PETER STEPHENS AND SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS 1690 - 1935 • EDITED BY DAN V. STEPHENS AUTHOR OF Silas Cobb, 1901 Phelps and his Teachers, 1902 Diary of a Country Banker, 1928-9 Cottonwood Yarns, 1935 COVER DESIGN AND PEN DRAWINGS BY CLARENCE ELLSWORTH • HAMMOND & STEPHENS CO. Fremont, Nebr. 1936 PETER STEPHENS AND SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS COPYRIGHT, 1936 By DAN V. STEPHENS DEDICATED TO My fat her Richard Lewis Stephens (484), and my mother Martha Jane Lamkins (777), of the second generation of Indiana Pioneers. The Editor RICHARD LEWIS STEPHENS (484) Taken about 1880. MARTHA JANE LAMKINS (777) Copy of a daguerreotype taken about 1857. Later married Richard Lewis Stephens ( 484). PUBLISHERS' NOTICE The editor of "PETER STEPHENS AND SOME OF HIS DE­ SCENDANTS" did a great amount of research work over a period of 25 years before deciding to compile the information and print it in book form, where it might become available to the Stephenses every­ where. Those who do not have time, nor money, to do the research work for themselves will appreciate the value of the information placed at their disposal in this volume. If one can trace a relationship to any one whose name is included in this book he can within a few minutes trace his line back nearly two and one-half centuries. It will open a very interesting subject. A section of blank record pages is included in the back of the book for the owner to use in recording his own family record. For example, the father or mother can take the index number of his known relative in the book and add to it the letter "A." Thus "347A Mary Stephens," using the alphabet for remaining members of family. Every young couple starting married life should keep a permanent record of the family marriages, births, deaths, etc., and this book is ex­ ceedingly appropriate for that purpose because the family starts at once with old and comparatively complete collateral lines of the Ste­ phenses for nearly two and one-half centuries. A very limited edition of 500 books has been printed, and there will be no reprints. Upon receipt of $5.00, a copy will be mailed, postpaid, to any ad­ dress in the United States or Canada. HAMMOND & STEPHENS CO. Publishers Fremont, Nebraska HOW TO USE THE BOOK All names are listed in the back of the book in alphabet­ ical order, and in addition each name is given an Index num­ ber. These Index numbers are listed numerically throughout the entire text, and therefore serve in lieu of page numbers. A perfect cross index system is established between par­ ents and children as the individual record of a parent ap­ pears under an Index number on the left margin of the page. The children are listed directly below followed by their re­ spective Index numbers. The Index number of each child will be found elsewhere in the book on the left hand margin of the page, in its numerical sequence. To illustrate how the index operates, let us trace the family of the Editor, Dan V. Stephens, beginning with his grandson, Dan M. Harrison. NINTH GENERATION Dan M. Harrison, son of Estella Stephens (652). EIGHTH GENERATION Estella Stephens Harrison (652) daughter of Dan V. Ste­ phens (562). SEVENTH GENERATION Dan V. Stephens (562) son of Richard Lewis Stephens (484). SIXTH GENERATION Richard Lewis Stephens ( 484) son of John Stephens (450). FIFTH GENERATION John Stephens (450) son of Lewis Stephens (443). FOURTH GENERATION Lewis Stephens ( 443) son of Peter Stephens (8). THIRD GENERATION Peter Stephens (8) son of Lewis Stephens, Sr. (2). SECOND GENERATION Lewis Stephens, Sr. (2) son of Peter Stephens, Sr. (1). FIRST GENERATION Peter Stephens, Sr. (1) the first known of the line in America. ILLUSTRATIONS Richard Lewis Stephens ( 484) --------------------··-··----·-·----Frontispiece Martha Jane Lamkins (777)-·--·-··--·--------···--·-·-·---------Frontispiece Dan V. Stephens (562) ··---·-·-······-----·-----··----··-···--OPPOSite Page 1 James Mills Stephens (394) and Family.. ___ .. _Opposite Page 11 Photographic Copies of early day Records-.Opposite Page 21 Map of Shenandoah Valley·--··-···--·-----··--··-··-·----·--·--·--·····-··Page 62 Greenway Court Chapel, Near Stephens City, Va.·-····-·-----·--··-------------·-·-··-·--·-·-·------------OPPOSi te Page 69 Land Office, Greenway Court, Near Stephens City, Va. -------------------------------·--------------------------Opposite Page 69 Lord Fairfax's Smokehouse, Greenway Court, Va. -------·---------------·---·--·----··--····-···-······-····----··Opposite Page 72 California Pioneers .. -·--------·--·-----·--·-··-·----OPPOSite Index No. 116 Wm. D. Stephens (328).·--···-···-·····--····-·-Opposite Index No. 328 California Pioneers·-··-········--·-----···-·---··-··Opposite Index No. 339 Lon V. Stephens (347)-···--- .. ----···-----·--------OPPOSite Index No. 347 Mrs. Barbara Stephens Osburn (352)._Opposite Index No. 356 Richard Lewis Stephens ( 484) and His Three Sons-----------------·--·-·-·--·------OPPOSite Index No. 484 Children of The Pioneers of Indiana._Qpposite Index No. 557 Mrs. Dan V. Stephens (562*)-------·--------◊pposite Index No. 562 Mrs. Estella Stephens Harrison (641, 652) and FamilY-··---·---·-·--------------·--·-··-----·.Opposite Index No. 641 Knute Boe and Family with Sons-in-Law --------------·--------------··-------Opposite Index No. 651 Group Pictures ··-------·-·-·-·--·---··---···----------·-Opposite Index No. 655 Group Pictures -----------------------·-------·---·-----·Opposite Index No. 720 Third Generation of The Indiana Pioneers ---·-·---·-·-·------·--·-·--·-·-·····--·------OPPOSite Index No. 783 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Foreword by Dan V. Stephens-------·-----------·-------·--------··-----·-------· 1 Introduction to the Genealogical Record by J. M. Ste- phens ---·-----------·-------·----------·-------------·--·------------------------------------- 11 Miscellaneous Records ----·····-------------·-----------------·---·------··-----·--·-··· 19 Minute Books·------------------------------------------------------·-·-----·--·--·----·----·--· 20 Deeds ·-------·-------------------------------·-·--··---·---·-------------------··-----------·-----·· 21 Voting Lists ------···----·-···--------··-------------------·-·--------·----------------------·-· 26 Old Cemeteries --·-------------------------·---·-·---------·-·-·-·-··----··--·----·------···-· 26 Rev. John Casper Stoever's Record Baptisms and Mar- riages 1730-79 -··-·····---······-·············-··-························---····-·-··· 27 Court Orders Frederick County, Virginia.. ----·-·---·· ·-··--··---··-· 28 Shenandoah County, Virginia (Woodstock) Records Begin 1772-·--··-············-·······-··-······--·-···-·-•·••·······-·····-···--············ 29 Virginia Land Grants.·-·······-·-··········-·-····-············--··-·················-··· 29 Frederick County, Virginia Records............ ••··---·----------·········· 30 Montgomery County, Virginia Tax Lists ... •··--······-······----····- 30 Frederick County, Virginia Records Begin 1743. ....... --······-- 30 Montgomery County, Virginia Military Records................ 31 Montgomery County Deeds....... •·-·-···-·······-···················-•··-········· 31 Montgomery County Marriages... ·-·······•··········--··---····-···-·-·-······- 32 Montgomery County Wills.. ·-··-···-·······-·············-·····--•··•·····-····-· 32 Wythe County, Virginia Military Records.... ~.·-·-····•··•····-···· 32 Wythe County Marriages·-··--·-······--···-·-·····-·····--·····-···-···-·-··-···· 32 Wythe County Deeds ... ·-·-········-·-··-····----··--·-····-----··--·-------------··-·-·-· 32 Wythe County Wills..... ·--··-··-------·-·---·-·-·----------·---·----··-··------····-·- 32 Botetourt Gounty, Virginia Deeds ___ ·•··-·-·---·-··--··-···--··-··------····- 33 Botetourt County Marriages····-·-··--···-··--·----·--···-··----···-····----··-- 33 Letter of Veterans Administration, Washington, D. C.____ 33 Letter from General Accounting Office, Washington, D. C. 34 Letter from Veterans Administration, Washington, D. C. 34 Letter from General Accounting Office, Washington, D. C. 35 Letter from ·war Department, Washington, D. C--·--··-·--·--- 35 Some Notes of Joseph Rogers Stephens.. ·--·-----·-------····-·-··-----· 36 Wills at Winchester·-·----··-·-·----··-·---·-·--·--·······--·----·--··--·-----···--····-- 36 Will of Peter Stephens, 1757 ........... ·-··---·--·--------·--------------·-·-·-·- 37 Will of Lewis Stephens, Sr. 1805 ___ ·--······-···-·---·---···-·--··----·-··-··· 38 Will of Lawrence Stephens, 1776 (Son of Peter, Sr.).·-·-···-· 39 Will of Mary Stephens, 1832·-·--·---·····-·-·--··--·----·--·----·-·-·------······-· 41 TABLE OF CONTENTS-(Continued) Page Will of Lawrence Stephens, 1847 (Son of Peter, Jr.) .... -..... 45 Will of William Herbert, 1776 .... ••·-······-···············-··············-··· 46 Part of Will of George Bowman, 1768 ... ••························-······· 48 Will of Mary Stephens, 1820 ........... -........................................... 48 Will of Henry Stephens, Jr. 1826 .......... ••·····························-··· 49 Will of David Stephens, 1850...................................................... 51 Methodism and Early Days in Stephens City........................ 52 Jost (Yost) Hite the Pioneer.................. •········-··············-········· 53 Stephensburg Chartered 1758 ...................... ·-························-··· 54 Historic Homes are Interesting Spots in Frederick Coun- ty, Virginia ···········-······-··························-····························· 55 The Stephens Nationality....................... -••·································