Gloucester County PEYTONs

This is from "SELDON and Kindred of Virginia" by Edna Mae Seldon, 1941, page 133: "Dr. Valentine PEYTON ... daughter, Elizabeth Washington PEYTON ..." when PEYTON researchers believed that the PEYTON family of Northern Virginia was descended from the Gloucester County, Virginia PEYTONs. Later genealogical research has discounted that theory.

The Genealogy of the PEYTON family of Gloucester County, Virginia is included in Reverend Horace Edwin Hayden's 1891 genealogy, "PEYTON, of England and Virginia," on pages 468 through 479.

Dr. Valentine PEYTON and his family appear on page 45 of PEYTONs Along the Aquia. According to recent genealogies, the father-in-law of Elizabeth Washington PEYTON was Governor Patrick HENRY. Elizabeth's second husband was Reverend George PATTERSON.

Mary Howe PEYTON, her father John PEYTON, and their PEYTON family appear on page 60, of PEYTONs Along the Aquia.

Jeremiah Peyton

I received the following information from a reader of both of my PEYTON family books. She discovered that we are related through my fifth great grandmother Nancy PEYTON born 1751, who was the sister of her third great grandfather Jeremiah PEYTON born 1753. She descends through Jeremiah's grandson, Henry "Harvey" PEYTON, born about 1834.

"Jeremiah had Jeremiah, Jr. in 1791, Jeremiah, Jr. had Henry (sometimes referred to as Harvey) in 1832, Henry/Harvey had Adolphus in 1874, Adolphus had Edgar Carl Peyton, my father, in 1914. My father was one of 18 children, obviously all Peytons!! ... In addition to John W. and Adolphus, my records show there was a brother named James Henry born in 1861, a brother Amos born in 1864, a brother Howard Franklin born in 1866, a brother Walter Robert born in 1884 and a sister Luemma S. born in 1876."

Her research accounts for the following children to Henry "Harvey" PEYTON who appears on page 159 of  PEYTONs Along the Aquia.

• James Henry PEYTON born in 1861.


• John W. PEYTON born about 1863 in Virginia.


• Amos PEYTON born in 1864.


• Howard Franklin PEYTON born in 1866.


• Adolphus PEYTON born 1874, had 18 PEYTON children, including her father Edgar Carl PEYTON.


• Luemma S. PEYTON born in 1876.


• Walter Robert PEYTON born in 1884.

Overwharton Parish Register

The Register of Overwharton Parish, Stafford County, Virginia

In 1961, noted Virginian genealogist George Harrison Sanford King made a transcription of Stafford County, Virginia's Overwharton Parish Register, pages 92, 93, containing PEYTON - PAYTON names. All of the names appearing on this snipped view are documented in the genealogy book, PEYTONs Along the Aquia where their lineage is traced back to 16th century England and before.

• RACHEL PAYTON - see pages 91 of  PEYTONs Along the Aquia.
• CHARLES PAYTON - see - pages 91, 126.
• ANNE PEYTON - see pages 42, 64, 66, 76, 79, 81, 108.
• ELEANOR PEYTON - see pages 43, 207.
• ELIZABETH PEYTON - see page 43.
• PHILIP PEYTON - see pages 92 - 95.
• VALENTINE PEYTON - see pages 93, 130 - 132.
• JEREMIAH PEYTON - see pages 91, 127, 128.
• NANCY PAYTON - see pages 91, 129, 130.
• JOHN PEYTON - see pages 28, 41 - 45.

Note: Nancy PAYTON and John and Ureth PAYTON are my ancestors. Image snipped from Ancestry.com.

John Rowzee Peyton of Montgomery County

HISTORY OF BECKLEY AND RALEIGH COUNTY - Early Settlers of Raleigh County, West Virginia: The following by Judge W. A. Riffe appeared in the Beckley Post-Herald Centennial Edition on August 26, 1950.

PEYTON, John Rowzee - A native of Montgomery County, Va., he settled in the Marshes in 1845. He was related to the Madison, Preston, Breckinridge, and Floyd families. A large man weighing over 300 pounds, he was well educated and an original and entertaining conversationalist of humorous temperament. He owned fine farms in Trap Hill District and engaged in farming, stock raising and trading. He entered the Confederate service in 1861 and was attached to a regiment of the Stonewall Brigade. He participated in the Battle of First Manassas and later was detailed for recruiting service in Southwest Virginia. Peyton was murdered from ambush in 1862 by some Confederate deserters on Bent Mountain in Roanoke County, Va. while on his way to Floyd County.

According to Reverend Horace Edwin Hayden's 1891 genealogy, "PEYTON, of England and Virginia," on pages 552, 553, John Rowzee PEYTON was born 6 December 1806, in Montgomery County, Virginia. John Rowzee PEYTON appears with his parents on page 122, of "Peytons Along the Aquia", where his descent from the PEYTONs of early Colonial Virginia and England is documented. Reverend Hayden described his war service and his death and reported that, although married, he left no descendants.

Charles Peyton of Culpeper

The marriage record of Ephraim PEYTON to Mary F. BREEDEN is of record in 1889, Madison County, Virginia, and census records record their children as Cora L. PEYTON (born 1891), Bessie L. PEYTON (born 1893), Andrew B. PEYTON (born 1895) and Ephraim PEYTON (born 1899). Ephraim's parents were documented as James and Mahaly PEYTON. James PEYTON born about 1825, his wife "Haley" lived in Green County, Virginia, where their children were born. The 1830, 1840 and 1850 Census records of Orange and Greene Counties, Virginia, indicate that James was the child of Ephraim and Elizabeth PEYTON and I assume it is he who is one of the two teenaged males ages 10 to 19, in the household of Elizabeth PEYTON, age 40-49, in the 1840 Census of Greene County, Virginia. Ephraim PEYTON was not found, so I assume that he had died between 1830 and 1840.

Who were the parents of Ephraim PEYTON born between 1800-1810, with connections to Orange County, Virginia? I have found no proof connecting him with a family, but location evidence suggests he would have been a grandson of George PEYTON on pages 107 - 111 of "Peytons Along the Aquia." The one son of George PEYTON of whom we know almost nothing is #192 - Charles PEYTON on page 110 of said genealogy book. I no longer believe that Charles had moved on to Missouri, and Indiana (that was another Charles Peyton). I suspect that Charles PEYTON, son of George PEYTON, is possibly the father of Ephraim PEYTON who died before 1840 in Greene County, Virginia.

Descendants of this line should do further research to confirm this connection. On the 1840 Census of Culpeper County, Virginia, Sarah PEYTON, age 80-90, (born 1750-1760) had living with her a couple aged 40-50 (born 1790-1800). On 6 August 1841, in Fredericksburg, Virginia newspaper, "Political Arena", page 3, column 3. Sarah, Benjamin and John PEYTON advertised property for sale. Identifying the people named in these records may further elucidate this PEYTON lineage of Greene and Orange Counties.

The Northern Neck of Virginia

Ancestral Home of the Peyton Family

Photograph of Popes Creek, Virginia

"Across the ocean, meanwhile, developments were taking place that would have a tremendous impact on the Northern Neck. In 1649 Charles I was executed, and Cromwell ascended to power. At the time, Charles II was in exile. In 1649 he made a grant of the Northern Neck territory to certain of his loyal subjects (much as the monarchy had earlier granted Pennsylvania to William Penn and Maryland to Lord Baltimore). Three years later, 100 men signed the Northumberland Oath—ninety-nine of them gathered at Chickacoan to do it—pledging support of an England "without Kings or House of Lordes," although privately, no doubt, many felt otherwise. When Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, his land grant took effect, shakily at first, but clouding ownership of the newly settled territory nevertheless. During the next century, this Northern Neck Proprietary became a source of power, and huge land holdings were achieved by those who served as its agents, overseeing and collecting quitrents on the Proprietary-patented land."  History of the Northern Neck

See pages 17 through 22 of PEYTONs Along the Aquia Genealogy, where the arrival on Virginia's Northern Neck of the Colonial PEYTONs of Aquia is documented along with their connection to Charles I and Charles II. In addition, "Peyton, of Stafford and Westmoreland County, Va." begins on page 480, of Reverend Horace Edwin Hayden's 1891 genealogy: PEYTON, of England and Virginia.

For more genealogical research on the Northern Neck of Virginia see Northumberland County, Virginia at FamilySearch.

The Haunted Aquia Church

"Stairways to the Belfry" photograph by Edna Barney

Aquia Church dates from February 17th, 1754 when it was severely damaged by fire, three days before the completion of its construction. The haunting of the church began with a murder more than two hundred years ago.

"A young woman was violently murdered by one or more highway men. She was murdered in the chapel and her body was hidden in the belfry. The chapel was not in use and it was several years before her body was found. Her skeletal remains with her long golden hair were discovered and the legend began. Her blood stains where visible of the floor boards for 100 years, until a new cement floor was put in the early 20th century. The most common reported phenomenon is the loud sounds of a struggle, the sound of running up and down the belfry stairs, and the appearance of a terrified woman standing at a window."

Story from "The Haunted Aquia Church"