Table of Contents -Volume II


CHAPTER 1

 

WILLIAM EWING (1775-1858)



Ewing Family Lineage: John-James


          As explained earlier, this work covers only descendants of James' two sons. Having arrived at the point in the EWING STORY when the lives of the third and subsequent generations start to unfold, the numbering system begins, with the 22 combined children of John and William numbered consecutively 1 to 22, in proper order, and their families are all grouped under that number.

          The first of the 22 was John's eldest, William II. He was born 2 March 1775, on Stony Creek when it was in Augusta County. He and his next younger sister, Susannah, were baptized at the same time, on 17 December 1776, the day circuit rider, Reverend William GRAHAM came to the settlement. William was the only one of all of the 22 children to live and die in Pocahontas County. He stayed on at the Stony Creek place after Indian John and the rest left in 1801, his brother, John Smith EWING , remaining also, for a time.

           Uncle Billy, as he was called by most, and Stumpy Bill by others, was a bachelor half his life. Next door, or that is, the next farm over, lived his "cousins", the Johnsons. James JOHNSON had married Sarah BEATTY on 31 December 1812. Sarah, born 1782, was James' third wife, and they had two daughters. Prior to that James had been married to Elizabeth HUGHES. One of his sons by Elizabeth was William JOHNSON .

          James died sometime before 24 October 1818. On that date, William, his son took out a bond to marry Mary LAMB. Giving her consent for the marriage was his stepmother, Sarah (BEATTY) JOHNSON. The witness to her consent was William EWING.

          At sometime not long after (no marriage record has come to light), William EWING, over 45, and the widow Sarah were married.

          William and Mary (LAMB) JOHNSON were the progenitors of a large number of JOHNSONS (and SHARPS through the marriage of their daughter, Sarah, to James SHARP ) who lived in Pocahontas.

          Many of these JOHNSON and SHARP descendants, and others, knew they were EWINGS, but they always figured it was from Indian John through his son, William. But William died childless. Now it becomes obvious that their EWING blood has to be from James' unknown daughter through her marriage to John JOHNSON, Sarah (BEATTY) JOHNSON EWING'S father-in-law. On 1 April 1821, Indian John added a codicil to his will which indicates that his 195 acres on Stony Creek had been in dispute all the year since he petitioned the government for title, probably about 1790. "Whereas I have by decree of Court in the Commonwealth of Virginia obtained in my name a title of and for ......" the 195 acres which by the codicil went to William.

          Though William and Sarah were childless themselves, they apparently had others with them at varying times. When William's brother, John Smith EWING, moved out in 1824, a son, James, stayed behind and made his home with William and Sarah until he married and moved to Nicholas County. At least one of Sarah's daughters were with them. She may be the Eliza JOHNSON of the 1850 and subsequent census, though her age given in each does not confirm that.

          Sarah JOHNSON, William and Mary (LAMB) JOHNSON'S daughter, was there when she married John SHARP in 18 for Price says she was "living on Jericho Road, the old Ewing place, present home of Loy SHARP."

          In 1850, in a place which had once teemed with EWINGS, William and Sarah were the only EWINGS by that name listed in the entire Pocahontas County census.

          That year William was listed as a farmer, worth $600. Listed with them as a farm hand was one Cornelius VAN RIENAN, one of a group of settlers from the Netherlands who immigrated to Pocahontas County in the 1840s.

          (I have a note to add to that: Cornelius VAN RIENAN was a witness to William's will. VAN RIENAN's descendants are rampant in Pocahontas County.)

          Uncle Billy's will was drawn 16 March 1858, when he was eight days past 83. All his real estate, including the home place, went to this nephew, James EWING (3-3), then living in Nicholas County, except that the real estate would not pass to James or his heirs until after Sarah's death. (But apparently it did.)

          In consideration of the bequest, James was to pay to Uncle Billy's brother, Andrew, on order, $25. I wonder if that was compensation to Andrew, the only son of Indian John then living, for not having received anything under the terms of Indian John's will.

          To Sarah went everything else - "horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, household and kitchen furniture and all iron casting, including sugar kettle, together with all my farming utensils." She was also to get two bonds, one on John SMITH for $25, and one on John MOORE for $28.18, "to and for the sole use and behoof of my said wife forever."

          William directed that there should be no appraisement or sale of his personal estate. Isaac MOORE was appointed executor and John J. GAY and C.B. VAN RIENAN were witnesses.

          William died 3 June 1858. He is buried at Duffield Cemetery near Marlinton, West Virginia. Sarah, 78 at the time of William's death, lived to be over 88 years old. She is listed in the 1860 census as 79, Post Office Edray, worth $1,500 in real estate and $425 in personal property. With her was Eliza JOHNSON, 25. (A daughter would have to have been at least 42 in 1860.)

           In the 1870 census, Sarah was 88, in Lincoln Township, Edray. Her worth at that time was 0 and $100, which may mean that James had taken over ownership of the real estate. Eliza was still with her but had dropped a year instead of gaining 10 since 1860 and was only 24. The latter's occupation: keeping house.

          Sarah died between 1870 and 1880 census and is buried, as Uncle Billy, in the Duffield Cemetery - no dates were listed.

          NO ISSUE


Top of Page