Biographic Compilation by Mike Tutor, circa 2019

James Edward Poythress (1803 – 1863), probable son of Lewis Poythress and Rebecca Taylor, 6th generation.

James Edward Poythress (8/13/1803 – 1/17/1863) is a probable son of Lewis Poythress and his 2nd wife, Rebecca B. Taylor, although no extant documentation of his birth parents has been found. His first born child was named Joshua Lewis, which contributes to the hypothesis that he was the son of Lewis Poythress; as does his move to Sumter County, Alabama with his nephew, James Speed Poythress, who was the son of David Poythress, also a probable son of Lewis Poythress.

Another carefully sourced biographical history available on this site: Poythress Progenators: James Edward Poythress.

Lewis and Rebecca married in 1802. James Poythress married Catherine Speed Preston (1800 – 1884). They moved from Mecklenburg County to Sumter County, Alabama, in 1853.

James Edward Poythress was born 8/13/1803 in Mecklenburg Co., Va. and died 1/17/1863 in Sumter Co., Al. Catherine Speed Preston was born 1/20/1800 in Mecklenburg Co., Va. And died 10/18/1884 in Sumter Co., Al.

Children:

Joshua Lewis 11/10/1828 – 6/12/1854 m. 10/17/1852

Elizabeth J. Crowder Nathan Francis 10/18/1830 – 3/11/1862

William Huel 12/10/1832 – 6/26/1854

Catherine Jane McKinley 8/10/1838-11/5/1889 m. 4/24/1856 William Gilbert

Rebecca Barter Jane Lavender 11/10/1840 – 1/28/1936 m. 12/20/1860 John D. Lavender

Frances Penelope Bennett 8/4/1843 -1 2/10/1915 m. 2/7/1867 David L. Bennett

Algernon Edward 8/12/1844 – 4/11/1918 m. 8/25/1868 Ellen B. McKinley

Virenda Priscilla McKinley 2/19/1848 – 8/26/1920 m. 1/20/1869 Robert N. McKinley

1830 – Mecklenburg County

Portress, James – pg. 29, 1 M under 5, 1 M 20-29, 1 F 15-19, 1 F 50-59, 2 M slaves under 5, 1 M slave 24-35 [Virtual census]

James	25
Catherine	25
Joshua	1
(woman)	(50-59)

1840 – Mecklenburg County

Poythress – Virginia Census Records Page 3 of 28

Portress, Jas. – pg. 396, 3 M 5-10, 1 M 30-39, 2 F under 5, 1 F 30-39, 1 M slave36-55 [Virtual census]

James	35
Catherine	35
Joshua	10
Nathan	9
William	6
Catherine	3
Rebecca	1

1850 – Mecklenburg County, VA

HH 217 – Regiment 98, page 62, 26 Sept. Poythress, James, age 45, male, carpenter, born VA

, Catherine, age 45, female, born VA

, Joshua, age 21, male, carpenter, born VA

, Nathan, age 19, male, laborer, born VA

, William, age 16, male, laborer, born VA

, Catherine, age 13, female, born VA

, Rebecca, age 11, female, born VA

, Penelope, age 9, female, born VA

, Algernon, age 6, male, born VA

, Virinda, age 4, female, born VA

James Edward Poythress (1803-1863), his wife, Catherine Speed Preston (1800-1884) and their family moved to

Alabama in 1853. [Nathan Francis Poythress (1830-1862) Mecklenburg Co., VA., was the son of James Edward Poythress and Catherine Speed Preston.]

1860 – Sumter County, AL

HH 283 – Sumterville, pg. 37, 6 Sept.

Poythress, James , age 56, male, farmer, $1000 per. est., born VA

, Catherine, age 60, female, born VA

, Rebecca, age 16, female, born VA

, Penelope, age 14, female, born VA

, Algernon, age 12, male, born VA

, Pricilla, age 11, female, born VA, attends school

1870 – Sumter County, AL HH138 -Twp. 22, p. 83, 11 Aug.

Cathrin Gilbert 33 VA w/f $6,000 real estate

, Anabella 12 AL w/f attended school

, Lovina 10 AL w/f attended school

, William 8 AL w/m

, John 8 AL w/m

, Edward 3 AL w/m Cathrine Poythress 70 VA w/f Daniel McKinly 27 AL w/m

Catherine Poythress was a widow and was living with her daughter Catherine Poythress Gilbert. 1870 – Sumter County, AL

HH147 – Twp. 22, p. 84, 11 Aug.

Algiren Poythress 26 VA w/m farmer

, Ellen 18 AL w/f

, James D. 1 AL w/m

Algernon E. Poythress (8/12/1844-4/9/1918) was the son of James Edward Poythress (1803-1863) and Catherine Speed Preston (1804-1884).

1880 – Sumter County, AL

HH 149 – Gainesville Beat, p. 569, ED 172, 9 June

Poytrass, Alegenon, white, male, age 34, married, farmer, VA , VA ,VA

, Ellen, white, female, age 28 wife, married, AL, blank, blank

, James, white, male, age 10, son, laborer, AL, VA, AL

, Maggie, white, female, age 8, daughter, AL, VA, AL

, Annie, white, female, age 6, daughter, AL, VA, AL

, Hamet, white, male, age 1, son, AL, VA, AL

1900 – Lauderdale County, Mississippi

HH 113 – Poplar Springs, ED 11, sheet 7B, 8 June

Poythress, Algenon E., w/m, born Aug. 1844, age 55, married 31 yrs., VA, VA, VA, farmer, owns/mortgage/farm

, Helen B., wife, white, female, born Aug. 1851, age 48, married 31 yrs., 11 children/8 living, AL, Ireland, AL

, James D., son, white, male, born Aug. 1869, age 30, AL, VA, AL, farmer

, Maggie B., daughter, white, female, born Jan. 1872, age 28, AL, VA, AL

, Annie P., daughter, white, female, born Jan. 1874, age 26, AL, VA, AL

, Adalade E., daughter, white, female, born Aug. 1881, age 18, AL, VA, AL

, Katie F., daughter, white, female, born Feb. 1884, age 16, AL, VA, AL

, Robbie C., daughter, white, female, born June 1888, age 11, AL, VA, AL

, Benjamin E., son, white, male, born Apr.1893, age 7, AL, VA, AL

Algernon Poythress and his cousin, James Speed Poythress, moved from Alabama to Mississippi prior to 1900 census.

Joshua Lewis 1828-1854) married 10/17/1852, Elizabeth J. Crowder. The following is a court record from Mecklenburg County:

Mecklenburg land petition found in Mecklenburg, VA., Chancery case 1852-013. This CROWDER family mentioned in the Chancery Case is apparently the family of Elizabeth J Crowder who married Joshua Lewis Poythress who was the eldest son of James Edward Poythress & Catherine nee Preston.

PETITION OF SARAH W. CROWDER &C BY ETC

Only 2 documents and a case wrapper are in the file. The first document, filed at the Nov 1852 Court, includes among the petitioners the eldest son of James Edward Poythress: Joshua Poythress & his wife, Elizabeth, formerly Elizabeth Crowder. This young couple had just married in Mecklenburg Co., on 17 Oct 1852 (per Family Bible type record on file at LVA as Accession #34866), after having gotten their Marriage License on September 30, 1852, in Warren Co., North Carolina. From the way the other Crowder names are listed in this Petition, they would likely be Elizabeth’s mother and siblings. Sterling Crowder, the deceased mentioned in the Petition, would logically have been (though the Petition does not specifically say) the husband of Petitioner Sarah W. Crowder and the father of Elizabeth and the other Crowders listed. Unfortunately his year of death was not filled in, but was just left as “18 .” I find the deceased’s first name of Sterling intriguing because I’ve seen a listing sent by a List member (who photocopied Marriage Bond Index info from the NC Archives microfiche for NC Marriage Bonds on file in

Oxford, Granville Co, NC), which shows a marriage indexed for Sarah Crowder & James R. Portis [Poythress], showing a marriage bond dated 13 Jan 1827 in Northampton Co, NC, with Bondsman Thomas R. Hutson; and witness was Sam L. Calvert, married by John Jones, MG (Minister of the Gospel) and listing “M. 25 Dec 1865” (sic).

Our List members have told us that this couple, James R. Portis [Poythress] and Sarah Crowder, had children whose names included a Sterling Poythress, as well as William Poythress, James Poythress, Lovel Poythress, Joseph Poythress, and Richard Plunk Poythress; several of these sons married Turner women.

This 1852-013 Petition of Sarah Crowder & others in Mecklenburg Co, VA. was later dismissed in the November Term 1872 under a 7 Years Ruling for unresolved cases, as is noted on the case wrapper.

Transcribed by Barbara Poythress Neal: Mecklenburg Chancery Case 1852-013.

[Front of first document. Note: the 2nd middle initial of John W._. Crowder could be something other than an “L”] To the worshipful the County Court of Mecklenburg in Chancery sitting. Your petitioners Sarah W. Crowder, Julius

L. Crowder, Wiley H. Crowder, Joshua Poythress & Elizabeth his wife, formerly Elizabeth Crowder, Sarah Crowder, Nelson Crowder, and John W.L. Crowder the last three of whom are infants under the age of twenty one years by Wiley H. Crowder their next friend, respectfully shew to the Court, that Sterling Crowder departed this life some time in the year 18 that before his death he sold to one Betsy Macklin, Mary Macklin, & Nancy Macklin a small parcel of Land lying in the County of Mecklenburg containing about fifty acres for the sum of one hundred & twenty dollars_ that the said Sterling Crowder made no conveyance of the said Land to the said purchasers in his life time_ that the said purchasers have paid thirty dollars of the purchase money, and that your petitioners are informed that they are ready and willing to pay the residue of the purchase money, and believing that the said Land sold for its value, they are willing and desirous that the sale shall be conformed, and that a conveyance be made to the said purchasers or to any other person that the said purchasers may direct when the residue of the purchase money shall be paid_ But your petitioners are advised that this cannot be done without the intervention of this Court where such matters are only cognizable_ therefore they pray that this Court will appoint some suitable person to receive the residue of the purchase money and to convey the right & title of the said Land to the said purchasers or to any other person or persons that the said purchasers may direct and grant unto your petitioners such other & general relief as your worships may deem fit &C.

[Back of document. Note: again, the 2nd middle initial of John W._. Crowder could be something other than an “L”] Upon the petition of Sarah W. Crowder, Julius Crowder, Wiley H. Crowder, Joshua Poythress & Elizabeth his wife formerly Elizabeth Crowder, Sarah Crowder, Nelson Crowder, John W.L. Crowder the last three of whom are infants under the age of twenty one years by their next friend Wiley H. Crowder, the Court doth appoint Wiley H. Crowder a special Commissioner for that purpose, to receive the residue of the purchase money for a tract of Land sold by Sterling Crowder in his life time to Betsy Macklin, Mary Macklin & Nancy Macklin; and the Court doth further order and decree that the said Commissioner do convey with special warranty the said Land to the said Betsy Macklin, Mary Macklin & Nancy Macklin or to any other person or persons that they may direct_ but the said Commissioner shall not receive any money under this decree untill he enters into bond with good security in the penalty of $180 before this Court or before the Clerk in his office for the faithful discharge of his duty and the Court doth further order & decree that the Commissioner shall pay the costs of this decree, and report his proceeding to this Court_ and the Court doth further order & decree that the said Comr after paying the costs of this decree pay over the residue of the money to the representative of Sterling Crowder decd.

Mecklenburg Co. Court: Know all men by these presents, that we Wiley H. Crowder, Alexander(?) Boyd & John W. King are held and firmly bound unto the Commonwealth of Virginia in the sum of $180 dollars to pay which, we bind ourselves, our heirs, &c. jointly and severally firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals, and dated this 20 day of December 1852.

The condition of the above obligation is such, that if the above bound Wiley H. Crowder who has by a decree of the County Court of Mecklenburg by a petition of Sarah W. Crowder & others, Commissioner to collect the money for a tract of Land, sold by Sterling Crowder in his life time. [Note: other words had earlier been written in this lower portion, but were lined out, and are too difficult to read on this photocopy] shall faithfully discharge the duties of said Comr according to the said Decree, then the above obligation is to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue. W iley H. Crowder, A. G. Boyd, Jno. W. King

Mecklenburg County Court        term, 185_. This bond was acknowledged by the obligators thereto and ordered to be recorded.

King