Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-16
GENERAL THOMAS SUMTER.
His virginin Ancestry" inc
Name Sumter or sunters


To the Editor OF the Dispatch'
In the issue OF the Dispatch OF sun
day. January 81 1897, appeared the an
nouncement of the death at washington
ID. c., on the 9th instant. OF Mrs. Anna
widow Of Rev. William Meade kendrick'
In the 18th year of her age. The Chris
tian names OF her husband are sug-
gestive, but they may have been con-
ferred in sponsorship or In regard Tor
Bishop Meade, of revered memory In
Paragraph In the same issue OF the DIS
patch, 1t Is stated that Mrs. kendrick
was lineal descendant of Colonel Gene
rap Sumter, Of the Revolutionary war,
ana that she left the following surviving
children: Charles p. and ID. W. Ken
drick, Mrs. l.. w. Snnott. and Miss 5.
'. kendrick. In the issue Of the Dispatch
OF February 7ih appears correc-
ton or the statement in the paragraph
OF the Slst ultimo, signed r. T. b. Duke,
Sunnyside," Albemarle county.
me signature, ] apprehend Is mis-
print. and that the writer is Hon. r. T.
W. Duke. formerly colonel Confederate
States army. and a distinguished ex-
member OF Congress-
ter was born on Freddy creek. Abe
marie county, and that the family moved
TO Georgia some years before the Revolu-
ton. Further. that none Of the males
of the Sumter family remained IN Vir-
ginia. but a daughter only. who married
"A Mr.. Suddarth. and that she died. leaving
issue two sons. Richard and James Sud-
darth, and that Mrs. Kendrick was
probably Il descendant of one OF these.
There are other points Of interest in
volved i'm this family consideration. The
biographical dictionaries. whilst giving
quite full accounts OF the distinguished
and variedly useful career of General
Thomas Sumter whose career as n
statesman was alike brilliant as II was
as a warrior. do not state more definitely
as to his birth than that he was born in
Virginia in 1874.
He died at his residence, South
Mount" near Camden, S. c., June l, 1892
| have been made curious as to the
ancestry Of General Sumter and have
been led to examine the invaluable re-
pository of family history and economic
suggestion. our state record Of land
grants commencing i'm 1920. and which
are unbroken to the present time), as
to the name Sumter. / have failed to
find it all I'm the several series of grant
books but / do find the name Sumter,
and seemingly as representative OF the
Sumter family, Of Albemarle county.
On May 2. 1905 Stephen Sumter was
granted 200 acres Of land on the west side
of the branches of Chickahominy
swamp. I'm ST. Peters parish, New
Kent county. in consideration Of trans
porting four persons into the Colony
Neither of these "land rights" were
named Sumter or Sumter. stephen sun
ter subsequently received patents for
400 400, $40, and 81 acres, located.
usually, in Henrico, New Kent, and
Hanover counties. In the last grant
he is stated to be "of Hanover county
on September 10, 1855. John Sumter was
granted $50 acres Of land in Albemarle,
in consideration Of the payment INTO the
Treasury of the Colony, OF % shlllings.
On March 10, 1876, James Suddeth
was also granted 135 acres in Albemarle
county-the last two, signed by ROBERT
Dinwiddie. 1.ieutenant-Governor
Now the term genealogy has been
applied as to the derivation Of counties
in the state. This may determine the
identity of the Sumter or Sumter family.
The ancestor of Stephen Sumter may
have been seated in Virginia prior to
1905. but the migration Of the family
IN Albemarle IS of natural explanation.
independent Of the proneness to move
westward and to new lands. Hanover
county was formed in 112O from New
Kent county; Goochland, in 1l2l' from
Henrico. and Albemarle, in Ifii from
Goochland county. -. a.,
1t may be that stephen sumter was tn9
cher of General Thomas Sumter ana
tbat lanes Suddeth married daughter
~ s+orhen sumter and a sister of Gene
1lhomas Sumter The records or
cnoobiand and Albemarle counties Will
rrobabIv determine these assumptions.
Unfortunately. the records of New Kent
ga Hanover counties have been de-
stroyeu' r. A. BROCK.
Richmond, Va, February IT, 1871