Edna Vineyard
History Sheet
Recorded by Nancy Quillin Long
9 Oct 2023
Edna was born on 23 Jun 1832 to George Vineyard, Jr. (1793-1860)
and Hannah Hart Vineyard (1802-1882). She was the second child of seven. She
lived during a time of change for America. Her grandfather, George Vineyard,
Sr., was a private in the Continental Line in the Revolution. His grave is
marked by the Carter’s Port Chapter of DAR. The young nation began its transformation
and experienced many growing pains. Edna lived during a difficult time as the
nation grew divided and erupted into a Civil War. These would not have been
easy years to experience.
At the age of 17, Edna married Ira D. Quillin on 18 Oct 1849
in Scott County, Virginia. Their marriage was documented in Dodd, Jordan R., et
al. Early American Marriages: Virginia to 1850. Jordan Dodd is a reliable
source. They married shortly before the 1850 census so in 1850, when all
members of the household are listed, Edna is found with Ira Quillin and her
first born child, Hanna. They are found in the Western District of Scott County,
Virginia living very near Ira's father and mother, John and Rebecca (Lawson)
Quillin. Ira's brother, Thomas, lives nearby, as does John's (Ira’s father)
brother, Thomas, and his wife. Edna's parents also lived in the area.
The birth of their son and my great-grandfather, Beverly
Johnson Quillin, is recorded in The Register of Births in the Charles Addington
District of Scott County, Va. Line 26. B.J.
was born on 18 Feb 1850 in Fowlers Branch. Ira and Edna would have 6 children
together. Some family trees have a 7th child, Henry?, which I have
never been able to confirm, but my DNA continues to show trees that have Henry
listed as their last child born in 1868.
My problem with that is I had a living relative reference for
Edna, Robert “Bob” Haskell Quillen, who lived and maintained the Quillin
cemetery in Bristol VA, and he never once mentioned a son named Henry. I have written a great deal about my
correspondence and connection with Bob about information he had on Edna and
Ira.
My second problem with Henry as a child is the fact that
Robert “Bob” Haskell Quillin said that “a Mr. Joel Shelley” from the Bristol
area had witnessed Ira laying dead on the Battlefield near Manassas during the
Civil War and that would have been sometime about 1863 or 1864. Mr. Shelley
said that they had to leave Ira’s body on the battlefield, so they covered it
with a coat.
I feel oddly connected to Edna, as if I knew her, because of
Bob. He went out to the old family homestead and retrieved Edna’s potbelly
stove front and mounted it for me. When Bob and Barbara, his wife, travelled
the Hill Country of Texas in the mid-1990s, he presented this gift to me. It
makes Edna very ‘real’ since Bob remembers his grandfather, Patton Presley
talking about his brother Beverly Johnson Quillin (Edna’s son and my great
grandfather). Bob often said that his dad Willie Quillin, son of Patton, also
spoke about how much he missed B. J. and how they had wanted B.J to come back
as they loved him and missed him. It appeared the B.J. was a family favorite,
but Bob said that B.J. never returned.
Most of Edna’s adult history has been recorded with Ira D
Quillin’s history. (refer to Ira D Quillin’s information)
Edna is often referred to as Edna C. Quillin. I have not seen
the name for the “C”, but I can speculate that her middle name was most likely
Campbell because her grandmother was Mary Campbell (1772-1843) who married
George Vineyard, Sr. (1793-1860).
Edna and Ira are listed in the 1860 census in Estiville,
Scott Co. VA, with the following children: Hannah, Polly, Beverly J, Cicero C,
Patton P. There is a young boy by the name of Oliver McNutt age 14 living with
them. I believe he is the son of Robert M McNutt and Mary. I do not know why
Oliver is living with Ira, but Robert McNutt's Obit said that he had been ill
for some time. Many times back in that era, family or close friends would kick
in to help in times of trouble. Also living nearby are several Hart families. Edna’s mother
was Hanna Hart who married George Vineyard Jr.
Edna and Ira would have lived in a turbulent time with the
Civil War erupting. I was told that Ira D. served in the confederate army and
that he died during the Civil War of a fever and his body was left somewhere near
Manassas, Virginia. I have yet to find any Civil War records of Ira D Quillin. Because of the above information, I have
always listed Ira’s death as somewhere around 1863.
In 1870, Edna “Edney” is found in the census for Fulkerson,
Scott Co. VA. Her estate is fairly substantial with her personal estate value
at 500 and her real estate value at 1200. She would have been better situated
than some of her neighbors. In her household are listed: Polly A, Beverly J,
Cicero C, Patton, and now adding to the family, Ira D Jr 7 years old, and Henry??
2 years old. I keep wondering if Ira took in Henry because of another family’s
complications or if Henry was actually Ira D Sr.’s child. Therefore, I must assign an alternate death
date of Ira as 1868. There are several Hart families living in the area.
By the end of 1870, Edna has remarried. On 1 October 1870, Edna
married Wilson Barker. Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 FHL Film Number 337187
Reference ID 337187.
In 1880, Edna and Wilson are found in Fulkerson, Scott Co.
VA. Edna now has 2 more sons, Wilson and James by Wilson Barker. Also still
living in their household are Edna and Ira’s children; Cicero 25, Patton P 19,
Martha 16. Living nearby are members of the Ketron family and the Hart family.
On 4 Feb 1890, Edna’s son Cicero drowned in the Clinch
River. This must have been a great heartbreak for Edna. There are no censuses
for 1890 so there is a period of time that information about Edna will be
difficult to uncover. Edna died before 1900, as I discovered that Wilson Barker
remarried on 8 Jan 1900 to Mary McLenon. There is good documentation on the
Barker family.
Edna passed away before 1900, evidenced by the marriage of
Wilson Barker to his second wife, Mary Mclenon on 8 Jan 1900 in Scott County,
VA.
