The Elkins Family of Halifax County, Virginia

Some Skaggs, Elkins and Bishop researchers believe that the Ruth Bishop who married John Bishop in Montgomery County, Virginia c. 1780 was previously married to a John Scaggs and had the maiden name Elkins.  Many of these researchers believe that this Ruth Elkins Scaggs Bishop was the daughter of a Ralph Elkins and Frances Brown who lived in Halifax County, Virginia prior to the formation of Pittsylvania County from Halifax in 1767.

Researchers Nancy Bishop and Vanessa Allen, among others, have done a lot of work on the Elkins and Bishop families of Virginia.  Several Elkins: Ralph, Jesse, Richard and Nathaniel appeared in the 1767 tithables for the new Pittsylvania County on Leatherwood Creek.  We can use public records to get an idea of when they became established in the area.  First, Ralph Elkins:

Prince William County, Virginia Deeds {June Whitehurst Johnson}: Liber B; 1732-1735; Pages 180-181. Nov. 23, 1733.
George Mason of Parish of Durham in Charles Co. in Province of Maryland, Gent. to Ralph Elikin of Parish of Brunswick and Co. of King Geo. in Virginia, planter.... 150 a.....land being on the head of Dogue Cr. and Parish of Truro and commonly known by the name of Chappell land....for term of natural lives of said Ralph Ellkin, Francis his wife, and Nathaniel their son. Geo. Mason

Wit: James Baxter, Jere. Bronaugh.
At court Nov. 23, 1733 George Mason acknowledged this lease to Ralph Elikin.

This record shows that Ralph Elkins, his wife Frances and son Nathaniel leased 150 acres of land in Prince William County, Virginia from George Mason in 1733.  This George Mason was not the famous Revolutionary, but his father.

"KING GEORGE County, WILL BOOK" by Ha. S. King 1745 June 4;

"I, Maxfield Brown, in Parish of Hanover, County of King George..." bequeaths each of his five daughters Five Shillings, viz: Elizabeth Triplett, FRANCES ELKINS, Martha Whiting, and Sibella Lightburn. "unto my two sons Newman Brown and George Brown all and every part of my estate...." Recorded July 5, 1745.

Maxfield Brown’s will and the land lease between Ralph Elkins and George Mason show that Maxfield Brown’s daughter, Frances Brown, was wife of Ralph Elkins.

1 Ralph Elkins

+ Frances Brown

1745, May 17, Amelia County Court Order Book, p. 314-B, Ordered road be cleared from head of Little Roanoke River along the ridge between Briery Creek & Buffelloe River to Rutlidge's ford over Appomattox River. The group included RALPH ELKIN.

p.316-A, "Case Edward Booker, Jr. vs. Ralph Elkin dismissed, being agreed."

Amelia County was adjacent and north of Lunenburg (later Halifax) County.  So Ralph Elkins has started moving south.

In 1749, the Lunenburg County tax list includes:

Richard Elkins, 1 tithable 
Ralph, Sr. and Nathaniel, 2 tithables (Nathaniel, age 16-20) 
Ralph, Jr., under 21 (age 16-20)

These tax records show that Nathaniel was the son of Ralph and Frances Elkins and Ralph, Jr., though under 21, appears to live in a separate household.

1751 Nov 9th - Pittsylvania County, VA - RICHARD ELKINS, 400 acres adjacent to RICHARD ELKINS JR at Davis' upper line of entry on the East Fork of Leatherwood thence up.

Richard Elkins, Jr. listed above is likely a son of Ralph and Frances Brown.  The Richard Elkins listed is likely the son of Ralph’s brother Richard who died in 1751 in King George County.  If so, then Richard Elkins would be Ralph’s nephew and Richard Elkins, Jr. Ralph’s son.

1 Ralph Elkins (c1700-?)

+ Frances Brown

            2 Ralph Elkins, Jr. (c1727-?)

            2 Nathaniel Elkins (c1727-?)

2 Richard Elkins, Jr. (c1730-?)

1 Richard Elkins (c1699-1751) died in King George County

+ Mary Gallop

            2. Richard Elkins (c1725-?)

Halifax County is formed from Lunenburg in 1752.

1752 20 April - Halifax County, VA - Surveyed for NATHANIEL ELKINS 400 ac on both sides of the Rocky or West Branch of the Leatherwood Creek

1752 May Term - Halifax County, VA - RALPH ELKINS vs John Talbot on an attachment against defendant's estate, dismissed for reasons appearing to court. "Halifax County Pleas, #1 - May Term 1752 - March Term 1755," from Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Qtrly, VA Gen. Soc. Vol 24, No 1 Feb 1986 page 55.

1753 Sept 15 - Halifax County, VA - Thomas Callaway, Merry Webb and Henry Lansford returned a signed report on the improvement on Leatherwood Creek made by RALPH ELKINS, viz: 26 acres of cultivated orchards, buildings and other improvements with expenses to value of 396/10 pounds. (The History of Pittsylvania County Virginia, Chapter V, A Part of Halifax County, 1752-1767, page 61).

1756 20 April - Halifax County, VA - Surveyed for NATHANIEL ELKINS AND RALPH ELKINS, 150 ac on branch of Leatherwood Creek

This record is likely for Ralph Elkins and his son Nathaniel.

1753 Halifax County, VA - Ordered 100 lbs of tobacco be paid unto church warden for maintenance of RICHARD ELKIN. From Wirt Johnson Carrington, A History of Halifax County, Virginia.

On 21 November 1754: Ordered that one Thousand Pounds Tobacco be paid unto the Church Wardens for the Maintenance of Richard Elkins. Ordered that the Church Wardens Provide for & take care of Richard Elkins who labours under the misfortune of losing the use of a leg.

On 16 January 1755: The Parish paid to Richard Elkins (to be in the Church warden's hands) 1000 lbs. of Tobacco.

On 20 November 1755: Ordered that the Collector pay Merry Webb One thousand pounds of tobacco which was Levyed last Year for Richard Elkins and Assigned to said Webb.

These previous records show that Richard Elkins received a disability payment from the church for losing the use of a leg.  My guess is that this was the Richard Elkins, son of Richard and Mary Gallop since his father had died in 1751 and would not be able to support him.  Richard, Jr. still had his parents, Ralph and Frances Elkins for support so it was not likely him.  Just a guess, though.

1 Ralph Elkins (c1700-?)

+ Frances Brown

            2 Ralph Elkins, Jr. (c1727-?)

            2 Nathaniel Elkins (c1727-?)

2 Richard Elkins, Jr. (c1730-?)

1 Richard Elkins (c1699-1751) died in King George County

+ Mary Gallop

            2. Richard Elkins (c1725-?) disabled?

Pittsylvania County formed from Halifax in 1767.

1767 HISTORY OF PITTSYLVANIA CO. VA by Carrington, Pittsylvania Co., VA Titheables, Peter Perkins' list:

Ralph Elkins, Jr. 1 white tithe 
Richard Elkins, 1 white tithe 
Nathaniel Elkins, son Jessey*, 2 white tithes 
James Elkins of Leatherwood 1 white tithe 
Jesse Elkins, 1 white tithe (son of Ralph and Frances)

So Ralph Elkins’ grandson, Jessey, shows up in the 1767 tax list for the new Pittsylvania County.  The James and Jesse Elkins in this tax list are sons of Ralph and Frances.

1 Ralph Elkins (c1700-?)

+ Frances Brown

            2 Ralph Elkins, Jr. (c1727-?)

            2 Nathaniel Elkins (c1727-?)

                        3 Jessey Elkins (c1750-?)

2 Richard Elkins, Jr. (c1730-?)

2 James Elkins (c1740-?)

2 Jesse Elkins (c1740-?)

1 Richard Elkins (c1699-1751) died in King George County

+ Mary Gallop

            2. Richard Elkins (c1725-?) disabled?

"Imprisoned Preachers and Religious Liberty in Virginia" by
Lewis Peyton Little, J. P. Bell Co., Inc., Lynchburg, VA, 1938. 

Page 521 "Counties in Which the Baptists were Persecuted"
Pittsylvania: Richard Elkins, Samuel Harris, Dutton Lane, Daniel Marshall

It looks like Richard Elkins was persecuted by the Church of Virginia, an extension of the Church of England, for Baptist preaching.  Morgan Edwards’ information below shows that Rev. Dutton Lane of the Dan River Baptist Church sent Richard Elkins to New River in 1772 to preach at a church there.

“Dan River Church…consists of five branches, one near Dan, another at Irvine River, another at New River, another at Buffalo Island, another at Hogan’s Creek in North Carolina, in each of which places is a meeting house.  The minister is Rev. Dutton Lane who has to his assistants Mssrs. Richard Elkins (New River)…This is their present state.  They began thus.  About the year 1759 said Dutton Lane preached in this neighborhood by which means many believed and were baptized by Daniel Marshall, viz., …Richard Elkin and wife, Ralph Elkin…These 74 persons were August 4th Friday 1760 constituted as a church by means of Rev. Mssrs. Mulkey and Marshall…”

So Richard Elkins, Jr. and brother Ralph, Jr. (sons of Ralph and Frances) moved from Pittsylvania County to New River in 1772 to establish a Baptist church there.  You can see the records for the family selling out below:

1771 Henry County Deed Book, LDS microfilm:

Ralph Elkins Smith River 467 acres 
James Elkins Gravely Creek 215 acres 
James Elkins Smith River 442 acres 
Ralph & Jas Elkins Smith River 776 acres

"THE NEW RIVER SETTLEMENT" by Patricia Givens Johnson describes the New River long hunters that moved from Pittsylvania County:

Chapter on "The Long Hunters",pg. 152-153: "The Wallens, Blevins, Coxes and others lived as squatters in western Pittsylvania (later Henry County) on land owned by speculators.

1767 Pittsylvania County tithables, later New River hunters were, John Ward, Joseph, Thomas and Elisha Wallen, John Cox, Rowland and Nathaniel Judd, Thomas, Charles, Richard Calloway, Charles Scaggs and the Elkins Brothers, Ralph, Jesse, Richard and Nathaniel".

Notice she describes the Elkins as “brothers” Ralph, Jesse, Richard and Nathaniel so it’s likely that they were the brothers Ralph Jr., Jesse, Richard Jr., and Nathaniel.  Richard Jr. was the preacher leading the migration.  I’m speculating here, but it’s also likely that other Pittsylvania residents like Zachariah, John and Ruth Elkins Scaggs and William and Esther Scaggs could have made the move around that time also.

1 Ralph Elkins (c1700-?)

+ Frances Brown

            2 Ralph Elkins, Jr. (c1727-?)

            2 Nathaniel Elkins (c1727-?)

                        3 Jessey Elkins (c1750-?)

2 Richard Elkins, Jr. (c1730-?)

2 James Elkins (c1740-?)

2 Jesse Elkins (c1740-?)

1 Richard Elkins (c1699-1751) died in King George County

+ Mary Gallop

            2. Richard Elkins (c1725-?) disabled?

If the Ruth who married John Bishop really was an Elkins, which families could she have been from?  First, let’s try to estimate her birth date to get an idea of who could have been her father.  We know that she was mother to Rachel Scaggs, born c. 1765, Darky Gothrin, born c. 1775 and David Bishop, born c. 1781.  If she was also mother of Old Peter and Solomon Scaggs, born c. 1760-65, then she was probably married around 1760 and born about 1740.  Ruth could have been born to either Ralph Elkins / Frances Brown or Richard Elkins / Mary Gallop, however, Richard died in 1751 back in King George County and doesn’t appear to have lived in Halifax.  Since two other Bishop / Elkins marriages were in Montgomery County involving descendants of Ralph / Frances

• Ralph Jr.’s son Archibald married Margaret Bishop, John’s daughter
• Katherine Elkins married Jacob Bishop, John’s son

Ruth most likely came from that family.  It’s not science, just educated guessing.




p.s.
It appears that two sisters, daughters of Ralph and Frances Elkins, married two Pedigo brothers.

1 Ralph Elkins (c1700-?)

+ Frances Brown

            2 Ralph Elkins, Jr. (c1727-?)

            2 Nathaniel Elkins (c1727-?)

                        3 Jessey Elkins (c1750-?)

2 Richard Elkins, Jr. (c1730-?)

2 James Elkins (c1740-?)

2 Jesse Elkins (c1740-?)
2 Hannah Elkins
+ Edward "Ned" Pedigo
2 Mary Elkins
+ Robert Pedigo

1 Richard Elkins (c1699-1751) died in King George County

+ Mary Gallop

            2. Richard Elkins (c1725-?) disabled?