Here
we go on a little bit about the Bybee family.
My great grandmother’s maiden name was Bybee. She was the daughter of William Jefferson
Bybee and Phoebe Jane Jewel. I have roadblocks in my family history
collection but this is one of my major brick walls. Discovering the ancestry of Phoebe is definitely one
of the biggest ones I have.
The
Bybee family is of English descent. The
history of this line of Bybee starts here with the lineage of Thomas (Generation
1) Bybby. He was born in England and
married Elizabeth Wilde on 02 April 1581.
Their son,William (2) Bybee, was our immigrant ancestor in this
line. He was born 1598 in Coppull
Standish Parish Lancaster Co., England.
According to records he married, Mary, in England about 1620. However, he traveled on the Swain without her
to the old Accomack Plantation in Virginia, seven months before the Pilgrims
landed at Plymouth rock. In one of his
many lawsuits he stated that he came from Western England. His wife did not
join him until the spring of 1636 arriving on the ship "Margaret &
John." She was one of six people traveling together.
Their
son Edmund (3), was born about 1637. Edmund
was no doubt named for Sir Edmund Scarborough, with whom William Bibby was
associated. He died on his original 400-acre farm which was located on the
lower peninsula, next to the farm of Capt. William Epps with whom he also was
long associated.
In
"Muster rolls of Settlers in Virginia" William Bibbie was listed at
age 22 arriving on the ship, SWAN in 1620.
Additionally,
in "Family and Local Histories," William Bibby is listed as living in
Elizabeth Cittie, in 1624. He is also listed in "The Living and the Dead
in Virginia," February, 1623, as residing "at the Eastern Shore."
The
colonists on the ship "Swan," on which William came over in June
1620, were "yeoman" farmers from West England, which term is
generally used to designate Northwestern England.
The
Biby family originated in Lancashire or Lancaster County on the Irish Sea in
Northwestern England, which originally formed part of the Medieval Celtic
Kingdom of Strathclyde. On the final division of the Kingdom in 1124, the
northern portion was annexed to Scotland, with England taking the southern
portion in which the Bibbys have resided since 1280, the strong probability
being that they resided there before the division
when its citizenry was 100 per cent Celtic (Scotch-Irish).
Edmond
was born on the original Bibby homestead.
His wife was Ester Floyd. Edmund
inherited the homestead when his father, William, died. The deed for this
property is recorded in Book I, Volume I, first record of deeds in America. He also inherited much Virginia land from his
father's estate and he later increased these holdings. Edmund died on his
original 400-acre farm which was located on the lower peninsula, next to the
farm of Capt. William Epps with whom he was also long associated.
At
his death he owned nearly 3,000 acres of choice Eastern Shore lands. He died on
or about the year 1700 on his Eastern Shore estate with numerous descendants.
There are two wills which have been recorded Edmond Bebee and Bibbe in 1660 and 1696, respectively, both in Northhampton County; and an inventory of his property dated 1697, Northhampton, presumably after his death.
Our
line continues with John Bybee (4), son of the above Edmund and Ester Floyd Bybee.
He was born about 1660 in Virginia. Other than his wife was Ann and they had a son
by the name of Thomas, not much is known of them. Thomas was born 17 Nov 1689 in Goochland
County, Virginia. Thomas married
Elizabeth Thomas (daughter of John and Elizabeth Thomas ) about 1706. She was also from
the Goochland Co., Virginia.
Thomas
(5) had a will that was probated on Feb. 17, 1729 in Goochland County, and the
date coincides with the date of his death.
Children of Thomas and Elizabeth were:
Thomas,
Elizabeth Webb, Judithy, Jno Webb and John.
Generation
six from Thomas Bibby of England was John (6) Bybee Sr. He married Sara Judith Jane Giles, or so as
it has been recorded. She was born in of
Fluvanna Cty, Va.
John Sr.'s wife is recorded as Sarah Giles,
but other wives are listed as Judith or Jane or Jean Giles. Is it one and the same or are they sisters? It
is believed by many that these were sisters whom John married after the death
of his first wife, Sarah.
Others say that at least two of them are the same person, i.e., Jane and Jean. The Giles sisters were daughters of Martin Giles and Ann Carey.
Either way ancestry remains the same as John and one or more of his sister wives produced at least ten offspring.
John
Bybee, Sr., owned about 1,500 acres of land lying on both sides of Ballenger's
Creek in Fluvanna County, Virginia, in 1878 as recorded by a deed of trust in
Book #2, page 46, Albemarle County, VA. Fluvanna County was made from Albemarle
and Louise Counties.
JNear
Ballenger's Creek is a highway known as Bybee Road. On the highway is a post
office known as Bybee. VA. (No longer in operation. See Chapter 12, entitled,
"A Tale of Three Cities.") About one-half mile
east on this highway is Bybee Road Baptist Church, which is a very nice church
and has been rebuilt recently. Near this point is a cemetery which has only one
stone with readable lettering on it, and this is Pleasant Bybee (son of John,
Sr.) who died in 1835. Pleasant Bybee
has a will filed in Palmyra, VA. This will shows the following children:
Elizabeth, John, William, Sara and Sherrod Bybee. I find a power of attorney
given to John Bybee son of Pleasant Bybee Nov. 6, 1826, showing John Bybee to
be in Ross County, Ohio on that date. Pleasant Bybee's will is in Will Book
#4, page 56, Fluvanna County. John Sr.'s
children are listed below. There is no certainty as to which belonged to which
wife:
Thomas,
John (7) Jr., Cornelius, Samuel, Pleasant, Edward, Joseph.
Our
John Bybee (7) Jr was was born 1739 in Fluvanna
Co. in the vicinity of Ballenger’s Creek, Virginia, USA, and died 1821 in
Barren Cty, KY.
He
married Elizabeth McCann, daughter of Neely McCann and Elizabeth
Applegate. She was born about 1744 in
Fluvanna County, Virginia and died April 1819 in Barren County, Kentucky. He
entered the Revolutionary War June 1, 1777 and can be found on the muster and
payrolls of Camp Morristown, He served in the 15th Virginia Regiment under
Captain William Grimes. Capt. Grimes was from Hanover Bybee
Family County, VA, which was an adjoining county to Fluvanna and was known to
have recruited his own company in his locality. It is also noted from the
muster rolls in the Bureau of Archives that he served under
Colonel Abraham Buford. (See Chapter 14, entitled, "More Bybee
Untrivia.")
John
Jr.'s name last appears on the payroll of December 1779, so in all probability
he was discharged about December
31, 1779. His name in the war record was spelled (or misspelled) John Bibby,
which was nothing unusual because he always signed his name with an X, and no
doubt the company clerk spelled the name
to the best of his ability. (Note, however, that this was during the period
that the family name was evolving.
Many of our and John's ancestors were also known as Bibby, or by some such
variation.
The
next record of John (7) Bybee, Jr. is a land grant signed by Thomas Jefferson,
September 1, 1780, Book E, Page
621 conveying 82 acres of land on Daniels Mill Creek of Blackwater River in
Henry County later Franklin
County VA. He would have been at least middle aged in 1780 because his daughter
Betsey married
John Kelley in Henry County in 1781, John
Bybee, Jr. moved from Franklin County to Barren County, Kentucky some time
prior to 1799.
He
is listed
on the tax lists of Barren County in Fathergild Taxpayers of Kentucky, showing
him living there in 1799.
He did not sell the 82 acres of land in Virginia, but merely moved off and left
it. His name on the deed
for this land was spelled Bibe.
John's will is recorded in Will Book, number 2, page 155, in Barren County in the January Court of 1822. He was known to have settled on Glovers Creek in this county. This area is now Metcalf County, and is near Summershade, KY. The family cemetery where he was buried has been destroyed and now the land is cultivated.
The
children John (7) Jr. and Elizabeth McCann were John, Charity, Neal McCann, Betsey,
Allen, Polly, Ann, Sherrod, Lee Allen, and Susan
John
(8) Bybee, III, b. 1770, d. 21 May 1819. H m. Elizabeth Kelley
He
was married secondly to Millie Allee and third to Anna Perkins
JOHN
BYBEE, was born about 1770 in Fluvanna Co., VA.
He died May 21, 1819, Barren Co, KY.
He married Elizabeth Kelly 6 May 1791 in
Franklin Co, VA. She was the
daughter of William Kelly and Mary Byram.
John
(8) Bybee III moved with his family to Henry Co., Va Sept 1 1780 He was married by Randolph Hall. John III bought
a small farm on Daniels Mill Creek ( 1 Dec 1792) but never sold it when he
migrated with his family to Barren County, Kentucky. He is known to have been
in Barren County in 1799. He purchased
447 acres of land on Glovers Creek, Barren County, Kentucky in 1806 and
established a plantation.
Neal
McCann Bybee purchased a like amount the same day indicating he had also
migrated at the same time.
John raised nine children and died 1819 leaving a will which is filed in Will Book #2 page 25,26,27. The Will was made 21 May 1819 and probated July 1819 meaning he died sometime between those dates.
A
will of William Kelly who was also a Revolutionary war soldier, mentions
Elizabeth Bybee as his daughter. This will is filed in Franklin Co. Va Will
Book #2 page 8. This will indicates that this is William Kelly Jr. John Bybee
III had considerable land dealing in Barren County, Ky as evidenced by deed
Book of Records.
Fallen Timbers, Glovers, Nobob, and Skaggs Creek are mentioned in Deeds of
Sale. These are all located in the vicinity of Summershade, Kentucky. This
portion of land was taken from Barren County and made part of Metcalf County in
1860.
The
marriage bond given by William Kelley at the time of the marriage was spelled
Calley.
-----------------
Will of John Bybee Barren County Kentucky May 21 1819
Will of John Bybee Barren County Kentucky May 21 1819
In
the name of god amen:
I,
John Bybee, of the County of Barren and State of Kentucky being of sound mind,
memory and understanding the weak in body and in very low state of health and
knowing that it is appointed for man to Die and the time thereof uncertain do
constitute appoint and ordain this to be my last will and testament in form and
manner following towit:
First:
It is my will and desire that after my decease the plantation whereon I now
live shall be divided as near the middle as possible by a line crossing Glover
Creek and that my beloved wife, Betsy Bybee do and shall keep the part
including my dwelling house and other improvements thereunto belonging together
with all and singular the kitchen and household furniture and the stock of
horses, cattle, sheep, hogs & C which I possess together with all
improvements of husbandry for and during her natural life time and that after
her decease said part including the said dwelling house and improvements shall
go to my son, McCan Bybee which I desire and will he shall not sell until he
shall arrive at the age of twenty five years.
Second:
I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Nancy, the other moiety of said tract
above mentioned to her and to the heirs of her body if any.
Third:
I give and bequeath unto my son, Buford Bybee, the tract of land whereon he now
lives on Glovers Creek which I purchased of David De Rittch together with an
addition of forty acres adjoining and upon the south of my said settlement to
at a poplar corner to the same.
Fourth:
I give and bequeath unto my son Byram Bybee the quantity of land on Nobob Creek
out of the survey which I purchased of Robt. Craddock, Agent of Robt. Means,
lying within the following boundary Towit: Beginning where Robt. Lanes line
crosses the creek, thence with him to Hugh's line thence with Hugh's line to
the corner thence to the creek leaving the spring of said Byram Bybee belonging
to his said
part
about sixty yards on the right hand thence down the creek which it is by the
will and desire he shall not sell or dispose of till he is twenty five years
old.
Fifth:
I give and bequeath unto my son John Bybee, out of said survey above mentioned
all that is contained within the following boundary Towit: Beginning where said
Byram Bybees part strikes the creek (Nobob) thence up the creek with its
meanders to a large spring from thence north to the line of Tuder,
thence
with his line to Hughes line thence with Hughes line southwardly to his corner
thence with Bryan Bybees said line down to the creek which I will and desire he
shall not sell until he is twenty five years old.
Sixth
: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Delila Bybee out of the aforesaid tract
on Nobob the part contained within the following motes and bounds Towit:
Beginning at the spring above named which John Bybees line strikes thence south
to John Buttons line thence with John Buttons line so far as to turn a north course
to strike the creek where the path formerly went John Buttons thence north out
to Tuders line thence with his line to where John Bybees line strikes Tuders
line thence with John Bybees line to strike the spring which I give unto her
and the heirs of her body, if any.
Seventh:
I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Betsy, out of said tract the following:
Beginning at Delilahs corner on Buttons line thence with it to his corner
thence with the original line to Tuders corner thence with Tuders line to S.
Delilas corner thence with Delilas line to Buttons line which I give and Bybee
Family confirm unto her and the heirs of her body, if any.
Eighth:
I give and bequeath unto my son, William, and my daughter, Polly, the remainder
or residue of said survey on Nobob to be divided between them as follows Towit:
to run with the creek so as to give and equal part to each which part I give
and confirm unto my said son, William, with the injunction that he shall not
sell or dispose of said land until he shall arrive at the age of twenty five
years and also give and confirm unto my said daughter, Polly, and the heirs of
her body if any. It is here to be understood that the part which I here do give
to my said son, William, shall be that immediately next the creek, and do
hereby revoke all or any will or wills by me heretofore made and do by these
presents acknowledge this to be my last will and testament.
In
witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 21st day
of May in the year of our lord 1819.
John
(X) Bybee Seal
-------------
Children
of JOHN BYBEE and ELIZABETH KELLY are:
Neal
McCann, Polly, Delilah, William, Nancy, Buford, Byram, John, Betsy
John
(9) was born 17 January 1801 in Virginia and died February 26, 1886 in Erath Co.,
Texas. He married Catherine Welch b. 25 February 1819 in Barren County,
Kentucky, daughter of James Welch and Mary Sims. She was born 1798 in N.
Carolina, and died 15 April 1864 in Georgetown, Williamson Co.,Tx. His second
wife was Elizabeth Johnston and he married her 24 September 1864 in Willamson
Co., Tx. She was born 1800, and died in Williamson Co., TX. His third wife was
Piety Joiner and he married her 09 October 1873 in Williamson Co., Tx.
John
moved to Missouri from Kentucky in 1838 with his wife, Catherine, and widowed
sister-in-law, Margaret. He only stayed one year before moving on to Step Rock,
Arkansas. Then, he moved into Texas and settled in Williamson County. It is
unknown how long they actually stayed in Arkansas but in 1850 they were back in
Missouri. This time they were in Ozark County with two of their children,
William and Mandy. Their other children may have been living on their own.
John
was listed in the 1870 census as being a laborer with $800 in real estate and
$500 in personal property. This census also showed, John Bluford and Willim
living in houses all fairly close together.
An estate filing for Catherine Welch Bybee was made in Williamson
County, TX in 1870 by her husband, John. At this time her date of death was set
at 1865. However, he may have married an Elizabeth Cox after
Catherine's death and this would mean that the actual death occurred in 1864.
Children
of John and Catherine Welch Bybee were:
Amanda,
Buford, Mary Ann, William, Martha, Pleasant, William Jefferson, John\
An
additional child of John through his marriage with Peity Joiner was John Bybee.
------------------------------------------------------
WILLIAM
JEFFERSON BYBEE was born September 28,
1836 in KY, and died March 17, 1914 in Leakey, Tx. He married PHOEBE JANE JEWEL
September 23, 1857 in Georgetown, Tx, daughter of Joseph Levi Jewel and Winna
Brookshire. She
was born May 06, 1837 in Williamson Co., Texas, and died March 27, 1916 in
Leakey,Real Co. Texas.
According
to the 1870 census, William was a stock bailer, owned $400 in real estate and
had personal property valued a $1,000. On daughter's , Amanda, death
certificate place of birth for William was listed as Missouri. However, this
was incorrect. He lived in Missouri as a very small child but his birth was in Kentucky
prior to the family move to Missouri. Both William and Bluford, his brother,
had one daughter named after their mother
and one son named after their father.
William
was about 5'10" tall and had a long white beard and moustache. They
were living in Bandera County in 1880. In 1900 they had moved on to Lampassas
County, TX. Then, in 1910 they showed up on the census in Edwards Co., TX.
Records
at Llano County indicate there was a petition from William Bybee on behalf of
his grandchildren, William M. and Ethel Lee McCoy. This petition was to appoint
him as their guardian.
William's
daughter, Mary A. Bybee had married William McCoy and he had died. Mary Bybee then
remarried a Mr. Clark. Property of the children's father remained in Llano County.
The petition was filed 16 January 1907. At this time the McCoy children lived
with the Bybees in Edwards Co.
The
census lists the Bybees as farmers. They later moved into what was then Bandera
County and lived at Bybee Hollow. This was a tributary of the East Frio River. William and Phoebe were living at Bybee Hollow
at the time Indians made their last raid in the area in April 1881. Word was
brought by a rider on horseback to every settler in the area and the family
sought safety with their neighbors, the Statham’s, near
Cypress Creek. They did not go by the river road, but instead climbed up and
over the mountain to avoid any possible contact with the Indians.
The
Bybees bought ranch-land along Cedar Creek, a tributary of the West Frio River.
Here they plowed, planted, gleaned and gathered. An interesting and an every
day necessity in the Bybee's lives was the "cool-cellar" they dug in
the side of the Cedar Creek bluff very near their home. Access to the cellar
was by a long ladder built against the bluff. The nearby spring furnished fresh
cool water, and was also used to keep
butter and milk cool. Sweet potatoes were kept from spoilage in the sol-cellar
during the hot summer and cold winter months.
The
Bybee family resided at the Cedar Creek ranch until the death of William in
1914 at which time family members transferred the ownership of the ranch to
Elizabeth Bybee, an unmarried daughter. Phoebe Jane lived with relatives until
her death in 1916.
The
remains of "Bill" and Phoebe were returned to Cypress Creek Cemetery
on the East Prong of the Frio River to be buried near their young child who had
been interred there about 35 years before. One daughter, Elizabeth Reynolds, is
buried there also.
Phoebe
Jane Jewel's oral family history tells that her father left her in the care of
a sister-in-law. She was found living with the Dyches family in Williamson
County, TX in the 1850 census. So, how
is Mrs. Elizabeth Lewis Dyches the sister-in-law?
Two
sons James and George died before 1880 as they are not shown on the census with
other family members in 1880. One died at Bybee Hollow as family members were
cutting stools from the mountain top for cow feed and rolling them down hill.
He was accidentally struck and killed. The other died of whooping cough. They
were buried at Bybee Hollow. James' was the first to be buried at Cypress Creek Cemetery. Phoebe
was a hemophiliac.
Family
story has it that Phoebe had been captured by the Comanche Indians. They had a
big fire and were going to throw her into it. Phoebe escaped from the Indians
and fled to the Bybee house.
Children
of William Bybee and Phoebe Jewel were:
Amanda Jane, Catherine, John Wesley, Sara Jean, Polly, George Washington, James Wesley, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Martha J., William and James Beauford.
Amanda Jane Bybee was born 3 May 1863 in Georgetown, TX. She died 22 July 1917 in Kerrville, TX.
Amanda Jane, Catherine, John Wesley, Sara Jean, Polly, George Washington, James Wesley, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Martha J., William and James Beauford.
Amanda Jane Bybee was born 3 May 1863 in Georgetown, TX. She died 22 July 1917 in Kerrville, TX.
Amanda
Bybee was previously married to Barry Buckelew. Barry stole a hog and ran out
on her leaving her with two daughters to raise, Grace and Isabella. Or, so the story goes. According to her daughter Amanda was a very
sickly person. Martha said said she
always looked sad and never really laughed or cut-up. Caused of her death was listed as
“hephritis”. She is buried next to her daughter, Alice, and
not far from Theodore in Kerrville, TX.
A
lot of unknowns surround Theodore Lockhart Hughes. Even his daughter, Martha,
did not know much of his background. According to his family he left home at a
very. He was born in Indiana and had a
brother, John, who died in Austin. His
first wife, Elizabeth Parker, supposedly grieved herself to death over the
death of one of her children.
Theodore
was a very big man. He was tall and
weighed 250 pounds. He wasn't afraid of anything and had a temper. While living in Kerrville he lived in what
was called the "fairground house". He also worked as a nurse in tents
on the river helping people that needed him. He was a big hearted person.
The
Hughes family was a very religious family. They went to church in a covered
wagon and at times Theodore would even preach. They attended a Methodist
church. Amanda would sing. She had a beautiful voice.
Two daughters were born to Amanda Bybee and Berry Buckelew. They were Isabella and Grace.
Children
of Amanda Bybee and Theodore Lockhart Hughes were:
Alice May, Verdie A., Martha Catherine and Ernest C. Hughes.
My grandmother was Alice May, b. August 05, 1895, Georgetown, Tx; d. November 05, 1917, Kerrville, Tx. She married Charles Alvin Sandel, 12 February 1913 in Kerrville, TX. He was born 7 June 1891 in Burnet County, TX and died 23 March 1967 in Austin, TX.
Alice May Hughes and Charles Alvin Sandel had two sons. They were:
My grandmother was Alice May, b. August 05, 1895, Georgetown, Tx; d. November 05, 1917, Kerrville, Tx. She married Charles Alvin Sandel, 12 February 1913 in Kerrville, TX. He was born 7 June 1891 in Burnet County, TX and died 23 March 1967 in Austin, TX.
Alice May Hughes and Charles Alvin Sandel had two sons. They were:
Gerald Alvin Sandel and Vernon Lee Sandel would be Generation 12
