Jr. Robert Yancey

Notes:

Robert Yancey, Jr. and Agnes Wilkinson
About 1775-1853

Robert Yancey, son of the senior Robert Yancey and Philadelphia Jones
Griffin, was born about 1775 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. He married
Agnes Wilkinson on October 10, 1796 in Mecklenburg County. Agnes was the
daughter of William Wilkinson and Sarah Franklin. To better place this
family in a historical timeline, their marriage would have occurred
during the closing years of George Washington's presidency. It would seem
that Robert and Agnes grew up in the years of the Revolutionary War. It
was also a time in which the population was on the move. Four of their
six children left Virginia to settle in other states. Sally and John
stayed in Virginia. Robert (son of Robert Jr.) and his brother James went
to Georgia, and Lewis settled in Mississippi. Herriett moved to North
Carolina after marrying her second cousin, Richard E. Yancey. Richard was
the son of Absalom Yancey and his wife (name unknown.)

Robert Yancey was a farmer. Most, if not all, of his sons followed in his
footsteps and seem to have farmed most of their lives. Several letters
written between the family members in the 1840s and 1850s have survived.

[Note: Some punctuation has been added to assist reader. Letters are not
corrected for spelling. The letters were usually addressed to one of the
brothers and then forwarded to the other. They were addressed to either
the Marthasville (Atlanta) or Rough & Ready (Forest Park) Post Office.]

To: Robert Yancey and James Yancey
DeKalb Co. GA
Marthasville
P.O.
January 3, 1846

"Dear Children I take the opportunity to write a few lines to you both...
to in form you all that we are all well at this time thanks be
to God for the same. hoping when these few lines reach your hands they
may find you all in the same state of health... Richard and Harriet
wishes to be remembered to you all. Herriets got five
children, three boys and two girls... it takes a great deal to bread
them... Luis is in a bad fix he is going under the docter... I want you
both to write to me how you all are and how you are makeing out.
Nothing more only remain your father and mother until death.

Robert Yancey and Agness his wife
I receive your letter that you rote 28 September [1845]"

Some of the letters dealt with the price of farm goods in the different
areas of the country in which they were living...

"...I will say something to you now about the times in this country.
every thing to eat is high here. [flower is worth 8 to 9 dol per bar]
corn is worth $5.00 per bar. and hard to git at that. people that has got
it dont like to sell it. wheat is worth $1.60 per bu. bacon from 16cts to
18cts per lb coffee and sugar is about the same. corn crops are sorry
then I ever saw them. wheat was very short. bugs are very numerous and we
have had a long dry spell..."

Richard E. Yancey
Harriett P. Yancey
Granville County NC
August this the 21 1856

Other letters dealt with the settling of Robert's estate.

"...I am very mutch troubled for the lack of my Father... I want you to
wright to mee how you are geting on in the world and tell Brother Robert
I want to hear from him. I want you to wright to mee when you expect to
go to Fathers and I want to go my self when you do.
John wrot to mee that he and Richard thought best to let the estate
stand until fall... Dear Mother she is destitute of a friend now. No
wone to console her nor provide for her... She is never out of my mind
and there fore it troubles mee. ...all I can do is to try and meet him in
a better world..."

Lewis B. Yancey
May the 14 1853

Apparently, Robert had at least a few slaves. One slave, named Starling,
was purchased from the estate by James and Robert. However, before he was
fully paid for, Starling died.

"...I was very sorry to here of the loss of your negro. It seems... you
have very bad luck... Mr Graves owes [you for work Starling did] a
little... I dont know exactly the amount yet but I going to find outt...
and after paying for his coffin and other little expences what is left I
will send it own to you. Starling has a suit of Kentucky jenes close here
and a sort of over coat and I want to know what I must do with them his
children has aked me for them and I told them I did not have any rite to
give them away without your concent... John says you are due the estate
seventy 1, 50 [$71.50] for Starling..."

Richard E. Yancey

"I seated myself to write to you once more... I wrote to you about the
death of Starling. he died the fourth Saterday in May. ...people think
now he died with the small pox for old Caty Cousin was sick with it and
died with it and Starling wint to see her and so did some of Kiah
Griffins family wint to see her but nobody didint know what kind of
deseas it was then untill after Starling died and then Kiahs whole family
and some of the free negros was taken with it and then the Drs prenounced
it the small pox... John F. Yancey wants to know which is going to setle
for Starling, you or Robert... he has not settle the istate yet..."

Richard E. Yancey
[About 1856]

Robert Yancey and Agnes Wilkinson were born, married, raised their
family, and died in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Robert died April 16,
1853 and Agnes died the next year in 1854. The exact date of her death is
unknown.

Robert married Agnes Wilkinson on 11 Oct 1796 in Mecklenburg County, VA. Agnes was born about 1773 in Virginia, USA; died in Sep 1854 in Mecklenburg County, VA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. James Yancey was born on 20 Jun 1807 in Clarksville, VA; died on 13 Mar 1875 in Old Elam Cemetery, Forest Park, GA.
2. Robert Yancey was born on 11 Dec 1804 in Virginia, USA; died before 1860 in Georgia.
3. Harriett Yancey was born on 7 Dec 1812 in Mecklenburg County, VA; died on 22 Jan 1896 in Granville County, North Carolina, USA.
4. John F. Yancey was born about 1810 in Mecklenburg County, VA; died in 1854/1902 in Halifax County, VA.
5. Sarah Yancey was born about 1796 in Mecklenburg County, VA; died in 1833/1891.
6. Lewis Bentley Yancey was born on 3 Aug 1816 in Virginia, USA; died on 7 Oct 1903 in Tippah County, MS.

Notes:

Robert Yancey, Sr. and Philadelphia Jones
About 1744-1818

Robert Yancey, son of Richard and Mary (Bolling) Yancey, was born in Louisa County, Virginia about 1744. He married Mrs. Philadelphia (Jones)Griffin, widow of Francis Griffin, about 1768 in Virginia. Francis Griffin died about three years earlier in 1765. It is likely that the Yanceys and Griffins had been neighbors and this is how Robert and Philadelphia met. Land Book "E" of Mecklenburg County describes 400 acres on the "Branches of Buffalo and Aarons Creek" belonging to Robert Yancey and adjoining Griffin and Cameron. Richard had come to Mecklenburg (then Lunenburg County) with his family around the age of ten. Philadelphia had been born there about 1743 and was the daughter of John Jones and Pheleshia Pugh. They must have felt very much at home in that southern Virginia region, for they raised eleven children and remained there until their deaths. Not much is known about this family, for most of the recorded evidence of them is from the Tax Digest of Mecklenburg County. Robert did record a will which was probated in 1819. Philadelphia predeceased her husband by nearly ten years. Her death occurred August 31, 1809. She and Robert are buried in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.

The children of Robert Yancey and Philadelphia Jones were:

John Yancey: married Mary Hamblin
Richard Yancey: married Mary Walton
Mary Yancey: married Robert Williamson
(Phila)Delphia Yancey: married John Tillotson
Anna Yancey married Peter Z. Overby
Elizabeth Yancey: married John Griffin
Robert Yancey, Jr.: married Agnes Wilkinson
Susannah Yancey: married John Williamson
Hezekiah Yancey: married Sally Worsham
Lucy Yancey: married Stark Daniel
Milly Yancey: married Mr. Griffin

Robert married Philadelphia Jones about 1768 in Mecklenburg County, VA. Philadelphia (daughter of John Jones and Pheleshia Pugh) was born about 1743 in Mecklenburg County, VA; died on 31 Aug 1809 in Mecklenburg County, VA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Batch #: 7322516, Sheet #: 64, Source Call #: 822844

BIOGRAPHY: Richard Yancey, son of Charles of King William County and Mary Bartlett, was born in the early 1700's in Virginia. In the mid 1730's, Richard is found living in Hanover County, Virginia. It is here that Richard probably met his wife. He and Mary were most likely married about 1735. It is believed that Mary may have been Mary Bolling, although no documentation is known to exist to confirm her maiden name. Their home in Hanover County would have been in the area that would become Louisa County in 1742.

The principal source of support for the family was the farm. Mary blessed Richard with ten children. This was of great importance to the yeoman planter, for a large family would translate into "free" farm labor. Land was easily acquired in America compared to the difficulty small farmers would have in England and Europe. In 1753 Richard sold their plantation of 250 acres to John Snelson and bought lands around and on Grassy Creek. The purchases were a part of the land granted to Drury Stith, Henry Morris, and Michael Cadet Young. Grassy Creek was located on the Virginia-North Carolina border in Lunenburg County but would become Mecklenburg County in 1764. Richard, Mary, eight sons and one daughter relocated and settled in their new home. They apparently settled quickly as Richard appears in the Vestry records of Cumberland Parish, Lunenburg County, in 1754 and their tenth child, Zachariah was born June 25, 1754 in the same county.

The late 1770's and early 1780's would have been a most difficult time for this pioneer family. The Revolutionary War was upon them and five of their sons are known to have been involved in the conflict. Their son Lewis was a private in the 8th Virginia Regiment and is thought to have been killed in action in 1777. Absalom was a private in the 14th Virginia Regiment in 1777 and in 1779 he is recorded with the 10th Virginia Regiment. In 1779, Richard transferred land on Beaver Creek to his son Charles. This may have been at a time when Richard was in ill health as his will was probated in 1780 in Mecklenburg County. Mary and all ten of their children were mentioned in the will. Two years after the death of her husband, Mary lost another son. The cause of Hezekiah's death in 1782 is unknown. He had served the Patriot cause in the Revolutionary War and was a member of Caldwell's Rangers in South Carolina in 1775. In Hezekiah's will he mentioned his brother Rueben (not one of the sons listed in the will of Richard). This has caused some confusion as to the exact make-up of the family. However, it is generally believed that Richard's son Joseph and this Rueben are the same person. Perhaps his name was Joseph Rueben Yancey. In 1779, Joseph (Rueben?) was a Quartermaster Sergeant, 3rd Regiment in South Carolina. He seems to have died before 1790. Zachariah's military record suggests he was a surveyor.

Mary continued to lived in Mecklenburg for several years after Richard's death. In 1782, records indicate Mary also supported the patriots of the Revolutionary War by supplying beef to the militia. She died in 1795 in Mecklenburg County and her last will and testament is recorded there. In her will Mary refers to all of her children except Lewis, Hezekiah, and Joseph.

Sources:
1. Early Wills 1765-1800 Mecklenburg County Virginia. See page 97. A copy of this book can be found at the State Archives, Atlanta GA.
2. The Early Yanceys in America; by Dennis J. Yancey
3. Early Virginia public land records.

Richard married Mary. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Will: 9 Jan 1792, Mecklenberg County, VA

John married Pheleshia Pugh in 1738 in Mecklenberg County, VA. Pheleshia (daughter of David Pugh) was born about 1721 in Lunenberg County, VA; died in 1792 in Mecklenberg County, VA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The earliest valid documentation of a YANCEY is found on a list of landowners called a Quit Rent Roll. In 1704 Charles Yancey is listed on the Quit Rent Roll for King William County, Virginia owning 100 acres. The actual relationship of this Charles to the immigrant brothers is not clear. However, if the story of the brothers is true, he would most likely be a grandson to one of the five. Most researchers are also in agreement that around 1704, a Charles Yancey married Miss Bartlett. Some sources record her name as Mary. It would seem that Charles and Mary continued living in the area that would later become Hanover and Louisa Counties, formed in 1720 and 1742 respectively. These counties were formed from New Kent and King William Counties. One source records their marriage on January 14, 1704, although no known documentation exists to support this claim.

Family tradition has it that Charles of King William County was the son of an earlier Charles Yancey and his wife Mary Leighton. It has also been reported that Mary Leighton was thought to be a descendant of Alexander Leighton who was cruelly persecuted for his religious teachings. However, after centuries of searching, no evidence has been found to confirm or even support the above information. It should not be considered true until such documentation is discovered.

In 1722 Charles of King William County and his wife Mary Bartlett lived and owned land between North Anna and Little River. Charles later received land grants totaling 448 acres in Hanover County. These grants were issued on behalf of King George II between 1725 and 1730. The last date Charles was known to be alive was 1745 when he deeded a negro slave to his son Robert. No will has ever been found for Charles but it is believed he died shortly after the deed of 1745. There has been very little information recorded about Mary Bartlett. No birth or death dates are known for her.

Sources:
1. Marriage date and location from IGI (International Genealogical Index), but no recorded documentation is known to exist to verify this information.
2. The Early Yanceys in America by Dennis J. Yancey
3. The Name and Family of Yanc(e)y; Compiled by the Media Research Bureau, Washington, D.C.

Charles married Mary Bartlett on 14 Jan 1704 in King William County, Virginia, USA. Mary (daughter of Richard Bartlett) was born about 1678 in King William County, Virginia, USA; died in 1748 in Hanover County, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]