Boatwright Family Genealogy as recorded by Rev. R. B. Boatwright in 1905 - Buckingham Co. VA Deacon Reuben Boatwright, Sr., the progenitor of most of the Boatwrights living in the county of Buckingham, was born in Cumberland or Prince Edward, Va. the 21st day of March A.D., 1762. He married Lucy Penick, daughter of Squire Penick of Prince Edward Co., Va. She was born 2nd of April 1767. He bought land near New Canton and moved on it in 1788 and raised five boys and five girls. He had the sixth son, whose name was Daniel, who died before reaching maturity. By industry and good judgment he accumulated a considerable amount of property and with it he helped his sons to settle around him in close proximity - the farthest one not more than four miles distant. He was positive, and regarded by some as stern - when he said no, he meant it, but one of the kindest and hospitable men in all the country around. His home (typist note: Society Hall) acquired the appellation of travellers rest. Nearly all the preachers at Mt. Zion church, of which he was a member and a deacon, or passing through the neighborhood, by direction or instinct found out where deacon Boatwright lived. He served a term in the revolutionary war, was wounded by a bomb at Yorktown, and was present when Lord Cornwallis surrendered. He was fond of having his family, his boys and girls and grandchildren around his festive board. Always, as was the custom of those days, setting out before dinner his decanter of good whiskey, or brandy distilled from his own fruit; and inviting his company to have a toddy with him, and then he would set it back in his sideboard and lock it up. He and his wife visited all the sick in the neighborhood, carrying them something to eat. He always carried his lancet and bled them if he thought they needed it, and his wife prescribed Epson salts to the children, and worm seed stewed in molasses if she thought they had worms. They always rode in an old fashioned Gig when they had grown old. Very few things could keep them from their house of worship. His word had more weight in their church meetings than all the balance of their members together. He and his wife died up in 70 at his own home, surrounded by all his family. His oldest son, John Boatwright, married Fanny Guerrant, daughter of Peter Guerrant of Buckingham Co., Va. and he settled on a farm near his father’s. They raised two children, John G. and Lucy Ann Boatwright. His son John graduated in medicine at the Medical College in Philadelphia, after having spent two sessions at the University of Virginia, and practiced his profession in Buckingham until the Civil War and was made an Army surgeon - after the war he moved with his family to Danville, Va., where he made a reputation as a physician. He married Pattie Phillips, whose parents lived near Charlottesville. He died in mature manhood, leaving five boys and one girl, his widow and most of his children still live in Danville. Lucie Ann, the daughter of John Boatwright, Sr., married George Montague of Cumberland, and they moved to the Kanawha Valley - they had several children, but I have not kept up with them. William Boatwright, the next son of Reuben Boatwright Sr. married Miss Louisa Engby (difficult to make out the name) of Buckingham Co. and they settled on a farm on Randolph Creek near Mt. Zion church. They accumulated some property, and died at an advanced age without issue. He lived to be 86 years. Deacon Thomas Boatwright, the third son of Reuben Boatwright, Sr., married Miss Elizabeth Anderson, a daughter of Capt. Wm. Anderson of Buckingham. They located at the old homestead (typist note: Social Hall) of his father, and remained there until his death at the advanced age of 94. They had three children, one son and two daughters - his son, Deacon W. L. Boatwright, married Alice Putney, a granddaughter of Rev. Wm. H. Taylor of sacred memory and located on the same farm, of his father (typist note: Thomas), and grandfather (typist note: Reuben). The two daughters of Thomas Boatwright, viz.; Virginia and Ann E. Boatwright, still live, and are both widows - Virginia surviving her husband, Mr. George Layne of Fluvanna, and Ann E. surviving Dr. Wm. Putney of Buckingham, who died a few years ago without leaving any children. (typist note: Ann Elizabeth Boatwright’s first marriage was to a cousin, Thomas Frederick Boatwright, no children. He was killed in the Civil War at Spotsylvania Courthouse. Her second marriage was to Dr. William R. Putney, widower, with three children. They lived at Mont. Calm, across the road from Social Hall. Reuben Boatwright, Jr., a son of Reuben Boatwright, Sr., married Miss Mary Ann Bryant; a daughter of Charles Bryant of Cumberland Co., Va., a farmer of some property - his wife was a daughter of Wm. Berryman of Buckingham Co., a man of large landed estate and many negroes. The said Reuben Jr., and wife had three sons and two daughters by his first wife, vis.; Charles Wm., Thos. Frederick and Reuben Baker Boatwright, and Sarah Jane and Susan Wyatt, both dying in infancy. He, the said Reuben carried on mercantile business in New Canton after his marriage a while and then bought land in the neighborhood of Mt. Zion church and farmed the balance of his life. He, after his marriage and settlement on the farm, made profession of religion and joined the Mt. Zion Baptist church and they ordained him to the full work of the ministry and he was called to the pastorate of said church, but he declined to accept; preferring to preach wherever he chose, and when it suited him. His son Charles married Ann Toney of Buckingham, located in Franklin Co., Va. They had five daughters. He is dead and several of his children. He spent his whole life in school teaching. Thomas Frederick joined the army at the beginning of the Civil War; was promoted to 1st Lieutenancy, fought through three years, and was suddenly killed near Spotsylvania Ct. H. Reuben Baker Boatwright, the second son of Reuben and Mary Boatwright, was born 23rd day of January 1831, on or near the line of Cumberland and Buckingham. He joined the church, Mt. Zion, at 17 years of age. Rev. Wm. H. Taylor predicted at his baptism that he was to be a preacher. At about 18 he was offered a position as deputy clerk of Cumberland. He served in this capacity of 3 1/2 years. He left to go to school to an academy, run by Jack Berryman, a cousin, and a graduate of Columbian College, Washington - from thence he went to Richmond College during the sessions of ‘55 and ‘56 - ‘56 and ‘57. His ordination was called for by the Mt. Zion Church in 1858 in order to serve Enon church as pastor. This call he accepted and continued as pastor for 18 months. In September 1859, the Theological Seminary opened in Greenville, S.C., and he went and remained one session and on his return called to the Scottsville Baptist Church. In the spring of ‘61 he joined as a private the 46th Va. Regiment as (unreadable) for 12 months, but during the time was elected as a chaplain of said regiment. His health failing he did not accept the appointment of Chaplain, but returned and preached and taught school - soldier’s children during the balance of the war. On the 5th of Sept. 1865 he married Miss Elizabeth M. Woodruff of Cumberland Co., Va., the daughter of Deacon Wilson Woodruff and Miss J. F. Godsey. The said R. B. and E. M. Boatwright have five living children, viz.; Frederick William Boatwright, president of Richmond College, Martha Susan Clark, Mary Booth, Sarah Gayle and John B. Boatwright. The said Reuben Boatwright Jr., married the second time Miss Nancy Anderson, a daughter of Capt. Wm. Anderson, and had by his second wife Henrietta, Elizabeth, Cornelia, Ella and Poindexter P. Boatwright. He, the said Reuben, Jr., died at the advanced age of 85 or 86. Reuben Boatwright, Sr. had one other son, viz; Josiah Boatwright, who married Hopy (Hope) Clover (or Glover), and by her he had four children, one boy and three girls; viz; Wm., Sallie, who married Elijah Anderson, Susan, who married (unreadable) Johnson, and son who never married. Josiah lived to be about 84 and accumulated a large estate. All these five boys of Reuben Boatwright, Sr., viz; John, William, Reuben, Thomas and Josiah were members of Mt. Zion Church, highly esteemed as citizens and honored and loved as Christians, and frequently met around their father’s board, and always showed honor, respect and love for their parents, and attachment for each other. They dwelt together in unity. I have said there were five (actually six) girls as well as five boys. The girls’ names were Betsy, as she was called, who married Allen Omohundro of Fluvanna Co. They had three children, viz; John, Jane and Lucy Ann. Jane died young, Lucy Ann married Elijah Pace. John married, but I don’t know who. Two of the girls of R. Boatwright, Sr., married Brightwells of Prince Edward Co., viz; Charles Brightwell and Barnett Brightwell, brothers. Charles, who married Hopy had a number of boys who grew to be men, and one or two daughters who grew to womanhood. Barnett and Judith had one boy and two girls. One daughter of the said Boatwright, Sr., viz; Polly, married Geo. Burger and moved to Montgomery Co., Missouri. They had ten children, Thomas, Bettie, Wade Apalonia, David and Mariana - their mother died in 1856. Another of the girls of Reuben Boatwright, Sr., viz; Jane, married Peter L. Burruss and they had two children, Lucy and Virginia, Lucy marrying Dr. Wm. R. Putney and Virginia marrying Thos. Baber. The fifth (typist note: actually sixth) daughter of R. Boatwright, Sr., Louisa, married Henry Hudgins of Cumberland Co., Va., and they located on a farm near New Canton in Buckingham, and there were born to them eleven children, four boys and seven girls - Dr. Thomas; George, Reuben B. and Robert H. Hudgins, and girls Lucy, Ann, Pattie, Louisa, Bettie, Emma and Ellen - three of the girls died without marrying. All of the daughters of R. Boatwright, Sr., were good and substantial women and women of piety and industry. -----Written by Rev. R. B. Boatwright at Gold Hill, Va. on or about March 17, 1905 Submitted by Debra Miller **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. 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