Why not Cornelius???

Elinor Tyree answers this question after Gerald Tyree asks, below.

--------------- Forwarded Message ---------------

From: "Gerald W. Tyree", INTERNET:jerry@lafn.org
To: Robert & Mary Tyree, 71151,2020
Date: Tue, Jan 2, 1996, 18:38

RE: Re: Tyree History

One of the things that has always confused me is that Wm F. Tyree SR. said that the first Tyree he knew about was Cornelius who had a son Richard. In my cousin's book his oldest Tyree is William Tyree who has a son Richard. The Richard they both had had sons of the same name and all were in the same place. Now my cousin is quoting an article called "The Old Lewisburg Academy" saying:

The exact time is not known when the Tyree family came from England to America and settled in Virginia. The date falls within the Colonial period, though, for William Tyree, the immigrant and the grandfather of the subjects of this sketch was a private soldier in the Revolutionary War. His first permanent settlement was made at the close of the Revolution in Charles City county, VA, which gave the Tyree family an establishment on Continental soil coexistent with the birth and formation of the United States of America. He died shortly after in Virgina, leaving a family of four sons.

Richard F., the eldest of these, when quite a young man was sickly disposed, and spent several seasons as a guest at the Old Sweet Springs, in Monore county, which resulted in the perfect restoration of his enfeebled health.

 

Not to quote further but it goes on to say he married Miss Sallie Johnston of Greenbrier. Wm F. Tyree said he married Frances Johnston, so I assume Sallie may have been a nickname for Frances. Both accounts mention "The Long Ordinary". They both also mention the "Old Stone House" which still has a road maker in West Virginia and I visted it two years ago.

Therefore it seems Cornelius or William was the same Richard's father that is our Grandfather so many times removed.

...

I will close for now. Look forward to hearing from you (any of the group).

Gerald Wayne Tyree, son of Harlan Tyree, son of Walter Tyree , son of Fielding Mc. Tyree, son of John Tyree, son of Richard F. Tyree, son of Cornelius or William.

Gerald W. Tyree (Jerry) jerry@lafn.org

--------------- Forwarded Message ---------------

Date: Wed, Jan 3, 1996 18:18 EDT
From: TexasET
Subj: Cornelius Tyree for Jerry Tyree
To: RTyree

William Fenton Tyree became interested in his family's genealogy, revisited his boyhood home, Ansted, W.Va. c. 1917, and questioned the only surviving member of his father's generation, Joseph McClung Tyree, his "Uncle Joe", d. 1920. Uncle Joe gave William the name Cornelius as the family's progenitor. Long ago, we who came after William Fenton Tyree found that "Cornelius" was wrong (we too accept William of Charles City County). But how had the name Cornelius gotten into Uncle Joe's memory bank? Even finding a Cornelius Tyree was difficult.

Finally, a Cornelius Tyree was found on a student list, enrolled at the College of William and Mary under the dates 1837-1838, age 22, home address of New Glasgow, Amherst Co., Va. The search became easier: this Cornelius entered the Baptist Ministry at Lynchburg and was ordained a Baptist Minister at Amwell, Fayette Co., Va. (before the area became W. Va.); he took a D.D. from Columbia in 1869 and left several writings.

Still alert for the name, I found him again one year among the pencilled BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, p. 466, collected by S. Bassett French over a lifetime and now housed in the files of The Virginia State Library in Richmond, Va. In making a copy, I happened to notice that the biography that followed was for a Rev. Woodson Andrew Tyree, b. 1866 Fayette Co. -- our ancestor's name who was b. 1837 Fayette Co.

Our Woodson Andrew Tyree (baptised Andrew Woodson Tyree, buried Woodson Andrew Tyree) dropped out of medical school to fight for the Confederates in the Civil War. After the War he returned to the University of Virginia School of Medicine where his enrollment has noted as occupation, "Baptist Minister". I can only surmise, that at one time our ancestor Woodson Tyree contemplated a career in the ministry, worked with Cornelius toward that end; and Cornelius named his son for his student Woodson Tyree -- a close relationship that snagged in Woodson's brother Joseph's memory.

This Cornelius Tyree is related to the early Tyrees of Amherst County. Perhaps the most active researcher today of these Tyrees is Margaret Tyree Green, Rt. 1, Box 130, Kilmarnock, Va., 22482.

signed Elinor Tyree

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