Richard Sutphin Van Wey (1805 - 1880)

2nd Great Grandfather - Maternal Side

Richard S. Van Wey, date unknown, "Some Mallorys and Bells" by Bob Mallory, 1950, Greenville Printing

Sometimes I think it is easier to have less than 10 records in writing a blog. This is not the case with Grandpa Richard as most of his life is well documented – notice that I said most. There are gaps in the records that I have not been able to fill in although that doesn’t make his story any less exciting. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a while cause this is going to be long. I need to begin with the different spellings as there are many – Van Wie, Van Wey, Van Way, Vanwey, etc. It is a Dutch name and no doubt this is where the family originated.

Richard Sutphin Van Wey was born January 1805 to John Van Wey and Sarah Dense being their 5^th child out of 9 children. The family lived in Lodi, Seneca County, New York. His father died in 1814 so I am not exactly sure how or when Richard arrived in McArthurstown, Ohio only that he was signing an oath for his future father-in-law to be Post Master in August, 1829. He married Catherine Lord a month later on September 5, 1829. 

Athens County,  Ohio Marriage Records from FamilySearch

Together they had the following children:

1. Sarah Lord VanWey (1830-1916); married 1^st William E. Pastuer, 2^nd William Bell
2. Nathan Harvey Lord Van Wey (1832-1902)); married Ann
3. DeWitt Clinton Vanwey (1834-1906); married Anna Jane Goldberg
4. Lydia Catherine Van Wey (1838-1905); married Samuel D. Roach
5. Lesbia Ann Van Wey (1840- ); married 1st John Wilson Nugent; 2nd might be Mr. Wyatt
6. Richard Sutphin VanWey, Jr. (1844-1924); married Alice Mariah Hansbrough

The 1830 U.S. Census (Source 1) shows Richard Vanway living in Elk, Athens County, Ohio with Catherine and Sarah. Richard began buying land in Vinton County, Ohio. On March 10, 1836 he purchased 49.12 acres T10N-R17W, Section 2 (Source 2). On August 5, 1837 he purchased an additional 41.88 acres T11N R17W, Section 33 (Source 2).

The 1840 U.S. Census (Source 3) states that R.S. Vanwey’s household located in McArthur, Athens County, Ohio has the following: 2 males 5-9  (Nathan and DeWitt Clinton); 1 male 30-39 (Richard); 2 females 5-9 (Lydia and Lesbe); 2 females 15-19 (Sarah and unknown but possibly his sister); 1 female 30-39 (Catherine); 1 female 60-69 (unknown but possibly her mother Sarah Goodwin Lord or his mother Sarah Dense Van Wey Horton). Richard is listed as a Learned Professional Engineer.

Richard learned of land opening up in Texas and began a journey on Monday, April 22, 1844 of which he kept a diary said to be in the possession of Olive Johnston . When I first read this, it was exciting to see what he found interesting along the journey. Then I started researching to see if there was documentation to back up the transcribed version that I had. I am happy to say that I was able to locate the individuals he mentioned along with the land which he bought in The Republic of Texas. He purchased 1280 acres in the San Augustine Land Commission (Please note that parts of Rusk and Henderson counties became Panola County in 1846).

Route and boats taken from Ohio to Texas

Travels within the Republic of Texas

Richard is listed as a lawyer on one of the deeds and two of his children signed as witnesses for the seller on another (See Source 4 and update). I do not have documentation of when they actually moved from Ohio to Texas, but Richard made it home in time for his youngest son to be born in Ohio.

Richard and Catherine’s children attended school while living Panola County as evident on the 1850 U.S. Census (See Source 5 and Update). Recorded in the household was R.S. Vanway age 45 and a farmer, Catherine age 40 Keeping House, Sarah age 19, Nathan age 16, Dewitt age 14, Lesbie age 13, and R.S. age 6. On the 1850 Agriculture Schedule 4 form (See Source 6) Richard is listed as R.S. Vanway with 38 improved acres and 1168 unimproved acres with a cash value of $2,000. He owned $160 in farm machinery. He owned 4 horses, 5 milch cows, 6 working oxen (I guess this is opposed to non-working???), and 20 swine for a total livestock value of $470.

Not knowing why the family moved to Maple Springs before May 6, 1855 is disheartening (See Update), try as I have, I can find nothing that would indicate a reason. But move they did as Richard was the appointed Post Master on that date (See Source 7). By the 1860 U.S. Census (See Source 8) Richard is listed as R.S. Vanway age 50 and a farmer, Catherine is 48 and keeping house, Sarah Pasteur is 25 a widow and teacher, Clinton is 24, Lydia is 20, Lisby is 18, Richard S. is 15, William Moore (don’t know how he is related) is 14, Sarah Ann Horton age 7 and Lisby Horton 3 (Richard’s nieces) were living on a farm with a value of $3,000 and personal estate worth $1,400. Catherine dies on October 20, 1861 and is laid to rest in Bogota Cemetery. Richard was also a "Confederate Post Master" which I can only suppose means that he was a Post Master during the war.

Richard married a widow, Henrietta Nugent Wilson Patterson in 1863 (See Source 9). She might have been the mother of his son-in-law, John Nugent Wilson. Richard and Henrietta did not have any children together.

On December 12, 1866 (See Source 7) Richard is again the Post Master for Maple Springs. On July 1, 1867 Richard registered to vote in the same (See Source 10).

According to the 1870 U.S. Census (See Source 11) Richard is listed as R.S. Van Wey, 65, Post Master with property worth $2,000 and $600 in personal property. His wife, Henrietta is 56, D.C. is 32 being Deputy Post Master, Ann Wilson (Lesbie) is 25, and Elijah Wilson* is a 40 year old black male servant.  1870 was a busy year for Richard as on August 10, 1870 he was named as the Red River County Surveyor, on October 14, 1870 was named as the County Registrar, and on December 5, 1870 was named as Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1. He is listed in the Agricultural Schedules (See Source 12) as owning 200 acres of woodland and 95 acres of unimproved land for a value of $500. He owned 1 horse, 2 mules, 5 milch cows, 6 working oxen, 100 other cattle for a value of $400. By December 11, 1874 Richard is again taking an oath for Post Master.

Texas, Bonds and Oaths of Office, 1846–1920; Ancestry.com

Texas, Bonds and Oaths of Office, 1846–1920; Ancestry.com

Texas, Bonds and Oaths of Office, 1846–1920; Ancestry.com

By the time of the 1880 U.S. Census (See Source 13) Richard is listed as R.S. Vanwey 75, a farmer, and he is sick with consumption (okay, I really can’t decipher his exact illness but this is as close as I could get from camelgoines). Henrietta is 66 and Elijah, their servant, is still 40. The 1880 Statistics of Agriculture (See Source 14) state that there is 1 Owner, 50 acres of tilled grass or meadow and 800 acres of unimproved lands. The farm value was $1,200, $104 in farm implements and machinery, and he owned $75 in livestock. Richard had 10 acres of unmowed grass in 1879 and produced 10 bushels of clover seed. As of June 1, 1880 he owned 2 horses, 2 milch cows, and 2 bold living cattle (no earthly idea what this means!). There was also 12 swine and 100 “Other Poultry” producing 100 eggs. Twenty acres of farmland was producing 200 bushels of Indian Corn and six acres was producing 50 bushels of oats. During 1879 he produced 4 bushels of dry Canada Peas (according to Google these are chick peas) and 6 bushels dry beans. Also from 2 acres he produced 200 gallons of Sorghum Molasses. On June 28, 1880 Maple Springs was renamed to Rosalie, Texas.

Apparently Richard succumbed to his illness on August 29, 1880 (See Source 15) and was placed in Bogota Cemetery beside his first wife, Catherine, although his headstone is faced in the opposite direction than hers. Richard passed without a will and the probate took 9 years to settle his estate. J.C. Wilson was appointed as Temporary Administrator of the estate. Henrietta was granted the position of Administrix on November 24, 1880. An issue of insufficient bond amount was raised by the heirs several times and joint property matters were in court from June 18, 1881 until July 17, 1882. The final disposition was placed into record on Friday, April 19, 1989 in Red River Probate Records, Book O, pages 305-311.

Mom at R.S. Van Wey's gravesite in Bogota Cemetery (Personal Photo)

No matter the source, by all references state that Richard Sutphin Van Wey was an excellent public servant and fulfilled his civic duties. I wish I could find where he attended school as he seemed to be an engineer, surveyor, lawyer, post master, and justice of the peace. I will end with these parting words from one of his grandsons Bob Mallory, son of Sarah Van Wey Bell. "In a sketch of the Van Wey family, Joseph Galloup who married Mary Dense Van Wey, gave information on all the Van Wey sons and daughters except Grandpa Richard. Whe he came to Richard, he merely said: "You know the history of Richard better than I can tell you." A fellow's imagination can get in a lot of good licks here. Did he mean something ugly about Grandpa, or his fame for chasity, purity and uprightness should be known all over the nation? For the sake of Aunt Olive Bell and the Campbell girls, we will assume that Grandpa Richard was the "outstanding Van Wey" and not try to find out way." (See Source 16)

Update: R. S. was a member of the Sharon Masonic Lodge, No. 95.

I cannot say for certain, but I can speculate this case is the reason why the family removed to near Clarksville, Tx where his reputation could remain in tact.

Texas State Archives - December 8, 1858 R.S. Van Wey as attorney for Samuel Hard

Land Certificate signed by Sarah L. Vanwey & N.H.L. Van Wey

*Note: Elijah Wilson was a servant and never married to Lesbe Ann Wilson as reported on Find-a-grave. Lesbe was married to Henrietta's son. Henrietta was from a well to do family of the area and although I suspect Elijah may have been in her employ for years I do not have a reason to research it.

Sources:

1. 1830 US Census; Census Place: Elk, Athens, Ohio; Page: 190; NARA Series: M19; Roll Number: 126; Family History Film: 0337937
2. Ohio Land Records, United States, Bureau of Land Management; Publisher Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1997.Original data - United States, Bureau of Land Management. Ohio Pre-1908 Homestead & Cash Entry Patent and Cadastral Survey Plat Index. General Land Office Automated Records Project, 1
3. Year: 1840; Census Place: Mc Arthur, Athens, Ohio; Roll: 377; Page: 396; Image: 803; Family History Library Film: 0020158
4. Texas General Land Office, Archives and Records; Files Rus-3-101 & Rus-3-102; www.glo.texas.gov
5. Year: 1850; Census Place: , Panola, Texas; Roll: M432_913; Page: 155B; Image: .
6. Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880; Census Year: 1850; Census Place: Panola, Texas
7. U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971; Ancestry.com
8. Year: 1860; Census Place: , Red River, Texas; Roll: ; Page: 70; Image: 144.
9. Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 and 1966-2002; Ancestry.com
10. Texas, Voter Registration Lists, 1867-1869; Ancestry.com
11. Year: 1870; Census Place: Clarksville, Red River, Texas; Roll: M593_; Page: ; Image: .
12. Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880; Year: 1870; Census Place: Red River, Texas
13. Year: 1880; Census Place: Precinct 3, Red River, Texas; Roll: 1323; Family History Film: 1255323; Page: 221B; Enumeration District: 101; Image: .
14. Residence date: 16 Jun 1880 Residence place: Precinct 3, Red River, Texas, United States
15. Red River County, Texas Probate Minutes Book K, pages 259-262, 280-283, 326-327, 422-426; Book L, pages 1-7, 20-21, 24, 27-28, 223-225, 228-229; Book O, pages 305-311
16. "Some Mallorys and Bells" by J.R. Mallory; 1950; Greenville Printing Company