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Byars Family History |
Will book-
8 Feb 1790, James Byars of Hanover Co., and Rachel his wife to Pleasant
Terrell; 1/2 of New Market Grist Mill on Little River and 2-1/2 acres of
land loining said mill; the one half acre on the opposite side of the river
from the mil and the other acre and 3/4 joining the mill house...Dossels
line...Browns line...to the mill house there being about 1-3/4 acres in
said line; further I give said Terrel liberty to build a Cay Dam on my
land joining William Harris provided said Harris is willing for same to
be built and logs to build said dam.
1. James Henry Byars married Peggy Gentry, birthdate unknown. She died
sometime after 1734. They had one son. James Henry's father was John Byars
b. ca 1675. He lived in New Kent Co., VA on 25 Oct 1695. After Peggy's
death James married Rachel Matthews.
Second Generation
2. John Byars, Sr. was born 16 Mar 1734 in Virginia. John was the son
of 1. James Henry Byars and Peggy Gentry. John Byars, Sr. was a Captain
in the American Revolution. He died in Louisa Co., VA in 1782. He married
Elizabeth Thomason on Dec 23, 1754 in Virginia. Elizabeth died Oct. 12,
1823 in Washington Co., VA. They had the following children:
3. Jeremiah Byars and Elizabeth of Hanover Co., VA sold New Market
Mill to his father James Henry Byars 17 Oct 1787. No further record of
Jeremiah and Elizabeth in Hanover, Louisa or adjoining counties in VA.
4. Nathan Byars, was born in Granville Co., NC sometime in 1749
and, according to his pension declaration, he had no proof of his birthdate
except that his father told him that he was a small boy at Braddock's defeat.
At the time of his entry into the service, he was a resident of Caswell County, NC and was drafted for a 3-months tour of duty, serving as a Private under Captain Cunningham and Captain Forbes (?) (Forker?) in the Regiment commanded by Col. Ramsey and Major Moore. He was drafted for two additional tours of duty and later volunteered for a three-months tour. He did not remember the dates of his services; however, his declaration for pension, indicated that he was in the service `at the time of the battle of Eutah Springs, Kings Mountain, and at the time of Gates' defeat', although he did not fight in any of those battles. During the various tours of duty, Private Byars was stationed principally at Hillsborough, and adjacent counties, and, during one tour, went out against the Indians' in the western part of the State. In support of his claim for pension, two of his neighbors, Rev. Drury Scruggs, and Jesse Scruggs, attached a statement supporting the facts given by the claimant, Nathan Byars.
Sometime just prior to, or during the Revolution, Nathan Byars was married to Drucilla Harrelson, Drucilla Harrelson born 1750, in Hanover Co., VA, daughter of Burges Harrelson and Elizabeth Green. According to a Rutherford Co., NC book 25, page 174, Nathan was ordered by the court to pay Drucilla $50.00 cash. Thought to be a divorce. After the divorce of Nathan and Drucilla, in 1799, Drucilla went to live with her daughter Elizabeth Byars Watkins in or near McMinnvile, TN. She later went to live with her daughter Nancy Byars Walker. She lived there until her death in 1816. Nathan later married Delphy Logan on October 8, 1819, and at least one, and possibly more, children were born of this marriage. Delphy Logan was born about 1779, and was married to Nathan Byars on October 8, 1819 in Spartanburg District, S. C. by Rev. Joshua Richards.
Nathan Byars purchased 200 acres of land from James Webb on April 10,1783, located on Main Broad River in Rutherford County, NC. A few years later in 1795, part of this land was sold to Williams Dobbins {special note not included in article - William Dobbins is the 4th great-grandfather of Cecil VanDyke}. Byars moved to that area now in Cherokee County, SC about 1822, and on April 5, 1826, received a South Carolina State grant for 394 acres of land, in Spartanburg District located on the headwaters of Island, Suck and Buck creeks, part of an original grant to James Steadman. This land included that tract that is now the Cowpens National Battleground. Part of this land was sold by Byars to James H. Ezell on November 16, 1840, and on January 6, 1886, James Ezell sold part of th land, but reserved one acre, where the Cowpens Battleground monument now stands, as belonging to the Washington Light Infantry Company of Charleston, S.C. The federal government later erected the present monument on the site.
Nathan Byars died August 18th, 1846, at the age of 97 years, and his grave is located about 1/2 mile from the battleground monument, about 11 miles west of Gaffney, Cherokee County, SC.
Descendants of Nathan Byars from all over the country, gathered at his
gravesite to dedicate a permanent government marker at his grave."
5. Mourning Byars, b. ca 1755, St Martin's Parish, Hanover Co.,
VA, m. 1782, William Corley, b. 2 Mar 1752, Hanover Co., VA, d. 15 Apr
1853, Wilson Co., TN. Mourning died ca 1790, Louisa Co., VA.
Third Generation
6. James Byars was born Mar. 12 1761 in Louisa Co., VA, and died Sept. 17, 1817 in Jefferson Co., KY. He is the son of John Byars, Sr. and Elizabeth Thomason. He married Lovina Smith on Dec. 19, 1782. Lovina was born on Apr. 25, 1761 in Louisa Co., VA and died Apr. 27, 1842 in Oldham Co., KY. James was a soldier in the Revolutionary War.
Abstracts of Rev. War Pension Files - James Byars, Lovina, W8407, VA Line sol was b. 12 Mar 1761, lived at one time in Caroline Co., VA, sol m. Lovina (--) 19 Dec 1782 in Spotsylvania or Louisa Co., VA and d. 17 Sep 1817 in Jefferson Co., KY wid was b. 24 Apr 1761 and her name was shown as Lovina Smith in one place, wid d. 27 Apr 1842 in Oldham Co., KY, surviving children on 30 Apr 1851 were: Polly Hinkle, James D. Byars, and Patsey Wellman and they applied on that date, births of sol's and wid's children were: Betsey b. 3 Apr 1784, John S. b. 1 Feb 1788, Nathan b. 17 Nov 1789, Nancy b. 24 Oct 1791, Polly S. b. 23 Oct 1793, James D. b. 6 Dec 1795, Patsey b. 5 Jan 1798, Lucendah b. 22 Jul 1800 and Malindah (no date, may have been a twin to Lucindah).
7. William Byars, Sr. was born Nov. 18, 1776 and died Feb. 14, 1865.
He married Elizabeth Beattie. He is the son of John Byars, Sr. and Elizabeth
Thomason. William Byars, Sr. was the founder of Emory & Henry College.
He was a member of the House of Delegates from Washington Co., VA 1809-1812.
He was a Major and later a Colonel in the War of 1812; candidate for Congress
in 1833. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of Virginia 1829.
8. Nancy Byars was the daughter of Nathan Byars and Drucilla Harrelson.
She was born in 1776 possibly in North Carolina. She married Thaddeus Walker
on Mar. 16, 1795 in Rutherford Co., NC.
9. Harrell Byars was born in 1781 in Buncombe Co., NC. The son of
Nathan Byars and Drucilla Harrelson. Harrell Byars married Jane Gill who
was born in Warren Co., Tenn in 1785. She was the daughter of Joseph and
Sarah Gill.
The estate of Harrell Byars in Warren Co., Tenn. will book 6 page 580,
date April 5, 1880. Joseph Gill Byars was born in South Carolina. Drucilla,
wife of James T. Hopper, is buried 2 and a half miles East, and 3 miles
South of Clayton, Ill. Harrell Byars, Sr. died in Warren Co. Tenn, in 1874.
She died in Warren Co., Tenn in 1869, both are buried in Womach cemetery
in Warren Co., Tenn.
Fourth Generation
10. Joseph Gill Byars was born Feb. 28, 1805 in SC, to Harrell Byars
and Jane Gill. married Sarah Jane (Clark) Byars. Sarah was born in TN on
Aug. 17, 1805 and died 9 Nov. 1896. She was the daughter of Thomas Clark
and Elizabeth Upton. Nathan was born near McMinville Tenn. The family moved
to Adams Co., Illinois where Nathan grew up. Joseph and Sarah bought 50
acres of land on Sec. 12,1,5 for $1000.00 on Sept. 12, 1864, and 20 acres
more on Nov. 19, 1872. Joseph, Sarah, and their daughter Margaret are buried
just east of the road two miles east and two and a half to three miles
south of Clayton, Adams Co., Ill. The cemetery was vandelized and head
stones broken, so Maurice Ramussen reoved the top portions with the names
of Joseph G., Sarah, and Margret and placed them it with Nathan Byars,
(Sarah and Joseph's son), monument in Beulah Cemetery, Colby, Kansas. The
Byars base remains in Illinois. The spouse of the children are as follows:
Thomas never married, Margaret (? Cogburn), Sarah (?Poland), Martha (Andrew
W. Phillips), the rest are unknown.
11. John L. Byars was born in 1807 in North Carolina. He is the
son of Harrell Byars and Jane Gill.
12. Nathan Byars was born Dec. 27, 1808 in TN. He married Nancy
Hand who was born in 1812 in TN. Nathan was the son of Harrell Byars and
Jane Gill. Nathan died Jan. 12, 1894.
Fifth Generation
13. Nathan Byars was born Sept. 13, 1846 near McMinnville, TN. He was the son of Joseph Gill Byars and Sally Clark. Nathan married Hetty Jane Culwell Sept. 5, 1867 in Quincey, Adams Co., Ill. Hettie was the daughter of Edward Culwell and Harriet E. Woodson. Hettie's siblings were (John, Peachy, (Sarah C., Mary E., Samuel J.-half silblings)). Hettie's family lived in Pike Co., Missouri, in or near the town of Curriville. Hettie Jane Culwell was born Feb 20, 1847 and died May 20, 1915, five days before Nathan's death. May 25, 1915 the family was gathered at Nathan's home when he wandered out to the garden. When he did not return the family went looking for him and found him dead in the garded. He was devasted by Hetty's death.
After Nathan and Hettie married they lived on a fourth quarter inherited
by Hettie. They migrated to Curryville, Missouri where their first 6 children
were born. By orders of his doctor to go west for his health, Nathan and
Hetty moved the family west to places unknown by covered wagon, around
April, 1878. It took six weeks of hard traveling before they reached Jewell
County where they stopped temporarily. The family found a little, one room
dug-out to live in while Nathan looked around for work in order to feed
his family. They remained there a year before Nathan joined several other
men who went to Thomas Co., KS where he staked a claim adjoining what is
now known as the Frank Vacin farm. As soon as he staked his claim he returned
to Jewel Co. for his family. There were two other families in the county
when Nathan arrived. These were the Jardines who were five miles from the
Byars claim, and the Reeds who were seven miles away. The homestead claim
was on the W. half of section 24,8,33, filed on Aug. 9, 1879, at Oberlin,
Kansas. Later four more children were born. This was newly opened Government
property. It had been Indian territory before that. Lewis was the first
white baby to be born in this newly opened territory. The family lived
in a sod house with dirt floors. They were 8 miles from Colby, the nearest
town. Kansas was a flat land with no trees to offer summer shade on hot
days or firewood to burn in the winter months when the winter blizzards
came. The children would often go looking for and collect buffalo chips
in the fall months that could be burned during the cold winter. They remained
here until taking school land on the NW quarter of section 16,9,33, where
they lived the remainder of their lives. At that time there were still
Indians roaming the plains and there was buffalo yet. Nathan was the first
constable of Thomas Co. in 1885.
Sixth Generation
14. John and Ethel Leona Parks were married in Colby, Kansas in 1904.
John and his brother Francis (Frank) had a blacksmith shop for awhile.
All three of the children were born in Colby, Kansas. The family moved
to Colorado in 1917. John homesteaded a section of dry land near Las Animas.
There was no water for irrigation. The family had to haul drinking water.
John had big barrels he put on a wagon. He went several miles to a
well, where he filled the barrels. He brought them back to empty into a cistern.
It took several trips to fill the cistern. When the cistern was empty Lawrence
and Venita were lowered to the bottom with pails and brooms to clean the
very bottom before it would be refilled. There was no way the family could
make a living on the homestead. When Lola was in highschool it was too
far to Las Animas for her to travel back and forth to school, so she had
to stay in town during the week. The family couldn't afford to pay for
the room and Lola's food so they decided to auction off all the farm equipment,
live stock, etc. John then moved Ethel and the children to Las Animas where
they lived with Ethel's parents Seth Parks and Letitia Ann Brown. John
and another man headed for Calif. John drove a model 1917 which only went
35 miles an hour, so the trip to Calif. took about a week. John worked
as a carpenter in Fresno, CA for awhile. When he had saved enough money
to pay the fare, he sent for the family. He went to Suisun to meet his
family. Clyde and his family were living there at the time. The two families
moved to Pinole, CA. It was during the depression so finding work was hard.
He worked for the County roads for quite awhile before going to work for
Union Oil Company as a carpenter where he remained until he retired at
age 65. During the war he went to work at the Naval Suppy Depot as a carpenter
where he remained until the end of the war. Prior to retirement from Union
Oil Co., the family moved to Richmond, CA. They bought a house on 1330
Dunn St. where they lived until John became too ill to remain at home.
He was hospitalized several times before finally spending his last days
at a convelessant home at Pleasant Hill. A year prior to John's death,
Ethel sold the house in Richmond and bought a house in Martinez to be close
to her daughter, Venita, and the hospital. She remained there until her
death in 1973.
Seventh Generation
15. Venita Marie Byars was born Mar. 29, 1913 in Colby, KS. She is the
daughter of John Andrew Byars and Ethel Leona Parks. She married Francis
Earl Gray on Jul 30, 1932 in Oakland, CA. Earl was born Dec. 10, 1910 in
Sander, CA. He is the son of Francis Marion Gray and Ellen Sofia Sandell.
Venita and Earl move to Martinez, CA where Earl was a carpenter. Earl became
a well known for the homes he built. In the late 1970's Earl and Venita
moved to Pioneer, Amador Co., CA where they had bought some land and Earl
built a home for them to live. July 10, 1993 Earl had a stroke and died
in Jackson Hospital, Jackson, CA. He is buried in Pioneer Cemetery.
Venita remained in Pioneer until her death 26 Nov 1999. She is buried
with her husband Earl.
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This page last updated Tuesday, May 13, 2008