Poythress Analysis of Records of the Mecklenburg (VA) Methodist Circuit 1835-1876
Posts by Lynwood Poythress Baird to the Poythress mailing list hosted by Rootsweb.Poythress Relations in Records of the Methodist Mecklenburg Circuit 1835-1876
By Lyn Baird, March 2019
Recently I rediscovered a file of historical records that I had received many years ago. It is a transcription of membership and baptism records of Methodist “classes” on the “Mecklenburg Circuit” of the Virginia Methodist Conference, touching from the 1830’s into the 1870’s. This transcription has thousands of membership and baptismal entries – with numerous glosses on marriages, deaths and so forth – contained in a Microsoft Excel workbook. I do not have access to the original records, and do not know where they are. Researcher Julie Cabitto, another member of Poythress mailing list, received this workbook in February 2007, and shared it with me and other researchers in October 2008. As Julie explained in 2008, “This is from Frances Clark, with the Southside Historical Society [Virginia]…There was a lady that brought this to Frances. The lady was a descendant of a Methodist Minister who kept all these records. She turned over the original book to a museum in I think Lexington. But before the lady did, she transcribed the whole book. I asked Frances recently and she couldn’t remember for sure the lady’s name or the museum’s name where the original book is held.” Just a few weeks back Julie provided me this update: “Way back then, I had several talks with Frances Clark. She told me a lady had just talked to her about Methodist records, an ancestor was the record keeper. At the time Frances was Pres[ident] of Gen[ealogical] society when they had one. The book was being donated to a library in Lynchburg. But before she donated it, she made this Excel file & gave it to Frances since she was the leader.” Having now worked with this transcription, I am very interested to get access to the original records, or at least to know there whereabouts. Thinking perhaps the “library in Lynchburg” might be Jones Memorial Library (https://www.jmlibrary.org/), I reached out to them, but after much patient searching, the reference librarian was unable to locate any possibilities in their collection. I have not made further attempts to locate the original. I can only hope it is in good hands for posterity.
Since I do not have access to the original records, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the transcription. However, the materials appear authentic to me. Of course there is also a question of the accuracy of the original records. I find what appear to be minor discrepancies that one might expect in records such as these, kept in the manner I expect they were kept. Of note, I find cases of repeated entries for who appears to me to be a single person, in which there are variations in the name, in particular with the middle initial. Again, I do not find this surprising, but because of this, I am tending to overlook differences in middle initials in my proposed identification of people.
The Mecklenburg Circuit
Southside Virginia was a pioneering area for American Methodism. Randolph-Macon College, a historically Methodist school, was established at Boydton, Mecklenburg County, in 1830. Mid-nineteenth century Methodist “circuits” in southside Virginia consisted of many congregations, variously termed “churches” and “classes.” Each was typically served by one itinerant clergyman, assisted by lay preachers.
Composition of the Mecklenburg Circuit varied over the years. In this transcription I find mention of as many as 35 distinct congregations. My research indicates the following distribution by county:
- Most, 21, were in Mecklenburg County, of which 13 are historical, that is, are no longer active Methodist congregations. These 21 of Mecklenburg County, with historical ones shown in italics, are as follows: Boydton, Canaan, College Station (likely Randolph-Macon College), Concord (shared with Baptists and Presbyterians), Easters, El Bethel, Ephesus, Gilgal, Kingswood (also Kings Wood, formerly Calvary), Lombardy Grove, Old Bethel, “Old Church” (shared with Episcopalians), Providence, Rehoboth, Ridge Grove, Salem, Sardis, South Hill (also Southhill), St. James (acquired from Episcopalians), Taylors, and Zion.
- Five were in southwestern Brunswick County, as follows: Bethany, Pleasant Grove, Prospect, Rock, and Tabernacle.
- One, Antioch, was and is in southern Lunenburg County.
- One, Hebron, was and is in southeastern Charlotte County.
My research finds no information on seven of the 35, as follows: Centenary Chapel, Davis (also Davises), High Grove, Lion, Oak Grove, Sharon, and Spring Hill. Of the 28 having a known location, 26 were located between Meherrin River to the north and Roanoke River to the south. The other two, Antioch and Pleasant Grove, were located north of the Meherrin.
I have been personally familiar with many of these congregations, having grown up along the Mecklenburg-Brunswick border, and being raised Methodist. At different times in my father’s childhood, he and his family attended Sardis, Kingswood and Canaan. My dad, though not a pastor, was a designated lay speaker, and I sometimes went along when he “filled a pulpit.” For this and other reasons – weddings, funerals, revivals, homecomings, fifth Sunday sings – I have visited at least Bethany, Canaan, Kingswood, Pleasant Grove, Prospect, Providence, Rehoboth, Rock, Sardis and Tabernacle, that I recall.
The Poythress relations I have so far identified in these records are found in three congregations – Sardis, Rehoboth and Zion – all in eastern Mecklenburg County, and all still actively gathered.
Poythress Relations in the Sardis Congregation
It is my understanding that the Sardis Methodist church has always met at or near its present meeting location, 3152 Marengo Road, La Crosse, Virginia [36º 38′ 35.2″ N (36.643125), 78º 6′ 59.0″ W (-78.116396)]. This is in the historically Marengo community of southeastern Mecklenburg County. From Life by the Roaring Roanoke [Susan Bracey, 1977], p 109: “Meetings were held [at the house of Lewis Williams] until 1812 when a meeting-house was erected nearby and named “Sardis” by [Methodist preacher, John] Early. The land on which Sardis was built had been deeded by Smith and Ann Rainey to Lewis Williams, Williamson Rainey, Ebenezar MacGowan, George Rogers, James Nolley, Samuel Holmes, and Lewis Grigg, as trustees. The present Sardis Church, at Marengo, is the third building, erected about 1911 on land given earlier by W. B. Cleaton. It had been preceded by one built about 1844.” See also http://www.sardis-umc.org/history/. In the transcription I find the following years associated to Sardis: 1835, 1844, 1851, 1855, 1856, 1858, 1859, 1863, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1875.
I find five Poythress-related entries associated to Sardis, listed below in the order of the transcription:
Page 146, section 3343, Nathan Poythross(?) [sic], single, Sardis Class 1851
I propose this is Nathan Poythress, 1830-1862, son of James E. and Catherine Preston Poythress. For more about Nathan and family, see Barbara Poythress Neal’s study at http://poythress.org/family-studies/poythress-progenitors-james-edward-poythress-of-virginia/.
Page 146, section 3344, Sarah Poythross(?) [sic], single, Sardis Class 1851
I propose this is Sarah A. V. Poythress, born 1832-1835, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, daughter of Edward and Mahala (Mahaley) Nance Poythress. In 1856 Sarah marries German D. Redman in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. It is her first marriage, his second or third. In the 1860 census Sarah (listed as Ann), German, and children comprise household 203 of Goshen District, Granville County, North Carolina, Oak Hill post office. From census records it appears she dies around 1868 to 1870, in Granville County or Person County, North Carolina – leaving six children ages 2 to 12: Nancy S., James Robert, Martha E., Thomas E. and Georgianna.
Page 146, section 3346, Joshua E. Poythress(?) [sic], single, Sardis Class 1851
I propose this is Joshua Lewis Poythress, 1828-1854, son of James E. and Catherine Preston Poythress. From Barbara Poythress Neal (http://poythress.org/family-studies/poythress-progenitors-james-edward-poythress-of-virginia/) we have that Joshua marries Elizabeth Crowder in 1852, bond Warren County, North Carolina. It appears Elizabeth Crowder was from the Crichton’s Store area of Brunswick County.
Page 146, section 3349, Harriet E. Poythross(?) [sic], single, Sardis Class 1851
I propose this is Harriet Poythress, born about 1834 in Virginia, daughter of Edward and Mahala (Mahaley) Nance Poythress.
Page 415, section 9890, Bettie Jane Poythress, [marital state not give], Baptism 1869 B. H. Johnson Sardis
I propose this is Elizabeth Poythress, born May 1854, daughter of Thomas M. and Lucy J. Thomas Poythress. As of the 1850 census Thomas, Lucy and children comprise household 218 of the 98th Regiment, Mecklenburg County. The James E. Poythress household is next door, which would indicate, given that James’ children are meeting with Sardis congregation in 1851, that the Thomas M. Poythress household is “in the Sardis neighborhood” at this time. As of the 1860 census the Thomas M. Poythress family, now joined by Elizabeth, comprises household 173 of the 98th Regiment, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, post office Tanner’s Store. On the 1864 confederate engineering map of Mecklenburg County (https://www.loc.gov/item/gvhs01.vhs00357/), Tanner’s Store is shown at what is now the intersection of Marengo Road and Belfield Road, about three miles north of Marengo post office and Sardis meeting house. Even though in both 1850 and 1860 the Thomas M. Poythress family resides closer to Sardis than to Rehoboth, Bettie Jane’s 1869 baptism is the only evidence in the transcription of a connection of this family to Sardis. (See following the connection of this family to the Rehoboth congregation.) I do not find Elizabeth in the 1870 or 1880 censuses. In 1884 Elizabeth marries Thomas L. Mills in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. The marriage record states that she is residing on the plantation of E. H. Riggan, Joyceville post office, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. The Joyceville post office was located about three miles southeast of the Rehoboth meeting house.
I find interesting the presence of members of the James E. and Edward Poythress households in the same congregation the same year. No doubt they would have been acquainted – being of near ages, and single, in a congregation of less than eighty persons. The 1850 Mecklenburg census lists James E. Poythress as household 217 and Edward Poythress as household 241. Lewis Poythress is known to be the father of Edward Poythress, and he is our best candidate, though not proven, to be the father of James E. Poythress. Both households leave Virginia before 1860. Barbara Poythress Neal, in her study of James and Catherine (http://poythress.org/family-studies/poythress-progenitors-james-edward-poythress-of-virginia/), states: “James Edward Poythress moved from Mecklenburg Co, VA, to Sumter Co, AL in approximately January of 1853, with above-mentioned wife and all 8 children, and reportedly with his nephew, James Speed Poythress.” In the 1860 census Edward Poythress is in household 645, Granville County, North Carolina. This census entry is problematic – named spelled Paithress, Edward’s age 85, Edward’s sex female, Edward’s race mulatto, and in the household of a Rebecca Johnson – but Mahaly is also in the household, and there seems no reason to doubt this is our Edward Poythress.
Poythress Relations in the Rehoboth Congregation
The Rehoboth Methodist church meets at 1919 Blackridge Road, La Crosse, Virginia [36º 35′ 56.0″” N (36.598884); 78º 4′ 12.9″” W (-78.070248)]. This is about 5.4 miles by road southeast of Sardis, in what is historically the Blackridge community of southeastern Mecklenburg County. I could not find much on Rehoboth’s history, but understand that it was gathered in 1833, and, like Sardis, has always met at or near its present location. After a fire in 2004 destroyed the 1888 building, the church rebuilt at the same location. In the transcription I find the following years associated to Rehoboth: 1834, 1835, 1851, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1858, 1859, 1863, 1864, 1866, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1874.
With Rehoboth I find 15 entries which I propose associate to four Poythress relations, as follows:
I propose the following four entries are the same person:
Page 216, section 4945, Martha W. Dortch, single, Rehoboth Church 1856, “Probationers 1856”
Page 235, section 5480, Martha W. Dortch, single, Rehoboth Class No 1 1856, “Joined July 27, 1856”
Page 274, section 6406, Martha W. Dortch, [marital status blank], Rehoboth Class 1858
Page 300, section 7074, Martha W. Dortch, [marital status blank], Rehoboth Class 1859
I propose this is Martha W. Dortch, born ca 1838, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, first child of William Archer Dortch and Sarah G. Poythress (marriage bond 01/31/1837, Warren County, N.C.). Julie Cabitto has Martha’s middle name as “William.” Circumstantial evidence points toward Lewis and Rebecca Taylor Poythress as parents of Sarah, though proof of this is yet to be recovered. In the 1850 census William and Sarah (shown as Sally), along with Martha and other children, are listed as household 213 in the 98th Regiment of Mecklenburg County, Virginia. In 1863 Martha marries John S. Vaughan in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. In the 1870 and 1880 censuses, the post office of John and Martha is given as Boydton, Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
I propose the following seven entries are the same person:
Page 174, section 3924, Lucy J. Poythress????? [sic], married, Rehoboth Class
Page 199, section 4544, Lucy Portress [sic], married, Rehoboth Class 1855
Page 235, section 5452, Lucy J Portress [sic], married, Rehoboth Class No 1 1856
Page 273, section 6391, Lucy J. Poythress, [marital status blank], Rehoboth Class 1858
Page 300, section 7059, Lucy J. Poytheness [sic], [marital status blank], Rehoboth Class 1859
Page 323, section 7617, Lucy J. Poythress, married, Rehoboth Class 1863
Page 362, section 8580, Lucy J. Poythress, married, Rehoboth Class 1866, “Dropped by church conference Oct 1874”
I propose this is Lucy J. Thomas, born ca 1826, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, daughter of Bennett Thomas and his second wife, Nancy ___. Sometime before 1846 Lucy marries Thomas M. Poythress, son of Lewis and Rebecca Taylor Poythress. As noted in the treatment of the Sardis congregation, as of the 1850 and 1860 censuses the Thomas M. Poythress household resides in the neighborhood of Sardis rather than of Rehoboth. So it seems puzzling that Lucy is meeting with the Rehoboth congregation over this period. Since Lucy’s parents resided close to the Rehoboth meeting house, perhaps Lucy had grown up in the Rehoboth congregation. By 1870 or after, Thomas and Lucy are residing about 1.5 miles north of the Rehoboth meeting house, on a farm to the east side of Blackridge Road that had been a part of Lucy’s parents holdings. Lucy dies sometime between 1891 and 1896, and is buried in the Poythress-Tanner family cemetery on that property. (Thomas M. and Lucy J. are my twice-great-grandparents through son James David Poythress.)
I propose the following two entries are the same person:
Page 324, section 7649, William L. Poythress, single, Rehoboth Class 1863, “Received Aug. 1863”
Page 363, section 8602, William L. Poythress, single, Rehoboth Class 1866, “Dropped by Church Conference Oct. 1874”
I propose this is William Lewis Poythress, born 1845 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, eldest son of the above-mentioned Thomas M. and Lucy J. Poythress. I find it interesting that both William and his mother are dropped from membership during the same 1874 church conference. I don’t find William and family in the 1870 census. In the 1880 census they are household 7 of Meherrin Magisterial District of Brunswick County, Virginia. By 1900 they are back in Mecklenburg County, household 118 of South Hill District. According to his death certificate, William dies in 1915 in the La Crosse district of Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Given that the attending physician is Dr. T. B. Smith, who served the Bracey and Blackridge areas, I find it likely that William is residing in the Blackridge area at that time, perhaps with or near his son, Foxhall, who reports the death. Also according to his death certificate, he is buried “near Blacks Ridge.”
I propose the following two entries are the same person:
Page 324, section 7630, Anna J. Jones, single, Rehoboth Class 1863, “Married Poythress”
Page 362, section 8591, Anna J, Poythress, married, Rehoboth Class 1866
I propose this is Anna Jane (“Ella”) Jones, 1844-1915, daughter of James B. and Martha Newman Jones. In 1865 Anna marries the above-mentioned William Lewis Poythress in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
Similar to the presence of members of the James E. and Edward Poythress households at Sardis, here we have members of the Thomas M. Poythress and Sarah G. Poythress Dortch families at Rehoboth in a same time period. I find it highly likely that these supposed relations would have been acquainted with one another.
In the transcription I also find the following, that I propose to be entries of sisters of the above-mentioned Lucy J. Thomas Poythress:
Page 148, section 3386, Rebecca A. Thomas, single, Rehoboth Class 1851
Page 199, section 4552, Amanda F. Thomas, single, Rehoboth Class 1855
Page 235, section 5461, Amanda F. Thomas, single, Rehoboth Class No 1 1856
There are many other entries of Thomas surname at Rehoboth, and it is likely some are relations of Lucy, but I will stop with these Thomas relations.
It should be noted that there is another Rehoboth (or Rehobeth) Methodist Church in the county, which meets at 3577 Phyllis Road, Boydton, Virginia. This Boydton-area Rehoboth does not appear in the transcription by that name. However, Taylors Meeting House, which may be a predecessor of this Boydton-area Rehoboth, does appears in the transcription. To my knowledge, all references to Rehoboth in the transcription are to the Blackridge-area Rehoboth.
Poythress Relations in the Zion Congregation
The Zion Methodist church meets at 3055 Busy Bee Road, South Hill, Virginia 23970 [36º 42′ 49.9″ N (36.713872); 78º 14′ 10.9″ W (-78.236307)]. This is about 11.8 miles by road northwest of Sardis, in what is historically the Union Level community of east-central Mecklenburg County. From Life by the Roaring Roanoke [Susan Bracey, 1977], p 110: “Camp meetings, prolonged revival meetings, were held at Zion Chapel, at present Union Level. Although the exact age of Zion is unknown, it was in existence by 1802 when [Francis] Asbury spoke there. According to tradition, camp meetings there dated back to 1790. However, the earliest definitely known camp meeting was held there in October 1812 when [John] Early and others attended and preached…Zion was probably chosen as the location for the camp meetings because the surrounding terrain was so level. […] During the summer of 1828 a committee appointed by the [Virginia Annual] Conference met at Zion for the purpose of choosing a location for a Methodist college for men. Boydton was chosen, and Randolph-Macon College was built. Although remodeled in 1897, Zion still has its original foundation, framing and timbers.” I gather that, similar to Sardis and Rehoboth, Zion has always met at or near its present location. In the transcription I find the following years associated to Zion: 1842, 1844, 1850, 1851, 1852, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1858, 1859, 1863, 1866, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1873, 1874, 1876.
With Zion I find four entries, as follows:
Page 284, section 6661, John L. Poythress, married, Zion Class 1859
Page 316, section 7445, John L. Poythress, married, Zion Class 1863, “Removed without certificate”
Page 351, section 8334, John L. Poythress, married, Zion Class 1866
Page 410, section 9675, infant children (2) Portress [sic], Baptism 1858 by B.C. Spiller, “Children of John L. Portress”
I propose these four entries are of John L. Poythress, progenitor, born ca 1829 in Virginia, died 1905 in Franklin County, North Carolina. John L. is the only Poythress progenitor I find in these Mecklenburg Circuit records. So this seems a good opportunity to rehearse what I have about him from our Poythress list archive, public records cited there, and my own research.
John’s middle name is typically cited as “Lewis” or “Louis”, however I am so far unaware of a source for this. In all the public records I have for him, his name is given as “John L.,” so I will refer to him in this way. John L.’s parents are often given as Edward Poythress and Mahala (Mahaley) Nance, as if proven, but to my knowledge no proof of John L.’s parentage has been found. However, I do consider Edward and Mahala to be the best available candidates to be John L.’s parents. Sometime before 1856 John L. marries Tabitha Ann Nunn (ca 1838 – 1907), marriage year and location so far not recovered. (Tabitha Ann Nunn is listed as “Tabitha A” in the 1860 census, as “T Ann” in the 1880 census, as “Bitha” in the 1900 census, and as “Ann Nunn” in the 1955 death certificate of her daughter, Fannie Courtney Gupton.) For parents of Tabitha Ann Nunn, I suggest as candidates Joshua Nunn (born ca 1812, Mecklenburg County, Virginia) and Mary Chandler (born ca 1814, Granville County, North Carolina). Joshua and Mary were married 1835 in Granville County, North Carolina. I suggest them as candidates because: a) Age, location and other children of Joshua and Mary fit well. b) In my online search of available records of the likely “border counties” of Virginia and North Carolina, no other promising candidates turn up. c) In the 1880 census Mary is listed as “Mary C.” d) Sarah Poythress – list member, researcher and descendent-in-law of Tabitha Ann Nunn – in a 10/27/2002 Poythress list message states, “…I was told that her mother was Mary Chandler…”
The “Children of John L. Portress” recorded in the Mecklenburg Circuit transcription as baptized in 1858 were almost certainly Joshua E., born ca 1856 and Susan A., born ca 1858, as per the 1860 census, which lists also a third child, Virginia L., born 1860. In that census, the post office of John L. and family is given as Union Level, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. John L.’s membership in the Zion congregation would be consistent with their residence in the Union Level area. In the 1901 pension application of John L., he states that in May 1861 he enlisted in Company F of the 14th Virginia Regiment of Confederate States troops, and that “he continued in the service until the surrender of Gen’l R. E. Lee.” This would indicate John L. returns from war in 1865, and from census records it would appear that John L. and family remove to North Carolina soon thereafter. A fourth child, Fanny, is shown as born Virginia 1864. A fifth child, John William, born 1866, and all accounted later children, appear in subsequent census records as born in North Carolina. The Zion records appear to be consistent with this timing of the family’s move south.
So far as I am aware, no record of the family has been found in the 1870 census. As of the 1880 census the family resides in Louisburg Township of Franklin County, North Carolina. Combining the census records with the information Sarah Poythress provided in 2/17/1998 and 2/23/1998 Poythress list messages, along with some guesswork and judgment, I account for ten children born to John L. and Tabitha Ann Nunn Poythress, as follows in order of birth: Joshua E. (1856), Susan A. (1858), Virginia Louise (1860), Fanny Courtney (1864), John William (1866), Joseph Sidney (1869), Otelia M. (1872), Alice Oliver (1875), Mary G. (1877) and Pattie G. (1881). The earlier four are born in Virginia and the later six in North Carolina. Sarah’s information includes two additional names – “Anna” and “Molly” – no birth years given, and Sarah’s information does not include Susan A. It is my guess that Susan A. and Anna are the same person. As for Molly, that name is often a diminutive for Mary. Sarah’s 2/23/1998 message cites both Molly and Mary G., but, failing to find a way to fit Molly in, I leave her as a possible, but not accounted, eleventh child.
As of the 1900 census the family resides in Hayesville Township of Franklin County, North Carolina. Living next door is son Joseph and family. Although I have not found death records for John L. or Tabitha Ann, the received understanding is that John L. passed in 1905 and Tabitha Ann in 1907. (The existence of an obituary for one or both has been suggested, as I recall, but I am not aware that an obituary for either has been recovered.) Both are buried at New Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery, Epsom, North Carolina. This is on the boundary between Vance and Franklin Counties. (Note that Vance County was formed from Franklin, Granville and Warren Counties in 1881.) Photos online of the graves show that there are grave markers, but these appear to be of much later origin. In her 2/23/1998 Poythress list message, Sarah Poythress states, “I understand there are no markers, just rocks.” Likely this was indeed the original situation for their graves.
John L. and Tabitha Ann have not been subjects of research for me. I am not aware of, and have not myself searched, deeds or wills for them. Likely there may be more to learn about them.
In Conclusion
My findings indicate there are twelve Poythress descendants recorded in this transcription – five at Sardis, four at Rehoboth and three at Zion. All twelve of these, as I have proposed them, are known or candidate descendants of Lewis Poythress. This reinforces the evidence from the U.S. census and other public records that all Poythress descendants found in mid-nineteenth century Mecklenburg and Brunswick counties, Virginia, are of the Lewis Poythress branch.
If one treats progenitor John L. Poythress as a candidate son of Edward Poythress, then the twelve Poythress descendants found in the transcription associate to four of the eight known and candidate children of Lewis Poythress, as follows: Edward (known), James E. (candidate), Sarah G. (candidate) and Thomas M. (known). Another (known) son of Lewis Poythress – John – passed away before this period, apparently childless. Because each of the other three known and candidate children of Lewis Poythress – David (candidate), Rebecca L. (known) and Lewis Y. (known) – resided for periods in Mecklenburg County, it would have been possible for them or their households to turn up in the transcription, but they are not found there. The situation in brief of each of these three is as follows:
- In the 1850 census David Poythress (born ca 1806 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia), his wife, Sally, and their children, compose household 134 of the 98th Regiment of Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Findings of researcher Albert Tims suggest this is in the Lombardy Grove area, which would have been accessible to the Zion congregation. In 1856 David and Sally sell what appears to have been their remaining land holdings in Mecklenburg County. By the 1860 census they are household 425 of Warren County, North Carolina, post office Warrenton. For more about David and family, see Barbara Poythress Wolfe’s study at http://poythress.org/family-studies/study-of-lewis-david-poythress-virginia/.
- In 1832 Rebecca L. Poythress (born ca 1808 in Virginia) marries Benjamin Stanley in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Both are stated to be “of the said county”. In the 1850 census Rebecca, Benjamin and children are household 103 of the Southern District of Brunswick County, Virginia. In the 1860 census they are household 22 of Meherrin Parrish, Brunswick County, post office Crichton’s Store. The 1864 confederate engineering map of Brunswick County, Virginia (https://www.loc.gov/item/gvhs01.vhs00322/) shows a “Stanly” household about 1.5 miles southwest of Crichton’s Store, close to the Mecklenburg-Brunswick line. As theirs is the only Stanley household listed in the 1860 Brunswick census, I consider it quite likely this “Stanly” household is theirs. From this location both the Canaan and Rehoboth congregations would have been accessible. Benjamin is shown in the 1870 census, still in Meherrin Township of Brunswick County, Virginia, but Rebecca is no longer in the household. It is my presumption that she has died before 1870.
- In 1846 Lewis Y. Poythress (born ca 1819 in Virginia) marries Mary C. Fergason [sic] in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, officiated by Methodist preacher James McAden “according to the forms, & ceremonies of the Methodist E[piscopal] Church.” In the 1850 census they comprise household 340 of Greensville County, Virginia. In the 1860 census they, along with two of Mary’s sister’s children, are household 312 of that county, post office Hicksford (present Emporia). The 1870 census finds them still in Greensville County, household 180, post office Belfield (former Hicksford and present Emporia). Lewis Y. still resides at Belfield, Greensville County, Virginia, at the time of his death in 1874, and Mary still resides there in 1880, in the home of her niece, Elizabeth Thomason.
We know so much about this Lewis Poythress branch, and yet we puzzle over many persistent questions. Along with four known children of Lewis, we have four candidate children. About these four candidates we have much convincing circumstantial evidence, yet not the proof. These Mecklenburg Circuit records of Poythress relations provide us no breakthroughs into these difficult questions. Yet they do provide more evidence that is consistent with other evidence. And they provide us more context, which is especially valuable for those of us laboring to scrape the barrel, resift what we have, and keep our detectors out for unexplored sources. And to that point, this transcription gives us hope there may be other material to come to light, as this transcription did.