Bio: William Sharp, Sr. - Pocahontas County Pioneer "Lest We Forget" by Rebecca Ann Sharp. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Becky Sharp, E-mail address: <sharpminds@aol.com> *********************************************************************** This file was submitted by Becky Sharp,E-mail address: <sharpminds@aol.com> The submitter is a fourth great granddaughter to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm *********************************************************************** PREFACE Sources: This biography contains selected excerpts from History of Pocahontas County 1981 published by Pocahontas County Historical Society and Price's History of Pocahontas County published in 1901. Christine Wilfong Naughton, a gggg granddaughter of William Sharp Sr., Charles Herbert Sharp, ggggg grandson and an ordained minister of the Church of Latter Day Saints, and Carl James Sharp, another gggg grandson have contributed significantly to genealogical research on this branch of the Sharp family in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Supplemented with independent research, much from Library of Virginia's Colonial Records Project archives, as well as various oral family sources. Note: This biography attempts to trace the Sharp name in Pocahontas County primarily through the male descendants of William Sharp Sr. Prior to 1750 the surname Sharp most frequently appears as Sharpe, the original English spelling. From many records, it appears William Sr. dropped the E, which did appear on records referencing his parents. It should be noted that a separate Sharp family in Pocahontas County is descended from John Sharp Sr. who married Margaret Blaine. Price reports that he was born in Tyrone, Ireland and came with PA/NJ Scotch- Irish immigrants to Virginia and to Pocahontas County in 1802. They settled in the Frost vicinity of Pocahontas County and are seen in some references as "Dutch" John Sharp. However current researchers think that this John Sharp, Sr. may be a relation of William Sharp, Sr. through his younger orphaned brother. As with all genealogical endeavors, this is a work in progress, and as such contains missing, incomplete, and at times inaccurate information which further research may correct or expound upon. Readers who have contributory information may contact the author via email at <SharpMinds@aol.com>. This effort is dedicated to the memory of my father Austin McCoy Sharp, (3/13/1920 - 6/1/2000), who instilled in me a strong sense of history, a love of Pocahontas County, and the importance of our family roots. WILLIAM SHARP SR. - POCAHONTAS COUNTY PIONEER "LEST WE FORGET" The footprints of the name of Sharp have been indelibly imprinted on this land before the Revolution and most certainly before there was a Pocahontas County or a state of West Virginia. This is a small attempt to trace some of those footprints that have traversed these lands for a period of over two hundred years. Many Pocahontas families of today have their beginnings in one pioneer by the name of William Sharp Sr. THE SURNAME SHARP The surname Sharp (variously spelt Sharpe, Sharps, Sharpes) is an ancient family name, traditionally descended from the Sharpes of Horton in Yorkshire, England. The history of this ancient Peebles family traces its ancestry as a family of Stratclyde Briton origin before the year 1100 and appears in the ancient records in Peebles, Scotland. One of the earliest records of the Sharp name is in the famous Hundred Rolls. It gives evidence of early forms of the name and shows usage as early as 1273. The earliest record is for Alexander Scharp of County Buckinghamshire in 1273. The name shows up in as many as seven different spellings, including: Scharp, Scharpe, and Scharppe. It is found in several counties and shires of England, including Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Rutlandshire. The records show the name to be among the landed gentry as well as in the lower feudal class. It is thought the name might be of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was common from earliest times to take surnames from a vocation (Miller, Wright, or Carpenter), location (Hill, Wood), or nickname for a personality trait (Hardy, Bland). It is thought that Sharp could have been a nickname for a rude person as in one with a 'sharp tongue'. Though it is more likely, it was given to a smart person as in one with a 'sharp mind'. The word 'sharp' comes from the Middle English s(c)harp and the old English scearp. By the time of the first U.S. census in 1790, there were over 200 Sharp households. In 1974 the name Sharp was the 343rd most commonly occurring surname in the nation with approximately 76,500 adult Americans named Sharp. EARLY SHARP HISTORY It is believed the original Sharp family was from Saxony, eventually migrating to Little Horton (now Bradford) England in the 13th century. The family in Little Horton was split by the War of the Roses in 1470 with one branch going north to Scotland, one south to Bristol and the third remaining in Yorkshire. The Scots became Presbyterian, the Tetbury clan became Quaker and those remaining became Anglican. James Sharp of the Scottish clan, was Archbishop of St. Andrews and prominent in the English Civil War. Another Archbishop, John of York, has a statue in the York Minster, and his family of Little Horton was very prominent as mathematicians and astronomers. There are wills and legal records on the Tetbury clan, going back to about 1500. The most prominent of this group was Anthony, who moved to Ireland and became a wealthy merchant. Thomas, who came to New Jersey, was his nephew and agent there. His son, Isaac, came to New Jersey in 1702 or 1703 and left a large family and was a member of the Assembly from Salem Co. Isaac later returned to live on Anthony's estate (Roundwood) near Dublin. There are four major Sharp families in New Jersey at the end of the 17th century. John of Evesham, William of Woodbridge, Thomas Sharp of Ireland who arrived in Salem, NJ Nov 18, 1681,and John Sharp who migrated to Perth Amboy, NJ in 1684. It may be possible that all were descended from the Little Horton Sharps. At one time, it was thought that Francis Sharpe, rather than John of Evesham, was the family founder of that branch in America. That point is now disputed. An article on the Sharp family, written by Milton Rubincam of the National Genealogical Society, challenges the 1902 book of Richard Haines that ties John, Hugh and William of Evesham to Francis Sharp of London through their father William of Flower (Floore or Flour). The father, William, died in Flower and there is no evidence that he had a brother Thomas or lived in Limehouse, Middlesex, England. Haines states that Wm. Sr. and Thomas came to America, but Thomas, although Quaker, came from Ireland and was descended from the Tetbury (Bristol), England family. The Hoover text asserts that William Sharpe, who married Hannah, [parents of Hugh] came to America in the Samuel with his 'brother' Thomas Sharpe. The "Sharps of Southern New Jersey" history refutes this and says that William & Hannah never actually came to America, and that William did not have a brother Thomas. Some researchers believe that the Pocahontas Pioneer was descended through one of these New Jersey branches. However a large portion of the pioneer settlers of the Virginia valleys were of Scotch-Irish descent. In 1611, James I, then King of England began moving colonists from Scotland & the north of England to Ulster in Northern Ireland, his plan being to put a Protestant population into Ireland to ultimately outnumber the Catholics. By the mid 1600s there were 300,000 of them in Ulster. Their social condition was not that of peasants, but they were intelligent yeomanry and artisans. In a document signed in 1718 by a miscellaneous group of 319 men, only 13 had to "make their mark". Because of the English law of Progentity - where the eldest son inherited all properties - many younger brothers of noble families were among those inhabitants of Ulster. In 1698, the English Church inaugurated persecutions against all Protestants who dissented to the doctrines of the Established Church and oppressions were heaped upon the Scot-Irish in Ulster. Many began to immigrate to America in large numbers at about the time Governor Spottswood made his famous xploration of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1716. Pennsylvania was the haven for those who suffered religious persecution and many Scot-Irish landed in Philadelphia and followed the roads (old Indian trails extending southwest through the Appalachians & on to the "Wilderness Road.") to Virginia. These Scot-Irish immigrants who settled the Beverly Manor area, where our William Sharp, Sr. originates, joined the few earlier pioneers of English descent who were forging ever further westward from the first Virginia Colonies. It is not known by this author whether William Sharp Sr.'s ancestors were already here with English settlers, came from the New Jersey branch, or whether they came with the Scot-Irish immigrants. A Samuell Sharpe, was aboard the ship Sea Adverturer, which arrived as a third supply ship of settlers to the Jamestown Colony in 1610. A William Sharpe (who arrived aboard The Starr in May 1620) later joined by wife Elizabeth & sons Samuel & Isack were inhabitants of Neck-of-Land, Corporation of Charles City, VA in 1624. During Colonial settlement, those in Virginia who paid for the passage of new settlers coming to Virginia were given land grants of 50 acres for each passage paid. In 1638 William Hatfield of Upper New Norfolk Co. paid for passage of a John Sharpe. Between 1652-1654 this John Sharpe, then of Lancaster Co., paid for the passage of at least 12 passengers, one of these being a William Sharpe in 1654. In the records of the "Ulster Plantation" in Ireland, county of Tyrone: Precinct of StraBane, from 1610-1630 --- a William Sharpe is listed among 30 British men living within a "village of some 1000 acres with 10 homes". The family names of Grimes, Grymes, McCauly, Reade, Smythe, Wood were also among those 30 families and these family names later appear among Scot-Irish immigrants settling the Beverly Manor area. The author is currently researching these various threads but definitive lineage has not been established. The information that follows is what has been established as known about our Pocahontas Pioneer and his descendants. PICKING UP THE THREADS OF OUR PIONEER William Sharp Sr. was born around 1740 at Beverly Manor, near present day Staunton, VA in what had then just became Augusta County, VA (having been Orange County until 1734 and Spotsylvania County until 1721). Beverly Manor was a land patent consisting of some 120,000 acres from which deeds to early settlers were conveyed by William Beverly, Gentleman, of Plainfield,Essex Co., Virginia. The first authentic list of landowners from this area is found in Orange County records (Deed Books III-IX 1738-1744). This list of persons, were presumably heads of families with the pertinent facts about each "Release" and the "meeting house" (the term church was reserved for "Church of England") in which each held later membership. The congregational lists for the three districts of Tinkling Spring Meeting House, as compared with the map of Beverly Manor lands, provides a mental picture of the grouping of these settlers on the various streams throughout the Beverly Manor tract. Many of those surnames are later seen as early Pocahontas County settlers. At the Highway 608 off-ramp of present day Interstate 64 near Fishersville, Virginia is a historic marker for Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church located a quarter mile north. The stone plaque at the church reads: "Sacred to the Memory of the Immigrants to this Valley Who Turned the Wilderness into Habitations. On November ye 12th 1744 These were Assessed 12 Shillings per Family For Building the first Tinkling Spring Meeting House (Followed by list of 78 family names divided into three quarters or districts) Sons of These and Later Settlers Along with Members of Their Families Rest in the Old Cemetery in Unmarked Graves The First Recorded Organization Pastor: John Craig, Ordained & Installed 3 September 1740." The record of Orange County "releases" indicates that the Tinkling Spring constituency later took the lead in legalizing their "tomahawk rights" into permanent home sites. Of the thirty-five men given legal recognition of ownership by William Beverly in 1738 and 1739 - twenty- four became active in Tinkling Spring Meeting House, with the remaining eleven widely scattered over Beverly manor in several meeting house groups. Of the 92 landowners listed for Augusta persons in Orange County, 47 or about half, were later listed as Tinkling Spring members or contributors. These land owners were not the only settlers in Beverly Manor. It is clear from the Tinkling Spring membership list of 1744 that there were seventy-seven heads of families in that church alone, but only 47 held titles to the lands they occupied. Landowners who were settled in groups along the streams in Beverly Manor on the head branches of the South River, along with their neighbors in Borden's Grant, became constituents of the South Mountain Meeting House. This district's collections were handled by John Finley and included nineteen families in the general area of present day Waynesboro, extending up & down South River. Family names included among others: Turks, Gays, Gillespies, McClures, Pattersons, Teas, Edmistons, Stuarts. The settlers on the head branches of Middle River and the north branch of Christian's Creek were the founders of North Mountain Meeting House. Collections were handled by William Wright and eighteen families along Long Meadow Run included among others: Hutchisons, Johnstons, Frazers, Thompsons, Hendersons, Kerrs, McCunes, Skillerns, Palmers, Moodys. The settlers in the northeast corner of Beverly Manor on Middle River joined a much larger number beyond the Manor in founding a house of worship in their midst which became the Stone Meeting House. The territory of this district covered both Christian's Creek and Lewis Creek and extended the full twenty-mile length of Beverly Manor. John Christian, William Robinson & James Alexander assisted with collections from the some forty families in this area including: Bells, Alexanders, Caldwells, Davisons, Prestons, Lewises, Scotts, McClanahans, Breckenridges, Blacks, Cunninghams, Ramseys, Wilsons, McCollocks. THE FIRST GENERATION William Sharp Sr. was born around 1740 at Beverly Manor. He was the son of John & Margery Sharp(e) ( 1714-1749 and 1718-1750.) William's father, John Sharp, was killed by Indians in 1749. It is believed that the following year his mother Margery was also killed by Indians, leaving William and three younger siblings orphaned. It is known that William was bound as an orphan/apprentice to John Anderson, tanner, of Beverly Manor, Augusta Parish in February 1750. His brother John Sharp b. 1742 was bound to Matthew Armstrong, weaver, in Nov. 1750. Sister Jennot b. 1744 was bound to Nicholas Leeper, planter in Nov. 1750, and the youngest orphan Margery b. 1746 was bound to John Archer in November 1751. William Sharp Sr. next appears in land records with 115 acres patented to him "on both sides of the Middle River of the Shenandoah" in 1756. Treaty with the Indians following the French & Indian War in 1758 prohibited land acquisition west of the Alleghany Range. However this proclamation was nearly impossible to enforce and settlers frequently continued moving across the Appalachians. Frequent Indian uprisings (such as the Clendenin Massacre in Pocahontas County in 1763) would temporarily send these early settlers back across the Mountains to more established areas. William Sharp Sr. was likely among those who traversed back and forth along this range between 1756-1768, whether for hunting or for scouting expeditions. This territory, including present day Pocahontas County, remained officially off bounds to white settlement until the treaty with the Indians at Fort Stanwix in 1768 opened up the territory, allowing settlers to formalize their "tomahawk" claims. In 1769 William had a land grant of 355 acres on the Greenbrier River. William married Mary Meek(s), daughter of John Meek(s) (1706-1761) who was killed along with his wife Ann, during an Indian raid in 1761, leaving five orphans. John Meeks was son of Guy Meek (born abt. 1686 in Anne Arundel County, MD) & Dorthoy Cobby. The Meek ancestor coming to America was Guy's father, John Meek I (1649-1711) and his wife Elizabeth Heaton (1660-1726). John Meek I was a native of Shrewsbury, England, a son of Guy Meeks I (1615-1682) and his wife Rachel, who also came to America. In February 1762, Mary Meek was bound to Andrew Settleton, her sister Martha Meek to James Walker and the youngest sister Jane Meek to Moses Moore (also a Pocahontas Pioneer originating from Beverly Manor area of Augusta County). Her brother William Meek was bound to William Warwick and the younger brother James Meek was bound to William Wilson. In the Augusta County Court Records of August 18,1761 a Thomas Meek is "appointed guardian of William Meek, orphan of John Meek." Later records show that Thomas was an older brother to these orphaned Meeks. On August 22, 1770 it is recorded that "William Sharp(e)is appointed guardian of Jane Meek, orphan of John Meek." The daughter Jane who appears in Wm.'s will of 1826 could have been in actuality the orphaned sister of Mary rather than Wm. & Mary's daughter. Again, an area for further research. William was a pioneer settler of Pocahontas County and was the first to open up a permanent residence in the Huntersville vicinity. This was located a few rods from the forks of the Dunmore and Huntersville road. As noted above, Mr. Sharp was likely in the county prior to 1769 to be familiar with the Greenbrier property he was granted that year and he located his permanent homestead here about 1773. He saw service as a scout, spy and soldier against the Indians and the British. His affidavit made in 1832 indicated four short tours of service totaling more than two years and six months. These include an expedition against the Indians on the Muskingham River in the fall of 1764 to March 1765; service as an Indian spy during the summer of 1773 and summer of 1774; served as a scout and messenger from the summer of 1774 to December 1774. Records from the American Daughters of the Revolution state that William served as a private and fifer in Capt. Lewis Pelham's Company, Colonel Parker's Virginia regiment in 1778. William was again drafted early January 1781 and was in a skirmish against the British at Portsmouth, Va. where he was discharged in April 1781. William Sharp's Declaration, September 4th, 1832: Age 92; was drafted in 1781 in the Company of Capt. William Kinkead; James Trimble was Ensign, Regiment of Col. Sampson Mathews. In 1774 he was drafted in the Company of Capt. Andrew Lockridge in an expedition against the Indians. He and William Mann were sent by Col. Andrew Lewis with a message to Governor Dunmore, then at Fort Pitt, and only returned the day after the battle. In 1764 he volunteered under Capt. Charles Lewis on an expedition against the Indians on Muskingham River. Lieutenant McClenachan belonged to Captain Lewis' Company. Declarant remembers Colonels Field and McNeel. He states he served also as Indian spy in 1773. ~ Cackley's Chronicles of the Scot-Irish Settlements in VA The will of William Sharp Sr. dated 1826 and probated in 1834 show ten children (three more than Price's History, 1901), Jane, Rebecca and Andrew are indicated in the will, but not in Price's History. Jane's date of death is given as 1820 & William Sharp Sr.'s estate record recognizes her daughter Jane (married to Joseph Friel of Pocahontas County) as the assignee of heirs. Rebecca was also deceased at some point prior to 1831, when her husband Alexander was remarried. Information on Andrew is sorely lacking from this summary & only his wife's name is known. Children of William Sharp, Sr. & Mary Meek(s) Sharp - spouses in parentheses (1) John b. abt. 1770 (Sarah McCollam, b. 1794, sister to Daniel married to John's sister Jane) (2) William Jr. 1772-1860 (Elizabeth Waddell, 1780-1838) (3) Mary 1774-1805 (Arthur Grimes 1774-1850) (4) Squire James 4/28/1778 - 4/29/1860 (Ann Waddell - sister to Elizabeth, Wm. Jr.'s wife) (5) Andrew b. abt. 1781(Nancy Drinnen) (6) Nancy b. 1782 (Levi Moore Jr.) (7) Margaret b. 1785 (John Kelley, b. abt. 1790) (8) Rebecca abt. 1786-1830 (Alexander Waddell, Jr., 1788-1847, brother to Ann & Elizabeth) (9) Rachel b. 1789 (Jonathan Griffin 1777-1852 (10) Jane (Daniel McCollam, abt. 1770-1847, brother to Sarah married to Jane's brother John). Note: as mentioned above it is possible that the Jane listed as a child of Wm. & Mary Sharp is actually Jane Meeks, orphaned sister of Mary Meeks Sharp, whom Wm. assumed guardianship of in 1770. Three of William Sr.'s children married Waddell siblings. The Waddell's were children of Alexander Waddell Sr. (born 2/1/1732 in Lanark, Glasgow, Scotland - died 9/6/1834 Gallia County, Ohio) & his wife Eleanor Roush (or Rausch; born in 1752 in Shenandoah Co, VA & died 10/27/1827 in Gallia County, Ohio.). Alexander Sr. was a son of William Waddell and Janet Fleming who came from Scotland. Eleanor Roush's father was John Adam Rausch, of Darmstadt, Palatine, Germany, who arrived in Philadelphia on October 19, 1736. Both Alexander Waddell & John Roush (he changed spelling from Rausch) were Revolutionary War Patriots and their graves are marked with plaques. John Roush, his nine sons and three son-in-laws all did service during the Revolutionary War. Up to modern times no one has found a family that did this kind of service. Alexander & Eleanor had 12 children - 3 marrying children of Wm. Sr. - of interest, a fourth son name John married Jean McCollam (see next paragraph regarding McCollum) & had 21 children. Many of the Waddell family were with the mass migration from Pocahontas County to Gallia County, Ohio from 1802-1813 along with the Ewings & other allied families. Two more of William Sr.'s children: John and Jane married McCollum (McCollam) siblings. Karen Sue Haley, a descendant of Jane Sharp (Meeks?) McCollum provides research which corrects some of the information presented by Price in his 1901 history. According to Ms. Haley's research the McCollum ancestor which located in Bath Co., VA (later to become Pocahontas County) was named John McCollum (not Daniel) and his wife was named Eleanor. John McCollum's will was probated in April 1797 in Bath County. John & Eleanor had the following children: (1) Jacob who married Anna Sharp (daughter of Frost Sharp's John & Margery Blaine). (2) Mary McCollum who married Thomas Brock (3) Rebecca McCollum who married Robert Moore Sr. (4) William McCollum who married Sally Drinnan, (5) Jean McCollum who married John Waddell (son of Alexander Waddell discussed in the previous paragraphs) (6) Margaret McCollum who married Abraham Davis (7) Sarah McCollum who married John Sharp (son of Wm. Sr.) and (8) Daniel McCollam who married Jane Sharp (daughter of Wm. Sr.) Price's History gives Daniel McCollum as the progenitor and gives the son Daniel as marrying Anna Sharp rather than Jane Sharp. He also states that Jacob McCollum moved to Illinois and was killed by a falling tree. However, Jacob & Anna are found to have sold property in Bath Co. in 1802 to Levi Moore and then are found in the 1820 & 1830 census of Belmont County, Ohio with his will probated in 1835 in Monroe County, Ohio. Daniel who married Jane Sharp (rather than Anna as given by Price) was a physician in Washington & Monroe Counties Ohio, is found in the 1820 Monroe County census and his will is probated in 1847 in Washington County, Ohio. His estate record showing many pages of patients who owed him money. Other sources on the McCollum name associate the surname with Jacob Marlin, whom the town of Marlinton is named after. Pioneer Joshua Buckley's son John married Mary (Polly) McCollum, given to be a granddaughter of Jacob Marlin. If this is true, it seems that the progenitor John McCollum's wife Eleanor would have had to have been a daughter of Jacob Marlin. _____________________________ WILLIAM SHARP SR & MARY MEEKS _____________________________ | |JOHN|JAMES|ANDREW|WILLIAM JR|NANCY|MARGARET|RACHEL|MARY|REBECCA|JANE| THE SECOND GENERATION - The sons of WM. SHARP, SR. JOHN SHARP William Sr.'s oldest son, John Sharp, b. 1770, married Sarah McCollam, (b. 1794). McCollam or McCollum (see preceding paragraph for discussion of McCollam surname. John Sharp owned tracts of land on the west side of Allegheny of 255 acres and 82 acres, also 239 acres on the head of Lewis Lick Run. He had four daughters: (1) Ellen (Amaziah Irvine) (2) Mary (Joshiah Friel) (3) Rebecca (John Duffield) (4) Nancy (William H. Irvine) This line of Sharp's end in Pocahontas County, however a descendant of Mary, Ann Dillion, of Columbus, Ohio prepared the Grimes family history for the 1981 History of Pocahontas County. JAMES SHARP William Sr.'s son Squire James Sharp (4/28/1778-4/29/1860) was a member of the court under the old arrangement, was high sheriff (1846-47) and was held in high esteem for his patriotism and strict scrupulous integrity. One story about him needs to be kept alive. He was an avid hunter, not only for sport but as a matter of business. While living at this first home on Cummings Creek, he had a very sensational adventure on Buckley Mountain. One evening while returning home he was passing along when a panther suddenly mounted a log a few yards in front of him. He shot the animal, but when the smoke cleared way another stood in the same place on the log. This performance was repeated nine times when he panicked and ran home. During the night the remainder of the pack followed his trail home and killed a yearling calf. Properly reinforced, he went back to the spot where he had fired nine times and there found nine dead panthers. The Cummings Creek property was sold to William Clackley , who later sold it to Joseph Lowry. James then settled on Beaver Creek where he developed an extensive area, prospered and raised a large family. James was married to Ann Waddell on May 1, 1800 (a sister to Elizabeth, Wm. Jr.'s wife & Alexander Jr., Rebecca's spouse) and had the following eleven children: (1) Mary (William Pyles) (2) Rebecca (James Lewis) (3) Margaret (William Civey) (4) Martha b. abt. 1817 (Jacob Civey, probably a brother to William as they were from same area) (5) Nancy (Robert Ryder) (6) Anna (Levi Clackley, Jr.) (7) Rachel (Robert Gay) (8) Lucinda (Jonathan Jordan) (9) William b. abt 1811(Susan Bussard b. 1820 - dau. of Solomon Bussard, variously spelt Buzzard) (10) Andrew b. abt. 1819 (Sarah Alucinda Bussard, sister of Susan) (11) James II (Mary Byrnside) ANDREW SHARP William Sr.'s son Andrew Sharp married Nancy Drinnon on January 18, 1806 in Bath County, VA. Her father Thomas Drinnon was the first settler of the Edray community, a son of Walter Drinnon from Ireland. His brothers Lawrence and Charles also came to this area with him along the same time (@ 1765) as John McNeel & the Kinnison brothers, as they were all from the same area (Capon Springs). Thomas Drinnon was a soldier with General Andrew Lewis in the Battle of Point Pleasant. Returning home he found his cabin in ruins, his wife killed by the Indians on Elk Mountain and his son Charles carried into captivity. (by some accounts Charles was his younger brother, not his son; Price's History gives his son's names as Jacob, William and James). Thomas returned to the army and marched beyond the Ohio River. After the war he returned to his home but then journeyed west to hunt Charles, who was found in possession of a trader near Detroit. After a year or more had passed, they returned home. It is said that Charles frequently lamented his Indian friends as if he had grown attached to the Indian usage's, manners and customs during his captivity. There is also some romantic conjecture regarding an attractive young squaw, though Charles stayed in Pocahontas County and helped to clear the fields around Edray, one field yet referred to as "Charlie's Field". Thomas's brother Lawrence married a daughter of Jacob Marlin (first settler of Marlins Bottom or Marlinton) and lived on the Greenbrier just above the mouth of Stony Creek. (Price says elsewhere that his wife was a member of the Day family) Lawrence's children were: James, Charles, John, Susan and Sally. Sally Drinnon became Mrs. William McCollum and lived on Buck's Mountain. John Drinnon married his cousin Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas & sister of Nancy (Andrew Sharp's wife). John & Elizabeth Drinnon had sons named Thomas, Lawrence, James & John. Thomas (son of John & Elizabeth married Rebecca Grimes and lived in Huntersville, keeping jail and shoemaking. Two of their sons were with the Union cavalry engaged in the battle of Droop Mountain. John Drinnon, son of Lawrence was a soldier in the War of 1812 and was in camp near Norfolk when he died of measles. At that time, Wm. Gay, Sr. was a youth and coming home from the mill on Knapps Creek came to a gate when his horse suddenly stopped. There by the gate he saw John Drinnon, wrapped in a blanket, and seemed to be taking his rest, but before Wm. could speak to him the horse started off at headlong speed. He went into Josiah Brown's & told the family he had seen John Drinnon on his way home, and now they would hear news from the war. Upon going to Drinnon's however, it was found that he had not come in. The whole matter remained a mystery until David Cochran & John Flemmens returned from the war bringing the news of Drinnon's death in Norfolk. Upon comparing the time of his decease with the time Gay saw the apparition at the side of the road, there was a striking coincidence. All this is to say, more is known of the Drinnon family than of Andrew & Nancy. The children of Andrew & Nancy Drinnon Sharp are not known, and Andrew is not referenced in Price's history as being a child of William Sharp Sr. indicating that he may have left this area or perhaps died young. There is some thought that Martha (Patsy) Sharp b. about 1818 in Lewis County, to an Andrew & Nancy Sharp, may have been a daughter of this Andrew & Nancy. Martha (Patsy) married the leader of the infamous and controversial Calhoun County Moccasin Rangers, a loosely organized guerrilla band with southern loyalties, Capt. Daniel Dusky led the raid against the federal arsenal & post office at Ripley on Dec. 19, 1861 & against the oil depots at Burning Springs during the Civil War. Captured & tried by a federal tribunal, he avoided execution by being pardoned by President Lincoln. At one point he escaped from a jail hospital & returned to the war. He was killed when federal troops poisoned the water he & his men had been using. WILLIAM SHARP JR. William Sr.'s son William Sharp Jr. (1772 - 12/28/1860) met his wife at the home of Thomas Drinnon at Edray. Drinnon had organized a congregation and one of the worshippers was William Jr. who came dressed in a coonskin cap. When Elizabeth Waddell returned home she made some funny remarks about the homely young man she had seen at the meeting and his furry cap. Her mother said the young chap would probably be calling around the first thing she knew. Sure enough he did come and on a busy wash day. He found Elizabeth resting up, performing on the spinning wheel in short petticoat, chemise and barefooted. It was love at first sight and they became engaged that very day and were married Oct. 2, 1798 by a traveling minister, believed to have been Bishop Asbury. This couple at once settled in the woods near Verdant Valley and opened up a fine estate called "The Richland" out of a forest noted for the tremendous size of its walnut, red oak, and sugar maple trees and reared a worthy family. William Jr. is listed as one of the most substantial and prosperous citizens of the county in its formative period. This Verdant Valley, which few people know of today, was located in the area of the Fairview church and school house. The homestead of William Jr. was very visible during the mid-1900's as the farm of Jacob Sharp. William Jr. is buried at the William Sharp Jr. Pioneer Cemetery near Fairview. William Sharp Jr. and Elizabeth Waddell Sharp had thirteen children as follows: (1) James 1797- 1868 (Althea Martin) (2) Mary "Polly", 1800-1885 (David Gibson, Jr. b. 1796) (3) Jane b. 1801 (James Hanson) (4) Elizabeth b. 1807 (Hugh McLaughlin abt. 1800-1870) (5) Rebecca 1808-1858 (William D. Moore, 1815-1881) (6) Ellen b. 1812 (Warwick Stalnecker b. 1808) (7) Anna b. 1813 (Alexander Stalnecker) (8) William III 1815-1888 (Rachel Dilley 1806-1882) (9) Nancy b. 1817 (Jacob Cassell, Jr. b. 1813) (10) Alexander W. 1818-1908 (Mary Dilley 1818-1897) (11) Jacob Warwick 1821-1903 (Elizabeth McNeil 1824-1901) (12) John S. 1823-1904 (Sarah Johnson 1820-1900) (13) Martha 1827-1911 (Andrew Dilley 1819-1896) Some sources list a fourteenth child by the name of Paul. A Word about the daughters of WILLIAM SHARP SR. Though this biography focuses on the males carrying the Sharp name. The lineage's descended from his daughters are certainly of equal interest, but are not extrapolated further here. The following information is shared with hopes of further research. NANCY SHARP Nancy Sharp b. 1782 & d. before 1823 married Levi Moore Jr. on January 21, 1797. He was a son of Levi Moore Sr., a native of Wales, & Susannah Crist. Levi Sr. was a Pioneer of the Frost community locating there prior to the Revolutionary War. Levi Sr. had 2 sons & 2 daughters. The son George Moore sold his Pocahontas land to John Sharp & moved to Kentucky. He returned to Pocahontas County on a visit & attended the wedding of Jacob Slaven & Eleanor Lockridge near Driscol, where a practical joke was played by a fellow causing George's horse to bolt & he was struck by a fence stake & instantly killed. The only surviving son of Levi Sr. was the one we are concerned with here. Levi Jr. was known to be 6ft. 11 inches in height. He was a member of the Virginia legislature and served in many official capacities for Pocahontas County. A story is told by Price of Levi Jr. & his brother- in-law Arthur Grimes (spouse of Mary Sharp below). Levi & Arthur went on a scout to Clover Lick to see if Indians were around. Seeing no sign they went to the house, placed their guns just outside the door & finding a bed within, lay down & fell asleep. Arthur dreamed of being bitten by a rattlesnake, sprang out of bed & awakened Levi. The dog was growling at Indians stealing towards the house. The men grabbed their guns making their escape. The Indians fired the building, cut a pair of moccasins from a dressed deerskin & amused themselves by striping the feathers from two live roosters to see their antics. Their friend Jacob Warwick remarked upon hearing the story that when he dreamed of wild turkeys, he always had trouble with Indians follow. Levi Jr. & Nancy Sharp had five children - 3 girls and two boys: (1) Rebecca married Leonard Irvine & lived on Back Creek. Their children were Levi, Lizzie, Cornelia, Wilton, Susannah, and Herron. (2) Margaret married Eli McCarty near Laurel Run. Their children were Margaret (m. John Simmons) & Paul who died in the west (3) Martha married Rev. John Waugh of Indian Draft. Their children were Levi, Beverly, John, Samuel, Miriam, Ann, Eveline. (4) Andrew married Rebecca Waugh & lived on Stony Creek prior to moving to Jackson County. Andrew was a noted weather forecaster. (5) Levi Moore III went to Nebraska, where he amassed a fortune in the fur trade. Having no children of his own he adopted his nephew John Moore - one of Andrew's sons. Levi Jr. married a second time to Mary McCarty. Levi & Mary had the following children: (1) Rachel Moore married James Sharp of Thorny Creek & later migrated to Iowa. (2) Susannah Crist Moore married Stephen Hadden and also went to Iowa. (3) Mary Jane Moore made her home with her daughter Matilda Moore near Mt. Zion Church (4) George Moore was as tall as his father. He went west for some years & then returned to Pocahontas County where he went to the Pocahontas Academy at Hillsboro with the intent of going into the practice of medicine. He contracted a disease and died at the home of his sister Rebecca. REBECCA SHARP Rebecca Sharp abt. 1786-1830 married Alexander Waddell Jr. (6/8/1788 - 11/13/1847) on Christmas Day 1816. He & Rebecca had seven children as follows: (1) John Waddell - killed in the Civil War (2) William Waddell (1823-1876) married 10/27/1857 to Susannah Hanger (1835-1915) (3) Alexander J. Waddell (10/9/1829 - 6/12/1892) married Eliza Jane Hines. (4) Jane Waddell married Samuel Campbell on July 2, 1843 (5) Mary (Polly) Waddell (6) Eleanor Waddell (7) James Waddell married Elizabeth Prose. After the death of Rebecca, Alexander married Rachel Campbell on 10/12/1831. Rachel & Alexander had five additional children as follows: (1) Isabella Waddell (7/11/1833-4/24/1891) married George Lucas (2) Campbell Waddell (1837-1880) married Emeline Moore (3) Samuel Waddell married Rebecca Ann Crouch (4) Joseph Waddell (1/2/1844-11/8/1890) married Polly Ann Parvis (1843- 1890) (5) Rebecca Ann Waddell married John Parrish on 8/27/1854. MARGARET SHARP Margaret Sharp b. abt. 1785 married John Kelley, b. abt. 1780, on June 6, 1811 in Bath County. They lived on Michael's Mountain. Their children included: (1) William Kelley (fought in Civil War) (2) John Kelley (killed on the Kanawha during Civil War as a Union soldier) (3) Anthony Kelley (fought in Civil War) (4) Nancy Kelley married her cousin Robert Sharp, a son of James & Nancy Moore Sharp of Thorny Creek, later moving to Iowa. (5) Polly Kelley (6) Rachel Kelley (7) Jennie Kelley (8) Margaret Kelley RACHEL SHARP Rachel Sharp (b. 1787) married Jonathan Griffin (1777-1852) said to come to Pocahontas County from a part of Connecticut that later became Pennsylvania. Their five sons were Abraham (b.1810), William (b. 1812) Benoni (b. 1814), Samuel (b. 1822) and Jonathan (who fought in Civil War). Their daughter, Rachel (b. 1811), married Charles Ruckman and a second daughter Margaret (b. 1818) married Isaack Hamrick. MARY SHARP Mary Sharp (1774-1805) married Arthur Grimes (b. 1774) and settled on the hill overlooking the head of Knapps Creek. The Grimes-Buzzard- Sharp names became very interestingly intertwined. Arthur was the eldest son of Felix (1749-1814) & Catherine Hull (1752-1826) Grimes. They both having been born in Armagh, Ireland. Mary & Arthur had three children: (1) Rachel who married Solomon Buzzard (2) Sally Grimes who married Hugh McLaughlin (3) Henry Grimes who married Hester Buzzard. Arthur married a second time in 1806 - to Peggy Waugh. Children by this second marriage included: (1) Arthur Jr. who married Rebecca Crumpton (2) Jane Grimes who married Leonidas Bowyers (3) Rebecca Grimes who married Thomas Drinnon (4) David Grimes who married Mary Grimes (5) John Grimes (6) Samuel Grimes Mary & Arthur's first daughter Rachel married Solomon Buzzard (1798- 1839) in 1819 (variously spelt Bussard) who was the son of Reuben (1772-1843) & Mary Susannah Sicafoose Bussard. Mary was born in 1775 the daughter of Peter & Catherine Hohl Sicafoose of Pendleton County. Reuben Bussard was one of twelve children of Henry Bussard (@1730-1791) & Elizabeth Ault - both coming from Germany to Pennsylvania & moving to Pendleton County area around 1770. Two of Henry & Elizabeth's sons - Reuben (above) & Solomon (b.1784 and married to Sarah Snyder) settled on Sitlington Creek in Pocahontas County. Most Pocahontas families with the surname Buzzard can trace their roots to either Reuben or his brother Solomon. At any rate Rachel Grimes married Reuben's son Solomon - not his brother Solomon. Rachel & Solomon had six children: (1) Arthur Buzzard (2) Jesse Buzzard (3) Charles Buzzard (4) Mary Agnes Buzzard married David Kincaid (5) Susannah Buzzard married her cousin William Sharp (son of Squire James & Ann Waddell Sharp) (6) Sarah Alucinda Buzzard followed suit and married William's brother Andrew Sharp (also her cousin and son of Squire James & Ann Waddell Sharp). Solomon Buzzard's sister Martha (b. 1801) was married in 1821 to Charles Grimes, who was Arthur Grimes younger brother also a son of Felix (1749-1814) & Catherine Hull (1752-1826) Grimes. Another sister Hester Buzzard married Henry Grimes son of Mary (Sharp) & Arthur Grimes. Henry & Hester Grimes had six sons Peter, Franklin, Zane, Hugh, David, & John (who was killed in Civil War). JANE (MEEKS?) SHARP Jane (Meeks?) Sharp married Daniel McCollum (1770-1847). (See discussion of McCollum connection above.) Daniel and Jane were married in Greenbrier County on March 8, 1790. Daniel & Jane had six children - five daughters & one son: (1) Eleanor McCollum b. 1816 in Ohio married Israel Brown in 1834. - seven children: Rachel b. 1835, Jane b. 1837, Daniel b. 1840, Israel b. 1842, Eleanor b. 1849, Peter b. 1846 & William b. 1849. (2) Mary Polly McCollum married John Buckley of Pocahontas County (son Joshua 1809-1901). (3) Rachel McCollum m. Henry Vantasel in Ohio in 1832 (4) Nancy McCollum married a Mr. True (5) Jane b. 1800 married Joseph Friel of Pocahontas County - five children: Jeremiah, Mary Ann, William, Hannah, George Washington Friel. (6) John b. 1816 in Pocahontas County, died 1878 in Ohio. Wife was named Elizabeth. Seven children: -1- Margaret b. 1821; -2- Isaac 1844-1929 married Armintha Kirkman; -3- Daniel William McCollum 1844- 1917 married 1st Sarah Jane Hartley d. 1874 and 2nd Mercy McGrath d. 1934. - 11 children: Robert, Silva A., Isaac, Mary H., Francy M., Area L., Wade, Mamie M., Ethel, Alva W. ; -4- William Franklin Woodman McCollum 1848- 1925 married Deborah Craig. -5- Silva Ann McCollum b. 1851 married a Mr. Parsons -6- John William McCollum 1857-1929; -7- Elizabeth McCollum b. 1859 THE THIRD GENERATION - The grandsons of WM. SHARP SR. William Sharp Sr. had four sons. Of these four, his son John had four daughters and no information is known of the children of Andrew & Nancy Drinnon Sharp. Squire James had eleven children - three sons. William Jr. had 13 (or by some accounts 14) children - five (or six) being sons. Price's History, as well as some other sources give William Jr.'s 14th child & sixth son as being Paul Sharp. However, no further information is found indicating he may have died in youth. During this third generation we will focus on children of James & William Jr. - particularly the eight grandsons of William Sr. who carried the Sharp name to the next generation, three sons of James & five sons of Wm. Jr. THE SONS OF JAMES SHARP & ANN WADDELL, GRANDSONS OF WILLIAM SR. ________________________ WM SHARP SR & MARY MEEKS ________________________ | SQUIRE JAMES SHARP & ANN WADDELL ________________________________ | MARY|REBECCA|MARGARET|MARTHA|NANCY|WILLIAM|ANN|RACHEL|ANDREW|LUCINDA|JA MESII WILLIAM SHARP William Sharp, (b. @ 1811) son of James & Ann Sharp, married Susan (or Susannah) Bussard (Buzzard) , daughter of Solomon (1789-1839) and Rachel Grimes Bussard on January 31, 1839. Rachel Grimes was the daughter of Arthur & Mary (Sharp) Grimes. Mary was Wm. Sharp Sr.'s daughter, James sister & William's aunt. Children include: Rachel b. 1839, James W. b. 1941, Sarah b. 1943, Caroline b. 1845, Mary C., b. 1847, Cornelia b. 1849, William Luther b. 1854. ANDREW SHARP Andrew Sharp, b. about 1819, son of James & Ann Sharp, married Sarah Alucinda Bussard (Buzzard), also a daughter of Solomon (1789-1839) and Rachel Grimes Bussard. Rachel Grimes was the daughter of Arthur & Mary (Sharp) Grimes. Mary was Wm. Sharp Sr.'s daughter, James sister & Andrew's aunt. Andrew & Sarah had the following children: Andrew H. b. 1852, George W. b. 1854, Cornelius Newton Sharp b. 1857, Susan Ann b. 1855, Caroline C. b. 1868, Sarah J. b. 1865, Robert J. L. Sharp 1863-1891, Della (Underwood) 1865-1891, infant b. 1867. (some sources give Andrew as the father of Mary Agnes Underwood - perhaps this is his granddaughter, a daughter of Della?) JAMES L. SHARP (II) James L. Sharp (II), son of James & Ann Sharp, married Mary Walker Byrnside. Byrnside or Burnside appears to be a family name associated with the Ewing & allied families who migrated to Gallia OH area in the early 1800s. Known of their children is: Annie R. J. Sharp b. 1850 m. James A. Jordin (Jordan), son of Albert & Sarah Jordin, born in Albemarle Co., VA. James Jordan listed occupation as mechanic on Pocahontas County marriage license in September 1870. A daughter Martha Margaret Sharp b. 6/3/1845 on Beaver Creek married Hanson McLaughlin. A son Mitchell Alexander Sharp b. 8/9/1856 on Beaver Creek, and a son Stewart Sharp b. 8/7/1859. RACHEL SHARP Rachel Sharp, daughter of James & Ann Sharp, married Robert Gay III on November 5, 1840 in Pocahontas County. Around 1744 six brothers, William, James, John, Robert, Henry and Samuel Gay and their sister Elizabeth came from Ireland and made their homes in the Pasture region. William married Margaret Walkup and had a daughter named Margaret as well as other children. John married Jean Ramsey and had a daughter named Jean and a son. Eleanor was carried off by the Indians and rescued several years later. She married Captain William Kincaid. They settled in the vicinity of Lexington, Kentucky and produced the Kincaid family which has been prominent in that state. The Gay brothers settled in the Pasture region and paused there for a couple Generations until they could breed up enough people to push the Indians back. Certainly they did their part in pioneering and settling this country. Robert Gay I settled in Augusta County, VA. about 1750 was possibly descended from the afore mentioned branch of the family. Later brothers Robert Gay and Samuel Gay settled in what became Bath County Virginia and Greenbrier County, WV. Children from Samuel Gay settling in Pocahontas County were William, John, Levi, Sally, Ninnie and Mary. A brother Page settled in Wheeling. Robert Gay II (1768-1834), was a prominent personality of his time. Robert was a native of Augusta County and was brought up near Goshen. Just before the Revolution (around 1775), he came to Pocahontas County and settled on Brown's Creek and later in the Edray area. Robert Gay II was married to Hannah Moore (1789-1859), daughter of Levi Moore, Sr. They had six sons: Samuel, George, John, Andrew, Robert & James and three daughters Jennie, Sallie, and Agnes. Rachel & Robert Gay III had two sons: Hamilton Barton Gay who married Laura Ruth Alderman and Samuel Joseph Gay. Their daughter Rebecca Gay married William D. Jordan. William Jordan had moved to the Elk Mt. area from Bath County, VA where his father worked as a carpenter in Warm Springs. His father had came to Virginia from Maine, a descendant of Robert Jordan, a minister from Oxford England who came to Maine in the 1640s. William & Rebecca Gay Jordan had eight children and lived in the Elk area. (1) Newton A. Jordan (2) Robert Samuel Jordan (3) Ella V. Jordan (not Married) (4) Emma (Dick Smith) (5) Loula (Noah Adair) (6) Josie (Harlan Gibson) (7) Julia (WB Duffey) (8) Frank R. Jordan married Mattie Galford & lived in William's River area (4 children- Jessie, Ellis, Harry, Ruby). LUCINDA SHARP Lucinda, daughter of James & Ann Sharp, married Jonathan Jordan. He was a confederate soldier and died at home while on furlough from the army. A son James William Nixon Jordan was born June 6, 1854. Jonathan was the son of John Jordan Jr. who married Martha Burnsides and lived on the Greenbrier near the ancestry homestead on Millstone Run between Hillsboro & Locust. John Jordan Jr. & Martha Burnside had two sons & four daughters: Christopher (Elizabeth Wallace), Jonathan (Lucinda Sharp), Mary (Jacob McNeel), Miriam (Aaron Hill), Nancy (George Hill), Jemima (Capt. Samuel Gilmore). John Jordan Sr. was a very worthy native of Ireland and by occupation was a tailor. Encountering an old friend, John Jordan Sr. was accidentally struck a blow which resulted in the amputation of the arm just below the elbow. John Jordan Sr. came to this area as a traveling merchant, dealing in Irish linens and other portable merchandise. He was a "hard money" man in his financial preferences, and converted all paper money to silver and gold. Miss Miriam McNeel, daughter of John McNeel, Little Levels pioneer, found that the young merchant had about a half bushel of coin & it seemed to occur to her mind that if a person disabled as he could make that much money, he could certainly take good care of her. She did not discourage the attentions of the hustling young Irishman, and at that period of our local history a young man's recommendation was his ability to clear land, split rails, and grub, but to marry a cripple in store clothes was not to be thought of. After their marriage Mr. Jordan, Sr. continued to prosper in making a living, and purchased some servants to wait on the girl that had made such a surprising venture as to marry him. They had five sons and three daughters: John, Jonathan, Issac, Abram, Franklin, Jane, Nancy & Martha. ________________________ WM SHARP SR & MARY MEEKS ________________________ | WILLIAM SHARP JR & ELIZABETH WADDELL ____________________________________ | |JAMES|ELIZABETH|JANE|WILLIAM III|MARY|REBECCA|ANNA|ELLEN|MARTHA|ALEXANDER |JACOB|NANCY|JOHN|PAUL| The Sons of WM. SHARP JR. & ELIZABETH WADDELL JAMES SHARP James Sharp, (1797-1868) son of William Jr., married Althea Martin. They had three sons and two daughters. Son William died during the Civil War while at home, Hanson died in a battle at Camp Chase, Ohio and George B. died a Prisoner, leaving his wife Rachel and a daughter Lydia. James' daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Logan and lived in Randolph County. Her sister Sarah made her home with Elizabeth. WILLIAM SHARP III William Sharp III (1815-1888), son of William Jr., married Rachel Dilley (1806-1882). Their children were Silas (1842-1899), Hugh C. (1846-1923), Harmen B. (1850-1917), William Luther (1843-1865), Martin Bernard (1839-1864), Jacob Henry (1840-1864), and Mary Ella (2/11/1844- 2/11/1849). Mary Ella died on her fifth birthday. Bernard & Henry died as Civil War soldiers, as tradition has it, on different sides. Family tradition says Henry was shot at Bob Gibson's place by his own (Confederate) men as a spy for the North. Bernard was shot in the hip at the Battle of Duncan's Lane in Pocahontas County on Nov. 6, 1864, & died a few hours later. Luther, a civilian was shot at age 16 yrs. by Confederate Jake Simmons. Silas also a civilian, was captured the same day and marched to a Salisbury, NC prison where thousands of men died from starvation. After 23 months and 24 days he and the other remaining five men were exchanged. In 1920 Silas's son L.D. met an old man in Salisbury where the prison was, who told that all the prisoners had starved to death - to the last man. L.D. could not convince the old man that his father had survived. ALEXANDER W. SHARP Alexander W. Sharp, (1818-1908) son of William Jr., married Mary Dilley on November 5, 1840. They lived on the Wm. Jr. homestead known as "The Richlands". They had one daughter Hannah (1847-1918), who married James M. Johnson (1860-1927), apparently her second marriage, as Alexander had at least one grandson named - A. D. Williams. James & Hannah had a son named Frank. JACOB WARWICK SHARP Jacob Warwick Sharp, (1821-1903) son of William Jr., married Elizabeth McNeil (6/2/1824-5/21/1901) third child of Isaac McNeel and his second wife Ann Seybert. (Isaac had eight children by his first marriage and six by his second marriage). Isaac (10/23/1775 - 12/31/1832) was one of six children of the Pioneer John McNeel (1745-1825) who married Martha Davis born in 1742 in Wales, daughter of Thomas & Anne Davis. It is said that John McNeel first came to Pocahontas County area to avoid arrest and trial for murder following an athletic contest in which he thought he had killed his opponent. He later discovered the man had not even been seriously injured and returned to Frederick Co. VA to marry Martha. Isaac McNeel was prominent in early Pocahontas County affairs & owned the lands near Gibson's Knob - 2 miles south of Hillsboro upon which the early Fort Clackley was located. Jacob & Elizabeth Sharp had the following children: William M. b. 1844 (m. Julia Moore, their daughter Lura Ann married Dr. J. W. Price), Paul b. 1847 (m. Evaline Moore), Giles S. b. 1851 (m. Francis Cochran), Mary Ann b. 1855 (m. Samuel Bryson Moore), Jacob Jr. b. 1860 (died at age 14 yrs.), Elizabeth b. 1852 (m. J.R. Poage), Catherine b. 1863 (m. Quincy W. Poage), Francis b. 1865 (m. A. N. Barlow), Isaac b. 1849 (lived at Edray), Magdalin b. 1857. JOHN SHARP John Sharp, son of Wm. Jr. and grandson of Wm. Sr., married Sarah Johnson on June 3, 1845. Sarah was the daughter of William Johnson (b. 1799) who married Mary Lamb in 1818. Sarah also had a sister Susan who married Marcus Waugh. Later Marcus & Susan's daughter Mary Jane was to marry John & Sarah's son Hugh Hanson Sharp. William Johnson was the son of James Johnson & Elizabeth Hughes who married in 1795. James Johnson was the son of Pocahontas Pioneer, John Johnson (1734-1826) whose wife was thought to be a daughter of yet another famed Pocahontas Pioneer James Ewing. Ewing decendants & their many allied families migrated from Pocahontas County in the early 1800s to Gallia County Ohio, where decendants are credited with establishing the towns of Vinton and Ewington. James Johnson's Ewing wife died relatively young, leaving him with seven children. James Johnson employed Elizabeth Auldridge as a governess to care for his children and later they were married. Elizabeth was a widow who came to America with her 10-yr. old son William Tilson Auldridge, with James Johnson having advertised and paid for their passage. Most Auldridges in Pocahontas County can trace their ancestry to William T. Auldridge. Elizabeth lived to be 114 years old and was buried in an old cemetery on Jerico Road (believed to be where the old rock quarry is located). John Sharp and Sarah Johnson built a log home on the old estate of Wm. Jr., but later bought land on Jerico Road (from the William Ewing II estate, a son of "Indian John" Ewing, who died without children) and moved there. John & Sarah had a son they named William Ewing Sharp, who later lived in the old log home they had built before building his own new home nearby. John Sharp was among other things a "moonshiner" or whiskey maker and had a license to make whiskey before the days of Prohibition. This was apparently to become a family tradition, as his son David was also a whiskey maker - apparently before & during prohibition - and then David's son Clifford carried on the tradition during prohibition. There are those today who would like to get their hands on that "old family recipe". John & Sarah are buried at their homestead in the Sharp Cemetery on Jerico Road. The first burial in this cemetery was an infant of their daughter Susan E. Sharp, who was buried by Susan's brother James. This infant's grave is marked by stones and is located at the foot of John & Sarah's grave facing north- south versus east-west as are the remaining graves. Susan's grave is nearby, with the stone marked only "Mother". John & Sarah had nine children as follows: (1) William Ewing Sharp (Laury Ann Malcomb) (2)Henry D. Sharp (Elizabeth Moore) (3) Hugh Hanson Sharp (Mary Jane Waugh) (4) Mary Sharp ( William Dilley, son of Henry & Margaret Sharp Dilley) (5) Martha Jane Sharp (James Wilfong) (6) Nancy Ann Sharp (Noah Wilfong) (7) David Warwick Sharp (Amanda Beverage) (8) Susan E Sharp b. 2/12/1866 (Amaziah Irvine) (9) James Alexander Sharp (Eleanor Wilfong). THE FOURTH GENERATION- Great-grandsons of Wm. Sr. Of the eight known grandsons of William Sr. carrying the Sharp name, there were nineteen (19) known great-grandsons to continue the Sharp name. Many of this generation served in the Civil War & at least six Sharps who were great-grandsons of Wm. Sr. died during the war. Of the eight grandsons discussed during the Third Generation: 1) James (Althea Martin) - 3 sons - all died during War 2) William III (Rachel Dilley) - 6 sons - three died during War - Silas, Hugh, & Harman survived. 3) Alexander - had one known daughter 4) Jacob Warwick - had five sons - three: William, Paul & Giles married; Jacob Jr. died young & Isaac was single. 5) John - five sons: William Ewing, Henry D., Hugh Hanson, David Warwick, James Alexander 6) William (Susan Buzzard) - James W. (b. 1841) and William Luther (b. 1854) 7) Andrew - four sons: Andrew H., George W., Cornelius Newton & Robert J.L. 8) James II (Mary Byrnside) - two sons: Mitchell Alexander, Stewart The sons of WILLIAM SHARP III & RACHEL DILLEY, great-grandsons of Wm. Sr. SILAS SHARP Silas Sharp, (1842-1899) son of Wm. & Rachel Sharp married Sarah Hannah (1844-1908) daughter of David Hannah. Silas lost three brothers during the Civil War years, and his only sister died at age 6 yrs. He had two surviving brothers - Hugh C. (1846-1923) and Harmen B. Silas was captured the same day his 16 yr. old brother Luther was killed in a Confederate raid at their home. He was marched to a Salisbury, NC prison where thousands of men died from starvation. After 23 months and 24 days he and the other remaining five men were exchanged. In 1920 Silas's son L.D. met an old man in Salisbury where the prison was who told that all the prisoners had starved to death - to the last man. L.D. could not convince the old man that his father had survived. Silas & Sarah's children included: (1) Mary Ella Frances who married Robert Gibson (2) Melinda Catherine who married J. E. Hannah (3) and Luther David (L.D.). HUGH C. SHARP Hugh C. Sharp (1846-1923), son of Wm. & Rachel Sharp was an active & Prominent citizen of the county, but never married. HARMEN B. SHARP Harmen B. Sharp (1850-1917), son of Wm. & Rachel Sharp, married Amanda Estaline Dilley .......? The sons of JACOB WARWICK SHARP & ELIZABETH MCNEIL, great-grandsons of Wm. Sr. WILLIAM SHARP William Sharp, (1844 - 1925) son of Jacob Warwick & Elizabeth McNeel Sharp, married Julia Moore. Their daughter Lura Ann married Dr. James Ward Price, the son of the Dr./Rev. William Thomas Price & Anna Louise Randolph. W.T. Price was a prolific writer and wrote the "Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County", published in 1901. His wife, Anna, was a direct descendant of the Indian Princess Pocahontas who married Sir James Rolfe of the Jamestown settlement. PAUL SHARP Paul Sharp, son of Jacob Warwick & Elizabeth McNeel Sharp, married Eveline Moore. They had two sons: Edgar Sharp & Ellis R. Sharp (1867- 1953). GILES (SILAS) SHARP Giles (Silas) Sharp, (2/12/1851-6/1/1928), son of Jacob Warwick & Elizabeth McNeel Sharp, married Catherine Jane "Francis" Cochran (1866- 1953). Giles & Francis Sharp had five chldren: (1) Frankie Sharp (1889-1954) married John L. Dumire and they had ten children: Carl, Fervin, Vance, Mary Catherine, Delton, Marvin, Lewis, Boyd, Bettie, & Robert. (2) Jacob William Sharp (10/1/1891-3/12/1972), married Birdie Lee Sayre. They had one daughter Jewel Bly Sharp who married Harold Murphy. (3) Porter J. Sharp 1898-1965 married Pearl W. Hannah 1900- 1978. Children unknown. (4) Dr. Ward McClintic Sharp b. 1888 - marriage, children unknown? (5) Glenna Sharp married Percy Moses. No children - Glenna was a school teacher in Pocahontas County schools for many years. JACOB WARWICK JR. died in 1874 at age 14 yrs. & ISAAC SHARP lived at Edray - marriage/children unknown, believed to have remained single? The sons of JOHN SHARP & SARAH JOHNSON, great-grandsons of Wm. Sr. WILLIAM EWING SHARP William Ewing Sharp, (1853-1922) son of John & Sarah Johnson Sharp, married Laury Ann Malcomb (1853-1916) on October 10, 1872 and lived on the old Wm. Jr. estate first in the old log home his parents built and later in the home he built nearby himself. Laury Ann was the daughter of McCoy Malcomb of Highland County, and Margaret Knapp - daughter of Caleb Knapp, Jr. & Elizabeth Waugh (daughter of Samuel Waugh, Sr. & Ann McGuire). Through the Knapp line, Laury Ann's ancestry can trace back to King William I , The Conqueror (circa 1028). Ewing & Ann, as they were called, had six children. (1) Margaret Matilda Sharp b. 7/5/1873 (Charles H. Dilley b. 1870 @ Huntersville, son of Josiah & Mary A. Dilley) (2) Luther - died at age 2 years (3) Rosa Arizona Sharp (David Early Webster) (4) Marion McCoy Sharp (Della Jackson) (5) Dency Edward Sharp 1892-1965 (Gosha Underwood) (6) Paul Warwick Sharp 7/8/1859-6/10/1948 (m. his first cousin, Mary Catherine Sharp). HENRY D. SHARP Henry D. Sharp, (1847-1925) son of John & Sarah Johnson Sharp, married Elizabeth Moore. Henry served in the Civil War, in the Union militia, at the age of 15 yrs. Known of his children were son George W. Sharp. b. 2/14/1869, son Joseph Alexander Sharp b. 12/16/1872 and a daughter Mamie born @ 1890. Mamie never married making her home with Lena Kerns for over 24 yrs. before passing away in 1967. Henry and his brother James lived to be the oldest of this generation of siblings and were avid hunters well into their eighties. HUGH HANSON SHARP Hugh Hanson Sharp, (1848-1912) son of John & Sarah Johnson Sharp, married Mary Jane Waugh, daughter of Marcus & Susan Johnson Waugh and the niece of his mother Sarah. Hugh was a farmer, carpenter, and minister. He lived at Fairview and attended school at old Verdant Valley, also used for a church. He helped build a school and the church at Fairview in 1882. He also started a cemetery there named for his grandfather William Sharp Jr. He gave the land for all three. Hugh's wife Mary Jane was a licensed midwife who delivered dozens of babies in the county. They had seven children as Follows: (1) Betty, died as a child (2) Amanda S. b. 9/7/1872 (George S. Moore - one child Reesie Moore; m. second Joshiah Dilley) (3) Hanson J. Sharp 1873-1941 (Margaret Irvine) (4) Amos Jasper Sharp b. 1878 (Iva Waugh) (5) Frances E. (m. Luther Smith in 1798) (6) Nola F. (Newman Fertig) (7) Silas W. Sharp - died at age 19 yrs. m. Sarah Meadows - one child Earl). DAVID WARWICK SHARP David Warwick Sharp, (1863-1925) son of John & Sarah Johnson Sharp, married Amanda Beverage. David apparently learned the art of whiskey making from his father John, and was licensed prior to prohibition to make and sell whiskey. David & Amanda had eleven children: Howard, Dennis Washington, Lock, John, Cliff, Fred, Frank, Dock, Levie, Hattie, Pearl. David & Amanda are buried in the Sharp cemetery on Jerico Road, as are five of their eleven children. JAMES ALEXANDER SHARP James Alexander Sharp, (7-26-1859 to 10-29-1932) son of John & Sarah Johnson Sharp, married Eleanor Wilfong, daughter of Elias and Sebina Simmons Wilfong on 8-30-1879. Elias was the son of Henry (bef. 1776- d. 1840) & Mary Elizabeth Simmons Wilfong (bef. 1780-1824) who married in 1791. Henry's parents were George Michael & Sophia Catarina (Vietheim) Wilfong, a Pendleton County Pioneer family prior to the Revolution. George Michael was born prior to 1748 in Germany & died in 1808 in Pendleton County. Michael & Sophia deeded the land for St. Michael Wilfong church in Pendleton County which is named for this pioneer. Michael & Sophia had 10 children. Henry had a brother named Jacob who married Regina Varner. Henry also had a son Jacob who was to later marry his first cousin, Jacob & Regina's daughter, Margaret Wilfong. Both Henry & Jacob Wilfong descendants are plentiful in Pocahontas County & is often intertwined with the Sharp family. Eleanor's parents, Elias & Sabina Wilfong lived on Allegheny Mountain, off the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike. The kitchen of their house was in Virginia and the rest was in West Virginia. In addition to Eleanor, Elias & Sabina had the following six children: ( Jonas m. Margaret Gum; Elias II m. 1st his cousin, Mary Wilfong and 2nd Mary Trainor; Samuel was single and a Captain in the Civil War; Elizabeth m. Jackson Spencer; Kate m. William Houchin; and Barbara Wilfong, single.) James Sharp's wife, Eleanor, spoke only Dutch until about age 7 years. She only attended school for four months, but taught herself to read, write and spell. She made shoe lasts and shoes for the family, tanned hides, made the family's clothes, wove willow reed baskets and straw hats. Quilt pieces she made are still in the family. She made sugar cakes for her visiting grandchildren, formed in tiny wooden boxes, which she made and put together with wooden clamps. James & Eleanor Wilfong Sharp had seven children: (1) Mary Catherine Sharp 8-16- 1880 to 10-12-1969 (Paul Warwick Sharp, her first cousin) (2) A son born & died 1882 (3)Milburn Emmanule Sharp 7-15-1884 to 1-15-1970 (Pearl Beverage) (4) Elmer Eli Sharp 3-8-1886 to 10-29-1950 (Reeves Curry) (5) Elizabeth Jane Sharp 12-17-1889 to 4-7-1982 (William Talbot Waugh) (6) Eula Ann (was a twin to Elizabeth and died as infant) (7) Lena Virgie Sharp 1/30/1892 - 9/17/1972 (Harvey Bright). James & Eleanor are buried in the Sharp cemetery on Jerico Road, as are five of their seven children. Sons of ANDREW SHARP & SARAH ALUCINDA Buzzard, Grandsons of JAMES & ANN WADDELL SHARP,, great grandsons of Wm. Sr. ANDREW H. SHARP Andrew H. Sharp b. 1852. Wife/children unknown. GEORGE W. SHARP George W. Sharp b. 1854. Wife/children unknown. CORNELIUS NEWTON SHARP Cornelius Newton Sharp 11/22/1857-5/16/1905, son of Andrew & Sarah Sharp, married Effie M.Rogers of the Clover Lick area. Children unknown? ROBERT J. L. SHARP Robert J. L. Sharp, 1863-1891, son of Andrew & Sarah Sharp died in Huntersville at the age of 28 years. Wife/children unknown? Sons of JAMES SHARP II & MARY BYRNSIDE, Grandsons of JAMES & ANN WADDELL SHARP,, great grandsons of Wm. Sr. MITCHELL ALEXANDER SHARP Mitchell Alexander Sharp, son of James II & Mary Byrnside Sharp. Wife/children unknown? STEWART SHARP Stewart Sharp, son of James II & Mary Byrnside Sharp. Wife/children unknown? With the six grandsons of James & Ann Waddell Sharp immediately listed above - no further information is available regarding male descendants of this branch. All Sharp descendants covered in succeeding generations are descended through William Sharp Jr. lineages. Of the fifteen Sharps discussed in the Fourth Generation, there were the following known twenty-four (24) Sharps of the Fifth Generation who married & left children. THE FIFTH GENERATION - great-great grandsons of Wm. Sr. Son of SILAS SHARP, grandson of WILLIAM III, great-great grandson of Wm. Sr. LUTHER DAVID SHARP Luther David Sharp (L.D)., 1872-1963, son of Silas & Laura Sharp, married Laura Jane Morgan (1874-1899) daughter of Rev. Samuel Morgan of Edray. His second marriage was to Mabel Hansford. L.D.'s children were Ada 1894-1956 (m. John Johnson, Will Curtain); Violet b. 1897 (m. Rufus Markland, VP C&O railroad, Richmond, Va); Ivan Sharp 1900-1975 (m. Genevieve Orndorff); Paul Sharp b. 1910 (m. Vonda Lowe, Katherine Milhollin) of Texas; Si Sharp b. 1907 (accomplished wildlife painter), and L.D. Sharp, Jr. , called Dave, b. 1916 (m. Sylvia Friel, dau. of Dee & Mary Friel). L.D. Sr. started merchandising, buying fur and farming at age 12. He became a successful businessman dealing in farming, the wool industry, ginseng & raising the famous White Lynn honey. He established the general store in Slatyfork, which served as the first Slatyfork post office, and is still in operation as a general store & museum in 1999 (ran by his granddaughter, Linda Eduardo). L.D. was a WV Aviary inspector, owned a water-powered gristmill, and had the first telephone in Pocahontas County as the line entered Pocahontas from Randolph on the way to Marlinton in 1898. He also owned one of the first automobiles in the county, a 1914 Studebaker. L.D. was known for his love & knowledge of the wild. He was asked by the American Museum of Natural History in New York to secure a WV wild turkey nest at hatching time. This was done in 1906 & in 1982 these were still on display in NY. L.D. imported & turned loose Chinese pheasants at Slaty Fork. He killed his last deer at age 89 years. L.D. also dearly loved singing & directed the church choir that was invited to many song festivals in WV & VA. Luther David (L.D.) Sharp was not only a credit to Pocahontas County - but certainly to the Sharp family name. Being the only son of Silas - who had tragically lost a sister & 3 brothers during the war years - he was the only William III descendant known to this author to carrying forward the Sharp name. It is as if L.D. packed enough living into his 91 years on this earth to make up for all those Sharp ancestors before him who were taken in their youth. Sons of PAUL SHARP, grandsons of JACOB WARWICK SHARP, great-great grandsons of Wm. Sr. EDGAR SHARP Edgar Sharp, (1872-1939) son of Paul Sharp & Eveline Moore????? ELLIS R. SHARP Ellis R. Sharp (8/7/1867-3/7/1953), son of Paul Sharp & Eveline Moore, married Lucy Gay (12/24/1870-3/21/1955). Lucy was the daughter of Capt. Joseph C. Gay & Elizabeth Moore Gay. Elizabeth Moore was the daughter of William D. Moore & Rebecca Sharp Moore. Rebecca Sharp was a daughter of William Sharp Jr. & a sister to Jacob Warwick Sharp. Thus Rebecca's granddaughter married her brother Jacob's grandson. Ellis & Lucy bought 218 acres in 1901 known as "Sulpher Springs Farm" located near Hamlin Chapel (Old Log Church). Purchased from Miss Emma Warwick, a "Normal School" teacher, the original school bldg. Was till in use as a granary in 1982. Ellis & Lucy had four children - only one being a son - Gay Sharp 11/3/1906-12/4/1967. He married Helen McFerrin but they had no children. His daughters were: Beatrice, who married Clinton Ratliff & moved to Ohio - also no children & Bettie Clay Sharp b. 1905 - never married. The fourth child and the only one to have children was Lilly Sharp b. 9/23/1901 who married Clarence Kellison (d. 8/15/1970). They were married 7/4/1924 and had five children - the only grandchildren of Ellis Sharp - as follows: (1) Norma June Kellison b. 10/5/1925 m. Carl VanRennan - two children: Clarence Alvin VanReenan & Christine Lynn VanReenan (Acord) (2) Lucy Clare Kellison b. 12/14/1927 m. Melvin Moore - nine children: Melvin R. Moore Jr., Richard Ellis, Doreen Sue (Helton), Melva Jane (Kelley), Thomas Edgar, Harold Emory, Sally Kay (Parks), Marsha Carol, Patricia Marlene. (3) Jack Burton Kellison b. 2/7/1930 m. Dorothy Lea Weatherholt - three children: Kenneth Allen, Daniel Clark, and Karen Lynn (Sharp). (4) Robert Clay Kellison b. 11/20/1931 m. Nell Larita Umphlett - two children: Kimberly Rae & Gregory Todd. (5) Rose Ellen Kellison b. 3/19/1934 m. Thomas Allen Kordes - one dau: Sandra Jean Kordes (Cross). With the marriage of Karen Lynn Kellison to Randy Sharp, son of Austin M. Sharp - Ellis R. Sharp now has his first namesake descendant - a great-great grandson - with the name Steven Hunter Sharp. Sons of GILES SHARP, grandsons of JACOB WARWICK SHARP, great-great grandsons of Wm. Sr JACOB WILLIAM SHARP Jacob William Sharp (10/1/1891-3/12/1972), son of Giles & Francis Sharp, married Birdie Lee Sayre. They had one daughter Jewel Bly Sharp who married Harold Murphy. Jacob William had the family farm deed to him by his grandfather Jacob Warwick Sharp in 1896. His father Giles had lifetime rights until his death in 1928. This farm is part of the 1769 patent of 355 acres to William Sharp Sr. and part of the 1787 patent of 320 acres to William Sharp Jr. Remains of an old log home were still visible in 1982 & a log barn from the 1770s was still in use. Upon Jacob William's death the farm passed to Jacob's only child Jewel Bly Sharp who lives there today. (1981) PORTER J. SHARP Porter J. Sharp 1898-1965 married Pearl W. Hannah 1900-1978. Children unknown. DR. WARD SHARP Dr. Ward Sharp - marriage/children unknown? Sons of WILLIAM EWING SHARP, grandsons of JOHN SHARP, great-great grandsons of Wm. Sr MARION MCCOY SHARP Marion McCoy Sharp (1890-1962), son of William Ewing and Laura Ann Malcomb Sharp, married Della Francis Jackson (1895-1975), she the granddaughter of Josiah Dilley. Her uncle, Charles Dilley, married Marions's sister Margaret Matilda Sharp. Dilley's Mill Buckskin Scout Reservation is named after Joshiah Dilley and he is buried on the reservation. His great grandson Dewey F. Sharp (Marion's son) has been the only Camp Ranger at Dilley's Mill since its dedication in 1960. Marion & Della Sharp had nine children: (1) Dewey Franklin Sharp (Irene Lipps) - no children (2) Willie Eugene Sharp (3) William Dock Sharp (4) Oley Marion Sharp (5) Wade Thomas Sharp (6) Denny Warrick Sharp (7) Ruby Clara (m. Winters Kyle McCarty) - six children: Robert, Erma, Charles, Steve, Marian, Butch (8) Geraldine Ann (m. Richard Delmont Wilfong) - three sons Delmont Lee, Kim Franklin, Daron McCoy (9) Lillian (m. Frank Nizolek) - 2 sons Frank Jr. & Robert. DENCY EDWARD SHARP Dency Edward Sharp, son of William Ewing and Laura Ann Malcomb Sharp, married Gosha Lena Underwood on Dec. 31, 1917. Gosha's sister Lucy Underwood married Dency's first cousin Hanson J. Sharp and youngest sister Pearlie Underwood married Hanson J.'s son H. Emerson Sharp. Hugh Hanson Sharp, William Ewing's brother, was the father & grandfather respectively of these two. Gosha, lena and Pearlie were children of Michael Wallace (1858-1930) & Mary Agnes Sharp (1859-1930) Underwood who married in 1882 & lived at the homeplace on Cochrans Creek and later moved to Beaver Creek. Wallace & Mary Underwood's other children were: Forrest (May Sims); Lanty (Icie Alderman); Penick (Carnie Perkins). Dency & Gosha's children were: (1) Georgia Sharp (1st James McNeil, killed in Belgium in WWII & 2nd Millard Hutchings, Jr.) Four children: Bobby, Wanda, Dency, and Terry. (2) Violet Ruth Sharp (Harry Banton) - one daughter, Barbara m. Danny Wilfong. (3) Mary Arizona Sharp (Harold Tersigni, Sr.) Two sons: Harold Jr. & Gerald Lee (4) Dice Earl Sharp (Margaret Doyle) Four children: Robert, Diana, Debbie, Larry. (5) Betty Sharp (Oliver McPaters) - 7 children: Peggy, Roy, Randolph, Samuel, Thomas, twins Donald & Douglas. (6) Dency Edward Sharp Jr. (Beverly Robinson) - three Children: Tammy, Jeffery, Kimberly. (7) Myra Bly Sharp (McKinley Blankenship, Jr.) One son: Eddie Blankenship. PAUL WARWICK SHARP Paul Warwick Sharp, (1875-1948) son of William Ewing and Laura Ann Malcomb Sharp, married his first cousin, Mary Catherine Sharp (1880- 1969), daughter of James A. & Eleanor Wilfong Sharp in 1898. He was a freighter, hauling merchandise to the stores in the Marlinton area from the nearest railroad in Millboro Springs. His new wife accompanied him for their honeymoon. One of their camping sites was Windy Cove Cave. While he was attending the four-horse team, she went for a cold bucket of water. The wind and sound coming from the cave gave both her and the wagon dog Rover quite a fright and they retreated to the campsite trembling waiting for Warwick. Warwick & Mary purchased a part of their grandfather John Sharp's estate on Jerico Road and built there. Warwick was a timber cutter, first lime retailer, road Maintenance contractor, custom grain thresher, carpenter and blacksmith. Warwick's grandfather John Sharp and his Uncle David Warwick Sharp were whiskey makers and lived on Jerico Road also. Warwick used to assist with the carrying of barrels of whiskey up over the hills between Jerico Flats & the Swago area. One day David challenged Warwick saying "P.W. - I got a bet that you cannot carry this barrel up the hill alone." To which Paul Warwick reportedly took a big drink (certainly for fortification), picked up the barrel and carried it to the top of the hill. The disbelieving observers swore there could be no other man in the county with the strength to have carried that barrel. Paul Warwick and Mary Catherine Sharp had eleven children, including a set of twins: (1) Charles Jack Sharp (Ora Belle Thompson) (2) Lanty James Sharp (Mary Vanreenen) (3) Marlie Matilda Sharp (Cecil Curry) (4) Nellie Ann Sharp (Theodore Vanreenen) (5) Hazel Elizabeth Sharp (Karl Elcessor, Harvey A. Russell) (6) Layton Ewing Sharp (Juanita Ramona Tackett) (7) Pauline Catherine Sharp (Hubert May, Jay Baldwin, Jack Woods) (8) Oscar Warwick Sharp (Margaret Noonan) twin to (9) Austin McCoy Sharp (Eula Mae Underwood) (10) Sylvia Bell Sharp (Jack Herman, Robert Schultz, Granville Moore) (10) Nina June Sharp (Charles Waybright). Sons of HENRY D. SHARP, grandsons of JOHN SHARP, great-great grandsons of Wm. Sr. GEORGE W. SHARP George W. Sharp b. 2/14/1869, son of Henry D. Sharp & Elizabeth Moore ..... ??? JOSEPH ALEXANDER SHARP Joseph Alexander Sharp 12/16/1872 - 11/17/1951, son of Henry D. Sharp & Elizabeth Moore known as "Old Man Joe". Joseph first married his cousin Laura Lucretia Wilfong b. 1882. They had two daughters Tina Sharp who married Lacy Bryant and Effie Sharp who married a brother of Lacy. "Old Man Joe" married second in 1906 to Gertrude Vaughn (1889- 1940). They had 14 children as follows: (1) Grace Elizabeth Sharp m. Randolph McNeer Wilfong (2) Luther Calvin Sharp married Lena Roberts (3) Mattie Ellen Sharp married Clyde Lee Jarvis (they had 8 children - Jack Earl, Clyde Lee Jr., Frances, Ralph, Charlotte, Jackie (Charlotte & Jackie were twins), Hazel, & Harper) (4) Joseph Grant Sharp b. 3/10/1914 d. 11/15/1992. Known as "Stamping Creek Joe" he married 12/19/1932 to Golden Violet Wamsley. They had eight children (5) Nettie Ann Sharp m. 1st Marvin Sheets & 2nd a Lattch. (6) James Oliver Sharp married Gladys May Wamsley. They had three children: Exella Julene Sharp, Gentellene Violet Sharp and Doral James Sharp (7) Clyde E. Sharp (8) Charles H. Sharp (9) Walker Giles Sharp married Frances M. Rose; two Children: Maxwell F. Sharp & Shirley A. Sharp (Burbaugh). (10) Dorothy Vaughan Sharp married Paul Wells (11) Herbert Harvey Sharp 1921-1994 married JoAnn Lee Howard. Five children: Richard Lee Sharp, Sandra Lee Sharp, Herbert Dale Sharp, Robert A. Sharp, & Debra Sharp (Meredith). (12) Lacy Denton Sharp b. 1926 married Mary Evilee Burke - one son Thomas. (13) an infant son b. 1929 (14) an infant daughter Frances Virginia Sharp b. 1930 Sons of HUGH HANSON SHARP, grandsons of JOHN SHARP, great-great grandsons of Wm. Sr HANSON J. SHARP Hanson J. Sharp (1873-1941), son of Hugh Hanson & Mary Jane Waugh Sharp, married Margaret Ann Irvine (1877-1965), daughter of Captain William H. And Emily T. Johnson Irvine. Hanson was a carpenter, farmer, and song master. He taught singing schools (shaped notes) over the county. He hewed hundreds of railroad ties with the old broad ax. He nursed sick for Drs. Jim & Norman Price from the flu epidemic of 1918 on. He helped build his house, Fairview & Brushy Flat Schools, and Central Union Church. He raised his family on a 40-acre farm at Fairview. Hanson & Margaret Sharp had nine children with two girls and one boy dying as infants. The remaining six include: (1) Creetus H. Sharp (Lucy Underwood, sister of Gosha & Pearlie Underwood) (2) L. Vernon Sharp (3) H. Emerson Sharp (Pearlie Underwood) (4) Hulda I. Sharp (5) W. Randall Sharp (6) Grace E. Sharp. AMOS JASPER SHARP Amos Jasper Sharp 1878-1956, son of Hugh Hanson & Mary Jane Waugh Sharp, was a farmer near Fairview. He married 1st Iva Waugh (his "double" first cousin) and 2nd Anna Landis Shinaberry. Amos had nine children: (1) Tolbert Harter Sharp ((2) Norman Campbell Sharp (3) Elva Jane (Okey Woolard) (4) Hazel (Floyd Davis) (5) Quince R. Sharp (6) Moody N. Sharp (7) May (Blake) (8) Pearl (Humphrey) (9) Calvin Lloyd Sharp 1924-1998 - never married. SILAS W. SHARP Silas W. Sharp, son of Hugh Hanson & Mary Jane Waugh Sharp, died at the age of 19 years. He had married Sarah Meadows and they had one child Earl, who was born after his father's death. Sons of DAVID WARWICK SHARP, grandsons of JOHN SHARP, great, great grandsons of Wm. Sr. DENNIS WASHINGTON SHARP Dennis Washington Sharp, (1907-1978) son of David Warwick & Amanda Beverage Sharp, married Thelma C. Waugh b. 1909. They had three children: (1) Jimmie Eldridge Sharp, b. 1932 (2) Charles Sharp died in youth (3) Peggy Jean Sharp (Brister). HOWARD ANDREW SHARP Howard Andrew Sharp, (1910-1925), son of David Warwick & Amanda Beverage Sharp died at the age of 25 yrs. He worked in a mental hospital in Virginia and was killed by a deranged patient. He was married to Catherine Myers (1908-1978). They had three children: (1) Howard Davey "Sonny" Sharp (1930-1994) married Stella Gibbs. They had four stepchildren from her previous marriage. Together Sonny & Stella had three children - two daughters: Susan Lee Sharp (m. Tony Jones) - 2 children & Carolyn Marie Sharp (m. David Truslow) - two sons. Their third child was a son - Howard D. Sharp III b. 1957 (m. Patricia Ann Helmick) - 2 children. (2) Betty Jean Sharp b. 1933 (Robert Anderson, Roger Kent Hoover) - two sons by Anderson) (3) Ellen Annavera Sharp (1935-1988) married Paul Richard Huffer - two daus. Howard Andrew Sharp is buried in the Sharp Cemetery on Jerico Road. LOCK CUNNINGHAM SHARP Lock Cunningham Sharp (12/4/1900 - 10/30/1928), son of David Warwick & Amanda Beverage Sharp died at the age of 28 years. He was killed by a man named Peters who was married to Lock's sister, Pearl. She had left her husband due to his physical beatings and was living with her brother Lock. The husband came looking for her in an angered rage and killed Lock. Lock's brothers Clifford & Fred were armed and went after the killer but he was apprehended by the law. It is believed he was the last man to be hanged as punishment in the state of West Virginia. Lock was married on Christmas Day 1917, just three weeks past his 17th birthday to Minnie Virginia Sharp (1903-1956). He is buried at the Sharp Cemetery on Jerico Road. CLIFFORD ICEN SHARP Clifford Icen Sharp (3/19/1892-11/6/1972), son of David Warwick & Amanda Beverage Sharp, was married 10-31-1912 to Thursa Estel Lester (11/19/1897-4/27/1974). Thursa was born in Louisa, KY a daughter of David Lantford & Nancy R. (Cordle) Lester. Cliff was the third generation to carry on the tradition of whiskey making despite the Prohibition. Clifford & Thursa lived in the area where Fairview Church is located down by the river. Their children included: (1) Jane Estel Sharp (3/7/1916-10/9/1965). She married James Clem Simmons (8/12/1910- 7/30/1972). Jane was respected as being one tough lady & it is said she had a big fist and could hit as hard as any man. They had six children - one girl and five sons. (2) Nancy Lee Sharp, b. 8/12/1919, married 1st Robert Reynolds, 2nd Raymond Parker (3) Marvin Lanty Sharp - "Jim" (5/8/1922-3/27/1964) married 1st Wilma C. Peterson & 2nd married Nettie May Lackey. His daughter Carolyn Ann Sharp married Phillip C. Dean. "Jim" was killed in a coal mining accident (4) James Icen Sharp died of crib death at one month of age in 1915. (5) Leva Lester Sharp died in 1924 as an infant of whooping cough (6) Faye Elizabeth Sharp had a son named Don Sharp who was raised by Clifford & Thursa. Faye later married Page Albert Pritt who was killed in a work related accident leaving three children: Ilene Pritt, Johnnie Pritt, and another daughter. Faye's second marriage was to John Franklin Doss who was the father of Marvin Doss and Carol Doss. (7) Dolly Jean Sharp (12/6/1928 - 5/8/1968) was shot & killed by her estranged husband Perry Woodrow Skeen. She had three children: Virginia, Pauline & Jerry. (8) Lutricia Maye Sharp (9/13/1931-6/23/1997) married Claude Alfred Stimeling. Three children: Allen, Saundra, Susan. (9) Annabelle Sharp married Stanley Lee Gibson and had five children: Marsha, Donna, Julia, Kimberly and David. Stan & Ann Gibson live on Jerico Road where Ann's grandfather David Warwick Sharp lived. Both Cliff & Thursa are buried at the Sharp Cemetery on Jerico Road. FRED DAVID SHARP Fred David Sharp (4/15/1894- 6/23/1975), son of David Warwick & Amanda Beverage Sharp, was married 12-27-1916 to Roxie Mae Galford (6/17/1899- 8/9/1979). They had ten children with two dying in infancy. Five sons & three daughters surviving: (1) Walter Dennis Sharp (2) Edith M. Sharp 1926-1988 m. Roscoe T. Beverage & had two daughters: Mary Eliz. & Alma May. She married a Hively second. (3) Calvin H. Sharp (4) Ada Sharp was married twice - 1st to Ferguson & 2nd to Wilson. (5) Frank I. Sharp (6) Fred Sharp II (7) Eddie Sharp (8) Grace Sharp married twice 1st Morrison, 2nd Hannah - one daughter Blanche Sharp. Both Fred & Roxie are buried at the Sharp Cemetery on Jerico Road. DEXTER C. SHARP Dexter C. Sharp 1888-1949 (called Deck), son of David Warwick & Amanda Beverage Sharp, married Rose Beverage. One son: Johnny Sharp. Both Deck & Rose are buried at the Sharp Cemetery on Jerico Road. FRANK MCKINLEY SHARP Frank McKinley Sharp (12/10/1896-4/19/1945, son of David Warwick & Amanda Beverage Sharp, married Viola Mae Parnell. They had four children: (1) Christine Mae b. 1922 (m. Henry Whay) - 3 daus. (2) Margaret Frances b. 1924 (m. William Britt) - 3 sons (3) Eugene Franklin Sharp b. 1926 m. Polly - one son: David Sharp b. 1956. (4) Barbara Ann Sharp b. 1932. JOHN PETERSON SHARP John Peterson Sharp (12/13/1882-11/22/1960), son of David Warwick & Amanda Beverage Sharp, married Birdie Vandever (1882-1980). Sons of JAMES ALEXANDER SHARP, grandsons of JOHN SHARP, great-great grandsons of Wm. Sr. ELMER ELI SHARP Elmer Eli Sharp, (3/8/1886-10/29/50) son of James Alexander & Eleanor Wilfong Sharp,married Ethel Reeves Foster Curry and built their home on a part of the John Sharp estate on Jerico Road. Elmer was a lay Speaker for the Methodist Charge, director of the Farmers & Merchant Bank of Marlinton & Franklin, landowner, farmer, and a great sportsman. Elmer & Reeves Sharp had three sons: (1) Dorsey Sharp (Clara Shearer) (2) Loy Sharp (Bessie Rose, Anna L. Madison) (3) Dolpha Sharp (Regena Underwood). After Reeves death, Elmer remarried in 1944 to Jennie Chitister. MILBURN EMMANUEL SHARP Milburn Emmanuel Sharp (1884 -1970), son of James Alexander & Eleanor Wilfong Sharp, married Pearl Beverage (1906-1980) one of eleven children of Jacob William & Nancy Caroline Kellison Beverage in April of 1920. The other children of Jacob Beverage: Henry, Harper, Adam, Lee, Clawson, Stella, Mattie, Lottie (Kellison), Lanie (Galford), Ida (McNeill). Milburn & Pearl Sharp lived on a 236-acre farm on Jerico Road, which was half of the old James Sharp homeplace. They had 13 children: (1) Carl James Sharp (Virginia Moretz) (2) Eula Virginia Grace (Edgar Moore) (3) Edna May (Harold Cochran, C.C. Kelly, James Webb) (4) Anna Lee (Leon Hannah) (5) Dolly Gray (Grey McComb) (6) Claude Emanuel Sharp (Grace Graham Counts) (7) Eva Jane (Murl Chestnut) (8) Jennie Marie (Leonard Cutlip Jr.) (9) Margaret Ellen (Eugene Channell) (10) Oliver Ray Sharp (Brenda Dunbrack, Linda McNellan) (11) Ralph Edward Sharp (Paula McNellan) (12) Nancy Carol (Paul Layman, Jr., Roger Irvine) (13) Johnny Patrick Sharp (Patricia Clagett). MARY CATHERINE SHARP Mary Catherine Sharp, daughter of James Alexander & Eleanor Wilfong Sharp, married her first cousin Paul Warwick Sharp - their family information is given above under Paul Warwick's name. THE SIXTH GENERATION - Great-grandsons of JOHN SHARP, great-great-great grandsons of Wm. Sr. The Fifth Generation saw some 24 great-great grandsons of Wm. Sharp Sr. carrying the Sharp name. Those 24 Sharps had at least 56 great-great- great grandsons with the Sharp name to carry on the Wm Sharp Sr. lineage into the Sixth Generation. Since many persons who would be the subject of these sketches are yet living, we will conclude the following with listing only the five sons of Paul Warwick & Mary Catherine Sharp - "double descendants" carrying the name of our Pioneer William Sharp, Sr. CHARLES JACK SHARP Charles Jack Sharp, (1899-1974) oldest son of Paul Warwick Sharp and Mary Catherine Sharp, grandson of both William Ewing Sharp & James Alexander Sharp, and great-grandson of John & Sarah Johnson Sharp. Married Ora Belle Thompson (b. 1903) daughter of David & Martha Elizabeth (Lizzy) Rose Thompson in 1922. Ora's mother died in 1908 when she was five years old and Ora was raised by her maternal grandparents Andy & Sally (Poe) Rose who moved to Pocahontas County sometime after the Civil War. Sally was daughter of John & Elizabeth Poe who had lost everything in the war, including two sons, and left Tazewell County due to fears of what would happen to their land when coal was mined beneath. Charles Jack Sharp spent a considerable amount of time during his younger years around logging & lumber operations, since his father was a carpenter and teamster. While attending high school, he worked as a teamster in the summer and attended school in the winter. School at that time was held six months of the year. He attended West Virginia State Teachers College at Parkersburg, then taught for nineteen years in the rural schools of Pocahontas County. He was held in high esteem as one who could control students as well as parents in rather rough communities. In 1943 he accepted the position of manager of the Southern States Cooperative Store where he retired from twenty years later. Charles Jack was known as a lover of the outdoors and of his fellow man. There are few people who ever knew him that have been on unfriendly terms. He was an ardent hunter and fisherman, and a crack shot, winning many prizes in shooting matches. Charles & Ora Sharp raised fourteen children, all fourteen graduating from Marlinton High School: (1) Jack Arnold (Margaret Sharp), (2) Earl Milburn (Mildred Kirkpatrick), (3) Lew Warwick (Muriel Ann Bates), (4) Dempsey Thompson (Jeanie Walton), (5) Charles Herbert (Noma Harris), (6) Catherine Elizabeth (Andrew Robert Baechtel), (7) Craig Arthur (Betty Shinaberry), (8) Donald James (Mildred Underwood), (9) Tommy David (Garnett McCoy), (10) Patricia Wenona (Joseph Lamoureux), (11) Brenda Carol (Marvin Doss), (12) Louise Kay (Joseph Roy), (13) Leslie Douglas (Martha Jean Horner), (14) Glenda Charlotte (Kenneth Slagle). This family hosts the Sharp Family Reunion, annually during July at the Charles & Ora homeplace on Brownsburg Road, outside Marlinton. LANTY JAMES SHARP Lanty James Sharp, son of Paul Warwick Sharp and Mary Catherine Sharp, grandson of both William Ewing Sharp & James Alexander Sharp, and great-grandson of John & Sarah Johnson Sharp. Married Mary Vanreenen. One son, Richard Sharp ......? LAYTON EWING SHARP Layton Ewing Sharp, (1913-1985), son of Paul Warwick Sharp and Mary Catherine Sharp, grandson of both William Ewing Sharp & James Alexander Sharp, and great-grandson of John & Sarah Johnson Sharp. Married Juanita Remona Tackett, two daughters Judith (Robert Handelman) and Vicki (Wallace Mullens). OSCAR WARWICK SHARP Oscar Warwick Sharp, 3/13/1920 - 3/14/1966, a twin son of Paul Warwick Sharp and Mary Catherine Sharp, grandson of both William Ewing Sharp & James Alexander Sharp, and great-grandson of John & Sarah Johnson Sharp. Married Margaret Ellen Noonan, (b. 1923) one of twelve children of Cleveland Heirn (1885-1950) and Lottie Estaline McComb Noonan (b. 1893). Oscar was a coal miner, a well known hunter & fisherman, and an avid sports fan. He and his twin brother Austin McCoy were known as "The Bear Hunting Sharp Twins" during the 1940s-60s. Pocahontas & surrounding counties were bear havens, their increasing numbers damaging the sheep growing industry of that era. The County Court and the state Game Commission would pay bounties on bear killed in sheep producing areas. It is estimated the twins killed around 160 bear, 50% sheep killers and all males except one. Oscar was killed in a coal mining accident on March 14, 1966, one day after his 46th birthday. Children of Oscar & Margaret Sharp are: (1) Duane Heirn Sharp, Sr.; b. 1942 (Pauline, Martha Jo Smith); (2) Elaine Nanette b. 1943 (Harley Wesley Carpenter) (3) Christine Rosetta b. 1946 (Thomas Shafer, Kenneth Dale Wilfong) (4) Martin Alexander Sharp, Sr. b. 1947 (Freddy Small, Candy Mann); (5) Eileen Allanna b. 1948 (Solomon S. Workman). AUSTON MCCOY SHARP Austin McCoy Sharp, 3/13/1920 - 6/1/2000, a twin son of Paul Warwick Sharp and Mary Catherine Sharp, grandson of both William Ewing Sharp & James Alexander Sharp, and great-grandson of John & Sarah Johnson Sharp. Austin served in WWII 1941-45, was a coal miner, a well known hunter & fisherman, an avid sports fan, and church goer. He and his twin brother Oscar Warwick were known as "The Bear Hunting Sharp Twins" during the 1940s-60s. Austin McCoy married Eula Mae Underwood, daughter of Delmar Guy and Mary Emily Underwood on Dec. 17, 1948. They have seven children, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1998 and Eula still lives on Jerico Road on part of the original lands of Austin's great-grandparents, John & Sarah Sharp. Austin died in a vehicle accident in Greenbrier County, and is buried in the Sharp Cemetery located on his lands. His parents, grandparents James Alexander & Eleanor Wilfong, and great-grandparents John & Sarah Sharp are also buried there. Austin & Eula's children are: (1) E. Darlene Sharp b. 6/7/49 (Ronald VanMeter, William Nau); (2) Vivian Leigh Sharp b. 11/23/50 (Delbert Hanson Reed, Jr.); (3) Paul Warwick Sharp b. 6/12/52; (4) Gary Wayne Sharp b. 5/19/55 (Heather Landis, Darlene Chicaro); (5) Randy Allen Sharp b. 5/17/57 (Karen Kellison Laney); (6) Rebecca Ann Sharp b. 9/21/60; (7) Mary Rachel Sharp b. 4/15/64. As stated in the preface, with all genealogical endeavors, this is a work in progress, and as such contains missing, incomplete, and at times inaccurate information which further research may correct or expound upon. My apologies to any persons to whom I have made errors in any regards. Readers who have contributory information may contact the author via email at <SharpMinds@aol.com> . ~~ dated June 10, 2001 by Rebecca Ann Sharp. Copyright 2001 Rebecca Ann Sharp