George Stuart (1789 - 1862)

Born 5 Nov 1789 in Wythe, Virginia, United States

Husband of Jane (Shields) Stuart — married about 1815 in Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died 8 Mar 1862 at age 72 in Cocke, Tennessee, United States

Biography

A resident of Cook [sic] County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14 February 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited valuable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently to Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors; Subsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.

The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870).

In 1850 George Stuart owned slaves. One black male age 50, one black male age 37, one black male age 30, one black male age 40, one black male age 24, one black male age 17, one black male age 14, one black male age 12, one black male age 11, one mulatto male age 8, one black male age 4, one black female age 45, one black female age 47, one black female age 28, one black female age 27, one black female age 25, one black female age 23, one black female age 14, one black female age 12, one mulatto female age 5, 1 mulatto female age 4 and one black female age 1.^[1]

1860 Census, Wythe County, Virginia:

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

George Stuart Male 70 Tennessee

Margaret Stuart Female 64 Virginia

Jane Stuart Female 27 Virginia

James Stuart Male 25 Virginia

William Stuart Male 21 Tennessee

Laura Stuart Female 16 Tennessee

^[2]

In 1860 George owned one female black age 50, one male black age 45, one female black age 40, one female black age 37, one female black age 35, one female black age 33, one female black age 27(Jane (Williams) Paul (abt.1835-)), one male black age 24 (George W Paul (abt.1836-)^[3]), one male black age 22, one male black age 21, one female black age 19, one male black age 18, one female black age 14, one female black age 13, one female black age 12, one male black age 10(George Paul (abt.1850-)), one female black age 9(Amy Paul (abt.1852-)), one male black age 6(Wiley Paul (abt.1854-)), one male black age 5, one male black age 4(Preston Paul (abt.1856-)), one male black age 3, one female black age 2(Margaret Paul (abt.1858-)), and one male black age 1.^[4]

Stuart enjoyed prosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVDW-CX2 : 4 August 2017), George Stuart, Wythe county, Wythe, Virginia, United States; citing line number 30, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 444,983.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHM7-BSF : 13 December 2017), George Stuart, 1860.
3. ↑ Wythe County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons of Wythe County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together as Husband and Wife on 27th February 1866. Local Government Records Collection, Wythe County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
4. ↑ "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W2XR-KV3Z : 16 October 2019), George Stuart, 1860.
5. ↑ "Biographical Historical Information" in "A Guide to the Papers of the Stuart Family 1831-1865," Special Collections, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College. https://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=wcc/viwyc00003.xml

• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHR1-CZ1 : 13 September 2017), George Stuart, Wythe, Virginia, United States; citing p. 80, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 579; FHL microfilm 29,693.

• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPRS-71D7 : 28 September 2018), George Stuart, ; Burial, , Saint Johns Lutheran Church Cemetery (Sauers); citing record ID 191604946, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/191604946