BLANKENSHIP[i]

Supplemental Information to "Windows Into Our Past A Genealogy of the Parsons Smith & Associated Families, Vol. 1 © 1996, compiled by Judy Parsons  Smith , page 225-227.

Arthur M. Blankenship

Arthur Blankenship , most likely the son of Norvell Blankenship , b. 1770, Chesterfield (or Amherst) County, Virginia; d. 1865, Lee County, VA; m.1st- 6 Sept 1794, by Edward Morgan  in Montgomery Co., VA[ii] to Mary Muncy[iii] , daughter of Samuel  & Mary (Scott) Muncy , b. ca. 1775, Augusta Co., VA; d. 1826-1827, Lee Co., VA; m2nd- 1827-1828, Lee Co., VA to Lavina (Munsey) Woodward , widow of William Henry Woodward , daughter of William  & Elizabeth Munsey , d. ca. 1833, Lee Co., VA, a young woman; m3rd- 13 July 1834, Lee Co., VA by Henry Thompson  (Methodist Minister) to Lavina Jane Burgin /Burgen , daughter of James  & Nancy (Ledington) Burgin , b. 1819.

Arthur followed this path of migration to Lee County , Virginia (based upon land transactions):

Lynchburg to ...
Bedford and Botetourt Counties to ...
Montgomery and Tazewell Counties to ...
Russell County to ...
Lee County

Arthur Blankenship  was a colorful individual.  Marrying thrice and rearing three large families.  His age at his death has been speculated to be anywhere from 93 to 112 years.  Arthur is found in Tazewell Co., in 1810 with 1 tithable and 2 slaves[iv].  He is on the 1792 and 1793 Tithables list of Russell Co., VA[v].

Arthur settled in Lee County and raised his families.  He and his wives are buried there.  Arthur was a hunter and trapper, a framer, a wheelwright, a blacksmith, tanner, and a miller.  He seems to have been a jack-of-all-trades and gifted in all areas of endeavor.  He was a God-fearing and generous man; shrewd in business yet helpful and kind to his neighbors. 

As other settlers passed by, his home, as they headed west, Arthur found himself in advantageous business position.  Settlers reaching his establishment were able to re-stock with meat, have their horses shod, wheels of their wagons were repaired for the journey ahead.  The pioneers heading to and through the Cumberland Gap were able to obtain information and advise from Arthur.  Those travelers who had tired of traveling were able to purchase available pieces of real estate from Arthur, which he seemed to always have available.

Arthur was a true pioneer. He became a wealthy individual, most likely due to his real estate dealings.  He was highly respected prominent individual in the community.  He made many contributions to the development of the county.

Arthu r & Mary Blankenship  had (8) eight children:

1.       Jeremiah Wilkerson Blankenship , b. 1795, Wythe Co., VA; d. 1873, Missouri; m. 1818, Lee Co., VA to Naomi Munsey. .  Went to Missouri at the age of 60, and settled in Polk County  
2.       Hezekiah Blankenship , b. 1797; d. prior to 1866.  Migrated and settled in Polk County , Missouri .
3.       Lydia Blankenship , b. 1799; d. 1884; m. John McElroy .
4.       Elizabeth Blankenship , b. 1802-1803, Tazewell Co., VA; d. Lee Co., VA; m. Elias Harber , son of Jeremiah  & Elizabeth Harbour .
5.       Mary Blankenship , b. 4 Apr 1807, Tazewell Co., VA; d. 2 Mar 1870, Lee Co., VA; m. George R. Ely .
6.       Josephus Blankenship , d. aft. 1820. (Mentally retarded and died unmarried.[vi]) Lived in Idaho and reared a family?[vii]
7.       Charles  Campbell Blankenship, b. 27 Oct 1820; m. 28 Jul 1838, Claiborne Co., TN to Susannah Little .  Charles C. Blankenship  was a Baptist Circuit Rider Preacher and a Lee County farmer.  He is listed as the first pastor of Cornith Baptist Church in Ben Hur, VA.
8.       Sarah Blankenship , b. abt. 1824-1826; m. John Pennington .

$          Lavina (Munsey)  & William Henry Woodward  had three (3) children:

 

- Jesse Shelton Woodward , d. 1880, Jamestown , IN ; m. 25 Feb 1838 to Susan Bray .

- Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Woodward , b. ca. 1814; m. abt. 1830-31 to Gassoway Carroll .

- William Pressley Woodward , b. 30 Sept 1816; d. 26 Jul 1899, Mooresville , IN ; m1st 1 Apr 1816 to Keziah Bray ; m2nd Ellen Thompson

Arthur  & Lavina (Muncy Woodward) Blankenship  had  (4) four children:

9.       Hettie Blankenship , b. abt. 1829; d. Union Co., TN; m. John Green , son of Robert  & Ely Ann (Drake) Green .
10.    Levisa (Louisa) Blankenship , b. abt. 1830; d. bef. 1866; m to Mr. Munsey .
11.    Benjamin F. Blankenship , b. 1832; m. abt 1856, Elizabeth Unknown .  Joined the Union Army and served in the West as a captain.
12.    Nancy Blankenship , b. abt. 1833-4; m. aft. 1850 Mitchell Barker

Arthur  & Lavina Jane (Burgin) Blankenship  had (7) seven children:

13.    Lavina Blankenship , b. 1835; m 1st 1856-60 to Joshua Deeds ; m 2nd to Hiram Jones .
14.    Louisa Blankenship , b. 4 Aug 1839; d. 26 Mar 1922; m. 1857 to Marquis Lafayette Yeary , b. 9 May 1837; d. 26 Mar 1922.  Marquis  & Louisa Yeary  died within hours of one another.
15.    John Blankenship,  b. 24 Dec 1840, Lee Co., VA; d.  8 Dec 1866, killed in Kentucky ; m. Ann Dees .  He served in the Union Army.
16.    Lettisha (Louvinia /Lorene ) Blankenship , b. 31 Jan 1843, Lee Co., VA; d. 23 Mar 1940, Arapaho, OK; m. 28 Mar 1867 to James Smith , b. 22 Sept 1841; d. 31 Aug 1919, Lee Co., VA.  Lettisha (Blankenship) Smith  moved to with some of her children to Oklahoma after her husbands’ death.
17.    Catherine Blankenship , b. 22 Nov 1846, Lee Co., VA.
18.    Leitia Blankenship , b. 30 Jan 1849, Lee Co., VA; d. 23 Mar 1940, Clinton, OK; m. 24 Mar 1867 to James Smith , son of Elisha  & Cynthia Smith , b. 1843.
19.    Elvira Blankenship , b. 5 Jul 1853, Lee Co., VA; d. 15 Jan 1859, 5 yrs, 6 mos., 10 days, killed by a cow.

The mother/s of these two (2) additional sons are unknown:[viii]

20.    Archibald Blankenship  
21.    George Blankenship .  Nothing further is known about him.

James Burgin , father of Lavina Jane Burgin , was one of the signers of the petition to form Lee County , Virginia in 1792.

Lavina Blankenship

13.  Lavina Blankenship , daughter of Arthur  & Lavina Jane (Burgin) Blankenship,  b. 1835; m 1st 1856-60 to Joshua Deeds ; m 2nd to Hiram Jones .

Hiram  & Lavina (Blankenship)(Deeds) Jones  had a daughter:

13.1.   Luticia “Lucy” Jones , m. to W.E.N. Taylor .

Luticia “Lucy” Jones

13.1.  Luticia “Lucy” Jones , daughter of Hiram  & Lavina (Blankenship)(Deeds) Jones , m. to W.E.N. Taylor

W.E.N . & Luticia “Lucy” (Jones) Taylor  had a son:

13.1.1.  Hiram Lyttle “Hoot Owl” Taylor Sr ., b. 1893; d. 1968

[i] “The Blankenship Family History”, by Col. Leslie C. Blankinship, pp. 18-21; 50-55; 66-73 and “Chesterfield County, Virginia Wills 1749-1774”, abstracted and compiled by Benjamin B. Weisiger, III  
[ii] Montgomery County Marriages, Register A, p. 353.
[iii] “A Brief of Wills and Marriages of Montgomery and Fincastle Cos., VA (1733-1811)” by Anne Lowry Worrell, 1976 (reprint).  
[iv] Tazewell County , Virginia Tax List 1810.
[v] “Early Russell County Tax Lists, Personal Property Tax - Upper District
[vi] Early Settlers of Lee County Virginia, Vol II. “Blankenship section”  
[vii - viii] “The Blankenship Family History”, by Col. Leslie C. Blankinship, p. 55