Reverend Thomas Buck (1777-1862)

Thomas Buck, the first son of Charles Buck II and Mary Richardson was born on Nov. 15, 1777 in Frederick County, Virginia.  Instead of assigning him a number, he is usually distinguished by calling him Reverend Thomas Buck or sometimes Thomas Buck, minor.  However, he is also referred to as the “Elder” or Thomas Buck VI in some references. Reverend Thomas Buck married Amelia Lee Dawson, daughter of James Dawson and Elizabeth Carter on October 19, 1801.  Amelia Lee Dawson was born on March 27, 1783, the daughter of Reverend James Dawson.  Reverend James Dawson was a co-worker of James Ireland, and like him, was imprisoned for preaching heresy.

The Reverend Thomas Buck was a “pioneer "Old School" Baptist minister of early Virginia.  He did not go along with his younger brother, William Calmes Buck, when the latter went into the "missionary" Baptist ministry, but the two never lost their close regard for each other.”

                                                              -- notes of H. N. Buck, 1965

Thomas Buck served as pastor to the Happy Creek Church, in Front Royal.  Elders James Ireland (a native of Scotland), William Marshall, and John Taylor were instrumental in the establishment of this church in 1783 with 64 members.  It was originally called Lower South River Church, because it was located near the south branch of the Shenandoah River.  

In the Federal Census of 1850, the Reverend Thomas Buck, age 73, identified his occupation as “Minister (O.S. Baptist)” meaning “Old School” as opposed to “Missionary”.  In the 1860 census, his occupation was “Preacher O.S.B”.  In early censuses, occupation was not recorded; however, the “Old School” ministers were not paid for their services so Thomas Buck was a farmer and apparently a good one.

Whereas his younger brother, William Calmes Buck, travelled widely and was an author and publisher, it appears that Thomas remained near Buckton and did not author any publications.  There is, however, there is a letter from his father as well as a letter from his uncle, Thomas Buck, to him.   

                              

Reverend Thomas Buck and Amelia Lee Dawson Buck had the following children:

• Annis C. Buck (1801-1827); married John Lovell Buck; died in Kentucky.
• Samuel Dawson Buck (1801-1863); married (1) his second cousin Martha Ann Buck, (2) married Miriam Guthrie; died in Kentucky.  He was a druggist.
• Mary R. Buck (1810-1846); married her second cousin Meredith Helm Jr. whose mother was Anne Buck (1775-1860).  Died in Virginia.
• John Gill Buck (1814-1862); married Elizabeth Ellen McKay; died in Virginia.  He remained in the old Buck homestead where he was a farmer.
• Thomas Calmes Buck (1817-1878); married Sarah Catherine Gatewood; died in Fulton County, Kentucky.  In 1860, he was a farmer in Missouri; in 1870 he was an “agt sewing machines” in Kentucky.

Reverend Thomas Buck died on December 10, 1862 at the age of 85 in Front Royal, Warren County, Virginia.  Amelia L. Dawson died on January 20, 1857 at the age of 73.They are buried in Buckton Cemetery, Virginia.

It appears that the original headstone for the Reverend Thomas Buck’s grave was damaged and replaced.  This must have happened before 1998 when I saw it.

The Family of Colonel John Buck

A previous post introduced John Buck, son of Charles Buck I and his first wife, Anna Sorrell Earle and provided a few details about his life.  The next several posts will focus on his children.  All of the children of John Buck and Miriam Richardson were born in Virginia but spent much of their lives in Woodford County, Kentucky. 

Here is a summary list of the children of John Buck and Miriam Richardson:

• ·        Elizabeth Buck, (1772-1851); married Captain Thomas Helm, 1797.
• ·        Charles Buck, (1774-1831); married Mary (Polly) Price in 1799.
• ·        Anne Buck, (1775-1860); married Meredith Helm in 1794.
• ·        Miriam Buck was born and died in 1777.
• ·        Peter Catlett Buck, (1779-1860); married Miriam Price, 1811.
• ·        Isabella Buck was born and died in 1780.
• ·        Isabella Miriam Buck, (1784-1848); married Willis Field, 1805.
• ·        John Lovell Buck, (1786-1827); married Annis C. Buck, 1822.
• ·        William Richardson Buck, (1790-1853); married Maria (Flowers) Dalton, 1822.
• ·        Sarah Richardson Buck, (17921832), married Charles Cotton, 1819.

Of the eight children of John Buck who reached adulthood, two married into the Price family, two into the Helm family and one into the Buck family.  The Price family was connected to the Richardson and Calmes families as were the Bucks.  The Helm family was also connected to the Buck family.

John Buck and Miriam Richardson had eight children who reached adulthood and fifty-two grandchildren.  Future posts will more details on these children and grandchildren.

Letitia Amelia Buck (1803 – 1885)

Letitia Amelia Buck was the eleventh child of Thomas Buck V and Anne Richardson.  She was born on April 7, 1803 and died on June 15, 1885 in Riverton, Virginia at the age of 82. She was buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, Virginia.

Letitia Amelia Buck and John Mauzy Blakemore were married on July 31, 1820. John Mauzy Blakemore, the son of George Blakemore and Elizabeth Mauzy, was born on June 4, 1798. He died on July 29, 1853 of an apoplexy at the age of 55 and was buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, Virginia.

John Mauzy Blakemore was said to be of "distinguished bearing" and "so meticulous in his attire that he was known as ‘Gentleman John'".

Letitia Amelia Buck and John Mauzy Blakemore purchased "Bel Air" in 1837 from her father, Thomas Buck V for $5000.  Later they sold Bel Air to William Mason Buck.  As explained by their son, Thomas Fayette Blakemore, his father had “in a thoughtless moment” endorsed some loans by a friend and had to liquidate much of his property when those loans were called.

After selling Bel Air and other properties, Letitia Amelia Buck and John Mauzy Blakemore moved to Tennessee.   In 1842, Letitia Amelia Buck and John Mauzy Blakemore lived in "Homewood", New Providence, Tennessee.  Homewood was a farm and John Mauzy Blakemore was not well suited to be a farmer.  His son, Thomas Fayette Blakemore, was called upon to manage the farm “a task which I heartily disliked”.   Homewood was sold or traded, apparently at a loss, about 1846.    Letitia Amelia Buck and John Mauzy Blakemore then returned to Front Royal and built a house called “Retreat”.  In the 1850 census, Letitia Amelia Buck Blakemore and John Mauzy Blakemore are living in Warren County, Virginia.  According to his son, Thomas, John Mauzy Blakemore died in 1853 of an apoplexy.

In the 1860 census, Letitia Amelia Buck Blakemore is shown as a “Retired Lady” living on the farm of J. R. Richards and having a personal estate of $2800.  J. R. Richards was the son-in-law of Letitia Amelia Buck Blakemore being the second husband of her daughter Elizabeth Blakemore.  J. R. Richards is shown as having real estate or $26500 and personal estate of $19030.  Most people in the census have no entry under real estate or personal estate.

John Mauzy Blakemore and Letitia Amelia Buck had five children:

• Thomas Fayette Blakemore, born 1822; married Susan Payne Bayly, 1848; died 1896
• Elizabeth Mauzy Blakemore, born 1825; married Richard B. Bayly, 1841; married James Russell Richards, 1851; died 1891
• William Richardson Blakemore was born and died in 1832
• Marcus Newton Blakemore, born 1835; married Angela Warner, 1866
• Richard Mauzy Blakemore, born 1843; married Lily Bowen, 1892; died 1924

Isaac Newton Buck (1801 – 1877)

Expectations must have been very high for Isaac Newton Buck!  Sir Isaac Newton, the renowned English scientist, died in 1727.  Isaac Newton Buck is assumed to have been named after him.

Interestingly, there was also a Rev. Isaac Newton Buck, Sr. (1800-1873) who lived and preached in Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee.  He also had a mercantile store and a freight line.  He founded Buck College.  His connection, if any, to the Buck Family of Virginia is unknown.

Isaac Newton Buck was the tenth child of Thomas Buck V and Anne Richardson.   He was born on March 22, 1801 and died on Jan. 23, 1877 at the age of 75. He was buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, Virginia.   His tombstone has a Confederate States Army Marker.

Isaac Newton Buck graduated from the University of Pennsylvania as a medical doctor in 1822.  He then practiced medicine at Front Royal from 1822 to 1845 when his health became impaired and he moved to his farm, "Mountain View", nearby.

Dr. Isaac Newton Buck was a Methodist and a subscriber to the 1833 building fund for the Front Royal Methodist Church.   He was a member of the Virginia state legislature and was active in county affairs.

Dr. Buck was also said to be a good musician, carpenter and whittler.  He carried small blocks of wood while making his medical rounds and whittled gifts for children.  He was popular and his home on Chester Street had visitors almost daily; many stayed the night.

Isaac Newton Buck and Susan Taylor were married on Jun. 12, 1827.  Susan Taylor was born in 1810. She died in 1836 at the age of 26 and is buried at Walnut Hill, Frederick County, Virginia.

Isaac Newton Buck and Susan Taylor had five children:

• Catherine Elizabeth Buck, born 1832; married Marcus H. Blakemore, 1852; died 1909.
• Marcus Taylor Buck, born 1827; married Elizabeth Cramer, 1856; died 1862.
• Mary Cornelia Buck, born 1830; married Solomon G. Cunningham, 1854; died 1918.
• Ann Buck was born in 1834 and died in 1835.
• Susan Rebecca Buck was born in 1836 and died in 1880.

After the death of his first wife, Susan, Isaac Newton Buck married Janet Urquhart Lovell on November 21, 1839. Janet Urquhart Lovell was born on Jun. 10, 1815 to Charles Urquhart Lovell and Mary Evans Long.  She died on May 2, 1893 at the age of 77 and was buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, Virginia.  She was called "Jane".  H. N. Buck has her surname as Lovell in his Buck Family Tree, but only Urquhart is used on her tombstone.  William Mason Buck had her name as Janet U. Lovell.

Isaac Newton Buck and Janet Urquhart Lovell had five children:

• Thomas William Buck, born 1845; married Catherine Augusta Buck, 1875; died 1877.
• Charles Newton Buck, born 1842; married Annie Susan Deatherage, 1883; died 1925.
• Nannie Lovell Buck, born 1848; married Charles Anderton Brown, 1871; died 1934.
• Robert Lovell Buck, born 1851; married Katie Elizabeth Massie, 1877; died 1882.
• James Cunningham Buck, born 1854; married Nannie Miriam Wight, 1883; died 1936.

Elizabeth Price Buck (1794-1871)

Elizabeth Price Buck was the ninth child of Thomas Buck V and Anne Richardson.  She was born on September 5, 1794 in Shenandoah County, Virginia and died October 21, 1871 in Paris, Tennessee at the age of 77.

Elizabeth Price Buck and George Neville Blakemore were married on October 27, 1814. George Neville Blakemore, son of George Blakemore and Elizabeth Mauzy, was born in 1791 and died in 1847 at the age of 56. George Neville Blakemore was one of the original justices (1836) of Warren County, Virginia and also a trustee of the Old School Happy Creek Church in Front Royal.

George Neville Blakemore and Elizabeth Price Buck had seven children:

• Mary Rebecca Blakemore, born 1817; married Gustavus A. Williams, 1841; died 1897.
• Ann Elizabeth Blakemore, born 1815; married Presley Neville Helm, 1836.
• Thomas Luther Blakemore, born 1819; married Elizabeth Richards, 1839; died 1901.
• George William Blakemore, born 1821; died 1880.
• Lucy Virginia Blakemore was born 1824, died in 1859.
• Martha Letitia Blakemore, born 1826; married John Buck Helm, 1842; died 1854.
• Robert Newton Blakemore was born 1833; died 1917.

The family home of Elizabeth Price Buck and George Neville Blakemore in Front Royal was called “Rose Hill”.  Thomas Buck, Elizabeth’s father, had purchased this land in 1820.  Rose Hill was sold to William Richardson in 1841.  George and Elizabeth Blakemore then moved Tennessee near their daughter, Ann, who had married Pressley Neville Helm.  George died in Tennessee in 1847.

In 1860, Elizabeth Price Buck Blakemore was age 67 and living with her son Thomas and his wife, also named Elizabeth, in St. Joseph, Missouri.  This dwelling place was a hotel and probably owned by Thomas although he is listed as “bookkeeper” in 1870.  A total of 34 people were living there.  Elizabeth Price Buck Blakemore was not living at this hotel in 1870.  She had moved to Clay Brook, Tennessee and was living with her grandson, James L. Blakemore, the son of Thomas.

Thomas Luther Buck had transitioned from farmer to clerk to a partner in the hotel business with a hotel at Capon Springs, Virginia (now West Virginia) called “The Mountain House”.   The Mountain House was a luxurious, four-story hotel completed in 1851 to take advantage of the medicinal spring in the area.  At the time, The Mountain House was believed to be one of the largest structures in the South. In addition to Thomas, the partnership included John R. Richards, William Mason Buck and his brother John Buck.  Capon Springs had a 900 seat dining room and was intended to entertain Congressmen and their families from Washington, D. C.  However, Capon Springs was a business failure.    In 1857, Thomas moved to St. Joseph, Missouri and again engaged in the hotel business.  According to the 1880 census, Thomas was a farmer in Missouri so perhaps he had left the hotel business by then.

Rebecca Richardson Buck (1792 – 1878)

Rebecca Richardson Buck was the eighth child of Thomas Buck V and Anne Richardson.  She was born on Feb. 13, 1792 and died on Aug. 6, 1878 at the age of 86.  She was said to be "a woman of great amiability and charm” in the notes of H. N. Buck, 1965.

Rebecca Richardson Buck and William Richardson Ashby were married on Apr. 3, 1817.  William Richardson Ashby, son of Nathaniel Ashby and Margaret "Peggy" Mauzy, was born on Dec. 18, 1789. He died on May 21, 1843 at the age of 53 and was buried in Buckton Cemetary, Virginia.

William Richardson Ashby and Rebecca Richardson Buck had two children:

• Thomas Newton Ashby, born 1819; died 1878.
• Elizabeth Ann Ashby, born Sep. 25, 1820, Front Royal, Virginia; married William Mason Buck, Apr. 3, 1838, Front Royal, Virginia; died Jan. 24, 1904.

 William Mason Buck, nephew and son-in-law to Rebecca Richardson Buck, wrote his memoirs in 1880 which have been very helpful in documenting the history of families in those times.

Children of Thomas Buck V

 

As noted previously, Thomas Buck V and Anne Richardson had fourteen children, of whom four died in infancy. It often seems as though Thomas’s family has been better documented than has the families of his brothers John and Charles Buck II. This additional documentation could be related to Thomas’s family living in the town of Front Royal whereas the families of John and Charles were more rural. However, the additional information is probably more due to the efforts of Buck family researchers and writers such as William Mason Buck, Maurice Neville Blakemore and Walter Hooper Buck who were descendants of Thomas Buck V.

The more noted and documented children of Thomas Buck V include:

· William Richardson Buck (1776 – 1823) married Lucy N. Blakemore

· Isabella Buck (1778 – 1844) married Captain Hezekiah Conn

· Henrietta Chew Buck (1779 – 1872) married Spencer Neville Calmes

· Mary Ann Buck (1787 – 1851) married George Bayly

· Marcus Calmes Buck (1789 – 1845) married Elizabeth P. Drake

· Rebecca Richardson Buck (1792 - 1878) married William R. Ashby

· Elizabeth Price Buck (1794 – 1871) married George N. Blakemore

· Isaac Newton Buck (1801 – 1877) married Janet Urquhart

· Letitia Amelia Buck (1803 – 1885) married John Mauzy Blakemore.

The next several posts will focus on these children of Thomas Buck V and Anne Richardson as well as some of their grandchildren.

Bel Air: Home of Thomas Buck V

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In the late 1790’s, Thomas Buck V moved from his father's estate to Front Royal, Warren County, Virginia, where he built his home, "Bel Air", on 100 acres of tillable land he purchased from Alan Wiley in 1798. Thomas Buck also owned 1,500 acres of woodland adjacent to Happy Creek. Bel Air still exists today although greatly revised and no longer owned by the Buck family. In fact, Bel Air is now owned by Larry LeHew whose ancestor, Peter LeHew, had sold the land to Alan Wiley.

In 1930, William R. Buck, great-grandson of Thomas Buck V, wrote that the name “Bel Air” was the name of a town near Baltimore, Maryland. The family of Anne Richardson, Thomas Buck’s first wife, lived nearby. According to W. R. Buck, the brick portions of Bel Air were built about 1795 whereas the wings had been built previously of hewn logs. Thomas Buck lived in the wings while the main portion was being built. He noted that an attic room wall and sloped ceiling was a sort of “guest register” that contained many signatures.

A letter written on January 27, 1918 by Williarm R. Buck’s sister, Lucy Rebecca Buck, notes that, "... The two wings were erected several years before the main brick one was made and I have heard our old aunt Calmes, who died in her ninety‑second year, say that as a little girl she had played in the space between the wings. The brass knocker on the front door, one of my earliest recollections of the house,bears the inscription, "Thomas Buck, 1800". Her brother, Irving Ashby Buck, was forced to sell Bel Air. The new owner completely remodeled it and Lucy had some rather uncomplimentary things about the remodelled house and its owner. Lucy was born in Bel Air and some say her ghost now haunts it.
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Thomas Buck in Front Royal

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Sometimes it seems that Thomas Buck V was a “city feller” – especially as compared to his brothers John and Charles. He was one of the original trustees of the town of Front Royal as it was laid out in 1788 and one of its leading citizens for many years. He donated land in Front Royal for a church. His home, Bel Air, still exists in Front Royal (more on Bel Air later).

Thomas Buck V was High Sheriff of Frederick County three times and was a special delegate to the Legislature.
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Thomas Buck V and Anne Richardson

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Thomas Buck V and Anne Richardson were married on Dec 14, 1774. Anne Richardson (daughter of William Richardson and Isabella Calmes) was born on Oct 10, 1756. Thomas Buck V and Anne Richardson had the following children:

William Richardson Buck, born Feb 28, 1776
Isabella Buck, born Jan 9, 1778
Henrietta Chew Buck, born May 16, 1779
Mary R. Buck was born May 16, 1781
Samuel R. Buck died about 1782
Miriam Buck was born Apr 28, 1784
Mary Ann Buck, born Nov 18, 1787
Marcus Calmes Buck, born Nov 7, 1789
Rebecca Richardson Buck, born Feb 13, 1792
Elizabeth Price Buck, born Sep 5, 1794
Thomas Buck was born Nov 7, 1796
Catharine Buck was born Feb 7, 1799
Isaac Newton Buck, born Mar 22, 1801
Letitia Amelia Buck, born Apr 7, 1803.

Four of their children, Mary, Samuel, Miriam and Catharine died in infancy.

Anne Richardson died on April 3, 1823. She was buried in Buckton Cemetary, Virginia.
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Thomas Buck V (1756 – 1842)

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Thomas Buck V, the third and youngest son of Charles Buck I, was born on June 10, 1756; his mother was Letitia Sorrell Buck. Thomas was full brother to Charles Buck II and half brother of John Buck. He was born in Frederick County, Virginia and lived all his life in Virginia. At a young age he moved across the river from the family farm in Buckton to Front Royal where he lived most of his life. His home in Front Royal, Bel Air, still exists although extensively remodeled and no longer owned by a member of the Buck family.

Thomas Buck V was a member of the Virginia Militia during the Revolutionary War and received a pension for his service. He was a strong civic, business and Baptist leader. He became wealthy and his descendants were prominent in the area for many years.

Like his brothers John and Charles, Thomas married one of the Richardson sisters. Both Thomas and Anne were only eighteen when they married in 1774. With three Buck brothers having married three Richardson sisters, it’s no wonder that there was said to be a certain “look “ to the thirty-two grandchildren of Charles Buck I !

As will be seen from the next series of postings, much more is known of Thomas Buck V than of his father or brothers.
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Silhouettes of Charles and Mary Buck

In 1996, my dad, my son and I visited Front Royal, Virginia to research our roots there. The Warren Heritage Society was one of the main resources that we wanted to investigate. Unfortunately, we were only able to be there a few hours. Even so, we were able to learn a lot about the early Buck family in the Front Royal, Virginia area.

While browsing through some files, I came across one labeled simply “Charles Buck and Mary Richardson” and peeked into it. The file contained only these two silhouettes – no references, no sources, no notes. No one at the Society had any additional information. I took these photos of the silhouettes.

I have no idea whether these silhouettes are authentic or not but I’ve decided to use them to represent Charles and Mary Buck – my great, great, great, great grandfather and grandmother.

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Buck Cemetery

The Buck Cemetery is sometimes described as being in Waterlick, sometimes in Buckton and sometimes near Front Royal. This cemetery dates to the late 1700’s and is located on land originally owned by Charles Buck I. It may include the grave of Charles Buck I. The cemetery is actually easy to find although I was very confused the first time I attempted to find it.

The cemetery is located on SR-610 which turns off of Hwy 55 at Waterlick (near a small, old store) as "Buck's Mill Rd". Shortly after getting on SR-610, SR-678 "Richardson Road" joins it from the left. Keep to the right on SR-610. You'll be sort of following the railroad which will be on your left. When SR-610 crosses the railroad and turns sharply to the right (otherwise running into the river), find a place to park on the side of the road. Then go back to the railroad tracks and follow the tracks up the hill. The cemetery is between the tracks and the river. (Alternatively, you can walk up the hill between the tracks and the river.) It is a beautiful old cemetery surrounded by a stone fence.

Going back to the directions, the house on the left just before crossing the railroad tracks is supposed to be the site of the Charles Buck II house. The chimney is said to be the original chimney but I've not seen any documentation of that fact.

The Family of Charles Buck I

Charles Buck I had three sons: John, Charles II and Thomas V. A daughter, Mary, probably died shortly after birth.

John Buck, born December 27, 1748, was the first child of Charles Buck I and Anna Sorrell Earle, daughter of Major Samuel Earle III and Anna Sorrell. He married Miriam Richardson in 1774. He moved to Ohio where he died in 1815.

Mary Buck was born and died in 1749. Her mother, Anna, died that same year. The exact dates and details are unknown but it is probably a good assumption that both died during childbirth.

After the death of Anna Sorrell Earle, Charles Buck I married Letitia Sorrell in 1749. Their first child, Charles II, was born Oct 28, 1750. Charles Buck II married Mary Richardson, sister of Miriam, on April 3, 1774. They lived in Buckton their entire lives. Charles Buck II died in 1823.

The second child of Charles Buck I and Letitia Sorrell (third son of Charles Buck I) was named Thomas. By convention, this Thomas Buck is usually called Thomas V in modern genealogy listings. Thomas V was born June 10, 1756; he also married one of the Richardson sisters, Anne, on December 14, 1774. They lived their entire lives in the Front Royal area. Thomas V died in 1842.

Charles Buck I died in 1771; his will is dated February 4, 1771. His gravesite is unknown; however, a monument to Charles Buck I was placed at Buckton Cemetery by Walter Hooper Buck.

In 1740, Charles Buck I purchased land along the south side of the north branch of the Shenandoah River. This land included the farms called “Clover Hill” and “Cedar Hill”. In his will he gave 780 acres of this land to his son, Charles II. This land became known as Buckton and the Buckton Cemetery, a private cemetery for those family members, is located on the bank of the river.

Charles Buck I -- a Sportsman

In a letter written by his son, Thomas, Charles Buck I was said to be “a great sportsman and used carry me off to the horse races of which I became very fond and in all probability should have followed his example had not the Lord arrested both him and myself in our mad career.”

The race track referenced by Thomas Buck is said to have been located in present day Front Royal. Typically such tracks were about a quarter mile around. The better horses were smaller and their descendants are known as quarter horses today.

Horse racing in colonial Virginia was considered an immoral and sinful activity. Not only were the races rough on the horses, races were often brutal for the jockeys. Horse races were also accompanied by wagering and alcoholic beverages. At the same time, horse racing was reserved for gentlemen only!