Benjamin Blackburn, a clergyman, came to this country in 1774 from Scotland. He first settled in the Halifax District of North Carolina before moving on to the Deep Gap Section of Ashe County. He married Elizabeth Adkerson and they were the parents of four children. Many of their descendants were instrumental in establishing the Methodist Church in the Blue Ridge Mountain area of North Carolina. Benjamin died between 1800 and 1804.
Elizabeth's will can be found at the Ashe County, North Carolina Courthouse in Jefferson, North Carolina (Book A, Page 39, dated September 27, 1804).
Children of Benjamin Blackburn and Elizabeth Adkerson
Children of Edmund LeRoy Blackburn, Sr. and First Wife
------------
Children of Edmund LeRoy Blackburn, Sr. and 2) Frances "Frankie" Hodges
Edmund LeRoy Blackburn, Sr. and Frankie Hodges Blackburn reared their children on a large farm just off the present day Blue Ridge Parkway. Although they were farmers, they were not slave owners. During the Civil War, the Blackburn's were often the subject of raids by Confederate soldiers. Livestock was frequently stolen. On July 25, 1863, during a raid, a Confederate soldier, Alex Wilson, killed Edmund's son Solomon. The slaying took place under the direction of Major H Bingham.
Children of Edmund LeRoy Blackburn, Jr. and Martha Phillips
Children of Thomas "Tom" Aaron Church and Martha Ellen Blackburn
Wilkes County, NC Marriage Records
Pesonal communications with Shirley Phillips Friel, author of The Phillips Family, Our History
Our Heritage, the definitive book on the Philliips family. This book also includes many other families from Wilkes County: Beshears, Church, Miller, Shepherd and Lieurance. Copies are still available for $58.50, including postage. Please email Shirley if you are interested in the Phillips family at: sfriel@fwi.com
Personal communications with Linda Revis. Linda's email address is: Pllsr@aol.com
Wilkes and Ashe County Marriage Records
First Generation:
Edmund LeRoy Blackburn, Sr. m. 1) Unknown 2) Frances "Frankie" Hodges
Levi Blackburn (abt. 1794-1871 m. Sarah Greer (?-1862)
John Blackburn
Sarah Blackburn (1799-1875) m. John M. Morphew,
s/o Silas Morphew and Elizabeth England
Second Generation:
Jack Blackburn m. 1) Fanny Unknown 2) Mary Michael (abt. 1850-?),
d/o Wilson Michael and Tempy Trivett
John Blackburn
William Blackburn (1819-1905) m. Sarah McNiel (1815-1871),
d/o Thomas McNiel and Mary Hannah Parsons
Sarah Blackburn (?-abt. 1847) m. Joseph W. Miller,
s/o David Miller and Elizabeth Norris
Andrew Blackburn (1821-?)
Soloman Blackburn (1823-1863) m. Mary "Polly" Elrod (1823),
d/o Adam Elrod and Nancy Phillips
Edmund LeRoy Blackburn, Jr. (1824-1906) m. Martha Phillips (1832-1922),
d/o William "Billy" Phillips and Jemima Yates
Thomas Blackburn (1827-?) m. Nancy Elrod (1829-?),
d/o Adam Elrod and Nancy Phillips
Joseph Blackburn (1828-?) m. Rhoda Fouts
Martha Jane Blackburn (1831-1883) m. William Tomlinson (?-1863),
s/o William Tomlinson, Sr. and Mary Brown
Elizabeth Blackburn (1833-1857) m. Hiram Tomlinson (1834-aft. 1860),
s/o William Tomlinson, Sr. and Mary Brown
Levi Blackburn (1835-?) (lived in Ohio) m.Elizabeth Seashorn
Third Generation:
Elizabeth Evelyn Blackburn (1850-1907) m. John D. Cheek
Laura Virginia Blackburn (1852-1945) m. James F. Church
Hiram Marshall Blackburn (1853-1925) m. Juliette Calloway
Sarah Camilla Blackburn (1855-1939) m. William Franklin Beshears (1852-1945),
s/o Aaron Beshears and Alice "Aley" Owens
Delphia Alzena Blackburn (1856-1910) unmarried
America Jane Blackburn (1858-1932) m. James Larkin Welborn,
s/o Lewis Johnson Welborn and Susannah Miranda Watson
Mary Alice Blackburn (1860-1915) m. Levi Tomlinson
William Pinkney Blackburn (1861-1892) m. Fannie Brown
Martha Ellen Blackburn (1863-1911) m. Thomas "Tom" Aaron Church (1866-1928),
s/o Henry Harrison Church and Clarissa Catherine Beshears
Frances Melinda Blackburn (1866-1931) m. Leander James Whittington (1860-1937),
s/o John Whittington and Sarah Lenderman
Thomas Marion Blackburn (1867-1900) m. Amelia Ettie Church
Edmund LeRoy "Lee" Blackburn, III (1868-1953) m. Judy Bishop
Lawrence Decatur Blackburn (1869-1937) m. Kate "Callie" Calloway
Joseph Franklin Blackburn (1871-1953) m. 1) Nancy Myrtle Phillips 2) Lola Bare
Julia Ann Blackburn (1872-1969) m. William Gaither Parsons 2) Will Norris
Lillie Belle Blackburn (1875-1957) m. L. Decatur Whittington (1871-?),
s/o John Whittington and Sarah Lenderman
James Monroe Blackburn (1878-1963) m. Mary Jane Keys
Fourth Generation:
Levi Harrison Church (1884-1971) m. 1) Alma Ramsey 2) Linda Peterson
Grover Cleveland Church (1885-1974) m. 1) Maude Avery 2) Alma Mary Church (1898),
d/o William John Wesley Church and Fanny Ellen Church
Bynum Lufate Church (1886-1928) m. Callie Isabelle Teague
Thomas Mack Church (1888-?) m. 1) Dora Johnson 2) Clara Tevepaugh 3) Isabel (Tomlinson) Phillips
Annie Dora Church (1890-1970) m. Willie Sylvester Blackwelder
Florence Leona Church (1891-1939) m. Noah Columbus Johnson,
s/o Filmore Columbus Johnson and Elizabeth Matilda Anderson
Walter Grady Church (1893-1968) m. 1) Cora Dancy 2) Florence Lilly Frye 3) Annie Mae Primn
Edmund Call Church (1895-1942) m. Mae Thomas
Mary Idella Church (1896-1975) m. Clyde Houston Couch
Willard Vann Church (1898-1956) m. Hassie Emma Hodge
Nettie Church (1900-1900)
Willie Church (1901-1901)
Coila Mae Church (1905-?) m. Frank Luther Thompson
Richard Hackette Church (1906-1984) m. Eula Shore
Sources:
Ashe County, NC Marriage Records
Family Bible of Thomas Aaron Church
Wilkes & Ashe Counties Death Records
Family Bible of Carl Blackburn
Wilkes County, NC Will Records
NC Cemetery listings by George & Joyce McNeil
Reseach efforts of Joyce McNeil, Shirley Friel and Linda Revis
Sources:
Family Bible of Thomas Aaron Church
Wilkes and Ashe County Death Records
Family Bible of Carl Blackburn
Will of Elizabeth Blackburn
NC Cemetery listings by George & Joyce McNeil and research by Joyce McNeil, Shirley Friel and Linda Revis.
Submitted by: Linda Johnson Revis, e-mail address:
Pllsr@aol.com