Other Bucks to Virginia

 

In addition to Thomas Buck I, generally assumed to be the ancestor of the Buck family of Virginia,  there were other Bucks leaving England for the New World.  In particular, land was granted in Virginia for transportation of these Bucks:

• Peter BUCK, by John Jackson, 1635
• Peter BUCK, by John Jackson, 1637, Charles River Co.
• Thos. BUCK, by William Canhooe, 1639, Charles River Co
•  Thomas BUCK, by Thomas Harvey, 1640, James City Co.
•  John BUCK, by John Bayles, 1642
•  Old BUCK, by Sr. Tho. Luntsford, Kt., and Baronett, 1650

None of these exactly matches with my ancestor Thomas Buck and 1635 although several are so close as to warrant further investigation – if only more information were available!

John Jackson was granted land for transporting two Peter Buck’s and at about the same time; these may have been the same person.  Likewise, there were two Thomas Buck’s transported about the same time.  In fact, all these may have been the same person since false claims are not unheard of.  In any case, I’ve not been able to find additional information.

The Thos. Buck transported to Charles River County, Virginia in 1639 by William Canhooe is sometimes called the “Other Thomas Buck”.  He died in 1648 in York county which was split from Charles River county.  His sister, Mary, living in England, wife of Richard Thorpe, was his sole heir.  Therefore, this “Other Thomas Buck” had no children and could not be the ancestor of the Buck family of Virginia.

It is very interesting that, at one time, there may have been these six Bucks, Thomas Buck I, and the children of the Reverend Richard Buck all living in the same general area of Virginia.

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

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.

Thomas Buck III (ca 1682 – 1727)

Thomas Buck III, son of Thomas II and grandson of the emigrant, was born in 1682; he died in 1727, about two years before his father, at the age of 45. Like his father, he was born in York County, Virginia and died there as well. Again like his father and grandfather, we have very few facts and details about the life of Thomas Buck III.

The wives of Thomas Buck I, II and III are unknown. Some three hundred years later, there must be several hundred thousand unknown Buck family relatives from their families!

Thomas Buck III had ten children: Ann, Charles, Nathaniel, Mary, Francis, James, Elizabeth, Thomas IV, John and Benjamin. Of his children, little is known except for Charles. Charles Buck, perhaps accompanied by his brothers John and Thomas IV, left York County for the Shenandoah Valley. It is with this Charles Buck that the history of the Buck family of Virginia becomes better defined.

Thomas Buck III was present at the deathbed of his brother Benjamin in 1727 and gave a deposition which became Benjamin's will. According to his deposition, Benjamin had been very ill and "had something to say before he went out of this world." Benjamin then dictated his will to Thomas and asked that it be put in writing. Since Thomas could not write, he had their brother, Nathaniel, come to Benjamin's house to write the will. By the time Nathaniel arrived, Benjamin was almost speechless; he died the next day. Thomas repeated Benjamin's dictation to Nathaniel who wrote it down. Thomas then took the paper written by Nathaniel to "Mr. William Barber and desired him to put the said words in form of a will".

Thomas's own will was probated June 17, 1728, and is recorded in York County general records book No. 16, Folio 532.