Scrapbook Memories by June Presley
Taken from Scott County historical
Society
Scott County, Virginia
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vaschs2/june_presley.htm
This is a website filled with
wonderful family recollections. I have
lifted only the information that relates to my tree. My great-great-great grandfather, John
Quillin, married Rebecca Lawson. After
her death, John married Martha Jewel and raised another young family. Many thanks to the Jewel family for
preserving these memories.
Martha Jewel Quillen and the Jewel Family pp. 3-5 of
12 pages
Recorded by Wayne V. McConnell in 1993
Page 3
(starting at the bottom)
Martha was married to John W.
Quillen, Sr., on March 31, 1863. It is
likely that John and Martha had been acquainted for a few years. The David Webb family was living on a farm
located within a quarter of a mile from John's farm. These properties are in the section of Scott
County known as Alley Valley. The Quillen farm is on Route 619, and is 3.4
miles from the intersection of this road with Route 71 in Gate City. Martha Jewel, her mother (Martha A.), and her
Page 4
brother (William) probably
lived in this same community since about 1860, and it is thought that during at
least part of this time they lived with the Webb family. My anut, Bertha Starnes, told me that it had
been related to her that John Quillen met Martha when she was living at the
home of her sister (Louisa Webb).
John W. Quillen was born in
Surry County, North Carolina in 1793. He
was a son of Teague Quillen V and Peggy Nation.
At about the time of John's birth, Teague sold his land in North
Carolina and moved into a section of Russell County, Virginia which is now a
part of Scott county. He bought four
tracts of land on the waters of Obey, Copper, and Plank Creeks. Thus, John probably lived almost all of his
life on the land that Teague had purchased in Virginia. He married Rebecca Lawson in 1814. They had nine children. Their sons were named Anderson, Martin Bird,
Thomas M., James H., Henry, Ira, and Jackson.
Their daughters were Polly and Nancy.
These children and their descendants became recognized as leaders in
Scott County in business and professional fields and as prominent farmers and
educators. By 1860, all of their
children had their own families and domiciles; only John and Rebecca remained
at the home place. It would appear that
they had lived during their entire married life on a farm which was part of the
previously mentioned land purchased by Teague Quillen. The title for this property was transferred
from Teague to his son, John (the first son of a second marriage to Martha
Jewel), in 1846. Rebecca died in
January, 1861.
It was about two years after
Rebecca's death that John and Martha Jewel were married. They made their home on John's farm. This was during the Civil War, a time when
there was continual crises and turbulence. One can imagine the challenge faced by a
70-year old man and a 27-year old woman as they operated their large farm. The war would have greatly reduced the farm
labor force. This challenge became
greater as the children began to arrive.
John W., Jr. was born in 1865, Peggy in 1866, and Elizabeth (Betsy) in
1868. It may also be noted that in about
the same time frame, Louisa Webb gave birth to Rebecca (1861), Ira D. (1865),
Elizabeth (1868), and Robert Lee (1871).
(Robert Lee Webb was the father of Jewel Webb Jones). With their
apparent close family bond, one might surmise that Louisa and Martha would have
spent much time together helping each other as they reared their young
children. Further assistance probably
came from their mother, Martha A., who was still in the area. It is likely that Martha A. shuffled back and
forth between Louisa's and Martha Quillen's households depending where she was
needed the most. It is probable that
these three women served as each other's councilors, encouragers, nurses,
doctors, and teachers for several year.
Another person who may have been present to assist was Sally
Edwards. As noted before, she had lived
with the Jewel family in North Carolina, and she may have moved with them to
Scott County. It is known that she
married William R. Hammonds in Scott County in 1869. Sally and her husband resided in the Alley
Valley section near the Quillen and Webb residences.
John Quillen wrote his will
in October, 1869. he "bequeathed to
my dear wife, Martha," for possession during her natural lifetime, or
until she remarried, the tract of land (about 150 acres) on which they lived
and another adjoining parcel of land containing about three acres (where their
spring was located) and other appurtenances on these properties. (The property described here would not be all
of the property deed to John from his father, Teague. Their property described in this will was
bounded on one side by Plank Creek and extended in an easterly direction toward
and beyond their farmhouse, the chimney of which was still standing in 1993.)
In addition, he bequeathed to Martha their farming equipment, tools, furniture,
and all household items (dishes, cooking utensils, large kettles, books,
spinning equipment, etc.). She was to
receive two cows, eight sheep, eight hogs, one "good" workhorse, and
forage and crops which would be present at the time of his death. Martha was also to possess all of the personal
property which belonged to her before their marriage (quoted in the will as
"a portion of which was brought to my house, and the remainder left with
her mother"). Upon Martha's death,
these possessions were then bequeathed
Page 5
"to my son, John W.
Quillen, daughters, Peggy C. Quillen and Betsy Quillen, children of my second
marriage, and any other legal heirs" born to Martha after the writing of
the will. John owned real estate and
personal property other than that bequeathed to Martha. He directed that these other possessions were
to be sold and the proceeds distributed equally among the heirs of his first
marriage. More heirs were born after
John's will had been written. Eliza
arrived in 1870 and Charles F. in December of 1871.
John Quillen, Sr. died in
1872 - probably in March or early April.
The time of his death is based on the recording of his will on April 9,
1872. At this time, Martha found herself
in a difficult world where she would be a widow at the age of 36 with a farm to
manage and with five young children, all under seven years old. The youngest, Charles Fairbanks, was a very
young baby born on December 27, 1871.
