Francis Gildart Ruffin (1816 - 1892)

Born 1 Dec 1816 in Woodville, Wilkinson, Mississippi Territory, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Cary Anne Nicholas Randolph — married 28 Dec 1840 in Albemarle, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 5 Jun 1892 at age 75 in Richmond City, Virginia

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Biography

From his Find A Grave Memorial:

CSA Colonel Frank Ruffin was born in Woodville to William Hopper Ruffin, (the son of William H. Ruffin and Margaret Ritchie Ruffin) and Frances Ann Gildart Ruffin, (the daughter of Captain Francis Gildart and Sophia Starke Gildart). He was orphaned at a young age and raised by his grandfather, William Ruffin, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

He graduated from the University of Virginia at the age of 16 and then studied for the bar and was accepted in October 1838.

He married Cary Anne Nicholas Randolph (1820-1857), the daughter of Colonel Thomas Jefferson Randolph (1792-1875) and great-grandaugher of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), on 28 December 1840, and they had nine children. Cary Anne died at Edge Hill, Albemarle County, Virginia in 1857.

He married second Ellen Strother Harvie on September 27,1860.

He began practicing in King William County, Virginia, but disappointed with the law, turned to agriculture. After his marriage, he moved to Albemarle County in 1841, then to Richmond in 1853. He served as editor of the SOUTHERN PLANTER from 1851 to 1858. He also purchased an estate in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

When the Civil War began, Ruffin entered Confederate service as a major in the Commissary and eventually rose to the rank of colonel. After the war, he pursued various business and agricultural interests. A Readjuster, Ruffin became disillusioned with William Mahone's (1826-1895) control of the party. Ruffin was appointed 2nd auditor of Virginia, a position he held until his death. Ruffin led efforts to improve the James River and make Richmond a major port. [End of text from Find A Grave bio]

Birth: Date: ABT 1816, Place: "Valley Farm" Chesterfield, VA. Source: #S4398

Marriage: Date: 28 DEC 1840. Source: #S4398

Husband: Francis Gildart Ruffin

Wife: Cary Anne Nicholas Randolph

Child: Spencer Roane Ruffin

Child: Benjamin Ruffin

Child: Jefferson Randolph Ruffin

Child: William Roane Ruffin

Child: Wilson Cary Nicholas Ruffin

Child: George Randolph Ruffin

Child: Francis Gildart Ruffin

Military: Date: AFT 1861, Colonel, C.S.A Death: Date: ABT 1892. Source: #S4398

Obituary ^[1]
We regret to see in the Virginia papers an announcement of the death of Col. Frank G. Ruffin, state auditor of Virginia. He died on Sunday last, suddenly of apoplexy. Col. Ruffin was born in Woodville, Miss., December 1, 1816. He went to Virginia when young and became a lawer (sic) in Prince William county. In 1884 he was chosen second auditor of the State, and held the position up to his death - Mobile Register.

He died at 12:30 a.m., Sunday [5 Jun 1892], apparently at his home in Richmond, VA. ^[2]

Census

1850, Albemarle Co., VA ^[3]
129, 129, Frank G. Ruffin, 33, M, farmer, VA
C. A. Ruffin, 30, F, VA
J. R. Ruffin, 7, M, VA
Wm. R. Ruffin, 5, M, VA
W. N. Ruffin, 2, M, VA
Geo. W, 8/12, M, VA

1860, Chesterfield Co., VA ^[4]
695, 695, F. G. Ruffin, 43, M, Miss.
E. S. Ruffin, 41, F, VA
J. R. Ruffin, 17, M, VA
W. R. Ruffin, 14, M, VA
W. N. Ruffin, 12, M, VA
G. R. Ruffin, 10, M, VA
F. G. Ruffin, 8, M, VA
E. M. Ruffin, 6, F, VA
Cary Ruffin, 2, M, VA
W. R. Pegram, 16, M, VA

1870, Chesterfield Co., VA ^[5]
229, 259, Ruffin, Francis (I.? J.? G.?), 53, M, W, VA
Ruffin, Ella S., 51, F, W, keeping house, VA
Ruffin, Jefferson R., 28, M, W, farmer
Harvie, Mary M., 55, F, W, at home, VA
[next page]
Harvie, Ann F., 38, F, W, at home, VA
Harvie, Emily, 30, F, W, at home, VA

230, 260, Ruffin, George R., 30 M, W, farmer, VA

1880, Henrico Co., VA ^[6]
(401?), 560, Ruffin, F. G., W, M, 63, Clk in Capitol, VA, [blank], [blank]
Ruffine, Ellen, W, F, 63, wife, keeps house, VA, [blank], [blank]
Harvie, Ann, W, F, 50, sister, at home, VA, [blank], [blank]
Harvie, Emily, W, F, 55, sister, at home, VA, [blank], [blank]
Richardson, (Martha?), M, F, 40, cook, VA, [blank], [blank]

Notes

Note: State Auditor of Virginia, and writer of several letters putting pieces of Ruffin and Roane family genealogy together. In a letter to the Hon. Paul Cameron of Hillsboro, NC, Frank Ruffin describes the characteristics of the Ruffin family (Genealogies of Virginia Families, Vol IV, pp. 340, 341):

"Your request that I will state the characteristics of the family involves me in some difficulty and more delicacy, as the people were of my own blood, and from what I knew of them, somewhat mixed in their characteristics. They have been within my range of observation, pretty thorough-going men, whether their leaning was to business or pleasure; and I have seen a good many instances of these extremes. They were almost universally high spirited, high tempered, quick to take and resent offense, but placable, except when their personal dignity was invaded or even threatened; when, though not relentless, they were unforgiving.

"They have not generally been obtrusive of their opinions, though tenacious of them, and have been too independent and outspoken to make politicians, though they have generally possessed that manliness of bearing and that geniality of manner which have given them the sort of popularity which is based on respect and good will. They have always relished rural pursuits; and my father (who went to Mississippi by the advice of Judge Ruffin, very early in the present century, and landed at Fort Adams with his forty dollars and two shirts in his saddle bags), is the only one of the name I have ever heard of, who had made a fortune by trade. He got out of it as soon as he could and went to planting cotton and raising horses and cattle in Wilkinson county. Further than this I do not know that they have peculiarities which separate them very widely from their fellow citizens."

Sources

1. ↑ The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, MS, Saturday, 18 Jun 1892, p. 2, col. 2. Digital image at Newspapers.com
2. ↑ The News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, Thursday 9 Jun 1892, p. 2, col. 4, quoting The Richmond Dispatch, Richmond, VA, of Wednesday, 8 Jun 1892. Digital image at Newspapers.com
3. ↑ Year: 1850; Census Place: Albemarle, Virginia; Roll: 932; Page: 166a. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Original data: Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
4. ↑ Year: 1860; Census Place: Northem District, Chesterfield, Virginia; Page: 402; Family History Library Film: 805340. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Original data: 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
5. ↑ Year: 1870; Census Place: Manchester, Chesterfield, Virginia; Roll: M593_1640; Page: 365B; Family History Library Film: 553139. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Original data: 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
6. ↑ Year: 1880; Census Place: Richmond, Henrico, Virginia; Roll: 1371; Page: 90A; Enumeration District: 080. Source Information: Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Original data: Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8128661/francis-gildart-ruffin
• Source S4398 . Abbreviation: The Descendants of Robert Ruffin I of Richneck and
• Title: Clopton Family Genealogical Society, The Descendants of Robert Ruffin I of Richneck and HIs Wife Elizabeth Prime, The First Seven Generations. Subsequent Source Citation Format: Clopton Family Genealogical Society, The Descendants of Robert Ruffin I of Richneck and HIs Wife Elizabeth Prime, The First Seven Generations. Repository: #R39 Repository R39 Name: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~clopton/ruffin.htm
• Source S4429 Title: Dr. Reginald B. Henry, VA Genealogies #3, 1600s-1800s, Genealogies of Virginia Families, Volume III, Ruffin Chart (originally published in "Tyler's Genealogical Quarterly" ca. 1941). Subsequent Source Citation Format: Dr. Reginald B. Henry, VA Genealogies #3, 1600s-1800s, Genealogies of Virginia Families, Volume III, Ruffin Chart
• Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1740-1850 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.

Original data: Dodd, Jordan R., et al.. Early American Marriages: Virginia to 1850. Bountiful, UT, USA: Precision Indexing Publishers.