Minerva Ruffin (Edwards) Beck (1809 - 1880)

Born 14 Oct 1809 in Amherst County, Virginia, USA

Ancestors

Wife of James Clark Beck — married 10 Feb 1829 in Amherst County, Virginia, USA

Descendants

Died 28 Nov 1880 at age 71 in Lynchburg, Campbell, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Minerva was born on 14 October 1809 in Amherst County, Virginia, USA. She was the daughter of Thomas Edwards and Nancy (Hutcheson) Edwards.

James C Beck married Minerva R. Edwards on 9 February 1829 in Amherst, Virginia, United States. Thomas Edwards gave consent as the father of Minerva.^[1]

"Married - On Tuesday, Feb 10 at Dr. Gustavus A. Edwards by Rev. William A. Smith, James C. Beck to Miss Minerva R. A. Edwards, both of Amherst Co., VA" ^[2][3]

Census

1830 Census^[6]
Amherst, Virginia

1840 Census ^[7]
Amherst County, Virginia

1850 Census ^[8]
Campbell, Virginia

Minerva was buried on 28 November 1880 in Spring Hill Cemetery, Lynchburg, Campbell, Virginia^[12]

Note:

Cemetery records show that Minerva Ruffin Edwards Beck was buried on the Beck Family plot.  Her sister, Caroline Edwards,  is also buried on the this plot.

There is no marker for Minerva Beck,  her husband, James C. Beck, or her sister, Caroline Edwards.   Mrs. Jas. C. Beck  (Minerva Edwards Beck)   is buried in Lot No. 110  - Section V.  Grave No. 4.

Obituary: 29 November 1880 in Lynchburg, Campbell, Virginia, United States.^[13]
FUNERAL NOTICE
The funeral services of Mrs. JAMES C. BECK will
take place from Court Street M. E. Church this (Sunday)
afternoon at 3 o'clock.
Friends of the family invited to attend.

Obituary: 30 November 1880 in Lynchburg, Campbell, Virginia, United States.^[14] Lynchburg Daily News, 30 Nov 1880, p.3. col.1.
Funeral of Mrs.James C. Beck. The
funeral of this estimable lady took place from
Court Street M. E. Church on Sunday afternoon.
Owing to repairs now in progress on the organ-loft,
the services, conducted by Rev. A. C. Bledsoe, had
to be held in the lecture room. There was a large
attendance of friends, and the preacher paid a
beautiful tributed to the pure, gentle character of
the deceased Christian. The remains were interred
Spring Hill cemetery.

Obituary: 30 November 1880 in Lynchburg, Campbell, Virginia, United States. Funeral Notice^[15]

Chancery Court - Estate of Thomas Edwards

Thomas Edwards died intestate and his estate was the subject of two separate Chancery Court Cases in Amherst, Virginia. The first was filed by Elizabeth Edwards as the widow of Thomas Edwards against the administrator of the Thomas Edwards estate - Gustavus A. Edwards.
The second case was filed by Gustavus A. Edwards against the other heirs of Thomas Edwards.^[16] That case is:

Gustavus A. Edwards versus
William Jones and Lucy his wife
John M. Edwards
James B. Edwards
William W. Edwards, James B. Edwards, Martha Edwards and Mary Edwards (the last four children and heirs at law of Vincent Edwards deceased)
the children of Elizabeth Walker deceased formerly Elizabeth Edwards
Elizabeth Ann Fretwell an infant under the age of twenty one years by James Fretwell her guardian
Caroline J. Edwards
James Beck & Minerva his wife
Nancy Edwards a person of unsound mind

Journal of Thomas Edwards

Thomas Edwards kept a journal in which he recorded gift of property made to his children. This journal is one of the exhibits in the Chancery court case of Gustavus Edwards versus Jones et al (This is the court case in which Gustavus sued the rest of the heirs to Thomas Edwards claiming he had a deal with Thomas Edwards to inherit the land.)^[17]
Place: Amherst, Virginia

1802-To Lucy Jones - when you married W. Jones

1 Negro girl named Lealy when you married W. Jones - $400
1 Gray Mare - $100
1 Featherbed and furniture - $40
1 Cow - $15

1805 To John M. Edwards - when you left me

1 Negro girl named Fellis when you left me - $400
1 Sorril Horse - $100

1805 - To Dr. William Edwards - when you became of age

1 Negro named Stephany(?) when you became of age - $400
1 Horse - $100

1807 - To James B. Edwards - when you left me

1 Sorrel Horse when you left me - $100

1812 - To Vincent A. Edwards - when you went to S Carolina

1 Negro Named George when you went to S Carolina - $400 / one horse - $100

1812 - To Elizabeth Walker - when you married James S. Walker

1 Negro Girl Named Jude when you married James S. Walker
$400
1 featherbed and furniture - $40
1 Sorril mare - $100
1 Milk cow - $15

1816 - To Gustavus A. Edwards

1 Horse: bay- $100

1819 - To Barnett Edwards - when you left me

1 Negro Named Parkes when you left me - $400
1 Sorrel Horse - $100
1 featherbed and furniture - $40
300# Pork when you left me - $15

1829 - To Caroline J. Edwards

one horse given to you - $100

1832 - To Minerva R. Beck

One Negro Boy Stephen given to you - $400

Letters/Bible Records from Edwards Heirs

The Edwards Heirs was an organization of Edwards who all tried to prove descendancy from the Robert Edwards who held the land where Trinity Church in New York is now located. Many families sent copies of letters and bible records to support their claim. There were three separate published claims from the family of Thomas Edwards.

Published in Volume 1, #10 issue (October 1925) as sent by Nola P. Cooke^[18]

......Thomas Edwards was the son of Joseph Edwards, and Thomas Edwards settled and married three times in Amherst County, Virginia, eight miles from the city of Lynchburg, Va., and raised six sons and six daughters, of whom all are dead but two, Caroline and Minerva.
The sons of Thomas Edwards were:
Dr. William Edwards, who died without issue
John M. Edwards, married Mary S. Rucker, of whom Elizabeth Burnet is a granddaughter.
James B. Edwards went to St. Louis, from where we had no tidings.
Barnette Edwards died without issue.
Dr. Vincent A. Edwards died in South Carolina leaving four children, one of whom is James B. Edwards, of Lynchburg (now deceased).
Dr. Gustavus A. Edwards resided in Lynchburg, Va., and died in 1865, leaving four boys and four girls, all of who lived in Lynchburg, Va., except John Edwards, who lived in Tennessee, now dead, and his brother Joseph Edwards, who died in St. Louis.
The names of the daughters of Thomas Edwards are:
Lucy, who married a Jones and moved to Ohio;
Rhodea married and lived in Lynchburg, Va., and died leaving one daughter.
Caroline married and lived in Lynchburg;
Elizabeth married James Smith Walker, died and left eight living children. James B. Edwards married one of them, Elizabeth, her daughter. Vincent Barnette Walker is a son of Elizabeth and James Smith Walker, and married Louisa J. Kendall, of Paris, Tenn.

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage: "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940"
   Citing FHL microfilm: 30273;
   FamilySearch (accessed 25 January 2022)
   James C Beck marriage to Minerva R. Edwards on 9 Feb 1829 in Amherst, Virginia, United States.
2. ↑ Lynchburg Virginian (Lynchburg, VA), 19 February 1829, P3-Col 5
3. ↑ Baber, Lucy Harrison Miller, Louise A. Blunt, and Marion Armistead Lewis Collins. 1980. Marriages and deaths from Lynchburg, Virginia newspapers, 1794-1836. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co.
4. ↑ 1810 Census: "United States Census, 1810"
   Citing p. 279, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 66; FHL microfilm 181,426.
   FamilySearch (accessed 20 March 2022)
   FamilySearch Image Image number 00297
5. ↑ 1820 Census: "United States Census, 1820"
   Citing p. , NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm .
   FamilySearch (accessed 20 March 2022)
   FamilySearch Image Image number 00037
6. ↑ 1830 Census: "United States Census, 1830"
   Citing 504, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 194; FHL microfilm 29,673.
   FamilySearch (accessed 25 January 2022)
   FamilySearch Image Image number 01015
   James C Beek in Amherst, Virginia, United States.
7. ↑ 1840 Census: "United States Census, 1840"
   Citing p. 220, NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm .
   FamilySearch (accessed 25 January 2022)
   FamilySearch Image Image number 00447
   James Beck in Amherst, Virginia, United States.
8. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census, 1850"
   Citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
   FamilySearch (accessed 25 January 2022)
   FamilySearch Image Image number 00300
   James C Beck (50) in Campbell, Virginia, United States.
9. ↑ 1860 Census: "United States Census, 1860"
   Citing Page: 9; Affiliate Publication Number: M653; Affiliate Film Number: 1338; FHL microfilm: 805338; Record number: 17147;
   FamilySearch (accessed 25 January 2022)
   FamilySearch Image Image number 00450
   James C Beck (59) in Western District, Campbell, Virginia, United States. Born in Virginia.
10. ↑ 1870 Census: "United States Census, 1870"
    Citing Page: 51; Affiliate Publication Number: M593; Line: 29; FHL microfilm: 000553137; Record number: 2034;
    FamilySearch (accessed 25 January 2022)
    FamilySearch Image Image number 00056
    James C Beck (67) head of household in Brookville Magisterial District, Campbell, Virginia.
11. ↑ 1880 Census: "United States Census, 1880"
    Citing enumeration district ED 50, sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
    FamilySearch (accessed 25 January 2022)
    FamilySearch Image Image number 00017
    James C Beck (79), married head of household in Lynchburg, Campbell, Virginia, United States. Born in Virginia, United States.
12. ↑ Burial: "Virginia, Lynchburg, Diuguid Funeral Home records, 1820-1971"
    Citing Death, Lynchburg City, Virginia, United States, Southern Memorial Association, Lynchburg, Virginia.
    FamilySearch Record: QPHG-LP5L (accessed 13 May 2022)
    FamilySearch Image: 33S7-95X7-9JL2 Image number 00018
13. ↑ Obituary: Abbreviation: Lynchburg Daily Virginian Title: Lynchburg Daily Virginian Publication: Location: Lynchburg, VA. Citing: Page: Page 3, Column 2
14. ↑ Obituary: Abbreviation: Lynchburg Daily News Title:  Lynchburg Daily News Author: Virginia. Citing: Page: 30 Nov 1880, p. 3, col. 1. Quality or Certainty of Data: 3 (accessed 28 May 2021)
15. ↑ Obituary: Abbreviation: Lynchburg Daily Virginian Title: Lynchburg Daily Virginian Publication: Location: Lynchburg, VA. Citing: Page: Page 3, Column 1
16. ↑ Amherst County (Va.) Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery Records, Edwards v. Jones et.al., File Box 22
17. ↑ Amherst County (Va.) Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery Records, Edwards v. Jones et.al., File Box 22
18. ↑ Leonard, F. Elwood. 1982. Edwards heirs. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah.

See also: