Sarah Jane Bryan Arthur

(Sallie)

 

                        1843

                        193?
 
Lee Arthur

 

Jan.   13, 1839

Sept. 29, 1918

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        Children

 

            Annie Arthur   Hubby Arthur  Robbie Arthur Sam Arthur      Willie Thomas Arthur

 

 

Lee Arthur was born in Campbell County, Virginia, on January 13, 1839, the son of John B. and Lucinda Arthur. Lee Arthur had at least one brother John W. Arthur. Both were enlisted in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Lee Arthur enlisted in Campbell County, Virginia on April 4, 1862. Enlistment records describe him as having a fair complexion, light hair, gray eyes, and being five feet and eight inches tall. He enlisted at the rank of Private in Captain Patterson’s Co. Virginia Heavy Artillery, Campbell Battery. This unit disbanded in 1862 and Lee Arthur was assigned to the 18th Battery, Virginia Heavy Artillery. Lee Arthur participated in the Confederate retreat from Petersburg to Appomattox in April of 1865. As a member of Robert E. Lee’s rear guard he fought on April 6, 1865 in the Battle of Saylor’s Creek, Amelia County, the last major battle of the War. Most of the Confederate rear guard was killed or captured that day. Lee Arthur was among the captured, surrendering at Burke’s Farm. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. Lee Arthur was released from being a prisoner of war after signing an oath of allegiance to the United States Government on July 1, 1865 at Newport News, Virginia.

 

On December the 12, 1866 as a resident of Halifax County, Virginia, Lee Arthur obtained a License  in Campbell County to marry Sarah Jane Bryan a resident of Campbell County, Virginia. On December 13, 1866 they were married at the home of Andrew Bryan, father of the bride, with the ceremony performed by William Craft. Sarah Jane Bryan was born in 1843 the daughter of Andrew Bryan and Mary J. Coffee. Andrew Bryan and Mary J. Coffee were married in Bedford County, Virginia  on June 8, 1842. Mary J. Coffee was the daughter of Joshua A. Coffee. Sarah Jane Bryan had at least four siblings: William T. Bryan, Ann F. Bryan, Mary E. Bryan, and James D. Bryan.

 

Lee and Sarah J. Bryan Arthur had at least five children: Annie, Hubby, Robbie, Sam, and Willie. Annie Arthur was Born in September of 1867: Willie Thomas Arthur was born on February 27, 1869.

 

http://www.edavidarthur.net/LeeArthur.html

 

According to a recorded deed in Halifax County on March 1, 1884, Lee Arthur purchased 80 acres of land from Davis and Malvina Pigg for the sum of $600. This property is on the North side of the Banister River. This property is accessed from VA State Route 774 aka Peaks Trail.

 
 
 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In March of 1949, the Arthur Estate sold this property to Burruss Timber Products, reserving The Arthur Family Cemetery on this property with the following text recorded in the deed of sale: However, there is hereby, expressly excepted and reserved from this conveyance the Arthur family cemetery, approximately one half (1/2) acre, along with the right of ingress and egress thereto and therefrom.

 

Lee Arthur lived the rest of his life on this property. His wife Sarah Jane Bryan Arthur, lived the rest of her life on this property. The property remained in the family estate until the death of Hubby Arthur who also lived all of his adult life on this property. These three are buried at the Cemetery on the property along with Robert Arthur, Annie Arthur Mullins and her husband W.T. Mullins, and unknown others.

 

Willie Thomas Arthur married Anselona (pron. An’ – se – lon’ – a) Deborah (pron. De’ – bor- ah) Wade on December the 15, 1896. The marriage was performed in Halifax County by J.H. Bass. Marriage records show that Anselona D. Wade was the daughter of William Wade and Ziporah A. Hunt Wade.

 

Willie Thomas Arthur and Anselona (Annie) D. Wade Arthur lived in Halifax County on the Guthrie Farm for some years before buying a farm in Lunenburg County in late 1914 or early 1915. They had nine children: John Flourny Arthur, Ruben Henry Arthur, Elsie Lorrene Arthur Tomlinson, Edgar Wilson Arthur, Durell Arthur, Stephen Lee Arthur, Ethel Mae Arthur Williams, Irene Della Arthur Moore Byrd, and Annie Maude Arthur Hankins.

 

Recorded from conversations with Durell Arthur 1983: The only time I remember seeing my grandpa Arthur, he came walking to our house at Victoria. Me and Edgar and Stephen were getting up leaves to put in the stable when he came walking down the road to the house. We didn’t know who he was and he told us he was our grandpa. He had been to the reunion of Confederate War Veterans in Richmond and on his way home had gotten off the train in Victoria and stopped by to see Pa . (Durell was only 6 years old when Lee Arthur died)

 

I knew my grandma Arthur well. After I could drive we had a T Model and went to see her. They’s all buried at the home place on the Banister River. That picture taken of her with the dog in her lap, I was there when it was taken by one of the Mullins. The first telephone I ever saw was at her house. Before they even had electricity. That was just a small place. Hubby stayed there until he won’t able to stay by hisself and they put him in a home in South Boston. Them folks said they couldn’t handle him and he was sent to Williamsburg and in less than three months he was dead. They had to get a bulldozer to fix the road so as they could get his body to the graveyard.

 

I was pallbearer at my Grandma Arthur’s funeral. We had two sets of bearers then and took turns toting the casket from the house to the cemetery. We didn’t have no hearse. Pa after he was married lived on the Guthrie place until we moved to Lunenburg.

 

I remember my other Grandma Zip too. She used to come and stay with us for weeks at a time.

 

Papa borrowed money from the Federal Land Bank during that Hoover Depression and would have lost his farm if it hadn’t been for his Mama giving him money to pay on it. She had a pension for widows of confederate veterans. It was just a little, less than twenty-five dollars a year.

 

Robbie Arthur had a son he named Lee. Annie married a Mullins and had a daughter named Mammie.

 

 

 

 

 

Recorded from conversations with Elsie Arthur Tomlinson 1983:   When we moved to Lunenburg I was 12 years old. (1914-1915) The first house we lived in was on this side of the creek. (South side of Hounds Creek) I own that land now. It was just a square house and another kitchen off from it with a flat rock for a step. That kitchen had a big old fireplace in it and that’s where I used to do the washing after Pa built a shed kitchen on the other house. After we moved across the creek Pa tore that shedroom down and used the lumber to build a strip room.  (a place for preparing tobacco for sale)  There was a ford across that creek and cars used to go through there. One day while I was milking, Dr. Kindig came right through the field on his car, not even in any road, I reckon he was taking a shortcut to that ford. After me and Haney was married, we still got our mail over there on the Poorhouse Road. That first house we lived in had Walnut Trees around it and a cemetery where Hardys was buried. I remember them burying one there after Pa bought that place.

 

 

Anselona Deborah Wade Arthur born August 4, 1878, died January 2, 1935, buried Clover Bottom Baptist Church on VA Route 40 Halifax County.

 

Willie Thomas Arthur born February 27, 1869, died October 26, 1966, buried Clover Bottom Baptist Church on VA Route 40 Halifax County.

 

                          Halifax County, Virginia                                           Lunenburg County, Virginia