a letter

aunt minerva collection

from Patricia W. Surface, 401 Surface Drive, Tazewell, Virginia 24651

Jan 14 1992

Dear Minerva

I was glad to hear from you, but sorry to hear about your fall. I trust that your injuries are not serious or permanent. We will be happy to recieve the book when it comes. Our library has a vertical file in which they keep family histories. (manuscripts.). Our Tazewell County Historical Society has also recently started a file. Actually, we have the filing cabinent and soemone is supposed to be indexing the few manuscripts we have recieved.

We have recently had the back issues of our newsletters bound in volumes by year. 1988's is $10 because there are only 3 issues in it, 1989 is $12, and 1990 is also $12. I am going to go ahead and send you the one for 1989 because it contains an article on The James Maxwell family, which shouild be of specail interest to you. It is written by Cora Bertram of Fort Worth, Texas. I did a lot of work for her, and still am as I find things, and this is part of what I found. The deed she refers to in which David & Margaret Whitley & others sell land to Margaret's sister, Mary, won't photocopy. I hand copied it and I will send you a photo copy of that soon. I have never found a marriage record of Mary Maxwell (daughter of James & Jane Roberts Maxwell.) to Audley Campbell (or anyone else.) I did find one in Wythe County of Audley Campbell to someone else. I suspect there was not a marriage to Mary, but there was a son (called Maxwell Campbell). also Campbell Maxwell. Which is why (I believe) the sistesr and their husbands gave their part of this tract of land to Mary. She is never called Mary Campbell-always Mary Maxwell.

This deed shows that some of the printed information in both Pendleton's and Harmon's is incorrect.

I spent one hour at the courthouse yesterday and I found that Marriage Book 1 page 2 has this:

25 April 1804 William Maxwell married Mary Witten. (This is also foundin Harman's Annals.)

Tazewell Marriage Book 3 page 50 Oct. 3 1878: Witten Maxwell, age 73, widowed, married Sally Carter, age 48, single. both born & reside in Tazewell Co, VA. his parents are Jas. and Polly Maxwell. Her parents not given. his occupation: mechanic. married by Wm. B. Oney

On the 1870 Census Index I found Pollie Maxwell, 81, Maiden Spring, Tazewell Co. p. 301 I plan to look that up. I suspect that is James Maxwell's widown, Polly Witten Maxwell.

I have ordered the Tazewell County, VA Death Records as found on the Bureau of Vital Statistics Microfilm. This usually takes several weeks, but I am hoping that both James & Mary (Polly) Witten Maxwell's deaths may be recorded along with the names of their parents. (they are not recorded in ARCHIVES OF PIONEERS OF TAZEWELL CO. VA by Nettie Schreines-Yantis.) I looked up a number of deeds yesterday and found among them:

DEED BOOK 14 p. 579 # Dec 1874 Patton R. Sprocher, Commissioner to Witten Maxwell by decree of court in cause of AS Peery vs. Wm. L. Davis's executors & heirs & Witten Maxwell against same-rendered 6 Oct. 18701-land sold by Davis to Witten Maxwell in Baptist Valley.

DEED BOOK 15 p. 80 (land described above)- 20 acres from Witten Maxwell to FM Maxwell 12 Oct. 1871. $200.00

5. DEED BOOK 15 p. 245 29 Sept. 1873 Witten Maxwell to Mary J. Maxwell both of Tazewell Co. for $200.00 paid by labor, Witten Maxwell doth grant convey to Mary J. Maxwell one black mare one mule coalt four head of cows farming tools household and kitchen furniture and 14 head of sheep and one loom. Witten X Maxwell

In THE 1860 TAZEWELL COUNTY CENSUS #1255 Witten Maxwell, age 55, farmer, Alice Maxwell age 54, Mary J. Maxwell, age 25, all born in VA.

In the 1880 CENSUS of TAZEWELL COUNTY 88th Dist. #126 Maxwell Witten age 75, miller, VA; SAllie, age 50, wife, keeping house; Wise, Mollie, age 8, bound; all born in VA.

1880 CENSUS TAZEWELL CO. 88th Dist. #402 Francis Maxwell, age 43, farmer, VA; Evaline, age 45, wife,keeping house; Nancy, age 15, dau.; Albert age 14, son; John, age 12, son; Geroge, age 6, son; Sallie, age 4, dau.; & Jane Maxwell, 50, sister in law, keep house. (note to side: Francis & Mary Jane are children of Witten & Alice Maxwell. Mary Jane went to live with Francis.)

Maiden Spring Dist. #9 Henry E. Maxwell, age 44, Miller; Nancy, 35, wife, keeping house; George, age 10, son, farmer; Hugh, age 8, son; Alice, age 6, dau.; Mary, age 4, dau.; Sallie, age 2, dau. all born in VA.

88th Dist. #189 James Maxwell, age 44, farmer; Amelia A, age 28, wife; Jounda, age 7, dau.; Maggie J., age 58, dau.; Hohn H., age 2, son; Mary, 2/12, dau. all born in VA. (note to side: If this one belongs to Witten Maxwell then the 1870 Census copy enclosed does not. but I think the other one does & this does not.)

Mrs. Virginia Gillespie died a few months ago. My sister-in-law was a good friend of hers. Her nieces are friends of mine. One, Goldine, was the wife of Jeff Higgenbothane (?) who gave the land for our museum. They have had some very serious illnesses in their families recently, but I will see what they can tell me about this Maxwell family a little later.

I just sent your library copies of two of our Albums. I also sent a Dec. 1991 Newsletters from our Tazewell County Historical Society. It has James C. Maxwell's obituary. I will have to send a correction to our editors note: Robert Maxwell was NOT the father of James Maxwell. At least, not the one (Robert) who married Margaret Bates. We added that before I had done this research.

I will be glad to make copies of any of these records you want copies of.

The amount for this packet is $10.00. 1 hr. at Courthouse, $12 back issues of Historical Society Newsletter. 60 cents copies. Plus what postage is on this package. No hurry.

I plant to look at the Clinch Valley News for 1894 to see if there is an obituary for Witten Maxwell, or other account, at least, of his death. I will write again shortly.

Fondly- Pat Surface