History of Amelia County Virginia

Compiled from the notes of A. R. Hudgins. Harrison's Academy was at Wigwam in 1826 (This was near Lodore.) Jefferson College in Amelia was incorporated December 26, 1800.

Population of Amelia County (including Nottoway, a new county) in 1790 was a follows: males over sixteen years, 1709; males under sixteen, 1697; women, 3278; free negroes, 106; slaves, 11,300.

In 1781 there was a hospital for soldiers in Amelia County.

The doctor in charge of it wrote that he had just recently arrived there with his sick and found more and better buildings than he expected to find.

He also wrote that this new location for the hospital was in a wealthy community and he expected to get on well there.

This hospital was at Greens Store.

Pridesville was located about seven miles southeast of Painesville, near the present location of Truxillo.

The following was copied from an account book kept at the Tavern at Pridesville in Amelia County in 1801 and 1803:

A night's lodging here cost nine pence. (eighteen cents.)

Three horse feeds cost three shillings. (Six shillings equaled a dollar.)

One pint of rum sold for one shilling and six pence, (twenty nine cents.) One glass of "Grog" cost eighteen cents. A quart of whiskey cost two shillings.

A quart of better whiskey cost two shillings and six pence, (forty six cents.) A man was credited with seven shillings and six pence for a cow hide. Dr. James Anderson paid the equal {sic} of one dollar and one cent for one supper, two horse feeds and three lodgings.

John Archer "Scholar" paid eighty-three cents for two dozen candles.

Harmony Lodge Dr. thought to have been Masonic lodge at Pridesville.

Williams (a peddler) paid fourteen shillings for seven days horse feed.

Dr. Evans and son were guests here in April 1803.

Paineville Post Office

The following information was obtained from the Post Office Department in Washington, D. C. in 1938.

Records indicate that the Paineville Post Office was established July 1, 1801, with Bernard Seay as the first Post Master.

The earliest record of any mail carriers serving this office is in 1809 on Route Number 53 from Richmond, by Manchester, Chesterfield Court House, Springfield, Colesville, Genito Bridge, Pridesville, Perkinsonville, Paineville, Ligontown, and Jamestown to Farmville and back once a week.

The earliest mail carrier listed is Elisha Woody in January 1814.

Tavern records at Paineville show that Elisha Woody spent one night at Paineville regular {sic} every week.

Roads then were very bad. I am sure he had to carry mail on horseback in the winter months. I expect he had a riding horse and a pack horse.

This is a list of Post Masters at Paineville and the date of their appointments:

Bernerd Seay, 1801; John H. Haskins, 1849; Dr. M. F. T. Evans, 1852; Nathan L. Seay, 1852; John L. Hood, 1853; Alfred L. Whitworth, 1855; Miss Susan E. Matthews, 1866; Mrs. Susan E. Seay, 1877; J. V. Perrin, 1883; Mrs. Susan E. Seay, 1885; Thomas E. Whitworth, 1888; J. V. Perrin, 1889; Charles S. Seay, 1893; J. V. Perrin, 1898; Mary A. Perrin, 1905.

The office was discontinued July 31, 1909, and the mail was sent to Sunnyside.

Note: Bernerd Seay, the first Postmaster served for a little over 48 years. A rural free delivery mail route came by Paineville commencing in 1909.

The first post office money orders were issued about 1901. Up to 1909, mail left the railroad at Mattoax and came daily, except in the long ago {sic}.

About 1880 it came three times a week.

The mail route from Richmond to Farmville by way of Paineville was 105 miles long.

Paineville Virginia

So far as you author ever heard, no battle was ever fought near Paineville. No history at all of the Indians who once lived there, has ever come down to him. No armies ever marched by Paineville except just a few days before General Lee surrendered at Appomattox.

In the official record of the War of the Rebellion, Vol. XLVI, Series I, Page 1384, is recorded the following Confederate Orders. April 4th. 1865 - 11 P. M.

The wagons {sic} trains of the Third Corps will march at dawn tomorrow from their present camp on the direct road to Paineville, turning off at Jones' about a mile before reaching Paineville, thence to Amelia Springs, thence to Deatonville, and by the Jamestown road to Rice Station and Farmville.

The wagons of General Ewells command at Clemmontown will move at dawn tomorrow on the Clemmentown road to Paineville, thence to Rodophil, thence up the Stoney Point road passing Providence Church and turning to the left at Andersons crossing to the Ligontown road and passing Ligontown to Farmville.

If the river is not passable at Ligontown the train will move by the best available road on the south side of the river to Farmville.

During General Lee's retreat to Appomattox all roads in Amelia leading west were more crowded by Confederates, with Federal troops in close pursuit, and often in direct contact.

Many confederate wagons were overtaken at Flatt Creek crossing southeast of Painevelle {sic s/b Paineville} and the spokes of the wagons were chopped out.

I have been told that a small Confederate calvary charge was made at Jones'; just north of Coverly's, and a Federal soldier killed and buried on the Coverly Farm.

This body was removed in about a year by men who came through in wagons.

A rock walled spring is on the Coverly farm.

The Confederates were so hard pressed that they formed in lines of battle about half a mile west of Blanton's abandoned carriage shop along a ridge and by doing they held their enemy long enough to allow their wagons to get a good start.

It was a running fight all through Amelia County.

My grandfather's tobacco lot in Paineville was lighted with hundreds of fires while the Yankee army men cooked their supper just across the road from his large general store.

After the two armies had passed, my grandmother and several of her children and others spent an afternoon in the yard listening to cannon firing to the west.

This was the beginning of, and probably a part of the battle of Sailors Creek {sic - also found spelled as Saylor's Creek}, which was preceded by smaller fights.

A member of the pioneer Chappell family was too young to be in the army, but joined the Confederates as they passed through his village of Paineville on the retreat.

He was killed at Saylor's Creek {sic - also found spelled as Sailor's Creek}. He was Billy Chappell.

On April 7, 1865, the fifth army corps (Yankee) passed through Paineville 15,000 made up this Federal army, while stole everything they could get their hands on.

Other things of interest about Paineville. In the early colonial times Paineville was an important place.

Although Amelia County was three times as large as it is now, for awhile at least, it had only two voting places.

One of these was the Court House, and the other was Paineville.

 I am not sure when more than two voting places were put in use in Amelia, but I feel sure that up to about 1750, Paineville was the voting place for all men living in what is now Prince Edward and for more than half of all living in what is now Nottoway.

I have heard Dick Seay say that he had seen Negro slaves as they stood upon a block and were sold at auction to the highest bidder.

They were hired to the highest bidder by the year in like manner.

I am sure this took place in Paineville, as that was Dick Seay's home.

A post office was established at Paineville on July 1, 1801, and was discontinued on July 31, 1909.

Mail for this office left the railroad at Mattoax. Up to about 188{0}, mail came three times a week.

The first automobile was driven in Paineville in 1909.

It had one cylinder and was steered by a bent rod, and driven by Floyd P. Hudgins (Penny Hudgins) Blaton's {sic s/b Blanton’s} Stage Coach and Carriage Shop.

This shop was located on the southside {sic s/b south side} of the road leading from Deatonsville to Amelia Springs. It was about a mile and a half west of Amelia Springs.

A pile of cinders of clinkers is there now, which came from the blacksmith shop.

Many loads of these clinkers had been hauled away before 1900 to fill mud holes in the public road that runs by it.

I do not know when this shop was built.

It probably started in a very small way long before 1750, and became a large shop, probably the largest one in the western part of Amelia County.

I understand that this shop built carriages, stage coaches, wagons, buggies, and carts. It was equipped to do high class cabinet work. It is probable that some furniture was made here, but I am not sure of this.

One of the shops was the "Trimmer Shop". There was a Paint Shop and others.

As a small boy I knew an lod {sic s/b old} man, born about 1817, who was an apprentice in this stop while it was located here.

This shop was moved from this location to Paineville and then became Blanton and Seay's Shop. Sam Seay became part owner of it and was built on his land in Paineville, on the road leading north and on the west side of this road at a point where a road branches off at right angles and leads east, on past the Union Church.

 I do not know when it was moved to Paineville, probably about 1840.

No doubt it was on the decline along about this time. A railroad was put in operation in 183{8} between Petersburg and City Point, Virginia. As railroads were built, stage coaches were no longer needed.

This shop in Paineville, which looked like a barn except it had windows for the upper and lower floors, stood until about 1915. Deck Seay, who owned it called it the "Shop". It was then a tobacco barn, and was planked up and down and all windows were boarded over.

I cannot say how large this shop was when it was in its prime. It was know {sic s/b known} as a manufacturing shop, and was a large and important now {sic?}, that served well from the time of the Revolution to the time of the Civil War.

Exact dates are not know {sic s/b known}. Both the Blanton and Seay families were prominent, pioneer families of Amelia County.

Blanton's Shop, Amelia Sulphur Springs, and Jeter's Mill were the corners of a triangle, and they were not more than about a mile and a half apart.

It is entirely possible that Blanton's Shop, where first located, employed as many as fifty people. I am not at all sure of this.

The farm that it was first located on was bought by Edmund Wood, probably about 1848. All work in the shop had ceased then.

One of the old shop buildings stood close to the southside {sic s/b south side} of the public road up to 1904 or later.

The writer of this has a Spanish silver coin about the size of a five-cent piece which was found in a corn field just about midway between Blanton's carriage shop and Jeter's Mill.

This was dated 1733 and was found about 1915.

A Spanish silver coin about the size of a silver dollar, dated 1804, was found on the location of the old Paineville tavern about 1902 by James Henry Bell. It would be very interesting to know how these Spanish coins got there. They very probably came by way of Mexico.

What a Farm

Records show that there were some large farms in Amelia County Virginia soon after the close of the War of the Revolution.

John Tabb was the owner of a very large farm or farms then. His land was listed for taxation as being in four separate tracts. One of these contained 6563 acres. Another tract contained 1041 acres. Another tract of his land contained 3389 acres, and the other and last tract contained 3213 acres. This is a total of a little more than 14,200 acres of land in Amelia County owned by John Tabb in 1791.

As these were listed separately, they were no doubt four farms, some of which may not have joined the others. I am not sure about this.

The author of this has good reason to believe that this very large estate was located along Flatt Creek and around Grub Hill Church and extended for miles to the north of this church far beyond the monument to John B. Tabb.

Taxes were 158 pounds, 13 shillings and 4 pence. In dollars and cents this figures up to about $77.00 This would depend on the value of an English pound at this particular date.

In 1782 John Tabb owned 541 heard {sic s/b head} of cattle and 132 horses, mules etc. He owned 133 negro slaves over 16 years and 124 negroes under 16. Records show he had eight overseers to supervise this very large estate.

This man probably operated a private blacksmith shop and he could have had a mill of his own. I am not sure about this.

 In these days much of the cloth used was woven on the plantation.

Leather was tanned and shoes were made at home by skilled workers.

These were the good old days that my grandmother Whitworth, and other old people told me about when I was a small boy.

This shows that John Banister Tabb was a prominent member of Amelia County.

He became a well known educator and writer.

He become {sic s/b became} a Catholic Priest in the early 1880's, and used to hold service in the old tavern at Paineville.

A brick and stone memorial located on the highway about two miles north of Grub Hill Church is erected to the memory of John Banister Tabb 1845 - 1909 Poet, Patriot, Priest.

The celebrated William B. Giles married Martha Peyton Tabb, daughter of John Tabb in 1797. (See chapter headed William Branch Giles.)

Overseers

An overseer was a supervisor.

He was a manager in charge of working and managing slaves.

There were many kinds and types of overseers.

They were treated in many different ways.

Some of them did not associate with, or eat at the table with the slave owners they worked for.

Some overseers were ambitious and intelligent and men of great ability, who associated with the slave holders family, and in many instances, married one of his daughters.

There were no large industrial establishments in Virginia at this time for young men to work.

The industrial age was in its infancy then.

As a result of these conditions, thousands of young men became overseers and by industry and thrift and good management worked themselves to be prosperous landowners and slave holders.

Hog Killing

About the year 1900 most people in Amelia tried to raise enough meat for their own use.

A few sold meat. Home cured meat sold for about twelve cents a pound and hams sold for about fifteen cents a pound.

Some cheap grades of store meat sold for six cents a pound.

After I grew up and commenced to travel around I told people how we killed hogs and some of them were very much amused at our methods and considered them primitive.

Our method of heating water in particular.

We did it this way. A pile of oak and pine wood and a pile of rocks weighing from fifteen to twenty five pounds would be collected at the hog pen. A layer of wood then a layer of rocks would be built up. Then another layer of wood and of rocks until enough of each had been built up.

A wooden hogshead would be set in a hole in the ground at such an angle that the lowest side of the open end of this hogshead would be about a foot above the surface of the ground.

The deepest part of the hole would be about two feet below the surface.

A hogshead about four feet in diameter and five feet high was used.

This would hold probably seventy five gallons of water if that much would be needed. The pile of wood with layers of rocks would be set on fire. In a short time the rocks would be sweating considerably and they would soon be hot, and later red hot.

A long handle shovel was used to transfer these hot rocks to the water in the hogshead which heated rapidly. A cloth was kept over the mouth of hogshead {sic}.

As the rocks cooled in the water they were taken out and hot ones put in until the water was hot enough to scald the hogs to remove the hair.

If the water cooled, more hot rocks were put in and soon removed.

This method of heating water seemed to be very efficient and satisfactory, I have heard of a hot rock exploding when it struck the water and causing some injury.

Stand to the side when hot rocks are put in.

Hogs were never shot then.

They were thrown on their backs and their throats were cut with a long blade knife. Blood always went to waste.

Hog Drivers

Great droves of hogs came into Amelia County from somewhere west of there, I am not sure just where. The drivers whooped and yelled and made much noise to advertise their coming into the community so people would come to buy meat.

These drivers would stop at any village or cross roads and sell hogs on the hoof to anybody who wanted to buy.

Boys would hear the shouts of the drivers for a long distance and would run to the roads to watch the great droves of hogs go by.

I have heard an old man say it took only a small quantity of corn to keep these hogs fat while on the march.

Railroads put an end to selling hogs by this method.

The tavern lot in Paineville was regular {sic} stopping and feeding place for those hog drivers. This tavern was operated by the Jeter family.

Home Knit Stockings

Almost all children on the farms wore home knit stockings about 1900. Some old women did lots of knitting for their families and for pay.

These were knit from white cotton and dyed grey by using the bark of maple and chincopin {sic s/b chincapin} with a little bluestone to set the dye.

 After the feet of these stockings wore badly, they were unraveled and the string used to make very good balls for the children to play with.

All men wore home knit socks.

A few people raised sheep and sent their wool to Leaksville, North Carolina where it was made into excellent blankets and they paid the mill either in wool or in money.

Negro Slaves

The negro slave population of Amelia and Nottoway counties was 11,300 in 1790.

At this time there were 106 free negroes.

The white population was 6684.

Slaves did almost all of the hard work, except in cases where no slaves were owned.

Slaves were trained to be blacksmiths, carpenters, cooks and for many other purposes.

Some slave owners were good to their slaves and some were terribly mean to them.

It would seem that hardly anyone would mistreat his own property, but this general rule did not hold good in regard to negro slaves.

The author has been told of a harsh slave owner who made a boast that if he would work a mule for five years and a negro seven years he could make each of them pay for himself in that time.

This kind of slave owner was an exception to the general rule.

Slaves lived in "Slave Quarters."

Which were one or two room log houses, many of which were standing in 1900.

These were sometimes very comfortable houses with a large fireplace in each room. Here the cooking was done in pots, skillets and ovens.

Often times a swinging rack was fastened to the side of the chimney inside the high fireplace, on which large pots were hung over to be swung back from the fire for the comfort and safety of the cook.

These houses were often crowded with as many as ten people in one good size room and attic.

Negroes were used to this and it probably suited them well. Some negroes lived this way after 1900.

Negroes were bought and sold on the market.

They were made to stand on a block so as to be higher than the crowd and in full view.

They were hired by the year or sold outright to the highest bidder.

Sometimes they were taken to a distant state.

A slave trader, an old man, died in Amelia about 1897. These traders went through the country with the slaves making trades whenever anyone would trade or buy.

The men were handcuffed and marching and the women and children were carried in covered wagons.

I have heard my grandmother say she had seen them go by singing.

She also knew what was called "Outlandish Negroes".

There were only a few of these just from Africa who had not learned to talk.

Prices of negroes varied considerably.

As much as $1800 or more would be the price of a young healthy man who had learned his trade, but it seems that the average price was much less than this.

Probably not more than $900, and sometimes the price was much less than $900.

Slave uprisings were feared and guarded against in these times.

 I have never heard of any trouble like this in Amelia or nearby, but serious trouble of this nature occurred in Southampton County.

Many negroes, both men and women who had been slaves, lived in Amelia in 1900, and for many years after this date.

Josh and Stokes

Josh and Stokes were two negro slaves.

They were excellent fiddle players who were much in demand to play at balls in Amelia and adjoining counties.

It seems that they often played together and went long distances from home to place for their dances.

I do not know what their last names were.

One of them belonged to the Fowlkes family.

Many slaves did not have but one name, such as Sam, Dick, or John.

One of these men earned so much money as a musician that he was able to pay his yearly hire to his master. In addition to this he paid so much a year as a price of himself that he bought himself out of slavery.

My grandmother told me she had been at dances where these men played.

She said one of them could make his violin talk.

At the proper time he would make it say "Take your seats ladies".

Jacob Whitworth owned a family of slaves named Montague. Nathan Montague was the head of this family. It seems that Thomas Whitworth either inherited or bought all of this family. This family has some members in Amelia County at this time. (1947) Ten years ago one member was developing into a preacher.

Aunt Judy Lewis

This slave woman belonged to Thomas Whitworth. She was the cook when Thomas took his bride in the summer of 1852 to live at what later became known as "Whitters Quarter".

This was located between Stocks Creek and Rocky Branch.

She was his cook as long as she would serve.

When negroes became free when the Yankee army passed through Amelia, she told him she wanted to stay with him as long as she lived.

When this faithful old woman was too feeble to do any work she was provided a home at "Whitters Quarter" in a log cabin or slave quarter and was looked after by her son named Lud Lewis who was living there. Aunt Judy died about 1885.

Lud died on this farm about 1893. Aunt Judy was paid wages after the war.

In the south there were, no doubt many thousands of cases like this one, in which the slaves loved their masters, and when emancipation came in 1865, these negroes did not want to leave. This applied to the older slaves.

The Last Amelia Indian, Perhaps

About the year 1900, a man named Mat Tucker came to live near Paineville.

He was classed as a negro, and associated with them.

He had a negro wife. This man was short, his hair was not at all kinky, like a negro's hair, but was straight and very black. He wore it long, down to his shoulders.

He was very old at this time.

A white man who was in position to know claimed he was about one hundred and four years old then. He was still an excellent worker on the farm, and could do a real good day's work, at such hard work as drawing shingles.

He used to tell the boys that he was a grown man "When the stars fell."

It seems that Mat Tucker was born and raised just about on the line between Amelia and Prince Edward Counties.

He was born a slave and remained one until negroes were free.

He claimed to be part Indian, and the author is of the opinion that he must have been about three fourths Indian, and very little negro.

He had at least one son by a former wife, who post office {sic?} was Gills.

After living in and near Paineville for about three years, this very old man went back to the western part of Amelia to live, and after a few years he became blind.

His swarthy complexion, straight black hair and his very advanced age, and his claim to be part Indian convinced your author to believe that he really was Indian, no doubt about it.

He died about 1908 or later.

A Black Bear

About 1902 a bear wandered into Amelia from the west and spent a night or more in the thicket on the creek below Perrin's Mill.

A half grown boy named Bill Orange saw his tracks on Rocky Branch and became alarmed and hurried home at a high rate of speed and spread the alarm.

Neighbors were told and Mr. Booker Wingo was sent for and told to come with his dogs, gun, and buckshot. This man had seen bear tracks and as soon as he saw these tracks he said they were bear tracks.

The hunt started then and there.

The dogs followed the trail and in a short while the bear was on the run going west. One or more men in Amelia saw the bear but did not shoot him.

He got across the Appomattox River about Stoney Point and the newspapers reported that he was killed by a man named Hix in Cumberland or Buckingham County.

This bear was the only dangerous wild animal to run free about Paineville so far as the author ever heard.

Tobacco Raising and Selling (1900)

Tobacco was the principle money crop in Amelia.

 It was generally planted in June and cut in September and October. Sometimes it was partly cured on Scaffolds built in the tobacco fields.

Most farmers primed and topped so as to leave nine leaves to a stalk.

The plants were split down the stalk and then cut off and laid down and allowed to "fall", get supple. It was then put in the barn. A barn was filled only once in a year then.

In Amelia, it was "sorted", (graded into three grades), into long, short and lugs. In an average crop about half would be long, which was the best grade. It was tied into bundles about nine or ten leaves to a bundle and people who tied it were paid five cents for a hundred bundles. A good worker could earn about forty-five cents a day. No food was furnished the workers.

Some of this tobacco was sold to John Allen's Factory at Amelia Court House, some was sold to Hobson's Factory at Sunnyside, a little west to Blackstone.

Most that was raised in western Amelia was sold in Farmville, where there were four large warehouses.

Most of it was carried to market by wagons pulled by one, two, three or four horses or mules. Some went to market in ox carts. No trucks were there until about 1913.

The author of this went to Farmville several times with Buck Orange and was allowed to ride the wheel horse and drive the four horse team a part of the way.

When steep hills were reached farmers would use their teams to help one another get up the hill. Loads were piled up high, some as much as six feet from top to wagon bed, and covered with cloths, old quilts, sacks, etc. I will try to give the average prices received for tobacco in 1900.

The best grade averaged about ten cents a pound. The cheapest grade sold for about five cents a pound and the second grade for about seven and a half cents a pound. The prices varied from time to time and for no apparent reason.

We went to Farmville reaching there before sunset, would sell the next morning and come home that day. We often slept in a heated room in one end of the warehouse.

If we did not have bedding of our own, we slept on hard boards.

A Shameful Practice in Farmville

High salaried tobacco buyers who were employed to buy tobacco in Farmville indulged in a low contemptible practice to rob the farmers and enrich themselves in this shameful way.

So called commission merchants were often employed to sell a farmer's tobacco.

This commission merchant did absolutely nothing of importance.

He just stood around during the sale and later on collected his fee.

His name was always on the pile of tobacco he had been employed to sell, where all of the buyers could see it.

If a pile of tobacco did not have the name of a commission merchant on it that meant the buyer of it would not get any graft to put in his own pocket.

For this reason, he would always bid less for it to impress on the farmer the importance of always having a commission merchant to sell his tobacco.

The farmers knew of this low, dirty trick of the buyers who worked hand in hand with these commission merchants and got probably at least half of the money fees the farmers had to pay. As a boy I have heard farmers talk about this fraud.

No one seemed able to stop it. It is entirely possible the buyer, who got about half of the fee the farmer was robbed of, had to pay a part of what he got to the man who employed him.

Graft money often had to be split into a good many parts or else the one who did not get any, would expose those who did.

Englishmen Near Lodore and Morven

Sometime after the Civil War, probably about 1875, a great many people, most of whom were from England, settled on farms in Amelia County near Lodore. This was only a post office, it was not a village of any size.

Some of these people were wealthy and prominent and lived in great style. They had money to loan with farm mortgages as security.

 It seems that they built good brick houses and some of them put slate roofs on barns and sheds. For a while there was a large community of these people who brought in new ideas and ways of living and they must have been a good stimulus to the county, which was then going through the hardships of reconstruction following the war.

At this time the people of Amelia were in great poverty and needed some new blood and outside financial help. Some of the families who came into the county at this time were: Blacker, Hunter, LeGasher, Muldoon, and Anderson.

This community was not permanent. Some went away, of course, others remained but it seems they did not have children to carry on after them. By the year 1900 about all of them had left.

Note: The author visited the very large farm formerly owned by the Englishman Blacker, about three miles from Morven. The house was of brick and wood. It was well preserved in 1943.

Amelia County Mica Mines

Very rich and valuable mica deposits were discovered in Amelia about 1870 near Grub Hill Church, Lodore, and Chula.

These mines were worked with considerable profit for some time but before many years they had been worked out, and no more good mica was left, so the mines were abandoned. I have read in a book by a geologist that there was good evidence that these mines had been worked long before the "coming of white men".

Mica has been dug around Paineville but never found in paying quantities. The Schlegel mica mine was operated near Jetersville with some profit.

A northern man named Z. S. Tower from Ohio was digging for mica around Paineville about 1901 about a mile east of the village on the north side of a branch on Delaneys farm. This mine or hold did not pay.

A prospector from Pennsylvania of considerable experience name {sic s/b named} John Byerley spent some time at Paineville with his brother Peter. (Peter lived there for some time.) It was about 1930 that he was there prospecting for anything that was to be found. Peter told me that his brother found aluminum ore in large quantities.

John also found gold on a farm to the east of Byerley's which was formerly Thomas Whitworth's Farm. Even though finding traces of different ore was reported, nothing was ever mined around Paineville in paying quantities, to the knowledge of your author.

A lithia spring was found on the George Wiley farm about three or four miles north of Paineville just before 1900. It was not used or developed.

Gems of some kind were being mined near Chula between 1915 and 1935.

The Johnsons of Amelia County

When I was a small child my grandmother Whitworth told me that her grandfather was Richard Johnson who married Ann Vaughan. Richard Johnson fought in the war of the Revolution. Grandmother said there was a horn tumbler at her fathers with the letters R. J. carved in it that was used to drink brandy from in the harvest fields by the hands, who mostly were negro slaves.

She said this tumbler had a wooden bottom fastened in with small brass nails. In her old age she read in a magazine that many of the soldiers of the Revolution had horn tumblers with their initials cut on them. This interested her and caused her to wonder what ever become {sic s/b became} of the one with R. J. on it. We have no idea what became of it.

Richard Johnson lived and died on Sandy Creek not far from Deatonsville, Virginia. We have recorded that he was born about 1733. He was in the war of the Revolution, probably as a private. The author of this does not know anything of her ancestors.

We do not know when he married Ann Vaughan, daughter of Robert and Martha Vaughan. They were married before Robert's will was written in August 1771. Richard Johnson died in 1833 on his farm on Sandy Creek about a mile or more northwest of the village of Deatonsville, Virginia. His family attended the Sandy Creek Baptist Church.

Richard's will is dated November 1817. In it he names these people: my wife, Ann Johnson; my son, Willis Johnson; My son, John Johnson; My daughter Sarah C. Johnson; My son Robert Johnson; My granddaughter, Frances M. Meador; My granddaughter, Martha J. Meador; my son, Richard Johnson two dollars amount in currency of the commonwealth; my son James Johnson two dollars amount in currency of the commonwealth. His will was recorded at Amelia Court House in 1817 book number 13.

It was witnessed by Her{n}don Green, John Lockett and James Lockett. Willis and John Johnson were executors of this will. When this will be {sic s/b was} proved in 1833, one son, Robert was living in or near Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee.

 I never heard my grandmother speak of an uncle living in Tennessee and have not been able to find any trace of him.

Richard Johnson willed considerable property away. He was in very comfortable circumstances. I have been told that he would help those who came to him with a hard luck tale, but had little patience with them, and thought they were lazy, and would often "cut them out" for being trifling.

Willis Johnson's name is the first in the will of Richard's children so he must have been the oldest one. I have heard my grandmother speak many times of her Uncle Willis.

Willis married Martha B. Orange (called Pasy) on December 20, 1824. They raised two children, George W. and Ann Rebecca. George W. married Ann Jane Legon {sic ? Ligon ?} in 1850 and left issue. Ann Rebecca had an unfortunate love affair, and some thought that she died of a broken heart. Grandmother seriously doubted this. She was about the same age and Ann Rebecca's very good friend. Ann Rebecca was about eighteen when she died.

John Johnson, we feel sure, was the second child of Richard and Ann Johnson. He was born on the farm on Sandy Creek in September 19, 1784. He married Mary A. Wooldridge of Midlothian, Chesterfield County, Virginia, on December 22, 1814. He was thirty and she was sixteen. He was married during the second war with England, in which he had already served. He probably got acquainted and married her when he was wearing a uniform. Her relatives ran a tavern near Midlothian. These relatives were named Spears. The old tavern is now (1946) the residence of Julian Spears, who is very old.

The tavern was on the direct road from Amelia County to Richmond, probably the stopping place for many Amelia people going to and from Richmond. John Johnson had the nickname of "Coonrod" but no one seems to know how he got this name, maybe in school. He died in 1849.

Mary Wooldridge was a member of a prominent family that owned valuable coal lands in Chesterfield County. Her uncle, Dave Wooldridge, was the principal owner of these lands. She inherited an interest in these lands. A part of this interest was willed to my grandmother, Susan Johnson Whitworth, she in turn willed her interest to her three daughters living in 1908. Not a dollar was ever realized by any member of these generations so far as the author ever heard.

The Chesterfield coal mines, owned by the Wooldridges, were the first commercially operated coal mines in this nation. This may seem hard to believe but you may look it up to be sure. For a long time these mines could not compete with richer mines to the west and were abandoned. They were reopened to some extent about 1920 and operated in a small way. It seems this coal is deep in the ground and not of the best quality. Millions of dollars were spent here and some old machinery was rusting there in about 1922. Hundreds of deep pits were dug and many of them and open and flooded now. It is dangerous to walk about there at night.

John and Mary Wooldridge Johnson had two daughters who went to live in Missouri. Mary A. Johnson married John Gauldin in December 1836. Martha L. Johnson, in August, married Samuel {?.} Williams, (1839). The two brides went with their husbands to live in Missouri in the fall of 1839. I have been told they went part of the way through Pennsylvania. Railroads were being built then. The Baltimore & Ohio, which was one of the first, ran trains into Cumberland, Maryland in 1836. It is very probably {sic s/b probable} that this road was operating trains from Baltimore to Pittsburgh in the late fall of 1839. After they reached Pittsburg {sic s/b Pittsburgh} they went by boat or steamer down the Ohio then on the Mississippi to some river port in Missouri.

Mr. Williams died some years after living there and his widow married a Mr. Henry Carter. Mrs. Carter came on a visit to Amelia during the Civil War and she also visited Amelia prior to 1849. Her father died then. The Amelia and Missouri relatives kept up a correspondence through the years. The following are some notes from a letter written in December 1921 by Willis Gauldin to his first cousin Althea Wingo at Amelia Court House.

Notes: Willis was then living at Marshall, Missouri. His brother John was then 78 years old and had asthma. John and Marshall Williams were living in Missouri. John lived 12 miles from St. Louis and was a retired contractor. Henry Williams had retired from drug store business. Napoleon Williams died in 1920, age 80. He was well off and lived in St. Charles County, Missouri. Merit Gauldin died in 1919, age 82. Merit's brother, Richard, was living in Southern California and had four children. A daughter married Mr. Stokes. One son is a railroad conductor. Harold Gauldin a great nephew of Willis was then a professional singer and dancer. When the author was a small boy in Amelia he carried letters to the post office addressed to Slater, Missouri. Of late years there has been very little correspondence. From another letter received in 1942 I find that the Missouri relatives are increasing in numbers and progressing in a very satisfactory manner. Harold, Aubrey and Helen Gauldin are the names of the younger members of our Missouri relatives. There are many others of the younger generation of the Williams and Gauldin families in Missouri but I do not know their names at this time. More later of the Missouri relatives.

Edward R. Johnson, a son of John and Mary Wooldridge Johnson, was born in 1816. He married Lucy Tucker in 1843. They had one son, Leonodas {sic ? Leonidas ?}, nicknamed Bose. He then married Rebecca Blanton in 1849. Their children were John, Kate, Roberta and William. John and William went to live in Orange or Louisa County, married and died there and left decendants {sic s/b descendants}. Kate married William B. Flannigan, an attorney at law. They had one daughter and nine sons who composed a formidable baseball team. This was about 1912 or later. Only one of these ten children had died before 1944 and the mother was living. Several of the children were doctors or lawyers. This large family was reared at Powhatan Court House, Virginia. Their father met a tragic death in a fight with another attorney named Pilkington about 1900.

Thomas Edward Whitworth of Amelia County

Records show that there were many Whitworths in Amelia from about 1750 to the close of the second war with England in 1815. After this time there seems to have been only one man named Whitworth in Amelia and he was Jacob Whitworth. Surely they were not all killed in this war. The author is of the opinion that many of them went south and west to settle this new land that was rapidly expanding. Many thousands of soldiers of this war were given land in the south and west as a bounty or pension for their military service, provided they would settle on this new land.

Thomas Edward Whitworth was the second child and the first son of Jacob Whitworth and his second wife, Mary Rainbourne. He was born February 1820 on his father's farm between Rocky Branch and Stocks Creek. This home was located about a mile or less from where these two streams flow together. This old house place {sic} was about three fourths of a mile, or a little more, north by north west of the present home of Mr. Thomas J. Thore. All that is there now is a grave yard overgrown with bushes and vines and some black walnut trees. There is a spring almost directly east of where the house stood and a large weeping willow tree.

Mary Rainbourne's home was on the next hill to the east and across Rocky Branch. I'm almost sure her mother was a widow in 1816 when her daughter married Jacob Whitworth.

Thomas grew up on this farm that was about five miles north west of the village of Paineville. His father, Jacob, was then in fairly comfortable circumstances. He owned some slaves, very probably less than ten, counting children. He owned a slave named Nathan Montague and his family, who lived directly east across a branch. (See also chapter on Slaves).

When the author of this was a small boy at the Whitworth plantation, Nathan's son, Robert, lived on this farm. Robert (a one-legged man) had a brother called Van.

The author knows very little about what school Thomas Whitworth attended, or how long. He never went away to school, and there were no public schools then. He must have attended a private school close enough for him to walk to.

The first time he ever went away from home to work was just over the Appomattox River in Cumberland County. Here he was employed by a medical doctor, who was Dr. Osborne. He was manager (at this time called overseer) for this doctor, who lived not more than a mile from Stony Point Mills. I am not sure how long he was at this place. But I think it was a long time, possibly ten years. Dr. Osborne gave him a very beautiful small table which was sold as an antique about 1900.

The next record of him was in 1852, when he married Susan Althea Johnson. In the meantime he had bought the adjoining farm to his father's place, which was sold to him by Mr. Peyton Jeter. He took his bride to this newly bought farm in the summer of 1852. By this time he was acquiring property and slaves and getting on well. His first child was born in 1853, and every two years, on almost regular schedule, there was an increase until the Civil War caused a three year interval instead of two.

He moves {sic s/b moved} from this farm about 1857 to Paineville, where he bought the large general store of Timsley Jeter, and later this man's home, which was a very large frame house in a grove of more than thirty large oak trees. He operated his large general store with his brother-in-law as Whitworth and Johnson for a while, then as T. E. Whitworth. He bought and sold tobacco.

About this time he and his wife operated a boarding school for girls. He had been operating the farm he brought {sic s/b bought} from Mr. Jeter which was known locally by this time as "Whitters Quarters".

Mr. Mack Goode was a neighbor of Jacob Whitworth, and had a very good opinion of Thomas E. Whitworth, whom he induced to be guardian for his grandchildren, whose last name was Steger. This money of the Steger children was invested in Confederate bonds which later became worthless, and was repaid with interest in hard times which taxed the ability of the guardian severly {sic s/b severely} to make it good, and support his large family also. Times became so bad that he to mortgage his two farms and sell a part of his land to a friend that he had helped, who bought this land to repay a kindness. It was a hard struggle for him from about 1870 for a good many years. After his children became old enough to help some, he manged {sic s/b managed} to pay off the mortgage on his farm at Paineville, which was almost lost on account of this debt.

His two sons, Thomas E. Jr. and Charles C. Whitworth, paid off the mortgage on the larger farm, which was given to them, provided they paid this debt.

At one time he was a part owner of a saloon, or bar-room as they were called then and did not feel dishonored by doing so, nor were they looked down on by their neighbors, who were regular customers.

I must go back to relate this incident. When the "Yankee" army came through Paineville in April 1865 he was taken prisoner and carried to the next village to the west, which was Rodophil, about three miles or more and released there. I expect he walked back home, for if he had a horse it would have been taken away from him. I have heard my grandmother say he was probably taken prisoner by someone with no authority to do it, and as soon as someone with authority found out what was done, he was released. His wife informed a Yankee officer that her husband had been made a prisoner and asked him to have him released. This probably was the reason he was back home so soon.

I will say here that the subject of this chapter, Thomas Edward Whitworth was the grandfather of the author of this.

Thomas never wore a uniform in the Confederate army, he was rather old to go in when it started. He gave of his time and means to carry on the war, and was appointed by the Confederate governmant {sic s/b government} to see to it that the families of soldiers in the field were provided with food, and the necessary things to live on. I do not know the details of what he had to do then. He was not a man who talked of his many experiences in life, and the author of this was a small boy when he passed away. The author has good reason to think that at least a part of the assistance given to families of soldiers was never paid back to him by the government. I have been told that he went away at times to be overseer of laborers building fortifications. He went at least once into the mountains of Virginia.

William Branch Giles

William B. Giles seems to be the most important man politically from Amelia County.

He was born in Amelia in August 1762. He was the son of William and Ann Branch Giles. He attended Hampden Sydney College, then went to Princeton College where he took with him a negro slave as a servant or attendant. He graduated from Princeton in 1781. William studied law at William and Mary College under Wythe. He practiced law in Petersburg to the time he was elected to Congress in 1790.

He resigned from Congress in 1798 and was elected to the General Assembly of Virginia. He went back to Congress in 1801 and became an administration leader and as a debater, second to one in Congress. As a debater he was ranked with the ablest men of his time. He was associated with such famous men as Jefferson, Madison, and Dexter. He was a friend and supporter of Jefferson.

He was classed as a conservative, was a member of the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830 although he opposed his {sic} convention. He did not hesitate to oppose the most famous, such as Washington, Chief Justice Marshall, and Henry Class. He finally lost influence with his party and resigned from Congress in 1815. He was elected governor of Virginia and served from 1827 to 1830.

He married Martha Peyton Tabb in 1697 {? s/b 1797 ?}. She was the daughter of John Tabb, who owned over fourteen thousand acres of land in Amelia. He married Frances Ann Guynn in 1810. He left descendants. His Amelia estate was "Wigwam", located on the Appomattox River not a great distance from Lodore. I understand that the old house has been restored and is now the residence of a family of Harrisons. Mr. Giles died at this very large estate in 1830. Jones flour mill which is nearby was formerly called Giles' mill. This is in operation now, 1943. I am informed that John Randolph often visited Giles at his home in Amelia.

The Infidel Club at Paineville Virginia

From the best records available this was called the Tom Paine Infidel Club for Philosophic Study and Debate. This club held meetings in a hall about 150 feet south west of the tavern and on the north side of the Genito road. This hall was built about 1795. There is some question about whether it was built by the Infidel Club or by the Paineville Lodge of Masons. One reliable historian says it was built by the club.

The leading men in the organization of this club were William B. Giles of Amelia, who was later governor of Virginia, and an Irish refugee named Burk. With such a distinguished man as Giles as a leader, this club probably had an influence that was more than local. This club flourished and grew and continued for a time. Dr. James Jones of Nottoway became a leader in it later. This man had studied medicine in Philadelphia and in Edinburgh, Scotland, and had brought back infidel ideas from abroad. After being a leading spirit for sometime, Dr. Jones was sorely grieved by the death of a child. His club members and infidel philosophy were no comfort to him in this grief. He turned to religion and found comfort. He called his club together and delivered a Christian lecture to it. It is said the infidel club disbanded and never met again. The club ceased to exist about 1810.

Dr. Jones became a pillar of strength in the Presbyterian Church and was a great influence for good in southside {sic s/b south side} Virginia, in which there was a great revival of religion in 1825. In his will he gave freedom to all his slaves who wished it. I am reliably informed that he aided at least some of them to back to Africa to the colony that was established in Liberia.

News

Bristol Parish was organized in 1642 by an act of the House of Burgesses. It was part, possibly all, of Prince George County at that time. All of what is now Amelia County was a part of Bristol Parish up to 1734. In 1734 the western part of Bristol Parish became Raleigh Parish and Amelia County.

A "fort" was built at Petersburg in 1645. Fort Henry was built at Appomattuck.

In 1740 John Lerderer, a German traveler explored into North Carolina from Richmond, Virginia. It is recorded that this John Lerderer was a medical doctor, a German, and also a Franciscan monk. He wrote an account of his explorations in Latin.

In 1720 Bristol Parish paid a widow named Bass 720 pounds of tobacco for keeping an orphan child.

Old Sapponey town was situated on the north side of the Bristol River or later Appomattox River in 1720. There is some doubt about just when the name of this river was changed to Appomattox. It was after 1700.

Bristol Parish, 1721: It is ordered that William Dodson, Jr., be allowed for the time he hath kept his father to this day, 600 pounds of tobacco and to continue to take care of his father and bring his account to be paid by the vestry.

Note by the author: Churches were imposed on in the early days as this proves. It was ordered that church wardens bind a bastard child to Ben Dison which was born of a servant woman of his according to law.

Woods Church, built in 1707, is five miles from Petersburg in Chesterfield County.

1733, ordered that Rebecca Chaves be bound to John West as the law directs. That Sarah Chaves be bound to William Mackewen as the law directs. Note: Chaves is a common Spanish name.

November 12, 1733, ordered that ten thousand lbs. of tobacco be levied towards defraying the charges of a Chapel ordered to be built at Flatt Creek.

Thomas Spain, clerk of Namozine Chapel was paid 1600 pounds of tobacco as salary in 1734.

Captain John Smith wrote of Appomattuck River for the first time. It seems this river was first named Appomattuck, (Indian name), then it was called Bristol River. The name was then changed to Appomattox soon after 1734 or maybe before this date.

Two respectable planters were appointed in each parish to go around every man's land once ever {sic s/b every} four years and renew the marks upon the line trees in the presence of the owner and his neighbors. This was called "Procession".

In 1736 there were 649 "tithables" at twelve pounds of tobacco per head in Amelia County. Note: The church assessed these people this much tobacco and they had to pay it for the support of the church.

In 1736 Amelia paid a bounty on twenty-nine wolf heads. In 1737 a bounty was paid on thirty-six wolf heads.

In 1738 the church assessed each tithable ten pounds of tobacco to support the church. 23 wolf heads paid for in 173{9}.

In 1739 there were 943 tithables in Amelia assessed twenty two pounds of tobacco per head to support the church.

In 1740 John Roberts, a minister was proved to be of bad moral character. Bristol Parish, 1740, all tithables were assessed twenty one pounds of tobacco per head for the support of the church. About 1740, relay stations where teams were changed on stage coach routes were twelve miles apart. Location of these was near Petersburg.

In 1724 in Bristol Parish a minister named Robertson was paid sixteen thousand pounds of Orinocoe tobacco as his salary for one year.

In 1742 there were 1394 tithables assessed nine pounds of tobacco per head. 1120 pounds of tobacco for wolf heads at 140 pounds each.

In case a home for the minister was not furnished by the church he was allowed in one instance an additional four thousand pounds of tobacco.

In 1747 Dasey Southall kept a tavern at his house in the western part of Amelia County. He had to give bond to King George II, that he would constantly find and provide in his said ordinary good, wholesome and clean lodgings and diet for travelers and stablage {sic}, provender and fodder. No unlawful gaming or getting drunk on Sundays.

In 1756 Caroline County, Virginia, a hog{rest of word blank, I assume s/b hogshead} of tobacco weighed a thousand pounds as a rule. Some weighed five hundred pounds.

In 1804, Indians in goodly numbers were living in Nottoway County. A petition requesting that they be represented by trustees was presented.

In 1894 births and deaths register from 1785 to 1798 which was lost for many years, was found.

Ambrose Jeter's sons were Allen, Rodophil, and John.

Thomas Jackson married Phebe Seay in 1767. She was daughter of Jacob.

Wiley Jackson married Betsy Seay in 1799. Surety was Marshall Seay.

Ambrose Jeter married Jean Stern in 1760. He was from Caroline County.

Ambrose Jeter married Mary Farley (a widow) in 1799.

Richard Jeter married Julian Seay in 1840.

Francis Mallory married Frances Allen in 1778. Surety was Francis White.

Pascal McGlasson married Miss Webster in 1804.

John Overstreet married January Wood in 1797.

Rowlette Dearing married Seany {sic} Perrin in 1818. Surety was W. B. Hughes.

The County

Amelia was cut off from Prince George and Bruns wick {sic s/b Brunswick} counties in 1734. At that time it was much larger than it is now. It was then bounded on the north by the Appomattox River, which was then called the Bristol River. It was bounded on the south by the Great Nottoway River, on the east by Namozine Creek, and extended to the "Great Mountains" on the west. This more or less indefinitely might be said that it then extended to the Rocky Mountains or certainly to the highest mountains east of the Mississippi River.

When Amelia was organized in 1734, Virginia was divided into counties and these were subdivided into parishes. A parish was a church subdivision. More history will be given later on these parishes.

The First Court House in Amelia County Virginia

About five miles west by northwest of the present court house, and on the lands of Nat Harrison near Pridesville, was built the first court house for Amelia County. This was close to the present forks of the road, store and church called Truxillo.

The first court was held on May 9, 1735, presided over by the following justices: Edmund Booker, James Clark, Richard Booker, Charles Irby and Abraham Green.

A Clerk's Office was built here and I am reliably informed that the Clerk's office was here many years after the Court House was moved to another location. It seems the Clerk's Office was not where the Court House was for a long time. The Clerk's Office was located here until about 1840.*

(* A place on the side of the highway about half a mile east of Truxillo was pointed out to the writer as the location of the old Clerk's Office in 1902. This was done by Buck Orange. Mr. Yelverton Ford told Mr. Orange of it. Dr. Junius Seay M. D. was clerk or assistant clerk here when young. (Clerk's Office was on the north side of the public road.)

About 1768 or 1769, a Court House was built on the south side of West Creek. This Court House was burned by General Tarleton and the next one was built at Winterham. In 1791 it was moved from Winterham to land bought from Henry Anderson near Pinchams old field. In 1858 it was moved to its present location.

Before 1858 the railroad had established a station here and a village had formed. The reason the station was built here was becuase {sic s/b because} there was a good drinking water spring just over the tracks on land now owned by the Colonel Charles E. Wingo family. From this record we see that Amelia County Court House has been located at five different places.

How people lived in Amelia County, Virginia in 1900.

I might as well start at the beginning. When an increase in the family was expected no large sum of money had to be spent on account of this. Most of the white people had a doctor who was always the family doctor. A white or colored woman or midwife was most {sic s/b almost} always there to help. The doctor was very well paid if he got ten dollars for several visits. Sometimes he did not get this much. Board and room and fifty cents a day was good pay for the midwife. At times she could have gotten five dollars per week in money and board. In Amelia at that time it would have been ridiculous and absurd and even crazy for a woman to go to a hospital at a time like this. None of them did it and most of them lived to have the same thing happen again. A few of them died.

The negroes were always poorer as a general rule than the white people, and probably half the time they did not have a doctor at a time like this. If they did have one, he was fortunate if he got five dollars for his services.

In 1900 Doctor Ned Anderson lived in Rodophil and Doctor Lemuel Vaughan lived a mile or more southeast of Union Church. His wife was a member of the pioneer family of 'Wood' who were so numerous in Amelia in Early {sic} times, but very few of them are there now. Doctor Joseph Southall lived south of Deatonville, on a large farm with a brick house, on Flatt Creek. Two dollars a visit was the regular charge. A negro doctor started to practice here about 1903, but did not remain long.

The people of Amelia hardly ever went to a hospital along about 1900. They were afraid to go. A very few did go. Some had the idea that a hospital was a place where young doctors just finishing their college training got their first experience practicing on and experimenting on hospital patients. This was probably the reason that only the daring, the very brave, and the desperate ever went to a hospital in these good days in Amelia County. I do not even know enough about hospital charges to comment on what it cost. I am sure they charged plenty, they always do.

Country doctors pulled teeth then. Doctore {sic s/b Doctor} Smithey, a dentist, practiced at Jetersville, and would go into people's homes to do dental work in these horse and buggy days. Fifty cents was the price of pulling a tooth. A set of "Factory" teeth cost about nine to twenty dollars. Average probably was about fifteen or less.

The average cost of a funeral of a white person was not more than twenty dollars. In many cases it was less than this. A very good heart pine or poplar coffin could be bought from Charles S. Seay, who had his shop in the old Paineville Church. These cost about $15.00 to $18.00. About a dollar would pay for digging a grave. There was no other expenses. Charles made and sold coffins for as little as six dollars each. He had to do most of this on credit. Some of this money was never collected.

The author never heard of any records being made of births or deaths then. {SSS note -- those records were generally not recorded in Virginia counties during the period of ca 1896 - 1913}.

The poorer class of negroes could be buried for the small sum of seven dollars.

Land Grants in Amelia

The Indians rightly claimed title to the land on which they had been living for ages. When white people came and settled in Virginia they did not recognized the Indians' claim to the land. In a few instances the Indians were paid a very meager sum for their lands. To tell the truth about it, the Indians were given a very raw deal. They were driven from their lands by force and their lands confiscated by the white people. It may be that Saint Peter has this written down in his records and the white man may yet have to try to offer some excuse for his treatment of the Indians. History is full of instances such as this. All through the ages the strong have imposed on, and despoiled the weak. Human nature works this way.

The British government seized title to all the lands except the very small part that a meager sum was paid for and these lands were granted and partly sold, under a certain condition written in the grants, to settlers. These land grants are on record in the Land Office in the state capital {sic s/b capitol} in Richmond. These old grants are written by hand with pen and ink in a very small, fine hand. The greater part of one of these land grants will be copied and made a part of this history.

The settler had to agree to pay so much as a fee rent, he had to agree to clear and cultivate three acres out of every fifty acres within three years time, and do other things. If these conditions were not fulfilled the land escheated to the government and could be granted again. This happened sometimes.

Some people took up several very large tracts of thousands of acres. I have not been able to find out what disposition was made of these very large grants. I am of the opinion that much of this land was sold in small lots and at a good profit to persons not able to get a grant for want of finance or for someone to endorse his papers.

The following are the first few lines of a grant made in 1749: George the Second, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King Defender of the faith etc. to all to whom these presents shall come.

In 1736 Paulen Anderson took up a grant of four hundred acres on the upper south horsepen fork of Stocks Creek. (This is Bull Run Creek now.)

In 1790 Edith Cobbs owned 9854 acres on Buffalo River.

In 1742 James Chappell took up a grant of one hundred and fifty acres on Stocks Creek.

In 1760 Edith Cobbs took up a grant of nine thousand and fifty acres on Stocks Creek.

In 1745 Samuel Cobbs was granted eight thousand and thirty-eight acres on Buffalo River.

In 1737 John Dawson was granted one thousand three hundred fifty acres on both sides of Stocks Creek.

In 1737 Thomas Foster was granted three hundred fifty acres on Stocks Creek. Note; This land was on the upper side which is the north side.

In 1738 Robert Hudgins was granted four hundred acres on the upper (north) side of Flatt Creek and adjoining William Hurts and William Mayos lines.

In 1735 William Mays owned four hundred acres on both sides of Flatt Creek. Notes: Mays branch of Flatt Creek was also called Neals branch. It runs into Flatt Creek about four miles southeast of Paineville.

Ben Ward was granted 780 acres between Knibs and Deep Creeks in 1728.

First record of Flat or Flatt Creek appears in 1730.

Mary Bowling owned 5315 acres in Amelia in 1788. Thomas Tabb Bowling {SSS note: possibly of the Bolling family ?}owned 2000 acres in Amelia then.

In 1756 John Nash was granted six thousand seven hundred sixty seven acres on the south side of the Appomattox River and on both sides of Bush, Bryer and Sandy River.

In 1736 Richard Randolph was granted five thousand four hundred thirty acres in the Counties of Amelia and Goochland on both sides of the Appomattox River.

In 1737 Richard Randolph was granted three thousand one hundred forty-eight acres on Falling Creek.

In 1737 Isham Randolph was granted six thousand acres on Buffalo River.

In 1737 Richard Randolph was granted six thousand four hundred thirty acres on the Appomattox River.

In 1722 John Raybourn was granted three hundred acres on the north side of Nottoway River adjoining Gabrill Harrison's land.

In 1727 John Raybourn was granted six hundred ninety-five acres on the north side of Nottoway River.

In 1736 Jacob Seay was granted four hundred acres.

In 1736 Isaac Seay was granted four hundred acres on both sides of Sandy Creek.

In 1752 Lewis Vaughan was granted two hundred and forty-four acres on the head branched {sic} of Tomahawk and Franks Creeks adjoining Robert Vaughan's line.

In 1747 Henry Vaughan was granted one hundred and eighty-two acres on the north side of Flatt Creek.

In 1737 Thomas Vaughan was granted four hundred acres on both sides of Franks Creek.

In 1767 Isham Vaughan was granted fifty-five acres on Hurricane Creek.

In 1746 Abraham Vaughan was granted five hundred and twenty-five acres on the lower side of Saylors Creek.

In 1740 Robert Vaughan was granted eight hundred acres on both sides of Franks Creek adjoining the land of Thomas Winford. Note: This land was south of Flat {sic ? s/b Flatt ?} Creek and west of Tomahawk Creek or branch.

In 1736 William Wood was granted four hundred acres on both sides of the south fork of Stocks Creek. Note: Bull Run Creek now, he built grist mill.

In 1735 Henry Walthall was granted four hundred acres on the south side of Smacks Creek.

In 1738 William Watson was granted three thousand nine hundred and fifty-two acres on both sides of Flatt Creek.

In 1739 Thomas Wingo was granted four hundred acres.

In 1749 William Watson was granted five thousand and seventy seven acres on Flatt Creek and Deep Creek.

In 1771 Samuel Whitworth was granted two hundred acres in the counties of Amelia and Prince Edward on both sides of Little Saylor Creek.

In 1752 John Whitworth was granted one hundred and fifty acres on the lower side of Saylor Creek.

Abraham Whitworth was granted 496 acres of land located on both sides of Rock Fish River in Goochland County, Virginia on 6/30/43.

Thomas Whitworth was granted 230 acres of land located between the branch of Flatt and Stocks Creeks and on both sides of the road in Amelia County in 1749. His will written in July 23, 1762, states that this land was located at the head of Neals Branch. (granted 1749).

Amelia was cut off from Prince George County in 1734. Prince Edward County was cut off from Amelia County in 1754. Nottoway County was cut off from Amelia County in 1788.

William Wood was granted 400 acres of land located on both sides of the south fork of Stocks Creek in Amelia County in 1736. Note: This Creek is now know {sic s/b known} as Bull Run Creek. William Wood built one of the first corn mills in this section on this creek at a place almost due west of Paineville. A part of the stone foundation was there in 1935 on which the mill was built.

A. M. Vaughan of Amelia went in 1740 with traders to the Cherokee Indian country to the west. Western Amelia was sparsely inhabited then. The last hunters cabin he saw was on the Otter River in Botetourt County. He described the trading path to the French Broad River.

The last land grants in Amelia were in 1819 and 1820.

Brandy and Whiskey Making

Apple brandy was made in Amelia from early colonial times. Some peach brandy was made also. In 1904 the tax on brandy was $1.10 a gallon. At this time a horse was used to turn the wooden rolls which meshed together like the teeth of gears and crushed the apples. Cider was stored in barrels for weeks at a time, then it was run into the copper still, under which a fire was kept burning. The alcoholic strength of this cider passed from the top of the still into a coiled copper pipe submerged in a barrel of water. There it formed a liquid called "low wines". This "low wines" was barreled and was run through the still the second time, and came out brandy. In 1904 apple brandy sold for about four dollars a gallon as soon as it was made and the tax paid. The federal government sent a "gauger" to the still to measure and estimate the quantity made and to set the amount of tax due on it.

The author has talked with men from several different parts of Virginia about brandy making where they lived. It seems that it was made all over the state, that some of these still operators were not at all careful to pay the tax on all brandy made, and that one very large operator in Southampton County paid on about half.

In Amelia county in 1904 the man who hauled his apples to the still, which was operated in the edge of the village of Rodophil, got a gallon of brandy with tax paid on it for each fifteen bushels of apples he carried to the still. Two men, each the owner of a copper still, operated at Rodophil together in 1904. Apples were hauled here from as far as Cumberland County.

Corn whiskey was made on Bull Creek at the abandoned location of Wood's Mill some two and a half miles west of Paineville, just before the Civil War. I have been told that six stills were in operation here, and were owned by a man named Brexeal. I don't know how long this continued.

Many "moonshine" stills operated in Amelia during "prohibition", which was supposed to start about 1917. None of these made brandy from apples. These stills were operated for many years, continually hunted for by officers, and moved often to a new place to be safer from capture. So many of these were captured and confiscated by the law that not much profit was made by these illegal stills. Some of the whiskey made by them was called "sugar" whiskey.

So far as the author knows there were only two stills in operation in the wester {sic s/b western} part of Amelia County long about {sic} 1900. They were owned by Mr. Mann and Mr. Seth Bell, both in Rodophil Community. In 1753 brandy sold for $1.17 a gallon.

The Masonic Hall at Paineville

A Masonic lodge was chartered at Paineville, Virginia on November 28, 1797. This lodge was Number 51. Nelson T. Patterson was Master; Waller Ford was Senior Warden; Creadle Burch was Junior Warden; John Wiley was Treasurer; Samuel Ford was Secretary; John M. Crowder was steward; John Chappell was Tyler; Daniel Lane was s. d. {sic}; John Hannah was j. d. {sic}; and William Bently was p. m. {sic}.

The members were: Edward Scott, Barnet Seay, Austin Seay, Thomas Ellis, William Taylor, Thomas R. Davenport, Marshall Booker, Edward Mumford, Jose Scott, Nathan Robertson, John Robertson, John Towner, Jr., William Clements, Walter Kibble, and Daniel Booker.

The Infidel Club and the Masonic Lodge met in the same hall, which was a two story frame building that stood until about 1893, when Dick Seay had it taken down and most of the lumber in it was used to build a house for a negro named William Henry Jones. This Masonic Hall stood on the same side of the road that the tavern was on, and probably about 150 feet southwest of the tavern.

Under the date of December 10, 1823, is this note. "A Masonic Lodge is about to be established at Colonel Tilmon Jeter's Tavern." This building is in use as a dwelling by the Jeter family now, 1945. It is located right on the roadside about three miles north of Jetersville.

Early Churches in Amelia County

All of Amelia was in Bristol Parish from 1642 to 1734. Then Amelia County and Raleigh Parish were organized. In 1748 Nottoway Parish was cut off from Raleigh Parish.

Huntington Church was located about five miles northwest of the Court House in Amelia.

Rocky Run Church was in Amelia. I do not know where.

Averys Church was in Amelia, and Prides Church was in Amelia in the early days. All of the above church history was gotten from Bishop Meade's book on churches.

Grub Hill Church is now in use. It is a very interesting and a very old brick colonial church in Amelia County. It is a few miles from the Court House and on a good road. A large cemetery in in {sic} this old Episcopal Church yard. Some of the graves have a brick wall around them. Inside this wall several families are buried. French Huguenots are buried here, and people who came from England and Ireland after the Civil War. A minister of this church publicly reprimanded one of his congregation in the church for having on a colonial uniform about the time of the War of the Revolution. This minister was the Rev. John Brunskill, who came very near being roughly man-handled by angry members on that day because of this reprimand. Brunskill was not allowed to be minister after this. Although he lost his church, he was somehow able to hold on to, and live in, the Glebe as long as he lived, which was many years. He was a bachelor. Bishop Meade's history relates that there were two or three John Brunskills who were ministers in the colonial church of Virginia. It was hard to identify them. Bishop Meade had a very poor opinion of at least one of these John Brunskills. (The man reprimanded was Colonel Archer.)

First Vaughans in Amelia County

This history is supposed to start with the first members of this family who settled in Amelia County. That is about as far back as the author thinks it advisable to go. If any information earlier than this is found it will be included. Any additional information might help someone to trace this history to an earlier date.

Bristol Parish extended from east of Petersburg to the "Great Mountains" on the west up to the time Amelia County and Rawleigh {sic s/b Raleigh} Parish were organized in 1734. From Bristol Parish church register these notes have been obtained.

Luis Vaughan, son of Nicholas and Ann Vaughan, was born, in February, 1719. Phoebe Vaughan, daughter of Robert and Martha Vaughan, was born in May 18, 1732, baptized June 1, 1732.

Nicholas Vaughan, son of Robert and Martha Vaughan, was born November 21, 1734. Daniel and Ann Vaughan had these two children, Ann born 1732 and Phoebe, 1743.

We see that Ann and Phoebe are popular names in this family. Later on Willis became a much used name for several generations. This history commences with Robert Vaughan and his wife, Martha.

Settlers were coming into what is now Amelia County with a rush at this time and were petitioning the parish vestrymen to build more churches in this rapidly expanding frontier region. More about these churches later. So many settlers had come in that a new county and parish were established in 1734. They were Amelia County and Rawleigh {sic s/b Raleigh} Parish. As soon as these were set up this county and parish extended from Namozine Creek on the east to the Appomattox River on the north. (Then called Bristol River.) It extended to the great Nottoway River on the south, and indefinitely to the west.

Amelia records show that Robert Vaughan was a surveyor in Amelia in 1736. At this time settlements had very probably not been made far west of Farmville. Roads were cut through the forest while the wagons waited. Crude bridges of saplings and poles laid over them were built if the stream was too deep to be forded. Log cabins were being built with no floors but the ground and with slab roofs with probably not a nail in them, with chimneys made of stones at the foundation, and the top part made of notched saplings and lined on the inside with a thick layer of mud. No building inspector had to be looked out for then. Window glass was not used until about forty years later. These crude log cabins, lighted by small windows so as to let in not too much cold in winter and also lighted with pine knots blazing in the large open fireplace and with tallow candles, were the residences of our pioneer ancestors in Amelia County.

In 1740 Robert Vaughan was granted 800 acres of land on the lower side of Flatt Creek. (When a map hangs on the wall the lower side is always the south side.) This land was bounded on the north by Flatt Creek and joined the land of Thomas Winford. Franks Creek ran through this large tract of land. It was located just a very short distance west of Tomahawk Creek which flows north into Flatt Creek. The mill pond of a very early mill, built on Flatt Creek backed water some distance west of Tomahawk creek or branch, and it is almost certain that a part of Robert Vaughans low grounds were covered with water of this mill pond. More about this mill later. Later it becomes Jeter's mill.

A part of this old grant of 800 acres is now (1946) the farm of Mr. Stewart Morris, who for many years operated a dairy farm there. Mr. Morris is now probably more than seventy-five years old, and he is a grandson of Robert Vaughan who descended from Robert who was granted this land by the English Crown.

In 1737 Thomas Vaughan was granted 400 acres that joined Robert Vaughan. In 1747 Henry Vaughan was granted 182 acres on the north side of Flatt Creek. In 1752 Lewis Vaughan was granted 244 acres on Tomahawk and Franks Creek joining Robert Vaughan's land. I am just about certain all of the four above named Vaughans were close relatives, and as we see they lived close together on both sides of Flatt Creek and about three or four miles northwest of the present village of Jetersville, Virginia.

The next history of Robert Vaughan is in August 1771, when he wrote his will. In this will he named his wife Martha, his son James, his son Willis, his daughter Phoebe Mays, his daughter Ann Johnson. This will was proved by William Mays, (probably his son-in-law.) and by Edmund Booker in September 1779. No doubt he died about this time, which was about the middle of the Revolution.

The Mays family of Amelia went to live in South Carolina. Then to Georgia and later to Florida where they became a wealth {sic s/b wealthy} prominent family. More about this later.

Robert Vaughan’s daughter Ann married Richard Johnson before August 10, 1771 at which time Robert wrote his will. Richard Johnson and his wife lived on Sandy Creek about a mile or more northwest of the small village of Deatonsville.

Ordinaries in Amelia County

An ordinary was a tavern. It was a place where a person could pay for meals and spend the night, and also have his horse or horses stabled and fed. There were a good many of these ordinaries in colonial Virginia.

Robert Foster kept an ordinary in Amelia County in 1787.

Rice Newman and Sam Chappell kept an ordinary in Amelia in 1787.

John Townes kept an ordinary in 1787.

Pauline {? s/b Paulen ?} Anderson kept an ordinary in 1788.

Richard Booker kept an ordinary in 1788.

Len Hudson kept an ordinary in 1788.

Josiah Jackson kept an ordinary in 1782.

Peter Stanback was granted license for an ordinary at Amelia Court House in 1782.

Note: The author is unable to say where these ordinaries were located. The one at {sic s/b Paineville} has been described under the heading Paineville. Only one of these old buildings is standing in the western part of Amelia now so far as he knows. This one was John Jeter’s Tavern, described separately.

Prices: lodging in clean sheets for each man per night six pence (12 cent{s).} Stableage {sic} and fodder for a horse one night, six pence. Indian corn per gallon four pence, dated 1753.

Early Doctors in Amelia County

David Asselin was a doctor in Amelia County in 1787. Others who were doctors at this time were: Dr. Dugless {sic ? Douglass or Douglas ?}, Dr. Roger Scott, and Dr. Alexander Willson.

Doctor Daniel Segar{e} was in Amelia in 1795. He married Miss Motley.

Note by the author: In these old days most doctors had very little college training. Some had only two years at a medical school. It is just about certain that some of them never attended a medical school at all.

In 1782 which was during the War of the Revolution, the population of Amelia was 5549 white people and 8748 blacks.

Amelia Sulphur Springs

As I write this I can imagine the people who read this fifty or a hundred years from now will be amused to know how things were done in the long ago {sic}, and in the first few years of the twentieth century.

This old kitchen and dining room has thick walls and a good roof, I believe but it is in a very neglected state, with stalls for cattle and hogs where the finest of food was cooked. There is no furniture, no doors or windows left now.

The three brick buildings described are all that is left now. Two frame buildings are standing now and in a poor condition.

My ancesters {sic s/b ancestors}, the Johnsons, used to visit these springs. I have heard my grandmother tell of being there when a girl, about 1845. I have heard her say political speakings took place there. Just before the Civil War troops from Cumberland County came to this place and drilled with the Amelia Troops.

Several generations of the Willson family owned this resort from as early as about 1820 until the Civil War. This place reached the height of its fame under the management and ownership of Thomas C. Willson from 1840 to 1860. He was accidentally drowned there. After the war of 1861 the place was owned by the Cottrell family and was sold by a member of this family to a large lumber company about 1916. In the meantime it had increased in size to a very large tract of land of about fourteen hundred acres.

The sulphur spring is in use now. I have never heard of any of the water being sold. (Blanton’s Stage Coach and Carriage Shop was located about a mile and a half west of these springs on the south side of the public road).

Many of the guests went to these springs in stage coaches and in private carriages. Many who went in carriages took with them a colored maid servant and a driver, who was also a servant.

Horse racing, tournaments, dancing, croquet, horseback riding and soldier company drills were some of the things that were indulged in there.

About 1848 or 1850, the railroad was constructed from Richmond by Jetersville and then people came by train to this station and to the springs. This probably increased business as it facilitated travel from greater distances. I understand that the greater part of the patronage of this resort were people from Amelia and adjoining counties who were in comfortable circumstances, and who went there in private vehicles.

Some prominent church members did not approve of the kind of life lived there and took drastic action in this way. Mr. Willson, the owner and operator of this resort was expelled from the church.

A granddaughter of Thomas Claiborne Willson, who married Mr. Aubyn Taylor, lived at these springs from about 1901 for many years. She was a charming woman, and Mr. Taylor was deputy treasurer then. They used to cash school teachers warrants or pay checks, some of which were for one of our family.

Your author visited at this place then, and was told of the drowning of Mr. Willson, her grandfather and former owner {sic s/b followed by something like “of the springs”}.

Prices in Amelia County in 1900

In 1900 the average price of wheat was about sixty cents a bushel. A farmer would take five and a half bushels to a mill and get back a barrel of flour and some “seconds” some shop and some bran. All mills were water driven except probably one that was built at Jetersville by Doctor Vaughan about 1900, which was operated with a steam engine. Very little flour was sold in Amelia in paper sacks then. People made their own yeast out of hops, irish potatoes and salt. Wheat was cut with binders, reapers and with old hand cradles. A steam engine drove the separator that thrashed the wheat. The toll charged was never less than six bushels to a “setting”. All over a hundred bushels was at the rate of six bushels to a hundred bushels thrashed.

Corn sold for about forty cents a bushel. Some farmers had hand corn shellers.

Sugar sold for about six cents a pound, and kerosene oil sold for fifteen cents a gallon. The price of these two widely used articles remained just about the same for over forty years.

Children’s school shoes cost from eighty cents to a dollar and twenty cents.

An able-bodied negro man could be hired by the month for eight dollars a month a board and a place to sleep.

The village blacksmith would shoe a horse all round {sic} for forty cents if shoes and nails were furnished.

Many boys and some men hunted with civil war muskets and bought their powder and shot and caps from the village store.

Some people were addicted to drugs. Morphine and laudanum were sold in country stores to those in any quantity they were able to pay for.

Amelia County Mills

In 1740 or before, Abram Cockes mill was built at the forks of Big and Little Nottoway River.

The first mill in western Amelia County designed to be operated entirely by steam was built at Jetersville By {sic s/b by} Dr. Lemuel H. Vaughan, M.D., about 1900. This mill ground both wheat and corn, but mostly wheat. This mill operated almost steadily up to about 1931, when it burned. For many years it was operated by Wood Vaughan, only son of its founder.

Most of the following was copied from an order book of Amelia County, which is now in the new state library in Richmond. Date May, 1943.

When a mill was to be built in these colonial times, it was the general rule for a jury of twelve “freeholders” to be appointed by a judge or a court to determine the amount of damage the builder of the mill should pay to the one or more persons whole land would be covered by the water of the pond to be built.

Many of these strong and industrious pioneer men of Amelia County could not write their names when called upon to be jurors to assess damages when a mill was to be built. These men signed with “his mark”. There were very few schools then. All of these mills operated by water power.

1751 A mill to be built on the land of Leonard Clayborne {SSS note - alternate spelling Claiborne} on Namozine Creek in Raleigh parish, Amelia County. At this time Abraham Cock was sheriff of Amelia. Samuel Cobbs signed this order.

1759 A mill to be built by William Covington on Woody Creek, in the parish of Nottoway. Covington paid damages to James Hall, whose land and timber would be covered and damaged by this mill pond.

1761 A mill to be built on Deep Creek by William Crawley. Raleigh parish John Clay’s land damaged.

1765 A mill was built by William Cryer on Tomhitton Creek in Nottoway Parish.

1763 A mill was built on Beaver Pond branch by Henry Randolph. Raleigh Parish.

1775 A mill was built by William Finney on Flatt Creek. Damage of twenty shillings was paid to John Robertson. William Clement was the sheriff of Amelia County.

Note: The author of this is not able to say where this mill was located on Flatt Creek, although he is familiar with this part of Amelia. It was propably {sic s/b probably} located on the lower or eastern part of this creek.

1758 A mill was built by David Greenhill on the “Branch of Kitts” in Raleigh Parish.

1759 a mill was built by Abraham Green on Deep Creek in Raleigh Parish.

1759 Nathan Fletcher petitioned for an acre of land on Wood Creek belonging to Billington Williams. A mill to be built here.

1747 A mill to be built by Wills Jordan on Fork of Nottoway. Damage was paid to Abraham Cock.

1755 Henry Robertson built a mill on Mountain Creek, Nottoway Parish.

1761 A mill was built by Mr. Forrest on Deep Creek and paid damages to Thomas Tabb. Note: This mill was very probably near old Grub Hill Church. Many of the Tabbs, some of whom owned very large tracts of land, lived in this part of Amelia.

1764 A mill was built by Edmund Booker on {H}ibbs Creek. Simon Clement was a juror here.

1765 David Greenhill built a mill in 1765. No location is given.

1737 Henry Robertson built a mill on little Nottoway River.

1782 William {B}ell was permitted to erect a mill on Flatt Creek. Location not known by this author.

176{ } Daniel Jones built a mill in Amelia. I am not sure where it was. Daniel Jones’ mill and Amelia Court House were burned by the British General Tarleton in 1781, when he was on a raid through Amelia County. Daniel Jones petitioned the state for financial relief because this mill was destroyed by the enemy.

Woods Mill

I have been reliably informed that this was about the first mill ever to be built near Painville {sic s/b Paineville}. An older member of the Wood family told me this many years ago. This was a small corn mill that used stones, and it was located on Bull Run Creek probably two and a half miles west by northwest of Painville {sic s/b Paineville}. It was on a small creek not more than a mile and a half from the creeks beginning about at Rodophill {sic s/b Rodophil} and Providence Church.

Both {ends} of the Mill {dam} are there now and a few stones with drill holes in them are below the {dam}. This was a part of the mill foundation. Another dam was up the creek a ways from this dam. I do not know anything about this other dam.

I have made inquiries, but can not find out anything about when this mill ceased to operate, or why it ceased. An old man named Ford lived nearby, who was born about 1830, did not pass on any information about this mill to his sons. He must not have remembered it. It probably went down before 1{8}00. A millstone from this mill laid around until about 1920 and then was used to make a foundation for a chimney of a house just a short distance north of Providence church. If not disturbed it will be there for ages. Bull Run Creek runs into Stocks Creek, and it runs just about north.

Jeters Mill

I have been told by a member of the Jeter family that this mill was built by a man named Atkinson. I have not been able to find out when it was built. It was probably almost as old or just as old as Woods Mill described above. This was a corn and flourmill and an important mill that was patronized from far and wide.

This mill was located on Flatt Creek not more than a mile above Amelia Sulphur Springs. Most of the dam is there now, and the canal that leads to the mill site. A part of the mill foundation wall was there twenty five years ago, and some old scrap metal was there. This mill ceased to operate about 1875. The old mill house stood until about 1898.

I am just about sure that the stones from this mill were moved to Perrins Mill near Paineville about 1902. The road from Paineville to Jetersville passes close to this mill site. I feel sure that the mill was there first and roads were built to the mill which later became this public road.

A great many people convicted of petty offenses in England were transported to the American colonies and to Australia and were held in bondage and worked just as we work convicts on roads and other places now. I read of one who was transported for stealing a pie from a baker’s cart on the street in England. I have been informed that some of these convicted people from Great Britain were brought to that frontier county of Amelia and compelled to work building the dam for Jeters Mill, and probably worked on the mill also. What an undertaking it must have been to build a mill away {sic} out in the wilderness when many of the parts had to be made from wood. With very little iron and steel and only a few poorly equipped blacksmith shops a long way off.

Although this mill was not built by Jeters it was operated by them for many years. This mill was called Grove Mill and the home of Tilmon Jeter, who owned and operated the mill. Mill Grove was operated as a tavern for many years. This house is now the home of Mr. Reps Jeter. The last member of that well known and pioneer family of Jeters in Amelia County to operate this mill was Dr. Jim Jeter who was an old man in 1900. He learned denistry {sic s/b dentistry} before the Civil War. (He probably went to college in Baltimore). It seems that he practiced denistry {sic s/b dentistry}.

It was in these trying times of poverty and in many cases of want and hardship that this old mill on Flatt Creek was allowed to go down. The dam is there and the canal that leads to the mill site is there to remind future generations that this is the place where many thousands of bushels of wheat and corn were ground long before the War of the Revolution, and long after.

Neals Branch Mill

A mill was located on Neals Branch, about two miles southeast of Paineville. This was probably as old as Woods Mill. I have never been able to find out who built it or operated it. It was probably a small corn mill that did not operate after 1800. I am not sure of this.

Both ends of the dam are there and a canal leads from the south end of the high dam along a steep side of a hill and comes to an abrupt end. No trace of a mill is to be seen. This mill site is about two miles west of the place where Neals Branch flows into Flatt Creek.

Mr. Josephus Walthall lived on the farm that this mill was located on up to about 1905, and his family lived there for many years before his birth, but I have never heard that this was Walthall’s Mill. I have heard that an almost grown boy named Chappell was drowned in this mill pond while tending fish traps.

Clementown Mill

A town was chertered {sic s/b chartered} to be built here in 1794. The mill was probably built before 1794. Marriage records show that Edward Booker married Mary Clement in 1783, and she was a daughter of Isham Clement, and Thomas Whitworth was surety. No doubt this mill was built by this family of Clements. It was on the Appomattox River and was a corn and four {sic s/b flour} mill, which was an important mill for many years. I am of the opinion that it did not operate continuously up to the time it burned about 1930. Clementown Mill was located about five or six miles northest of Paineville. I never heard that a town was built there. For many years it was operated by the Brezeal family.

Stoney Point Mill

This was a corn and flour mill and was on the Appomattox River about seven or eight miles northeast {sic s/b north east} of Paineville, and about a mile and a half below the mouth of Sandy Creek. I am of the opinion that a mill was built here in colonial times. After the Civil War it seems that the mill was rebuilt by Dr. Richard Wood, who lived on a large farm in Amelia about two miles or less east of this mill. I have been told that Dr. Wood was intelligent enough to foresee the coming of the Civil War and its after effects and that he sold most of his slaves, was paid for them in gold, and deposited his money in the Bank of England. When the War was over he had money. His neighbors (one of them my grandfather) had experience. I have been told that a cigar factory operated at Stony Point before the Civil War. No doubt this was true. No other information about it.

I am writing of this mill at Stony Point although it was not in Amelia County but on the Cumberland side of the River. This mill was not as large as Clementown Mill. Stony Point Mill was destroyed by fire about 1931. These two pioneer mills have very probably gone forever. Not much chance of either of them being rebuilt. Thad Davis was the last owner of Stony Point Mill.

Wileys Mill

Wileys Mill was a water operated corn mill located on Mill Creek about two miles northwest of Paineville. I have heard that it was built by Tilmon Jeter and have heard it was built by John Wiley. I am not sure which report was right. For a long time it was operated by the Wiley family. The older people called it Wiley’s Mill long about {sic} 1900.

Henry Thompson owned and operated it about 1880, when it was burned. The report was that a negro woman got angry with Thompson and burned his mill. It was rebuilt and a little later was bought by Mr. Sam Perrin, of Amelia, who was then a prosperous cotton farmer of Mississippi. Later it became the property of Mr. Eddie Perrin, who operated it many years as a corn mill.

About 1902 this mill was enlarged and became a flour mill also. A steam engine was installed for motive power, which also ran a sawmill alongside the mill. It was not much of a success as a flour mill, although it operated up to about 1910. A newcomer to Amelia named Dennison then owned it, and it was operated as a corn mill to about 1917 by a colored man, Thomas Waddell. About this time the large (about 17 foot diameter) wooden overshot water wheel fell to pieces, and this was the end.

As stated before, the mill stones from Jeters mill on Flatt Creek were installed in Perrins mill about 1{8}02. This mill is now (1942) just an old wreck, decayed and abandoned and overgrown with bushes. This was not as old as some of the other mills, was probably built about 1800. The exact date is not known by me.

It seems that these mills of Amelia could not survive in competition in a fast moving world. Much that is interesting to the student of history was connected with these picturesque old mills, such as this one that served so long and so well and passed on. The dam of this mill backed water for almost a mile, and what a wonderful mill pond it was. We boys had such a grand time bathing in it and fishing in it. We used to haul ice from it that was as much as five and a half inches thick. White people and negroes used it to baptise {sic s/b baptize} in, and two boats floated on it.

A man named Sumner bought this mill farm and while there he cut the dam about the middle in order to farm the land that was under water. I have been told that a great roaring flood of water went down the creek into Stocks Creek and into Appomattox River. The forebay or patcock was at the east end of this dam. A spillway was at the west end.

I am informed that this mill could grind about 20 bushels or more of corn in a ten hour day. Mill toll was one-eighth.

Chaffins Mill

This mill was on the same creek that Wileys Mill was on, and was not more than a mile down the creek. I have seen this mill site only once. A part of the dam is there and the canal that runs along the western slope of the creek, for a considerable ways, below the dam.

This was an old mill, probably much older than Wiley's. I do not know when it was built or when it ceased to operate. I feel sure it was just a corn mill and went down along about 1800. I am not sure of the date. Records show that Chaffins lived in Amelia in 1794, and in 1811 Joshua Chaffins name was on Jeters Shop ledger.

I have been told that there was a mill on this same creek below Chaffins mill. I never was able to find out about it. I have never seen the place it was. An old mill was located somewhere near Paineville, Munfords (Mumvords) Mill, but I am not sure where the exact location was. I don't know when it was built or when it ceased to operate. Three mill sites on the same creek in a distance of not more than two miles is unusual. Probably, as one went down, another was built.

Farmers Mill

This corn mill was on a creek that flowed into Flat Creek about three miles or more west of Jetersville, Virginia. I know very little of this mill. I have never been there. I think it was an old mill. To the best of my information it ceased to operate in 1907.

Morrisette's Mill

I have the history of this old mill from Mr. Morrisette written in December 1941. It was built in 1766 by a man named Motley. Then it was owned by Gills. The it was owned by Gills and Hillsman. Then it was owned by R. H. Walton. Mr. Morrisette bought it in 1913. This is a flour and corn mill and is still in operation now. (1942) It is on a creek, I think it is Sailor Creek. An engine is installed here to be used when the water is too low to be used.

Chapman's Mill

This was a small corn mill, built probably about 1890, by William Chapman. It was on a fork of Sandy Creek near Deatonville. It seems that it ceased to operate about 1903. The farm on which this mill was built was before that time, the farm of John Johnson, who was the father of my grandmother. All of his children were born and raised there.

About the time the Civil War started the second and third largest flour mills in the country were in Richmond. These were the Gallego Mills and the Haxall Mills. One of these could grind one hundred and ninety thousand barrels of flour a year, and the other one hundred and sixty thousand barrels. The flour from these mills was world famous, especially suited to tropical countries.

Link Lockettes Mill

I have been informed by Mr. Billy Farley of Amelia who is now 82 years of age, that this mill was on Little Sailors Creek. It was patronized by my great grandfather, John Johnson, who lived not far from it on Sandy Creek. Mr. Farley says it ceased to operate about 1885. The dam remained a long time after this and was washed away in a flood about 1900. The Lockett families and the Johnson family were neighbors and friendly. The owner of the mill was probably named Lincoln Lockett. (John Johnson's father was Richard Johnson, who wrote his will in December 1817. This will was witnessed and signed by Herndon Green, John Lockett and James Lockett.)

I think this was a flour and corn mill, but I am not sure of this. It could have been only a corn mill. I have heard Uncle Jack Johnson say he was taken to this mill by his father and it was the first mill he ever saw.

Bridgeforths Mill

This is a very old mill, and is in operation now (1942). It is located on Beaver Pond Creek in the eastern part of Amelia. For many years it was operated by the Bridgeforth family and for many years by the Archer family. It was a flour and corn mill. My wife's father, Robert C. Elliot, operated this mill from 1909 to about 1919.

A member of our Johnson family named Joel and a Miss Bridgeforth were drowned in this mill pond while skating on it about 1901. This was a very sad accident. These young people were not grown. Joel was a son of Leonidas (called "Bose") Johnson. {SSS Note -- Bessie Mottley compiled a record of the descendants of Benjamin Bailey. In this record, she states that on 28 Feb 1918, Joel Allen Johnson (b. 23 Jan 1881) drowned while trying to rescue his sister, Mary Michael Johnson Boisseau (b. 10 Nov 1882 - d. 28 Feb 1918), wife of Robert Bridgforth Boisseau. Joel and Mary had a brother named Leonidas Parker Johnson (b. 27 Jun 1885), and other siblings. They were the children of Thomas Edward Johnson (20 Jul 1846 - 6 Jun 1919) and Elizabeth Spencer Rowlett (12 Sep 1851 - 6 Jun 1926). } (Note: Roller mills were first put in operation in Virginia bout {sic} 1870. Up tot hat time stones were used to grind grain, both wheat and corn).

Cotton Factory

A cotton factory was located about two miles east by southeast of Paineville on a small creek that runs east. I am not sure when it was built. (Probably about 1850. It must have been only a small factory. It was on a small creek that did not furnish much waterpower. Parts of a dam are there now. I have been told that this factory was owned and operated by a man named Ford. Mr. Howell Davis, who was born at this place about 1860, told me that when a boy he helped to take down this old factory building. I am of the opinion that it ceased to operate before 1860.

Except during the Civil War and during or right after World War I, cotton has never been raised in any quantity about Paineville, so far as I have any knowledge of. It was out of the cotton growing section, which was probably one reason it was not a success and did not operate long. I wish I could give more details o{f} this factory.

I was informed by Mr. Howell Davis that a silk mill was built here by a man named Simmons, and operated by him. It is certain that silk worms were raised here.

Where were these mills? It is very difficult, if not impossibly, to be sure where these old mills were located. This old Amelia County order book only informs us that they were on such a creek and on the lands or name of owner is given, and the name of the person or persons whose lands will be covered by the mill pond.

The early Colonial Church in Virginia

When Amelia was formed in 1734 there was only one parish and this was Raleigh Parish. After the population of this parish and county had increased greatly or in 1748 Nottoway Parish was cut off from Raleigh Parish. The year after this division of Raleigh Parish into Nottoway and Raleigh Parishes the "Church of England" or the established church which was the Episcopal Church, commenced to build a large church at a place now called Paineville. The writer of this was born and raised in Paineville, but is unable to say which was built first, the church or the village. (A full History of the Paineville Church will follow later.)

A parish was a church subdivision division {sic} of a county and contained one or more churches and ministers. It will be shown in this history that the church then had many powers and privileges and responsibilities which it does not have now.

In these early days a person had to contribute to the church whether or not he wanted to. He did not pay in money but in tobacco. He was assessed so many pounds of tobacco a year. This amount of tobacco varied from year to year. The ministers were paid in tobacco also, and furnished a place to live which was called a "Glebe." Many details of these payments in tobacco will be given later. There were no poorhouses then. The parishes and the church had to look after the poor and the indigent orphans and widows and sometimes the sick. The church operated ferries, and buried some of the dead. It did many other things. Here is an interesting example of what the church was called to do.

Date 1720, Bristol Parish, which is now Amelia or Nottoway County. It is ordered and Mr. Luis Green, church warden, is hereby empowered by this vestry to attach and "Seese" so much of the estate of John E. Ellis, Jr. to the value of three thousand pounds of tobacco and cost and make returns to the vestry.

Note: John Ellis, Jr. refused to pay a doctors bill for attending his son who had a broken leg. The church employed a Dr. Jos. Irby and paid him two thousand pounds of tobacco for attending to this son of John Ellis, Jr. The son's name was also John Ellis. This is the only record of which the writer is aware in which the church levied on the seized private property.

History of Old Paineville Church

When I was a boy at Paineville people used to wonder when the old church was built, but none of them knew. Years later I read in Bishop Mead's {sic s/b Meade's} book "Old Virginia Churches and Homes" that it was built in 1749 or 1750 at a place since called Paineville.

There was a grave yard just south of the church, but tobacco and other crops grew where the cemetery used to be, and I never saw any sign of a grave or a grave stone there. A very large oak tree stood about 150 feet south of the west end of the church up to about 1893, when it was sawed down. This was probably in the cemetery.

I have heard my grandmother say a three day debate was held in this old church between Dr. Thomas and Alexander Campbell. I have heard from another source that Dr. Thomas was completely crushed in the debate. Later {on} he published his denominational paper in Paineville. At the time of this debate the Campbellite Church split off from the Thomsite Church. Campbellite Church since has been called Christian Church.

Some thought that a corner stone of the church should contain some relics of interest. Nothing of this nature was ever found so far as I ever heard, anyone say. Not all churches have cornerstones. It seems this one did not.

Immediately after the Civil War the old church was used as a school house. Miss Bessie Tuttle was the first public school teacher there. Her brother, Ben Tuttle also taught school there.

A brilliant young medical doctor, Moses Fort Thomas Evans, commenced to practice medicine at Paineville about 1843. He was from South Carolina, was educated for a doctor in Philadelphia. His first wife, who was from Philadelphia, was a Miss Tuttle or Stockton.

The old church was used as a place of worship a part of the time and from time to time up to about 1885, Bishop Meade says that about the last one to conduct a Sunday School and Church there was Bishop Chevers. He gave it up after about two years. I have been informed that Reverend Wilkins preached here about 1880 during a revival.

For many years this church was used as a wheel wright {sic s/b wheelwright} and coffin shop by Mr. Charles Selden Seay. Exact dates not know. Probably from about 1884 to 1912.

It was a frame building, weatherboarded {sic s/b weather boarded}. It had a shingle roof, that leaked. Mr. Seay's sons, Ernest and Hugh, singled the eastern half of the north side of the roof about 1899. At this time it contained no benches or pulpit and a few window glasses. Most of the windows were planked up. It was supported on a brick wall, but parts of the wall had been removed, or had been built with open spaces in it. Average height of floor from ground was about two feet or a little more.

The side walls were lathed and plastered, but most of the plaster had come off. Shop forged nails fastened the lathes on. East end of ceiling was lath, the west end was boards. A broad double door was in the west end, a door was in the south side and a narrow door was in the north side, and probably twelve windows.

The girders (that supported the ceiling) were about two feet apart, but the outside cornice as {sic s/b was} so constructed as to cause one to think that these girders were not over about fifteen inches apart or less. Apparently the girders ends projected and were neatly boxed in under the eaves.

I will estimate the size of this church as 62 feet long, east to west; 28 feet wide, north to south; 15 feet high or more, the ceiling.

In November 1900, two men in a top buggy (one horse) came to Paineville with a phonograph or talking machine and a crowd of probably sixty or more people paid ten cents each to hear this machine talk and sing. Mr. Charles Seay fixed benches of boards in the south western corner of the old church and the talking machine was placed near the middle of the church not far from the south wall. The audience faced west. We heard our first talking machine then. One piece played was "Turkey scratching in the straw". Another was "Get out of the way of the girls, boys, and give them room or they will crack you on the head with the butt end of a broom". The owners of the machine were good business men. They started a voting contest at five cents a vote for the prettiest girl and a contest for the most popular girl. Some young men spent all they had to vote as mant {sic s/b many} times as he could get the money to pay. Some of the girls voted for were: Miss Mollie Orange, Miss Clara Wingo, and Miss Estelle Perrin. This was the only audience of any size that the author ever knew to assemble in this old church. A part of the money taken in was given to the local (Union) Sunday School. The old church was lighted by kerosene oil lamps furnished by people who lived near. The room was too large and open, and people less than twenty feet away could scarcely hear the machine, which had a large horn shaped much like a morning glory bloom. This machine used "cylinder" records.

A middle aged man named LeTellier, who had lived on a farm near Paineville came by there about 1900 doing photographic work. He took a picture of this, old church with Mr. Seay standing in a door. This picture was given to Mr. and Mrs. Seay. Mr. C. S. Seay died suddenly in 1914. The picture was given to Mrs. James P. Wingo. It is now in the home of her son, Clifton C. Wingo. I believe this is the only picture in existence of the old church. I am not sure of this.

This church as also called Chincopin {sic s/b Chincapin} or Chinquepin {sic s/b Chinquapin} church. A chincopin {sic s/b Chincapin} is a nut very much like a chesnut {sic s/b chestnut}, but smaller. Many of them grow on bushes about Paineville.

When Mr. Charles Seay was an old feeble man, and probably in his second childhood, he seemed to develop a grudge against the church-shop that he had worked in so long. He swore that the old church should not out-last him. He began to take it down with his own hands, about 1912. His wife did not want him to do it but she could not stop him. He may have hired some help on it, I am not sure. The old church was partly taken down, then in February or March 1913, a storm blew it down. Some of the timbers from it were hauled to Jetersville and used to build a part of a blacksmith shop by a colored man named Charles Pitchford.

Built in 1749 or 1750, taken down and blew {sic} down in 1912 and 1913, this is the history of the "Old Paineville Church". This history is just as true as this author knows how to write it.

It is a pity his {sic ? s/b this ?} church was neglected as it was. If it had been kept in repair with a good roof on it, it should have last {sic s/b lasted} another hundred years. Most people around there were poor, and had little to spend on such things. It was in such poor condition and had such a bad roof on it, it would not have stood much longer than 1913.

Mr. Seay built or had built a small shop just to the north of where the old church stood, and made some coffins in it. He was then old and feeble, and it was not so long (about 1914) before he went the way of all flesh, and a coffin was needed for him.

I would like to tell future generations just where this old church stood. It is going to be difficult to do so for not a single landmark is there except roads. A public road runs through Paineville in an east-west direction, and in the village this road branches, forming the letter "Y". One branch of this "Y" goes in a north-east direction on by the Union Church. The other branch of this "Y" goes in a south-east direction, which is in the direction of Amelia Court House. The old Paineville Church stood on the south side of the roads that formed this letter "Y" and just a little (about 75 feet) east of the point where the two branches of the "Y" join to form the stem. It was about 70 feet from the road. Both of the branches of this letter "Y" have washed and worn deep because both of these roads run downhill, one northeast {sic s/b north east} and the other southeast.

Note: The road forming the northeast {sic s/b north east} branch of the letter "Y" was abandoned as a road about 1908. A road was constructed to the north along the old abandoned Paineville "Race Track".

Odds and Ends

Railroad from Blacks and Whites. (Blackstone) was completed to Petersburg in 1851. Capt. Richard Irby established a foundry on his farm in Nottoway in 1855. It was late moved to Union Academy which was a boys school located on the Brunswick Road.

On March 22, 1742 Joseph Mays was appointed Indian Commissioner for the colony of Virginia. The Mays family and the Vaughan family intermarried.

1737 Robert Vaughan surveyed a road from Wests Creek to Flatt Creek.

A bounty was paid for 36 wolf heads in 1737, and 23 wolf heads in 1738.

In 1738 two pounds of tobacco per head on tithables. In 1739 twenty two pounds of tobacco per head on tithables.

In 1741 Mr. Burton was fined for not keeping the road in repair that ran from Stocks Creek to Sandy Creek. Also stated this year that the bridle way from Robert Vaughan's to Court House to be kept open. It is now a path.

"Multicaulis {sic} Mania". A great many people in Amelia and adjoining counties planted multicaulis {sic} or mulberry trees in groves for silk worms to feed on. It seems that this planting went on to such an extent that it developed into a mania. This was a "get rich quick scheme." The idea was to make a good living on just a few acres of land and