Scerenie Catherine Yancey

Notes:

James Yancey and Penelope Griffin
1807-1875

James Yancey, son of Robert Yancey Jr. and Agnes Wilkinson, was born June
20, 1807 in Clarksville, Virginia. Some family sources record his middle
name as Robert. However, apparently he never used this name in any of the
legal documents or land deeds known to exist. He married Penelope Griffin
on March 6, 1828, in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Penelope was the
daughter of Francis Griffin and Susan ________. Penelope was born July
21, 1807 in Virginia. James and Penelope came from Clarksville, Virginia
to Georgia before 1830. They were enumerated in the 1830 DeKalb County
census; however, no township was listed. It is believed that about 1833
they settled near Rough & Ready, Georgia. Rough & Ready was a stage coach
stop and tavern located between what is now Forest Park and Hapeville.
The settlement was near the border of Henry and Fayette Counties. In
1850, James and Penelope were recorded on the Fayette County census. In
1859, the area was annexed and Clayton County was formed. In 1860, they
were counted with the residents of Clayton County.

James and Penelope had 10 children - six boys and four girls. At least
three of their sons served in the Civil War. Marshall Orel Yancey, born
December 16, 1828 served in the Cavalry. Alexander Franklin Yancey, died
January 14, 1863 from a wound he received in the Battle of
Fredericksburg. John Yancey, born March 31, 1842, served in "The Clayton
Sharp Shooters" also known as Company E, Georgia Regiment. In a letter
written to John by his sister, we read...

"John you say them Yankees were going to drive you all away from there
but I hope you all will be brave men and not let them run
you away. John you must be brave and never run because I don't
want to never hear of you getting shot in the back."

Susan Yancey
[About 1861]

Southern women were not much different from the women of Sparta. These
Greek women reportedly told their men to either return from battle
wearing their swords or come back on them.

John was not shot in the back. He was shot in the left shoulder. While
traveling in a troop train near Williamsburg, Virginia, John was sitting
in the open door of a freight car. He had been warned by his comrades
that he was in an exposed position just as he was shot by a Yankee
sniper. This account is recorded in the family Bible of Simeon Plummer
Yancey. However, Confederate records indicate John Yancey "died from
disease". I am more inclined to believe the facts as recorded in the
family Bible. Thousands of men died of typhoid fever and officers tended
to lump the deaths together. John may have died of complications from the
wound. Typhoid fever or pneumonia may have ended what the Yankee bullet
started. John was nineteen years old.

James Yancey must have been very proud of his Southern heritage. In the
inventory of his estate, pictures of Robert E. Lee and Andrew Jackson
were listed as assets and valued at two dollars. In order to better
appreciate the worth assigned to these items, it should be noted that 200
feet of lumber was valued at two dollars and fifty cents.

Penelope Griffin Yancey died October 22, 1870. She raised a large family
and, although she only lived to be sixty-three, she saw four of her
children die. James Yancey died March 13, 1875. He was sixty-seven years
old. James and Penelope are buried in the Old Elam Cemetery. It is
located on Elam Church Road, near the intersection of Watts Road, in
Forest Park, Georgia.

The children of James Yancey and Penelope Griffin Yancey were:

Marshall Orel Yancey married (1) Theresa Bishop-Goewy
(2) Martha Yarbrough
Washington Beverly Yancey b. June 22, 1830 d. September 15, 1853
James Andrus Yancey married Rebecca Dalrimple
Alexander Franklin Yancey married Sally Beavers
Plonean Elizabeth Yancey married William Hardiman Ford
Scerinie Catherine Yancey b. November 29, 1839 d. October 23, 1866
John Yancey never married
Susan Agnes Yancey never married?
Penelope Yancey married Elijah Swinney
Simeon Plummer Yancey married Martha Elizabeth Thurman

James married Penelope Griffin on 6 Mar 1828 in Mecklenburg County, VA. Penelope was born on 21 Jul 1807 in Virginia, USA; died on 22 Oct 1870 in Old Elam Cemetery, Forest Park, GA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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]

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]