the above said parish of St. Mary's and county of Essex,
as well as . . . tenement the said James Stevens now lives in
ye aforesaid parish and county . . . houses, all other
appurtenances of what kind so ever belonging . . . this 4th
day of November 1717."
- Martha Stevens was christened March 9, 1689.
- James Stevens was born around 1695 in Abingdon
Parish,
Gloucester County, Virginia and died in 1744 in Caroline County,
Virginia. He's our next direct ancestor.
- Rebeccah Stevens was christened April 3, 1698.
- Valentine Stevens was christened February 18,
1700.
- Sarah Stevens was christened August 31, 1701.
-
John Stevens (their second child of that name) was born October 17, 1703 and died on March 8, 1753. On February 24, 1726, he married Mary Whiting who died November 14, 1771. Their son, another Edward Stevens, had an illustrious military career during the Revolutionary War. As a colonel, he commanded the Culpeper Minute Men, and, as a general, he led the march of the Virginia Militia to join the Southern Army on October 30, 1780. His correspondence with George Washington can be read among Washington's papers. There's an interesting law suit involving Edward and his mother, Mary, which we'll get to later as our direct ancestor, Edward's cousin, gave a deposition.
James Stevens was born about 1695 in Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia and died before April 13, 1744 in St. Mary's Parish, Caroline County, Virginia. In late 1717 or early 1718, James married Elizabeth Thomas, the daughter of John Thomas and Katherine Harrison. The Thomas family were neighbors with 1,650 acres on Ware Creek. Elizabeth was born about 1698 and was a cousin of James's Griffin relatives. On March 14, 1718, shortly after his wedding, James's father, Edward Stevens, deeded to him 118 acres on condition of James "yielding and paying thereof the rent of one ear of Indian corn at ye feast of St. Michael's ye Arch Angel only if the same be lawfully demanded."
I think we can assume that these
were prosperous times, for James was
able to reassemble and add to his grandfather's six hundred acres. For
a time, a
James Stevens was the overseer of the road from Ware Creek to Snow
Creek. There's a court entry dated March 14, 1735 fining James fifteen
shillings for not
keeping the road in repair. James petitioned the court to assign the
job to
someone else which the court did on May 9, 1735. This may have been
some
other James Stevens, but we know ours lived there, so we're assuming it
was our
James Stevens.
James died in late March or early April of 1744 at the age of forty-nine leaving three minor children. Evidently, James's wife Elizabeth passed away also, for each minor child had a court-approved guardian. James's estate was tied up in probate until 1756 when his youngest son, our next ancestor, reached the age of twenty-one.
The children of James Stevens and Elizabeth Thomas
were:
- Elizabeth Stevens was born about 1718, in
Caroline County, Virginia
and died in 1814 in Orange County, Virginia. She married Thomas
Merry who was born in 1714 and died in 1756 in Orange County,
Virginia. The Merry family immigrated to Virginia from England in
the early 1700's. This is the first of many alliances between
the
Stevens and Merry families. Thomas Merry was the guardian for
Elizabeth's younger brother, James Sr (our next direct ancestor). In
the 1780's Elizabeth and Thomas's descendant, Prettyman Merry,
built a fabulous fieldstone mansion called The Landmark on his two
thousand acre tobacco plantation overlooking the Ohio River in
Covington, Kentucky.
- Mary Stevens was born about 1725 and died in
1771. Her guardian
was Owin Thomas, a first cousin. About 1745 she married Robert
Thomas, probably another cousin.
- Anne Stevens was born about 1728. Her guardian
was also Owin
Thomas, her older first cousin. Ann married first Parmenas Bowker
on November 29, 1744 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. He died
in 1748. Shortly after his death, Ann married William Smith, who
was born in 1719, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia and died there
in 1792.
- John Stevens was born in 1734 and died August
1826 in Orange
County, Virginia. Owin Thomas was his guardian, as well. John
married Sarah Montague on October 28, 1756 in Orange County,
Virginia. The Montague family can be traced to the early 1600's in
Buckinghamshire, England. Sarah was born on January 29, 1739 at
Pine Top in Orange County, Virginia. John and Sarah's farm there
was named Thornhill. Sarah's father, Peter Montague, died in
1745 after a slave named Eve put poison in his glass of milk. Eve
was tried for murder in Orange County on January 23, 1746, found
guilty, and sentenced to public execution by burning. The
executioner was paid 50 pounds of tobacco for "finding a sledge (a
sled) to transport her to the place of execution" and 175 pounds of
tobacco for executing her.
- James Stevens, Sr was born about 1735 in St Mary's Parish, Caroline County, Virginia and died in 1813 in Nelson County, Virginia. He's our next direct ancestor.
James Stevens, Sr was born in
1735 in St Mary's Parish, Caroline
County, Virginia. He was only about nine years old when he was
orphaned. Thomas Merry, the husband of his oldest sister Elizabeth, was
appointed his
guardian. We're probably safe in assuming that Elizabeth and Thomas
raised
James Sr.
James Sr married Bethethland
"Madame" Taliaferro around 1758 in
Caroline County, Virginia. Bethethland was born August 20, 1738 in
Caroline
County, Virginia and died in 1828 in Nelson County, Virginia. Her
mother was Rose Berryman whose ancestors immigrated to Virginia from
England in the
mid 1600's. Her father was Richard Taliaferro (pronounced "tolliver")
whose
distinguished ancestors can be traced from Italy to England to
Jamestown. Early Taliaferro immigrants were very wealthy social
leaders. They were known
for having a fine, aristocratic appearance, and there were many
lawyers, judges,
and politicians among them. A Taliaferro was one of the architects for
the
Governors Palace in Williamsburg. Bethethland's unusual name honored
her
ancestor, Robert Beheathland, a gentleman who accompanied Captain John
Smith to Virginia in 1607. Robert Beheathland had no male heirs, but
his name
has been kept alive by his female descendants for almost 400 years.
There were
several variations in the spelling, as you can imagine.
About 1769 James Sr and his wife
Madame moved from Caroline County
to Nelson County (then Amherst County) along with their friend John
Loving
whose immigrant ancestor was Sir Thomas Loving, born in 1610, Surveyor
General of Virginia, and member of the House of Burgesses. James
acquired
the Nassaw Tract, almost two thousand acres on Lomax Creek, a branch of
Rucker's Run, for two hundred and twenty-five pounds sterling.
According to "The Stevens Family of Nelson County" by Blanche Stevens Hamner:
"Some time before the
Revolution the King of England granted to
James Stevens and John Loving a large tract of land in what was then
Amherst County--now Nelson, which was formed by taking parts of
Amherst and Albemarle. The story, which has been handed down in the
family, goes that when the two friends reached a high point of land
'they
viewed the landscape o'er' and agreed that one would take as far as he
could see on the right side of the road, and the other the left.
Whether
strictly correct or not, it is a fact that most of the Stevens lands
lie to the
west of the old stage coach road [Route 29]. The Lovings settled on
their side and the name of Lovingston was given to the county seat."
In June 1771 there was an
interesting law suit in Caroline County
involving the family. A slave named Henry Ralls sued Mary Whiting
Stevens,
widow of John Stevens (1703-1753), for his freedom. The parties agreed
that
Henry Ralls was indentured as a slave to age thirty-one. They disagreed
as to
the year of Henry's birth. Mary Whiting Stevens was elderly and in ill
health
(she died later that same year), so her son Edward asked to join in the
suit on
her behalf. A slave named Meriah Mullin testified that Henry was born
the same
year as her son, and she had proof of the birth date of her son. Meriah
said that
Henry was "the whitest child she had ever saw to have so dark a mother,
and
. . . sure it was a white man's child." Edward called his cousin, James
Sr, to
testify as to the date that Henry was born. By deposition, James Sr
testified that
Henry was born around the time of his (James Sr's) father's death
(1744),
which would mean that Henry was twenty-seven years old not thirty-one.
The
court found in favor of Henry Ralls and set him free. Perhaps the court
didn't
credit James Sr's memory of something that happened when he was only
nine
years old.
This old map shows the Nassaw Tract when it was in Albemarle County which means this map dates between 1744 (when Albemarle County was created) and 1761 (when Amherst County was created). Nelson County didn't exist until 1807. The large river near the bottom of the map is the James River which was not fully navigable above Richmond until canals were built. Until then the tobacco had to be carried around the waterfalls and rapids.
James Stevens, Sr died in
November of 1813 in Nelson County, Virginia. According to his will, he
owned more than 1,400 acres at the time of his death. With the help of
his attorney, Spotswood Garland, James wrote a complex will
in October of 1796 with two later codicils in order to leave his estate
to his
grandchildren, giving his widow and two sons a life estate only. James
made
handsome bequests to his loved ones, providing land, slaves, and a
feather bed
to each. Why did James Sr go to so much trouble to control his legacy
after
his death? My theory is that it was because his younger son, John
Griffin
Stevens, had just fathered a child out of wedlock. I offer the
following as
evidence:
In James Sr's will written
October 1796, he said:
"Farther my will and desire is, in case
my son John Griffin Stevens shall die
without leaving any issue lawfully begotten, at his decease,
that then the tract of
land and Slaves . . . ."
In the November 7, 1813 codicil
to his will, James Sr said:
"The land devised to my son John G.
Stevens, I wish to be held and
enjoyed by him and his wife during their lifetime and after their death
my will and
desire is that the lands so devised to him shall descend to his
children lawfully
begotten in equal proportions to them and their respective heirs
forever."
In a March 7, 1820 Indenture by
John Griffin's eldest son, all seven of
John Griffin's children are listed by name:
". . . they being all that were
entitled according to the construction which the
aforesaid parties hereby declare shall be given to the said will . . .
."
In a March 7, 1820 Indenture by
James Sr's widow:
" . . . this said John G. Stevens for and during the lives of the said John and his wife and to be equally divided among the children of the said John lawfully begotten . . . ."
Great care is used when referring to John Griffin's heirs. For everyone else, it's just "his heirs." In John Griffin's own will written in 1842, he listed by name all his lawfully begotten children and grandchildren, and then said:
"To the rest of my children and
grandchildren I make no gift or devise."
Who are the "rest of my children
and grandchildren"? I'm assuming he's
referring to his unlawfully begotten children and
grandchildren. Hopefully,
someday we'll be reunited with these cousins.
The children of James Stevens, Sr
and Bethethland Taliaferro were:
- Sarah Stevens was born about 1758 and married
Thomas Jopling
on April 06, 1772 in Amherst County, Virginia. Thomas was born
in 1745, and was the son of Thomas Jopling and Hannah Freeman. Sarah
and Thomas relocated to Kanawha County, Virginia (now
in West Virginia).
- James Stevens, Jr was born about 1764 in
Caroline County,
Virginia and died shortly before January 26, 1818 in Nelson
County, Virginia. More about him later as he's our next direct
ancestor.
- John Griffin Stevens was born about 1767 in Caroline County, Virginia and died in 1842 in Nelson County. John Griffin married his sister-in-law, Sarah "Sally" Turner, on September 18, 1797. Sally was born in 1776 in Amherst County and died in 1845. John Griffin and Sally had seven children - five boys and two girls. Quite a few of their descendants live today in an area called "Stevens Cove" located at the intersection of Route 718 and Route 651, just west of Lovingston and Route 29. Stevens Cove was part of the Nassaw Tract purchased by James Stevens, Sr in 1769.
- Mildred Beheathland Stevens was born in 1769 and
died in 1813
in Nelson County, Virginia. She married George M. Loving on
October 17, 1785. George was born in 1765 and died on June 23,
1826 in Nelson County. Although he was only 14 years old when
the war began, he served in the Revolution, and his name is found
in Pension Lists. In 1797 George ordered a fine, hand-crafted,
walnut cabinet to be made for his home by Benjamin Fortune, Jr,
a skilled local craftsman. This piece of furniture has come to be
called the Stevens Corner Cupboard since it passed through the
Stevens descendants except for a time when it was willed to a
housekeeper. When the housekeeper's estate went up for public
auction, another Stevens daughter was very determined to get it. When
her husband refused to buy it for her, she appeared before
the Board of Directors of a bank in Lovingston and convinced
them to give her a bank loan in her own name - unheard of at that
time.
- Nancy Anna Stevens was born about 1770 and
married Samuel
Spencer on January 12, 1787.
- Mary "Molly" Stevens was born in 1770 and
married Thomas
Jopling, Jr on November 22, 1790. He was born in 1755 in
Albemarle County, Virginia and died in 1837 in Nelson County,
Virginia. His parents were Ralph Jopling and Catherine Farrar. Thomas
was the first cousin of Mary's oldest sister Sarah's
husband of the same name.
- Bethethaland "Beth" Stevens was born in 1775 and
married
Thomas Penn on September 27, 1796. Beth died between 1804
and 1810 leaving two little daughters who were mentioned in the
codicil to their grandfather's will written in 1810.
- Elizabeth Stevens was born about 1777 and married James Thompson, Jr on October 14, 1795.
In 1775, Anthony Rucker introduced a flat-bottomed boat called a Batteau. The Batteau's long, shallow design made it easier to transport tobacco down the James River from Lynchburg to Richmond. The Batteau was an instant success. Thomas Jefferson was at the Batteau's first launching April 19, 1775. He noted in his diary: "Rucker's battoe is 50 f. long 4 f. wide in the bottom & 6 f. wide at the top. She carries eleven hhds. (hogsheads) . . . ." In 1821, Jefferson's notes helped Anthony Rucker's heirs patent the Batteau design.
James Stevens, Jr was born about
1764 in Caroline County before his
family relocated to Amherst County, Virginia (later to become Nelson
County). He married Elizabeth Turner on November 25, 1785 in Amherst
County. She was born in 1768 in Amherst County, Virginia, the daughter
of
Stephen Turner and Sarah Spencer. The Turner home is still standing and
is
still owned by a Turner descendant.
James Stevens, Jr was one of the
founders of the new county seat at
Lovingston. In 1809 he was the first purchaser of Lot 4 of the new
town. He paid twelve "pounds" for this lot which is across the street
from the
courthouse. The deed required him to build a house with a brick or
stone
chimney on the lot within five years. In 1811 James Jr obtained a
license to
operate an "ordinary" (an inn) there. James Jr promised to provide:
"good, wholesome and cleanly lodging and
diet for travellers and stablage fodder and
provinder as the season may require for their horses."
His license was granted under the condition that he:
". . . shall
not suffer and permit unlawful gaming in his said house nor on the
Sabbath
day suffer any person to tipple . . . more than is necessary."
James Jr and his family appear in
the 1810 Nelson County census with
nineteen slaves. On January 26, 1818, Elizabeth filed a guardian bond
for her
children, "orphans of James Stevens, Jr," so James Jr must have died
shortly
before that date. Their middle son Samuel became the head of the
household, his older brother having earlier moved to Lynchburg. James
Jr's
wife Elizabeth appears with Samuel's family in the 1820 census and in
the
1830 census. There was no will recorded for Elizabeth, but she probably
died between 1830 and 1840 since she's not present in the 1840 census.
James Stevens, Sr built this home on his plantation for his son, James Stevens, Jr. We don't know when it was built, but it has a Federal style. James, Jr married in 1785. Possibly the house was built around that time. In 1962 the house burned down and was replaced by a modern residence. The property is located in Stevens Cove and has been passed down the Stevens family since James Sr purchased the Nassaw Tract in 1769.
The children of James Stevens, Jr and Elizabeth Turner were:
- James T. Stevens was born on April 24, 1787 in Amherst County, Virginia. He married Elizabeth Ann Townes on November 27, 1817 in Amelia County. Census records of 1820 show that he lived in Campbell County, Virginia. Census records of 1840 and 1850 show him living in Lynchburg, Virginia. The census lists his occupation as physician. He seems also to have been quite a real estate investor, buying land at auctions in several neighboring counties. There's a probate document recorded in Lynchburg in 1850 settling his estate.
- Samuel Stevens was born on April 23, 1789 and died February 28, 1871 in Amherst/Nelson County, Virginia. Samuel was twenty-four years old, still single and farming tobacco for his parents when his grandfather died. It fell to Samuel to hold the title to the inheritance for his parents (who inherited a life estate only) and for his younger siblings, a responsibility he dutifully performed and carefully documented at the courthouse. Samuel's role in fulfilling the complicated terms of his grandfather's will must have taught him quite a bit about legal procedures, because he later had a hand in many documents recorded at the courthouse for his cousins. Samuel married his first cousin, Nancy Ann Loving, on December 13, 1815. She was born on February 10, 1798 in Amherst County, Virginia and was the daughter of George Loving and Mildred Beheathland Stevens, Samuel's aunt. In the census Samuel's occupation is listed as tobacco farmer. When James Jr passed away in 1818, Samuel became head of household for the plantation. The 1820 census shows that his mother Elizabeth, and younger brother John MB were living with Samuel and his young wife and baby. Samuel and Nancy Ann had eleven children. Several of his children and grandchildren had distinguished careers as judges, lawyers, educators, and politicians. One founded a school called The Academy where family members were educated. In 1894 Samuel's son, Charles Henry Stevens, moved from his farm called Rocky Knob to Red Hill, a large, red brick mansion with an imposing white porch similar in style to the Stevens House. Charles Henry had two sons who had already married two of our great-aunts, their Stevens cousins from Campbell County. Red Hill is located up on a hill between Lovingston and Colleen, on Route 653, a half mile west of Route 29. If you look carefully, Red Hill is visible from the highway. Interesting trivia: The price paid in 1894 for Red Hill and a little more than five hundred acres was $5,500. There's another old brick estate in the federal style called Oakland that's very close to the highway. Oakland is only associated with the Stevens family through marriage. One of Samuel's granddaughters married a Goodwin and lived there. At this writing, her descendants still live there.
- Mildred Stevens was born between 1790 and 1794. She was called Polly.
- John MB Stevens was born in 1805 in Nelson County, Virginia and died October 1882 in Campbell County, Virginia. More about John follows as he's our next direct ancestor.
- Elizabeth Stevens was born between 1806 and 1810 in Nelson County, Virginia. After her father died, she appears to have gone to live with her oldest brother, James T. Stevens, and his wife in Lynchburg. She's in the 1810 Nelson census with her parents and in the 1820 Lynchburg census with her brother. Elizabeth married Thomas J. Duval and had a son Benjamin James Duval. There's an indenture recorded in 1832 whereby her two brothers, James T. Stevens and John MB Stevens, recorded that their sister Elizabeth's inheritance was invested in the home that she and her husband purchased in Lynchburg. Her second marriage was to John Rucker.
Here's a photo taken before 1901 of Charles Henry Stevens and his wife sitting on a side porch at Red Hill. The two women standing are assumed to be the two youngest daughters, one of whom married a Goodwin and lived at Oakland, the nearby, federal-style, brick mansion. The man sitting on the steps is believed to be Charles Henry's brother, Robert Fletcher Stevens. When this picture was taken, Charles Henry's two sons had already married our great-aunts, their Stevens cousins from Campbell County. On the next page we have recent photos of Red Hill.
Nelson County Sites
The Stevens House is in the town of Lovingston
directly across the
street from the courthouse.
Red Hill is on Route 653 one half mile west of
Route 29. Route 653
is between Colleen and Lovingston.
Oakland is easily visible from the highway and
makes a good
landmark when looking for Red Hill.
Stevens Cove is at the intersection of Route 718
and Route 751.
John MB Stevens was born in 1805
in Nelson County, Virginia. Some
say the initial M is for Merry and the B is for Brown. The
Merry/Stevens
connection was a strong one that spanned several generations. To date,
no
Brown/Stevens connection is evident. We have no proof of what John's
initials
stood for, because he signed his name "John MB Stevens" on all the
documents we've found. In subsequent generations the name Merry seems
to
have evolved into Murray.
John MB was about twelve years
old when his father died and his
brother, Samuel, became head of the household. On August 14, 1826, John
MB received his inheritance that his brother, Samuel, had held in trust
for him -
one thousand dollars. August 14, 1826 was probably his twenty-first
birthday
or close to it. John MB decided to seek his fortune in the Lynchburg or
Campbell County area with his older brother, James T. Stevens.
During this period Lynchburg
became one of the wealthiest cities per
capita in the nation because of its tobacco trade. Before 1826 Thomas
Jefferson wrote, "Lynchburg is growing more rapidly than any [town] I
have
ever known in any country." The wonderful mansions on the hills by the
river
were built by the tobacco millionaires living in Lynchburg.
Construction of the
James River canal and rail service to Lynchburg contributed to
Lynchburg's
booming economy. Some unusual phenomena occurred in Lynchburg in the
1830's and added to the excitement. There was an earthquake, an
all-night
meteor storm, a hailstorm that broke almost every window in the town,
and a
rare auroral display in the northern sky.
On the next page there are three photos of Lynchburg during John MB's day. The top photo is Lynchburg's first tobacco warehouse. The middle photo is a very familiar landmark - the Quaker Church, then called the South River Meeting House. The bottom photo is the Old Market House where John MB may have traded. We can't really connect John MB to any of these places.
The 1840 census states that John
MB Stevens owned sixteen male slaves,
twelve female slaves, and five slave children. There were thirty-three
slaves with
a total of ten people employed in agriculture. There's a deed dated May
15,
1856 stating that John MB paid the Glass family eight hundred dollars
for a one-acre parcel with improvements "about three fourths of a mile
below Lynchburg
in Sandy Hook between the Turnpike Road and the canal . . . to contain
about
sixty-three feet front . . . . " There's another deed dated January 4,
1859
whereby John MB paid two thousand sixty-one dollars and fifty cents for
two
hundred ninety-four and a half acres crossing three branches of Beaver
Creek,
crossing Opossum Creek, and including land on both sides of the
Turnpike
Road. No improvements are mentioned in this deed. According to data in
the
1860 census, the value of his real estate was $4,500 and the value of
his
personal estate was $17,885. This was a considerable estate at that
time.
Some financial disaster happened
to John MB after the Civil War. Could
it have been the effects of the war and the abolition of slavery? Could
it have
been an ill-fated venture into railroad construction as some say? Or,
perhaps
there was a crash in real estate values. All we know for sure at this
time is that
a bankruptcy and a series of confusing real estate transactions ensued
after the
Civil War. On January 1, 1869, John MB sold the Glass parcel, mentioned
above, to William C. Perrow, his brother-in-law, for five hundred
dollars, which
was less than he had paid for it. In 1871 John MB bought a property on
Daniel
Hill with frontage on Blackwater Creek. Through a series of mishaps,
John MB
didn't record this deed until 1881. On April 17, 1874, John MB took
bankruptcy, and a parcel of one hundred and seventy-five acres on
Beaver
Creek was put up for public auction. John MB's daughter, Bettie T.
Lindsay,
bought the parcel from the bankruptcy trustees at the auction May 25,
1874 for
seven hundred dollars, although for some reason, settlement was not
made until
June 20, 1883 after John MB's death.
Caroline died on November 14,
1898. In her will dated May 2, 1894,
Caroline divided the farm between her younger son Claude and her
grandson
Nicholas J. Hunter, directing that the acres be divided equally between
them, but
that Claude was to get all the improvements. She said Claude had been
very good
to her after the death of her husband. There's no mention of the number
of acres
she owned, but she said that Claude was to get the land next to the
Turnpike and
that Nicholas was to get the west side, adjoining the lands of both
Alice Merry and
the late J.C. Glass, and along both sides of the railroad. (Caroline
had sold the
railroad a right-of-way through the plantation in 1887.) Caroline said
she owned
the plantation by a deed from her departed husband:
". . .
this plantation being the homestead of my husband and myself for
about fifty years, and lying on the west side of the Lynchburg and
Campbell Courthouse Turnpike, the L. and D railroad running through
said
plantation."
We learn a couple of things from Caroline's will.
First, evidently John MB
and Caroline didn't lose their home in the bankruptcy. Perhaps their
daughter
Bettie rescued their home at the auction. Bettie's deed from the
bankruptcy
trustees says the land adjoined "the lands of William C. Perrow and
others." But
the deed doesn't mention any improvements which seems unusual
considering
that The Mansion must have been a substantial improvement. Perhaps the
parcel
in question was east of the Turnpike, or perhaps The Mansion wasn't
there
anymore. We know that The Mansion burned to the ground in a disastrous
fire
on a Christmas Eve. We don't know what year the fire happened. We do
know
that somehow the part of the plantation east of the Turnpike ended up
in the
hands of John MB's oldest son, James William Stevens. There are still
mysteries
here to be solved.
The second thing we learn from
Caroline's will is: if the farm was John
MB and Caroline's home for about fifty years as she said, then they
must not
have lived at the Daniel Hill property.
Daniel Hill is located between
Blackwater Creek and the James River. In the 1800's the tobacco
millionaires built mansions on the hilltop. Today
Daniel Hill is part of Lynchburg's historic district, and the mansions
are being
restored from a century of being tenements. But the property John MB
bought
wasn't in the affluent residential neighborhood on the high ground.
John MB's property was located
down a steep grade right on Blackwater
Creek. According to the deed, his property was three-fourths of an
acre, fronted on both Blackwater Creek and Blackwater Street, and
adjoined the
Hancock property. Thanks to Jones Memorial Library, we have an old
photo
of some waterfront buildings a little downstream on Blackwater Creek.
It
appears to have been an industrial area. The 1877 map shows railroad
tracks
running right along the banks of Blackwater Creek. If John MB did
venture into
the railroad business, perhaps this property was part of the venture.
We know
the railroads were a thrilling innovation at the time. We can only
speculate about
John MB's reasons for buying the Daniel Hill property, but it seems
quite likely
that it was an investment venture of some kind.
It's believed that John MB and
Caroline Stevens are both buried in the
family cemetery that was next to The Mansion. There are seven or eight
family
graves still there, although hard to find. Most of the tombstones are
turned
over and badly deteriorated. The only tombstone that's legible is that
of their
daughter, Victoria Stevens Hunter.
The children of John MB Stevens and Caroline Perrow were:
- Behertherland "Hethie" Taliaferro Stevens was born November 23, 1837 in Campbell County, Virginia. She married Micajah "Mike" Moorman on October 25, 1865 in Campbell County, Virginia. Mike was born in 1821. His ancestors were Quakers who immigrated from England to Virginia in the 1600's. He appears to have been named after his great-uncle, Micajah Moorman, who was one of the trustees (mostly Quakers) of the town charter for Lynchburg when it was approved in 1786. Mike, himself, was a Methodist. In the 1820's the Quaker church decided that their members must free their slaves or be dismissed. The Quakers who freed their slaves left for Ohio. The Quakers who stayed behind mostly became Methodists. The Quaker Meeting House was abandoned in the 1820's and became a ruin until it was restored about a hundred years later. Mike died September 1, 1889, and Hethie died March 6, 1922. Hethie and Mike were both buried at the Moorman farm in Campbell County.
- Elizabeth Ann Townes "Miss EATS" Stevens was born in 1839 in Campbell County, Virginia. She married James Lindsay on October 1, 1857 in Campbell County, Virginia. The Lindsay family can be traced back to Scotland before the crusades. James was born in Albemarle County, Virginia in 1823. He and his cousin Claudius Michie (his relatives owned the famous Michie Tavern) came to Campbell County in 1849 and bought a farm adjacent to the Stevens farm. Elizabeth was a graduate of the Buckingham Female Institute and taught at a school near the farm (the Providence School?) Elizabeth died on April 6, 1908. When Nettie Virginia Rucker began teaching at the Providence School a few years later, she boarded with the Lindsay family and met her future husband there.
- Victoria Lee Stevens was born in 1841 in Campbell County, Virginia. She married Cornelius P. Hunter on October 1, 1857 in Campbell County, Virginia. Cornelius was born in 1836 in Bedford County, Virginia and descended on his mother's side from a long line of Cornelius Noels tracing back through England to Holland to France in the 1500's. Evidently there was a double wedding ceremony as the Campbell County marriage register shows that two Stevens sisters were married on the same day at their parents' home. Elizabeth was eighteen and Victoria was sixteen. Victoria died on February 22, 1862 in Campbell County, Virginia. Her infant son, Nicholas J. Hunter, was raised by John MB and Caroline, and was mentioned in Caroline's will.
- Olivia H. Stevens was born on August 6, 1842 in Campbell County, Virginia. About 1866 she married a distant cousin, her brother-in-law, Samuel Merry. Samuel was born about 1835 in Hart County, Kentucky. Olivia and Samuel had two daughters, Carrie Belle Merry, born in 1868, and Mildred C. Merry, born in 1870. Samuel died in 1878, and Olivia and her two daughters came back to Campbell County to live with John MB and Caroline. On September 1, 1880, Olivia married her first cousin, Dr. Edward Perrow Rucker in Campbell County. Edward was born April 6, 1842 and was a descendant of Anthony Rucker who invented the tobacco batteau. Edward got his training as a physician when he was captured during the Civil War and was apprenticed into medicine while working at the prison. He was known for performing "trachs" (tracheotomies?) and hypnotism. Edward was a widower with two teenage children, a boy and a girl. He and Olivia had two sons. Their first son, Willie, died in infancy. Their second son was Gillespie Blaine Rucker born in 1884. Olivia died on October 18, 1898 in Earlington, Hopkins County, Kentucky. After Olivia's death, Edward returned to Lynchburg where he died in 1907.
- James William Stevens was born on June 20, 1843 in Campbell County, Virginia and died on February 5, 1928 in Campbell County, Virginia. He's our next direct ancestor.
- Mildred C. Stevens was born in 1846 in Campbell County, Virginia. She married Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Richardson on April 10, 1870. This was another Stevens marriage to a cousin from the Merry family of Hart County, Kentucky. He was the nephew of Samuel Merry (see Olivia above) and Robert Merry (see Alice below).
- Alice A. Stevens was born about 1847 in Campbell County, Virginia. On May 26, 1863 Alice married Robert M. Merry, the brother of Samuel Merry mentioned above. Robert was born about 1837 in Hart County, Kentucky. Alice and Robert appear to have lived in Campbell County, Virginia at a farm adjacent to that of John MB and Caroline. At this writing, her descendants still live there.
- Claudius M. "Claude" Stevens was born in 1855 in Campbell County, Virginia. His wife, Kate, was born about 1862. The 1880 Campbell County, Virginia census showed his occupation as farmer. Claude had a son named Herbert born in December 1879. It's said that the orphaned Nicholas J. (Nick) Hunter lived with Claude after Caroline's death. It's possible that Claude, Kate, Herbert and Nick relocated to Hart County, Kentucky after Caroline died in 1898. So far we've had no luck tracing Claude or Nick in a census after 1880. Again, we need to find out when The Mansion burned down. Was the fire Claude's disaster? More research is needed.
James William "Mansy" Stevens was born June 20, 1843 in Campbell County, Virginia and died there on February 05, 1928. He entered the Confederate Army when he was about 18 years old, and was mustered into service as a private in Lynchburg on May 11, 1861 in a company called the Beauregard Rifles. He's listed on that first roster as J.W. Stephens, although on subsequent rosters the spelling is corrected. There's an interesting account in a book, Lynchburg and It's People by W. Asbury Christian:
"About eight o'clock the Rifle Grays were drawn up in front of their armory on Main St., the Home Guard at theirs on Eighth St., and the Artillery on Clay St. The first two companies mustered about one hundred each, and the last about eighty-five, some of their men not being ready. The companies marched to their place of meeting on Church St., between Eighth and Tenth, and were formed into a column by Colonel D.A. Langhorne. They marched through the crowded streets to Eleventh St., then to Main St., then to Bridge St. and to the Virginia and Tennessee depot, where they halted to listen to an address by Rev. J.D. Mitchell. The speaker, burning with patriotism, said he had two sons in one of the companies-sons of a Charleston, S.C. mother, and if he had fifty they would be given up into the service of the State in such a contest. He wanted the soldiers to show themselves men, and in the day of battle put their trust in God and never turn their backs upon the enemy. He alluded to the war now being made upon our cherished institutions, appointed by Heaven for the development and happiness of the thousands of that inferior race committed to the guardianship of the South, and felicitated him that they would find brave and efficient defenders in the gallant young men who had taken up arms in vindication of our rights . . . the troops marched onto the place of embarkation, amid the tears and congratulations of the multitude of noble women and brave men who had come to bid them Godsend. It was a solemn scene, and one that thrilled every heart."
If you look carefully at the old postcard on the next page, you'll see that in those days Ninth Street seems to a have had a row of hitching posts on one side and seems to have been level between Church and Main Streets (if you know Lynchburg, you'll know what a change that is).
Confederate payroll records show
that Mansy was wounded at the Battle
of Balls Bluff on October 21, 1861. Balls Bluff Battlefield Park is
located just
east of Leesburg, Virginia on the Virginia/Maryland line. The battle
was fought
on the steep banks of the Potomac River. It's said that Mansy served
there
under "The Grey Ghost," Colonel John Singleton Mosby, a famous hero of
the
Civil War. Records show Mansy still absent on March 15, 1862 recovering
from his wound. He was a fine storyteller and entertained many with his
rousing
tales of his adventures during the Civil War. Rucker Mator Stevens,
who's
been known to spin a few yarns himself, remembers Mansy's telling him
many
times the following story, paraphrased here:
Grandpa was assigned as a scout to ride
out at night to check on the enemy. On
one of his missions, he spotted a flock of sheep sleeping huddled in a
corner. On his way
back to camp, he rode back by the sleeping sheep, leaned down, grabbed
a lamb, threw
it over his horse's shoulders, and slit its throat. The soldiers
enjoyed their dinner that night.
Rucker also shared with us
another story that Mansy told him once when
Rucker, then a child, complained at the dinner table about being served
a little
too much cabbage for his liking. It seems that:
Grandpa was with the cavalry in the
Civil War. The Yankees had them trapped in
the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the soldiers took turns riding behind the
Yankee lines to the
different farms looking for food. Seems the Yankees had the food line
cut off. All they
had was bags of parched corn meant for the horses. Once, when they
couldn't find any
food for themselves, Grandpa said that to keep from starving they had
to cook up the
horses' parched corn and eat that. Grandpa said I should never complain
about having too
much of any food.
James William Stevens married Jennie Belle Williams on April 19, 1864. She was born on June 7, 1845, the daughter of David R. Williams and Martha Anne Sallee. Some say the Williams immigrant ancestor was John Williams, a tailor by trade, born 1731 in Caernarvoshire, Wales. The story is told that after John Williams's mother died, he didn't get along with his stepmother, so he and his brother went to London, then to Nova Scotia, then to New York City, and finally to Schellsburg in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
Jennie Belle's mother's ancestry
can be traced back to Isaac De Sailly
born about 1500 in France. Her immigrant ancestor was Marcus Abraham
Sallee who came to New York City from St. Martin, Isle de Rhe, Aunis
Province, France around 1700, and settled in Henrico County, Virginia.
Subsequent Sallee generations spread into neighboring Virginia
counties, and Kentucky, where Jennie Belle's mother was born.
Jennie Belle's father, David, was
the first in his line to relocate from
Pennsylvania to Kentucky. He married Martha Anne Sallee in Augusta,
Bracken
County, Kentucky. The census says Jennie Belle was born in Illinois, so
the
family must have moved around before settling in the town of Covington
on the
northeastern Kentucky border. Although Covington is in Kentucky, it's
essentially a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. A total of seven children are
listed
including four brothers (George, David, Judson and Bush) and two
younger
sisters (Blandelia and Lucy). Jennie Belle's father's occupation is
listed in the
1860 census as "Master Builder."
How Mansy and Jennie Belle met is
a mystery. Is this another example
of the Stevens/Merry connection? Three of Mansy's sisters married Merry
cousins from Hart County, Kentucky. The problem with this theory is
that Hart
County, Kentucky is in the middle of the state, and Covington, Kentucky
is on
the northeast border of the state. But other Merry cousins had built a
grand
estate in Covington called "The Landmark." We can only guess how James
and
Jennie Belle met. It's said that Jennie Belle came to Virginia to marry
James with
one suitcase and a rocking chair.
On the left: daughter Annie Belle
is seated. Her husband William Henry Stevens is standing to her right.
Their five children are around Annie Belle.
In the middle: Jennie Belle
Williams Stevens and James William "Mansy" Stevens are seated. Their
two
youngest sons, James William, Jr and Robert Samuel, age twenty-two and
eighteen, are standing behind them. (Oldest son, David Murray, is away
fighting the Spanish American War.) Charles William Stevens, orphan of
deceased daughter Lula Carrie is seated at Jennie Belle's feet.
On the right: daughter Blandelia
Mabel "Sis" is seated, and her husband, Milton Taylor Barker, is
standing
behind her. Those pretty toddlers in dresses and ringlets are boys.
"Death of Mrs. Stevens
On the opposing page are some
snapshots of Mansy and other family
members. It's possible that these photos were taken by a photographer
around
the time of Jennie Belle's funeral in lieu of the traditional funeral
group photo.
The first photo shows the two
brothers, James Jr, age thirty-seven, and
Robert Samuel, age thirty-three, with their fine, riding horses. It's
an amazing
photo because of the fine resolution of the details even in the
distance. There's
a third horse, a buckboard wagon, and a dog on the right, in addition
to the two
men, two horses and buggy in the foreground.
In the second snapshot, Mansy is
playing cards with an unknown friend
in front of the converted barn. Could the unknown card player be Sis's
husband, Milton Taylor Barker? In 1914, he would have been sixty-six
years
old (only five years younger than Mansy). In the funeral/reunion photo
of
1898/1899, he was about fifty years old. A little later we'll get to a
photo of
Sis's family in which there's a young man who bears a striking
resemblance to
this card player/hunter.
Notice the house's unusual floor
plan. There were two interior staircases
- one on each side of the house. If you were on the first floor and
wanted to go
to the other side of the first floor, you had to either climb a
staircase and go
across and down, or you had to walk outside through what we might call
today,
the breeze way.
The Family in 1914?
James William Stevens, Jr and Robert Samuel Stevens with horses
The first photo shows four
children on a rock pile. If this photo was
taken in 1914, then these could be Sis's four youngest children: David
age
thirteen, Mabel age 9, Allen age 5, and Lula age 3. Rucker Mator
Stevens
remembers a similar rock pile years later at "Uncle Robert's farm." If
you look
carefully, you'll see a woman in the background on the right. The
second photo
shows two other women and a dog on the rock pile.
Unfortunately it's not possible
to identify the three women in the two
photos. Jennie Belle's obituary only mentions two women, Mattie Stevens
(Annie Belle's youngest), who would have been around eighteen years
old, and
Blandelia Mabel "Sis" Stevens Barker, who would have been around
forty-three
years old. We know that James William Jr had married in December of
1913
and that the newly-weds were living at Mansy's farm. So Nettie Virginia
Rucker
Stevens, age twenty-one, would have been there as well if 1914 is the
correct
date. Other possible family members are: Annie Belle's daughters Nellie
age
twenty-eight, Mabelle Baylor age twenty-four, and Annie Louise age
twenty. Although we can't see the women's faces, the style of their
clothing is
appropriate for around 1914 according to Dating Old Photographs
1840 - 1929
by Halvor Moorshead. The features of the ladies' clothing that date
them are: long, narrow skirts, three-quarter sleeves that are not
puffy, tight corseted
waists, puffy bodices, and open collars.
September 1914?
In 1916 Mansy sold the farm to
his son, Robert Samuel Stevens, and
moved into a little cottage that was on the other side of the present
Highway 501
close to the Providence School. In August of 1917 he was awarded a
pension
of $50.00 under the Confederate Pension Act of 1916. A few years later
Mansy's grandchildren, the children of James William Stevens, Jr,
walked from
their farm to attend the school. On their way home, they often stopped
to visit
their grandfather and get a nickel to buy candy at the little country
store on the
corner. Mansy spent his days sitting on his front porch, chewing
tobacco, and
reminiscing with his Civil War buddies who passed by.
Every year the city of Lynchburg
had a dinner at the Armory for the Civil
War veterans. Before the dinner, all the veterans would walk in a
parade up
Main Street and down Church Street to the Armory. Robert and James
would
drive their father to town for the event. It's said that Mansy would
leave his
cane in the buggy to walk proudly in the parade.
left:
unknown friend with rifle
James William "Mansy" Stevens
Robert Samuel Stevens
and two hunting dogs
right:
James William Stevens, Jr with hunting
horn, dog, and possum.
James William "Mansy" Stevens died February 5, 1928. Here's his obituary from the Lynchburg newspaper. It gives an interesting picture of funeral pageantry at the time. Quite a few of the people mentioned are pictured in the Stevens Funeral/Reunion photo.
"James William Stevens, aged 85 years, died Sunday morning at his home on the Rustburg road where he had spent his entire life. His death was caused by pneumonia. He is survived by four children: Mrs. Milton Taylor Barker [Blandelia Mabel Stevens] of High Point, NC, David Murray Stevens of Sheridan, Wyoming, Robert Samuel Stevens and James William Stevens, Jr. of Campbell County.
"Funeral services for Mr. Stevens were held yesterday afternoon at his home. Rev. P. F. Arthur and Rev. Clark Wood officiating. Several hymns were sung by a quartet, and flower bearers were Miss Mabel Barker [granddaughter], Nellie Stevens [granddaughter] and Sarah Stevens [step-granddaughter], Annie Laurie Carson [son's fiancé], and Lula Barker [granddaughter] and Mrs. J. N. Perrow [cousin], Mrs. S.M. Hopkins [cousin], Mrs. Willie Stevens [grandson's wife] and Mrs. David P. Barker [grandson's wife].
"Honorary pallbearers were J.W. Barker [grandson], Thomas Franklin Carson [a neighbor and Annie Laurie's father], Milton Taylor Barker [son-in-law], William Henry Stevens [son-in-law], N. N. Gallier, R. L. Perrow [cousin], T. J. Perrow [cousin], and W. T. Lindsay [nephew].
"Active Pallbearers were: Charles William Stevens, Milton Taylor Barker, [Jr?], David P. Barker, Allen A. Barker, William Murray Stevens, and Louis Henry Stevens [all grandsons and one step-grandson]."
It sounds like a beautifully
orchestrated funeral, and the obituary is
unusually well done. It's unfortunate that we don't know who arranged
this fine
funeral.
The Mansion burned down long ago.
Tombstones can still be found
from the family cemetery that was on the west side of the highway near
The
Mansion. Mansy's cottage and the Providence School have been torn down.
The barn that was converted into a house was replaced in 1936 by the
current
residence at Glenacre Farm. The wrought iron fence which enclosed the
family
cemetery on the east side of the highway is still there, although all
the graves
there were moved to Spring Hill Cemetery. The Little House and the New
House at James W. Stevens Jr's farm are still standing, although the
farm is no
longer owned by the Stevens family. When last seen in 2001, the New
House
looked better than ever. The Providence Church is still an active
Methodist
church.
The children of James William
Stevens and Jennie Belle Williams were:
-
David Murray "Ray" Stevens was born on November 26, 1865. We have a photo of him in his military uniform when he served in the Spanish-American War in 1898. While stationed in Cuba, during the occupation after that war, from time to time Ray was required to serve on a firing squad. His rank ranged from private to corporal to sergeant and back down to private, and so on. After the war, Ray was stationed at Fort Mackenzie in Sheridan, Wyoming. Fort Mackenzie was established in 1898 to protect against Indians.
Blandelia Mabel Stevens Barker, Ray's
sister, encouraged her young
niece, Alice Myrtle Barker, to write to Ray, a lonesome soldier far
from home. On April 9, 1911, Ray and Alice were married in Washington,
D.C. (possibly
from her sister's home there). Alice was born May 17, 1887 in Randolph
County, North Carolina. When they married, he was forty-six years old,
and
she was twenty-four.
Photo of Alice Myrtle
Barker courtesy of R. D. Stevens
Ray resigned from the military,
and they opened a café in Sheridan. Notice the prices for the
meals on the window in the photo. The many soldiers
in town were hungry for some good home-cooking. The story is told that
Ray
and Alice kept a wash bowl and razor in the back so the soldiers could
clean up
a bit while waiting for their meals. Bob and Rosemary Stevens recently
visited
Sheridan and describe Sheridan as "a lovely, clean town at the base of
the Big
Horn Mountains."
Ray was stationed at Fort
Mackenzie in Sheridan, Wyoming. In 1916,
Ray and Alice filed for a homestead in Johnson County, Wyoming. The
government gave them three hundred and twenty acres with the
understanding
that after they built improvements, the government would give them
another
three hundred and twenty acres. They bought an adjoining forty acre
parcel for
$20.00 (fifty cents an acre), and by the end of 1916, they had a
six-hundred-eighty-acre cattle ranch. Unfortunately, the land was so
rough that thousands
of acres were necessary to support a family. Ray soon moved the family
back
to Sheridan, leased the land, and turned to hauling coal for a living.
The ranch
is still owned by a Stevens descendant and is currently leased for
grazing.
When word came in 1928 that David
Murray Stevens was on his
deathbed, his brothers, James William, Jr and Robert Samuel, headed to
Wyoming on the train. Ray died while his brothers were in route, so
they turned
around and came home before reaching Wyoming. Ray died on July 3, 1928
in Sheridan, Wyoming, just five months after his father's death.
The children of David Murray Stevens and Alice
Myrtle Barker are:
- Jennie Belle Stevens was born June 25, 1912. When Jennie was a child, she was bitten by a rattlesnake, and Ray sucked out the poison. Jennie didn't get sick, but Ray did because of some bad teeth. Jennie married Arthur T. Kusel on February 22, 1937 in Sheridan, Wyoming. Arthur was born January 10, 1908 in Big Horn, Wyoming, and was a cattle rancher. Arthur died October 7, 1959 in Soldier Creek, Wyoming and is buried in the Odd Fellows section of the Sheridan Municipal Cemetery.
- David Clinton "Bud" Stevens was born July 8, 1914. Although Bud was only fourteen years old when his father died, he quit school and hauled coal from the Storm King Mine to folks in Sheridan to support the family, first with a team of horses and a wagon and then with a Model T truck. Bud acted as father to his younger siblings, who express much gratitude and admiration for him. Though circumstances had cut his own education short, he insisted that his siblings complete their education. In 1937 Bud married Elizabeth Hawkey in Hardin, Montana. He died April 5, 1949 in Kansas City, Missouri. He was only thirty-four years old. Some say the hard labor he did in those early years when he became the family breadwinner had taken its toll on his health.
- Edna E. Stevens was born September 3, 1919 in Sheridan, Wyoming and still lives in Sheridan, Wyoming. Edna married Clifford Wayne Schneider on February 19, 1938 in Billings, Montana. He was born January 28, 1913 in Rapid City, South Dakota and died May 28, 1974 in Sheridan, Wyoming. The children of Edna E. Stevens and Clifford Wayne Schneider are:
-
•Terry Wayne Schneider was born April 30, 1940.
•Judy Alice Schneider was born April 6, 1942.
- Thomas Ray "Tom" Stevens was born June 4, 1925 in Sheridan, Wyoming and lives in Vancouver, Washington. He married first Colleen Moore and later Geraldine Pugsley who was born August 4, 1926. The children of Thomas Ray Stevens and Colleen Moore are:
- •David Ray Stevens was born May 30, 1945.
- •Ronald Jay Stevens was born September 11, 1949.
- Robert Dolan "Steve" Stevens was born May 22, 1927 in Sheridan, Wyoming and lives in Sweet Home, Oregon. He married Barbara Brown. She was born November 17, 1929. The children of Robert Dolan Stevens and Barbara Brown are:
-
•Bernard Kevin Stevens was born in 1956.
•Sheri Lynn Stevens was born in 1961.
- Annie Belle Stevens was born on July 31, 1867. Her entry in the Stevens family bible says she was born in Hart County, Kentucky. It's hard to imagine how this birthplace can be correct. Census records say she was born in Virginia, which makes much more sense. Yet, how can we disbelieve one of the hand-written entries in Jennie Belle's bible? It's a mystery. Annie Belle married William Henry Stevens, her second cousin, on February 26, 1885. William Henry was born on May 3, 1861 at Rocky Knob Farm in Nelson County, Virginia. William Henry and Annie Belle were a very handsome couple as seen in the Stevens Funeral/Reunion photo. They lived near Colleen in Nelson County. In 1887 William Henry was the Commissioner of Revenue in Nelson County, Virginia at the tender age of twenty-seven. Annie Belle died on October 25, 1902 at the age of thirty-five, leaving five children aged six to sixteen. Annie Belle is buried in the cemetery at the Woodland Baptist Church near Colleen in Nelson County. William Henry and Annie Belle were among the founders of the church, and Annie Belle is credited with naming it. On October 25, 1904, William Henry married Annie Elizabeth Jones of Amherst, Virginia and they had four more children. They lived in Lynchburg where William Henry worked as a buyer for a tobacco warehouse until his death November 13, 1941. The children of Annie Belle Stevens and William Henry Stevens were:
- Nellie Lurline Stevens was born September 29, 1886 and died December 8, 1940. She married Percy Ward Pettit on April 12, 1929. He was born March 7, 1890 and died December 23, 1984. Nellie kept house for her uncle Robert sometime between 1916 and 1928. Rucker Mator Stevens remembers "Aunt Nellie" as an extraordinarily sweet and generous person who gave him delicious jelly biscuits when he stopped by for a visit on his way home from school. The child of Nellie Stevens and Percy Petit is:
- •Elizabeth Franklin Pettit was born July 29, 1930.
- Mabelle Baylor Stevens was born December 6, 1890 and died October 31, 1891. Baylor married Joseph Franklin Harvey, son of Samuel Harvey and Laura Burks. He was born June 16, 1885 and died June 29, 1967. Their children were:
- Mabel Belle Harvey was born October 19, 1913 and died August 10, 1992.
- •William Murray Harvey was born February 10, 1915 and died December 20, 1993.
- •John Irvin Harvey was born October 9, 1918 and died December 19, 1962.
- •Mary Elizabeth Harvey was born November 28, 1920.
- •Hilda Pauline Harvey was born July 4, 1923 and died February 28, 1976.
- •Annie Laura Harvey was born May 4, 1925 and died June 6, 1994.
- William Murray Stevens was born July 16, 1892 and died November 6, 1964. Some people called him "Willy" and some called him "Pete." He worked at Hopkins Grocery Store and lived with the Hopkins family in Lynchburg, Virginia. Bettie Townes Lindsay Hopkins was his second cousin. Pete married Gladys Louise Lindsay, Bettie's sister. Gladys was born August 10, 1899 and died October 28, 1951. Bettie and Gladys were the granddaughters of Elizabeth Ann Townes Stevens and James T. Lindsay. William Murray is buried at the Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg, Virginia.
- Annie Louise Stevens was born April 11, 1894 and died June 21, 1969. On March 6, 1913 she married Harry Randolph Bowling, son of David Bowling and Pettis Loving. Harry was born September 8, 1887 and died November 11, 1970. Louise was renowned for her generous spirit, her gourmet country cooking and her inspired flower arrangements. Dorothy Bowling Giles says in her book, Celebrate Heritage:
"Mama would always prepare Christmas dinner for the family, and I remember one of the last times she cooked for us. We looked out of the window and saw a strange person standing in the yard. It was Jack Purvis. On Christmas he had no family or place to go. But he remembered that he was always welcome at Cousin Louise's table, and he came to her on Christmas Day. As I recall, we always shared Christmas with someone less fortunate than we were, and to this day, we feel that we must find someone to give Christmas dinner to in Mama's memory."
The children of Annie Louise Stevens and Harry
Randolph
Bowling are:
- Annie Maria Bowling was born 1/15/1917.
- Henry David Bowling was born April 30, 1915 and died October 24, 1996 in Danville, Virginia.
- Dorothy Lee Bowling was born January 21, 1924 and lives in Arrington, Virginia.
- William Stevens Bowling was born May 12, 1928.
- Mattie Elizabeth Stevens was born September 16, 1896 and died March 24, 1965. She married Joseph Nelson Purvis in 1923. He was born September 16, 1899 and died January 15, 1979. Their child is:
-
•Joseph Nelson Purvis, Jr was born March 12, 1925.
- Lula Carrie Stevens was born on March 17, 1870 in Campbell County. On December 18, 1889 she married Samuel Meade Stevens who was her second cousin as well as her brother-in-law - the brother of her sister Annie Belle's husband. Meade was born on May 21, 1867 in Nelson County, Virginia, another son of Charles Henry Stevens. Lula Carrie and Meade lived in Nelson County. After a little over four years of marriage, the young family was devastated by a bout of influenza: Lula Carrie died on July 8, 1894 in Nelson County at twenty-four years of age; nine-month-old Gladys Elizabeth died one day after her mother; and Lula Carrie's husband, Samuel Meade Stevens, survived but lost his hearing. Lula Carrie's sister Annie Belle took Lula's three-year-old son, Charles William, to raise. Charles William can be seen in the Stevens Funeral/Reunion photo sitting at his grandmother's knee. Samuel Meade Stevens later remarried, and had six more children. On the next page is a photo of Lula Carrie around the time of her wedding. She was buried at the Stevens Cemetery at the Harvey home in Nelson County, Virginia. The children of Lula Carrie Stevens and Samuel Meade Stevens were:
- Charles William Stevens was born April 21, 1891 and died in Danville, Virginia where he had a bus company. He married Nannie Bowling, daughter of David Bowling and Pettis Loving. The child of Charles William Stevens and Nannie Bowling was:
- Ray Stevens was born in 1917 and died in 1933.
- Gladys Elizabeth Stevens was born September 18, 1893 and died July 9, 1894 in Nelson County, Virginia. She's buried in the Stevens Cemetery at the Harvey home in Nelson County, Virginia.
- Blandelia Mabel Stevens was born November 1, 1871 in Campbell County, Virginia and died in High Point, North Carolina. Her unusual name comes from her mother's family. According to the 1860 census, Jennie Belle Williams had a younger sister named Blandelia. Blandelia Mabel was fondly called "Sis" by her two younger brothers, and "Aunt Sis" by her nieces and nephews. She married Milton Taylor Barker, Sr on November 23, 1893. The Barker ancestry can be traced through England to France back to the twelfth century. Milton's ancestor, Samuel Barker, immigrated with William Penn on the ship The Welcome in 1682 and settled in Delaware. William Penn was the famous Quaker leader and the founder and governor of the colony of Pennsylvania. In the 1700's Milton's ancestors relocated from Delaware to North Carolina. Milton was born in August 1848 in High Point, North Carolina, the son of Abner Alexander Barker and Sarah Louise Petty. Abner Alexander Barker was a prominent wagon manufacturer. Milton's younger brother, Thomas Clinton Barker, was the father of Alice Myrtle Barker who married David Murray Stevens as mentioned earlier. It would be interesting to find out how the Stevens family of Campbell County, Virginia came to be acquainted with the Barker family of High Point, North Carolina. At the time of their wedding, Sis was twenty-two years old, and Milton was forty-five and had several children from a previous marriage. Milton operated a sawmill supplying the High Point furniture factories. The 1900 census shows one of Sis's stepsons, Clarence Barker age fifteen living with them in High Point. On a following page there's a Barker family reunion or funeral photo. Judging by the ages of the children whose birth dates we know, this picture appears to have been taken around 1933. Unfortunately, Milton Taylor Barker, Sr is absent from the photo. Notice the young man on the extreme left side of the photo. He closely resembles the unknown friend in the circa 1914 hunting and card players photos. Could the unknown hunter be a Barker? Or maybe the young man in this photo is a Stevens?
The children of Blandelia Mabel "Sis" Stevens and Milton Taylor Barker were:
- Milton Taylor Barker, Jr was born October 25, 1896 in High Point, North Carolina and died September 13, 1986. His child was:
- •Milton Taylor Barker, III was born September 11, 1924 in High Point, North Carolina and died September 1986 in High Point, North Carolina.
- James William Barker was born October 1897 in High Point, North Carolina and died October 1964. He married Irene Davis.
- David Petty Barker was born April 19, 1901 in High Point, North Carolina and died in March 1992. He married Grace Reynolds.
- Mabel Barker was born May 13, 1905 and died January 9, 1998 in Richmond, Virginia. She married Abner Long who was born June 11, 1907 and died June 4, 1992 in Richmond, Virginia.
- Allen Abner Barker was born June 14, 1909 in High Point, North Carolina and died February 11, 1999 in High Point, North Carolina. He married Blondell Russell in 1953. Their children are:
- •Eleanor Blondell Barker was born in 1954.
- •Janice Alene Barker was born in 1955.
- Lula Barker was born in High Point, North Carolina around 1911 and lived in Richmond, Virginia.
- James William Stevens, Jr was born on June 26, 1877 and died September 11, 1954. He's our next direct ancestor. More about him later.
- Robert Samuel Stevens was born on April 19, 1881 in Campbell County, Virginia. As a young man he worked the tobacco farm for his parents and kept fine riding horses. Robert and his brother James were best friends and played music for dances. In 1916 his father deeded the farm to Robert, and Robert repurchased another parcel from the original farm that had been sold off to a Perrow cousin. Over the years, he gradually reassembled one hundred and sixty acres of the original plantation.
Rucker Mator Stevens has fond memories of his uncle:
"Uncle Robert lived in a house that used to be beside the current brick home at Glenacre Farm. Grandpa lived across the highway (Rte. 501). Cousin Nellie (oldest daughter of Robert's sister Annie Belle) kept house for Uncle Robert. Uncle Robert left farming tobacco and worked as a salesman for the Willis Knight Car dealership. He was so successful that when the Oldsmobile dealership became available, he bought the building, restored it and sold Whippets, then Oldsmobiles. Uncle Robert would go to the Carson farm next door to us to court Annie Laurie Carson. Then he would come to our house for supper."
Robert married Annie Laurie Carson on November 28, 1928. Annie Laurie was born on June 9, 1905 in Appomattox County, the daughter of Thomas Carson and Laura Carroll. At the time of their wedding, Robert was forty-seven and Annie Laurie was twenty-three. Robert and Annie Laurie were members of the Providence United Methodist Church.
Robert Samuel Stevens
Annie Laurie Carson
Married November 28, 1928
In 1936 Robert tore down the barn that had been converted into a residence and built a new brick home. His brother, James William Stevens, Jr, was his contractor. After Robert retired from the automobile dealership in 1942, he raised Aberdeen Angus cattle. He had a pedigreed bull with a complicated name, long ago forgotten, but called "Glen" for short. Robert and Annie Laurie named their home "Glenacre Farm" after Glen, the bull.
Robert died February 26, 1952 in Campbell County, Virginia and was buried in the family "burying ground" at Glenacre Farm. In 1955, all the graves there were moved to the Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg. Here's Robert's obituary from the Lynchburg newspaper. (I've corrected typographical errors in dates):"Robert S. Stevens
"Robert Samuel Stevens, 70, of RFD 2, Lynchburg, died suddenly at 2:25 P.M. yesterday at Memorial Hospital. Born in Campbell County April 19, 1881, he was the son of James William and Jennie Bell Williams Stevens. From 1929 to Jan 1, 1942, he was president of Stevens Motor Company. At the time of his death he was owner of Glenacre Farm in Campbell County. Mr. Stevens was a member of Providence Methodist Church and served on the board of trustees of the church.
"He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Annie Laurie Carson Stevens; one son, Robert S. Stevens Jr., and one daughter, Phyllis Anne Stevens, both of RFD 2; one brother, James W. Stevens Jr., RFD 2, and two grandchildren.
"Funeral services
will be held at Diuguid Memorial Chapel
tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock. Interment will be in the family
cemetery
in Campbell County."
A few years later, Annie Laurie met Victor Joseph "Vic" Duplin, Jr through the minister of her church. Vic was born on December 3, 1904 in Stoneham, Massachusetts and was an engineer for a large firm in New Jersey. After his first wife died, he wanted a change of scene and requested a transfer. When he came to Lynchburg, he initially rented a room in the home of the minister of the Providence Methodist Church. The minister introduced him to Annie Laurie. Annie Laurie and Vic were married on November 26, 1958 in a Catholic ceremony with the Methodist minister who introduced them as best man. Vic died April 3, 1989 in Lynchburg, Virginia and was buried in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Annie Laurie died on October 3, 1990 in Lynchburg, Virginia, and was buried October 6, 1990 at the Spring Hill Cemetery. Here's her obituary from the Lynchburg newspaper:
"Annie Laurie Stevens Duplin
"Annie Laurie Stevens Duplin of Glenacre Farm, Lynchburg, died Wednesday, Oct 3, 1990 in Lynchburg General Hospital. Twice married, she was the wife of the late Robert Samuel Stevens and the late Victor Joseph Duplin, Jr.
"Born in Appomattox County, she was a daughter of the late Thomas Franklin Carson and Laura Carroll Carson. She was a member of the Providence United Methodist Church.
"She is survived by a son, Robert S. Stevens, Jr, Duluth, Ga; a daughter, Mrs. Charles E. (Anne) Thaxton, Lynchburg; a brother, Allen W. Carson, Lynchburg; a sister, Kathleen Carson Miller: and five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
"She was preceded in death by two brothers, T. Adrian Carson and Leslie D. Carson, and a sister, Virginia I. Carson.
"A funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday in Whitten Park Avenue Chapel by the Rev. Stephen Hay. Interment will be in Spring Hill cemetery.
"The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday and at other times at the residence of her daughter, 3101 Cranehill Drive.
"Memorial
contributions may be made to the Providence United
Methodist Church, c/o Mrs. L.T. Brown, Jr., Route 5, Box 348,
Lynchburg VA 24501."
The children of
Robert Samuel Stevens and Annie Laurie
Carson are:
- Robert Samuel (Bob) Stevens, Jr was born February 27, 1930 in Lynchburg, Virginia. He first married Dallie DeWitt Bremer. She was born February 19, 1930 in Lynchburg, Virginia and died tragically on July 18, 1955 in an automobile accident near their home. The children of Robert Samuel Stevens, Jr and Dallie DeWitt Bremer are:
- Robert Samuel Stevens, III born April 6, 1947
- Deborah Elizabeth Stevens born March 29, 1949
- David Parke Stevens born October 29, 1957
- Phyllis Anne Stevens was born April 5, 1934 in Lynchburg, Virginia. Anne married Charles Easley Thaxton on June 18, 1955 in Lynchburg, Virginia. Charles was born on October 22, 1926 in Lynchburg, Virginia, the son of Joseph Thaxton and Carrie Foy. Charles attended the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Lynchburg College, and the Medical College of Virginia. The children of Phyllis Anne Stevens and Charles Easley Thaxton are:
-
•Robert Jeffreys "Jeff" Thaxton born December 11,
1957
•Laura Easley Thaxton born July 26, 1960
James William
"Jimmie" Stevens, Jr was born on June 26, 1877 in
Campbell County, Virginia. As a young man, he worked for the railroad
company directing twenty or so teams of work horses and dump carts
excavating for the rail lines being laid through West Virginia.
He married Nettie
Virginia Rucker on December 24, 1913 in the
Centenary Methodist Church then on Clay St. in Lynchburg, Virginia. We
have
their original wedding certificate which was witnessed by Mr. and Mrs.
John
Hamner Rucker, Nettie's first cousin and his wife. At the time of their
wedding,
James was thirty-six years old and Nettie was twenty years old.
Nettie Virginia
Rucker was born on April 2, 1893 in Sherwill, Campbell
County, Virginia. She was probably named for her maternal grandmother,
Jeanette Fields Hunter, who was called "Nettie". Her father was Milton
Mattaugh "Toy" Rucker whose Huguenot ancestors immigrated from Germany
to Jamestown around 1700 seeking religious freedom. Her mother was Evie
Katherine "Kate" Flagg whose ancestors can be traced back 900 years
from
Wales through Lexington, Massachusetts where they were foot soldiers
who
were targets for "the shot heard 'round the world."
Nettie attended
the New London Academy in Bedford County, Virginia
and the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia, now known as
Longwood College. After college she was employed as the teacher at the
Providence School in Rustburg, Virginia, a one-room school where six
grades
were taught simultaneously. In order to live near the school, she
boarded with
the Lindsay family, descendants of Elizabeth Ann Townes Stevens who
married
James Lindsay in 1857. The Lindsay farm was next door to the Stevens
farm,
and it was there that she met her future husband, whom she once
described to
me as a "gentleman farmer."
James and Nettie
lived upstairs at Mansy's home from their marriage until
after the birth of their second child, Rucker Mator Stevens. They
bought more
than 200 acres of wooded land nearby. James cleared the fields for
planting, set
up a sawmill to make lumber, and built the home they called the Little
House. Rucker was told that when they moved from Mansy's house to the
Little House,
his parents carried him in a wicker basket.
Rucker recently told this amusing tale of their domestic life, paraphrased here:
When I was a little boy, Mother sold the cream and the extra eggs for a little extra income. One day I stole a dollar from the top of the icebox in the kitchen where she kept the cream and egg money. I bought some candy and gave some to Melvin. Later, Melvin mentioned to Mother how nice I was for sharing my candy with him. Mother asked me where I got the money to buy candy. I said I got it from on top of the icebox. Mother told me that this was such a bad thing that Daddy would have to deal with me when he got home. Mother prepared a switch, and we waited for Daddy.
When Daddy got home, he took the switch and led me into the kitchen and closed the door. He said in a loud voice, 'Now, don't you ever do that again. I hope this teaches you a lesson," and more of the same. Meanwhile, he struck the switch against the kitchen table.
I said, "Daddy, you're missing me. You're missing me." I stuck my hand out, and the switch accidently caught me on the finger. Daddy took my hand and started rubbing my finger to make it better, all the while hitting the table over and over until the switch broke to pieces.
On the opposing page there are some family snapshots. The photo of the four children was taken around 1924 at Robert's house. The photo of James William Stevens, Jr mowing hay behind a team of mules must have been taken after they bought an automobile, because only then did he have mules. Prior to that time, he always had horses. There's also a photo of the Little House which was probably taken in the 1940's. In March 2001, the Little House looked exactly the same as it does in this photo except for the tree.
The New House was
built between 1932 and 1936 during "The Great
Depression." James and Nettie were able to build a new home up on the
hill
when times were very tough for most people. Men put out of work by the
depression were grateful to have jobs helping James build the house.
LaVerne Stevens
Garren recalls the basis for their design: Being a thrifty
couple, James and Nettie designed the floor plan to allow limited
heating of the
many rooms. They copied a home on Campbell Avenue that Nettie became
acquainted with while selling their excess eggs and cream. The formal
rooms
on the first floor could be closed off so that only the kitchen was
heated by the
wood range, and there was a door from the kitchen to the stairs
allowing for a
quick dash to the bedrooms. In the dining room there was a fancy wood
stove
covered with tan enamel tiles. It was called something like a
"Heatrolla." French doors led from the dining room to the parlor which
was furnished with
carved furniture upholstered with mohair fabric - very desirable - and
outrageously expensive today. In fact, they furnished almost the entire
house
with brand new furniture. Two of the bedroom suites as well as the
living room
suite mentioned above are still in the family. Beyond the parlor was
the music
room where family concerts were sometimes held. Nettie Virginia Rucker
was
a very enthusiastic pianist who added her own creative touch to her
music - even her hymns weren't staid! James William Stevens, Jr and
Rucker Mator
Stevens played the fiddle. James William Stevens, III played the
guitar, and
Melvin Linwood Stevens played the mandolin. Evelyn LaVerne Stevens was
apprentice pianist.
Nettie Virginia
Rucker is shown here in the front yard. The New House
had two stories plus a cellar and full attic. At one time a servant
lived in an attic
room. The little room behind the side porch was a wash room where James
William Stevens, Jr would clean up after working the fields. The back
porch
extended the width of the house. All three porches had swings. The
outbuilding barely visible on the left was the garage.
In 1936, after completing the New House, James acted as general contractor for his brother, Robert, who tore down the converted barn and built a new brick home.
James William Stevens, Jr died September 11, 1954 at age 77 in Rustburg, Virginia and was buried September 13, 1954 in Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg, Virginia. Here's his obituary from the Lynchburg newspaper:"He was born in Campbell County, June 26, 1877, the son of James William and Jennie Belle Williams Stevens. He was a member of the Providence Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife, Nettie Rucker Stevens, Rt 2; three sons, James J. Stevens, Lynchburg, and Rucker M. and Melvin L. Stevens, Washington; a daughter, Mrs. A.S. Garren, Roanoke, and nine grandchildren.
"Funeral services for James W. Stevens were conducted from Diuguid Memorial Chapel yesterday morning at 11 o'clock by Dr. Charles L. DeLong and Dr. James W. Martin. Organ music was furnished by Mrs. Marshall Mauney.
"Burial was in Spring Hill Cemetery. Active pallbearers were James J. Stevens, Rucker M. Stevens, Melvin L. Stevens, Albert S. Garren, Robert S. Stevens, Jr. and William Merry Stevens."
Nettie Virginia Rucker died January 26, 1982 at age 88 in Salem, Virginia and was buried January 29, 1982 in Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg, Virginia. Here's her obituary from the Lynchburg newspaper:
"Nettie Rucker Stevens, 88, died Tuesday in the McVitty Nursing Home in Salem.
"She was born in Sherwill, a daughter of the late Milton Rucker and Evie Katherine Flagg Rucker. She was the widow of James William Stevens, a former teacher at Providence School and a member of Providence United Methodist Church.
"She is survived by three sons, James W. Stevens, Jr., Evington, Rucker M. Stevens, Fort Defiance, and Melvin L. Stevens, Ormond Beach, Florida; one daughter, Mrs. LaVerne Garren, Roanoke; two sisters, Mrs. Jessie Wheeler, Lynchburg, and Mrs. Lucy Greenfield, California.
"Funeral services will be conducted Friday at 11:00 a.m. in Diuguid Memorial Chapel by the Rev. U. F. Bailey, with burial in Spring Hill Cemetery.
"The family will
receive friends at the funeral home today and Thursday from 7 to
8:30 p.m."
Nettie Virginia Rucker Stevens
James William Stevens, III
The children of James William Stevens, Jr and Nettie Virginia Rucker are:
- James William "Junior" Stevens, III was born on October 19, 1915 in Campbell County, Virginia. As a teenager, he was a member of the Future Farmers of America and excelled at judging cattle. He competed in contests in Virginia, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. James married Willie Louise "Butch" Vaughan of Lynchburg on April 29, 1939. She was born November 20, 1916 in Landgraff, West Virginia. Her parents were John Percy Vaughan and Virginia McClone Brown. The Vaughan family has been traced back to 1735 in Hanover County, Virginia. Louise can claim Patrick Henry as an ancestral cousin. When Louise was eight years old, her father died. Louise's mother moved the family to Lynchburg. Louise and her siblings lived at the Odd Fellows Home, and her mother boarded with relatives nearby. James first saw Louise on stage at a concert given by the Odd Fellows orchestra. He told his friends, "That's the girl for me." James and Louise were introduced later at a county fair, but she had already stolen his heart while playing the mandolin. James started a furniture business, the Stevens Home Furnishings Company, in Lynchburg. In the 1970's, he got a copy of his birth certificate and learned that Junior was only a nickname. By that time he was known among the business community as "James J. Stevens," and decided to keep the name. After he retired, James and Louise bought a farm in Campbell County, dubbed it Bon Terra, and for fun raised horses, goats, and geese. The children of James William Stevens, III and Willie Louise Vaughan are:
- Evelyn Virginia Stevens was born and died January 21, 1940, was buried at the cemetery at Glenacre Farm, and then was moved to the Spring Hill Cemetery in 1955.
- Joyce Louise Stevens was born December 30, 1941.
- James William Stevens, IV was born October 25, 1947.
- Hazel June Stevens was born August 10, 1951.
James died December 1, 2000 in Lynchburg, Virginia and is buried at Spring Hill Cemetery. Here's his obituary from the Lynchburg newspaper:
"James J. Stevens
"James J. Stevens, died Friday, Dec. 1, 2000 in Drinkard Health Center at Westminster Canterbury at the age of 85.
"Born in Campbell County, Oct. 19, 1915, Mr. Stevens lived in the Lynchburg area most of his life. He was the eldest son of James and Nettie Stevens. Mr. Stevens owned and operated Stevens Home Furnishing Company on Wards Road for over 20 years. He was manager of the bookstore at Central Virginia Community College from 1970 to 1975. After 1975, he was an independent real estate developer and founded several developments including Viewmont in Evington and Clearview in Campbell County.
"Mr. Stevens was a life member of the Elks Club and a member of the Evington Ruritan Club, the Odd Fellows, the Lions Club and the Lynchburg Chapter for the Society for Preservation of Barbershop Singing in America. He was a member of West Lynchburg Baptist church and sang in the choir for many years.
"He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Nettie Stevens, and his brother, Melvin Stevens. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Louise Vaughan Stevens, who resides at Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg; his brother, Rucker Stevens of Fla; his sister LaVerne Garren of Roanoke; his daughter, Joyce Stevens Turel of Oak Hill; his son, James William Stevens, IV of South Berwick, Maine; his younger daughter, June Stevens of Chapel Hill, N.C.; grandchildren, Steven Boldt of Atlanta, Ga., John Boldt of Falls Church, Alexis Stevens at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine, Victoria Stevens and James W. Stevens, V, of South Berwick, Maine, Virginia Sheppa and Charles Sheppa of Chapel Hill, N.C.; and great-grandchild, James Parker Boldt.
"A funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec 6, 2000 in Woodall-Tharp Chapel with the Rev. Herb Maynard officiating. Interment will follow in Spring Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Tuesday, Dec 5, from 7-8:30p.m. After the service on Wednesday, there will be a reception for family and friends at Westminster Canterbury, 501 V.E.S. Road.
"Floral memorials
accepted, or contributions may be made to West
Lynchburg Baptist Church, 3031 Memorial Avenue, Lynchburg, Va. 24502.
Woodall-Tharp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. 237-9424."
- Rucker Mator Stevens was born March 15, 1918 in Campbell County, Virginia. As you will understand when you see his toddler photo, his mother had a very hard time parting with his auburn curls. Much to his consternation, he was required to wear his hair in ringlets while the other boys sported more manly hairdos. As a young man, Rucker became a member of the Capitol Police Force in Washington, D.C. It was at an outdoor concert there that he first met Dorothy Victoria Fitzherbert. The beauty of the music had made her cry, and he wondered why such a beautiful girl had tears rolling down her cheeks. During World War II he joined the Coast Guard and escorted destroyers and troop ships out to sea on the watch for German submarines. Rucker and Dorothy were married on April 19, 1948 at Fort Lincoln, Maryland. Rucker's brother, Melvin, and Melvin's future wife, Margaret Miller, were the witnesses. Dorothy was born on February 14, 1925 in Morristown, New Jersey and was the daughter of Richard Gardner Fitzherbert and Lillian Haward. Dorothy studied music and was a gifted pianist and vocalist. In later years, when they visited Mozart's home in Salzburg, Austria, the staff there were so touched by the depth of her emotion upon visiting the great composer's home, that they allowed Dorothy to play Mozart's piano. This was quite an honor since tourists were generally forbidden even to touch the piano. Rucker made his career in banking and finance, but returned to farm life in retirement. Rucker and Dorothy bought a pre-Civil War home, Boxwood Lane Farm, in the Shenandoah Valley, and Rucker raised cattle. In 1980, they hosted a Stevens family reunion there, and Rucker entertained everyone with hay rides through the beautiful rolling fields. The children of Rucker Mator Stevens and Dorothy Victoria Fitzherbert are:
- Caryn Annette Stevens was born June 29, 1949.
- Charles Rucker Stevens was born September 12, 1951.
- Janice Alane Stevens was born February 01, 1953.
Photos courtesy of Margaret Miller Stevens
"Dorothy Fitzherbert Stevens
"Dorothy Fitzherbert Stevens, 66, of Harrisonburg, died Friday, March 8, 1991 in Camelot Hall Nursing Home in Harrisonburg, following a long illness. She was the wife of Rucker Mator Stevens.
"Born in Morristown, N.J., she was a daughter of the late Richard Gardner Fitzherbert and Lilian Haward Fitzherbert. She was a member of St. John's United Methodist Church in Staunton and a retired senior accountant for the State of Virginia.
"In addition to her husband, she is survived by one son, Major Charles T. Stevens of Fort Campbell, Ky.; two daughters, Karen S. Mohr of Grand Forks, N.D. and Janice A. Stevens of Herndon; two brothers, Ernest Fitzherbert of Milford, Del., and John Fitzherbert of Ledgewood, N.J.; and seven grandchildren.
"A funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Monday at Whitten Park Avenue Chapel by the Rev. Stephen Hay. Burial will be in Spring Hill Cemetery.
"The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 7 to 9 p.m. today.
"Memorial contributions may be made to Providence United Methodist Church."
- Melvin Linwood "Mel" Stevens was born on October 9, 1919 in Campbell County, Virginia. He attended business college and moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked on Capitol Hill in the office of a Virginia congressman. Later Mel became a lieutenant for the Capitol Police Force in Washington, D.C. The Capitol Police Force safeguards the Capitol Building and the congressmen. While working in Washington, D.C., Mel met his future wife, Margaret Elizabeth "Margie" Miller. Margie was born on December 18, 1920 in Washington, D.C. Her parents were Harry Elmer Miller and Lena Willi who were originally from Indiana. During World War II, Mel enlisted in the Coast Guard. He was posted to the Beach Patrol at Okracoke on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where he rode the beach and sand dunes on horseback watching out for German submarines. When his father became ill, Mel went back to work the farm. Mel and Margie were married April 14, 1956 in Washington, D.C. and moved first to Edgewater, Maryland and then to Florida where Mel started a roofing business. He maintained strong family ties even though he was so far from Virginia. If there was a family function, Mel and his family would attend. After Mel retired, he and Margie bought a farm in the town of Marianna in the Florida panhandle. Mel raised cattle, and Margie raised chickens, turkeys, guinea hens, and ducks. She created a swimming hole for each flock. Mel, the farm boy, took his cattle business seriously. Margie, the city girl, made pets of all her birds. They followed her around like puppy dogs. The child of Melvin Linwood Stevens and Margaret Elizabeth Miller is:
- Melvin Linwood Stevens, Jr born July 06, 1960
Melvin Linwood Stevens
Margaret Elizabeth Miller
Married April 14, 1957
"Melvin L. Stevens, Sr., 77, of 299 Torpoint Gate Trail, Longwood, Fla., died Tuesday Aug. 19, 1997 at Princeton Hospital, Orlando, Fla. He was the husband of Margaret M. Stevens.
"Mr. Stevens was born in Lynchburg, Oct 9, 1919 to the late James W. Stevens and the late Nettie Rucker Stevens. He was a veteran of the US Navy during World War II and a member of American Legion Post #16.
"In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son, Melvin (Chip) L. Stevens Jr. of Longwood, Fla.; two brothers, James W. Stevens of Chapel Hill, N.C., Rucker M. Stevens of Fairfax, and a sister, LaVerne Garren of Roanoke.
"A funeral service will be conducted 11 a.m. Saturday at Woodall-Tharp Chapel with the Rev. Ronald Davidson officiating. Interment will follow in Spring Hill Cemetery with military honors provided by American Legion Post #16.
"The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.
"Memorial contributions may be made to Providence United Methodist Church.
"Woodall-Tharp
Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
237-9424."
- Evelyn LaVerne Stevens was born on August 25, 1921 in Campbell County, Virginia. It was through her oldest brother, James, that she met Albert Stuart Hadden "Don" Garren. Don was born in 1916 in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents were Earl Maris Garren and Jessie Ashbaugh. Don had been transferred to Lynchburg from his hometown by his employer, a finance company. James and Don happened to meet in a Lynchburg parking lot and became good friends. When Don visited the Stevens farm, he met LaVerne. James wanted to arrange a date for Don with a beautiful girl, but Don didn't think any other girl measured up to James's sister, LaVerne. LaVerne had attended Phillips Business College, and was working at Sweet Briar College. Her boss's son offered Don some competition, but Don won LaVerne's heart. They were married on June 10, 1940 at the Garren's shore home on the Bird River near Baltimore, Maryland. During World War II, Don enlisted in the Coast Guard. In his youth, he had a problem with his eyes and almost lost his sight. He knew he could pass the rest of the physical, but thought he'd fail the eye exam. Memorizing the eye chart solved that problem! During the war the Coast Guard patrolled the beaches with dogs. Since Don had always been good with animals, his assignment was to train the dogs and their handlers. His skills were needed up and down the east coast, but LaVerne was usually able to join him wherever he was sent. When they were in Nantucket, they rented a small apartment house. LaVerne sublet the extra apartments to other Coast Guard wives in the winter and to tourists in the summer. When they moved on, they were rich: they had saved up almost $800.00! The children of Evelyn LaVerne Stevens and Don Garren are:
- Evelyn LaVerne Garren, born August 25, 1944.
- Donna Katherine Garren, born November 23, 1946.
- Nancy Violet Garren, born July 10, 1950.
After the war ended, LaVerne and Don lived in
Roanoke,
Virginia. As a hobby, Don operated the Ledon Kennel and
specialized in Weimaraners, German hunting dogs with a silver
coat and pale blue eyes.
"Albert S. Garren
Here's a tribute to Don that appeared in the Roanoke newspaper Sunday June 5, 1960. It was written by one of Don's students:
" Having trained dogs for more than twenty years, Don came to our town well equipped to begin Roanoke's own obedience training classes. While in the Coast Guard he trained war dogs at Front Royal where some 1,500 dogs were kept for training. Before joining the Coast Guard he resided in Lynchburg where he bred Irish Setters. When he came to Roanoke, he began breeding Weimaraners and did much to further the breed in Southwest Virginia. One of his Weimaraners, trained by his oldest daughter Evelyn, recently received the highest obedience degree any dog can attain - Utility. Don's principal interest with dogs was obedience. One of his dreams was to erect a building in Roanoke for the training of dogs. His theory being that dogs, like humans, are happiest when they know what is expected of them. In the beginning Don trained dogs in his yard on Melrose Avenue, but interest grew to such an extent that it was necessary to find larger quarters and additional help. Through the generosity of M.F. Ring, Jr., the Roanoke Obedience Training Classes were held every Tuesday night at Roanoke City Mills. Fortunately for dog lovers in Roanoke, Don had the foresight to pick from his classes two very capable young men to help as his classes grew. Thus, obedience will not die but through the efforts of the Roanoke Kennel Club, Mr. Ring and instructors Bob Whiteside and Neb White, the regular classes will continue. It was through the efforts of Mr. Garren that the Roanoke Kennel Club was able to sponsor its first Obedience Trial in connection with the Annual All Breed Dog Show in 1956, and every year since, this has been a part of the show.
"Don not only trained obedience dogs but also companion dogs. he could get a dog to do almost anything he asked. For example, he was once asked to teach a Poodle to wife its feet before entering the house, which he promptly did. On another occasion he rented a wheel chair in order to train a German Shepherd as a companion to a woman who was to be confined to a wheel chair for life. He was fondly known by some as Roanoke's dog psychiatrist and helped many people make fine pets of a problem dog.
"Don served as president of the Roanoke Kennel Club in 1952 and 1953 as well as 1957 and 1958. He was the founder of obedience in Roanoke. He was assistant manager of Roanoke Loan Society, past commissioner of the Boy Scouts and at one time was active in the SPCA. He was a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church where he taught Sunday school.
"Throughout Don's
life he never met a stranger and to all those who
were fortunate enough to know him, no matter how short a time, he was
a symbol of kindness and friendship. Full of compassion and
understanding, he will be sorely missed by many."
Epilogue
When you start a research project like this, it's a little like opening Pandora's box. You have no idea where your research will take you - or what scandals await you. Adding a little spice to our findings were: slavery, a murder, a bankruptcy, and a disastrous house fire. But the main finding was an amazing three hundred years of very respectable, very industrious tobacco farming.
James William Stevens, Jr was the eighth and last generation of tobacco farmers in our Stevens ancestry. Starting with him, we traced back in time to seven previous generations of tobacco farmers. The earliest generation of Stevens tobacco farmer lived in Virginia in the 1600's. Before that, we're at an impasse for now. We don't know the name of our Stevens ancestor who immigrated to the New World.
Although we haven't been able to identify our Stevens immigrant ancestor by name, we can identify him by type. In the New World it was possible to make a fortune farming tobacco for export. Our Stevens immigrant ancestor was an ambitious farmer who recognized the economic opportunity the New World offered and had the courage to seize that opportunity.This Stevens project has been lots of fun for me. Perhaps part of the enjoyment has come from finding that we can be proud of our Stevens ancestors.
Joyce Stevens Turel
1015 Hidden Bluff
Clermont, FL 34711-5987
352-243-1257
1623/24 Census of Jamestown
1704 Quit Rent Rolls
Amherst County Will Book
Ancestry.com
Broderbund software, Family Tree Maker
Butler, Margaret Ann, Taylor-Mumford-Holland : Pioneers of Georgia, Florida, Louisiana & Texas
Campbell County, Virginia: Marriage Book, Deed Book, and Will Book
Christian, W. Asbury, Lynchburg and Its People
Corley, Connie, correspondence
Cox Connections Home Page
Cox Cousins Home Page
Delk, Ann Stevens, correspondence and photographs
Dierking, Patrick, correspondence
Dunn, Eleanor, correspondence
Eggleston, Marjorie, correspondence
Garren, LaVerne Stevens, correspondence and documents
Genealogy.com
Giles, Dorothy Bowling, Celebrate Heritage, correspondence and photographs
Hamner, Blanche Stevens, The Stevens Family of Nelson County, Virginia
Holland, Barbara H., correspondence
Lawler, Judy, correspondence, photographs, and documents
Lindsays in Campbell County - 1849 to the Present, author unknown
Lynchburg Online
Mapquest.com
Moorshead, Halvor, Dating Old Photographs 1840-1929
Nelson County Virginia Courthouse: Marriage Book, Deed Book, and Will Book
News and Daily Advance, obituaries
Noel, Mary Roberts and Jenny Noel Weeks, Emigrant Cornelius Noel from Holland to Virginia
Oakes, Jane, correspondence and documents
Perrow, William Charlie, Report on Descendants of Charles Perrault
Register of Abingdon Parish, 1677-1761, Swem Library, College of William and Mary
Rogers, T.D., The Stevens Family
Rootsweb.com
Rucker, Lucy Katherine, Flagg-Rucker Genealogy
Rudolph, Carolyn, correspondence, photographs, and Our Kentucky Roots : Doctors, Lawyers, Merchants, Chiefs
Social Security Death Index Online
Sparacio, Ruth and Sam, Pamunkey Neighbors of Orange County, Virginia
Spotsylvania County Records Online
Spring Hill Cemetery Records
Stevens, Clarence Perry, Stevens - Stephens Genealogy and Family History
Stevens Family Bible
Stevens Family - Genealogy
Stevens, Janice Alane, photograph
Stevens, Margaret Miller, interview and photographs
Stevens, Patrick, The Stevens and Allied Families in America from the 1600s
Stevens, Richard W., Descendants of John Stevens
Stevens, Robert Dolan, interview and photographs
Stevens, Robert Samuel, Jr, correspondence and photographs
Stevens, Rucker Mator, interview
Stevens, William, Descendants of John Stevens
Stevens, William Louis, Genealogy of a Stevens Family of Virginia
Stewart, Mary E., correspondence, documents, and photographs
Strickland, Queens of England, Vol I, p 116
Thaxton, Anne Stevens, correspondence and photographs
Tombstone Reading at Stevens Cemetery, Nelson County, Virginia
Turel, Stan, for proofreading and patiently listening to my endless ramblings about "dead people."
Virginia Census Indices Online
Virginia GenWeb Online
Wheeler, Jessie Leonard Jr, inspiration
Yates, John, correspondence