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Robert Toney (age 20) married Martha Hutson (sic) (age 19) in Kanawha County, Virginia in September of 1854. Unfortuntately the Register of Marriages only gives the date of license (8 Sept 1854) and not the date of the actual marriage.. [1]
The Cary Toney family appears on the 1850 U. S. Census, Kanawha, rural, what whas to become the Washington Magisterial District. They live three houses down from Preston Turley at Forks of Coal.[2]
The Robert Toney family appears on the 1860 U. S. Census, Kanawha, Forks of Coal community.[3] Robert is living next door to George Washington Turley, three doors away from John Hudson, and four doors down from his parents Cary and Litha. His is now married and has been 6 years.
The Robert Toney family appears on the 1870 U. S. Census, Washington Magisterial District, Kanawha, West Virginia, Coalsmouth Post Office.[4] Robert is now living adjacent to Jenier Hill, fellow witness in the Trial of Preston Turley and fellow member of the WV 7th Cavalry, USA.
The Robert Toney family appears on the 1880 U. S. Census, Washington Magisterial District, Kanawha, WV.[5]
Robert Toney appears on the 1890 U. S. Special Census of Civil War Veterans, page 1, 2nd Supervisor's district, E. D. 68, Washington District, Kanawha, WV, line 2.[6] He was marked as a Reinlisted Veteran. By the time of this census Toney had a Spring Hill P. O. address, as well as chronic disease of the back and kidneys. With Robert on the page is his cousin Levi Toney of Boone County, son of Cary's younger brother Harvey.
The Robert Toney family is on the 1900 U. S. Census, Washington District, Kanawha, WV, E.D. 62, Forks of Coal general neighborhood. He and Martha have been married 46 years.[7]
Robert Toney, for a time a next-door neighbor to Preston Turley, was called to the stand as a witness for the defence, although it's a given that his testimony was not compelling.
Toney, who at the time of the trial was about 22 years of age, testified as follows: that he had known Preston for several years and had seen the accused at a time when he (Toney) thought that Turley "was not exactly right. I wouldn't call him crazy, but he would talk and act foolish. Talk as if he hadn't got good sense."
At the heart of the defense strategy was the notion that Turley had recieved a head injury which clouded his judgement and changed his behavior. The event in question was the falling of timbers during a house deconstruction. Two men where present besides Preston, and one of them was Robert Toney. Said Toney on the stand: "Sometime last fall some timbers fell on Preston's head. It was a from a small shanty we were tearing down. Two of us pulled the timbers off of him and he seemed badly hurt; his head appeared hurt the most."
When pressed under cross-examination, Toney admitted that they did not send for a doctor, and that at their next meeting Preston seemed to have returned to normal. Also, Toney admitted that Preston drank "right smart," and insinuated that Turley may have been drinking just before the timber fall.[8]
Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 11 November 2018), memorial page for Robert Toney, Sr (1834–1919), Find A Grave Memorial no. 157084533, citing Hudson Family Cemetery, Alum Creek, Kanawha County, West Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Anjlyn Gillispie (contributor 48730243) Served in Civil War. Farmer.
Henning, Elma & Merle Rummel, The Toney Family History, 1979, Gateway Press, pg 304
G.Morris, extended profile and connection to Forks of Coal OPS.
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Robert is 26 degrees from Herbert Adair, 21 degrees from Richard Adams, 19 degrees from Mel Blanc, 26 degrees from Dick Bruna, 17 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 33 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 19 degrees from Sam Edwards, 16 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 18 degrees from Marty Krofft, 12 degrees from Junius Matthews, 14 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 18 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Categories: Forks of Coal, West Virginia One Place Study