CHAPTER 36
The Tracy Family History
McDowell Burying Ground
The McDowell cemetery has long been abandoned. A local
realtor, Gene Tillis, has been most helpful, sending me historical information,
giving directions and even going to the graveyard and taking these photos.
The cemetery is relatively easy to locate. Go to the village
of Fairfield, 10 miles north of Lexington, VA. Take Route 11 one mile south and
the cemetery is in a pasture to the west. Apparently, it stands out and is quite
picturesque. Included is a photo of the roadside marker, which identifies the
graveyard. However, the photo of the cemetery blends in with the farm land and
will not reproduce well. So I have not included it.
This is a working farm. The present owners, Jerry and Houston
Close will allow you to park on Route 11 and walk across the pasture to the
cemetery (1/4 mile from the highway) Mrs. Close Houston inherited the property
from her family. (Houston, as in Sam Houston. We are intermarried with the
Houston's. That story comes later.)
A word of caution: Again, this is a working farm and the seasons may
not allow passage at certain times. Gene Tillis had to delay his trip to take
these photos because of wet weather, which caused the ground to be muddy and the
tall hay would not allow passage. So one must wait until the ground is dry and
the hay is mowed.
Neander Woods, 1905--
“The burial place...can be seen today near the Red House, or Maryland
Tavern...As one enters the iron gate and turns a little to the left he will
observe a low, unhewn limestone slab about two feet high, on which is a rude
inscription reading thus:
The
burial was a year earlier, but the stone was not placed until 1743, thus the
confusion as to the wrong date. “...he and his six companions...were brought to
‘Red House’...but no stones mark their graves.” – until a year later.
Again, the graveyard was abandoned a long time ago. However, last
year the Fairfield Ruritan Club made a project of cleaning up the cemetery and
apparently did a good job.
It is a small cemetery, 188 feet by 76 feet, now enclosed by
“...a handsome brick fence...” built in 1928. At the time there remained just a
portion of the older brick fence. Being resourceful, the locals sold the old
fence bricks for $1 each, as antiques-heirlooms, to finance the new brick fence.
This beautiful monument was placed at the
grave in 1855 by the grandchildren. The new monument along with the rough stone
marked the grave for many years. Alas, no one realizing the historical
significance of the old rough stone marker, let
it pass from history and from the graveyard. It no longer exist and no one
knows what happened to it.
In the cemetery are the graves of the McClung’s, McCormick’s,
Wallace’s, and, of course, more McDowells, some carrying the McDowell name and
others their married names.
If you are related to the McDowells in this
cemetery and would like to know more of the family history then go to my Home
Page
www.thetracyfamilyhistory.net
Mountain Plains Church --
“Colonel Woods, though now nearly eighty years old, with slight eccentricities,
was slightly deaf, was tall and slender and straight, as the Indians he had so
long fought; with a profusion of fine grey hair, worn and combed back from as
fine a forehead as ever I saw...he possessed a wonderfully fine mind, great
firmness of character and was, in the fullest sense of the term, ‘a perfect
Virginia gentleman.”
“...Colonel Woods had married a sister of William Wallace (whose mother was a
Woods)...Colonel Woods, or Father Woods as most people called him, was a rigid a
blue-stocking (Baptist)...
“...Colonel Woods was born on Christmas Eve night, 1744, (old style [calender]),
which was the same night that his Uncle, John Mcdowell, was surprised by the
Indians near Balcony falls and he and some nine of his men were killed.”
– Early History of Two Albemarle Churches, by the Rev. Samuel Black,
(1870?)
Our peoples lives were inextricably intermixed.
Magdelene
Magdelene sells herself into servitude. She signs a contract
as an indentured servant. Historians speculate that this is a mere technicality
as her husband died without a will and time was needed to settle the estate. I
do not know the details as I am not an expert on Colonial Virginia law of 1743.
However, one cannot rule out the possibility that Magdelene was destitute,
which was the usual reason for a person becoming an indentured servant.
Let us leave Magdelene with all of her troubles and return to
Benjamin Borden and see how he is doing with his troubles. He gets his famous
land grant in 1737, stays on the land for two years, “or more,” and got his
“requisite” 100 settlers. (or families? Apparently, this time on the land and
number of settlers was a legal requirement to secure his grant.) I am not good
at math, but I can count to 100. If 34 riflemen fought at Balcony Falls, and
they composed the entire settlement of the grant, Rockbridge County, and if you
deduct the very old, and the very young, and unmarried, that leaves just enough
men to have families to make up the 100 required settlers, just barely.
This information is an accurate appraisal of the Borden
Grant at the time as the story come from Captain McDowell’s own son, told more
than 50 years after the battle.
Borden then leaves the land around 1734, and gives the job of
running the place to Captain John McDowell. He sends his son, Benjamin Borden
Jr., to help administer in his stead. The son lives with John and Magdelene. He
then returns to New Jersey where the Borden family lives.
Captain John McDowell is then slain by the Indians in 1742,
leaving the tract without an able administrator. A year later, Benjamin Borden
himself dies. Benjamin Borden Jr. returns to take over the grant. The McDowell’s
knew Benjamin Borden Jr. quite well and are singularly, and collectively,
unimpressed.
Magdelene considers him “quite illiterate.” Then she marries
him.
Perhaps Benjamin Borden Jr. could not converse easily on the
classics like Amos “Bud” Hanks, but he was no fool. He would build the Grant
into a mighty empire, which would make Magdelene extremely wealthy. The day
would come when Magdelene would be the richest woman west of the Blue Ridge
Mountains.
The son realizes that he has cornered the market. The Grant
lies on the extreme frontier of a little bit of civilization. Either you buy
your land from Borden or you go on to the “unknown wilderness” with all of its
potential troubles.
The wealth generated by this land would make the McDowells a
rich, powerful and influential family in American history for generations to
come. Strangely, more is known about their descendants then those who started it
all. We know that Captain John McDowell died at a young age. Yet, of Magdelene,
her second husband, and third soon to come, little is known about their empire
and even less about their personal lives.
Even the phonetic way of spelling in those days adds
confusion as to the exact spelling of her name. Throughout history it is found
to be Magdalena, Magdaline, and Magdalene. She signs her name at Timber Ridge
Church as Magdalen with the “e” left off at the end. I see it commonly
“Magdelene” and that is what I use. Take your pick.
Neander Woods' book is a masterpiece of research. Yet, at
times his logic requires a second look. He has Magdelene born in 1706, with a
question mark. Then he has her dying in 1810 at the age of 104. He estimates her
first marriage to be at the age of 28, and second marriage at age of 42, after six or
seven years as a widow. Ruth Petracek does her own calculations and has her
marrying at a younger age and living a normal life span. I agree with Ruth.
However, I come to my conclusions by a different route. I use simple logic.
Being a great beauty, she could have any man she wanted. She would not have
waited to the age of 28 to marry. More realistically she would have been 20-24.
Split the difference at 22. (I really think 18 to be close to the mark.) When I
graduated from high school in 1958, if a girl did not get married after
graduation then there was something wrong with her. We are talking of a woman in the early
1700s. A widow on the frontier would not wait 6-7 years to remarry. Her survival
and that of her children depended upon getting another husband, and fast. That
was the way of the frontier.
For researchers trying to understand this family, it is like
Winston Churchill’s explanation of trying to understand Russian. “...a riddle
wrapped in a mystery inside a enigma.”
Fortunately, there are some things known about this enigmatic
family. Unfortunately, since publication in 1905, almost all have accepted Neander Woods' facts as facts, and theories as facts.
Neander Woods, along with other historians, has Magdelene
immigrating to the colonies some 13 years later, in 1737. There is good reason
for this date. To get his free land, John McDowell must give an oath providing
evidence as to his qualifying under the law.
“On the 28th of Feb. 1739...that he imported himself,
Magdaline, his wife, and Samuel McDowell, his son, and John Rutter, his servant,
at his own charge from Great Britain in the year 1737, to dwell in this colony,
and that this is the first time of proving their right in order to obtain land
pursuant to the royal instructions.”
In John McDowell’s own words, their year of immigration is
1737. Yet, I think that Magdelene was on the ship of
1724, because Ruth Petracek believes she has uncovered their marriage records in
Pennsylvania for the year 1734.
What does one make of this contradicting evidence? If we
could transport ourselves back in time some 250 years the answers might be
easier to obtain. My theory: The bottom line was free land. For some technical reason
we do not know of today, is it possible that John McDowell simply lied on his
affidavit to establish his claim to free land? Lying was a mere technicality
when it came to dealing with the British anyway as shown by our people lying
to take the oath to the Church of England, and etc...
Who comes to the Borden Grant to settle and make Magdelene so
wealthy? You remember the ladder of immigrants from the slaves at the bottom to
the disinherited aristocrats at the top? Forget that pecking order. This was
true for
immigrants for the rest of Virginia but not our Grant.
The son brings in the Irish. (According to the terminology of
the times, Irish meant the Scotch-Irish. I will refresh your memory on this
important distinction from time to time.) The land was originally known as the
Borden Grant, or the Borden tract. Now it is simply called the Irish tract. The
Irish come from Pennsylvania, elsewhere, and the sea. It is the clan system all
over again.
We know that the people who settled the Borden Grant were
Irish. We know they were Presbyterians. There was something else. There were
only a few churches in America at that time. However...it was the nature of the
Christian churches in America to divide. By divide, I do not mean that they grew
and prospered to such an extent that they needed to expand. They divided, split
apart, over interpretation of Scripture. They would divide into two separate
churches, which would divide into more separate churches. The divisions could be
bitter as we are talking of the difference between going to heaven or to hell.
Among the Presbyterians, the habit of dividing was even more acute.
I have a personal experience: Some 30 years ago I had a
friend who was born to Presbyterian missionary parents in Korea. He took me to
his church on the East Coast of the US. I was surprised to see the church was so
small, both the building, and the size of the congregation. My friend told me
that they were trying to be reunited with another church that had split off some
100 years before "...over something that was silly." Looking back 100 years,
most causes of these divisions are usually over something that was "silly." At
the time it was deadly serious business. From the beginning of the Presbyterian
Church in Scotland, the divisions in the old country were even worse. “...they
fight one another.”
Thus were formed unique community denominations, or sects.
These sects would immigrate into the Borden grant as whole communities and
reestablish themselves as whole communities. Thus, many times, you could tell a
region of the grant by the sect.
The Catholics did not divide. The Catholics were not in
America.
Benjamin Borden Jr. sells the land for three pence (three
cents) an acre. Three pence an acre makes a lot of people wealthy: Magdelene;
her husbands; their children and children’s children, and side relatives, down
through the generations; and the lawyers.
When Benjamin Borden, the father, dies, he leaves a will, but
does not leave everything to Junior. There are other children. There are
problems in the family as the wealth starts to come in. The lawyers find
loopholes. The lawyers always find loopholes. It is their job. There are
problems with Magdelene’s different marriages and other relatives by these
marriages. I do not know the details, who sued whom, or why, but the lawsuits
would stay in court for one hundred years.
Magdalene’s grandson, James McDowell, was highly educated at
Washington College, Yale, and Princeton. All expected from him an illustrious
career as a lawyer. Perhaps this experience just stated caused him to say,
“Other men may be but I do not know how I can be an honest man, and a lawyer.”
He gives up his pursuit of law...and becomes governor of Virginia.
Tradition vs. Proven
In 1738, Peter Wallace, Jr., is married in Cecil County,
Pennsylvania to Martha Woods. (Again, she is Magdelene’s sister.) They are first
cousins. Peter was my 6th great grandfather. He was born in 1716 to Peter
Wallace, Sr., who died in Ulster shortly before the migration of 1724.
Peter's wife, Martha, was the daughter of Michael Woods, of
Blair Park, and his wife Lady Mary Campbell.
Peter Wallace, Jr., is my proven ancestor. True genealogists
only accept family trees where there is a written record; land transactions,
marriage records, bible records, newspaper, or periodical reports, official
records, etc. If not written (documented) somewhere, then it is not a proven
pedigree.
The stories I have told of our Woods and Wallace ancestors
have been handed down through the generations, and are tradition. These stories,
traditions, have been carefully recorded, sometimes in great detail, by eminent
historians and genealogists from a long time ago.
Some of the details may have been wrong, but it is clear from
what records exist, and family tradition, that our people were strongly
intermarried.
There is some tradition mixed with speculation. At the
commencement of the Revolutionary War in 1775 it became unpatriotic to trace, or keep
records of your ancestry, which meant in effect, crossing the sea back to the native
countries you were now fighting. You can see the problems for historians and
genealogists today.
"Hence it is that…only two families (of Virginia) that show
proof of direct an ancient lines of descent, i. e .Peyton and Wallace."
To me, family tradition is a valuable source for my stories.
There is always a good reason for these traditions. Let us take for example the
Reverend Neander Woods, who was born into our family in 1844. As a young man he
heard stories from relatives as old as 90 years of age. They would tell their
experiences and relate stories and experiences of relatives they knew who were
90 years old. It is not only Neander Woods who gathered these stories but also
other historians who lived, researched and who were published long ago.
Some genealogists, the traditional genealogists, can get very
upset if others, like me, use the terms “approximately” or “about” (ca), when
referring to dates. They want to dot every “i’ and cross every “t.” They want
proof, proof, and more proof. Most are not interested in the story, but who begot whom
and when. They provide an invaluable service. I use their hard work to find my
story.
Magdelene has at least two more children by her marriage to
Borden. Her first husband did not live long. Her second husband did not live
long. Tragically, in 1754, both her husband and one of their daughters would die
of smallpox. The death of her daughter would leave her heartbroken. The death of
her second husband would
leave her "non-destitute" ...in the extreme.
Now back to Magdelene’s sister and her husband, Peter
Wallace, Jr. My 6th great grandfather…"Peter, like most men of that time,
occupied himself with buying and selling property; farming and raising a family
of nine children." He had land deals in Augusta, Albemarle, and surrounding
counties. His earliest Virginia land records start in the year 1738, the same
year of his marriage.
Our people are now in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,
and in Albemarle and Rockbridge Counties, in Virginia. They flowed over into surrounding
counties. We are undoubtedly in Ulster, and, we know, still in Scotland. There
is travel back and forth in the colonies and most assuredly between American,
Ireland and Scotland.
Next comes riding into this vast land grant a young man who
is at least 20 years younger than Madelene, John Bowyer. He brings with him his
life’s sole possessions: the horse beneath and the clothes above. He does have
one advantage, the talent of being educated and a school teacher.
John Bowyer becomes Magdelene’s third husband. It was not a
good match. Historians say, “It was not a happy marriage.” There was friction
from the beginning. Many on our side said that he was a pretender to the throne,
that he married Magdelene for her money. Their side said that he saved the
business by bringing coherence and stability to a land business that was in a
mess. He was charged with being extravagant and irresponsible in running the
tract, and by manipulation gaining control of Magdelene’s property. Our side
tries to regain the property, and fails. There is a vague family story that
Magdelene had a prenuptial agreement with John Bowyer, but he destroyed it.
According to the custom of the time, his elevated social
status would one day bring him the military rank of Captain, then Colonel.
He would outlive Magdelene, marry again, and leave a fortune
to his nieces and nephews when he died. Magdelene's descendants would also
receive vast fortunes.
Formula for being a successful land speculator in Colonial Virginia:
3 cents an acre x 600,000 widget acres = a lot of money!
The different ways of spelling Magdelene’s name was not unusual for the
times.
“As to the proper names, it is well to remember that there is no arbitrary
rule for their spelling. Originally proper names were written as they sounded,
and the spelling has changed with the change of sound.” – Horace Haden, Virginia
Genealogies, 1890
In 1799, John McDowell (another generation) started a nail manufacturing
company, mainly because Mr. Jefferson needed nails for building Monticello.”
Footnote: The historians of today believe Magdelene was indeed very wealthy, but not the richest woman west of the Blue Ridge Mountains as stated by the historian of old, Neander Woods. However, Neander Woods was born in 1844, and lived in our lands. He was one of our people and I believe he was just stating what the family believed to have been true.
Note: If you would like to know more about this family's
illustrious heritage then go to my Home Page.
Home Page
www.thetracyfamilyhistory.net
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