Headstone Wednesday...

The headstone today is that of Capt. Thomas Edgar. This photo was taken several years ago on a trip down to West Virginia. Thomas & his wife, Ann Nancy Mathews are my husbands 6th great grandparents.

A bit about Captain Thomas & his family. Thomas & Ann Nancy were married 21 MAR 1783 in Greenbriar County, (West) Virginia. Thomas was the son of George Edgar (bef 1731-1765) and his wife, Elizabeth Rutherford. Ann Nancy Mathews was the daughter of Archer Mathews (ca1742-1786)& his wife, Letitia McClanhan.

Thomas Edgar was born in Bedford County, Virginia, on the 27th day of September, 1750. Just when he came to Greenbrier County is not clear to me, but I do know he was there as early as 1780. He then filled the very important office of County surveyor. In those days a county surveyor was appointed by the president and professors of the College of William and Mary, but each one was usually recommended by the County Court of the County.

The following appears in the record book of Greenbrier County:
At Court of Quarter Session begun and held for the County of Greenbrier August 17, 1784; Thomas Edgar comes into court and resignes his office of surveyor of the county; whereupon the court recommended, according to law, Alexander Welch to the Honorable the presdient and Professors of the College of William and Mary as a proper person for such office."

The formation of Greenbrier County shows, the county was formed in 1778, and it seems that Thomas Edgar was the first Surveyor of Greenbrier County. One of his notable acts as such Surveyor occured under an Act of the Legislature of Virginia, passed in 1782, which ordered Capt. Edgar to survey a forty-acre square for a town out of the heart of Savannah, and call it "Lewisburg."

Captain Edgar did survey a forty acre square and the square was divided into half acre lots and sold. The orinal trustees of the town of Lewisburg, of which Thomas Edgar was one, were ordered to withhold the title to a lot until the purchaser had built a cabin fifteen feet square, with a stone chimney. It is said that Captain Matthew Arbuckle bought one of these lots and built his cabin as a nucleus for the town.

Thomas Edgar lived four miles from the Town of Lewisburg on the lands upon which the City of Ronceverte now stands. In the record of Greenbrier County Court as of February 17th, 1797, the following item appear thereon:
"Thomas Edgar requests the the County Surveyor to re-survey his lands whereon he now lives at St. Lawrence."

Thomas Edgar continued to be a very leading citizen, in every aspect of the word, of the county of Greenbrier until his death, which occurred on the 15th day of July, 1822.





Thomas & Ann were the parents of eight children to wit:

Elizabeth Edgar (1786-1865)marr John G. Brown (bur Ohio Co.,Ky)
Letitia Edgar (1788-1834) marr James Withrow (bur Lewisburg, Greenbriar Co. WVA)
Sarah Sally Edgar (1790-1872)marr Capt Eddin Morris (bur Christian Co., Ky)
Mary Edgar (1792-1819) marr Arthur Walkup
Lewis Edgar (1795-1796)
Thomas Edgar Jr. (1797-1842) marr Eliza Byrnside (bur Adams Co., Miss)
Archer Mathews Edgar (1799-1863) marr Nancy Howe Pearis (bur Greenbriar, WVA)
Ann Nancy Edgar (1803-1870)marr twice, Sampson Mathews, Wm McClintic (bur place unk)

If you are a descendant of this Edgar family I'd love to hear from you. I'm always willing to trade info with anyone who is willing to do same.

[Images today - top- headstone of Capt. Thomas Edgar, over half buried; Headstone of Ann Nancy Mathews Edgar, photo of person believed to be Ann Nancy Mathews Edgar]