Elizabeth (Gaines) Russell (1766 - 1820)

Born 1766 in Halifax, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Wife of Absolom Prentiss Russell — married 23 Oct 1793 in Halifax, Virginia

Descendants

Died 21 Jul 1820 at about age 54 in Casey, Kentucky, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Susannah Rolfes [send private message]

Biography

Elizabeth was born in 1766 in Virginia (probably in Halifax County). She was the daughter of Reverend Thomas Gaines and Dorothy Broaddus. Elizabeth was the youngest of six children. In 1793, her older sister, Frances, died (possibly in childbirth on February 4 or 14), and on October 23, 1793, Elizabeth married her sister's widower, and became step-mother to her three nephews: Edmund, Sanders, and Birdie.

Elizabeth and Absolom had six surviving children of their own:

• Jincy (Nancy) Russell, b. 1795, Halifax Co., Virginia, d. Between 1842 and 1850, Casey Co., Kentucky;
• Lucretia Russell, b. 1797, Halifax, Borough of Calderdale, County West Yorkshire, England;
• Eliza Russell, b. 1799, Halifax Co., Virginia;
• George Russell, b. 1800, Halifax Co., Virginia;
• Mary "Polly" Russell, b. 1802, Halifax Co., Virginia;
• Elizabeth Russell, b. 1804, Halifax Co., Virginia.

It is unknown at this time what denomination Elizabeth's father, Reverend Thomas Gaines, was a minister for. However, it was probably not the Church of England, because her husband Absolom's father, William, permitted a Dissenters meetinghouse to be built on his land in Halifax County, Virginia. Dissenters were anyone who did not follow the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church. They could be Quakers, Lutherans, Baptists, or any of a number of denominations.

The Halifax order books show that in 1755, a group of Dissenters were granted leave to build a meeting house on the land of William Russell "on the Drafts of Difficult Creek", on the border between Halifax and Lunenburg.^[1]

The most common Dissenters in the area were Baptists, Methodists, and Scottish Presbyterians. Elizabeth's husband's grandson was named John Calvin Russell, which is a clue that they may have been Calvinists or Scottish Presbyterians, a theory also supported a probable by the published source, The History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, by Maud Carter Clement, published by Genealogical Publishing Co. in 1929.

Absolom married Frances, the daughter of Rev. Gaines. After her death, he remarried Elizabeth, who was the maternal aunt of his three son. Perhaps this was because their loving aunt wanted to raise Edmund, Sanders, and Birdie, and it was what was best for the children, or perhaps it was because Absolom wanted to marry within his faith. More information is needed as to whether Thomas Gaines was the minister at the Dissenters meetinghouse. They probably were not Quakers, considering Absolom's military service, however it is not known at this time what denomination they were.

Name: Absolom Russell Gender: Male Marriage Date: 23 Oct 1793 Marriage Place: Halifax, Virginia Spouse: Elizabeth Gaines FHL Film Number: 31918 Reference ID: P27 Name: Absolom Russell Gender: Male Birth Place: VA Birth Year: 1759 Spouse Name: Elizabeth Gaines Spouse Birth Place: of KY Marriage Year: 1793 Marriage State: VA Number Pages: 1

Absolom Russell Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940 Name: Absolom Russell Spouse's Name: Elizabeth Gaines Event Date: 23 Oct 1793 Event Place: Halifax, Virginia https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X5YR-XH7

In 1799, Absolom, Elizabeth, Edmund, and Sanders were named in a lawsuit as defendants, against several family members on Elizabeth's side. An image of the newspaper article detailing the circumstances is attached to this profile, and a transcript can be found in the profile of Frances Gaines. The article lists the relationships between many of the defendants and petitioners, specifically stating that Frances was the mother of Sanders and Edmund. Birdie, being only five years old, was not included in this lawsuit, which was over ownership of 125 acres of land.

Elizabeth passed away in 1820, probably in Casey County, Kentucky.

Sources

Christening:

Marriage:

• https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X5YR-XHQ

Marriage: Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2014: https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=WorldMarr_ga&h=1051541&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=60214

Marriage: https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=FS1VirginiaMarriages&h=2915319&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=7836 Kentucky, Land Grants, 1782-1924. Original data: Jillson, Willard Rouse.

Lawsuit: The Virginia Gazette and General Advertiser, October 4, 1799. See image attached to profile, and transaction in the profile of Frances Gaines

http://www.generationsgoneby.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I25691&tree=1

1. ↑ Maud Carter Clement, The History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1929, p. 123, Google Books

^[2]