According to Vess family records and the 1850 census, we know Peter and Catherine Vess had 10 children: John, Josiah, Andrew, Alfred, Rachel, Eliza, Alexander, Elizabeth, Zephaniah, and Jasper.
So, who in the world is “Belinda” Vess on the Rutherford County, NC marriage record with Isaac M. Bradley Jr. in 1860?
In 1860, the Vess family have split ways.
John is divorced and lives out of state (whereabouts unknown), with his children living with their mother in Henderson Co. with Joshua Souther.
Alfred is also out of state, in Georgia, married to Mary McFarland from South Carolina.
Josiah is missing from census, but his family is still in Rutherford County, North Carolina.
Andrew is married to Lucy Halford and is living next to Josiahs brother-in-laws (James and Drury Early) in Broad River, Rutherford Co. NC.
Alexander is also missing from the 1860 census, but marriage records show he married Martha Wilkerson in December of 1860 in McDowell County.
Rachel, Eliza, and Jasper are living with Dempsey Sumners in Buncombe County. Rachel will stay with Dempsey until she is about 40 years old and Jasper will eventually inherit Dempsey’s property, taking in Eliza.
Zephaniah is living with Noah Whitesides in Buffalo Creek, Rutherford County, NC near Issac Conner (uncle of Andrew’s future wife, Synthia Conner).
However, we do not know what became of Elizabeth…
She may have passed away after 1850, or most likely she got married in between census and was lost due to a name change. It is also possible that she may have married Issac M. Bradley Jr., under a middle or nickname.
The bondsman listed on the marriage record between Issac M. Bradley Jr. and Belinda Vess is N. H. P. Whitesides. That is Noah H. Patterson Whitesides, who took in Zephaniah Vess on the 1860 Rutherford County census in Buffalo Creek.
There are several Bradley families on Buffalo Creek with Noah Whitesides. There is an Issac Bradley, son of Absalom Bradley, who would be the same age as Elizabeth; however, I do not see any “Belinda’s” on census nor any Elizabeth’s who would be around Elizabeth’s age (of course that doesn’t mean she isn’t there). Bradley family trees and history sites do not seem to mention a Bradley-Vess family (most sources focus on a Issac Bradley Jr. -Ledbetter family).
Hopefully, with a little more digging, we will be able to identify this mysterious “Belinda” Vess.
John and Alfred Vess, sons of Peter and Catherine Vess, both left the state of North Carolina after 1850. I am curious if they both went to South Carolina…
We do not know exactly where John Vess went to (other than he left the state of North Carolina), but Alfred Webb Vess settled in Georgia, whose in-laws came from Abbeville County, South Carolina where records during the same time period show several other “Vess” families.
Did John and Alfred have Vess family in South Carolina?
James Marvin Vess: Saluda, Abbeville County, South Carolina
In the 1850 South Carolina census, we find a John Vess (b. 1825 SC), with wife, Drucilla Turner, and son James Marion Vess in Saulda, Abbeville County, South Carolina. Records from the South Carolina Archives and History Digital Collections for “John Vess” reveal they are living in the Greenwood community (which will become its own county in 1897).
This John Vess disappears after 1850 too.
Interestingly, according to DNA research by Vincent Vess, descendants of James Marion Vess share DNA matches with both Vess and Crook cousins, which strongly suggests a connection to Peter and Catherine Vess from Rutherford County, North Carolina via possibly their son John Vess.
In the 1850 Rutherford County, North Carolina census, we do find John Vess listed with his wife Elizabeth Taylor (and kids), living with Catherine and his younger siblings. Vincent points out that this is dated September 17th, 1850, whereas the 1850 Abbeville County, South Carolina census with John Vess and Drucilla Turner (Vess) is dated November 25th 1850; two months apart. Could they be the same person?
This John Vess (if not our John Vess) in South Carolina could also be a very close relative of Peter Vess (brother, father, half-brother, etc) who may also descend from a CROOK. Or, it may be a false lead, with DNA matches descending somewhere else on the CROOK branch (non-Vess related).
BUT, Vincent also points out, that another VESS-CROOK lineage is not implausible, for that we have documentation of an older “John Vess” in Rutherford County, North Carolina, as a “John Vess” was a witness to a land record for Peter Vess in 1831.
Peter’s son, John, was only 11 years old at the time, and not legally old enough to sign legal documents yet. I was told by a historian from the North Carolina Genealogical Society that the legal age would have been 16.
Even more interesting, is that Greenwood County is near Newberry County (South Carolina) where Catherine’s paternal grandfather, Andrew Crook may have come from (prior to obtaining land in Buncombe Co in 1804)… Could there be a connection?
Could “John Vess” in Abbeville County, South Carolina, be our “John Vess” from Rutherford County, North Carolina or is it possibly another lost “Vess-Crook” lineage.
Brothers John & William Vess: Saluda Regiment, Abbeville County, South Carolina
In the 1850 census for Saluda “Regiment,” Abbeville County, South Carolina (separate census from the above Saluda, Abbeville County, SC census), there are two brothers (maybe cousins) living with a Brooks family: John and William “Vess.”
Abbeville County was divided into 2 regiments, Savanah River Regiment (where we find Alfred’s in-laws) and Saluda Regiment (where we have John & William Vess). I have yet to determine the difference between Saluda Regiment census and just Saluda census records, as they are distinctly different (it does not include the John Vess & Turner family).
What is intriguing about John and William Vess (if accurate) is that it is noted on census they were born in North Carolina, ruling out Peter and Nathaniel’s line. They were born about 1824 and 1826, ruling out Pryor, William, and Peter’s line from Wilkes county, who were in White County, TN by 1820.
This leaves Absalom Vess and the briefly mentioned Johnathan Vess in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Johnathan was only mentioned a couple of times between 1803-1805, with no indication as to where he went next; however, Absalom is a possible candidate as he remained in North Carolina with records between 1803-1820. His wife Hannah appears to have survived him. Census records (although mostly girls) did reveal they had at least 2 sons (but only 1 in the age range above).
There is also the suspected older John Vess in Rutherford County, North Carolina (witness to Peter’s land) to also consider…
John Vess Age 51 Greenville, South Carolina
According to Civil War records, there is a “John Vess” (records also “Vest”) who enlisted from Greenville, South Carolina. Other than the 1830 census for Polly “Vess,” there are no “Vess” families on census or any other available records in Greenville, SC.
Civil War records from Fold3.com, reveal correspondences asking to be dismissed from the military due to his age. He claimed to be 51 years of age (1864) with an estimated birthdate of 1813; unfortunately, he had no proof of his age.
According to the records, John Vess was interviewed by a man, who declared in a written statement, that he believes (based on the interview) that John Vess is of 50 years old of age.
Unfortunately, none of these records indicated where John Vess was born.
What Are We Looking At?
Who are these “Vess” families? Are they Haplogroup R1a2, like us, or are they another family (unrelated to us) whose name eventually evolved into Vess?
*Note: Descendants of Nathaniel Vess have yet to complete a Y-DNA test or upload their Autosomal DNA results to the Vess Family DNA Project. At this time, we do not know if the Nathaniel Vess line is related to the Peter & Willis Vess family (Halpogroup R1a2).
John Vess from Greenville, South Carolina intrigues me, because his Civil War records are under the “Vess” and “Vest” name, which strongly suggests he may be a “Vess” relative for Peter and Willis Vess. Records alternating between the “Vest” and “Vess” name are often associated with the VESS family.
Having shared DNA matches with the Vess/Turner family (Vess & Crook matches) in Abbeville County is fascinating; especially, since Greenwood is near Newberry County, where the Crook(s) family use to resided prior to 1800.
And, what about the brothers/cousins also in Abbeville County, whose census states they were born in North Carolina? If true, do they come from Wilkes County, North Carolina?
The most fascinating thing to me, is that there is an off and on presence of “Vess” families in South Carolina between 1794 (Nathaniel’s birth) to 1870 whose origins and lineages are unknown!
• 1794 Nathaniel Vess is believed to have been born in South Carolina. • 1810 John “Beas” (not sure if Vess) appear on census (Spartanburg Co.) near families later associated with Nathaniel and Peter Vess. • 1830 Polly Vess in Greenville County in the same census as the Plummley family seen near Nathaniel Vess in Rutherford Co. NC and Pryor Vest in White County, TN. • 1850 John Vess (b. SC) / Drucilla Turner Saluda, Abbeville Co. shared DNA matches with VESS & CROOK descendants. • 1850 John & William Vess Saluda Regiment, Abbeville Co., supposedly born in North Carolina. • 1860 John Vess (age 51) from Greenville, Co.
It was exciting to find Peter and Margaret Vess from Patrick County, Virginia in church records between 1801-1803 as “Peter & Peggy West” and then later Peter “Vest” in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Of course, I wanted to see if there were any more Vest records under the “West” name…
1810 Census: A West Not A Vest
To my surprise, I found a Peggy West in the 1810 Wilkes County, NC census, but I don’t think it could be that easy…
A Peggy West with 3 children under the age of 15 (2 girls, 1 boy). Unfortunately, this record has been claimed by the West family as John West & Margaret “Peggy” Whitherspoon.
This appears to be accurate, as this Peggy West isn’t near any Vess DNA matches nor is she near any families that we’ve seen close to Vest families; and several families listed on this census are also on numerous West family trees.
According to family sources, her husband John West died in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1800. Whereas, Peter Vest in the 1820 White Co. TN census suggests there is a husband and wife (female & male over 45 years old).
The Vest family appears to have left Wilkes County, NC prior to 1810.
Peter Vest/West/Vess Census: Consistent Aging
Census records are not always accurate, but we do see consistent aging (in records) for Peter between Patrick Co. VA to White Co. TN, suggesting they are the same person.
Peter Vess and Pugnance Margaret Vaughn were married in 1785 (Henry Co). According to a 1787 Henry Co. tax list, Peter was under the age of 21, with an estimate birth year between 1766-1771.
In the 1800 (Wilkes Co), Peter West is between 26-44, then in 1820 (White Co), Peter Vest is over 45 years old, and then in 1830 (White Co), he is between 50-59; all of which support a birth year between 1766-1771.
Sources:
Ancestry.com. 1810 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
Ancestry.com. 1830 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
Vess Genealogy 