Isaac Lemasters and Nancy Anne Scott

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The updating of the numbering system used on this page has been completed. Generation 28 is my own;
27 is that of my parents; 29 is that of my children, etc.  --   John M. Gwin, May 2009


The reformatting of the name font and census data for this page has NOT been completed. --John M. Gwin, Aug 2011

DISCLAIMER: Caution! The first four generations of the following outline are NOT YET CONFIRMED OR DOCUMENTED, at least by me.  For now, I pass them on here ONLY as hearsay, speculation, and allegation; however, now Rick Lemasters has sent me a copy of the book Benjamin Lemasters of Nicholas County, West Virginia: His Ancestry, His War Record, His Descendants by Ronald V. Hardway, which is being quoted extensively on this page as I enter his data. Hardway's book carries its own disclaimer, as follows: PART III, Descendants of Benjamin Lemasters: This compendium of the descendants of Benjamin Lemasters is not a genealogical study of the Lemasters family.  It is a list of descendants compiled from various sources, many of which consist of family recollections not verified through a search of official documents. Dozens of descendants of Benjamin Lemasters have contributed to this catalogue, many of them unintentionally. (page 45) The book does seem to connect Charity with our Oceola, as Charity's daughter Priscilla's oldest is listed there as "Ocie", though no husband or family is listed for her. If you have further light to shed on this picture, please let me hear from you! --John M. Gwin <jmcdgwin@zianet.com>

Outline of the Rumored and Known Family

21.00--Isaac Lemasters/Lamastres, b. ; d. ; m. Nancy Anne Scott (b. ; d. ); at least 3 ch. [John M. Gwin Note: Cousin Ed Parks told me that there are three Isaac Lemasters and that no agreement has been made among family members as to which of the three (whether this husband of Nancy Scott or one of the other two) is in fact the parent of our Benjamin who married Rebecca.]

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The following was taken from the excellent page at
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=2177783&GRid=19276058&
which was added to the Find a Grave site by descendant
Richard "Rick" Lemasters (rlemasters1atyahoodotcom), Sistersville, WV

Benjamin LeMasters, b. 15 Jun 1756 in Charles Co., MD, USA, s/o Isaac Lemasters and Nancy Anne Scott; d. 16 Dec 1837 at Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV, USA, age 86 yrs. 6 mos. 1 day; bd. LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV, USA; m. Rebecca Ann Martin Lemasters.

A Revolutionary War Veteran who served from 1776 to 1779/80, Benjamin Lemasters was recruited into the 1st VA Rgt. by a Lt. Culp and took the oath on 1 Oct 1776. He enlisted for a three-month period and joined a company commanded by William S. Lewis of Staunton, VA. He served at: White Plains, Trenton, Princeton, Morristown (promoted to sgt. and re-enlisted), Brandywine Creek, Germantown, Fort Miffin, Valley Forge, Monmouth Court House, Camp Robinson, Bound Brook, and Sandy Hook. Benjamin Lemasters' last muster was recorded on 7 May 1779.  Pension was granted in Nicholas Co., VA/WV in 1833, Cert # 16923. Read the following book about the life and family of Benjamin Lemasters: Benjamin Lemasters of Nicholas County, West Virginia: His Ancestry, His War Record, His Descendants by Ronald V. Hardway. On the stone his name is spelled LAMASTRES
 
Record added May 7 2007 by Richard Lemasters

Bryant, Anna M Rader, b. Dec. 9, 1890; d. Sep. 22, 1925, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Bryant, Walter T, b. 1884; d. 1959, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Fitzwater, Mary E., b. unk.; d. Apr. 6, 1887, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

LeMasters, Benjamin, b. Jun. 15, 1756; d. Dec. 16, 1837, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

LeMasters, Rebecca Ann Martin, b. Sep. 9, 1758; d. Feb. 16, 1844, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

McCutcheon, Newton Allen, b. Oct. 28, 1917; d. May 27, 2006, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

McQueen, Archibald Allen, b. Apr. 20, 1816; d. Dec. 12, 1892, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

McQueen, Catherine McKenzie, b. Nov. 11, 1812; d. Jan. 1, 1913, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Rader, Allen, b. 1838; d. 1922, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Rader, Benjamin L, b. Sep. 15, 1831; d. Dec. 29, 1917, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Rader, Elvira LeMasters, b. Feb. 6, 1804; d. Jul. 10, 1882, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Rader, John, b. Jun. 28, 1802; d. Mar. 5, 1879, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Rader, Joseph, b. Oct. 17, 1809; d. Apr. 8, 1875, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Rader, Lillian McQueen, b. 1848; d. 1923, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Rader, Maria, b. unknown; d. Jan. 4, 1880, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Rader, Mary Elizabeth Robinson, b. Nov. 12, 1836; d. Feb. 12, 1913, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Rader, Michael LeMasters, b. Feb. 22, 1835; d. Oct. 10, 1900, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

Rader, Rebecca Jane LeMasters , b. Jul. 4, 1796; d. Apr. 14, 1890, LeMasters Cem., Gilboa, Nicholas Co., WV

John,
I'm happy to hear from you, I thought you might have changed your e-mail address since 1999.  It just so happens that I have been doing lots of work on this line of the Lemasters family recently, primarily with Benjamin & Rebecca Ann Martin Lemasters who were Charity's parents.  Charity was one of 10 daughters born to Benjamin and Rebecca who were prominent members of the Nicholas County VA/WV community. Benjamin was a Revolutionary War veteran and member of the 1st Virginia Regiment.  There is a book written about Benjamin's life and war service by Ronald Hardway, 1993. 
I visited Benjamin and Rebecca's family cemetery last year and documented each grave on findagrave.com, here is a link to page:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2177783&CScnty=3097&CSsr=61&
I also made a video which can be viewed at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfcjvobeAaw
Hope to hear from you again soon.
Rick Lemasters
Sistersville, WV
 

An uncle of Ed Parks (30 mi. n. of Topeka, KS, eddebparksatmsndotcom) has a site for the Squires family.

In March 2008, Cousin Rick Lemasters sent me (John Gwin) PDFs from which the following three excerpts were taken: 1 "From Our Reporters' Notebooks", in The Daily Mail, (Hagerstown, MD), Vol. CXXXIV, No. 195, Sat., Aug. 18, 1962, page 1; 2 Maginnis, William H., "Railway Marks Nicholas County Site Where Indians Once Swung Tomahawks", The Charleston Gazette, (Charleston, WV), Sept. 11, 1949, p. 4; 3 Richardson, Mrs. Billie, "Do You Remember?", The Charleston Gazette, (Charleston, WV), Sun., Oct. 18, 1942, p. 15;

 

1An Illinois resident has asked this newspaper to assist in the search for information concerning the descendants of Abraham Lemaster, who arrived in St. Mary's County, Maryland, 300 years ago. A descendant by the same name is buried in Boonsboro in the rear of the Bast Furniture store. The grave has a marker with this inscription upon it: "In memory of Abraham Lemaster, born February 10, 1742, died May 13th, 1820.  Aged 78 years, 3 months and 3 days. Stop Reader Stop Let Nature Claim a Tear. My aged father lies buried here."

Howard M. Lemaster, of 412 College Ave., Carlinville, Illinois, writes that he is desirous of learning more about the old timers of this family, and where they are buried. The Abraham Lemaster who is buried in Boonsboro had given this site for the erection of a church and a burial ground. He was the first to be buried there in 1820, but the church was never built, and no other burials at the site, writes Mr. Lemaster.

"For each and every Lemaster grave identified and reported to me prior to the above, I will give a book "Lemaster Family, U.S.A., 1960" or like value in cash," he writes. "Maryland Colonial Records show that Capt. Abraham Lemaster secured 10 recruits for Revolutionary War service at Frederick. We think this may be the one, and hope to prove. Any help will be greatly appreciated from your readers."
2  The late Edward Campbell wrote a brief "History of Nicholas County's First Settlers" in 1883, and his work was printed serially in the Nicholas County Chronical from May 16, 1912 to Aug. 8, 1912. A bound volume of the Chronicle of that year is in the State Department of Archives and History. Campbell is the authority for most of the names, dates, and incidents that follow in this article. 

Peters Creek Settled
The first settlement in what is now Nicholas county was established on Peters creek in 1791 by Henry Morris, Conrad Young, and Edward McClung. Following the massacre of two of Morris' daughters by Indians in 1792, the Morris, Young, and McClung families moved to the Kanawha valley.

Edward McClung sold his land on Peters creek to Edward Hughes and John Campbell in 1792, and later in the same year, McClung was drowned in the Kanawha river near Moles island.  He was survived by his wife and three children.

Edward McClung, jr., returned to Nicholas, married, and reared a family in Kentucky magisterial district, where he died.

Edward McClung, jr.'s eldest sister married John Groves and reared a family near Summersville.  His youngest sister married John Smithey of Lewisburg.

Hughes Fort Built
Thomas Hughes, a Revolutionary soldier from Prince William county, VA, led a party of settlers from Muddy creek, Greenbrier county, in the construction of a fort at the mouth of Hughes creek. Thomas Hughes died in 1794, and his grave was near the fort.

The fort was in Kanawha county, but the Hughes and other families in the group acquired land in what became Nicholas county.

William Bird from Bath county lived for awhile on Twenty Mile creek; Jesse James from Bath county lived on Otter creek before moving to the Elk river near Charleston.  His wife was a daughter of Henry Morris.

Conrad Young married three times and had children by each wife.

Benjamin Lemasters, who settled on Bucks Garden creek in 1798 or 1799, served in the Continental Army five years.  He married Rebecca Ann Martin and had 10 daughters.  Three daughters married into the Boggs family; two married Raders; and one each a Robinson, Frame, Givens, Stephenson, and Campbell.  The daughter who married Joseph Rader in 1830 had a daughter, Elvira, who married John D. Groves and became the mother of Lola Groves and grandmother of Gov. Patteson.

First County Officials
The Nicholas county government was organized in April 1816 in John Hamilton's home at Cross Lanes...Recommended for commissions in the 126th regiment of militia were...John G. Stephenson, captain.

The county seat was established on the lands of Robert Hamilton.  On this 30-acre tract the town of Summersville was laid out in 1820. The first trustees of the town were...John G. Stephenson.
3  Do you remember
That Morgantown, the site of West Virginia university, was settled in 1758 by Thomas Decker?
Later the land was acquired by Isaac Lemasters, who sold it to Zangwill Morgan in 1772 five years after Morgan had made the first permanent settlement, and it is from him that the city gets its name...

From: Rick Lemasters <rlemasters1atyahoodotcom>
Date: September 19, 2008
To: John Gwin <jmcdgwin@zianet.com>
Subject: A RECENT LEMASTERS FIND

Last week Nancy and I visited my son Scott and his family who live just south of Nashville, Tennessee, in Brentwood.  This was our first trip to the area.  In my research I had run across a descendant who had lived and died in that area after service during the Revolutionary War and living and marrying in South Carolina.  His name is Joseph Lemaster, and his parents were Isaac and Nancy Anna Scott Lemasters who lived in the Morgantown, West Virginia, area.  Joseph was the brother of my gggg-grandfather Thomas and of Benjamin, also a Revolutionary War veteran.  I believe they were the oldest three children of Isaac and Nancy.  I was able find Joseph's grave site with the help of the Internet and a previous owner of the property where he is buried.
 
As you all know, often when you answer one question or make a discovery, other questions are raised.  Thus is the case with finding Joseph's grave and monument.  I was aware that both Joseph and Benjamin enlisted in the Army in the Morgantown area and went off to serve and both were promoted to the rank of Sergeant.  Well, according to Joseph's monument, he attained the rank of Major.  Another surprise is that according to his stone, he was born in 1748, and not 1758 as stated in most research I've seen.
 
Here is a link to the findagrave.com page I created for Joseph:
 
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=2275650&GRid=29714866&
 
I have other close-up photos of the stone if you would like to see them.
 
Rick