The Virginia magazine of history and biography (Volume 21) online

(and I have no doubt truely) that confidence was never abused by him.

In 1790 he attached him.^elf to the Baptist church being baptised
on the 29th of June and was ordained to the ministry in that denomina-
tion on the 3rd. of February 1792, and was chosen pastor of the Baptist
Church at "The Roundabout" in April of that year, and continued that
relation down to at least the 30 of May 1814, and how much longer I am
unable to say with accuracy.

The Roundabout church was situated about eight miles south of
Louisa C. H. It was burned down during the lifetime of John Poindexter
or soon after his death and has never been rebuilt. Only a few persons
of this generation recollect where the church stood.

He served other churches for over a period of twenty-five years,
but about this I do not purpose to say any thing as his services as a Bap-
tist Minister are stated in the "Virginia Baptist Ministers."

He was married three times. His first wife was a Miss Green
by whom he had only one child, William G. Poindexter, who died many
years ago leaving descendants; among them the present wife of the Hon.
A. R. Holladay of Henrico County, Va.. and the late Henry Poindexter
whom every one in this County well remembers as one of the best in-
formed, social, genial, and good natured men. He deserves to have a
better tribute paid him than can be done in these sketches. The writer
is only saying something in reference to the "Old Time Men."

John Poindexter's second wife was a Miss Johnson by whom he
had the following children, viz: Nicholas, John, Thomas. Andrew,
Waller, Lucy Jones (who died unmarried) and Mary, who married Gar-
rett M. Quarles. The descendants of this marriage now reside in Ken-
tucky and Tennessee. Two of them have been greatly distinguished
and have been honored by their respective States filling most important
offices. Nicholas removed to the State of Kentucky and died there:
many years ago, leaving children. Among the sons he left was Georgo
Gilmer Poindexter one of the most promising and rising young men in



104 VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

all that Country at the time of his death. Thomas died in Virginia
leaving children, two sons and a daughter.

He married a Miss Schooler, near Fredericksburg, Va. Andrew
died in this County unmarried. Waller was married to a Miss Talley
of Goochland County, and removed to Kentucky where he died years
ago, leaving children; their names are not known to me. John is still
living in Kentucky, now an old man, and if these sketches should fall
under his eye, he might supply much in reference to the Poindexters
that the writer has left out for want of accurate information.

John Poindexter's third wife was Margaret Maer of N. C. to whom
he was married in 1813, leaving by this marriage one daughter, Mrs.
F ances E. Thompson who now resides at Louisa Court House. His
last wife survived him some thirty years and died at the place now
owned by Mrs. A. W. Talley, in 1850. The writer of these sketches was
at the fimeral discourse which was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Mylne
and pronounced by an old college friend who was with him at the time
to be one of the best discourses he had ever listened to. Mr. Mylne
and his college friend have both passed away to that "Undiscovered
Country" (This by the way.)

Elder John Poindexter, (I will thus call him to distinguish him)
was a gentleman of the most decided haracter with a strong and vig-
orous intellect tinctured to a great extent with the prevailing ideas of
the day as is fully shown by all his writings now extant.

As a clerk he was a faithful and efficient officer as the records fully
testify; not however drawn with the same accuracy of expression and
preciseness as those under Littlepage's administration many years be-
fore.

I take it that his ministerial duties engrossed a good deal of his
time and that in making up his records he was more impressed with
the substance than the forms of his entries in the records.

This can however be said thar the "Records of the Court" under
this administration would compare very favorably with many of the
present day in this State.

During John Poindexter's clerkship the clerk's office for a portion
of the time was kept at his house which is now the residence of Capt
Wm. Meade a grandson of Bishop Meade, and known as "Winston Hall".
Afterwards it was kept at the present residence of A. H. Talley where
Poindexter lived and died. He removed from "Winston Hall" to this
place. For several years before the present Courthouse was built (1817)
the clerk's office was kept in a room of the old jail which I mentioned
:n a former number as having been burned in (1866) I shall say some-
thing of tlie brothers of Elder John Poindexter hereafter.
Copied by A. B. Mitchell,

Port Royal, Va.
Feby 25th, 1887.
(to be continued)



GENEALOGY. 105

THE ANCESTORS AND DESCENDANTS OF JOHN ROLFE
WITH NOTICES OF SOME CONNECTED FAMILIES.

[This is part of an unpublished and unfinished section of a projected
book which was to treat of "The Colonial Councillors of Virginia and
Their Descendants." The biographical portion was nearly completed;
but the account of the descendants of John Rolfe, the earliest council-
lor whose descendants can be traced, showed, even though this is not
complete, that the preparation of the genealogies would be a work which
would require more time than the compilers could possibly spare. It was
not proposed to reprint the later generations treated of in well-known
and reliable works, such, for instance, as those in Robertson's Descend-
ants of Pocahontas; but to give references to them. The plan also was
that where one branch of a family was descended, through female lines,
from one councillor, while another branch could trace, also through
females, to another, to give the whole family under the earliest
councillor who appeared. This explains some of the Flemings and
their descendants, the Webbs, appearing here. Some of the Flemings
descended from John Rolfe, while others traced through the Randolphs
to the Pages, who were councillors. In addition there were to be notes
and addenda in regard to connected families not directly descended from
any member of the Council]

Rolfe of Heacham.

The family of Rolfe was resident from an early date in the County
of Norfolk, England. The immediate ancestors of John Rolfe lived at
Hecham near King's Lynn in that County, and the earliest record of the
direct line is of two brothers, Robert and Eustace Rolfe, who were bom
at Heacham about 1539. Robert married Margaret Crowe and was an-
cestor of a prominent family at Lynn, and Eustace Rolfe married at
Heacham, May 27, 1560, Joanna Jenner. Eustace and Joanna had a son
John Rolfe, of Heacham, who was bom October 17, 1562. married Doro-
thea Mason, Sept. 24, 1582, died in 1594, and was buried at Heacham
Church, December 1st of that year.

In the Church is a brass with a Latin inscription to this John
Rolfe. The following is a translation which has been furnished us:

"John Rolfe, gentleman, of Hitcham, died on the twenty-ninth
day of November, in the year of our Lord, 1594, in the thirty-second
year of his age. While he lived he was of much service to his fellows;
his wish to enrich all his neighbors and kinsfolk by assisting the poor
with his wealth; nothing could be kinder than he was; he bore the in-
sults of many men quietly without oflFence; by exporting and importing
such things as England abounded in or needed, he was of the greatest
service, inasmuch as he spent both pains and labor upon it. Thus he
seemed to die as the force of fire is quenched by excess of water. For



106 VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

his Strength was unimpaired, nor had he completed many years when
he died. His death brought grief to many, but he had done nobly upon
the consciousness of a well spent life, and the record of many benefits
not allowed to die utterly:"

John Rolfe had, no doubt, been a successful merchant at Lynn.

The Heacham register shows that John and Dorothea (Mason)
Rolfe had, with other issue, 1. Eustace, and 2. John (twins) baptized
May 6, 1585; 3. Edward, baptized Feb. 22, 1591. There was another
son, Henry, afterwards a merchant in London and a member of the
Virginia Company, who is included in a manuscript pedigree mentioned
by Mrs. Jones in her Old Sandringham.

The Rolfes of Heacham Hall long remained among the gentry of
Norfolk. One of them was sheriff of the county about 1760. In 1837
S. C. E. Neville Rolfe, Esq., who assumed the name and arms, succeeded ,
to the property. The well-known portrait of Pocahontas descended to
the present time through the Rolfes and their relations in Norfolk.

Heacham Hall has been in part rebuilt and enlarged, but a con-
siderable portion of the old house remains and is shown in the accom-
panying illustration.

Two English books Old Sandringham, by Mrs. Herbert Jones, and
The King's Homeland contain interesting notices of Heacham and the
Rolfes.

(to be continued.)



THE TURNER FAMILY OF KING GEORGE COUNTY &c.
(Continued.)

When the first instalment of this genealogy appeared an exam-
ination of the records of Richmond and King George Counties appeared
to show that Thomasi Turner had only one wife, Martha Taliaferro.
But since this publication of the last instalment Vol. V of the Acts of
the (English) Privy Council, Colonial Series has been received and
gives the record of a suit which shows that Thomas Turner married
twice and also explains his unusually large gifts to a daughter's children.
On pages 128, 129, under date 1769, is entry of an appeal to the Privy
Coimcil from Virginia in the suit of Dixon vs. Turner. It is stated that
Col. Thomas Turner had by his first marriage, two sons Harry and
Thomas, and by his second, a daughter Sarah who married Edward
Dixon. Harry married Elizabeth Smith and died in 1751 leaving an
only child Thomas. His (Harry's) brother, Thomas Turner the younger,



GENEALOGY. 107

died intestate in 1747, leaving a son Harry and a daughter Sally who
married Walker Taliaferro. The record also states that Mrs. Elizabeth
Turner, wife of Harry (son of Col. Thomas) had father and brother each
named Nicholas Smith.

The name of Thomas Turner's other wife is not certainly known;
but as Sarah, wife of Thomas Turner, of King George, gent., released
her dower in a tract of land (formerly bought by him in 1725), which
he sold by deed, Spotsylvania County, Aug. 1, 1732, the second wife
was, no doubt named Sarah.

Col. Thomas 1 Turner married first, in 1714, Martha, daughter
of Richard Taliaferro, and secondly, Sarah —

Issue (1st m.). 2. Harry^ (of whom later); 3. Thomasz, of Spots-
sylvania Co. He was appointed a Justice of that County in 1742, married
Mary Taliaferro, and died intestate, according to the English record, in
1747. This probably should be 1757, as in 1753 Thos. Turner of King
George, gent, and Thomas Turner, the younger of Spotsylvania Co.,
gent, and Mary his wife, made a deed in Spotsylvania. On Nov. 7,
1749, by deed in Spotsylvania it was recited that Charles Taliaferro
the elder, late of Caroline Co., by his will March 2, 1734, left 570 acres,
called Motts, to his grandaughtevs Mary and Sarah Taliaferro, and that
Mary married Thomas Turner Jr, and Sarah married Francis Conway.
Thomas^ and Mary (Taliaferro) Turner had issue (a.) Thomas', alive
1769, no further information; (b.) Sally'' married Walker Taliaferro.
Col. Thomas' Turner had issue (by 2d m.) 4. Sarah^, married Edward
Dixon; 5. Mary^, unmarried 1757.

2. Major Harry^ Turner (Thomas 0, of King George County,
bom — , died 1751; was vestryman of Hanover parish, clerk of King
George County 1742-1751, and member of the House og Burgesses for
King George County at the sessions beginning May 1742, Sept. 1744'
Feb. 1745, July 1746, March 1747, October 1748, and April 1749. H*
married Elizabeth, daughter and co-heiress of Col. Nicholas Smithe
of King George County (whose residence "Smith's Mount" is now in
Westmoreland County) and acquired with her a large estate. The
will of Major Harry Turner, if he made one, is in the missing King George
County will book; but the inventory of his personal estate is still on record.
It includes "a parcel of books" valued at £11.5; 5 maps in gilt
frames £3; 69 pictures in gilt frames £6; silver plate £104; 2 sets tea
spoons £4; a case with one dozen silver haf ted knives and one dozen table-
spoons £20; 66 negroes &c; total values of personal estate £8,402.12.5,
Dated Sept. 6, 1753.

At "Smith's Mount" was formerly the tomb of Mayor Harry
Turner, bearing the arms (as given on the book-plate) and the follow-
ing inscription:



108 VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

"Beneath this Marble
Are deposited
the remains of
Major Harry Turner
1751
And
Elizabeth his wife
1752
Who with Credit and Esteem
Possessed and enjoyed
An Ample Fortvme
From which Unerring Wisdom
Thought fit to snatch them
In their Bloom
Together with three Sons
Who all dyed
In their infancy"

This tomb has been now removed to the Episcopal Chapel at
Port Conway, King George.

Harry and Elizabeth (Smith) Turner had issue, to survive, an only
son: 6. Thomas-^ ((of whom later)

Col. Thomas^ Turner, of "Walsingham" and "Smith's Mount,"
bom — , died 1787. He was a member of the King George County Com-
mittee of Safety 1771-76, and after the change of county boundaries
lived in Westmoreland where he died. He married Jane, daughter of
William Fauntleroy, of "Naylor's Hole," Richmond Co. His will was
dated Jvme 2, 17S7 and proved in Westmoreland County October 30, 1787.
Legatees: wife Jane, daughter Elizabeth Cocke, daughter Jean, young-
est daughter Mary Turner, to eldest son Henry Smith Turner, the plan-
tation called Smith's Mount, to sons Thomas and George the plantation
called Nanzatico, to be equally divided, to son Richard the plantation
opposite Port Royal adjoining the town of Port Conway; back lands
to be equally divided between sons.

Thomas 3 and Jane (Fauntleroy) Turner had issue: 7. Henry
Smith* (of whom later); 8. Thomas* (of whom later); 5. George* (of
whom later); 6. Richard* (of whom later); 7. Jane, married William
Storke Jett, of "Walnut Hill," Westmoreland Co; 8. Mary (May) mar-
ried Turner Dixon; 9. Elizabeth married Charles Cocke; 10. Sally died
unmarried.

(to be CONTINUED.)

♦Nicholas 'Smith, of "Smith's Mount", Richmond and King George
(now Westmoreland) County, was long a wealthy planter. It appears
in the Records of Richmond County that on March 6, 1704-5, Captain
Nicholas Smith filed a claim for pay for the troop under his Command



GENEALOGY. 109

lor services against the Indians. From 1705 he was for many years a Just-
ice of Richmond Coimty. He died in 1734. In.King George County on
May 3, 1734 administration on the estate of Nicholas Smith, gent., was
granted to his widow Elizabeth, who gave bond in the sum of £10,000
current money, with William Thornton, John Champe and Anthony
Haynie, securities. They had two children, Elizabeth, eventually
sole heiress, who married Harry Turner, and Nicholas, who died unmar-
ried. In King George, Oct, 1, 1742, Nicholas and|Elizabeth Smith chose
Thomas Turner their guardian. Dennis McCartyjhad been the guardian
of Elizabeth.

Nicholas Smith Sr. was buried at "Smith's Mount", with the
following'epitaph :

"Here lies the body of Colo. Nicholas Smith, Son ofjNicholas and
and Efsob'ah Smith, bom at London the 4th day of Sepbr. 1666.
Married his wife in the 23d year of his age by whom he had no child.
Married his second wife in the year 1722, by whom'.he had three children
one son and two daughters. Departed this life 18th day of March 1734
in the 68th year of his age."



110 VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE



BOOK REVIEWS.



A^HisTORY OF Highland County Virginia, By Oren F. Morton, B. L.

Author of "Under the Cottonwoods," A History of Pendleton

County, W. Va. (&c.-&c.) Monterey, Va., Published by the

Author, pp. 419, with maps and nine illustrations.

A county in the heart of the AUeganies must naturally be some-
what apart from great historic events; but its very remoteness and
unlikeness to the more accessible regions to the east add an interest
to its history.

It is a remote section even now and its distance, from the centres
of government and trade along the Atalntic in early days, is hard even
now to conceive.

Highland is now a flourishing county, but for a long period its
people were almost the most advanced pioneers, so that its history and
the life of its people are different, from those of most of our cotrntieS of
which histories,have been written.

Mr. Morton has done his work with great care, and from the open-
ing chapter on the topography and geology of the County down to the
compact genealogies and useful appendices at the end has made a model
county history.

Frontier Defense on the Upper Ohio, 1777-1778. Compiled from the
Draper Manuscripts in the Library of the Wisconsin Historical So-
ciety and.published at the charge of the Wisconsin Society of the
Sons of the American Revolution. Edited by Reuben Gold
Thwaites, Superintendent of the Society; and Louise Phelps Kel-
logg, Ph. D., Editorial Assistant on the Society's Staff (Seal)
Madison, Wisconsin Historical Society, 1912, pp. xviii, 329, with
index, a map of the frontier of North Western Virginia in the
Revolution, and nine potraits, fac similies, &c.
The Wisconsin Society of the Sons of the American Revolution,
and the Historical Society of that State have again drawn from that
matchless storehouse of Western history, the Draper Collection, mater-
ial for another valuable book on the history of the country bordering
on the Ohio during 1777-78. Readers who are acquainted with the
Documentary History of Dunmore's War 1774 and the Revolution on the
Upper Ohio, 1775-1777, will know what to expect among the very varied
and valuable papers published in this book. It is especially of interest



BOOK REVIEWS. Ill

to Virginians as nearly all of the actors in the events described were
Virginians, and as the country from Pittsburg to the Kanawha was then
within the jurisdiction of this State.

The notes as usual are of great value; but as was the case with
the preceeding volume, show sometimes a curious dislike to credit Vir-
ginia when credit is properly due. For instance on p. 2, it is stated that
Fort Pitt was garrisoned by British troops until 1772, then held by
Virginians until the end of Dunmore's War and afterwards was occupied
by American troops under Col. John Neville. Virginians are Americans;
but the word American as used in this Note in contrast with British and
Virginian can only have one meaning — troops directly under control of
the American Congress. This will no doubt be the idea conveyed to any
reader who is not informed.

One must feel that the Editors have been somewhat loose in the
use of words when it is known that John Neville was sent to Pittsburg
(Fort Duquesne or Pitt) by the Virginian Convention on August 7, 1775
with a company of Virginia troops "the said company to be in the pay,
of this Colony from the time of their marching."

Again on p. 5, it is stated that Fort Randolph at the mouth of
Great Kanawha was occupied by a company of Virginia Militia under
Captain Matthew Arbuckle and one from Pennsylvania vmder Captain
John Robinson, when the very reference the editors give (p 230 of the
preceding volume) is an order of the Executive Council of Virginia (Feb.
12, 1777) that a company be raised to garrison Fort Randolph under Cap-
tain John Pvobinson. His company was raised by Virginia's order and
he had his commission from the same state.

One or two other Notes may be referred to. On p. 176 it is stated
that the origin of the name Staunton is unknown. There can be little
doubt that the town was named after Rebecca Staunton wife of Gover-
nor Gooch. General Weedon (p. 214) died according to Heitman in
November 1793.



The Descendants of Capt.\in Thomas Carter of "Barford," Lancaster
County Virginia 1652-1912.

With genealogical notes of many of the allied families by Joseph
Lyon Miller, M. D., member of the Virginia Historical Society, the
West Virginia Historical Society, The Filson Club (Ky.) &c., Whittett
and Shepperson Printers, Richmond, Virginia. For Sale by Dr. J. L.
Miller, Thomas, West Virginia, pp. 388 with 164 illustrations, portraits,
views, fac-similies, Seals, Coats of Arms &c., with full index.

No Compiler of a Virginia genealogy has begun work under
conditions apparently more discouraging than did Dr. Miller when he
undertook an account of the descendants of Captain Thomas Carter o£
Lancaster Co., Va.



112 VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

The surname is very numerously represented in entirely uncon-
nected families, and even those who had some experience in tracing
Virginia family history only knew that Captain Thomas Carter was a
man of prominence in Lancaster County, and that there was a vast num-
ber of people of his name probably descended from him.

Captain Carter was a man of local prominence, and his descend-
ants had respectable positions and were generally in comfortable circum-
stances . The very large number of children in each generation naturally
caused much subdivision of property, and prevented the accumulation
of any great estates. As Dr. Miller says they were good citizens, lead-
ing honourable lives but with few exceptions they were prior to the
Revolution not people of prominence. Not only were there numerous
representatives of the family in Lancaster and adjacent counties; but
the family continued to increase and multiply in a remarkable way and
branches spread rapidly to more distant Counties; and later to other
States. Since the Revolution many of the descendants of Thomas Carter
in his own and other names, have been men of note in the civil and mili-
tary affairs of the coimtry.

Nothing that industry, minute care and careful consideration of
evidence could do, in the examination of public and private records, has
been spared and the result is a really remarkable genealogy.

Industry and intelligence have in Dr. Miller's case (as does not
always happen) been rewarded by remarkable good fortune in the dis-
covery of old family records in Bibles, prayer-books, manuscript accounts
prepared years ago, old portraits and similar aids to genealogy.

The book is thoroughly well vione, and will be of great interest to
hundreds of families. It is imposible in our space to give even a list of
families treated, in varying degrees of fullness.

There is a good index and many illustrations.



OFFICERS AND MEMBERS

OF THE

Virginia Historical Society

JANUARY. 1913.



President.

W. Gordon McCabe, Richmond, Va.

Vice-Presiden ts.

Archer Anderson, Richmond, Va.
Edward V. Valentine, Richmond, Va,
Lyon G. Tyler, Williamsburg, Va.

Corres^nding Secretary and Librarian,

William G. Stanard, Richmond, Va.

Recording Secretary.

D. C. Richardson, Richmond, Va.

Treasurer.

Robert A. Lancaster, Jr., Richmond, Va.

Executive Committee.

C. V. Meredith, Richmond, Va. Wm. H. Palmer, Richmond, Va.
Chas. W. Kent, University of Va. Rt.Rev.A.M.RANDOLPH, Norfolk.Va.
W. Meade Clark, Richmond, Va. J. Stewart Bryan, Richmond, Va.
A. C. Gordon, Staunton, Va. Daniel Grinnan, Richmond, Va.

S. S. P. Patteson, Richmond, Va. J. P. McGuire, Jr., Richmond, Va.
S. H. Yonge, Richmond, Va. Wm. A. Anderson, Lexington, Va.

and, ex-officio, the President, Vice-Presidents, Secretaries
and Treasurer.



The Annual Meeting of this Society
will be held in January, 1913. The
Proceedings of the Meeting will be
published in the April Magazine.



LIST OF MEMBERS



HONORARY MEMBERS-



Arber, Prof. Edward," Birmingham, Eng.
Gabert. Hon. J. W.. New York, N. Y.



Keane, Prof. A. H., London, Eng.
Stevens, Dr. H. Morse. University of Cal,



CORRESPONDING MEMBERS.



Atrill, Chas. H., London, Eng.

Bacon, H. P., Bury St. Edmund, Eng.

Banks, Chas. E.. M. D,

Barber, E. A., Philadelphia, Pa,

Bryant, H. W., Portland, Maine.

Campeau. Hon.. F. R. E.. Ottawa, Can.

Champlin, J. D., Jr., New York, N. Y.

Craig, Isaac, Alleghany, Pa.

Green, Hon. S. A.. M. D.. Boston, Mass.

Hart, Chas. H., Philadelphia. Pa.

Hayden. Rev. H, E., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.



Hoes, Rev. R. R.. Washington, D. C.
Judah. George P.. Spanish Town. Jamaica.
Nicholson, Col. J. P.. Philadelphia. Pa.
Phillimore. W. P. W.. London. Eng.
Richemond, Mons. Meschinet De. La Ro.

chelle, France.
Rose. Josiah, London, Eng.
Ross. Hon. D. A., Quebec. Can.
Thwing. E. P.. Brooklyn. N. Y.
Wright, W. H. K., Plymouth, Eng.



LIFE MEMBERS