The Childs Family
The Childs family[444] was a neighbor to the Martins and two of their children married two Martin children. Two Childs brothers and three Martin Brothers were in the Black Horse Cavalry. The Childs family home was named “Ajax.”
William H. Childs
“William H. Childs was born ca. 1785 [April 23, 1783] and died in Fauquier County in 1859 [February 19, 1859.[445]] He married Nancy Ann Lewis December 30, 1808.[446] She was born ca. 1794 [September 6, 1795[447]] and died March 1, 1869. Her parents were William Lewis and Ann Montgomery. In 1837 William Childs moved to Fauquier County (possibly from Prince William County, since his wife had family there.) to a farm owned by John Strother, father of Alpheus J. Strother (husband of William Childs’ daughter Ann.)”[448]
The obituary of Nancy Ann Lewis Childs reads as follows: [source?
Rosser?]
Died on the first day of March 1869 at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Mildred Strother, near Markham in the county of Fauquier after a short illness, Mrs. Ann Childs, in the 73rd year of her age. She was the respected widow of the late William H. Childs. Many years before death laid its hands upon this estimable lady, she became a pious member of _______Church of Christ in the Baptist _. And to this vocation she was, indeed _____ _____ _____ which _____ the Christian ____ _____ ____ social duty. Bland ____ ____ in temper, warm, cordial and sincere with her affections, with a discriminating and intelligent benevolence ____ the esteem and universal love while living of those to whom she was known. has left a memory deeply cherished in the reverence and love of her kindred neighbors and friends. The writer of this notice was intimately acquainted with the deceased, and during her life, has often heard her say she was ready and willing to go at any moment it might please God to call her. In the death of this highly esteemed and universally beloved Christian lady was associated that firmness and resignation which are the pledge and witness for those blessings beyond the grave where the weary are forever at rest.
William H. Childs and Nancy Ann Lewis had nine children:
1 William L. Childs. He was a member of the Virginia legislature and had a romance with his sister-in-law, Mildred Lee Martin.
2 Sarah. She married May 17, 1851, William H. Lake, son of Ludwell Lake and Agne Martin.
3 Mary Virginia. She married Robert E. Martin, December 14, 1869. She died February 4, 1912. See details in Chapter 2 on Robert E. Martin.
4 Catherine Mildred. She was born February 22, 1817. Married June 11,
1845, James Strother. Died February 14, 1904. Their son was George Thomas Strother. George’s obituary reads:
Mr. George Thomas Strother, a prominent farmer and cattle dealer, died Friday morning at his home “Elmore”, near Markham, after a week’s illness. The funeral took place Sunday afternoon at Leeds Church. Mr. Strother was one of Fauquier’s most outstanding citizens and will be greatly missed by his large circle of relatives and friends. Mr. Strother was a native of upper Fauquier and was seventy-eight years old, a son of the late James Strother and Mrs. Mildred Childs Strother. In 1888 he married Miss Lou Bayly also of this county, who survives him with two sons, Charles E. Strother of Deleplane, and Dr. G. Thomas Strother, Brunswick, Md., and three daughters, Mrs. S.H. Eldson, Mrs. Thomas Foster and Mrs. Temple Berry, all of this county.[449]
Rebecca I. Living with her brother in the 1880 census.
Susan. She married Moses Johnson.
Ann M. She married 1st Alpheus Jackson Strother, April 14, 1840. [He was
the son of John Strother and was a merchant in Salem (now Marshall). He
is buried on John Strother’s farm near Marshall.][450] She married 2nd
William M. Lynn. Jeffries reported the obituary of their daughter Sallie
Jackson.[451]
Mrs. Sallie Jackson Conway, Mother of Mrs. S. W. Maphis, Passes Away After a Long and Useful Life. At six o’clock, Wednesday morning, July 24th, at the home of her son-in-law, Dr. S. W. Maphis, Mrs. Sallie Jackson Conway passed to her reward. She was born in this county 72 years since. Her parents were Alpheus Strother, of Culpeper county [check against other obit], and Miss Childs, of Ajax, Fauquier. Her life was wholly equal in worth to the substantial Virginian lineage that was her heritage. She was married while yet in her teens to Mr. E. H. Conway, of Stafford County, and was early left a widow with several children. How nobly she met the reverses of life and supported and educated those dependent on her is known to her friends. From childhood to the close of her career her life formed an example worthy to be copied. She early assumed the duties of godliness, and the charity and faithfulness inculcated by the Master found in her exemplification. Lest the too partial esteem of one who knew from childhood her life should make fulsome this notice, we rest with this modest tribute to a noble woman.
Francis A. The eighth child of William H. Childs and Nancy Ann Lewis was
Francis A., born January 22, 1819/1820, in Virginia; enlisted in the Black Horse Cavalry March 15, 1862 at Bealeton; captured May 31, 1862 Hanover C.H.; exchanged August 5, 1862 Athens [Aikens?] Landing; captured December 3, 1862 Warrenton; exchanged March 29, 1863 City Point; present April 1864;
paroled May 5, 1865 Fairfax C.H.; description on parole: grey hair, hazel eyes, dark complexion, height, 5 ft. six.
[Cite ViHi Va. Magazine article 1983, for diary mentioning Mrs. Frank Childs.]
In 1840, he was listed in the Culpeper County census, and in 1850 in the Spottsylvania County census. On September 20, 1853[452], Rev. Daniel Metzer married him and his cousin, Sarah A. Elizabeth Strother. She was born in Fauquier County May 9, 1836, and died in Pike County, Missouri. April 6, 1908. Buried Ashley Cemetery, Ashley, Missouri, daughter of Elijah John Strother and Elvira Elizabeth Obannon.[453]
At age 45, he moved to Pike County, Missouri in 1865 after the war ended. A sketch in a Pike Co. history is as follows:
Mr. Childs was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, on January 22, 1819. He is the eldest son of a large family of children. His early life was spent working on his father’s farm and attending the neighborhood schools. He was married, September 20, 1853, to Sarah Strother, also a native of Virginia. Mr. Childs came to Pike County with his family in 1865 and settled on the farm where he now resides, about two and a half miles from the town of Ashley. The farm contains two hundred acres of valuable land, well improved and with indications of the energy and industry of its owner everywhere displayed. Mr. Childs has a family of seven children who, like himself, are active and energetic, and desirous of doing something for themselves and those dependent upon them. Mr. Childs cannot be classed as an old settler, but has been here long enough to become well acquainted with the people of the country, who hold him in high esteem for his many very excellent qualities.[454]
Francis and Sarah Childs had thirteen [fourteen?] children:
a. William E., born in Virginia September 10, 1854; died in Virginia November 20, 1855 [Fauquier County birth records record: William Elijah Childs, born on 4 September 1854, parents F.A. & Sarah Childs; P. 22, Line30. William E. Childs, died on 26 December, 1855, croup, age of death 1 year & 3 months, parents F.A. & Sarah E. Childs, death reported by his father; Page 32, Line 22. There is a second William E. Childs of the same parents recorded as dying in January 1856, age of death 14 months; Page 29, Line 96.][455] b. James H., born in Virginia February 1856; died in Virginia August 9, 1857. [Fauquier County birth records record: James S. Childs, born on 16 February 1856, parents Francis A. & Sarah Childs. Farmer; Page 46, Line 204. James H. Childs, died in August 1857, diarrhea, age of death 1 year & 6 months, born in Fauquier Co. Va., parents F.A & Sarah A. Childs, death reported by his father; Page 33, Line 22. This James S. must be the same as James H. above.] c. [Fauquier County birth records record: Francis A. Childs, Jr., born on 17 September, 1857, parents Francis A. & Sarah A. Childs, Farmer; Page 54, Line 26. He died on 5 October 1858, age of death 1 year, born in Fauquier Co. VA, parents F.A. & S.E. Childs, death reported by father; Page 37, Line 21. This person seems to be the same dates as George F. below. There is no George F. Childs shown in Fauquier County death records.] d. George F.; born in Virginia September 27; died in Virginia October 1858. e. Robert A.; born in Virginia February 5, 1859; died in Missouri May 26, 1882. f. Ann Elizabeth; born in Virginia January 25, 1861; died in Virginia May 29, 1862. The Childs’ neighbor Margaret Nourse wrote in her diary: “Monday May 26th. Rode over to Mrs. F. C. on hearing Annie has the mumps. Mrs. C. wanted me to give her 2 grs of calomel on Sunday. Thursday, May 29th. Little Annie Childs died this morning of membranous croup. How I wish I had been there again. That poor Mother, this is the 4th child she has lost.” [456] g. Mary Louise; born in Virginia August 31, 1863; married October 18, 1882, David A. Hickman. h. Edward Walton; born July 23, 1865 in Virginia; married August 13, 1887, Quinhtete Hawkins. i. Lillie E.; born November 27, 1866, in Missouri; married. February 2, 1887, in Missouri, Lewis S. Brown; died 1939. j. Rebecca Irine; born October 18, 1868 in Missouri; died October 13, 1869, in Missouri. k. John William; born August 10, 1870 in Missouri; married November 1896, Kate Achman; died October 30, 1932. l. George M.; born March 3, 1872 in Missouri; married October 13, 1913, Grace Griffith; died May 30, 1928. m. Kate Strother; born May 30, 1875 in Missouri; married February 19, 1896 in Missouri, John Albert Palmer; died in Missouri February 28, 1931. n. Ella Frances; born January 19, 1878 in Missouri; married December 6, 1903 John Thomas in Missouri; died June 16, 1957.[457] Frances Childs’ obituary read as follows: Died -At his residence near Ashley, Sept. 6th, 1884, after an illness of only a few days, Capt. Frank A. Childs.[458] How sad to realize the fact that Frank Childs is no more. Cut down as he was when he seemed most fitted for usefulness. It is indeed hard to realize that we are no longer permitted to gaze on the manly form, no more to hear the cheery voice or clasp the willing hands. Capt. Childs was a noble, generous and brave man, was the encomium passed by all who knew him. So respectful and obliging he commanded the admiration of all. As a citizen, he had the confidence of the entire community and as a husband and father, true and loving in every sense of the word. To the sad and lonely widow, doubly so from the fact that only a few years has elapsed since the death of a favorite son, Robert, we extend our heartfelt sympathy. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. R .O. Elmore at the residence at 2 o’clock p.m. Sunday. His remains were interred in the beautiful city of the dead near Ashley, a large number of friends relatives and acquaintances accompanying the cortege.”[459]
James H.
He married Margaret Ann Martin. See details in Margaret Ann Martin Chapter 8.
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