ABNER JEHU PAXTON - The progenitor of one major line of Paxtons in West Virginia was Abner Jehu Paxton. Abner was born around 1817 in Botetourt County, Virginia, believed by many to be the son of William Paxton and Hannah Abbott, although some researches claim a different paternity. It is almost certain that Abner's ancestors trace back to one of three sons of James Paxton believed to come to America from Northern Ireland before1732, arriving first in Pennsylvania, but moving down into Virginia with the opening of Benjamin Borden's land grant. When Augusta County was further divided, Abner's family was in the area that became Botetourt County. On October 3, 1839, Abner married Hester Elmore, daughter of William Elmore and Hannah Huffman. Abner and his wife had the following children: Sarah Jane, who married James Brisendine; Elizabeth A., who married Samuel Brown Paxton; Cephas Shelburn, who married Sarah Jane "Sally" Slack; Eliza Adeline, who married James Henry Moore; Caroline, who married William Remley Dodd; Hester Leurinda, who married Henry Taylor Burdette; Mary M. who married Adam Procious; and Winfield Worth who married "Rena" Malinda Burnside. Abner served very briefly during the Civil War for the Confederacy and was a constable of Craig County Virginia before the war. Abner and his family remained in New Castle, Virginia until sometime after January 1865. One tradition states that he travelled to Kanawha County, near East Bank, to visit his daughter Eliza and son Cephas and that, while he was there, he broke his leg in a fall. A serious injury in that day and age, when the news travelled to wife Hester, she panicked and sold their land for a cheap price and packed up children and belongings in a wagon and headed for Kanawha County. Abner is said to have cried when he found out she had sold the land. Shortly thereafter they settled on land in Horner's Fork in Clay County, which appears to be part of the land of Abner's fourth-cousin, William Paxton. This William is very likely the son of Thomas Paxton and Dicena Cartwright. Thomas and his family had been in Kanawha County since 1820. Abner and Hester settled permanently in West Virginia. In January of 1882, Hester died in Clay County. In early 1883, Abner secured deed to 29 acres on Twistabout and Dismal Creeks, where he built a log house. Later that year, he married Elizabeth Hall, widow of Sam Samples. No death record exists for Abner, but he was holding property at least as late as October 1888 when he deeded some land in Union District to his grandson, William Brisendine. Abner is buried in Sams Cemetery near Procious next to his wife, Hester, and his daughter Hester Leurinda, her husband, and William Brisendine.
The above article was submitted by Cindy Hoffman of Fisherville, Kentucky, in August of 1998. Questions should be addressed to Cindy chfigaro1@aol.com
