Those seeking LINDSEY ancestors in New River Valley of SW Virginia in late colonial times should take a look at this church history. George BRECKENRIDGE / Ann DOAK are the parents of Leticia BRECKENRIDGE who married Moses LINDSEY in Washington Co, VA 1785. The History of Abingdon Presbytery (see below) shows a George BRECKENRIDGE as founding elder of Unity (Presbyterian) congregation on Reed Creek (present day Wythe County) in 1769. There were 45 founding families in that church. My question to historians out there, is there a list of all the founding families somewhere? I am wondering if any LINDSEY?s were in the original group. Earliest record I have come across of LINDSEY in the area is Isaac LINDSAY, in 1777 appointed administrator of Matthew ROWBOTTOM?S estate after he was killed by Indians in Cherokee Indians July 1776, battle of Long Island Flats, near Kingsport TN. Next mention of a LINDSEY in that area is Matthew LINDSEY 1779 named constable in Montgomery County VA, and same year owns land on Walker?s Creek and Sally Run. (see below for location of Sally Run). There are records of land ownership by Moses LINDSEY (& Leticia) on Walkers Creek (ca 1791) and Sally Run (ca 1785). The location of Unity Congregation was near Ft. Chiswell, a fort built just prior to the Rev. War to protect the settlers from Indian attacks. The fort stood very near where Interstates 81 and 77 intersect, Max Meadows. So I believe these people were the Macks Meadows settlers. Below are the references. ________________ **************** ________________ http://www.ls.net/~newriver/va/abpres1.htm HISTORY OF THE ABINGDON PRESBYTERY. By 1768 the number of settlers in the far western parts of Virginia had increased to such extent that Hanover Presbytery in April of that year instructed the Rev. John Craig to make a tour of the western settlements, authorizing him to organize congregations. In the minutes of Hanover Presbytery as of April 13, 1769, it is recorded that in the performance of this duty Mr. Craig organized eight congregations, as follows: 1) Sinking Spring, on Catawba Creek and James River, now the church at Fincastle, Va. 75 families. Elders: John Mills, Joseph Cloyd, Edward Sharp, Benjamin Hawkins, Thomas McFerren, Robert Finley, Andrew Woods. 2) Craig's Creek, somewhere along that stream. 45 families. Elders: Malcolm Allen, John Crawford, James Wilson, James Robinson, Samuel Laurence. 3) Denean, in Botetourt county. 70 families. Elders: James McEwen, David Cloyd, William Preston, William Fleming, Robert Breckenridge. 4) New Antrim, in the vicinity of the present Roanoke City. 43 families. Elders: Andrew Boyd, Robert Poague, Neal McNeal, William Bryan, Thomas Tosh. 5) New Derry, in the vicinity of Shawsville. 36 families. Elders: Joseph Barnett, Robert Ritchie, David Robinson, Samuel Woods, William Beard, Samuel Crockett, Hugh Crockett, James Robertson, James Montgomery. 6) New Dublin. 45 families. Elders: Joseph Howe, Samuel Colville, John Taylor, Samuel Cloyd, James Montgomery. 7) Boiling Spring. 42 families. Elders: Robert Montgomery, David Sayers, William Sayers, Nathaniel Welcher, William Herbert. 8) Unity. 45 families. Elders: James Harris, James Davies, James Hollis, George Breckenridge, Samuel Montgomery. The first five of these churches were in the James and Roanoke River valleys, the last three in the present bounds of Abingdon Presbytery, in New River valley. Of the eight, only New Dublin is now in existence under its original name and in approximately its original location. New Dublin may therefore fairly claim to he the oldest church in Abingdon Presbytery and the oldest Protestant church anywhere in the United States west of the Alleghany divide. Descendants of some of the original elders are now in the session of that grand old church. Boiling Spring was located near the great spring of that name in Wythe county, as is indicated not only by the name but by the known residence of some of the elders. William Herbert lived at Jackson's Ferry and David and William Sayers lived about where the Lee Highway now crosses the Wythe Pulaski county line. Galena and Draper's Valley Churches lie within the original bounds of the Boiling Spring congregation. Unity was somewhere on Reed Creek, probably in the vicinity of Fort Chiswell. Altogether Mr. Craig ordained 46 elders on this tour, When asked how he could find in those new far backwoods settlements so many men who were suitable for elders he replied in his broad Scotch brogue: "Whaur I cudna find hewn stanes I tuk dor nacks." When, however, we read in the list such names as William Fleming, for a time acting governor of Virginia, William Preston, close personal friend and associate of George Washington, William Bryan, grandson of a noted Scotch theological professor and probably an ancestor of William Jennings Bryan, Hugh Crockett, distinguished colonel in the Revolutionary Army, and others of like sort, we believe that he had to use very few "dornacks." The number of families given is very interesting, 45 families represented in each congregation of New Dublin and Unity and 42 in Boiling Spring. ________________ **************** ________________ Map showing location of Sally Run near Favonia and Wytheville VA can be found at this location: http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.asp?S=13&T=2&X=303&Y=2557&Z=17 &W=2 (get the &W=2 into the web address before searching for the the site). Sally Run is between Wytheville and Favonia in Wythe County and US 52/21 crosses it. Sally Run goes into Reed Creek, which winds around in an easterly direction to the New River south of Pulaski. Highway 11, historical GREAT VALLEY ROAD, passes along Reed Creek and Sally Run on its way to Abingdon VA. ________________ **************** ________________ >From : http://wythe.pcsos.com/ Historical Society - Jayne Hall, Rural Retreat, 686-4854 Wythe County History A Brief History Wythe County was founded in 1790, from Montgomery County, which was founded from Fincastle County in 1776. Wythe County was settled early in the history of our country, primarily because of the good access to water (the New River and many creeks). The eastern end of the county was settled as early as 1745 and was known as "Mack's Meadows." This is the area now known as Max Meadows. Rough roads were established, near the path of current modern interstate highways. Early settlers in Wythe county were, in a large part, German, and Scot-Irish. A fort was built before the Revolutionary War and was known as Fort Chiswell. It was used to protect settlers from Indian attacks. The approximate site of this fort can be seen today beside where Interstate 81 & 77 intersect. It is a stone marker in the shape of an arrowhead. The pioneers in Fincastle (now Wythe) County were early patriots. They wrote and delivered the Fincastle Resolution (which was similar to, but earlier than, the Declaration of Independence), January 20, 1775, to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia. By the time of the Revolutionary War, lead had been found in Austinville and the Shot Tower had been built on the New River, producing ammunition used in the Revolutionary War. In 1790, Wythe County was formed and named for George Wythe, the first Virginia signer of the Declaration of Independence. A place near the middle of the county was chosen as the place for the county seat, and was then called Evansham, although it eventually became Wytheville. ********** http://www.rootsweb.com/~varussel/indian/21.html Killing of Matthew Rowbottom ByEmory L. Hamilton >From the unpublished manuscript, Indian Atrocities Along the Clinch, Powell >and Holston Rivers, page 39. Matthew Rowbottom was killed by the Indians >between July 20th and 27th, 1776, near the present South Holston Dam, near >Bristol. In relation to this killing Captain William Russell wrote to >Colonel William Preston saying: The Indians have got up as far as >CaptainMontgomery's and burned all waste houses before them. They killed >MattRowbottom and another man got wounded since the battle. The battle >CaptainRussell is here referring to was the Battle of Long Island Flats fought bythe settlers andthe Cherokee Indians on July 20, 1776, near the present site of Kingsport,Tennessee. (1) At a court held for Washington Co., VA, on April 30, 1777, Isaac Lindsay was appointed administrator of the estate of Matthew Rowbottom, deceased,with William Poage and Isaac Bledsoe as securities. At a court held on the17th of March, 1778, Thomas Ramsey, Amos Eaton (builder of Eaton's Fort),David Rounceval and William Mithcell were appointed appraisers of the estate. Matthew Rowbottom must have moved toward the southwest at a very early dateas he was listed to be "no inhabitant" of Augusta Co., VA, on March 23, 1767. (1) Draper Mss 4 QQ 60 This file contributed by: Rhonda Robertson ************* 1785 April 26 VA Montgomery BROWN Christopher (Stophel) adjoining grant to Moses Lindsey on Sally Run Kegley "Early Adventurers", V III, part 1, p. ? 1786 January 24 VA Montgomery LINDESEY Moses appointed overseer of road to replace Stophel Brown. Summers, Annals of Southwest Virginia 1769-1800, Part 1, 1970. ************ _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.