From: Robert & Mary Tyree, 71151,2020
To: Tyrees
Date: Wed, Nov 6, 1996, 21:36
RE: 1818 Deed
Dear Family,
This is another great historical item which was sent to me by Myron Amick, at Virginia Tech. (His parental home is located near the Old Stone House in Ravens Eye, West Virginia.) Again, unfortunately, the date is not on the photocopy of the newspaper article. Richard F. Tyree is our common ancestor.
As a point of clarification, there is a tombstone for Col. William Tyree located within the Westlake Cemetery in Ansted, West Virginia. Since this cemetery is situated on land donated by Col. William Tyree, it might be rightly referred to as "family burial grounds."
Robert
http://users.aol.com/rtyree/a/Home.html
Miss Violet Forren of East Rainelle has written for information on "an old land deed dated February 18, 1818" which she has in her possession.
According to Miss Forren, the deed was penned by James P. Preston, Esq., governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia to a Richard F. Tyree. The deed outlines a tract of land - 43 acres - in Greenbrier County on the northeast side of New River above Bowyer's Ferry.
"My great, great maternal grandmother continued to run a ferry somewhere along New River for awhile after her husband entered the Revolutionary War. When times became dangerous to her, she made her way to a part of Greenbrier County not many miles west of Lewisburg.
"Being interested ... I have wondered where that ferry was."
Violet, the ferry was at Sewell.
Richard F. Tyree was born in Richmond and came to Greenbrier County about 1800. He started the first house of public accommodation at Lewisburg and operated it until about 1816 when he moved to Fayette County where he bought the land mentioned in the deed.
The land on which Tyree settled was on the Old State Road five miles east of Bowyer's Ferry, the location which later became known as Sewell.
Fayette County was formed in 1831 out of parts of Greenbrier, Nicholas, Logan and Kanawha counties. The part which was taken from Greenbrier County included the 43 acres that Tyree was deeded.
Tyree lived on his 43 acres adjoining the property of Peter Bowyer until about 1826 when he moved to occupy the Old Stone House near Clifftop which he began to build in 1824.
Tyree reared a sizeable family. His wife was the former Miss Sarah Johnson of the Greenbrier country.
He died June 17, 1834 and was buried in the Tyree graveyard on Secondary Route 10, known as the Ravens Eye Road at the foot of Big Sewell Mountain.
His wife died November 6, 1839. This couple had at least nine children. Different sources vary as to the dates of their births and deaths.
Francis Tyree, oldest of their children, "Died June 18, 1868, being 60 years old. Born 1808." The Tyree family Bible records state that Francis Tyree, first surveyor of Fayette County, was born April 12, 1805.
William Tyree, the second son, married Rebecca McClung, August 11, 1836, and died in August, 1877. The family Bible records say he was born Nov. 22, 1807, and that "Colonel William Tyree died July 29, 1883, aged 75 yrs., 8 mo. and 9 days." His remains rest in the family burial grounds. His rank of "Colonel" was a synthetic one that was conferred on him by admiring turnpike travellers.
John Tyree, the third son, was born Oct. 15, 1816. He married Miss Elizabeth McClung on May 19, 1842.
On Oct. 15, 1816, the fourth son, George was born. Rev. Martin T. Bibb married George Tyree to Miss Ella Dickinson of Fayette County Jan. 20, 1848.
Samuel Tyree, the fifth son, was born Sept. 25, 1819. The Tyree Bible lists that Samuel Tyree died in Providence, Rhode Island, August 25, 1907, aged 83 years, 11 months. His wife was the former Miss Henrietta Plumb of Bath County, Va.
Richard F. Tyree's four daughters start off with Mary Jane (Maty) Tyree who married William Feamster of Greenbrier County.
"Maty" Tyree, the Bible says, was born Sept. 25, 1814. Sarah Tyree, the second girl, was born Nov. 28 but the year is not filled out in the family Bible. Her husband was Fielding McClung, a Nicholas County resident.
After Sarah, there came Rebecca who was born Nov. 1, 1820. She married a man from Greenbrier County named Robert Dunlap. The fourth of the quartet of daughters was Martha Tyree. She was born March 2, 1815 and married a Dr. Willis of Greenbrier County. The family Bible states: "Martha C. Wills departed this life March 1, 1899.
The inscription on the tombstone of the oldest of the nine children and his wife, recites: Francis Tyree, died June 18, 1868. Aged 63 years, 2 months and 6 days. Farewell, father, we will ever keep your memory green and will often drop the tear of pure and holy love, on your dreamless sleep, until we meet in heaven. There is no parting there."
One of the children of Francis Tyree who once represented Fayette County - formed 1831 - in the House of Burgesses (delegates) in the General Assembly (legislature) of Virginia, probably wrote the epitaph in a moment of sentiment after Francis Tyree died. Until recently this stone lay where it had fallen many years ago. Some of the inscription has been badly eroded.
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