James Warren Hale

 

James Warren Hale, my maternal grandfather, was, primarily, a laborer on the railroad but he was also an aspiring writer.  Beginning in 1942, and likely earlier, he wrote a total of 28 short stories, plays or novels –5916 pages -- in 35 journals.  The journals are a mix of hard cover “Record” books and spiral bound notebooks.  Most of his stories are very simple and written in ink with a small but neat cursive handwriting.

I recall seeing a few of these stories along with a typewriter on a table in the bedroom he used at the Askew Farm near Meridian, Mississippi.  This would have been in the late 1950s.  I thought there were only a few stories.  After his death in 1966, his daughter, Jeannette Hill, kept the manuscripts.  Jeannette died in 2004.  After the death of her husband John in 2018, I asked their son, John if he was aware of the stories and if they were anywhere to be found.  John eventually found the manuscripts in an old suitcase.  John gave the manuscripts to me and I began to study them.

I typed three of his stories, including his autobiographical “Railroad Man” and have now put them in a book, “The Times, Life and Stories ofJ. W. Hale” along with some genealogical information.  The book also includes a short autobiography about growing up in the late 1800s that was written by Dr. R. E. Hale, brother of J. W. Hale as well as a history of the Elizabeth Presbyterian Church that they attended.  I’ve self-published this book on Amazon in both paperback and ebook format so others have access to it.

Frankly, these are not good stories but I’m pleased to have them.  They tell a little more about the grandfather that I barely knew.  In particular, his autobiographical sketch, “Railroad Man”, provides a lot of background information. 

My grandfather may not have actually intended for his stories to be read but I’m pleased to make him a published author.

Thomas Buck II (ca 1652 – 1729)

There were many Thomas Buck’s in the early days of Virginia. The convention that is usually employed to distinguish between them is to begin numbering with the emigrant; thus Thomas Buck I (1618 – 1659) was the father of Thomas Buck II (ca 1652 – 1729). In their direct line are III, IV, V and VI. Thomas Buck VI died at the age of thirteen.

Thomas Buck II was certainly a minor, probably about six to eight years old when his mother and father died. His younger sister, Dorothy, was born in 1654 according to later court documents but his own birthdate is unknown. Richard Smith and Nicholas Bond became their guardians. In 1662, Thomas Buck II was still a minor and Richard Smith must have been the principal guardian although he was described as “one of the overseers”.

Thomas II married twice. His first wife is unknown but they had six children: Matthew, Mary, Thomas (III), Joseph, Benjamin and Nathaniel. Matthew was probably their first child and born about 1676; Joseph was probably born last, about 1684. Thomas Buck II outlived his first wife and all his children except for Joseph and Nathaniel.

Elizabeth Cosby was the second wife of Thomas Buck II. She was the widow of John Wooding, a skilled carpenter. Elizabeth Cosby Wooding Buck was named administrix of John Wooding's estate but John Wooding did not leave a will. Elizabeth married Thomas Buck II in 1698 after the death of John Wooding. Thomas Buck II then became co-administrator.

Since no children are mentioned in the will of John Wooding, he and Elizabeth probably had no children; she and Thomas Buck II had no children.

The will of Thomas Buck II, dated May 19, 1729, and probated less than a month later (June 16, 1729) is recorded in York County general records book No. 16, Part 2, Folio 60. The extant will was described as being very mutilated but does name his children and some grandchildren.

My thanks to a cousin, Barbara Murray, who clarified old assumptions about Thomas Buck II through careful research of the Williamsburg and Yorktown records.

Thomas Buck I in Virginia

In some Buck family histories and commentaries, Thomas Buck I is described as a well-to-do gentleman leaving England with his two servants for the New World. I suspect this is not the case but was derived from his eventual prosperity in Virginia. By the time of his death, Thomas owned 250 acres of land in York County and actually did have two indentured servants. Unfortunately, almost nothing is known about his path to prosperity.

There is very little mention of Thomas Buck in the extant records. He left England in 1635 and the next reference to him is in the York County court record of June 25, 1658. There appears to be no extant record of the twenty-three year interval in the life of Thomas Buck.

The York County Patents do not include any land patented to Thomas Buck. Therefore, he must have purchased or inherited it; however, there are no records of such transactions.
In 1658, just a year before his death, there was a significant dispute involving Thomas Buck and his indentured servant, Robert Goffe. Apparently, Robert Goffe claimed that his period of indenture had been completed but Thomas Buck was able to prove that Goffe’s period of indenture was a full seven years and had not yet been completed. Judging from the will of Thomas Buck, the remaining period of indenture must have been about four more years.
Essentially nothing is known about the wife of Thomas Buck – not even her name. Apparently his wife died shortly before Thomas because she is not mentioned in his will and guardians were appointed for their children. York county records do include a bill to be paid for the medical treatment of “the wife of Thomas Buck, deceased”.

After his death, Thomas Buck’s name appears occasionally. Sometimes his land is referenced in a survey or will of other colonists. His shipments, payments and debts can be found in various lists. The estate of Thomas Buck must have been relatively valuable because the York County court records include several references to it and the guardians of Thomas Buck’s children.