A Must-Read: Finding the Henry Brock family cemetery of Henrico County, Virginia

If you only read one post I write this year, let this be the one...it is going to be a good one if I do say so myself!

The other day I was out Christmas shopping when I passed by an old conquest of mine...the Henry Brock family cemetery.  I like to say that I "found" it but I am sure it was never really lost.  The information to find the cemetery was there all along, someone just had to take the time to piece it together.  Let me give you some background on the Brock family.

Henry and Mary Ann Griffin Brock were my great-great-great-grandparents.  Henry was born around 1791 and grew to be a prosperous farmer in western Henrico County, Virginia.  His two-hundred acre farm was located on Old Coal Field Turnpike, later known as Broad Street Road.  At the time Mr. Brock purchased his land, that portion of Henrico County was rich in coal - hence the road's name. There were several active mines in and around the area.

The Brock homestead was demolished at some point, perhaps at the time of the road's widening in the mid-1950s.  Situated on present-day West Broad Street, I believe that the former Brock land is occupied by the current Virginia Home for Boys (8716 West Broad Street).  From an aerial photograph, it appears the Boy's Home tract is the approximate size and shape of the Brock property.  I believe that the old homestead was situated where the Home's main entrance sign exists today.

Now, I will admit that I have never sat down and fully traced the deeds from Henry's ownership of the land to the modern day.  The main tract was divided multiple times and I am sure it passed through many hands. The fact if I was right or wrong about the homestead's exact location was not overly important in this case.

My main interest was to locate a family cemetery, noted on the following land plat.  You can click on this scan to see a larger version but it is still hard to read.  What you will see are two tracts of land, one large and one small.  The smaller tract has a note that states something along the lines of "1/2 A. Res-erved for a grave yard."  The area is boxed off as a perfect square, right along the property line.  There is also a note that states something like "52 1/2 Acres of Woodland situated about 6 3/4 miles east of the Home Tract."  Again, the exact acreage and mileage is hard to read but I know that there is a cemetery within say 10 miles of the home tract...to the east.

In this case, exact figures did not matter too much.  I knew in my brain, roughly where the different Brock families lived over the generations.  I knew that Mary Ann Griffin Brock's family owned land near the county courthouse.  With that in mind, I started looking at a modern county map for features that matched the Brock plat.  I knew that the southern boundary of the property adjoined "Old Coal field Turnpike, now Broad Street Road."  Broad Street Road stretched from the city of Richmond, all the way through Henrico County and into Goochland.  I am sure it goes further than that, but I digress.  I needed to look to the north of Broad Street (they now drop the word Road from the end in Richmond and Henrico but still use it in Goochland).

The original plat was drawn in 1857 so I was sure a lot had changed.  A few things I noticed about the plat, for one was its shape.  It was narrow at the bottom and spread out toward the top.  It was also pretty regular in shape, the sides did not vary much.  I also saw that, to the west, was a road of sorts.  The road was not drawn the entire way down so it may either have curved off or stopped.  I also noticed the branch that flowed in the middle of the tract and forked off.  When it comes to creek branches, they can be a little deceiving.  What constituted a branch was subjective.  It could have been a tiny ditch or a large stream.  I think the key was that the body of water remained somewhat constant in shape and size and the water actually flowed, it did not tend to sit stagnant.  With that in mind, I kept an eye out for creeks on my modern map but I did not fixate on their being a creek.

After following Broad Street from Richmond toward Goochland, something caught my eye.  It was a tract of land, the scale seemed about right and the shape looked pretty close.  I did not see any creeks, although they could be hidden in the tree line.  There is a pond or lake near the tract so maybe the branch was diverted into a larger body at some point.  There appear to be neighborhoods in the direction from which the branch was running so maybe they did away with the water when the houses were built?  Take a look for yourself and see if you think the plat and this aerial view match up?

I went ahead and finished looking up Broad Street and never found anything else that seemed to fit.  I thereafter zeroed in on this spot being the Brock home tract.  It was definitely in the area I knew later generations of the Brock family lived, so I felt pretty good about it.  With my newly discovered information, I went down to the Virginia Historical Society to check out their map collection.

The Virginia Historical Society has a great collection of Civil War-era maps from Virginia, known as the Gilmer Collection.  I wrote an article about the GilmerCivil War Maps of Jeremy Francis Gilmer

The Gilmer maps show, in great detail, the outline of personal property boundaries and give the name of the various landowners.  I obtained the map for Henrico County, Virginia.  I cannot remember the exact date of creation but the map was probably drawn between 1861 and 1865.  Luckily, I was able to locate "Mrs. Brock" on the map with R. Ford as her neighbor.  The shape of the land was similar so I knew I was on the right track.  In this drawing, there is a creek but it is shorter and does not fork off.  Maybe the creek started drying up between 1857 and say 1865?  Now, keep in mind that Gilmer's maps were not scientific.  He did not survey the land necessarily so his maps are more artistic than scientific.

As a side note, Gilmer maps are protected property of the Virginia Historical Society.  I am including this tiny portion of the map, so you can see Mrs. Brock's name and to let you get a general feel for how the maps look.  The Historical Society sells posters of the maps at a reasonable price.  If you are interested in the history of a specific Virginia county, you should seriously think about ordering a Gilmer map if it is available.  You can check out their website here:  Virginia Historical Society Gilmer Maps

With the Gilmer map, we can see more roads and even a set of railroad tracks.  However, if you notice, the railroad tracks are actually just a spur that goes to the Springfield Coal Pits.  Perhaps that set of tracks was allowed to decay once the coal pits closed up?  

So, once again, there was nothing to say the Brock home place was located where the Boy's Home current sits.  However, looking at the overall modern map, I knew I was in approximately the right area on the modern version.  Remember, I was looking for the cemetery, not the home tract so precision was not required at this point.  I only needed a rough starting point.

Once I decided on an approximate location for the Brock home place, I took a stickpin and placed it where the house would possibly have stood.  I took a piece of string, and using the scale of the map, cut a piece that was approximately ten miles long.  I tied a pencil to the string and drew a twenty mile circle (ten on each side) that featured the "Brock farm" at the center.  I then cut the circle out and folded it in half, bring east and west together.  I opened the circle and cut it down the fold, leaving me with the eastern half of the circle.  My cemetery should be somewhere in that half.

What happened next was almost comical now that I look back on it but I had no idea how this would unfold at the time...

I was at the archives one day,  talking to one of my buddies who works there.  I mentioned that I was looking for a family cemetery in Henrico County.  He told me that a woman, representing perhaps the Henrico County Historical Society, was compiling a book of all the county cemeteries.  It has been awhile since this happened, so my memory is a little fuzzy.  I think I gave him my name and number to pass along to the woman when she came to the archives.  A little time passed and, if I remember correctly, she called me.  We spoke on the phone for just a few minutes and she asked what family was I looking for.  The second I said Brock, she said there was a Henry Brock cemetery near the county courthouse...and my jaw dropped!

She told me that the cemetery was noted on the official tax map for Henrico County as the "Henry Brock Family Cemetery."  It was located in an apartment complex but she was never able to find it for herself.  She also told me of another cemetery in the complex but that one had been found.  Here is a photo of that cemetery and its one stone.

Getting back to my story...  After thanking the woman, I got off the phone and went straight to the apartment complex.  I walked all over the place and could not find anything.  There is a hospital next door so I went over there, asking if anyone knew of a cemetery in the area.  I was told that a cemetery was in the hospital parking lot, in a bricked section, but I knew that was probably not what I was looking for.  Later I found more on that cemetery but that is another story, for another time.

I left that day, dejected because I could not find anything.  I did not give up hope though.  It was a day during the week and I cannot remember why I was not at work!  Anyway, I went to the court house and asked for the personal property tax division.  When I got there, I explained that I was looking for a family cemetery and was told that it was on the tax map.  The woman was very helpful and, in the matter of a few minutes, she was able to produce a map that showed the "Henry Brock Family Cemetery" boxed off.  It was in the apartment complex but it was split into two pieces...that seemed strange to me.  No matter, I was thrilled with the find because now I had a treasure map with an "X" on it.

I do not exactly remember how this part happened, but I am glad that it did.  Maybe I asked her who owned the property but either way she looked it up in the computer.  It turns out that no one owned the land, that it was just tax-free land with no contact person.  I asked if she could put my name on it and, within a few seconds, I was listed as the contact person for the tract.  No paperwork, nothing.  I guess only a relative would be looking for a 150 year old cemetery with no owner on file!

I left the courthouse with all kinds of excitement.  I went back across the street, map in hand.  Surely I would find it now!  But no luck!  All I found was the building on the map and a playground.  I sat there and studied the map for awhile and started to realize that something was not right.  Now remember, I do not know what happened to the land after the 1857 deed, but it looked to me as if that building was built in the middle of the cemetery.  The 1857 tract does not show two graveyards, it shows one half-acre graveyard.  I still, to this day, do not know the answer but it seems to me that building was put up on the Henry Brock family cemetery.  One day I am going to research it and find out for sure.

Anyway, I wanted to find out if the apartment complex people knew anything about the cemetery so I went to the office.  The lady there was not helpful, defensive even.  She refused to talk to me and said I had to talk to the property manager, who was not there.  Again, I do not remember all of the story, but I do not remember the manager ever calling me back.  I finally wrote them a letter and faxed it.  I did not say anything mean or accusatory.  I wanted to make them aware that my family cemetery was basically in their playground.  I also wanted to know what was there when the apartments were built and if any tombstones or graves were moved.  I never received any response.

Time went by and I stopped by the site a few times.  One day I was walking around and I bent over to pick up some trash.  For whatever reason, something caught my eye.  I passed this thing at least ten times and never noticed.  Maybe I was too worked up on my other trips but there, in plain view, was a tombstone.  It is just a rock but it is definitely marking some one's grave.  After all of that time, I finally found the Brock cemetery!  I had no idea who it belonged to or how many people were buried there but I found it!

Years went by and, without asking, the apartment complex moved the playground.  I guess they realized that the land was not theirs so they moved their stuff off of it.  It worked out for the kids who live there because they got a nicer play area in another part of the complex.  I still want to ask about the building...who knows, maybe I will prove they do not own the land that it is built on.  That could open up a can of worms at this point so I have pretty much let it be.  I would like to maybe fence the cemetery one day but that takes money.  It would probably also invite vandalism whereas the cemetery now sits in peace.

So, after all of this writing, what is the lesson to be learned here?  This one is simple...never assume that something is lost.  The Henry Brock cemetery was on the county's main map.  I assumed that it was lost to time and that I had to rescue it in some way.  If I checked with the county first, I would not have needed Gilmer maps, pieces of string and stick pins.  It was hiding in plain sight, I was just to blind to look for it.  Even when I "found" the cemetery, I did not see it.  It took probably five trips before I actually noticed the tombstone!  Overall, it was a very humbling experience.

Lunch with Blog Readers

I had a nice lunch meeting with two of my blog readers today. They treated my portion of the check so thanks goes out to them on my behalf. We talked for about an hour and a half, on everything from available record resources to old family stories. We are not-so-distantly related so it was a good conversation. I think we all left the table with a to-do list and some things to think about.

I was happy to hear they had found a few good resources because of my work with the Virginia Family Tree blog. It sounds as if they had particular luck with one resource that I recommended, the Foster glass plate negatives collection at the Virginia Historical Society. They found a few family photos and are having prints made. I am glad to find out that folks are getting good use of the tidbits I throw out here.

I try to pass along advice and any resources that I find...and ask that you do the same. If you find a valuable resource please write in and let me know about it. I would love to check it out and pass the information along to my readers. As of today I have 134 people who get my blog delivered to them, either as a daily e-mail or through a feed reader. That's not exactly setting the world on fire but it is a respectable amount none-the-less. I hope we keep growing in strength and numbers.

Using old maps, Google Earth, deeds and census records to find your ancestral home place

One of the neatest things in genealogy is finding the actual homes or land where your ancestors used to live. You never know if the old ancestral home is still standing or if perhaps there is a family cemetery on the property. The problem is that most old deeds were written in such cryptic language that the average person cannot figure out what they were saying. All of those metes and bounds get rather confusing. However, there are some was to cut through the confusing terminology and find the old home place. I have done it many times and here is an example that you can use as a road map to finding your own.

When I look at an old deed, the only things I really focus on are the date, county, name of neighbors and any creeks, rivers, roads or other named boundaries. These are all you need to get started. Forget about how many poles and rods there were along one boundary line. Unless you are trying to redraw the entire property, all you need are the aforementioned items.

I am going to show you an example of how this works, using my ancestor Royall Spain of Mecklenburg County, Virginia as an example. I started by finding all of the deeds that showed him buying or selling any land in the county. His case is kinda simple because he bought only three tracts of land and basically sold only one.

In Royall's case, he bought part of the estate of his mother and father-in-law, Ann and William Harris. He then proceeded to buy land adjoining his property, to make one large tract that totalled roughly 155 acres. Royall later sold the entire tract to his son-in-law, Joshua Spain.

Here is a rough summary of each deed, providing the year, parties involved, the number of acres and the body of water upon which they were located. I did not include the names of neighbors in this example but you should jot those down as well.

1. 1821, Harris to Spain, 57 acres on Butcher's Creek
2. 1826, Norment to Spain, adjoining Spain, 66 acres on Middle Bluestone Creek
3. 1827, Harris to Spain, adjoining Spain, 31 acres on Middle Bluestone Creek
4. 1866, Spain to Spain, half of 155 acre tract where he now lives
5. 1870, Spain to Spain, remainder of 155 acre tract where he now lives

The main things that sticks out are the names of the creeks, Butcher's and Middle Bluestone. Looking at a topographic map of Mecklenburg, it does not take too long to find the named creeks. Sometimes you have to look at contemporary maps because names change, creeks get diverted or what have you. I know that the land I am looking for has to pretty much touch both creeks, or at least be between or around them. Zeroing in on that area is a good start.

Seeing that Royall lived on the land between 1821 and 1870, I can look at census records and get the names of his neighbors in at least 1850, 1860 and 1870. Those might come in handy later...

The next step is a bit tougher but you need to find a good map of the county in question, made near the time of the deed transactions. In this case, I know that Gilmer maps exist for Mecklenburg during the Civil War period. The Virginia Historical Society and the Library of Virginia both have copies to review. You cannot copy the ones at the Library of Virginia but the Virginia Historical Society offers copies for sale at their facility. (You should read an earlier article I wrote on the Gilmer maps....here!)

Using the creek names and the names of neighbors I picked off of the 1860 census, 1870 census and the actual deeds, I find that there is a Spain farm named right on the map. There are lots of Spain farms throughout the county but I can pretty much rest assured that the one in question is the Royall Spain farm. There are other family names as neighbors, including Lawson and Harris. If you recall, the Spain farm was part of the larger Harris farm. Royall's daughter also intermarried with the Lawson family. Add to that the proximity to Butcher's and Middle Bluestone Creeks and I have a preponderance of evidence here to prove that this is the farm I am looking for!

It is great to find the farm on an 1860s map but that does not help me much today. A lot of the roads and landmarks have changed so I need to turn the old map into a new one. I do this using Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth. I used Google Earth to find a modern satellite photo of the area with the roads and churches called out. I saved it to my computer and went to work.

I opened the satellite photo, along with a scan of the 1860s map, in Photoshop and shrunk the Google map until it was roughly the same scale as the 1860s map. I then changed the transparency of 1860s map and laid it on top of the modern image. It took a little adjusting but I had New Hope Baptist Church and two roads as fixed points on both maps. After about five minutes of fine-tuning the scale and transparency, I came up with one image that merged the old and new maps into what I would call...perfection.

Just look at the way the old farms fit perfectly within the modern tree lines. Look at the Harris, Spain and Lawson farms. You can tell that they fit within the boundaries of the woods like a glove! I was impressed myself over how well this turned out.

I now know that the Royall Spain farm was located near the intersection of modern-day New Hope and Skipwith Roads , specifically 36°43'58.74"N, 78°29'31.68"W. I have not gone down to the site to check for an old home or cemetery but I will eventually, powered by the knowledge of knowing where to look.

I realize that a lot of pieces fell into place in my example but it took more effort than I make it sound like. I had to go find the deeds and the maps. I had to do census research and a good bit of photo-editing. I make it sound easy but I admit that this type of research can be quite challenging. It might seem a daunting task to find the home of an ancestor that lived over 100 years ago but it is possible. When you do find it, with all of this work behind you, the reward is all the more sweet as opposed to someone just telling you where it was!

W. W. Foster Glass Plate Negative Collection at the Virginia Historical Society

I have been racking my brain, trying to figure out some great nugget of genealogical wisdom that I could pass along and make your life easier. That is a pretty difficult thing to do sometimes. Everyone out there says the same thing over and over again, with just a little bit different spin on it. What could I possibly tell you that would make a difference in the way you perform genealogical research? What could I write that would help you solve some age-old mystery and simply make your day? The answer...I don't know. I have so much going on inside of my head and just cannot get it out some times. I did however think of one great resource that could make a huge impact on someone out there...the Foster Collection.

Walter Washington Foster was a photographer in Richmond, Virginia between 1876 and around 1935. His major significance is that he maintained all/most of his glass plate negatives and they were donated to the Virginia Historical Society around 1972. There were roughly 65,000 prints and 100,000 glass negatives in the collection (one sources says there are only 30,000). A lot of these prints and negatives were labeled and can be searched on the VHS website. Some of the items may have scanned images but most have to be viewed at the society.

I discovered the collection several years ago and searched all of my family surnames. Surprisingly I did not find anyone from the Richmond area but I did find my wife's great-great grandparents from Stafford County. Their daughter lived in Richmond and the photos were probably taken during a visit. These were the only known photos of these particular people, at least in our line of the family, so it was a great find.

After finding them in the index, I contacted the VHS and made an appointment to view the negatives. I think they are in deep storage and have to be dug out so it might take a few days. When I arrived, I was taken to a storage room and shown the two glass plates. The images are basically etched on he glass and there is a milky film on the surface of that glass. I was told that the photographer would wipe some type of cream on the glass to cover up wrinkles and blemishes on the faces of the subjects. Who would have thought that the old photos we find were in fact "touched-up"! Great-grandma had more wrinkles than you ever thought.

Just looking at the glass, I could see an absolute family resemblance so I knew I had the right people. The index only had their last name and first initial but their names were so strange, there was no question. My wife and her brother look exactly like the man, Stonewall Jackson Musselman.

From that point I paid to have prints made. Back then I think it was around $20.00 each but now I think it is $32.00 each. It took a few days and I had to pick them up in person. The copies turned out wonderfully and are now truly family heirlooms. I know they are just copies but they are copies off the original negative. They are probably better copies than the "original" copies printed back in the day!

The Virginia Historical Society is pretty tight about allowing reproductions of reproductions. I am not allowed to make copies or publish the photos without paying additional fees. I can understand their need for funding and to control what their holdings are used for in the public media. If you want additional copies, I would order them all at the same time.

Okay, before I give you a link to the index, a few words of advice:

1. From the main search page, click on the "Search Museum and Photograph Collections"
2. Click "Combination Search"
3. In the "Artist/Maker" field type just the word "Foster" (no quotes)
4. In the "Keywords" box type the last name of a person you would be trying to find. Do not put a first name as most names are only given as a first initial or "Mrs." for women.
5. Check all of your surnames for anyone in Virginia between say 1880 and 1930. They could have visited Richmond and taken a photo.
6. If you find someone of interest, contact the VHS and for further information.
7. If you remove the word "Foster" from the "Artist/Maker" field, you can search all of the photos that the VHS has in its collection (but there are lots)!
   
8. If you do find something of major importance, let us know!

The link that you need is here: Virginia Historical Society Museum and Photograph Collections

I think you will have hours of enjoyment and excitement going through the index. Even if you do not find anyone, it is fun exploring a new resource. The Virginia Historical Society has other collections that you can search but this is my focus for today. And best of all...the economic downturn should have little or no influence on your search! Forget Wall Street for a little while and lose yourself in genealogy!

Civil War Maps of Jeremy Francis Gilmer

A little-known resource from the Civil War era are the Gilmer Maps. Jeremy Francis Gilmer was was the Confederate Chief of Engineers. He made extremely detailed maps of various Confederate counties and cities, especially those in Virginia. I have always known about the collection of maps at the Virginia Historical Society. The VHS is pretty protective of them but offer to sell you copies. They also restrict your ability to reproduce and use the images.

The major importance of using Gilmer maps for genealogy is that they show the layout of farms, homes, trees, streams, railroads and even give the name of a homeowner. You can cross-reference the 1860 and 1870 censuses and figure out where your ancestors lived. (You can also use land tax records). I have found a lot of my people on these maps. In the above example, you will see a Dr. Lett and a J. Lett (where Lett looks like Bell). Dr. Lett is a cousin and J. Lett was my great-great-great-grandfather.

Examples of Gilmer maps can be seen here:

Charlotte County
Lunenburg County
Mecklenburg County

I recently discovered another batch of Gilmer maps, available online for free. They are housed at the UNC University (Wilson) Library, obviously in North Carolina. Below you will find links to the available online maps and to the greater Gilmer papers collection. I have not had time to browse all of the papers, or even all of the maps, so if you find anything interesting, please let us know.

Gilmer Civil War Maps Collection (online)
Inventory of the Jeremy Francis Gilmer Papers, 1839-1894

John Philip Brock of Germany & Hanover County, Virginia

Many records of Hanover County, Virginia were destroyed by fire during the Civil War. Therefore wills are difficult to locate for the time period before 1865. I did find a copy of John P. Brock's will amongst the papers of his grandson, Robert Alonzo Brock. Robert was Secretary of the Virginia Historical Society and amassed the largest personal collection of Virginia-related documents know to exist. After Robert's death, the papers were auctioned off and purchased by the Huntington Library in California. I found a photocopy of John P. Brock's will on file at the Library of Virginia. However, further reproductions were restricted since Huntington owns the rights.

John's will states that he was a resident of Hanover County and was "at present in my usual health and [of] perfect mind and memory." He asked that his body be decently buried and that all of his just debts be paid. John then made a provision for his three under-age sons named Philip Stafford, William and Ro. King Brock, at his own death or at the time they turned twenty-one, should each be paid $20 to be equal with his other children. If John died before any of his children were twenty-one, he order that all livestock, household and kitchen furniture be sold for their upkeep and all of the slaves [should be rented out]. After all of the children reached twenty-one, all of the land and slaves were to be sold and the money split amongst his children, namely his sons Jno. C., Henry, Philip Stafford, William and Ro. King Brock and his daughters Nancy Gilman and Catharine Willis. Jno. C. and Henry Brock were left in charge of their sister's inheritances. They were instructed that if a daughter died without heir, the money reverted to the other children. Their husbands, M. Gilman and Jessee Willis, were to have no control or access to the Brock girl's inheritances. As a special bequest, Catharine Willis was to receive a slave girl named Eliza as part of her inheritance. John named his sons Jno. C. and Henry Brock as his executors. The will was signed and dated January 23, 1817 and bore the signature of "John P. Brock." Susannah, Susannah S. and Peter W. Littlepage were John's witnesses. The will was probated on November 26, 1823 in Hanover County. Jno C. and Henry Brock were named executors with Susannah Littlepage and Susannah S. Durham (nee Littlepage) giving their oaths.

John's estate in Hanover County was known as "Brock Spring" and still exists to date on Old Telegraph Road. There is a family cemetery, with rights retained by the family. I have not been to the site but it supposedly has graves for Rose Arlington Brock Tomlinson, Asbury Watson Brock, Martha Ann Carter Brock, Edward Watson Brock, William Synton Brock, John Christian Brock, Lucy G. Wingfield Brock, Wesley M. Brock, Jane Eliza Tinsley Brock, John P. Brock, John Philip Brock and Elizabeth King Brock. Most of the graves are unmarked.

Isabella L. Lett Evans of Mecklenburg County, Virginia, c. 1819-1892

According to Courtney Dunn's "Notes Concerning Elbethel Methodist Church, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, c. 1824-1930," housed at the Virginia Historical Society, Isabella was a member of El Bethel in 1866.

On October, 17, 1888, she applied for a pension as the widow of a Confederate veteran. At the time, she was living in Union Level and was eligible to receive a $30.00 pension.

According to her September 7, 1891 will, Isabella stated that she would live with and be taken care of by her niece, Angelina F. Bowers, during her old age. Out of natural affection, she left Angelina $100 and all of her kitchen furniture. She also gave her nephew, Thomas B. Bowers, her silver watch for the same reasons. Isabella left the remainder of the estate to her sibling's children, except for Martha Jane Cole, who was strictly forbidden to receive any portion, "for reasons best known to myself." Thomas B. Bowers was named executor and B. T. Wartman and J. H. Maynard served as witnesses. The will was proven in Mecklenburg County on July 18, 1892.

The Mecklenburg News, June 24, 1892 - I bought this paper on EBay, taking a chance it might have something of importance:

"Died on Saturday last, at the residence of her nephew, Thos. B. Bowers Esq., near South Hill, Mrs. Isabella Evans, at a ripe old age, she was between 75 and 80 years. Beloved by all who knew her, she died without an enemy. She was a consistent and humble, God fearing Christian and died as she had lived a Chrsitian in deed and in truth. In her later years affliction prevented her from attending divine worship, but though debarred this blessed privilege, she worshiped the Master in the closet and at her home, and now goes to reap the great reward for the finally faithful "A Crown of Life Everlasting in the world beyond". She leaves a host of relatives and friends to mourn her loss, but they weep not without hope, for "she is not lost but only gone before."

The Mecklenburg News, June 24, 1892:
"Mrs. Isabella Evans wife of the late Jas. Evans died last Saturday the 18th and was buried at the old burying grounds at James Cole's, on yesterday. She was well advanced in years."

An accounts current was created after her death by the executor. She received a $35 pension, $142 from the estate of her brother Jno. E. Lett, she was owed $65.00 by T. B. Bowers and she had a certificate of deposit in the Bank of Mecklenburg valued at $235.00. Isabella's estate also owed money, including $3.00 to C. A. Curtis for digging her grave, $25.00 to B. Loyd for a coffin, $1.00 to Rev. W. A. Gee for preaching her funeral, $3.00 to Dr. J. W. James for medicine and $10.00 to C. Haskins for a hearse. In total, Isabella had $477.00 and owed $241.61. The remaining $235.39 was divided amongst her sibling's children: Jas. H. Bowers, Chas. A. Curtis, Z. W. Curtis, Cyrus G. Curtis, Jno. H. Lett, Joseph A. Lett, F. M. Bowers, Jno. E. Bowers, Robt. A. Bowers, Thos. B. Bowers, Mary F. Bowers, Sarah J. Jones, Arabella F. Evans, M. L. A. Sculthorp, Sarah W. Callahan and Angelina F. Bowers.

An appraisement of Isabella's estate was made after her death. Her personal effects were valued at $32.85 and included basic items of everyday life. There were also the aforementioned receivables and deposit totalling $477.00.

Welcome to Virginia Family Tree

To tell a little about myself, I am a graduate of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg with a degree in History and minor degree in Art & Art History. I have conducted genealogy research for 15 years; I am a county coordinator for the USGenWeb Project and spent time with the Library of Virginia's "Dictionary of Virginia Biography." I am the former editor of "The Lett Gazette" and current webmaster for the Lett/Lott family's DNA project. I have also compiled a book on the 1850 census of York County, Virginia.

My wife, Crystal Lett, has two degrees from J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Virginia and is the manager of a professional photography studio. By the way, I am also an ordained minister and perform marriage ceremonies for family and friends. I have held memberships in the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Virginia Historical Society and the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

I consider myself to be semi-retired but I do offer free genealogy research consultations where I review your information, provide comments and propose a layout for a research project, if I can help with your situation. If you would like to begin a project, and we both agree on the terms, I require an initial deposit before beginning any research. Projects generally require six to eight weeks and culminate with a final report, including suggestions on how to proceed with your own research.

Most Virginia counties and cities kept birth, marriage and death records from 1853 until 1896 and from 1912 until the present. Many records before 1853 exist but no law actually required that they be kept. Wills, deeds, directories, newspapers, marriage bonds, order books and many additional records may be available, dating well into the 1600s. Also note that due to privacy laws, my access is limited to birth records between 1853 and 1896, marriage records from 1853 until 1935 and death records from 1853 until 1939.

If you have questions, or would like a consultation, please feel free to contact us at any time.

Take care,
Kevin Lett
Virginia Family Tree