Pocahontas County History Preservation, Digitization, Community

Andrew Edmiston p. 168, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

Andrew Edmiston, Esq., of Scotch-Irish ancestry, late of the lower Levels, is the subject of this biographic memoir. The immediate ancestry of the Edmiston relationship is traceable to Matthew Edmiston, who came to Augusta County, Va., from Chester County, Pa., among the earliest settlers of Augusta County, about 1740, or very soon thereafter.

James Edmiston, a son of Matthew the ancestor, was one of six children and was born in Augusta County, October 7, 1746, and died October 7, 1817. James Edmiston's wife was Jane Smith, from Ireland, who was born October 17th, 1746, and died May 20th, 1837, aged 91 years. Andrew Edmiston, son of James, was born July 22d, 1777.

Alexander Waddell p. 479, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

One of the pioneers of our county from whom quite a number of our people trace their descent was Alexander Waddell. He was of Scotch-Irish descent and was among the earliest settlers in the neighborhood of Marvin Chapel. His wife was a Miss Rouss. He came from Augusta County before the Revolution, but in what year is not certainly known. He came out to examine the country, and looked over the Levels and the lands beyond Buckeye and around Sewall's Cave, and selected the place so long known as the Waddell Place, where the public road reaches the highest point on the mountain in passing from Buckeye to Millpoint. When he first explored the Levels all was mainly vacant or unclaimed, and he might have entered the greater part of it. He concluded it was too level and glady, and so he preferred the lands north of Millpoint where he could be high enough to keep in the dry.

Their daughter, Martha, married the late John Barlow, of Ed ray, mentioned elsewhere.

Elizabeth Waddell married William Sharp, near Edray.

Ann Waddell married Squire James Sharp of Beaver Creek. Each of these sons-in-law of the early pioneer are specially mentioned in this book as men of prominence in the affairs of the county.

Mary Waddell married Squire John Gillilan, near Millpoint. This large family moved to Missouri, where their numerous descendants have their prosperous homes.

Jennie Waddell married Josiah Brown, near Edray.

William Wanless p. 455, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

For more than a hundred years the Wanless name has been a familiar one in our region of country. According to tradition vaguely entertained, Ralph and Stephen Wanless, natives of England, came to Virginia and settled on the Wanless place, near Mount Tabor school house, in the " Hills," live miles north of Huntersville. One of Ralph's sons was William Wanless, who married Nancy Wilson, from near Fort Defiance, Virginia. She was a sister of the wife of Isaac Moore, Senior, of Knapps Creek. They settled on Back Alleghany, and were the parents of nine daughters and seven sons. The daughters were Rachel, Jane, Eliza, Martha, Nancy Ann, Margaret who died aged 7 years, Mary died aged 15 years, Melinda who was drowned when a young woman in Leatherbark Creek, and Matilda. The sons were James, Andrew, Nelson, Ralph, Allen, and two unnamed who died in infancy.

Andrew Warwick p. 428, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

One of the best known names in our pioneer annais was that of the Warwicks. John Warwick; the ancestor of the Greenbank branch of the connexion, was of English descent. It is believed he came to upper Pocahontas previously to the Revolution, and opened up a settlement on Deer Creek, at the place now in the possession of Peter H . Warwick and John R. Warwick. Mrs Warwick, whose given name can not be certainly recalled, was a member of the Martin family in the Valley of Virginia.

John Warwick seems to have been a person of great enterprise, and braved the dangers of pioneer life with more than ordinary courage and devotion to duty. He had a fort raised upon his premises, to which himself and neighbors would resort when threatened by Indian incursions or raids Being so near to Clover Lick, whose facilities for hunting and fishing were so much prized by the Indians, its erection seems to have been very exasperating to them, and were very troublesome to the settlers living in reach of the Warwick fort.

The only Indian Major Jacob Warwick was ever certain of killing was shot from a tree not far from this fort. The warrior had climbed the tree to reconoitre the fort, and it is more than probable that the death of the scout interfered with the Indian plans and intentions of attack.

William Warwick p. 431, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

The group of the Warwick relationship treated of in this paper includes the descendants of William Warwick, son of John Warwick, the early pioneer.

Like his brother Andrew, William Warwick lost his heart in the Richlands of Greenbrier, and married Nancy Craig, a sister of Mrs Andrew Warwick. They settled on Deer Creek, where Peter H . Warwick now lives, and were the parents of three children : Robert Craig, Elizabeth, who became Mrs Benjamin Tallman; Margaret, who became Mrs John Hull, and lived on the head of Jackson s River.

Robert Craig Warwick, the only son, at one time crossed the Alleghany to pay his sister a visit. One result of the visit was that he and Esther Hull were soon married, and the happy, young people settled on the Deer Creek homestead. They were the parents of three sons and six daughters. In reference to their children the following items are recorded:

James Waugh, Jr. p. 336, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

It is proposed in this chapter to give some particulars illustrating the family history of James Waugh, Jr. He was the eldest son of James Waugh, the Scotch Irish emigrant, who was among the first to open land and build a home in The Hills. In these memoirs he will be spoken of as James Waugh the second. Early in life he married Rebecca McGuire, from Pennsylvania, whose name indicates Scotch ancestry, and settled on the Greenbrier where James Waugh the 3rd recently lived. In reference to his family we learn that Rachel was married to Frederick Fleming, Elizabeth was married to John Ratliffe and lived on Clover Creek; Nancy became Mrs Abraham Griffin and lived many years on Buckley Mountain, a few miles east of Buckeye. Mrs Claiborne McNeil, near Buckeye, is her daughter.

Jacob Waugh married Mary Brown daughter of Josiah Brown, near Indian Draft, and spent most of his married life in Upshur county. They were the parents of fifteen children. Only five lived to be grown. Jacob Waugh was a local Methodist minister of prominence. He was a very fine pensman and became clerk of the Upshur County Court, and occupied that responsible position for many years, and will be remembered as one of the best citizens in the history of Upshur county affairs.

Samuel Waugh p. 338, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

This paper is devoted to the memory of Samuel Waugh, one of the early settlers of The Hills, seven or eight miles north east of Huntersville. He was a son of James Waugh, Senior. His wife's name was Mary. This pioneer husband and wife opened up their home about 1774, on the place now held by John Shrader, one of their descendants by the third remove. Samuel Waugh, upon his marriage with Ann McGuire, settled at the old Waugh homestead. Their family consisted of nine sons and five daughters. Concerning these children the following fragmentary particulars have been collected.

John Webb, p. 416, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

John Webb, the subject of this biographic article is a character about whom it may be said, as was said about Melchizedek, he was without father or mother--so far as any biographical purpose can be served. His Irish brogue and his habit of saying not foolish things and never doing anything very wisely, tended to corroborate what he always averred--that he was of Irish nativity. He had the papers showing that he was an honorably discharged soldier of the Revolution, and as a pensioner received ninety-six dollars a year. How he ever came to Pocahontas is simply conjectural, but from the fact he chose his place of rest near Mount Zion, he must have had some acquaintance with parties that may have been in the army when he was.

Samuel Whiting p. 529 , Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

Samuel Whiting was a native of Sussex County, England, where he was born May 18, 1776. His wife was Sarah Lancaster, and was four years younger.

After a long, tedious voyage of three or four months Mr Whiting and his young family landed at New York in 1823, where he remained for a year or two. Thence he came to Virginia in what what is now Gilmer county. From Gilmer county to Jacksons River in Bath county, thence to Elk near the Big Spring, where Mrs Whiting died unexpectedly in her chair.

They were the parents of three sons and two daughters: Samuel, Robert, Ebenezer, Mercy, and Mary. Mercy became Mrs Varner; Mary was first Mrs Sleathe then Mrs Massenger. Both sisters settled and lived in Gilmer County. Two of the sons, Samuel and Robert, settled and lived in Gilmer County, where their descendants now live and are reported to be very estimable people. Samuel Whiting, Junior, was born in 1811, and died in 1858.

John Yeager, Junior p. 446, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

The relationship bearing the Yeager name is at present mainly represented in our county by the descendants of John Yeager, of the third remove from the pioneer John Yeager. Hence this paper will be mainly devoted to the home history of his descendants.

John Yeager's wife was Margaret Arbogast, granddaughter of Adam Arbogast, the pioneer of the east branch of the Greenbrier. Soon after his marriage he settled on the homestead, now known as Camp Alleghany. The sons were William Asbury, Henry Arbogast, Brown McLauren, Paul McNeel, and Jacob Reese. The daughters Eliza Ann, Fannie Elizabeth, Sarah Jane, who died aged 13 years; Eveline Medora, Leah Alice, and Emma Mildred.

Eliza Ann became Mrs A. M. V. Arbogast and lives on the east branch of the Greenbrier, near the northern limits of the county. Her home is widely known.

Fannie Elizabeth is now Mrs James D. Kerr, and lives at the Kerr homestead on Salisburys Creek.