SOURCE: LYNCHBURG AND ITS NEIGHBORS

DJY It seems that many erroneous conclusions were made by Mrs Yancey concerning some of the early Yanceys of Virginia. The following is a quote from her book LYNCHBURG AND ITS NEIGHBORS the numbers imbedded in the text correspond to comments made by the compiler of this work which follow the quote.

"Charles Yancey, the immediate ancestor of this family in Lynchburg, came to Virginia about the year 1674 [1] with his wife, who was the granddaughter of Alexander Leighton [2], the famous Scotch Divine, whose persecution was one of the greatest scandals of the reign of Charles I. She was also a niece of Robert Leighton, another famous churchman, who was Bishop of DunBlane and later ArchBishop of Glasgow. Charles Yancey's name appears on the quit Rent Roll in 1704 for land in King William County [3]. The Will of Robert Yancey , his son, is recorded in 1745 on the first page of the first will book in Louisa County Courthouse. Though badly worm- eaten, the name of his wife and of his sons, Charles, Robert, James and Richard can be readily be made out [4].

James Yancey, son of Robert, grandson of the first Charles, was in the Revolutionary War, a Major under command of General Green. After the revolution, he settled in South Carolina, and married Miss Cudworth [5]. He was the grandfather of William Lowndes Yancey, noted orator and statesman of the South. Charles, son of Robert, married Madamoiselle Dumas, daughter of Jeremiah Dumas, of an old French family who had settled in Louisa county [6]. Charles had several sons Jeremiah, Archelaus, Charles, and Robert [7]. Many of Jeremiah's descendants settled in Albemarle county. Charles, known as Captain Charles, married Mary, daughter of David Crawford, and left descendants in Amherst. Robert married Anne, another daughter of David Crawford. He studied for the ministry, and was ordained in England by the ArchBishop of Canterbury. He was rector of Trinity and Tillotson parishes in Louisa County, and was the first preacher in America to preach universal salvation [8]. He lived on Little River, in Louisa County, and after his death his wife moved to Buckingham county with their children. Major Charles Yancey was their son. He was known as the "Duke of Buckingham" on account of the princely hospitality which characterized his home and was called the "Wheel horse of Democracy"

. . .

"Robert, son of Robert, and grandson of the first Charles mentioned in the Louisa will of 1745, had a son, Joel who married Barbara Jennings [9] . . . "

NOTES:

[1] - The dominant family tradition (which has not been documented) is that four or five Yancey brothers came with Sir William Berkley from Wales to Virginia about 1642. It would seem, however, that Mrs. Yancey may be correct - that the Yanceys probably did come at a later date toward the end of the 17th Century. The first official record of a Yancey in America is that of Charles Yancey on the Quit Rent Rolls of Virginia in 1704.

[2] What Rosa Yancey's source was for this info concerning the Leighton connection is a mystery - although it has been often quoted and has become a dominant family tradition - there exists very few, if any, records that even imply that there may have been a Yancey/Leighton marriage. Quite a bit of info does exists concerning the Leightons in Scotland (One can refer to the Dictionary of [British] National Biography as one source). Alexander Leighton was born in 1568 and died in 1649. The family estate of Ulyshaven was near Montrose, Scotland. Alexander had two wives by which he had the following children: James, Robert, Elisha, Caleb, Elizabeth & Saphira. It is known that Alexander Leighton's son Sir Elisha (or Ellis) Leighton did have a daughter named Mary. Elisha's birth date is uncertain but early records of him show him as a Colonel in the Royalist Army in 1647 (it would seem that Alexander must have been rather aged when Elisha was born). Elisha died in 1685 was buried at the church of Horsted Keynes in Sussex leaving a will in which he mentions a daughter Mary. If the Charles Yancey / Mary Leighton marriage is assumed to be true - it would seem highly probable that this Mary (daughter of Elisha) was the same one who married Charles Yancey. The Mary Leighton would have probably been born about 1750 and would have been at marriage age about 1674 when Charles Yancey is to have come to America. The will record of Elisha Leighton needs to be checked to see if it ascertains whether his daughter was married and if it gives any info as to where she was living. One very interesting fact is that Sir Elisha became the secretary for John Lord Berkeley in 1670 and accompanied Berkely to France in 1675. John Lord Berkeley was the brother of Sir William Berkeley (Governor of Colonial Virginia) who is often associated with the "Yancey Brothers" according to family tradition.

[3] The Charles Yancey who is to have married Mary Leighton (according to family tradition) is often reported to have died about 1690. It is generally accepted (without proof) that the Charles Yancey on the Quit rent rolls is his son Charles II who married Mary Bartlett. (This is the dominant family tradition - but no evidence has been found documenting either of these couples - such as marriage records or wills).

[4] - Robert - whose will is found in Louisa county in 1745, is generally accepted as the son of Charles Yancey II - who is to have married Mary Bartlett. His will mentions his wife Temperance (Dumas), daughter Martha, sons, Robert and Charles and executors were his BROTHERS Richard and James Yancey. Other brothers of Robert were Archelaus, Jechonias, and John. Robert apparently had a son Jeremiah who was born after the will was written.

[5] - James Yancey who settled in Western South Carolina and had son William Lowndes was the son of Lewis Davis Yancey of Culpeper County. The James Yancey related to Robert and Charles was James, son of Charles and Mary Bartlett Yancey, who married Ann/Elizabeth (Thornton?) and lived in Granville county, North Carolina.

[6] The existance of a Charles Yancey who married Miss Dumas is VERY questionable. It was Robert Yancey (who died in Louisa County in 1745) who married Temperance Dumas. It would seem that on various early genealogical reports - researchers erroneously recorded his name as Charles instead of Robert.

[7] (Capt) Charles Yancey [of Louisa], The Rev. Robert Yancey [of Louisa], and Jeremiah Yancey [of Albemarle] were sons of Robert Yancey (died 1745) & wife Temperance Dumas. Archelaus was a brother of this Robert Yancey.

[8] Rev. Robert Yancey was one of the first ones in the VIRGINIA AREA to preach universal salvation.

[9] It is unclear what source made Mrs. Rosa Yancey beleive that the father of Joel Yancey who married Barabara Jennings was a Robert Yancey - documerts now at hand pretty much prove that Joel Yancey was a son of Archelaus Yancey - brother to the Robert who died in 1745.