The John Wesley Rippey Family: Study of a Short Post-Civil War Migration to Carroll County, Virginia *** DRAFT 1 *** INTRODUCTION For most of the Rippey family, the "original" settlement area in Orange County, North Carolina, quickly lost its luster. (The original Rippey land, where Boyd's Creek meets the Haw River, became a part of newly formed Alamance County, North Carolina, in 1849.) During the first half of the 19th century, one large group of Rippey family members headed to Tennessee, while another group headed to Missouri. Scattered family members migrated elsewhere. By 1850, only small pieces of the family, originally headed by Irish immigrant Matthew Rippey (who lived well into his 70's but died in 1817), still lived in Alamance County. The 1850 Census showed that four of Matthew's twelve children were still alive. Two of them, Jesse and James Rippy, were living in Sumner County, Tennessee (note the spelling, which was the form adopted by many of those in the family who traveled westward). Only two -- Joseph H. Rippey (born October 31, 1773) and Sarah "Sally" Rippey Gantt (born about 1778) -- still lived in Alamance County. Joseph married Esther (spellings from census and marriage records vary from Hesther to Easther to Esther) Haistings, daughter of John Haistings and Nancy Holloway, on September 22, 1798, in Orange County, North Carolina. They had ten children, born over a span of more than 25 years. Their third child, John Wesley Rippey, was born in late 1809 or 1810. John married Catharine McAdams on Saturday, June 7, 1834, according to Orange County marriage records. An excerpt from the June 24, 1834, issue of the Hillsborough Recorder, an Orange County newspaper, noted the marriage, stating: "In this county on the 11th instant, Mr. John Wesley Rippy to Miss Catharine McAdams, daughter of William McAdams, esq." The 1850 Census for northern Alamance County showed Joseph Rippey, 76, and Esther Rippey, 69, in household #80, along with their next-to-youngest child, 25-year-old Margaret. Household #79 consisted of son-in-law Joseph, 42, and daughter Annas (Rippey) Harder, 44, along with seven children. Household #81 consisted of son Leonard, 30, daughter-in-law Sarah (Wilkins) Rippey, 23, and one-year-old Mary Rippey. Not far away, in household #67, was John Wesley Rippey, 40, and Catharine (McAdams) Rippey, 32. Their children were Michael, 11; Eliza, 10; Emily, 8; Cornelia, 6; William, 4; and Martha, 1. AN ASIDE ON THE MC ADAMS FAMILY Catharine McAdams came from a family that had been in Orange/Alamance County about as long as the Rippey family had. According to a published document on the McAdams clan, it is believed that family members arrived in Pennsylvania with other Irish families around 1740. By 1752, there was a John McAdams in southern Virginia's Lunenburg County. (This part of Lunenburg County became a part of Mecklinburg County, Virginia, in 1765.) Later, Hugh McAdams married Catherine Scott (daughter of John Scott) in Lunenburg County on September 11, 1761. By 1776, Hugh and Catherine McAdams lived in Orange County, North Carolina. They had nine children, the second of whom was William McAdams, born April 7, 1763. William first married -- on April 7, 1783 -- Elizabeth Reeves, who soon died. On October 31, 1792, he married Fanny Whitesides, and they had eight children. William and Fanny McAdams lived along the Haw River at "Robson Place," which William had purchased from his father, Hugh. The oldest child of William and Fanny McAdams was also William, born in 1793. William grew up in Orange County, where he married Sarah Roney (daughter of Benjamin Roney and Catherine Andrews). William and Sarah McAdams had eight children between approximately 1818 and 1839. Their first two children, possibly twins, were Catharine and James. James, who was born May 6, 1818, moved to Missouri (along with some extended Rippy family members and others from Orange County) about 1840. Catharine, of course, married John Wesley Rippey in June 1834. At least one source indicates that Catharine's middle name was also Wesley, which could be an error but if true would have made for interesting family trivia. To summarize, here is what we know about the lineage of Catharine McAdams: Parents: William McAdams (b. 1793) and Sarah Roney (b. ~1794) Grandparents, Part One: William McAdams (b. 1763) and Fanny Whitesides (m. Oct. 31, 1792) Grandparents, Part Two: Benjamin Roney (b. ~1750) and Catherine Andrews (b. ~1756) Great-Grandparents, McAdams Family: Hugh McAdams and Catherine Scott Great-Grandparents, Roney Family: James Roney and Margaret ?????? A RUN OF MISFORTUNE One of John Wesley Rippey's brothers, James Rippey, died at age 33 in December 1849 of tuberculosis. His death would be the first of many family tragedies in the mid-19th century. John's father, Joseph Rippey, died on May 9, 1851, and was buried at Providence Christian Church in Graham, Alamance County, North Carolina. Sometime in the early 1850's, John's wife, Catharine, also died -- leaving behind at least six young children. Several years later, on November 28, 1857, John's younger brother, Leonard, also lost his wife, Sarah (Wilkins) Rippey. Sarah Rippey was buried near her father-in-law, Joseph, at Providence Christian Church. By 1860, John Wesley Rippey had picked up the pieces and moved on with his life. Shortly after the death of his first wife, he married Mary Ann (Alexander) Underwood, a probable widow who lived nearby. In the 1850 northern Alamance County Census, Mary Underwood, 30, and young daughter, Margaret, lived in Household #76, immediately next to John Wesley Rippey's first cousin, Jesse Rippey (along with Jesse's wife and their three children). AN ASIDE ON THE ALEXANDER FAMILY This paragraph is perhaps the most speculative of all the information contained in this document. With that strongly worded caution in place, please read on: Much less is known about the family of John Wesley Rippey's second wife, Mary Ann Alexander (~1819 - after 1880). In fact, it is not absolutely clear that her last name was Alexander. At least one source says that it was Alderson. However, it is quite possible that Mary Ann was the daughter of James and Mary Alexander of Orange/Alamance County, North Carolina, who were both 70 years old (born about 1780) in the 1850 Census. Children listed with James and Mary Alexander in 1850 were Nelly (b. ~1813), James (b. ~1815), and Louisa (b. ~1820). Another possible child was Samuel Alexander (b. ~1810), who was living in Alamance County in 1850 with his wife Eleanor, 37, and children Edwin M., Eli M., Roxana, and John W. (ages 12, 10, 7, and 2, respectively). JOHN W. RIPPEY FAMILY, CIRCA 1860 At the time of the 1860 Census, J.W. and Mary Rippey were living in Alamance County, along with their children D.B. (Daniel Baxter), 5; J.B. (John B.), 3; and M.C. (Mary Catherine), 6 months. Also with them were John's children by his first wife: M. (Michael), 22; C.F. (Cornelia F.), 15; and M.J. (Martha Jane), 11. Apparently, Emily and William Rippey had died during the 1850's. Notably, there was also M.A. Rippey (Margaret A. Underwood), 16, daughter of Mary. Finally, John Wesley Rippey's mother, Esther Rippey, 79, was listed living nearby with E.A. (Eliza A.), 19. Also listed with Esther and Eliza were Leonard Rippey, 40, his new -- and pregnant -- wife Rachel Jane (Evans) Rippey, 21, and Leonard's three children by his first wife: Mary Elizabeth, 10; Sarah A., 8; and Emily Alice, 5. There are some indications that the John Wesley Rippey family left Alamance County at least once before departing permanently. It is possible that Mary Catherine Rippey was born (on Christmas Day, 1859) in Randolph County, North Carolina. Randolph County is located one county southwest of Alamance County. A NEW LIFE Sometime after 1860, John's mother, Esther Rippey, passed away. However, on April 5, 1862, John also welcomed his first grandchild, Martitia Angeline Adams. Martitia was the daughter of Eliza A. Rippey and William B. "Willie" Adams. According to multiple census records, Martitia Adams was born in North Carolina. Given other information, it seems likely that Willie Adams was a native of Alamance County, born about 1836. Whatever the case, Willie Adams was the victim of an early death; a probable Confederate soldier, he likely died of disease at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, on February 6, 1863. Thus, young Eliza Rippey was left a widow with a young child, much as had likely happened to her stepmother, Mary Ann Underwood. Another family development was the marriage of Margaret Underwood, on September 13, 1865, to William R. Morris. The marriage took place in Orange County, North Carolina, placing the family in the Orange/Alamance County area at the end of the Civil War. Sometime during the 1860's, Michael (b. ~1838) and Martha Jane Rippey (b. ~1849) apparently died -- or at the very least, they did not make the 100-mile journey to Carroll County, Virginia. By early 1868, presumably after some geopolitical stability had returned in the wake of the Civil War, it was time to move on. Perhaps after the spring mud season was over, the Rippey family packed up their meager possessions and headed northwest. On today's roads, the journey from Alamance County to Carroll County is about 100 miles, with the North Carolina cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Mount Airy situated along the route. Unfortunately, the exact reason for the move and the lure of southern Virginia has been lost to history -- at least for now. LIST OF ARRIVALS John W. Rippey's daughter, Cornelia, married Francis M. McCraw in June 1868, placing the date of the family's arrival in early 1868. Another daughter, Eliza, married William Surratt in September 1868. A 1902 voter registration document stated that John W. Rippey's son, Daniel Baxter Rippey, had been a resident of Carroll County for 34 years. The known list of 1868 arrivals in Carroll County includes (with approximate ages) John Wesley, 57, and Mary Ann Rippey, 48, along with Eliza A., 27, and her daughter Martitia A., 5; Cornelia F., 22; Daniel B., 12; John B., 11; Mary C., 7; Emma R., 6; and Sarah E. and James H., 4-year-old twins -- eleven people in all. Sometime soon after -- probably around 1870 -- later arrivals included John W. Rippey's step- daughter, Margaret (Underwood) Morris, and step-son-in-law, William R. Morris. William and Margaret Morris had five children together, all born in Virginia during the 1870's. However, Margaret Morris was widowed by 1880. In the 1880 Carroll County Census, Margaret and the five children were living with Margaret's mother, Mary Ann Rippey, along with John Rippey, 23, and 17-year-old twins Sarah and James. Another Rippey -- Mattie, born about 1854 in North Carolina -- showed up in the 1880 Carroll County Census, but she was not living with the rest of the clan. Her family roots are not known. DEATH OF JOHN WESLEY RIPPEY Unfortunately, John W. Rippey was not able to personally plant his roots firmly in Virginia. Little more than two years after his arrival, he died at age 60, on August 25, 1870, of kidney disease. His final resting place is not known. His second wife, Mary A. Rippey, lived at least into the 1880's, enabling all of her children to reach adulthood before her death. Eight of John W. Rippey's children, ranging in age from 7 to 29, were in Carroll County at the time of his death. He also had three grandchildren by 1870. By 1915, however, that number had exploded to at least 62 (34 granddaughters and 28 grandsons), although some died in childhood. Nine of the grandsons carried the Rippey surname. DESCENDANTS I don't have enough room here (nor have I completed enough research) to carry the names of John Wesley Rippey's descendants through to the present. But I will at least list the names, birth and death dates, and spouses of his known grandchildren. I have also included the short list of Mary Ann Rippey's additional grandchildren -- the children of her daughter, Margaret (Underwood) Morris. Eliza A. Rippey (Sep. 1840 - Nov. 28, 1926) and William B. Adams (~1836 - likely Feb. 6, 1863) (Marriage date and location unknown) Martitia Angeline Adams (Apr. 5, 1862 - Feb. 29, 1932); married Uriah Surratt Eliza A. Rippey (Sep. 1840 - Nov. 28, 1926) and William Isom Surratt (Jul. 27, 1849 - Aug. 2, 1930) (Married in Carroll Co., Sep. 10, 1868) William Isom "Billy" Surratt (Jul. 10, 1869 - Feb. 14, 1934); married Nancy Melinda Snow Patrick Taylor Surratt (Mar. 19, 1872 - Mar. 12, 1960); married Dinah Ellen Golding Elizabeth Catherine "Betty" Surratt (Mar. 19, 1872 - Jun. 2, 1956) ; married John Jefferson Jones John Wesley Surratt (Apr. 26, 1875 - Dec. 7, 1964); married Lucy Jane Surratt and Sarah C. Underwood Eliza A. Surratt (May 28, 1879 - 1968); married William Robin Golding James Francis "Jimmie" Surratt (Jun. 29, 1882 - May 31, 1955); married Meatha Monday Nancy Ellen Surratt (Jun. 29, 1882 - Jul. 28, 1928); married James Benjamin Rippey Cornelia F. Rippey (May 1845 - Apr. 14, 1882) and Francis Marion "Pack" McCraw, Jr. (~1850 - Dec. 11, 1928) (Married in Carroll Co., Jun. 20 or 24, 1868) Nancy F. McCraw (~1869 - ????) L. H. McCraw, a female (~1871 - ????) James C. McCraw (~1873 - ????) Mary Catherine McCraw (Jun. 3, 1875 - ????) Laura E. McCraw (Sep. 28, 1877 - ????) Daniel Baxter Rippey (May 11, 1855 - Jan. 12, 1919) and Nancy Catherine Spencer (Nov. 28, 1848 - May 17, 1931) (Married in Carroll Co., Apr. 23, 1874) Sulphina Elizabeth "Bettie" Rippey (Apr. 26, 1875 - ????); married James Henry Turner and Robert Lee Snow James Benjamin Rippey (Apr. 10, 1878 - Jan. 6, 1955); married Nancy Ellen Surratt Mary A. Rippey (Oct. 5, 1879 - Jul. 8, 1885); died of "flux" at age 5 Robert Sidney "Sid" Rippey (May 3, 1881 - ????); disappeared in early 20th century Minnie Rippey (Jun. 30, 1883 - Jul. 3, 1885); died of "flux" at age 2 Christina Rippey (Jul. 15, 1885 - ????); married Norman Hale Bobbitt Ewell W. Rippey (Jun. 17, 1887 - 1905); died in a duel with his best friend Rosa Onie Rippey (Apr. 8, 1890 - Dec. 31, 1991); married Charles Russell Cosner John B. Rippey (Oct. 3, 1856 - Aug. 10, 1930) and Louvenia Berrier (1875 - 1956) (Married in Carroll Co., Dec. 22, 1898) Thomas Dewey Rippey (Sep. 23, 1899 - Jan. 1963); married Etta ?????? John William Rippey (May 24, 1903 - Jul. 2, 1979); married Alpha Loretta Weddle Hattie Rippey (Sep. 8, 1905 - Mar. 27, 1985); did not marry Laura L. Rippey (1907 - Apr. 1957); married Harmon Easter Mary M. Rippey (Jul. 4, 1909 - Feb. 1986); married Isaac Hawks George Washington Rippey (Jul. 24, 1914 - Feb. 3, 1985) Mary Catherine Rippey (Dec. 25, 1859 - Dec. 8, 1936) and Daniel Austin Edwards (~1857 - Jun. 13, 1897) (Married in Carroll Co., Dec. 20, 1877) Laura S. Edwards (1879 - ????) Lucy Mae Edwards (Aug. 25, 1882 - Nov. 9, 1960) Amanda C. Edwards (Jan. 12, 1883 - Dec. 10, 1887) Mollie Green Edwards (May 15, 1885 - 1965) Maggie Belle Edwards (May 14, 1887 - Dec. 21, 1926) Cora Lee Edwards (Sep. 10, 1890 - Mar. 14, 1975) Electra Ellen "Leck" Edwards (Jun. 1892 - Dec. 10, 1966) Nina B. Edwards (Apr. 5, 1894 - ????) George Arthur Edwards (May 25, 1896 - Jul. 4, 1977) Emma Roxie Rippey (May 7, 1861 - Mar. 4, 1926) and Shadrach Franklin Easter (Sep. 13, 1853/4 - Dec. 12, 1937) (Married in Carroll Co., Nov. 6, 1879) Gus B. Easter (Sep. 1879 - ????); married Daisy A. ?????? Mary E. Easter (Sep. 1882 - ????) Fannie E. Easter (Jul. 1884 - ????); married Greenberry Quesinberry David W. Easter (May 1887 - ????) William T. Easter (May 1889 - ????) James F. Easter (Apr. 1891 - ????); married Flora C. ?????? Blanche N. Easter (Nov. 3, 1893 - Mar. 1982); married Benjamin Harrison Fishel Lula Easter (Sep. 1895 - ????) Isaac F. Easter (Sep. 1897 - ????); married Pearl ????? Hampton O. Easter (Aug. 24, 1900 - Oct. 24, 1987); married Ethel ?????? Gilmer W. Easter (Jun. 7, 1902 - May 15, 1991) Kenny Easter (April 13, 1905 - ????) Rush Easter (April 13, 1905 - September 1979) Sarah "Ellen" Rippey (May 9, 1863 - ????) and John L. William Lyon (1857-????) (Married in Carroll Co., Dec. 27, 1883) Dexter Lyon (~1887 - ????) Ferran Lyon (~1890 - ????) Frederick R. Lyon (~1894 - ????); married Osie G. ?????? Ada Lyon (~1896 - ????) Pearl M. Lyon * (Apr. 20, 1898 - Oct. 14, 1990); married Reece Spillman Mary Etta Lyon (~1900 - ????) Robert F. Lyon (Mar. 17, 1902 - Jul. 1969) (* Some of the information on Pearl Lyon came from a partial, on-line obituary. The original obituary, published by the Southwest Virginia Enterprise, appeared on October 17, 1990. For more information, see: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~umbergerwythe/all/allg439.htm) James H. Rippey (May 9, 1863 - Mar. 5, 1899) and Mary Ann Hawks (Jan. 5, 1865 - Feb. 4, 1957) (Married in Carroll Co., Dec. 24, 1885) Troy Calvin Rippey (Jan. 29 or Feb. 28, 1887 - Oct. 7, 1961); married Ada Leona Lowe Mary Alice Rippey (Oct. 5, 1888 - Nov. 6, 1963); married Isaac Franklin Leonard Raleigh Columbus Rippey (Nov. 27, 1891 - Nov. 5, 1966); married Maggie Alice Edwards Amanda Myrtle Rippey (Feb. 2 or 11, 1894 - Mar. 6, 1966); married Harvey Curtis Hawks Henry Rufus Rippey (March 10, 1895/6 - May 19, 1920); married Nancy Jane ?????? Posey Rippey (September 1898 - July 1899); died in infancy ______________________________________________________________________________ Margaret A. Underwood (~1845 - ????) and William R. Morris (~1843 - bef. 1880) (Married in Orange Co., North Carolina, Sep. 13, 1865) Sarah A. Morris (~1870-????) William J. Morris (~1873-????) Cardelia(?) J. Morris (~1874-????) Mary E. Morris (~1877-????) Nora L. Morris (~1879-????) ______________________________________________________________________________ DISCORD AND UNIFICATION Carroll County was a rough and virtually lawless place to live in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a lot of closely related families grouped in the hollows and on the hillsides. Thus, it is not surprising that relations were not always cozy among these first cousins listed above. Famously, William I. "Billy" Surratt (1869-1934) shot and killed his cousin's husband, James H. Turner (1870- 1900), but only after being shot five times and seriously wounded by the other man. Turner was the husband of Sulphina Elizabeth "Bettie" Rippey, a first cousin of Billy Surratt. The dispute began when one man's hogs ate the other man's mash (whiskey ingredients). Billy Surratt was never convicted of murder, probably because he acted in self-defense. In one case, however, the family bond grew stronger. Two of John Wesley Rippey's grandchildren, James Benjamin Rippey (1878-1955) and Nancy Ellen Surratt (1882-1928), married on May 5, 1905, according to Carroll County records, just a month before the birth of their first child. (Their ages, 23 and 19, respectively, would suggest that they were married on May 5, 1901, but the courthouse records dictate otherwise). James and Nancy were technically half-first cousins, since their Rippey parents Eliza A. and Daniel Baxter were half-siblings. Their children -- Walter "Carl," 1905- 1944; Sidney "Arnold," 1911-1992; Martha, 1913-1990; William Wilson, 1918-1992; Greeley Ford, born 1921; and Annie Catherine, born 1924 -- have just seven great-grandparents, with John Wesley Rippey appearing twice. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am indebted to the foundation-laying research of my father, Robert G. Rippey, and my great-aunt, Annie C. Evans. A long time ago, they showed an interest in uncovering our family's sometimes dark, but always exciting, path through history. I've chosen to start this tale with John Wesley Rippey, partly because he is such an important family figure. Because John Wesley Rippey had grandchildren -- James Benjamin Rippey and Nancy Ellen Surratt -- who married, he serves as a double great-grandfather to Carl (my Rippey grandfather), Arnold, Martha, Willie, Greeley, and Annie. The other six great-grandparents for these six people are: Catharine McAdams, Mary Ann Alexander, Ewell Spencer, Sophia Stockner, William Surratt, and Elizabeth Stanley. Among these "great-grandparents," only Sophia Stockner Spencer Lynch (1827-1918) lived into the 20th century, which helps to explain why so little is known about most of them. Ironically, more is known about Ewell Spencer's demise -- instant death by a bullet to the head on May 16, 1864, during the Civil War at Drewry's Bluff, near Richmond, Virginia -- than his life. --Brad Rippey, December 2007