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Descendants of ? CARNEGY

 

 

First Generation

 

         1. ? CARNEGY was born about 1725.

 

He had the following children:

               2 M        i.  William CARNEGY was born about 1754. He died1,2 on 15 Nov 1823 at Greenway Court, Frederick County, Virginia (I believe Greenway Court is actually in Clarke County, many of the records however, were found in other counties) at the age of 69. William married3  Betsy POWERS daughter of ? POWERS on 1 Jan 1799 in Frederick County, Virginia. Betsy was born about 1761. She died4 on 21 Aug 1843 at Greenway Court. (See Powers Family)

 

Betsy was employed as a housekeeper for Colonel Martin the owner of Greenway Court Manor. Her brother, John, was overseer of the estate and her future husband was thought to be the steward.

 

In deed book SC3-260, Frederick County, Virginia, 4 Oct 1797, Betsy Powers from Thomas B. Martin (lease). I don't know why it was called lease. His will had been contested and it took a while to settle it. It was settled according to his wishes.

 

William Carnagy and Betsy, his wife, vs. Thos. Bryan Martin's Exrs.--O.S. 42; N.S. 14--Bill filed in Frederick County on 28 Feb 1799. Thomas Bryan Martin died in 1798.  Samuel Kercheval deposes at the Public house of Daniel Brown "at the White Post" in Frederick County, 14 Apr 1801. John Powers, brother of Betsy, deposes 1801[1].

 

The land that William and Betsy lived on "Greenway Court" was part of the vast estate of Lord Fairfax who never marrying left his estate to two nephews who also did not marry. 

 

One of the nephews was Col. Thomas Bryan Martin who resided with him for many years. Seeking companionship, Martin implored his sister Sybilla to come to Virginia, promising her financial independence, and asking that she bring with her as housekeeper "a woman advanced in life, a young one would become a Colonel's Lady", but although Sybilla apparently thought well of coming, she never came, thus leaving Colonel Martin to live with what he described as a "family" consisting of "blacks", the only whites being the overseer, Mr. Lagarde who in 1769, had become one of Frederick County's Justices of the Peace.

 

All the while, Colonel Martin was continuing his search for "a good old woman for a housekeeper", and finally, in the early 1790's, he employed, as housekeeper, pert, pretty Elizabeth “Betsy” Powers, who was then in her thirties.

 

In time Colonel Martin took Betsy Powers as mistress but even so, by 1793 he professed to be fed up with the Valley, writing that he would "attempt to move to a more friendly soil", and later stating that he was "endeavoring to sell (his) property except the little I give by will to a native".  Martin never moved from Greenway Court, and when he died there on 4 Sep 1798, “after an indisposition of several weeks", he devised Greenway Court to native Betsy, with one thousand acres of  land, a number of slaves and all the residue of his personal estate with the exception of part of his stock, slaves and money. After the death of Martin, Miss Powers married William Carnagy, who is said to have been a steward at Greenway Court.  They had one daughter who married Rev. Thomas Kennerly[2].

 

At the time of Lord Fairfax's death, his cottage and the manor house were surrounded by about a dozen structures of different sorts, most of which were part wood, and were, in time, devoured by termites. Still standing is the Stone land office, as is a hexagonal frame structure commonly called the "Block House", and reputedly used for defense against the Indians.  However, the Block House could not have thwarted even a semi-insistent squaw more probably, it was a store house for small arms and powder. And the nearby carriage house may have been the coach house referred to by Kennerly, but members of the Kennerly family believe that it was erected subsequent to Lord Fairfax's death with stone removed from other buildings.

 

About 1772 William Carnegy gave $500 to the Auxiliary Society of Fredrick County, Virginia. This Society was formed for the Colonization of free people of color in America.

 

In William Carnegy's will[3] he mentions his wife Betsy. William bequeathed to Nancy the widow of Yancy Powers, Betsy’s brother, dec'd an old negro woman named Hannah and young fellow named Glasgow who had belonged to her family for years and who would go to her youngest daughter Rebecca after Nancy's death and since Nancy was still living in 1861. Rebecca may never have received them. William took Nancy and her children to his farm after Yancy died and in exchange for caring for them he took land back that he had given Yancy. To the children of his dec'd sister Cate the late wife of John Powers Gloston a slave that had been in their possession and Margery a girl that was still with him.

 

To Daniel Powers, Jasper a child, I would guess that Daniel is another brother of Betsy. He was married to William Carnegy's sister Mary to whom William Carnegy gave Nancy and Emeley with her Child, Thorton. Later in 1846 Emeley and 2 children were conveyed to John H. Powers.

 

To Polly Waggoner daughter of Nancy Powers and wife of William (should be John) Waggoner a negro child named Grace.

 

To the youngest son of Nancy, Thomas, if he should be a sober person, a colt, saddle and a negro child.

 

The bulk of his estate went to his daughter Ann, wife of Thomas Kennerly.

 

William Carnegy also mentions "my deceased brother"; Gen. Roger Williams, "my agent and friend"; "my sister Betsy Hall (widow), and "her two youngest daughters" he left $300 for their education and what she had already received.

 

He also mentions a portion of his estate called "Bennetts field", and "one acre on the north west corner (of his estate) joining the lott I sold to Miss Nancy Green for the purpose of a burying ground and siting the old meeting house which Mr. John W. Page was so good to say we might move".

 

Apparently, William Carnegy's physician was Dr. John B. Tildon, and Carnegy also mentions his "worthy friend William G. Kerfoot".  John W. Page and George Ritenour were witnesses to Carnegy's signature, and they, together with Ferguson Bell were bondsmen.

 

The Carnegys had only one child, Ann S., who married Rev. Thomas Kennerly, a Methodist minister, born c1790 in Augusta or Rockingham County, and following this marriage Kennerly "withdrew from active service in the pulpit, and instead of running down sinners, he took to fox chasing", (running "them 'from morning till night' and sometimes all night") and to family raising (the site of Greenway Court: still belongs to members of the Kennerly family) as of 1992 there were no longer Kennerly's in the area but possibly descendants by another name.

 

                                 Marked graves of William and Betsy and Ann S. are to be found in the all but obliterated private family grave yard located on a knoll 400 yards to the northwest of Greenway Court. Colonel Martin and Thomas Kennerly are also buried there according to a letter written by William C. Kennerly 9 Apr 1879 from Winchester to Burton Harrison (the father of Fairfax Harrison), states that Colonel Martin, Mrs. Crawford, and Mrs. Gildart were buried in the plot. Ann Kennerly inherited Greenway Court, and about 1828, she and her husband erected a brick dwelling which was practically consumed by fire in 1872, but was restored. A photograph of this brick dwelling (labeled Thomas Kennerly House) appears in SHADOW on pg. 134 of The Annals of Clarke County[4].

               3 M      ii.  male CARNEGY was born about 1772. He died before 1823. In William Carnegy's will[5] the widow and heirs of his dec'd brother get all property that they may have received or that is now in the hands of Genl Roger Williams his agent and friend to be paid to them annually.

            4 F         iii.   Catherine CARNEGY was born5 about 1786 in Virginia. She died6 on 11 Jan 1823 in Botetourt County, Virginia. She is mentioned in her brother  William’s will as his dec'd sister Cate. Catherine married7 John H. POWERS son of Yancey POWERS and Nancy EDWARDS on 14 Sep 1808 in Frederick County, Virginia. John was born8 about 1789 in King William County, Virginia. He died9 about 1856 in Botetourt County, Virginia.  (See Powers Family).

               5 F       iv.  Betsy CARNEGY was born about 1788. She is mentioned in her brother William's will[6] as Betsy Hall, widow.  He left her three hundred dollars which she would receive part of annually to help educate her two youngest children.

               6 F        v.  Mary Ann CARNEGY was born about 1790. She died about 1854 in Frederick County, Virginia. She was buried10,11 at Greenway Court, Clarke County. Mary married Daniel POWERS on 27 Jan 1825 in Frederick County. Daniel was born12 about 1795 in Virginia. He died about 1854 in Frederick County. He was buried13,14  at Greenway Court. (See Powers Family). Mary Ann's will[7] mentions grandson Joseph Powers son of John W. and Negros: Nancy, George, Isabell, Alice, Edney and James.

 

You will note that the birth dates of the children are widely spaced. The only reason I can see for that is the father was married more than once and some children may have died. My dates could be wrong.

 

  1.  Ritenour, Pearl, Gravestone Inscriptions from 101 Grave Yards in Frederick County, 1960.Graveyard No. 30, Greenway Court Graveyard, Clarke County, Virginia, hereafter called Inscriptions from 101 Grave Yards in Frederick County.

  2.  Inscriptions from 101 Grave Yards in Frederick County.

  3.  Court Records from the Law Suit: Francis Gildart vs William and Betsey Carnegy it states, Frederick or Augusta County.

  4.  Inscriptions from 101 Grave Yards in Frederick County

  5.  1880 U.S. Census, Ed 171, pg. 10B.Franklin, Grant, Indiana, Dwl 108, Fam 110, Line 11. Emaline's surname is spelled Llhoyd and Elmer Tolley, her grandson, is listed as Elmer Llhoyd.

  6.  Death notice in The Herald of the Valley newspaper, Sat. Jan. 11, 1823, P. 3, Col. 3, Fincastle, Botetourt, Virginia.

  7.  Frederick County, Virginia Marriage Bonds, FHL #31456

  8.  Tax list-Yancey Powers is on the Personal Property tax list for 1790 and 1791.

  9.  Probate record, Botetourt County, Virginia.

  10. Inscriptions from 101 Grave Yards in Frederick County.

  11. Ibid, page 27.

  12. 1850 U.S. Census, M432_945; Page: 352.District 16, Frederick, Virginia, Dwl 2150, Fam 2182, Line 24.

  13. Inscriptions from 101 Grave Yards in Frederick County.

  14. Ibid., page 27.



[1]  Chalkley, Lyman "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, extracted from the original court records of Augusta County 1745-1800.

[2] Kercheval, Samuel, A History of the Valley of Virginia", fifth edition 1973, Shenandoah Publishing House, Strasburg, Virginia

[3] Frederick County Courthouse, Winchester, Virginia, book 12 page 51, May Court 1824, dated 28 Jan 1823.

[4] Brown, Stuart E. Annals of Clarke County, 1983 Vol. 1.

[5] Frederick County Courthouse, Winchester, Virginia; William Carnegy book 12 pg. 51.

[6] Ibid..

[7] Frederick County Courthouse, Winchester, Virginia; Mary Ann Powers book 24 pg. 40; William Carnegy book 12 pg. 51.