Person:Lewis Full (2)

[from "A Pioneer History of Wirt County" by Tommie Sewell, Wirt County Journel, Vol 78, Nos. 51-53 c. 1978]

The name, Full, is of Dutch origin and ancestry. The name of the Ancestral immigrant of this important family, and the date of the arrival is not available, but their forebears were known to have been in Virginia during colonial times. It is believed that the family is descended from one of the many Dutch settlers that sought homes on the waters of the south branch of the Potomac and the valleys extending into Hardy and Pendleton counties, before the Revolutionary War.

Lewis Full was born about 1765 and came with his parents to the South Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac in 1771. His marriage to Jane Collins was solemnized sometime prior to 1788.

In 1790, Lewis Full, who later with his family was to become one of the early pioneers of Jackson and Wirt counties, was living near the present village of Mouth of Seneca, and nearby was the famed natural wonder of Seneca Rocks. The Fulls in their early records spelled the words C-i-n-i-c-a. Their neighbors at this time were few and far between and among them were Zeb Dye, Thomas Hopkins, and Moses Winkle with his son Joesph, has received a land grant on Seneca Creek where they had taken up their abode. To the north of them some 20 miles, a distance not too far for neighbors along the frontier, resided Joesph Hanks, parent of Nancy Hanks on Miles Run, branch of Pateerson Creek. Near them lived John and Sarah Sheppard, parents of Jonathan Sheppard, first settler on Right Reedy.

From the Mouth of the Seneca Creek and near the Full home, was the Seneca Trails, the best defined path in the state, and over the mountains to Cheat River, this trail led to the Tygart and up nearly to its source and thence to the headwaters of the Little Kanawha. Along this trail moccasined feet trod for centuries before the coming of the whites. It was along this trail that the Fulls drove their cows, sheep and other livestock along with their pack horses when they came as pioneers to was later to be Wirt County. Among the written records of Lewis Full, preserved to this day [1978], is one which reads as follows:

Andrew Full was a soldier in the first Virginia detachment under Colonel Bueford and Captain Adam Walles and died in the service. I knew him in the service. Given under my hand, Joesph Brown

This statement leads to the possibility that this Andrew Full was a brother to Lewis Full.

There are hundreds of various papers, legal and otherwise, that belonged to Lewis Full, including land grants, promissory notes, executed just following the Revolution, and are now kept intact. One note dated September 13, 1806 is as follows:

"I promise to pay or cause to be paid unto Chares Blechyard or his order the just and full sum of eight shillings and six pence on demand in Virginia currency. It being for value received as witness my hand and seal this September 13, 1806. Attest: Clary Full (signed) Lewis Full"

A remarkable collection of receipts for taxes is found and they cover every tax period from 1791 till about 1832. The most of them are without a printed form. Some of them read as follows: "Received of Mr. Lewis Full by the hand of Joesph Ray his revenue tax for the year 1791 County levy 2 shillings, 3 pence; 2 Horses 1 shillings, 1 pence; Total 3 shillings, 3 pence. Receive by me Thos. Hinkle, D.S." "Lewis Full To Taxes for 1817 Dr. in cents. 2 Levies 500 Slave 00 2 Horses 36 140 Acres Land 27 1 Tithe 175

738 Received payment Thos. Jones, D.S."

"Rec'd May 24, 1816 from Jesse Full one Dollar for duty on a silver watch for 1815. Sam B. Hall, Co. 6th Virginia-----------------"

These tax receipts reveal the low tax rate or values placed upon land or real estate about the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Among the collection of old papers that belonged to this family is a letter written by Thomas Miller of Pendleton County to Andrew and Joesph Full in April 1833. The receipients of this letter itself was posted at Franklin, Virginia, bearing the postmark date, April 3, 1883, and addressed to Jackson Courthouse Virginia, and it is interesting to note that the letter was among the first letters to be delivered at Ripley. The copy follows without any corrections:

"Pendleton County, Virginia April 3rd 1833 I again take pen in hand To Let you Know that your Brother Jesse Full departed this Life on the Last day of October 1831 after 18 days Illness he applied To Medical aid but to no Effects the Doctor Said his Complaint was the Consumption I was Compeld to administer on his Effects as he died at my House there is Sumthing in my hands that I am willing To Pay To his Heirs on application if one of you Comes after the money he must Comproperly authorized from the Rest this is the fourth time I have Whote on the Same Subject. (signed) Thomas Miller."

Lewis and Jane (Collins) Full came to Full's Fork branch of Right Reedy Creek, then known as Childer's Fork, in 1818, at that time Wood, later Jackson, and now Wirt County. Here the family acquired a large tract of land by patent rights and a purchase of 100 acres from John Hartley. The children of this family include five sons and five daughters, namely: Joesph, Absalom, Andrew, Jesse, Reuden, Betty, Clarissa, Susan, Amelia, and a daughter who became the wife of Daniel Wire. Of this family, Jesse returned to Pendleton County where he lived and died. Of Betty, Clarissa and Mrs. Wire, the records are meager.

From Wirt County, WV Marriages 1848-1857:

1854 Nov. 2 Elisha Boice 30 (Farmer), single. Born in Pennsylvania. Residing in Wirt County. Parents: Thomas and Patience BOice. Married Mary E. Riohards 16, single. Born in Wood County Va. residing in Wirt County. Parents, Otho and R. Richards. Calvin Connor officiated.

1857 May 3: Abasolom Full ? (Farmer), widower. Born in Pendelton County, residing in Jackson County. Parents, Lewis & Clarissa Full. Married Mahala Sheppard 47, single. Born in Harrison County Virginia. Parents Robert & Ruth Sheppard. William Sheppard (Comissionere) Officiated.

Nov 18: Jesse Full 29 (Farmer) single. Born in Jackson County Va. Residing in Jackson County, Va. Parents Absolum & Ann Full. Married Rebecca Martin 25, single. Born in Morgan County Ohio. Residing in Wirt County Va. Parents Samuel & Katharine Martin. Samuel Sheppard officiated.

Nov. 2 (note: this marriage is listed twice, both for 1854 and 1857) Elisha Boice 30 (farmer), single. Born in Pennsylvania. Residinig in Wirt County Va. Parents Thos. and Patience BOice. Married Mary E. Richards16, single. Born in Wood County Va. Residing in Wirt County Va. Parents Otho and R. Richards, Calvin Connor officiated.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees. (Name: The Generations Network, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;)
   Database online.

   Record for Absolom Full

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census. (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009;)
   Database online. Year: 1820; Census Place: , Wood, ;Virginia; Roll: M33_138; Page: 184; Image: 204.

   Record for Lewis Full

3.   Harold Somerville "The History of Wood County, West Virginia,".