THE ATKINS FAMILY
All Atkins families displaced by the establishment of Shenandoah National Park descend from James Atkins and his wife, Elizabeth Smith of Orange County, Virginia. James is first mentioned in the County records in 17341 and he is listed as a titheable in 1753.2 In 1755 the will of Edward Smith mentions his daughter, Elizabeth, who is married to James Atkins and she is left 100 acres of land in the forks of the Pamunkey River in Orange County.3 Edward Smith moved to Orange County from King and Queen County in 1738 when he purchased the above 100 acres.4
James apparently did not do very well and by 1762 had run up a store debt with Andrew Shepherd and Co., of 105 pounds, 3 shillings, and 3 pence. To satisfy this debt James mortgaged his land and all of his personal property, including:
1 black horse, 1 sorrell mare, 10 cows, 7 sheep, 11 hogs, 7 geese, 4 feather beds, sheets, blankets, ruggs & steds, 1 set of shoemakers tools, sundry carpenter tools, planta¬tion tools, 1 table, 2 chests, 11 pewter plates, 2 iron pots, 2 pewter dishes, 1 frying pan, 2 men's saddles, 2 bridles, 1 weaver's loom and tacklin of the same, l gun, sundry casks, 4 D. basins, 2 sifters, 1 looking glass, 1 sword or cutlass, and everything else the said James and Elizabeth have at this time in their possession and a proper right to. 5
The money was to be paid with interest on or before 01MAR1764 but it was not and the property was put up at public auction. Andrew Shepherd and Co., were the highest bidders.
We do not know how James and his family managed to survive after the loss of their land and property but we assume that relatives helped out as they often did. In fact, in 1773, John Atkins, pro¬bably a brother of James, bought back the forfeited 100 acres of land "in behalf of James Atkins, Sr.," and sold it the following year to Benjamin Atkins who was probably a son of James.6
Some insight may be gained into the socioeconomic status of the Atkins in Orange County by considering several legislative petitions presented in the late 1700's. One petition signed by John Atkins (brother to James, Sr.) in 1777 desired to restrict the planting of tobacco to 4,000 plants per poll so that attention might be given to raising other crops necessary to the war effort. Petitioners state that they are planters." A petition docketed in May of 1779 complains that people with "large estates" are not contributing their share toward raising the militia. The petitioners indicate that they have hired substitutes. This would seem to indicate that the signers are planters with the wherewithal to hire substitutes but perhaps with smaller estates than some. This petition was signed by John Atkins, Joseph Atkins, and William Atkins. Joseph was the son of John, and William was probably the son of James, John's brother. Both of these petitions were rejected by the legislature.7
A petition docketed in November of 1786 and signed by John Atkins,/Sr/, James Atkins /probably Jr./, John Atkins /Jr. /, and ? Atkins complains of unfair treatment of religious societies and, particularly, the giving of "public property" -- that is, surplus money -- to the Episcopal Society, indicating,. at least, that the signers of this petition were not Episcopalians.8
The next links in the chain of descent to the Atkins families re-moved from the Park are Ambrose and Edward Atkins, sons of James and Elizabeth.9 Both Ambrose and Edward were soldiers in the Revolutionary War.10
Edward Atkins volunteered for service with the Culpeper Minute Men with Joseph Spencer's Company and he, with the rest of the Minute Men, appeared as ordered in "hunting shirts made of strong, brown linen dyed the color of the leaves of the trees, and on the breast of each hunting shirt was worked in large white letters the words 'LIBERTY OR DEATH.'" With the Minute Men Edward saw service at the battle of Long Bridge near Norfolk in the fall of 1775. He volun¬teered twice more in 1777 and 1778 and fought in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown in Pennsylvania. Edward spent the hard winter of 1777-78 with Washington's troops at valley Forge. He was discharged from his final tour of duty at Middlebrook, New Jersey.11
Edward married Frances Wisdom in 1780. In 1782 he moved to Culpeper County from Orange and then back to Orange in 1784 and, finally, to Culpeper in 1787 where he settled down for about 18 years.12 Neither
Edward nor his children owned any land in these years and no informa¬tion is available as to their activities. About 1805-06 Edward moved with his family to Washington County, Kentucky and in 1818 was living in Franklin County, Kentucky where he was placed on the Kentucky Pension Roll at $8.00 per month. In 1820 Edward was living in Mercer County, Kentucky where he apparently applied for an increase in his pension declaring that he owned "one cow and calf, one hoe, five chairs, one dozen plates, one table, one-half dozen knives and forks, two potts, one oven and skillet." Edward died in 1850 in Scott County, Kentucky.13
Edward's brother Ambrose also served in the Culpeper Minute Men and, after his discharge from that group volunteered in the company of Capt. John Scott in Orange County and marched to Yorktown where he served about 50 days watching the movements of the British in York River. Ambrose moved to Culpeper County in 1777. In the Spring of 1781 his militia captain, Capt. John Slaughter, required his help in apprehending William Bryant, a private who refused to discharge his military duty, and take him to Richmond. Ambrose spent about 15 days at this.
He was drafted in June or July 17 81 while he was employed by Col. John Thornton as an overseer. Col. Thornton was detailed for the command of the regiment from Culpeper County at the same time and requested him to procure a substitute as it was inconvenient and improper for both to leave home at the same time. Col. Thornton aided him in paying the sub¬stitute; he paid.the substitute in addition $500 Continental currency, 1000 pounds of tobacco and two linen shirts. 14
Ambrose Atkins married Frances Mansfield15 in 1784 and in 1792 he signed a 99-year lease for 100 acres of land "100 yards above the former mill of Francis Thornton" located on the Thornton River about 1 1/2 miles East of Sperryville, Virginia -- now located in Rappahannock County. He paid three pounds yearly rent. It is not clear what happened to this arrangement. Ambrose is listed in the land tax books from 1792 through 1804 with the above 100 acres. The 1805-1810 lists are missing and Ambrose does not turn up again with land until 1821 when he is shown as having a town lot in Woodville, Virginia --a town about 4 miles East of his 100 acres. Deed books record his selling of 4 acres on the Thornton's Gap Turnpike in 1826 but he is not shown owning any land.16 Again, in 1833, Ambrose is shown selling 140 acres of land on Oventop Mountain, in what is now the Shenandoah National Park, to two of his sons, John and Larkin.17This land too is not recorded in the tax lists. Ambrose applied for a pension in 1832 and was put on the roll for $30.00 per annum by Certificate 8403 issued 08APR1833. He only live long enough to receive payment for 9 month, dying 04DEC1833, apparently at his home in Woodville, l8
Elias Fink Atkins, son of Edward, came back to Culpeper County and married his first cousin, Elizabeth, daughter of Ambrose, 15FEB1816. He tookhis bride back to Kentucky. Elias and Elizabeth had 6 children in Kentucky; three died in childhood. In 1827, when their youngest child was three months old, Elias decided to bring his family back to Culpeper County to live. They rode horseback with Elizabeth carrying her youngest on her lap. Elizabeth died shortly after the return to Virginia and Elias remarried in 1830 to Frances Dodson and had 7 more children.19
By 1850, 5 sons and one grandson of Ambrose Atkins are living in Rappahannock in the general area of Sperryville and the edge of the Blue Ridge. With them are one son and one grandson of Edward. Elias, the son of Edward has a ½-acre lot in Sperryville; John (son of Ambrose) has 83 acres in what is now the Park; and Larkin (son of Ambrose) has 224 acres in the Park. Larkin T. Atkins (grandson of Edward) is over the Blue Ridge in Page County.20
Membership folls for F.T. Baptist Church in Rappahannock County show Elias T. and Silas Atkins as members ca. 1861; by 1870 Silas is excluded. Elias T. and George are members and Frances is added to the rolls by 1876.
ATKINS FAMILY- NOTES
1. Get citation – F. Dorman's Orange County Order Books 3 & 4, p. 84, 03APR1734.
2. Orange Co., Va., Families, Vol. II, William Everett Brockman, 1956.
3. Orange Co. Will Book 2, pp. 232-234, 17SEP1755/23SEP1756. The will also gives Edward Smith's wife name as "Mary" and states that she is the daughter of Roger Bell.
4. Orange Co. Deed Book 2, pp. 350-355, 24-25MAY1738.
5. Orange Co. Deed Book 13, pp. 223-224, 25MAR1762
6. Orange Co. Deed Book 16, pp. 228-229 (27SEP1733) and 235-236 (26MAY1774.
7. Patriots of the Upcountry, William H.B. Thomas, pp. 116-118, 120-121.
8. ibid, pp. 135-136.
9. The evidence for Ambrose and Edward being sons of James is cir¬cumstantial but compelling. James' wife Elizabeth had a brother named Ambrose and her father was named Edward and the use of family names is a consistent feature in earlier American families. Further, Ambrose is listed in the same household with James (and also Malachi Atkins) in the 1782 Property Tax lists of Orange Co. Ambrose and Edward were known to be brothers to later des¬cendents as indicated in a letter in our possession written by a great granddaughter of Edward in 1938.
10. Both men have been used to validate membership in the DAR. See DAR application numbers 658769 and 316020.
11. Patriots of the Upcountry, (see above), pp. 25-33, 40-48. See also Edward Atkin's Pension Application S. 35174.
12. Orange Co. Marriage Bonds; Orange & Culpeper Cos. Personal Pro¬perty Tax Lists.
13. Census Records; Pension Application, op ci.t
14. Ambrose Atkins Pension Application S. 6543.
15. The Mansfield name is shown variously in the records as Nesppoille, Manspoil, Mansfel, and other spellings, but seems to crystallize as Mansfield by the late 1700's. We believe that Frances' parents were Jacob and Mary Mansfield. Their daughter Margaret married William Atkins, probably a brother to Ambrose.
16. Culpeper Co. Deed Book Q, pp. 354-356; Land Tax and Personal Pro¬perty Tax Lists for the relevant years; Culpeper Co. Deed. Book TT, p. 477.
17. Rappahannock Co. Deed Rook A, pp. 141-142.
18. Pension Application S. 6543; Rappahannock Co. Minute Book A, p. 146.
19. Letter from Maud Atkins Harnsberger (granddaughter of Elias Atkins)
to Genilla Atkins Pates (a cousin), dated 14MAR1938; Bourbon Co.,
Ky., census for 1820; 1830 census for Culpeper Co., Va. -- Elias
is in the household of Ambrose, his father-in-law.
20. Census Records for Rappahannock & Page Cos.; Land Tax List.
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