Vess genealogy

Intriguing New Discoveries: Willis Vess

/ J. V. / 1 Comment

I was recently asked if I knew anything about a Willis VESS and his connection to a John VESS.

Well, the short answer is: Very little.

But, I did stumbled upon new intriguing information that is probably worth brain storming…

I have a lot of research and I wouldn’t be surprised if the answers we seek about the VESS family are in plain sight somewhere in my messy genealogy files!

I say this, because I truly do not know how to start this post…
Vess Genealogy is like trying to put together a zillion-piece puzzle with all the puzzle pieces face down! And there is always that one piece we keep going back to, because we know what general area it belongs to; but it doesn’t quite have a space for it to fit into yet.

Simply, I don’t know what I got until I come across it again.

With that said, I will start with Willis Vess.

Willis Vess of Alabama

Willis VESS (born abt. 1810) married Talitha WHITLOCK.
Many researchers who I’ve spoken to have found connections to Willis VESS through the WHITLOCK family (including myself). I am related to Talitha WHITLOCK through my mother’s BENTLY side in Georgia.

Interestingly though, everyone seems to agree unanimously that Willis VESS is the son of a John VESS.

You can find a picture of his cabin on FindAGrave.com, posted by Anna Popejoy, who I’ve been told was a genealogist who has done Y-Chromosome testing.

We do not know who was tested specifically, as it had to be a male descendant, but supposedly there is a DNA connection between the Willis VESS line and the Peter VESS line. Where this connection is on the family tree is still a mystery.

According to online sources, John VESS was born abt. 1770 in North Carolina. He supposedly married Margaret VAUGHN and they had two sons: Willis VESS born abt. 1810 and John Peter VESS born abt. 1822.

According to my research, the VESS/VEST family from Virginia appears on record in North Carolina as early as 1790; obtaining land as early as 1798 (Stokes Co.). If they were in the area any earlier, it would have been Rowan County.

Many researchers (including myself) try to connect Willis VESS of Alabama to William Tunwell VEST (1735 VA-1812 NC) of Stokes County, North Carolina. But, research simply does not support any kind of connection between the two families (at least not directly).

William Tunwell VEST did have a son named John VEST. However, John VEST was born in Virginia (abt. 1765). He married Eliza RAY and you can follow him on several census records with his brothers (Charles, William, and Samuel VEST) in Stokes County, North Carolina. He died in 1833. So, he is likely not the father of Willis VESS.

Intriguing New Discoveries

Current research suggests that William Tunwell VEST may have not been the only VESS/VEST family in North Carolina!

I have been working on compiling VESS, VEST, VOSS, and VASS marriages from 1790-1820. Majority of the VEST marriages are in Stokes County, North Carolina with connections with William Tunwell VEST (his children and his grandchildren); however, there are a couple (very scarce) odd balls in neighboring counties (Surry and Wilkes) that do not seem to have any direct connection with William Tunwell VEST.

But even more intriguing…

Sources say the parents of Willis VESS are John VESS and Margret VAUGHN.

Well, while compiling marriage records, I found a PETER VEST and a “PUGNANCE VAUGHN” married on November 24, 1785 in Henry County, Virginia.



As mentioned in my last post, I have discovered a VESS family in Patrick County, Virginia who do not have any documented connections with anyone. Are they VESS or VEST?


Patrick County, VA was established in 1791 and was previously part of Henry County, VA. So, this Peter VEST (married to Pugnance VAUGHN) may be connected to the VESS family in Patrick County, VA.

Interestingly, this gives us a “Peter” VEST married in 1785 and a “Jonathan” Vess married in 1792. So, I couldn’t help but wonder... is there an older Nathaniel Vess?

There is! Well, a Nathaniel VEST, born 1791 in Virginia (died in Indiana).
It is not just the name “Nathaniel” that intrigues me, but also his spouse, whose maiden name is “DUNCAN.”

Is his spouse, Lavina DUNCAN, related to the John DUNCAN who appears on the Patrick County, VA Land Tax record with Peter and Samuel VESS??

Also, note…I found a WHITLOCK too (bottom of a 1792 Patrick CO. Land Tax record).

As usual, this intriguing find does not seem to bring us any closer to connecting the Willis VESS line to the Peter/Nathan Vess line. Nor does it bring us any closer to finding out who Peter and Nathan’s parents are…

1) Although Nathaniel VEST of Virginia is not old enough to be the father of our Peter and Nathan Vess, Jonathan and Peter VESS/VEST (of Virginia) are, BUT…

2) Our Nathan VESS was supposedly born in South Carolina and so was his parents. [Ref. 1880 Mortality Record]

3) The parents of Willis VESS were supposedly born in North Carolina. [Ref. various census records]

4) Jonathan Vess of Patrick County, Virginia who married Elizabeth Heron migrated to Republic of Texas in 1820. [Ref. Texas history]

So, who is the John Vess on Peter’s 1830 land record??



Other information that might relate to Willis VESS:

1) 1860 census record states Willis VESS was born in Indiana, but all other census records state he was born in North Carolina.

2) There is supposedly a Willis VESS in South Carolina. I will check my notes again.

3) Talitha WHITLOCK was born in Georgia (abt. 1820). Her mother is Elizabeth GREEN.

Peter’s son, Josiah VESS has a connection with a GREEN family in Rutherford County, NC through his spouse, Zilla Early. I will look to see if there are any connections.

4) Peter’s son Alfred VESS migrated to Georgia after the Civil War and I often wondered, if there was already family out there or if the war landed him there.

5) Supposedly Peter’s line eventually made it up to Indiana, but I cannot remember when or who went up there. I am not familiar with any family from Peter’s line moving to Alabama. I will double check though.

What Are Your Thoughts?

I don’t have enough evidence to make any solid conclusions about the VESS family in Patrick County, VA, but I did want to share my findings with everyone.

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section or join us on the Vess Genealogy Facebook Group.

The Vess & Vest Families of Virginia

/ J. V. / 1 Comment

Anyone who has researched Peter Vess, has likely come across a “Peter Vest” on a War of 1812-1814 military service record for Surry County, North Carolina. Unfortunately, there are no other records to support a connection with our Peter Vess.

I can honestly tell you, the Surry County, NC War of 1812 record, meant very little to me a month ago; but now, after extensively researching different families in North Carolina, a few names on this record stand out in which require further investigation…

Earlier Research: William Tunwell Vest

My earlier research on the VEST family largely focused around a William Tunwell Vest of Stokes County, North Carolina.

According to an 1812 probate record, he had a wife named Lucy (ALFORD) and they had 9 children: Samuel, Charles, William Jr., Isham, John, Elizabeth, Polly, Jenny (Jane) and Mary.

The only interesting thing I found in regards to William Tunwell Vest is a neat account regarding his son Charles Erwin Vest:

Summary:
In 1792, the Board of Commissioners came together in search of a person who would manage a building project for the “Statehouse.”

Later documents suggest it was the rebuilding of the Guilford Courthouse.

Charles Vest [whose occupation, on census records, states manufacture] “made an offer;” however, “never reported his estimate.” The project was then appointed to Rhodham Atkins.

North Carolina Digital Collection

Unfortunately, there are no records connecting the VEST and VESS families together.

I think many VESS researchers are attracted to William Tunwell VEST, because at first glance, he truly makes a great lead in Vess Genealogy:

1) VESS and VEST are similar surnames and we do find many records for our Peter under the surname VEST.

2) He lives in North Carolina. According to census records, our Peter was supposedly born in North Carolina.

3) He is from Virginia. According to our family story, our VESS family traveled from Virginia to the Carolinas.

4) His sons are old enough to be Peter’s father and one of them was named “John.”

“Charles” Peter Vess May Not Exist

Sometimes, you might see the name “Charles Peter VESS” as Peter Vess of Rutherford County, North Carolina.

In my opinion, I do not think there is a “Charles” Peter Vess and that the name originated from researchers trying to connect Peter Vess to the William Tunwell VEST line.

See, Charles Erwin VEST (son of William Tunwell VEST) had a son named Charles VEST Jr., who married a woman named Catherine. [*Correction: Catharina] I strongly believe that many quickly assumed that had to be Peter [Vess] and Catharine “Katy” [Cook] and therefore, “Charles” must be Peter’s first name.

Unfortunately, when new records began to reveal more about Charles Vest Jr. and his wife Catharina VOGLER (who married in 1809), the idea that Peter Vess is “Charles Peter Vess” was already stuck in circulation on the Internet.

But of course, I could be wrong.

The Vest Family: What I Do Know

The VEST family is just as complicated and fascinating as our VESS family.

You can find many public family trees related to the VEST family on Ancestry.com, MyHertiage.com, Familysearch.org, Wikitree.com, etc.; however, none seem to be consistent and very few offer solid records to support their findings.

I do not know where the VEST family comes from; however, some public VEST family trees date their lineage back to Germany through a MOSES VEST, born in 1650 Basel, Warendorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. I have not come across any trees with attached documentation though; so I cannot confirm this is true.

VEST Family Tree: DRAFT (not entirely accurate)


I DO KNOW the VEST family originated in Powhatan and Chesterfield County, Virginia (1700’s) and migrated down to Bedford and Franklin County, before migrating west out of Virginia into Kentucky, Missouri, and Indiana; with the exception of William Tunwell Vest who migrated down into Stokes County, North Carolina.

Unfortunately, there are no records (as of yet) connecting the VEST and VESS families together, but there are still a few early VEST and VESS records lingering around without a connection to either family.

A “VESS” Family In Virginia

I cannot tell you how exciting it is to see the VESS name on early Virginia records!

Revolutionary War Records
If you dig deep enough, you can find the “VESS” name on documents dating back as early as the Revolutionary War!

So far, I’ve uncovered a Peter and Samuel “VESS” on Revolutionary War records. I remember I found 3 of them, but I cannot remember the 3rd name (sorry).

Samuel Vess 1779 Revolutionary War record – Ancestry.com
Corporal Peter Vess 1777 Revolutionary War record – Ancestry.com

Before dismissing them as VEST family though, I have found a pocket of VESS’s hanging out in Patrick County, Virginia in which I have yet to figure out whose tree they belong on (VESS or VEST).

Patrick County, Virginia
Perhaps, Peter and Samuel Vess on the Revolutionary War records (above) are the same Peter and Samuel Vess listed on the 1790’s Patrick County Land Tax record.

The Samuel listed on the 1790 tax record could be Samuel Harvey VEST (b. 1757 VA), son of William Tunwell Vest. He would have been old enough to serve during the Revolutionary War and Patrick County, VA is just above Stokes County, North Carolina; however, there is no documentation to support it. I DO KNOW, the Peter listed above is too old to be our Peter Vess.

Interestingly, that’s not even the only VESS record for Patrick County, NC!
There is also a marriage record for Jonathan VESS and Elizabeth HERON dated 1792.

This is supposedly, Jonathan Vess who traveled to the Republic of Texas in 1825 and helped establish Morales, Texas. I have no idea who his parents are and whether or not he is a VEST or a VESS.

And lastly, I have discovered a William VESS of (Koger Creek) Patrick County, Virginia on a Deed record located on RootsWeb.com.

Interestingly, other names listed beside him include JOHN DUNCAN (like John Duncan shown above with Peter and Samuel Vess) and a JAMES HERON, as in Elizabeth HERON who married Jonathan VESS. I am not sure if this William VESS is Jonathan “William” VESS, which is a name that is often associated with Jonathan VESS of Texas (married to Elizabeth Heron).

So, just a quick recap:
There is a Peter, Samuel, Jonathan, and William (Jonathan and William might be the same) VESS in Patrick County, VA in the 1790’s that do not have any records connecting them to either the VEST or VESS family.

Unfortunately, early census records for Patrick County, VA have been lost. 😦
BUT, Patrick County, VA was created from Henry County in 1790, which was created from Pittslyvania County in 1776; in which, leads me back to the Peter VEST on the War of 1812-1814 military service record…

Many surnames on that record are connected to families who originated from Pittsylvania County, Virginia and some have connections to the VEST family (William Tunwell VEST) as well as the BELLEW family (Nathan’s wife’s family)!

Next Stop In Research: Virginia

I feel as if I am getting closer!!

I have not explored Virginia yet and I don’t think I would have been very successful at researching records in Virginia (in the beginning) without knowing what I know now.

Virginia is a tough state to research, for that early records are super scarce. If your family didn’t do anything significant, their record is likely not available yet, especially, digitally.

Digital records for Virginia are broadly Indexed and requires hours upon hours of scrolling through digitalized slides of records. Simply, you can’t just type in a specific name and it will take you directly to the record pertaining to that name…you have to know a time, place, and event and then search from there, deciphering scribbles from deteriorated records. Super fun!

But, I am motivated, excited, and ready for a new challenge!

I will be sure to post an update on my research soon!







Vess Genealogy: Let’s Get Going!

/ J. V.

Happy October!!

I plan to really get Vess Genealogy going this month!
When I started this site in August, I was in the midst of figuring out homeschooling with a 6 year-old and planning a huge family move! Now, things are beginning to settle down and I can start to focus on posting more often!

About VESS Genealogy: Short Recap

Oh my gosh, where to start?

I am the 4th great-granddaughter of Peter VESS/VEST (1791-1843) and Catherine “Katie” Cook (1804- bef. 1860) of Rutherford County, North Carolina (McDowell County, NC today). I am a descendant of Andrew Logan VESS (Peter’s 3rd son) and Malinda Lucy “Linnia” HALFORD.

I am the last leaf on a small branch of an ever expanding VESS family tree.

Andrew Logan Vess
1825-1905


Research shows that the VESS family tree in the United States is old and thick with many different family branches expanding coast to coast; all of which seem deeply rooted in early Colonial America.

According to my family line, “we descend from 3-brothers: Jonathan, Peter, and Nathan, who supposedly came to America from Ireland.”

However, documents discovered thus far, reveal a slightly different story:
According to records, Peter was born in North Carolina and Nathan was born in South Carolina. Jonathan is still a mystery.

DNA (Ancestry DNA) does show a DNA relationship between Peter and Nathan’s families; however, there are no records connecting them as actual “brothers.” Yet, upon further investigation, we do find several interesting connections between their families (all of which I will share in future posts).

Again, the VESS family tree is extensive and the 3-brothers in my family’s story, are just a tip of the iceberg!

There are many VESS descending lines and not all of them connect to Peter, Nathan, or Jonathan. Interestingly, not all descending lines took the VESS name and it is widely agreed that VESS wasn’t even our original surname!

Search For Genealogy Gold: Vess Origins

Although there is much to discover and post about the VESS family in between 1820-present, I am more interested in discovering our family’s origins; the VESS family prior to 1820.

Researching any family prior to 1850 is challenging, thus why, I am having to investigate every VESS family line I can find, including other families (neighbors, spouses, community members, etc.) who may also have connections with the VESS family.

Vess genealogy is challenging, not only because of lack of records prior to 1850, but also the strong likelihood of a name change. The VESS name comes with many different name variants (VEST, VOSS, VOST, BOSS, BOST, BEST, WEST, VIST, VISS, VESTAL, VESTIL, VAUS, etc). Unfortunately, all these different name variants can be found together on early census records and some research shows, many of them being part of other families (misspelled names) and/or marrying one another with similar surnames. The goal is to sort, group, and investigate!

Updates, Information, and More


Please be sure to subscribed via email [to the right] for updates on new posts and discoveries!

As research continues, I will also be updating the bio’s of the three brothers, Jonathan, Peter, and Nathan Vess.

I also hope to upload family trees, pictures, family histories, and more!

Kind and genealogy-related comments are always welcome and if you have any information to provide regarding VESS genealogy, please feel free to contact me.

I absolutely look forward to discovering more about the VESS family with you!























Sorting Through Name Variants For VESS

/ J. V.

Yesterday, I had this ingenious plan to locate the parents of Nathan Vess! Unfortunately, it isn’t the most easiest of ingenious plans.

I am a firm believer that the reason why Vess genealogy is so difficult, is because of a name change! The challenge now is figuring out what original surname our “Vess” name evolved from!

Here are my candidates based North and South Carolina census records 1790-1820.

VEST
WEST
BEST
VOSS

Name variants (as found on census records):
VIST
VERT
VASS
BASS
BOSS
BESS
WIST
BOST
VOST
WISS
VISS
VAST
BAST

My Monster SpreadSheet

I’ve decided to use a spreadsheet to track families with similar names in areas where I know some of Peter and Nathan’s neighbors and family have been.

So far, I am beginning to see distinct family migration patterns emerge…



As you can see, the WEST family is pretty widespread.

According to the WEST FAMILY DNA PROJECT, there are several different WEST lines with majority of them being connected to an orphan from England. There is also a West line connected to the Thomas West, Baron De La Warr and Benjamin West, an 18th century American artist.

UPDATE: According to several researchers who have done Y-chromosome research, it has been confirmed that there is no DNA relationship between Vess and West families. 🙂

Now, their DNA records do show that there is a West family connection with the South Carolina West family, but they do not know whose line they originate from. They also have a list of unrelated WEST families, with the assumption there was a name change at some point. Interestingly, while browsing the list, a few familiar names caught my eye.

Unfortunately, the WEST FAMILY DNA PROJECT website has been taken down or moved without a working link; so, I am unable to reference it again. However, I did manage to download a few pages of information the last time the website was active. 😉

Hopefully, with a little more investigation, I will be able to separate different WEST families.

Well, that is my project for the week!

Revisiting The VEST family

I did come across an interesting thing on the VEST family, but I don’t want to get side-tracked! I really need to work on the WEST family first. BUT, according to a BIO on FindMyGrave.com, for a VEST ancestor, it states their family is of “Scotch Irish origin.”

This is interesting for several reasons:
1) John Jay Vest is related to North Carolina Senator George Vest.
2) “Jay” is a surname that is related to both BEST and WEST families. And, middle names, especially, prior to the 1800’s, came from their mother or grandmother’s maiden name.
3) More importantly, this is the first time that I’ve seen anything stating the VEST family having Scot-Irish origins. Other family trees (a lot of them) have traced the VEST family to a Moses Vest (1600’s) from Germany.

This really needs further investigating…but first, the WEST family!










The Life of Andrew Logan Vess of McDowell County, North Carolina

/ J. V. / 8 Comments

Andrew Logan Vess is one of my favorite ancestors to research, mostly because he actually exists on record! He has several records, which seems pretty rare for the Vess family!

Andrew “Andy” Logan Vess (1825-1905)

Nearly two hundred years ago, on April 25, 1825, Andrew Logan Vess was born in Rutherford County, North Carolina. He is the 3rd son of Peter Vess and Catherine “Katie” Crook.

Although records for Andrew Logan Vess are not entirely scarce, none actually pertain to his personal life.

Who he was as a man, husband, father and/or gentlemen is lost; however, we have been able to uncover several interesting events that occurred during his life.

*Correction: Catherine CROOK

Whereabouts He Grew Up

Records, as early as 1820, show Andrew’s parents, Peter and Catherine, living in Rutherford County, North Carolina.

Further research suggests that they were likely living somewhere on Knobs Creek near Bill’s Creek Baptist Church. Catherine’s father, John Crook, husband of Rachel Haynes, owned land next to her maternal grandfather’s land (William Haynes). 

According to Helen M. Lu’s, Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History, Peter and Catherine were members between 1829-1836, and Catherine’s grandfather, William Haynes, was one of the first pastors.

When Andrew Logan Vess was 6 years old, in 1831, his father obtained “100 acres of land on both sides of Cedar Creek in Rutherford County;” which has been narrowed down to an area located in today’s Broad River Township (now part of Buncombe County).

In 1838, records show his father, Peter Vess, was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church of Burke County (now part of McDowell County); which is located not too far from his property in Broad River; which explains their absence from Bill’s Creek Baptist Church between 1836-1844.

Bethlehem Baptist Church was an extension of Bill’s Creek Baptist Church and both were part of the Catawba River Association (Helen M. Lu, pg. 15 & 86).

At the age of 19, in 1844, records show that Andrew’s mother, Catherine, returned to Bill’s Creek Baptist Church without Peter; suggesting that Peter may have died. According to deed records, Peter gave his land to a J. Souther, to cover a debt. 

At the age of 21, in 1846, Andrew Logan Vess and his brothers, also become members of Bill’s Creek Baptist Church (without Peter), suggesting the family likely moved back to Knobs Creek. 

First Wife: Linnia Halford

At the age of 24, on May 14, 1849, Andrew Logan Vess marries his first wife, Lucy Malinda “Linnia” Halford, the daughter of Thomas Halford and Sarah “Lollie” Jane Hill.

Andrew and Linnia had 7 children together: Calvin Bailey, William Columbus, James Harvey, John Alexander, Sarah Catherine, Pinkney Elcanah, and Thomas Logan.

John Alexander Vess, son of Andrew Vess and Linnia Halford (1857-1939) [Ancestry.com]
From 1800’s cipher and practice book


In 1850, Andrew and his family are shown living near his in-laws, Thomas and Sarah Halford in Montford Cove, Rutherford County, North Carolina.

Military: Civil War

At the age of 38, on Sept. 1, 1863, Andrew Logan Vess joined the military. He served as a Confederate solider (private rank) under the 62nd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company F.


Click here for a brief battle history of the 62nd Regiment.


Click here for a brief battle history of the 64th Regiment (Allens Regiment)

Andrew served in the same Regiment as Nathan’s son, Abraham Vess of Haywood County. Unfortunately, Abraham was captured at Cumberland Gap and imprisoned at Douglass Camp. It does not look like Andrew was every captured nor are there any records indicating if he was ever wounded during his service.

Second Wife: Cynthia Conner

After the Civil War, in 1866, at the age of 41, Andrew’s first wife dies, leaving him a widower with 7 young children (the youngest being 1 year-old and the oldest being 16).

Several months later, on Jan 1, 1867, he married Cynthia Conner, a local midwife and daughter of Allen Conner and Mary Polly Crawford.

According to Helen M. Lu’s, Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History, the new Bill’s Creek Baptist Church was built upon land owned by Issac Conner, Cynthia’s uncle.

Andrew Logan and Cynthia Conner had 6 children together: David Andrew, Linnie, Easter, Noah M., George Washington, and Allen “Andy” Peter.

Noah M. Vess, son of Andrew Logan Vess and Cynthia Conner (1875-1958) [Ancestry.com]

Andrew, like his father, was a farmer. Census records show, that Andrew and his family eventually settled in Broad River (now McDowell County) near Old Fort.

The 1900 census record reveals that he owned a farm; however, it is difficult to determine the location of his farm. It is also not known as to whether or not, he inherited his father’s property on Cedar Creek. [Information about his homesite has been shared in the comments below]

Troubles At Church

The book, Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History, by Helen M. Lu, has been a great resource for information pertaining to the Bill’s Creek community, especially, information regarding Andrew Logan Vess.



The following are some interesting accounts mentioned in Lu’s book:

Case of Brother Andrew L. Vess
“On 6 April 1862, he objected to himself on “account of drinking too much spiritous liquors.” After relating his conviction for the sin of intoxication he promised “to drink no more only as medicine.”

Bill’s Creek Baptist Church : Two Hundred Year History, by Helen M. Lu (page 109)

Excluded
“Vess, A. L. Excluded 4 Jan. 1867 for distilling some brandy for the purpose of paying debts and providing for his family.”

Bill’s Creek Baptist Church : Two Hundred Year History, by Helen M. Lu (page 153)

Interestingly, a few days before he was excluded, he married Cynthia Conner.

Excluded
“A. L. Vess Excluded 4 Oct. 1877 for joining Free-will Baptist.”

Bill’s Creek Baptist Church : Two Hundred Year History, by Helen M. Lu (page 189)

According to Lu, he re-joined Bill’s Creek in 1874 and 1893, “by recantation.”

Death: Old Fort, North Carolina

Davistown Cemetery Findagrave.com
Gravestone only displays his birthdate; likely, because it is not the original gravestone and date of death on the original gravestone was likely illegible.


Andrew Logan Vess died on June 10, 1905, in Old Fort, McDowell County, North Carolina. He is buried at Davistown Cemetery, next to Davistown Free-will Baptist Church. According to family, the cemetery used to be the Davis Family Cemetery.

Ancestry.com



We know that Andrew Logan Vess left Bill’s Creek Baptist Church for a Free-will Baptist church, but that church was not named on record. Perhaps, it was Davistown Free Will Baptist, but there doesn’t seem to be any available information about when Davistown Free-will Baptist Church was initially formed.

Citations:
Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History 1782-1982, by Helen M. Lu. 

Resources:
-Family letters provided by different relatives
-Photos provided by family and Ancestry.com
–North Carolina land grants and deeds
-Census records from Ancestry.com
-Civil War records
-Findagrave.com

A Mysterious John Vess In South Carolina?

/ J. V. / 4 Comments

There are many different VESS family lines today, many of which that have descended from Peter and Nathan Vess of North Carolina; however, there are actually a few unrelated families with similar surnames that, at one point or another, diverted from their original family tree with the Vess name (such as the Vest family).

The ultimate challenge in Vess Genealogy is trying to trace Vess lines accurately back to their original families.

A while ago, I stumbled on a Greenwood, South Carolina record with the name “John Vess.” Unfortunately, the document is not dated. By the looks of it, (I am certainly no expert), I would say it was probably created sometime in the 1800’s; which leaves us to ponder…who was living in South Carolina in the 1800’s?

South Carolina Online Records

Dating The Document

To figure out who this John Vess might be, we first need to date the document.

Unfortunately, I am not entirely familiar with the history, districts, or residents of South Carolina. Like, North Carolina, counties and districts were frequently changing during the 1800’s, scattering records across several different areas creating some research challenges.

However, according to some recent research, Greenwood was named after a plantation in 1824. In 1897 Greenwood County was established, which was previously part of Abbeville and Edgefield, far from the Bellew and Gosnell families in Glassy Mountain, Greenville, South Carolina who are connected with Nathaniel Vess.

According to the document, the residents referred to Greenwood as a “village” that consisted of “32 families” from the Abbeville District; in which makes this document a bit older than 1824, but probably not quite as old as 1900.

Possibly Created Between 1843-1860

Today, with an approximate range of dates, I was able to find the residents named on the Greenwood document on a single record: The 1850 South Carolina, Abbeville, Greenwood census record.

Interestingly, I found nearly all the residents, except one or two, including John Vess. I found him on a different census: The 1850 South Carolina, Abbeville, Saluda census record.

Saluda and Greenwood are next to each other. They will both eventually become their own county, but at this time, they are part of Abbeville County.

Ancestry.com 1850 census record South Carolina, Abbeville, Saluda

The undated Greenwood document was likely created between 1843 and 1860.

According to the 1850 census, some of the residents named on the Greenwood document are in their twenties, so we can probably, safely assume, the Greenwood document was created sometime after 1843. Many of the other residents are over 50 and are missing on the 1860 census (including John Vess), suggesting the document could not have been created after 1860. So, this gives us a pretty good date range to research a local Vess family in the Greenwood area.

About John Vess of Saluda, SC

Looking at the Greenwood document, named is John Turner and John Vess. I found John Turner (30 years-old) on the 1850 Abbeville, Greenwood, South Carolina census. But, there is no John Vess on that census.

As previously mentioned, John Vess (25 years-old) is on the 1850 Abbeville, Saluda, South Carolina census record. He is listed living with an Alexander Turner.

This is the only census record I can find for this John Vess. He was born in 1825, in South Carolina. He married Drucilla Turner, daughter of Alexander Turner. According to the 1850 census record, they married within the year.

According to the 1860 census record, Drucilla Turner (Vess) is without John Vess, but she has a 7-year-old son named James Vess. She is living with her father, Alexander Turner.

I also discovered another VESS record, who appear to be two brothers named William E Vess (22) and John Vess (24), both carpenters, born in North Carolina, living with a Brooks family in Abbeville, Saluda Regiment (Edgefield), South Carolina. They are approximately around the same age as the John Vess found living with Alexander Turner, yet born in different states. I do not know what to make of this…

The ages of William and John would make them possible children of Peter and Nathaniel Vess; however, all their children can be found living in North Carolina.

According to the 1850 census records, Nathan (Nathaniel) and his family are living in Buncombe County, North Carolina. All except his oldest son, Andrew Jackson, who is living in Haywood County with his in-laws, Parmer.

Peter’s children are living with their mother, Catherine, in Bill’s Creek, Rutherford County, North Carolina. All except for his son, Andrew Logan, who is living in Montford Cove, Rutherford County, North Carolina with his in-laws, Halford.

Pondering Possible Relations

At first, I thought John Vess (married to Drucilla Turner) was the son of Peter Vess, for that an 1854 newspaper clipping (Petition for Divorce) states his son was no longer a resident of North Carolina. But, we find him on the 1850 census record, with his wife Elizabeth and their children, living in Bills Creek, Rutherford County, North Carolina with his mother and siblings. Unless, he moved in between census, he is unlikely to be Peter’s son. Also, all of Peter’s children were born in Rutherford County, North Carolina.

Although there is some debate on whether or not Nathan’s older children were born in South Carolina, all of his known children can also be found in North Carolina in 1850.

Perhaps, this John Vess is the son of Jonathan Vess, the so-called brother of Peter and Nathan Vess, which we know so little about.

As for the brothers, William and John Vess, born in North Carolina; I strongly suspect they are likely related to the VEST family, because of their trade. The Vest family of North Carolina appears to be well educated and the son of William “Tunwell” Vest, Charles Vest, was a manufacture (construction trade). It would only make sense that his sons or even nephews would take on a similar trade. Whereas Peter and Nathan Vess are farmers.

But there are other possibilities too, due to name changes. These Vess families could also be related to the West, Wiss, or even Voss families of South Carolina. Further research is certainly needed.