William (Boehm) Bly (1810 - 1863)

Born 1 Jul 1810 in Cedar Creek, Frederick County, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Susanna (Hamman) Bly — married 22 Nov 1840 in Shenandoah County, Virginia

Descendants

Died 24 Apr 1863 at age 52 in Fishers Hill, Shenandoah County, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Daniel Bly [send private message]

Biography

William Bly lived with his mother, Regina Boehm, on Cedar Creek in Frederick County, Virginia, until her death in 1818. His aunt and uncle, John and Barbara (Boehm) Bly, lived nearby and after Regina's death they took William to live with them. That was about the same time John and Barbara moved back to the Boehm home on Mulberry Run. Oral tradition in the family and among descendants of John and Barbara's children is that he was raised with John and Barbara's children. There is an additional male in the "under 10" category in John Bly's household in the 1820 census. ^[1]

Unfortunately, John Bly died in the summer of 1821 and Barbara had limited means with four children of her own still at home. Her uncle, Daniel Boehm, patriarch of the family, may have helped but he was old and by 1823 his health was failing. Either prompted by the family or from his own observations, the Overseer of the Poor went to Court in June 1823 and bound "William Boehm, base born son of Regina Boehm" to Isaac Lockmiller "...to learn the art and trade of a shoemaker, his age being 13, July 1, next."^[2] It is not known how long William stayed with Lockmiller. He certainly never practiced the trade of shoe making, but somewhere in the years with John Bly's family and with Lockmiller he got some schooling. By the time he was an adult he could read and write and signed his name with a clear legible cursive script.

By 1834, the first year he appears in the personal property tax records, he was using the name "William Bly" instead of Boehm.^[3] When his cousin and "foster brother," Samuel Bly, married Flora Rosenberger in May 1836, William accompanied Samuel to Woodstock and signed surety on the marriage bond as "William Bly."^[4] A month later, armed with information and documents he probably got from his aunt Barbara, widow of John Bly, he decided to go to court and collect the legacy due him from his mother's meager estate, which had never been settled. He enlisted his older half-brother, John, who was by then married, living in Page County and using the name "John B. Snapp" to help him. In June 1836 they went to court and initiated a suit against their uncle, Samuel Boehm, who had co-signed the bond with John Bly, when John qualified as administrator of their mother's estate.^[5]

The suit took time to work through the Court. Boehm raised objections and questions, among them was a statute of limitations, and the fact that William and John also had a sister, "usually called Mary Aumiller," who should have been included as a plaintiff. Finally in August 1839 the Court ordered the Sheriff to settle the estate of John Bly and declared Samuel Boehm responsible for paying the heirs their due, including what should go to the heirs of Regina Boehm, whose estate John Bly had not settled. The final ruling came down November 10, 1840. William Bly and John Snapp were to recover forty eight dollars ($48) plus six percent annual interest from October 1822 until fully paid from Samuel Boehm. Less than two weeks after the Court's decree, on Saturday November 21, 1840, William rode back up to Woodstock, accompanied by his cousin, Samuel Bly, to obtain a marriage bond so that he could marry Susanna Hamman, a first cousin of Samuel Bly's wife, Flora. He obtained his bond, went to the Hamman farm and eloped with Susanna to his old home on Mulberry Run, where they were married the next day. ^[6]

The newly weds soon settled into domestic life, acquiring household furniture, farm animals and tools. By the end of the first year a fine healthy son was born. William and Susanna began attending church at the Friedens Church at Mount Olive, but in 1842 they joined other relatives and neighbors to establish Saint Stephens Church nearer their home. By 1850 William and Susanna, who had by this time acquired her home farm on Tumbling Run from the other Hamman heirs, had five sons and the family was still growing.^[7]

In March, 1853, William Bly joined with neighbors; Amos Stickley, George Funkhouser and William Funkhouser, as trustees of a new school house, to be built on a lot conveyed by William and Eliza Funkhouser, on the Stoner's Mill road, corner to the Bly farm. The school was called Walnut Hill School and served the neighborhood until 1869. ^[8]

The 1840s and 1850s were by all accounts good years. William continued to muster several times a year with the local militia unit commanded by Susanna's cousin, Jacob Rosenberger, and in June 1845 William was appointed overseer of Stoner's Mill Road, from the mill to the foot of the mountain. William purchased some additional land and had a fine herd of cattle and some prize horses. The good times came to an end with the turmoil and tragedy of the war years. In December, 1861, John William, the oldest son of William and Susanna joined the Confederate Army and was involved in many of the early engagements during Jackson's Valley Campaign. He was killed at the Battle of Second Manassas in August, 1862. By the spring of 1863, the dreaded disease, smallpox, had become a serious threat in the Valley and among its victims were Levi Bly's wife, Fanny and young son, Levi Jr. William is said to have visited them and contracted the illness himself. He died at his home, April 24th 1863.^[9] William was buried in the Hamman cemetery on the family farm.

Notes

Identity of his father: Several family traditions state that his father was "an old man from Cedar Creek." Y-DNA tests prove that he is very closely related to other Bly descendants of Philip Bly. Descendants of William like all other descendants of Philip Bly, carry a particular anomaly on one of the Y-DNA markers that make it 100 percent sure that he is a Bly. Based on the oral traditions, geographic proximity and family situations, George Bly is the most likely member of the family who could be his father. Birth Date also from William Bly Family Bible (see image of the Bible record).

Marriage: Susanna's mother opposed her marriage to William and so they eloped and were married at the old Boehm home on Mulberry Run with only a few family and friends present. This story from numerous grandchildren as well as nieces and nephews of William and Susanna. Marriage date from, William Bly family Bible (see image). and from the published transcript of Shenandoah County marriages. ^[10]

Death Records: Tombstone, Bly Family Cemetery, Fishers Hill, Virginia. Diary of Levi Pitman, of Mount Olive, Virginia, entry of Apr 26, 1863. Numerous descendants also related that he died of smallpox.

Sources

• Public records of Shenandoah County, Virginia, including chancery causes now archived in the Library of Virginia.
• Diary of Levi Pitman, Levi Pitman Papers, Special Collections, Alderman Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
• William Bly Family Bible, in possession of Mabel Orndorff Gochenour, Strasburg, Virginia (now deceased).
• Tombstone inscriptions, Hamman-Bly Cemetery, Tumbling Run, west of Strasburg, Virginia.

Footnotes

1. ↑ United States Census, 1820, Virginia, Shenandoah County, p. 154.
2. ↑ Minutes of the June Court, 1823, Shenandoah County, Minute Book 1822-1826, Shenandoah County Court House, Woodstock, Virginia.
3. ↑ Shenandoah County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists, 1830-1843, microfilm roll #4, Shenandoah County Library, Edinburg, Virginia.
4. ↑ Vogt and Kethley, Virginia Historic Marriage Register, Shenandoah County, Marriage Bonds 1772-1850, Athens, GA (1983), p. 61
5. ↑ Since John died before the estate was settled Samuel Boehm became responsible for the estate according to their plea. Shenandoah County Chancery Causes, 1772-1927, William Bly et al vs. ADM of John Bly et al. 1840-006, Local Government Records Collection, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
6. ↑ Vogt and Kethley cited above, p. 61. Several family members recounted the story of the elopement.
7. ↑ United States Census, 1850, Shenandoah County, Virginia, Family #584, p. 41b. and ibid. 1860, Family #2272, p. 332.
8. ↑ Shenandoah County Deed Book "1" p. 394.
9. ↑ Diary of Levi Pitman, Levi Pitman Papers, Special Collections, Alderman Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia. Entry of April 26, 1863: "William Bly departed this life yesterday and was buried today. His disease was said to be smallpox." He actually died the evening of 24th which to Pitman was the night before.
10. ↑ Vogt and Kethley, Virginia Historic Marriage Register: Shenandoah County Marriage Bonds, 1772-1850, Athens, GA, (1983), p. 61.