b. 16 January 1797, d. 20 May 1862
Birth | 16 Jan 1797 | John Maiden was born on 16 Jan 1797 in Rockingham County, Virginia.1 |
Marr Bond | 11 Mar 1817 | He and Susanna Landis were issued a marriage bond on 11 Mar 1817 in Augusta County, Virginia.2 |
Residence | | John and Susanna spent the bulk of their married lives living in Botetourt County, Virginia. Of their 11 children who lived to adulthood (9 sons, 2 daughters), the first few were born in Augusta County but the family appears to have settled in Botetourt County between 1822 and 1824. There John farmed, ran an inn, and was employed as a cooper. However in 1843 the couple moved further south, settling in Washington County on Mobley (later Maiden) Creek.3,4,5 |
Residence | | There the couple built a brick home on a rise at the intersection of present day Shortsville (#703) and Fudge (#741) Roads.6 |
Land | | John purchased several tracts of land when he moved to Washington County. The first parcel, consisting of 108 1/4 acres was purchased from James Fitzpatrick in May 1843 for $100. The second, larger tract, consisted of 3 smaller parcels, totalling a little over 440 acres. It was purchased for $2,300 from Jeremiah Gardner on 18 February, 1847 and included a mill house.7,8 |
Widowed | 28 Mar 1850 | Susanna died just a few years later. |
Cens-1850 | 29 Jul 1850 | The 1850 census enumeration for Washington County recorded John in July of that year. He was farming land which, consistent with what he had paid a few years earlier, was valued at $2,400. John was also providing a home for his younger children who were listed with him as: Henry (20), George (16), Morgan (13) and Noah (6). John's sons Daniel and Samuel were enumerated as the adjacent households.9 |
Cens-1860 | 27 Jun 1860 | Ten years later John's land had increased in value to $11,000. Only sons Lewis [Noah] and George were still enumerated in John's household. However, 6 other sons [all but James] were recorded as the neighboring households. John's daughter Eliza and her second husband John Caldwell also lived nearby.10 |
| | Many of John and Susanna's children continued to farm in the area, enough so that the creek on which they lived became known as Maiden Creek. However not all of John and Susanna's children became farmers; John himself operated a mill in Washington County in addition to farming his land. Two sons became ministers. The three youngest sons attended Emory and Henry College; two going on to become teachers. This belief in the importance of religion and education was passed down to later generations.11 |
Death | 20 May 1862 | John died on 20 May 1862 in Washington County, Virginia, at age 65.12 |
Will-Recd | 26 May 1862 | John's will, written in February 1857, was probated in court on 26 May 1862 . He had instructed that his children were to share his land equally; if that was not possible it was to be sold and the proceeds divided equally. John stated that he owned 5 slaves who were to be divided among his heirs at their value. The will seems to imply that John expected and anticipated that his children would be able to amicably divide his estate. He also left a specific bequest of $500 to his youngest son Noah which was to be invested. The interest created was to fund Noah's education; he would receive the principal when he arrived at legal age. The will named Henry A. Maiden [son] and John L. Caldwell [son-in-law] as executors.13 |
| | John did not live to see the impact of the Civil War on his family; the actions at Harper's Ferry occured just a few days after John's death. One son joined the 4th Virginia Infantry. Four sons joined the 48th Virginia Infantry, as did 3 grandsons, including one who died in prison. The husband of a granddaughter also joined the 48th, and also died in prison. Other family members served in local units. And like so many families, not all members fought for the Confederacy. John's granddaughter Elizabeth and her husband Samuel Brougham settled in East Tennessee, where many families supported the Union. Samuel joined the 2nd Tennessee Infantry, USA and was killed in action. Elizabeth died the following year living a small daughter who was then raised by Elizabeth's parents back in Virginia.14 |
Land-Sell | 17 Feb 1863 | A series of deeds executed in Washington County court in February, 1863 describe the manner in which John's land was divided among his children. At the end of the day various parcels of the original tract belonged to William, John M., Samuel, Morgan, George, Noah and Henry Maiden, and John and Eliza [Maiden] Caldwell.15 |
| | Sarah Finch Maiden Rollins, in her excellent book, The Maiden Family of Virginia and Allied Families, concludes that John and Susanna's brick home sat on Morgan's share of the family land. She notes that in February 1864 Morgan and his wife sold a 6 acre tract that included the house to John and Eliza [Maiden] Caldwell. Mrs. Rollins also notes that eventually the home came into possession of the John Foster family.16 |