John Semple of Scotland and Virginia, d. c. 1770

John came to King and Queen County, Virginia from Scotland in 1752.

The Virginia Gazette, October 11, 1770:
"To be SOLD, for ready money, on Wednesday, the 21st November, if fair, if not the next fair day, at the dwelling house of John Semple, deceased, in the county of King & Queen, ALL the estate of the said John Semple, consisting of 1200 acres of land, more or less, subject to the dower of Elizabeth Semple, his widow, in the whole, to the dower of Joanne Prince, widow of Francis Prince, deceased, in 150 acres, part thereof; and for the life of Sarah Roberts, widow, in 50 acres, another part thereof. There is on the said land a convenient dwelling house and all other convenient outhouses built since the year 1764; a large apple and peach orchard [cannot read an entire line] Isabel Thomas, at the rent of 10[cannot read] per annum, seven years of her lease yet unexpired; the other two in the possession and tenure of [cannot read first name] Walden [cannot read one word] and James Walden his son, tenants at will. Also 13 Negroes, variety of good household and kitchen furniture of all sorts, too tedious here to mention; flocks of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs; taken in execution by virtue of a decree of the Honourable General Court, against the said John Semple, for and on account of his the said Semple becoming security for Philip Rootes, late sheriff of the said county, for non-payment of the taxes due to his Majesty in the years 1765 and 1766. The sale will be continued till all are sold, by the SHERIFF. WILLIAMSBURG, October 4, 1770."

There is a manuscript at the Library of Virginia entitled, "History of the Semple Family of Scotland and America." It was written/compiled by Elizabeth Hawes Ryland of Richmond in 1950. The first half of the document contains portions of an interview from the summer of 1900 with Mrs. Adeline Semple Bradford of Springfield, Illinois, daughter of John Walker Semple and Lucy Robertson. There is also a copy of a manuscript made be a hired researcher from that time period about the Semple family in Scotland. This document takes the family back hundreds of years with no source citation. There is also a portion of Ryland's manuscript produced from her own research. Finally there are transcripts of a few letters, including one from "Eliza Pettus."

According to Ryland's manuscript, the graveyard at the Semple home in question,"Rose Mount," was plowed under and destroyed before 1900. No stones or their fragments remained at that time.

Sad news, no time for blogging

I apologize for the lack of posts lately but it is not without good reason. I recently found out that our best friend's have lost their baby, due only in a few days. The mother noticed that the baby was not moving and went to the ER while on vacation in Nags Head. The doctors could not find a heartbeat and informed her that the baby would be stillborn.

I have spent the last few days making funeral arrangements and setting up the burial. They do not have money for a burial plot so I asked for a favor from a great guy, Woody Harper, at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. He is going to allow them to place the baby in my crypt until they can make other arrangements in the next year or two - no charge. I thought that was very generous of him and I wanted to pass on the good word about Hollywood and Mr. Harper.

I will probably get back in the posting mood within the next 48 hours or so. Tomorrow is the day that she will deliver and I know that will be extremely difficult for everyone involved. My wife and I suffered several miscarriages before our first child so I know their pain. We never lost one this far along but I can imagine what they are going through.

I hate to write such a depressing post, and I know this entire subject is a little morbid, but death is part of genealogy. We look at death records for young children all of the time and do not think much of them. I scan past them, maybe pausing for a moment of reflection, but keep on going. This experience demonstrates for me the value of those little lost babies and shows that they were loved and not just a name on an interment card.

James Edward Caudle obituary, 1955

A reader named Christopher submitted his second in a series of Caudle obituaries this morning. He previously submitted an obituary for his great-grandmother, Iona Caudle, and recently discovered the obituary for her husband.

Richmond News Leader, November 25, 1955:
"CAUDLE - died in Newtown, CT, Wed Nov 23 1955, James Edward Caudle. He is survived by one daughter Mrs. Marian Santora, one son Morris Caudle. Upon arrival from CT, remains will rest at Joseph W. Bliley Funeral Home, Third & Marshall. Internment in Riverview."

Thanks again for the submission and feel free to send more!

Click here to view his previous submission: Obituary for Mrs. Iona Andrews Caudle of Richmond, d. 1948

Library of Virginia Bible Collection

I received an e-mail from a reader that I wanted to pass along and comment on further:

"...You might mention to your readers that you don't have to be a Lee, Houston or Jefferson to have your family Bible on record at the Library of Virginia. They don't make it clear on their website, but they will be happy to photograph or photocopy an individuals family Bible record entries to include in their archives. These are then available for genealogical research. It also makes a safe back up in case of damage to the original. I recently went through this process with my Johnson Ivey ancestors' Bible dating back to 1799 in Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia. Continued good luck with your project, Ed Miller"

Well, what Mr. Miller states is very true. The Library of Virginia does have a large collection of Bible copies for patrons to search. This collection can be found online and is totally free. I will put a link to it below.

If you want to submit a Bible, I think they prefer that you bring it in but you can probably submit copies through the mail. However, I think there are some authenticity and quality issues if you do not bring in the actual Bible.

If you take your Bible to the Library, you will probably have to leave it for a few days as there is always a backlog in the scanning department. I know that they will not accept donations of entire Bibles (meaning the actual, physical book), they just do not have the space. They will refer you to the Virginia Historical Society for such a donation.

If you go to the following website it should look like a search box for the archives and manuscript collection. The Library categorizes Bible records in this thread so search here for them. I would recommend that you search by last name, maybe county. Just searching the word Bible brings up too many, unrelated entries.

Check out the Library of Virginia Bible Collection Here!

Elmer Whitfield Stennett (April 30, 1879 - July 8, 1953)

Elmer stood five feet, nine inches tall, weighed 140 pounds with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He was born in Rockbridge and spent time in Goochland, Buena Vista and Dinwiddie before moving his family to Richmond, following work on the railroad.

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, July 11, 1953:
"STENNETT - Passed away at a local hospital, Wednesday night July 8, 1953, Elmer W. Stennett of 1851 Southlawn Ave. He is survived by one son, Rev. R. D. Stennett, of Emporia, Va.; one brother, Hayden Stennett, of Maidens, Va., and two grandsons, William W. and R. D. Stennett, Jr., also of Emporia, Va. Remains rest at the Sutherland-Brown Funeral Home, Boulevard and Kensington Avenue, where services will be held Saturday at 3 P. M. Interment Oakwood."

Richard D. Stinnet & Mary Jane Carter Stinnet of Botetourt, Rockbridge & Goochland Counties

Richard D. Stinnet [1]. He was born on 01 Feb 1830 in Amherst, Virginia, USA[2]. He died on 24 Nov 1917 in Maidens, Goochland, Virginia, USA[2]. Burial on 26 Nov 1917 in Buchanan, Botetourt, Virginia, USA[2]. Cause of Death was bronchial pneumonia[2].

Richard and Mary were married by Lewis P. Fellers, pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church in Fincastle, Virginia. They lived along Purgatory Creek, a few miles to the northeast of Buchanan in Botetourt County. Richard was an uneducated farm laborer who never learned to sign his name. The couple had at least seven children, three girls and four boys: Virginia, Emma Elizabeth, Ada W., John H., Richard Haden, Charles O. and Elmer Whitfield.

Richard served as a private in the Botetourt Artillery during the Civil War and was captured at the Battle of Port Gibson, Mississippi on May 1, 1863. He was subsequently sent to prison in Alton, Illinois but was released during a prisoner exchange one month later. He then became a recruiter for the Confederate Army, stationed in Richmond, Virginia, and served until his unit disbanded.

The Stinnet family moved from the Buchanan area to Buffalo of Rockbridge County around 1880. By 1900 Richard and Mary were living with their son Richard in Maidens of Goochland County. The elder Richard was suffering from the infirmities of old age and had a weak back. He was unable to work and applied for a military pension in 1903.

Mary passed away before 1910 and Richard died from pneumonia in 1917. He was buried in Buchanan, presumably in Fairview Cemetery, but neither he nor Mary have a marker in that graveyard.

Mary Jane Carter is the daughter of Joseph Carter and Belsora Elizabeth Lavender[3]. She was born Nov 1838 in Botetourt, Virginia, USA[3, 4]. She died Bet. Jun 1900–Apr 1910[4, 5]. Richard D. Stinnet and Mary Jane Carter were married on 16 Feb 1854 in Botetourt, Virginia, USA[6].

Sources

1 - Ancestry.com, 1870 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2003), Database online. Buchanan, Botetourt, Virginia, post office Jackson, roll 1636, page 511, image 268.Record for Richard D Stinnet.

2 - Commonwealth of Virginia certificate of death (Bureau of Vital Statistics), Richard Stinet, 1917, 340-26783.

3 - Botetourt County, Virginia Marriage Register, 1853-1899, Stinnett-Carter entry, 1854, p. 23, ln. 24.

4 - Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004), Database online. Licking Hole, Goochland, Virginia, ED 16, roll T623 1710, page 7B. Record for Richard Stinett.

5 - Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006), Database online. Licking Hole, Goochland, Virginia, ED , roll T624_1629, part , page, Record for Richard Stinett.

6 - Botetourt County, Virginia Ministers' Returns, 1782-1854, Stinnet-Carter entry, 1854.

Oliver P. Hankins & Mary Susan Hockaday Hankins Obituaries, Richmond

Richmond Dispatch, October 22, 1878:
"Died, on Sunday morning the 20th instant, at forty minutes past 8 o'clock, after a short illness, Mrs. MARY SUSAN HANKINS, wife of Mr. O. P. Hankins, in the fifty-eighth year of her age. The funeral took place yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock. Her remains were interred in Hollywood Cemetery."

Richmond Dispatch, March 3, 1895:
"HANKINS - Died, on Friday evening, March 1st, at thirty-five minutes past 6 o'clock, at the residence of Mr. Thomas N. Kendler, his son-in-law, No. 919 west Marshall street, Mr. O. P. HANKINS, in the 80th year of his age. The funeral will take place from Marshall Street Christian church, near Hancock street, THIS AFTERNOON at half past 3 o'clock. Friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend."

Oliver and Mary are buried in section A, lot 109 of Hollywood Cemetery, both in unmarked graves.

Florence Vass Hundley obituaries, Richmond, 1942

Richmond Times-Dispatch, November 27, 1942:
"MRS. FLORENCE VASS - Funeral services for Mrs. Florence Vass, who died Wednesday at the home of her niece, Mrs. S. C. Bass, 1900 Westwood Ave., will be held at 3 P. M. Saturday at the Joseph W. Bliley Funeral Home, Third and Marshall Streets. Interment will be in Riverview Cemetery. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. W. R. Lawrence and Mrs. G. L. Sanderson, both of Henrico County; a brother, A. L. Vass, and two sisters, Mrs. C. Williams and Mrs. J. W. Gibbons, of Richmond."

"VASS - Died suddenly at the home of a niece, Mrs. S. C. Bass, 1900 Westwood Avenue, Wednesday, November 25, 1942, Mrs. Florence Vass. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. G. L. Sanderson and Mrs. W. R. Lawrence; one brother, A. L. Vass; two sisters, Mrs. C. Williams and Mrs. J. W. Gibbons. The remains rest at the Joseph W. Bliley Funeral Home, Third and Marshall, where services will be held Saturday at 3 P. M. Interment in Riverview."

Wyatt Obituaries from Richmond Virginia

Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 23, 1925:
"WYATT - Died, Tuesday, December 22nd, 1925, at 4:25 P. M., at his residence, 618 South Belvidere Street, Thomas H. Wyatt. Besides his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Mrs. A. M. Wells, Mrs. Charles R. Turner and Mrs. O. V. Carter; also three sons, Jos. L., Thos. D. and Jno. A. Wyatt. The funeral will take place Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the above residence. Interment in Riverview."

Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 24, 1925:
"WYATT - The funeral of Mr. Thomas H. Wyatt, of 618 South Belvidere Street, will take place this (Thursday) afternoon at 2 o'clock, from St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, instead of from the residence as previously advertised."

Richmond Dispatch, October 9, 1889:
"WYATT - Died, at 12:10 o'clock A. M., Tuesday, October 8, 1889, at the residence of her mother, Mrs. Rachel Ann Harris, 627 Belvidere street, in the thirty-fifth year of her age, VIRGINIA FLEMING, beloved wife of Thomas H. Wyatt. The funeral services were held yesterday and the interment will take place TO-DAY at Aspen Grove, Hanover county, the residence of Mrs. Elizabeth Wyatt."

Richmond Times-Dispatch, November 25, 1934:
"WYATT - Died Saturday, November 24, 1934, at 4 P.M. at the residence of her son, 3329 Parkwood Avenue, Mrs. Susie Layne Wyatt, wife of the late Thomas Henry Wyatt. She is survived by three daughters, Mrs. A. M. Wells, Mrs. C. R. Turner and Mrs. Jane Carter, three sons, Thomas D., Joseph L. and John A. Wyatt, one brother, Barton W. Layne of Hanover, Va. and twenty-five grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren. The funeral will take place Monday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock from St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Interment in Riverview."

Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 6, 1952:
"WYATT - Died, December 4, 1952, Thomas D. Wyatt of 810 China St. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Julia S. Wyatt; one daughter, Mrs. Lottie Wilkinson; 2 sons, Thomas Earl and Frank Lee Wyatt; one stepson, Alvah G. Blackburn; one brother, Joseph L. Wyatt; three sisters, Mrs. Ollie Mae Wells, Mrs. Janie Carter, and Mrs. Gertie Turner, 17 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. The remains rest at the above residence. Funeral from St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Saturday at 3 P.M. Interment in Riverview."

Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 29, 1907:
"MRS. ANNIE BELLE WYATT - Mrs. Annie Belle Wyatt, wife of Thomas D. Wyatt, died yesterday at her residence, No. 620 South Belvidere Street. The funeral will take place from St. Andrew's Church this afternoon at 5 o'clock, and the interment will be in Riverview Cemetery."

Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 29, 1907:
"WYATT - Died, Wednesday, August 28th, Mrs. ANNIE BELLE, wife of Thomas D. Wyatt, at her residence, 620 South Belvidere Street. Funeral will take place from St. Andrew's Church THIS (Thursday) AFTERNOON at 5 o'clock. Interment in Riverview Cemetery."

Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 29, 1954:
"EX-POLICE OFFICER HERE SUCCUMBS - J. L. WYATT, 73, SERVED 40 YEARS - Joseph Lee Wyatt, 73, a retired police officer, died Wednesday at his home, 620 South Laurel St. Mr. Wyatt, who joined the force in 1910, had a foot beat in the Main Street business district for many years. For a long time, he was easily distinguished from other policemen by his carefully trimmed goatee. Before joining the police force, Mr. Wyatt worked 14 years at Tredegar Iron Works. For 10 years, early in his law enforcement career, he was assigned to inside work at station houses. He retired from the force in July, 1950, after spending nearly 40 years as a policeman. He is survived by five sons, Harvey Fleming, Joseph L., Jr., Thomas Henry, Edroy Frederick and St. Elmo Maury Wyatt, all of Richmond; three daughters, Mrs. Virginia E. Preston and Mrs. Georgia Nickleboro, both of Richmond, and Mrs. Ida Evelyn Wise, of Newport News; three sisters, Ollie Mae Wells, Mrs. Janie Carter and Mrs. Gertie Turner, all of Richmond, and 10 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements were incomplete last night."

Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 30, 1954:
"WYATT - Died at his residence, 620 South Laurel St., Wednesday, July 28, 1954, Joseph Lee Wyatt. He is survived by five sons, Harvey Fleming, Joseph Lee, Thomas Henry, Edroy Frederick and St. Elmo Maury Wyatt, all of Richmond; three daughters, Mrs. Virginia E. Preston, Mrs. Georgie Mickelboro, of Richmond, and Mrs. Ida Evelyn Wise of Newport News, Va.; three sisters, Mrs. Ollie Mae Wells, Mrs. Janie Carter and Mrs. Gertie Turner, all of Richmond; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. The remains rest at the Joseph W. Bliley Funeral Home, Third and Marshall, where the funeral will be held Saturday, at 3 P.M. Interment in Riverview."

Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 22, 1931:
"MRS. IDA LEE WYATT - Mrs. Ida Lee Wyatt, 52, died Friday at a local hospital. She is survived by her husband, Joseph L. Wyatt, and eight children, Harvey F., Joseph L., Jr., T. Henry, Eddie, Roy F., St. Elmo M., Mrs. Virginia Preston, Mrs. Evelyn Wise, Miss Georgie Wyatt; also one brother, R. W. Harris, and six grand-children. Funeral services will be held this afternoon at 4 o'clock at Pine Street Baptist Church. Burial will be in Riverview."

Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 12, 1952:
"J. A. WYATT, 48, DIES; HAD BEEN POLICEMAN - John A. Wyatt, 48, a former Richmond policeman, was found dead yesterday in an outbuilding in the rear of 618 China St. His death was listed as due to natural causes. He was on the police force for about a year and a half before he left in May, 1949. A funeral service will be held at 3 P.M. Thursday at the Joseph W. Bliley Funeral Home, with burial in Riverview Cemetery. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Ruth Wyatt; a stepson, Arthur Nuckols; three sisters, Mrs. Ollie Mae Wells, Mrs. Charles Turner and Mrs. Janie B. Carter, and two brothers, Thomas D. and Joseph L. Wyatt."

Jennie Haskins Coleman Lawson "PawPaw"

This photo was just sent to me by a cousin, Rob Lett. It is of our great-grandmother, Jennie Haskins Coleman Lawson, better known to us as "PawPaw". It is a great photo because she is holding a fistful of money and wearing a silly hat. I would estimate that this picture was taken in the early-to-mid seventies. She was living with my grandmother in Richmond at that time.

Pawpaw never smoke, drank nor wore a bathing suit and she once had thirteen teeth pulled by a veterinarian, with no anesthesia. She was a petite woman, less than five feet tall and weighed less than one hundred pounds. She had a sweet disposition and loved her family dearly.

102 burials for Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, Bolling - Blunt

Here is the next set of 102 burials for Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia that we will be listing on the site. Included you will find the last name, first name and year of burial for each individual.

Bolling John 1914
Bolling Infant 1932
Bolling Bessie Layne 1974
Bolling Benjamin F. 1982
Bolling Aubrey 1979
Bolling Andrew 1934
Bolling Alma Mae 1955
Boley Spotswood A. 1911
Boley Jennie W. 1929
Boles Robert 1896
Boler Virginia 1898
Bolden Willie Mae 1980
Bolden Willie 1980
Bolden Percy 1970
Bolden Earl L. 1973
Boissieux Helen Love 1948
Boissieux Edmond 1922
Boisseau Richelieu Coleman 1959
Boisseau Oakie B. 1976
Boie Frederick 1873
Bohr Charlotte Virginia 1947
Bohannon Mary & J. E. (infant of) 1908
Bohannon Mary & J. E. (infant of) 1907
Bohannon Margaret A. 1918
Bohannan William J. 1906
Bohannan Violet 1903
Bohannan Thorton K. 1911
Bohannan Sue 1915
Bohannan Ruth May 1956
Bohannan Rosa & Infant 1908
Bohannan Howard O. 1968
Bohannan Bernice S. 1909
Bohannan Amanda F. 1902
Boettcher Infant 1920
Boehling Bertha Orange (Watkins) 1956
Boehling Baby 1924
Bodwell Melton Soloman 1975
Bodrick William 1970
Bodrick Bessie J. 1977
Bodenheimer Levi Harrison 1954
Bodenheimer James Waugh 1940
Bodenheimer Cora Waugh 1936
Bocock Lillian Marion 1930
Bocock Annie L. 1972
Bockleman Sopia 1881
Bochling Laura Virginia 1942
Bocardi Ethel S. 1968
Boblitz Jacob 1948
Bobier Peter 1902
Bobbitt William G. 1963
Bobbitt Simeon E. 1982
Bobbitt Nora S. 1972
Bobbett J. W. 1891
Boaz Vyra Point 1953
Boaz George Minor 1903
Boaz Clarence W. 1909
Boatwright T. M. 1905
Boatwright Orlanda H. 1890
Boatwright Genevieve N. 1968
Boardmen William H. 1902
Board William C. 1975
Blunt Willie E. Jr. 1944
Blunt William Henry 1920
Blunt W. H. (child of) 1897
Blunt Sarrena 1945
Blunt Sarah A. T. (or Brunt) 1890
Blunt Ruth Gordon 1959
Blunt Robert E. 1929
Blunt Richard Atwood 1877
Blunt R. P. 1894
Blunt Percy T. 1893
Blunt Oliva 1889
Blunt Nancy 1896
Blunt Minnie E. 1898
Blunt Mattie L. 1892
Blunt Mary Elizabeth 1941
Blunt Lee 1893
Blunt Laurence C. 1939
Blunt John L. 1882
Blunt Jennie 1893
Blunt James P. 1874
Blunt James B. (child of) 1881
Blunt James 1903
Blunt Gladys Elizabeth 1951
Blunt Gladys 1919
Blunt Garland Parker 1980
Blunt Frank D. 1907
Blunt Frank Clopton 1953
Blunt Florence 1896
Blunt Emma F. 1879
Blunt Elice Douglas 1952
Blunt Eiha James 1950
Blunt E. A. 1881
Blunt Charles Robert 1914
Blunt Charles L. 1890
Blunt Charles (child of) 1886
Blunt Birtie E. 1886
Blunt Bettie W. 1892
Blunt Bettie S. 1892
Blunt Bettie H. 1927
Blunt Alma E. 1896
Blunt A. L. 1934

Obituary for Mrs. Iona Andrews Caudle of Richmond, d. 1948

A reader named Christopher submitted the following on February 13, 2008. I was a little slow in posting it...my bad!

I located this death notice in the September 18, 1948 edition of the Richmond News Leader, for my great-grandmother, Mrs. Iona Andrews Caudle.

"Caudle- Died at her residence 105 N. Colonial Ave. Mrs. Iona Andrews Caudle. She is survived by her husband James Edward Caudle, one daughter Mrs. Marion L . Santora, one son Morris J. Santora and one brother J. A. Andrews. Remains will rest at Joseph W. Bliley Funeral Home Third & Marshall."

Thanks for the submission!

Richard Stinnett Obituaries; one from Florida, one from Richmond

The Tampa Tribune, Tampa, Florida - June 7, 1992:
"RICHARD L. STINNETT, 73, of Clearwater died Thursday at home. A native of Roanoke, Va., he moved to the area 35 years ago from Richmond, Va. He was a self-employed decorator and a member of the Elks and Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater. He is survived by his wife, Carrie J.; a son, Richard of Richmond; two daughters, Joanie King of Richmond and Patricia Stanley of Brooksville; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Moss-Feaster Funeral Home, Serenity Gardens Chapel."

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, April 4, 2001

"Richard L. Stinnett Jr., 63, of Richmond, died April 2, 2001. He is survived by his wife, Thelma H.; seven children, Richard C. Stinnett, Virginia Cashwell, Theodore Matzganis, Georgia Smith, George Matzganis, Victoria Smith and Gwendolyn Ellis; two sisters, Joan King and Patricia Stanley; 24 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren. His remains rest at the Bliley Funeral Home's Staples Mill Chapel, 8510 Staples Mill Rd., where the family will receive friends any time after 2 p.m. Wednesday, and where funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Thursday. Interment Westhampton Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society."

Drewry's Bluff, Richmond National Battlefield

I have been a little slow with posting lately. I have been playing with my wife's video camera and have not had much luck yet. There is something wrong with the battery so I cannot get it to record the video entries that I want to make. I have not given up on it yet so keep an eye out for videos coming soon.

We went to the Chesterfield Berry Farm today and picked strawberries. We ride out there twice each year, once for strawberries and once for pumpkins. It is a long drive but we always have a good time. They have good barbecue and beans so that alone makes it worth the trip!


I was going through some old pictures tonight and came across some that we took in July of 2003 at Drewry's Bluff, part of the Richmond National Battlefield. It was a major defensive position for the Confederates, being along a critical bend in the James River. There was an earthworks, a barracks and three large artillery guns to shoot at Union vessels.

I do not pretend to be an expert on the site. My main interest is that my wife's ancestor, Ansalem Clemens / Clemmens / Clements / Clemments / Clemons / Clemmons / Clemans / Clemmans ... you get the idea, well he supposedly died at that site. Family legend (and his wife's pension application) says that he was killed in battle on May 15, 1862 at Drewry's Bluff. My wife and I, she being seen in this photo aiming a large gun, went to the site to check it out. It is quite secluded, well back into the woods, and is not well travelled. We never saw another person for the two hours or so we were there.


The Richmond Dispatch from May 19, 1862 stated that "Bowyer’s battery, from Botetourt county, lost one man killed – George Clements – and three wounded." The name is not right but Ansalem was from Botetourt County and he was serving in their artillery unit.

To give you a little background, only days before this battle, the city of Norfolk had fallen to Union forces and the Confederates made a stand against the Union Navy, right here at the Bluff. They were able to hold off the Yankees, only a few miles from the Confederate capital!

We know that Ansalem died in this time period from estate records from Boteourt County, Virginia. Ansalem left $475 in the bank at Buchanan, Virginia. His wife was given one third, $107.89, and each of his ten children received $21.57. No mention was made of any funeral expenses. That leads me to believe that he was either buried on site or near by. I recently discovered that some of the Confederates that died at Drury's Bluff were buried at a church at Fort Darling.

I found this photo on the Internet of Confederate graves at the church. Its source was cited as "View of Confederate Church at Fort Darling—Graves in the foreground—Entrance to the Fort on the right. Gardner Stereo #1069. William Frank Browne - photographer. Negative at Library of Congress (LC-B815-1135)." The site I "borrowed" my copy from is a great source for Richmond Civil War history, you should check it out by clicking here: Civil War Richmond


In short, I am pretty sure that Ansalem was killed at Drury's Bluff when he was about sixty-years old. That sounds a little strange but not impossible. He was a stone mason by trade so perhaps his skills were used to help construct some of the structures at the site or maybe he was good at math and could help aim the artillery better. Who knows but his wife claims that he was there and the newspaper supports that a Clements died there during battle.




I want to go check out the site of this Confederate church but I have not made it over there yet. If anyone knows anything about the church or if it exists today, please share what you know with all of us.

Sorry for yesterday, working on something new...

Sorry I did not post yesterday. I had a good streak going but missed Memorial Day...count it as a holiday I suppose.

My wife and I cleaned out our attic this weekend, trying to get rid of anything we have not touched in over a year. That is the rule I try to use; one year. If I have not used something in twelve months, I can probably live without it. (This rule does not necessarily apply to items of a genealogical nature!)

We went by Hollywood Cemetery on Sunday, located in downtown Richmond. We have a place there in the chapel mausoleum and I wanted to show my wife the exact spot. She has been there but never saw our niche. It is a beautiful place, almost like an old castle, right along the bank of the James River. We will be buried within 100 yards +/- of Lewis Ginter, US presidents James Madison and John Tyler, and only a few hundred yards from Confederate president Jefferson Davis. It was interesting that day because people were all over the cemetery; walking, jogging, even having a picnic. I guess the nice weather and holiday weekend brought them in for the day.

We had a little trauma yesterday evening. My nine-month-old son, Connor, busted his lip open. He bled like a stuck pig so we finally took him to the ER. They said he could use a stitch or two but the trauma from strapping him to the table would be greater than just letting it heal on its own. He would get a scar either way so we just took him home. He did great through the whole thing. He never even cried. My wife took it much harder than he did.

I have nothing else to talk about the moment so I thought I would mention something I have in the works. I plan on beginning to post video entries on the Virginia Family Tree blog. It will be something different, a medium where I can show you guys some of the things I have learned or found over the years, in a new light. I hope to put together a clip tonight and will post it as soon as I can. I think it will add an interesting dynamic to sharing and learning about genealogy.

If you are interested, you can click here to see a virtual tour of Hollywood Cemetery. It is pretty cool. Click on the Palmer Chapel and then click on the Chapel door to see where my wife and I will be buried. This photo is from around the time that the built it so the grounds are not as pretty as they are now.

Mamie Alease Clarke Brock of Richmond, Virginia (1887-1945)

Mamie was described as a big, happy woman. She worked as a midwife and a seamstress, making many of her grandchildren's clothes. As a midwife, Mamie would deliver a child and look after its mother for two weeks. She would go and visit the new family everyday, doing laundry and other chores for a total of $l5.00. Relatives claim that Mamie delivered hundreds of babies, including several of her grandchildren, including my own mother.

Mamie was a selfless person and gave-up the love of her life to please her mother by marring Mr. Brock. She also traveled to England, during World War I, to retrieve her sick and missing brother, Tom Clarke. Aside from her brother, Mamie also cared for her dying and disfigured mother when everyone else abandoned her.

My mother can remember being taken to the park by Mamie as a little girl. She would push her around in a baby carriage and seemed to enjoy being a grandmother. My mother also remembers Mamie making her clothes. Her most interesting recollection about Mamie occurred after her death. One night, my mother claims that Mamie came to her as an angel, standing at the foot of her bed. Mamie asked my mother to go with her, but mom refused. Mamie went back to heaven and my mother went back to sleep.

One Christmas, Mamie had gone to the Brock farm to evict a tenant. However, when she got to the house, she discovered that the family had no food or heat. The woman's husband was an alcoholic and had bought his children only a single head of cabbage for Christmas. Mamie's heart would not allow this to happen so she went to town and bought food and toys for the children. She told the husband that she was only showing compassion for the children that he still had to get them out of her house.

A few months later, Mamie came back and this time the woman was in labor. She had to deliver the baby while the drunken husband stayed in the barn. After the delivery she went outside and told the man that he had better be gone in two weeks or she would call the law. The man did move his family, but he held a grudge. A few years later, the man's wife killed him because of the abuse that she suffered. Mamie testified as a character witness in her defense.

When Mamie was older, she developed cancer in her neck. The disease spread and strengthened, causing her muscles to weaken. Before she died, Mamie had become unable to hold her head up. To remedy this, doctors installed lead weights into the back of her skull to force the head upright. The weights worked, but it was not long after the surgery that Mamie passed away.

George Washington Brock of Henrico County, Virginia (1868-1937)

George stood about five feet, ten inches tall and weighed approximately 160 pounds. He had brown hair, hazel eyes and a soft voice. He usually wore overalls, a belt, big shoes and long underwear. He thought that the long underwear kept him warm in winter and cool in the summer. George never smoked nor drank, but did chew tobacco. He rarely took baths and slept in separate beds from his wife after the birth of their last child. He was a mild-tempered man and only went to beat his daughter Elna once. She sassed him in the field about a tractor and he took off after her. She ran to Mamie who made him leave her be. This was the only time she ever recalled him so upset with her.

George grew-up on a farm in Henrico County, Virginia. His parents died when he was in his early teens and he was raised by relatives. He later rented property in the same area, near Broad Street and Springfield Roads, after his marriage to Mamie. On his farm, George had horses, cows, mules and other small animals. Even though he eventually settled in the city, George could not let go of his land. He went to the country every weekend and tended to his property.

Mamie was not George's first marriage. His first wife was Maggie Ford and they had one legitimate child together. George thought that he may have had two other children by her but discovered his wife had been having an affair. The two children actually belonged to a Charlie Butler, Maggie’s future, second husband.

Being alone was not ideal for a man of forty years. George needed a wife to care for him as he got older, so he began looking for a second. One night, he went to a party and from across the room saw the woman that he wanted. She was a young girl, about twenty years-old, and George had to meet her. During this time period, you could not approach a woman. Instead, you had to be formally introduced. To get around this technicality, George got a friend to introduce him to Mamie’'s sister. To her, George was just a "country man" and she showed little interest. However, the half-sister did invite George to dinner with her family.

On the night that George went to dinner, Mamie was in the front room with her fiancé. They had been working on a quilt for their hope chest and were almost finished. Not paying any attention to the young lovers, George went into the kitchen with Mrs. Clarke and asked for her daughter’s hand in marriage. Mrs. Clarke thought that George wanted the sister and approved the marriage. However, when George explained that he wanted Mamie, Mrs. Clarke told him to marry any of her daughters that he wanted. Mrs. Clarke was from a well-to-do family and liked George because he was established.

At about the same time that her marriage was being arranged, Mamie came into the kitchen to display her finished quilt. George looked at her and said, "I'll be sleeping under that." Upon hearing this, Mamie knew what had happened. She married George, despite giving-up her true love, so that she would not disobey her mother. As for her fiancé, he never married and lived with his sister until he died. His name was Mr. Wilkerson and the last time anyone saw him was outside of Mamie's funeral. He sat on the corner and would not go inside. After Mamie was buried, Mr. Wilkerson approached her son, Edward, and gave him a large picture of her as a young woman. He told Edward that he had always dreamed of having her back but that it was too late. He had to let go because she was gone. Mamie was Edward’s mother, he deserved the picture. Mr. Wilkinson had no need for it any longer.

George loved his home in the country and allowed family members to stay there while he was away. For example, his daughter Doris and her husband lived there for awhile and ran the farm for George. One evening, Doris was washing dishes when she saw the man that Mamie had evicted looking at her through the window. Bernard would not go outside to run him off. He told Doris that she was seeing things. However, the next morning, there were two horses and several cows deathly ill. The man had poisoned George’s livestock, an emotional blow that he never recovered from.

After the incident, farmers came from all over to help George try to save his horses. The men got the animals into the barn and had to put boards under their stomachs so that they would not lie down. If they were allowed to do so, the horses would give-up and die. Despite all of their efforts, the horses did die, along with all of his other animals except for one cow and her calf. Heartbroken, George had Mamie sell his barn full of feed and his two cows. She got a mere $30.

While in Richmond, the Brocks lived on Lombardy, West Cary and Belvidere Streets. George was not happy in the city, but as mentioned before, he spent his weekends at the farm. The only problem that George had was that Mamie controlled the car. He could not drive and had to depend on her to take him to and from the country. However, she did so ever weekend, so that she could spend time with her boyfriend, Eddie Alley.

George was employed by the city and walked to and from work everyday. On his way home, he would search for anything recyclable, especially foil cigarette wrappers. He would later sit in the backyard and ball-up the foil to sell. He had a pull-string pouch that he kept his recycling money in. Mamie did not have the heart to ask him for that money although he never spent it on anything. The pouch never left his body.

As it has become obvious, George loved animals. The family had a pair of black cats which had kittens in the kitchen cupboard. Not realizing it one day, George let the male cat into the house, thinking it was the female. He felt terrible when the male killed all of the kittens. He took their death to heart.

Two weeks before George died, he had a heart attack. The doctors told him to take two weeks of vacation and after fourteen days he went back to work. Mamie objected to his decision and was so furious that she refused to pack his lunch that day. George went into the kitchen, made a sandwich and set-off for work. The night before, he told Mamie that he had helped her raise all of the other children but that he was not going to be around for Elna. She was confused by him saying such a thing.

About noon, George returned home with two men. They sat in the truck and Mamie offered them some soup but they were not hungry. George sat around for a few minutes. His daughters, Elna and Alease, were on the front porch when George got ready to leave. Almost as if he knew he was going to die, George watched his two girls through the back window until they drove out of sight. He had a second heart attack while cleaning-up Monroe Park less than an hour later. George was rushed to Memorial Hospital, but it was too late. He died shortly after arriving.

About an hour after George died, one of his fellow workers showed-up at the Brock home. He gave Doris her father's hat and belt, but his money pouch was gone. No one ever saw it after that point. The only positive aspect about George's death was that he got his one wish - to die with his shoes on.

At his funeral, Mamie saw George in a suit for one of the first times since their wedding. She made the comment that "if he looked that way more often, I could have loved him." After the services at Bliley's, George was buried on the old Brock homestead on Broad Street Road. In the early 1980's, all of the graves from that site were moved to Westhampton Memorial Park on Patterson Avenue because of the expanding road.

Charles Simon of Richmond, Virginia d. 1930

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia February 25, 1930:

"SIMON - Died, February 24, 1930, at his residence, 2905 Monument Ave., Charles Simon, aged 62 years. Interment private. New York papers please copy."

John Spith Maynard of Richmond, Virginia d. 1930

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia February 25, 1930:

"MAYNARD - Died, at Stuart Circle Hospital, February 24, at 9 P. M., John Spith Maynard, son of the late John Maynard and Kittie Heth Maynard. Funeral notice later."

Claudeous A. Raison / Faison of Richmond, Virginia d. 1930

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia February 25, 1930:

"RAISON - Claudeous A. Faison died Monday, February 25, 1930, at 4:30 P. M., at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Grace Bartow Wilkinson, 1315 Avondale Avenue, Richmond, Va. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Grace Bartow Wilkinson and Mrs. Herbert Ingram, both of this city. Funeral services will be held at the grave, in the family burying grounds, Dendron, Va., Tuesday, at 2:30 P. M."