CAMPBELL COUNTY, VA - HISTORY - Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches Family Sketches - Watts-Saunders ----¤¤¤---- CAMPBELL CHRONICLES and FAMILY SKETCHES Embracing the History of CAMPBELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1782-1926 By R. H. EARLY With Illustrations J. P. BELL COMPANY LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 1927 Watts-Saunders William Watts, who settled in Campbell, was a soldier in Captain John Smith's company of a regiment, raised in 176O by Colonel William Byrd for the immediate defence of the state, and commanded by Byrd. Watts married Mary, the daughter of Francis Scott of Prince Edward county. In 1796 Conrad Speece sold a tract of land on both sides of Flat creek to William Watts, the property which had been purchased of Christopher Irvine in 1790 by Speece. The same year Christopher Irvine (who had then added Clendenning to his name), sold Watts another tract on Flat creek and the residence built upon it was given the name of Flat Creek, which it still retains; dying in 18O3, this manor place was willed to his widow, his brother, John Watts and brother-in-law, Thomas T. Scott, being appointed executors of his estate. Alice, daughter of William and Mary S. Watts, married Judge Fleming Saunders, in 1814, and they acquired the Flat creek property, lying near Evington, and it has since been the home of this Saunders family and their descendants. Judge Fleming Saunders, born in Franklin county 1778, was descended from Jesse Saunders, of English ancestry, who settled in Powhatan county and married Phyllis Dudley (said to have been of the same family as Lord Guilford Dudley who married Lady Jane Gray), who was heiress to a fortune in England, which was never recovered by her descendants, it is said, because of the burning of a marriage record. It was also said that Saunders was related to Edward Hyde, Lord Chancellor of England in 1658; he gave the name Hyde to each of his five sons, one of whom received the full name of Chancellor Hyde. Peter Hyde Saunders, eldest son of Jesse, born 1748, married in 1767 Mary Sparrell, who had been brought to this country by her father, but he died on his return trip, leaving her an heiress, and she became the ward of Governor Giles, to whom she was related. Saunders moved to Franklin country after his marriage, settling- at Runnet Bay, where the men would have to go very far to the mill and leave Mrs. Saunders with only her maid servant. The two females, for self-protection, were forced to shut themselves in the cabin and fight wolves and bears off with shovels of hot coals thrown from an open window, for that country was then but sparsely settled, and wild animals roamed about. In 1775 Saunders was a member of Pittsylvania County Committee and in 178O he was a collector'of specific taxes in Henry county. Children: -Judith, born 1769, m. Colonel Samuel Hairston, an officer in the war of 1812. -Elizabeth, born 1772, m. John Ingles. -Fleming, born 1778, m. Alice, dau. of William Watts of Campbell county. —Samuel, born 1783, m. Mary Ingles. -Mary (Polly), born 1788, m. Captain Wiley Woods of Franklin county. -Docia m., John Hale; a grandson, Wiley Hale, died while scaling the walls of Chapultepec, during the war with Mexico in 1848. Judge Fleming and Alice W. Saunders. Children : —Mary Elizabeth, m. _____ Davis; -Peter m. Bertie Dabney, moved to Franklin county. —Ann M. m. Prof. Thomas Preston, of the University of Virginia. -Major Robert C. m. Carietta Davis, lived at Caryswood near Evington; was an officer in C. S. army. -Captain Fleming m. Mary Gwaphmey of Norfolk, lived at Flat Creek; was an officer in C. S. army. —Louisa Morris in. Richard T. Davis. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com ___________________________________________________________________ File size: 3.9 Kb