Surname Saturday: A is for AMYX

A few weeks back I posted the ABC's for my Surname Saturday inspiration - an alphabetical list of Surnames that I tend to neglect so that I could focus on one a week. I had initially wanted to post about the Amyx family a few weeks ago, but I found myself putting it off because I wasn't sure I knew much about them. Unlike some lines that I know as well as my own children, details from the Amyx line just don't stick. I feel like I'm about to study for a test and have all the notes, but have missed all the classes! So it's time to dive in and see just what information I have been stuffing into the Amyx file over the years. *Note: anything enclosed in (parentheses) is not verified.


Relationship Verified: First, I absolutely know that I am connected to this family. Two years ago the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution approved my application that connects to this line. The DAR application required that every date, location, and relationship be documented. My patriot, George Taylor's son Mark Taylor married Peggy Amyx. I have a copy of the Minister Return of Rev. Edward Mitchell from the courthouse of Botetourt County, Virginia. 

• Botetourt County, Virginia. Marriage Licenses and Returns, Taylor-Amyx, 1808; Office of Clerk of Circuit Court, Fincastle, Virginia. 

Margaret "Peggy" Amyx was born in 1782 to Samuel and (Eleanor Hairston) Amyx. She married Mark Taylor at the age of 26 sometime within the year of 1808. A list of marriages performed by the minister within the year called a Minister's Return, was filed with the Botetourt County Court on 01 Dec 1808. Mark had inherited land from his father's estate in 1801 so he brought his bride home to Short Hill Plantation on top of Short Hill Mountain in Rockbridge County, Virginia. There they were blessed with eight children. A tragedy struck in 1824 when Mark was "felled on by a tree" according to his obituary printed in the Lexington Newspaper. Sometime in the years following, Peggy headed west with her daughter Nancy and Nancy's huband Lindsey Hogue. It is possible that other members of the family accompanied them but research still needs to be done to verify this. They settled near Xenia in Greene County, Ohio. Peggy died a widow 15 Mar 1850 and is buried in Section A Lot 9 Grave 10 (updated 24 Mar 2010) of Woodland Cemetery, Xenia, OH. The U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedule lists her cause of death as "old age" which is amusing because she was only 68 according to her headstone.

• Ancestry.com. U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. A portion of this collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original data: Nonpopulation Census Schedules for Ohio, 1850-1880. T1159, rolls 14-15, 29-30, and 102-104. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. "Margaret Taylor: Prairie, Holmes, Ohio, Roll T1159_14 Line 3."
• Woodland Cemetery Office (Xenia, Ohio), undated plat, Citing Margaret Taylor, Plot A to the left of Lindsey and Helen Hogue. The actual plat was viewed by Herstoryan, 2007. The actual gravestone was not found so an order to probe the ground was issued. An image of the actual gravestone was found at www.findagrave.com in the same cemetery taken 2009. See citation below. Location verified by phone to Woodland Cemetery, 24 Mar 2010 as follows: Section A, Lot 9, Grave 10. 
• "Library of Virginia Online Catalog (LVA Catalog)," database, The Library of Virginia (http://www.lva.virginia.gov/: accessed 14 Nov 2009), System No. 001139957 entry for Intelligencer (Lexington, VA) Saturday 01 May 1824, "Died-At his residence on the head of Cedar Creek, in Rockbridge County, Mr. Mark Taylor, aged about 40 years a native of Rockbridge County leaving a wife and eight children. No date. (p 3 c 4)" From the marriage and obituary citations compiled by Bernard J. Henley from Virginia newspapers on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Film 190. 
• Rockbridge County, Virginia. Will Records: Will Book 2, pp 228-231, Will of George Taylor, wd 08 Sept 1795 / wp 02 Jun 1801; Rockbridge Circuit Court, 25th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, Lexington, VA.
• Rockbridge County, Virginia. Will Records: Will Book 6, pp 5-6, Estate of Mark Taylor Inventory and Appraisment, 31 Oct 1825; Rockbridge Circuit Court, 25th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, Lexington, VA.
• Rockbridge County, Virginia. Will Records: Will Book 8 pp 445-446, Mark Taylor's Estate Settlement, 31 Dec 1830; Rockbridge Circuit Court, 25th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, Lexington, VA.
• Rockbridge County, Virginia. Will Records: Will Book 10, pp 306-307, Margaret Taylor's Assignment of Dower, 04 May 1846; Rockbridge Circuit Court, 25th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, Lexington, VA.
• Woodland Cemetery Office (Xenia, Ohio), undated plat, Citing Lindsey and Nancy Hogue, Section C Lot 3. The actual gravestone (viewed by Herstoryan, 2007) reads "Father Lindsey Hogue Born 07 Dec 1807 Died 10 Nov 1865, Mother Nancy Hogue Born 14 Jan 1815 Died 12 Mar 1873."

Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, digital image (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 09 November 2009), photograph, “gravestone for Margaret "Peggy" Amyx Taylor (1782-1850), Memorial No. 38583580, Records of the Woodland Cemetery, Xenia, Ohio;” photograph © John L. Poling.

Samuel Amyx, father of Margaret "Peggy" Amyx, was born (ante 1761) according to NSDAR Application #764909 A833 and #755397 A749. His date of death occured between the date of his Will and when it was presented to the court of Botetourt County, Virginia: wd 05 May 1818 / wp Jan 1819.  The Heritage book of Botetourt county lists his birth date as (1745). He was married (c. 1780 to Eleanor Hairston). She is listed as deceased in Samuel's Will written 05 May 1818 - "...it is my will that at my decease that there shall be a tombstone fixed at the head of your mother's grave..." Samuel Amyx was granted 395 acres of land on 07 Feb 1806 in Botetourt County as recorded in the book Annals of Southwest Virginia 1769-1800. He served in the American Revolution as a Private in Captain Pawlings Co. of Militia in the 16th District of Botetourt Co. VA. 

• NSDAR Application #764909 A833 and #755397 A749; Office of the Registrar General, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Washington, DC. 
• Botetourt County, Virginia. Will Records: Will Book C p 158, Original in Will Box 9 Folder A , Will of Samuel Amyx, wd 05 May 1818 / wp Jan 1819; Office of Clerk of Circuit Court, Fincastle, Virginia.
• Botetourt County, Virginia. Will Records: Will Box 9 Folder A , Estate of Samuel Amyx Appraisement, March 1819; Office of Clerk of Circuit Court, Fincastle, Virginia.
• Atkinson, Esther Noel. "Amyx Family." In Botetourt County, Virginia Heritage Book, 1770-2000. Botetourt Heritage Book Committe, compiler. Summersville, WV: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 2001. 
• Summers, Lewis Preston,. Annals of Southwest Virginia, 1769-1800, "First Surveys of Land in Botetourt County, Virginia." Abingdon, Va.: L.P. Summers, 1929. p 485
• Stoner, Robert Douthat. "Personnel of Botetourt County Companies as Districted." A Seed-Bed of the Republic. Roanoke, Virginia: Roanoke Historical Society, 1962. p 125. Print.
• Kegley, F. B. . Kegley's Virginia Frontier. Roanoke, Virginia: Southwest Virginia Historical Society, 1938. p 522. Print.

Matthew Amacks, father of Samuel Amyx, was born in 1715. [Atkinson] Some researchers believe him to be of German or Black Dutch origin. [Kegley, West] He settled on Welshman's Run in 1764 in Botetourt County, Virginia. [Kegley] His Will describes him as a yeoman and farmer of said county. He owned horses, sheep, hogs, and cattle which he divided between his sons Matthew and Samuel in his Will. Two more children are proven by his Will: oldest son James; and daughter, wife of James Smith. He is listed repeatedly in the Court Order Books of Botetourt County. He died in 1779 and his Will was presented in court  on 10 Apr 1779. (wife Mary)

• Atkinson, Esther Noel. "Amyx Family." In Botetourt County, Virginia Heritage Book, 1770-2000. Botetourt Heritage Book Committe, compiler. Summersville, WV: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 2001.
• Botetourt County, Virginia. Will Records: Will Book A, p 109, Will of M. Ammachs (listed therein as Matthew Emacks), wd 09 Mar 1776 / wp 10 Apr 1779; Office of Clerk of Circuit Court, Fincastle, Virginia.  
• Kegley, F. B. . Kegley's Virginia Frontier. Roanoke, Virginia: Southwest Virginia Historical Society, 1938. Print.
• West, Gloria Rice. The Roy E. and Gloria Rice West Family Heritage (http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/e/s/Gloria-Rice-West-OK/index.html: accessed 14 Nov 2009), "Matthew Amyx (b.1715-d.1779)." Also published by West in Amyx and Allied Ancestors. 1995. Print