Robert Perdue1

d. 12 October 1880
FatherJames Perdue2
MotherSarah (?)2
Birth Robert Perdue was born in Guilford County, North Carolina.2 
Marriage He married first Dorcus (?).1 
  Robert and Dorcus probably spent the first few years of their married life in North Carolina before settling in Washington Co., Virginia. Their daughter Elizabeth, born about 1821, claimed Guilford County, North Carolina as her place of birth.3 
Cens-18401840  Dorcus died prior to June 1840 as she was not present when Robert's household was enumerated that year. 
Marriageafter Jun 1840 He married second Nancy Hawk, daughter of Andrew Hawk and Mary Myers, after Jun 1840.4 
Cens-185030 Aug 1850  Robert and Nancy were enumerated farming in Washington County in late August 1850. Robert was 49 and owned land worth $500. Nancy was 47. Four Perdue children, presumably from Robert's first marriage, were also part of the household: Minerva (27), Sarah (21), Dorcas (19) and Andrew (14). Also present was 7 year old Wiley Perdue.5 [a grandson?] 
Cens-18601 Jun 1860  Ten years later Robert's entry indicated his land holdings had increased in value to $2,000 and he owned personal property worth $400. Andrew (age 24) was still living at home and Wiley, now 18, was also present. Three other individuals had joined the household: Sarah Piper (29, seamstress), Robert Logan (13) and James Logan (9).6 
  Robert's daughter Sarah Perdue had married James Piper in Oct. 1850. He may have been deceased as she later remarried. Robert and James Logan were Robert Perdue's grandsons, the children of Robert's deceased daughter Elizabeth (Perdue) Logan Litton.7 
Marriage16 Mar 1864 He married third Elizabeth (Kaylor) Gobble on 16 Mar 1864 in Washington County, Virginia.2 
Cens-187019 Sep 1870  The 1870 census clarified that Robert and Elizabeth lived in the North Fork Township area of Washington County. The entry also provided the information that Robert could not read or write. Elizabeth, who was 53, could not write. The other two members of the household, 49 year old Sarah Perdue [was this Sarah Piper who should have been 39?], and 24 year old Robert Logan also could not read or write.8 
  Robert's son Andrew, who married Julia Ann Minnick in 1861, headed the adjacent census household. Andrew had served with Co. I of the 26th Infantry during the Civil War. It also appears that Robert's son William Perdue served with the same unit and died of gunshot wounds in June 1864. William's daughter, Mary Elizabeth Perdue, would later become the second wife of William Leonard Hutton, whose first wife, Dorcus Perdue, was Robert's daughter.9 
Death12 Oct 1880 Robert died on 12 Oct 1880 in Washington County, Virginia.10 

Research Comment:

Robert and Dorcus may also have been the parents of Ann Perdue who married John F. Roberts about 1837. If so she would have been the couple's eldest child as Ann was born in 1819. However, Ann's census entries all indicate she was born in Virginia whereas Robert and Dorcus's daughter Elizabeth, born in 1821, reported a North Carolina place of birth on her marriage record. Robert and Dorcus' 1830 census enumeration indicates a female child born 1816-1820 who is otherwise not accounted for. The child is missing from the 1840 enumeration. Ann Perdue married John Roberts about 1837.

John and Ann (Perdue) Roberts provided a home for John Logan and Dorcas Ann Logan following the death of their mother (and Ann's possible sister) Elizabeth (Perdue) Logan Litton in the late 1850s. Ann also named children Dorcus and Robert, the names of her possible parents. However, when Ann died, the information offered by Ad Roberts (probably her grandson John Adam Roberts, b. 1884) stated that Ann's parents were John Perdue and Sarah Bruer [Brewer?]. Hence I have not linked Ann as a daughter of Robert and Dorcus at this time.

It is also possible Robert and Dorcus had two sons not on the list of children below. Both the 1830 and 1840 census indicate two male children (not later accounted for) born between between 1825-1830. Also unexplained is the 7 year old Wiley W. Perdue in Robert's 1850 household. Some Ancestry trees list the younger Wiley as a son of Robert and Nancy Hawk, however that seems unlikely given that Robert already had a son Wiley.11,12

Related Links and Images:

The 1850 Washington Co., Virginia census listed Robert as the head of household number 809. Follow the link to see who lived nearby.

Family

Dorcus (?) d. bef 1 Jun 1840
Children
  • Elizabeth Perdue+3 (circa 1821 - 12 Oct 1858)
  • Temperance Minerva Perdue5 (circa 1823 - )
  • Wiley William Perdue13 (1825 - 7 Jun 1864)
  • Sarah Perdue5,14 (circa 1829 - )
  • Dorcus Perdue+1 (1 Jul 1832 - 28 Jun 1875)
  • Andrew Gibson Perdue15 (circa 1836 - )
Last Edited20 Dec 2013

Citations

  1. [S6] Thomas Colley, Washington Co. VA Marriages 1853-1880, p. 178. William Leonard Hutton, 23, sgl, b. Smyth Co., VA, resid WCV, farmer, s/o William & Eliza Hutton marr Dorcus Perdue, 27, sgl, b. & resid WCV, d/o Robert & Dorcus Perdue; 9 Dec. 1858.
  2. [S6] Thomas Colley, Washington Co. VA Marriages 1853-1880, p. 279. Robert Perdue, 62, wid, b. Gilford Co., NC, resid WCV, farmer, s/o James & Sarah Perdue AND Elizabeth Gobble, 47, wid, b. WCV, d/o John & Mary Kaylor; 16 Mar 1864.
  3. [S6] Thomas Colley, Washington Co. VA Marriages 1853-1880, p. 212. Harvey Litten [Litton], 37y 5m 9d, wid, b. Russell Co., VA; resid WCV, farmer, son of James & Rebecca Litten marr Elizabeth Logan, 34y 10m 17d, wid, b. Guildford Co., NC, resid WCV, d/o Robert & Dorcas Perdues; 29 Nov. 1855.
  4. [S1028] Frederick C. Pierce, Memorial of the Life and Character of Robert M.A. Hawk, p. 8.
  5. [S367] Robert Perdew household, 1850 U.S. Census, Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., 67th District, p. 121 stamped, dwelling 809, family 809, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2013. Household includes: Robert Perdew, 49, farmer, owns land worth $500, b. NC; Nancy, 47, b. NC [indicated by ditto marks below Robert's name]; Minerva, 27; Sarah, 21; Dorcas, 19; Andrew, 14; Wiley, 7; all b. VA.
  6. [S234] Robert Perdue household, 1860 U.S. cens, Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., Western District, p. 2 (original script), dwelling 13, family 13, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2013. Household includes: Robert Perdue, 59, farmer, owns land worth $2,000 and pers. prop. of $400, b. NC; Nancy, 57; Andrew, 24, laborer, owns pers. prop of $100; Wiley, 18; Sarah Piper, 29 seamstress, owns pers. prop. of $150; Robert Logan, 13; James Logan, 9; all b. VA.
  7. [S4] D.E. Brown, Marriages of Washington Co., VA 1781-1853, p. 49. James H. Piper and Sallie Perdue; 8 Oct. 1850.
  8. [S635] Robert Perdue household, 1870 U.S. cens, Washington Co., Virginia, pop. sched., North Fork District, p. 175 (stamped), dwelling 258, family 259, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2013. Household includes: Robert Perdue, 69, farmer, owns land worth $1,500, pers, prop. of $300, b. NC, cannot read or write; Elizabeth, 53, cannot write; Sarah, 49, cannot read or write; Robert Logan, 24, laborer, cannot read or write; all others b. VA.
  9. [S635] Andrew J. Perdue household, 1870 U.S. cens, Washington Co., Virginia, pop. sched., North Fork District, p. 175 (stamped), dwelling 260, family 261, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2013. Household includes: Andrew J. Perdue, 38, owns pers prop of $200; Julia A., 28; Florence, 6; Mary E., 5; Sarah L., 3; John R., 3/12, b. Feb.; all b. VA.
  10. [S1768] Fridley, "Washington Co., VA Deaths 1853-1885" online database, <www.Ancestry.com>, viewed Nov. 2013. Entry for Robert Perdue, d. 12 Oct. 1880, b. Washington Co., VA.
  11. [S578] Robert Perdue household, 1830 U.S. cens., Washington Co., Virginia, p. 50 (original), line 22, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2013.
  12. [S679] Robert Perdue household, 1840 U.S. cens., Washington Co., Virginia, p. 34 (original), line 27, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2013.
  13. [S3291] Libby George research, e-mail address, shared with D. Powell Sept. 2013.
  14. [S6] Thomas Colley, Washington Co. VA Marriages 1853-1880, p. 302-303. Double entry: Henry Roberts, 65, wid, b. Scott Co., VA, resid WCV, farmer, s/o Richard & Elizabeth Roberts ADN Sarah Piper, 47, wid, b. & resid WCV, d/o Robert Perdue. This marriage was entered twice; once under 10 May 1877 and once under 10 May 1878.
  15. [S6] Thomas Colley, Washington Co. VA Marriages 1853-1880, p. 279. Andrew Gibson Perdue, 25, sgl, b. & resid WCV, farmer, s/o Robert and Dorcas Perdue AND Julia Ann Minnick, 23, b. & resid WCV, d/o John & Eve Minnick; 14 Feb. 1861.