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From: Merle C Rummel <>
Subject: Re: [BRE] William Toney, Sr. of Franklin County, Virginia
Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 21:04:25 -0400
References: <AANLkTinoNE39wwwZRwUztGUB5k_iBPHdHifOBR0MFZIE@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTinoNE39wwwZRwUztGUB5k_iBPHdHifOBR0MFZIE@mail.gmail.com>


> I am a descendant of a rather elusive ancestor known to many as William
> Toney, Sr. (see family line at end of email for approx. dates). There are
> many theories as to where he was born and when (some say New Kent County,
> Virginia and others say Buckingham County, Virginia). It has been said he
> was a member of the Blackwater Baptist Church in Franklin County, Virginia,
> and he was neighbors with some of the Brethren in Franklin County (including
> the Millers).
>
> I have read a few sources including *The Toney Family History* and *The
> Virginia Settlement or the Four Mile Church of the Brethren* by Merle
> Rummel. These sources have been of help and I have seen Merle is active
> with this listserv (thank you,Merle!).
>
> I am looking for any information the folks of this listserv may have and
> would be so appreciative if you are able to provide sources/citations for
> what you know (whenever possible). Some areas of particular interest: what
> was William's involvement with the Brethren? How did he come to participate
> in the Blackwater Baptist Church? What caused/spurred many of his children
> to migrate to Ohio and Indiana? To what extent was his family involved with
> the Brethren?
>
>

I had considerable correspondence with Gertrude Mann, historian of
Franklin Co VA, and ended up driving out there and visiting her, which
included a visit to the Blackwater valley, to the location of the Toney
homestead. I had a copy of the note by Chloe Niccum, written for her
cousin, James Toney, of Preble Co OH. Chloe having tended her
grandparents when elderly, at Harmon Toney's new house, and recalling
what her grandfather, Carey Toney Sr, had talked about. (Be aware -
Carey died before the Civil War, so his rememberances were all of
Virginia, even through some of the locales are now West Virginia.) I
also had collections of research on the family, done by several
individuals (including a major collection by Perry Toney, deceased, of
Michigan City IN), and had use of the Allen Co Library, Ft Wayne IN.

The original William Toney came to James City County, Virginia, in 1654
- as an indentured servant, having sold himself to get passage. He was
"a gambler and a dude" and won enough money enroute to buy back his own
indenture. He was fleeing the persecution of the Royalists by Oliver
Cromwell, following the collapse of the "Long Parliament" that year (16
year long - following the beheading of the king, Charles I Stuart). His
family seems to trace back to the de Toni family of the Invasion of
England in 1066 AD, although no direct lineage was found. They were
cousins of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, so were Royalists.
Most of Wililam Toney's descendants moved west into New Kent Co and then
on to the areas west of Richmond VA - which included Powhatan,
Goochland, Fluvania and Buckingham Co. I was able to trace two of the
son lines of the original William Toney, and other Toneys were living in
the same areas, almost certainly those of two of the other son lines
(one son moved north -I think it was Stafford Co - the de Staffords were
a brother line to the de Toni family - 1066 - possible connection? don't
know!)

William Toney Sr - of the Blackwater Valley - I was unable to find his
parentage or direct line. He was not the William, son of Edmund Toney
of Buckingham Co - since that William was found still in Buckingham Co,
when our William was on the Blackwater River. Gertrude Mann informed me
of the connection of William Toney and family to the Blackwater Chapel.
It seemed to be the church of most of the families of the area, which
included a number of Brethren. With Elder Jacob Miller living at the
gap, at the head of the Blackwater River, and his children marrying and
living below him, they all seem connected at the Blackwater Chapel.
Whether it originally was Baptist Brethren, I have not discovered, but,
undoubtedly, Elder Jacob preached there. The Toneys lived above the
chapel (west), but below the Lybrooks (dau of Elder Jacob), and their
lands extended north up the slopes of Cahas Mountain. I have no idea of
the religious affiliation of William Toney Sr. The Blackwater Chapel
was simply the local church, where all the neighbors attended.

John Toney, son of William Toney Sr, with a number of the siblings, went
into the "Virginia Mountains" (now Berkley and the Coal River in WVa) to
gather "sang" (ginseng). A summer's work could collect enough to buy a
farm "back east". There was an Indian Massacre (1784) and it was 10
years until any of the families ventured back down the New River/Kanawha
River (the Shawnee Indian Warpath). John built a brick houe at Glen
Lynn, Giles Co VA and never returned to the Mountains. He seems to have
lost all his children, an only son was born after the return to Glen
Lynn. Others lost spouses (husbands or wives) and an unknown number of
children. The twins (Carey Sr and Poindexter) settled at Blooming Rose
(probably the site of the massacre - Poindexter's first wife died here),
then as the children of Elder Jacob Miller and their families began to
move here from the Blackwater Valley to the Four Mile (Indiana-Ohio
State Line - Preble Co OH/Union Co IN), Carey and several others of his
brothers and sisters (including Jesse) came here also, to the Preble Co
side. Carey seems to have acquired here, lands that were bounty to his
twin brother Poindexter. (Poindexter fought at Point Pleasant - on the
Ohio River, with the Virginia militia. Both Carey and Poindexter were
members of the Bedford Militia that fought at Yorktown, in the
Revolution - I do understand these Ohio lands were from Poindexter, what
Carey may have had are unknown.)

John Lybrook, grandson of Elder Jacob Miller, after staying here in
Indiana Territory that first winter (1805) returned to Virginia and
married Frances Toney, daughter of Susannah Toney, and brought her
mother here with them. They lived right on the state line, just sought
of where IN227 crosses into Ohio. (next north of where John's father,
Philip Lybrook/mother Anna Miller lived). His brother, Jacob, lived
where 227 crossed. Susannah was the first of the Toney family to come
here. Carey and the others came with the next migration -about 10 years
later. Various of the children married into the Brethren families -
some in Virginia, some almost immediately after they arrived here - so
the attraction had to have started earlier.

In later years, many of Carey's children married into the Four Mile
Church families, although Carey, himself, was a charter member at the
Concord Church of Christ (where many of the Toney families - including
myself - are being buried). The Concord Church was a direct result of
the Great Revival, and the rejection resulting from Annual Meeting -
about which I've been doing a lot of writing!

The original William Toney would necessarily have been Church of
England. I suspect most of his children were also, since it was
required of them by a state church - and that was true in Virginia (a
Royal Colony), until only a few years before the Revolutionary War
(thats why so many early Brethren went on south into the Carolinas, and
didn't stop in Virginia until about 1770).

I would be interested if anyone knows more about the Blackwater Baptist
Chapel - it might have originally been Baptist Brethren - There are
several big Brethren Churches in that area now. And the Bowman Family,
who now (did) own the original Toney lands there, are Brethren.

Merle C Rummel

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