SNIPES FAMILY HISTORY

There are two accounts of the Snipes in America by what I have found over the years. The first is that Snipes evolved from Snape which came from England. Someway the name became Snipes after several generations here. The second account records Snipe living in Barbados from 1632 into the 1700s. This record shows the name "Snype" existed in England as far back as 1456 indicating Snype and Snape were seperate families. By 1669, in Barbados, the name finally evolved to Snipes. So until, if ever, the true origin of the present day Snipes name is settled, my generation numbers begin with Thomas L. Snipes. Male decendants are: Elijah - William F. - Elijah A. This covers from 1733 through present. Thomas and his wife Mary are most likely buried in the Old Snipes cemetery in SW Person county along with their son Elijah and his family.

1.) Thomas - Born about 1710 in Prince George Co., VA. Died after 1740 in Dinwiddie Co., VA.

2.) Robert - Born about 1710 in Prince George Co., VA. Married Lucy Andrews.

3.) Billison - Married Priscilla Broadribb.

4.) Joseph John - Born in 1694 in Surry Co., VA and died about 1774. Married Mary Burk (or Howell).

THOMAS SNIPES - Born about 1710 in Prince George Co., VA. Died after 1740 in Dinwiddie Co., VA. Married Susannah Thrift.

1.) Nathaniel - Born about 1733 in Dinwiddie Co., VA. Died about 1808 in Person Co. (Nathaniel, William and Thomas are said to have served in the Revolutionary War. A Pvt.Thomas and Pvt.William Snipes are listed in "Capt. Isaiah Hogans Company, Chatham County, NC Militia 1772.")

2.) William - Born about 1735 in Prince George Co., VA. Died about 1791.

3.) Thomas - Born about 1731 in Dinwiddie Co., VA.

4.) Elizabeth - Born in November 1740.

NATHANIEL SNIPES - Born about 1733 in Dinwiddie Co., VA. Died about 1808 in Person Co. Married Pleasant Doughtery. (my great, great, great, great Grandfather)

1.) THOMAS L. - Born November 23, 1767 in Person Co. and died there March 6, 1844. Listed in Fourth Federal Census, Person Co. 1820 and Person Co. Estate Records 1844.

2.) NATHANIEL, JR. - Born about 1780. Married Tabatha Kimbrough on June 16, 1801 in Person Co.

3.) JESSE - Born about 1784. Married Elizabeth Thrift on May 15, 1802 in Person Co.

4.) JOHN - Died 1816. Married Charity Hester on December 13, 1791 in Person Co.

5.) JAMES - Born June 25, 1797 in Winston-Salem, NC. Died April 18, 1848 in Stokes Co., NC. Married Martha Thomason on January 8, 1825 in Stokes Co. She was born July 17, 1803 in Stokes Co. and died December 31, 1893 in Indiana. She was listed in the Forsyth Co., N.C. Census 1850. James was listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1816. (James might have also been married to a Sarah Lyles.)

6.) DEMPSEY- Born about 1799 in Person Co. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1821 and 1850.

THOMAS L. SNIPES - Born November 23, 1767 in Person Co. and died there March 6, 1844. Married Mary P. Hunt on December 28, 1793. Farmer. It's said Thomas and Mary are buried in the Old Snipes Cemetery, but I have no proof of it. (my great, great, great Grandfather)

1.) LUCY - Died about 1872. Married Elijah Jacobs.

2.) ANDERSON- Born 1796 in Person Co. Died April 22, 1868 in Hinds Co.,MS. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1820 and 1821. Listed in Ms Census 1840 and 1850. His wife killed Aron Cate's wife and was hung in 1863. Anderson visited a John H. Freman at the camp he was in on October 12, 1863 along with two other men by the names of Smith and Shaw. On his pledge of alligance back to the United States on June 16th.,1865, Anderson was recorded as being 69 years old, 5'6" tall, grey hair, blue eyes and fair complexion. Records are difficult to find on Anderson in MS. The Hinds Co. Courthouse was burned during the Civil War. The Southern Historical Collection at UNC Chapel Hill has several letters written by Thomas L. Snipes, son of William Snipes, in Kentucky concerning the settlement of Andersons estate. Also included are letters from several of Andersons neighbors in reference to the estate.

3.) WILLIAM L. - Born about 1795 in Person Co. and died after 1869 in Henderson Co., KY. Married Mary Y. Tapp on June 5, 1822 in Person Co. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1844, 1847 and 1856. Listed in Henderson Co., KY Census 1850. Age at time was 55. Mary was 50. Also listed were their son Thomas, 27, his wife Ann, 22 and their two children Mary J., 2 and Eliza A., 2.

4.) JOHN H. - Died in Fayette Co., TN.

5.) JAMES - Born 1802 in Person Co. and died there August 7, 1884. Married Nancy P. _____ in 1825. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1850 and 1861.

6.) NATHANIEL -

7.) THOMAS L., JR. - Born 1803 in Person Co. and died there about 1870. Married Sarah R. Puryear on December 22, 1843 in Person Co. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1846.

8.) ELIJAH - Born December 15, 1808 in Person Co. and died there January 13, 1886. Married Eliza Harriet Russell in 1832. She was born in 1815 and died in 1904. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1838, 1839, 1847, 1868 and 1885. Both are buried in the Old Snipes Cemetery.

9.) PLEASANT- (Male) Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1829 and 1841.

10.) MARY P. - Born 1819 in Person Co. Married Soloman Cates on December 20, 1858. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1856. Wrote a letter to Anderson September 17, 1866 inquiring as to how he was after the war. Mentioned Lucy, James and Elijah. Also speaks of a matter of brother John's money. She also says, "Catharan sends her respects and howdy to her Brother Aaron." (Aaron Cates, of who's wife was killed by Anderson's wife?)

ELIJAH SNIPES - Born December 15, 1808 in Person Co. and died there January 13, 1886. Married Eliza Harriet Russell(known as Mary). Farmer. (my great great Grandfather)

1.) MARY MITCHEL - Born November 20, 1832 in Person Co. and died there October 23, 1908. Married James Monroe Yarbrough September 15, 1852 in Person Co. He was born February 13, 1827 and died December 18, 1899. Both are buried in the Russell-Snipes Cemetery.

2.) JAMES MONROE - Born January 8, 1834 in Person Co. and died there December 18, 1887. Married three times. Married Martha Tapp November 15, 1859 who died in childbirth September 26, 1860. Married Susan J. Jacobs December 22, 1863. Married Rosella Whitfield January 8, 1879. She is listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1893. James served in Co. K 52nd. NC Infantry during the Civil War. Volunteered April 22, 1862 in Forsyth Co. He was (31) years old, 5' 8 1/2" tall, farmer by occupation. Mustered into service at Camp Mangum on April 28. Captured near Petersburg, VA by the Army of the Potomac on March 25, 1865. Arrived in Washington, D.C. on March 31 and held as prisoner of war at Point Lookout, MD. Released on May 14, 1865 after taking the oath to the Union. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1857 and 1886. Buried in the Old Snipes Cemetery.

3.) NANCY WILSON - Born January 13, 1836 in Person Co. and died there September 17, 1878. Single.

4.) GEORGE THOMAS - Born May 7, 1838 in Person Co. and died there May 28, 1908. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1886, 1887 and 1891. Single. Buried in the Old Snipes Cemetery.

5.)LUCINDA ELIZA (Puss) - Born December 12, 1840 in Person Co. and died there November 8, 1918. Single. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1886. Buried in the Old Snipes Cemetery.

6.) JOHN ANDERSON - Born August 17, 1843 in Person Co. Enlisted October 1, 1861 in Sewell Mountain, VA. Served in Co. H, 24th. NC Infantry ( formerly 14 NC Infantry ). Died November 16, 1861 of typhoid fever at a field hospital in Blue Sulphur Springs, VA. (Now Greenbrier Co., WV. On 1895 map of WV. Was just NW of Lewisburg .) Age 18. Buried in the Old Snipes Cemetery.

7.) SARAH ELIZABETH (Mitt) - Born March 26, 1846 in Person Co. and died there November 25, 1925. Single. Listed in Person Co. Estate Records 1882. Buried in the Old Snipes Cemetery.

8.) WILLIAM FRANKLIN (Will) - Born October 15, 1849 in Person Co. and died there September 3, 1907. Married Lula M. O'Briant on August 14, 1887. Listed in Person Co. Seventh Federal Census 1850 and Person Co. Estate Records 1882 and 1886. Both are buried in the Russell-Snipes Cemetery.

9.) MARTHA M. - Born January 8, 1854 in Person Co. and died there May 22, 1864 of (Scarlet) Fever. Age 10. Buried in the Old Snipes Cemetery.

WILLIAM FRANKLIN SNIPES - Born October 15, 1849 in Person Co. and died there September 3, 1907. Married Lula M. O'Briant August 14, 1887. She was born May 24, 1861 and died March 23, 1908. (my great Grandfather)

1.)DANIEL F. - Born November 29, 1888 in Person Co. and died there February 15, 1897. Buried in the Russell-Snipes Cemetery. Age 9.

2.) ELIJAH ALEXANDER- Born March 9, 1890 in Person Co. and died there January 17, 1946. Married Ina Sally Allen. Both are buried in the Burchwood Cemetery.

3.) ELLA LEE (Miss Lee) - Born December 13, 1891 in Person Co. and died there July 17, 1981. Single. Buried in the Russell-Snipes Cemetery.

4.) WILLIAM JACKSON (Jack) - Born August 2, 1894 in Person Co. and died there November 17, 1954 in a farm tractor accident. Buried in the Russell-Snipes Cemetery.

5.)WALTER FLETCHER - Born in 1896 in Person Co. and died there in 1948. Married Rosa Whitfield.

6.) RUTH E.- Born and died December 2, 1897 in Person Co. Buried in the Russell-Snipes Cemetery.

7.) LEGRAND CYRUS (Cy) - Born September 1, 1900 in Person Co. Died May 23, 1989 in Durham Co., NC. Married Dorothy Younger who presently resides in Durham Co. Buried in the Burchwood Cemetery.

8.) INFANT SON- Born October 15, 1903 and died December 31, 1903. Buried in the Russell-Snipes Cemetery.

ELIJAH ALEXANDER SNIPES - Born March 9, 1890 in Person Co. and died there January 17, 1946. Married Ina Sally Allen, born November 12, 1895 and died August 18, 1971. (my Grandfather)

1.) EUGENE ARCHIBALD (Arch) - Born December 19, 1914 in Person Co. and died there March 6, 1975. Married twice. First wife was Pearl Wilcox. Second wife was Beyrl Barton. Buried in the Burchwood Cemetery.

2.) WILLIAM DANIEL (Dan) - Born August 21, 1916 in Person Co. and died there July 1, 1973. Married three times. First wife was Cybil Craig. Second wife was Annette Marlow. Third wife was Esther Walker. Buried in the Burchwood Cemetery.

3.) EDGAR WILSON - Born April 6, 1918 in Person Co. and died there March 3, 2001. Buried in the Person Memorial Cemetery. Married Annette M. Cushwa November 29, 1947 in Person Co. She died May 1, 2003. He was a businessman. (My Parents)

4.) CHARLES STEDMAN - Born July 4, 1919 in Person Co. Died February 16, 1973 in San Leandro,CA. Married Mary Low.

5.) DOROTHY ANNE - Born September 11, 1921 in Person Co. Married twice. Married Elmer L. Chapman (Bill) November 9, 1946 in Danville, VA. Married Paul M. Jennings August 22, 1987 in Forsyth Co., NC.

6.) ELEANOR VICTORIA - Born June 22, 1927 in Person Co. . Married Edward Lambert April 4, 1947.

7.) ALFRED DONALD- Born November 24, 1932 in Person Co. Married Joyce Berry January 10, 1953.

NOTE: PERSON COUNTY (1792) evolved from CASWELL (1777), ORANGE (1752) and GRANVILLE (1746) Counties. I have used Person Co. in place of any of the above counties. Four county names but only one geographical location.

My thanks to Cyrus Snipes, Bill Penney and Kyle Kendrick for their help. Most of all I'd like to say, "Thank you, Uncle Anderson" for leaving those crumpled papers in a sack at the bottom of your trunk. They started my interest in our history. I hope this genealogy would have met with your approval". In 2002, I donated the collection of papers to the "Southern Historical Collection" at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2003, I donated the Charleville musket from the Revolutionary War era, said to have been with Monroe in the Civil War, to the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh.