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Baptist Preacher, Planter (farmer), Virginia Militia,
Moved to Surry County in 1794
National Archives (W25, 267, BLWT. 28655-160-55) Served in Revolutionary War.
Pension List 4456 (received pension for services as Va. Militiaman)
Marriage listed in book: Surry County Marriages, Pg.9 and Pg. 11 (LDS Library)

From J.W. Baird's Family Bible & ltr from Sen. P.H. Drewry, dtd: 29 May 1914:

11 Oct 1787...Beverly Booth, "heir at law to Robert Booth, Jr.", received a
	      patent for 105 acres of both sides of Lightwood Swamp,
	      adjoining the lands of Robert Booth, Sr., 11 Oct 1787.
	      Patent # 10, page 659, Va State Archives.

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From Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution by John H. Gwathmey,
Dietz Press, Richmond, Va., 1938, pg.77.  O.U. 973.3455 G99h.

Booth, Beverly, Surry, 82, (Military Pension List-War Dept)
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Approximately 10 miles North of the Lightwood Swamp area in Surry County just across the Blackwater River by the Otterdam Swamp, is where Beverly Booth moved to Surry County in 1794,from Southampton County,  and was followed by his son Robert Boot h, several years later.  Their homes still stand at this location, two of the oldest homes in Surry County.  Beverly first lived in the Goffield House and in 1837 moved into the home that is now known as the Booth House (ltr from Doris Jean).
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His Grandfather, Robert Booth Sr., left him money towards education.
(See Robert Booth, Sr. will)
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Beverly Booth was converted to the Baptist faith on Dec 21, 177_


History of the Virginia Portsmouth Baptist Association, page 235:
This honored and beloved minister of Jesus Christ, who departed this life in 1833 or 1834 was from 1804 (perhaps earlier) to the time of his death, a period of thirty years, the estemmed pastor of the Otter Dams Church in Surry County, Virginia . During that long period he was their representative in the Portsmouth Association in whose labors he stood a somewhat conspicious part.    The association at its session with the Beaver Dam Church in 1834 appointed a committee to prepare a suita ble biographical sketch of Brother Booth for publication. The committee after consultation, offered in lieu of an obituary notice the following preamble and resolution viz:  Whereas God in the wisdom of his own purposes has been pleased to remov e from from the toils of the church below to the enjoyment of the rest that remaineth for his people above, our venerable, long tried, and much esteemed brother, elder BEVERLY BOOTH: We
resolve therefore, that this association entertain and cherish sentiments of profound respect for his memory and that she heartily sympathizes with the church at Otter Dams for the loss she sustains by the removal of a pastor so worthy and so muc h beloved......"

FROM Beale, page 461:
Otter Dams is now under the care of Beverly Booth. He is a preacher of gifts and respectable among his acquaintaince.

NOTE:  This church was located in Prince George County and in 1840 their name was changed to Brandon.  Subsequently in 1853, they changed it again to Cabin Point, the latter name was dropped from the list of the Portsmouth Association in 1868 .  An attempt to revive the old church under the name Otter Dams was made in 1843, but it did not succeed.
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From: Virginia Revolutionary Pension Applications, Volume 8, Pg. 49/50
by Dorman:

24 Sep 1832....Surry County, Va. Beverly Booth of said county, aged 80.

Oct 1776....Entered the Virginia Militia, in Southampton County, in the Regiment of
	         Col. Benjamin Blunt and marched to Norfolk.  Served more than six weeks

Mar 1777....Same unit and marched to Portsmouth. Served eight weeks.

May 1778....Marched under Capt. Lewis to South Quay, in Nansemond  County,  and acted under  the
order of Col. Parker and Gen. Muhlenburg and served more than six 	weeks.

Mar 1779....Marched under Capt. Joyner to the above area again for 6 weeks.

Apr 1780...Marched under the above officer from Simond's old field in Southampton to South  Quay and
served more than 6 weeks.

Mar 1781....Marched under Capt. Kello and Col. Blunt through Isle of  Wight
	        county and joined the army at Tine's. He marched up the James  River and took part in
the battle of Petersburg (April 1781).    Served more than 10 weeks.

Sep 1781....Marched under Capt. Vick to Norfolk and served under Col.
	         Parker and remained in the area until after the surrender of Lord
	         Cornwallis and was soon after discharged. Served seven weeks.

Beverly Booth was placed on the Virginia pension rolls for the above military service, under the Act of 1832, and was paid $40 per annum. Certificate 4456 was issued on 4 Feb 1833.

His widow, Mary Booth, was placed on the Richmond pension rolls at $40 per annum, under the (Act of 1853) was issued June 2, 1854 (Cert, 4456). In addition bounty land (warrant 28655) was issued for 160 acres on June 2, 1856 and was returned becau se she had died.  Duplicate was issued Sep 24, 1859.
Unknown at this time what happened to this land or the duplicate land warrant.
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Married to Mary Cornwall on 4 Feb 1819, in Surry County and surity bond was posted by Jonathan Ellis. The marriage bond (or license) was issued on January 25th, 1819.  Witness's to the marriage were Matthew Booth and Samuel Booth and was marrie d by Jesse Holloman, minister at the Baptist
Church.
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Southampton County Tax Records 1782: Nottoway Parrish: Page: 5
6 slaves, 2 horses, 7 cattle..tax: 3p15s9p.
1783 Taxes, Pg 6: Slavers over 16=1, tot Slaves=6, Horses=2, cattle=7.

1784 taxes: 1 Adult, 2 slaves over 16, 6 tot slaves, 3 horses, 3 cattle.
1785 taxes: 1 adult, 1 slave over 16, 5 tot slaves, 2 horses, 6 cattle. Pg.6
1786 taxes: 1 Adult, 1  "     "    ", 2 tot slaves, 1 horse   Pg. 4
1787 taxes: 1 Adult, 1  "     "     , 1 slave under 16, 1 horse, 6 cattle. p4
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Beverly Booth Will - Surry County Wills - 1833
Wills, Etc. 6, 1830-1834 pg 569-571.

Will made on 30 Jul 1830.  Filed with Surry County Court 23 Dec 1833.

Beverly's tombstone and grave (as of 1914) were in a Booth graveyard, on David Johnson's land, in a stand of trees behind Doris Goodrich's house. He is buried with his wife's family and not in the graveyard on Snow Hill Plantation. Rt.40 to 1s t rd before Doris Jeans & turn right. After curve and a dirt rd on left. Go to tree line on left and wak about 100' turn into tree line and go to 2nd graveyard.  His house is Snow Hill Plantation and is still standing. It is the Old house on Rt . 40 just before Otterdam Road on the left.

Beverly's tombstone is in a Booth graveyard on a David Johnson's place.


Photos available

Information Gathered from the Virginia Baptist Historical Society 4-12-99:

Beverley Booth became a Baptist through the preaching of John Meglamre/McGlamre and was baptized by Meglamre into Raccoon Swamp Church (now Antioch Church), Sussex County. The date of his baptism is uncertain; the church minutes do not specify it , but I am suggesting that it might have
occurred about 1776.

Booth was licensed to preach in 1779.

I am also suggesting that Booth might have been associated with Raccoon Swamp's branch at Seacock in Sussex County and that when Seacock branch was constituted as Seacock Church (now Elam Church) in 1787 he might have continued that association . Why? Because Booth's name is shown as directing Seacock Church in 1789/1790.

I am also suggesting that Booth probably "planted" Otterdam Church (afterwards Brandon Church, and later Cabin Point Church), in Surry County in 1791. He was ordained as a minister in 1791 and served as minister of Otterdam Church from 1791-1833.

You already know that he moved to Surry County in 1794.

Booth also served as minister of Cypress Swamp Church in Surry County in 1818 and from 1824-1825.
From Old Surry, pg. 48, by A.W. Bohannon:  This church sprang from Mill Swamp Church in Isle of Wight County, In 1818, William Spratley, John Spratley, Jess Bennett, John Faulcon, Albridgeton Seward, John Lane and Edward Hasty, of Surry County, me mbers of "Mill Swamp", were authorized by that church to organize a church in this county. The church they organized was known as the Cypress Swamp Baptist Church. Their first pastor was Rev. Beverly Booth in 1818.

He further served as the assistant clerk of Portsmouth Baptist Association.

Please notice that you were correct in pointing out the very old Baptist church near Cabin Point. It was, in fact, the final home of Otterdam Church and became extinct about 1868.


Hi Couisins: I've been arounrd since 1950 doing genealogy on Beverly booth & his line .The first  person to join a hereditary Society on the Rev War service of Reverend Beverly Booth was my son Robert Early Booth.I did the papers for him to joi n The CAR( Children of the American Rev.) John Frederick Dorman was the Registrar. for the CAR. This established the line for the SAR to take aps & later the DAR. My son, Robert is A world class Architech today  & is responsible for the Dominio n Tower at Norfolk,VA.  Rev. Beverly Booth besides his church responsibilities was Sheriff of Surry co. 1814-1815.Robert  Booth his first son was also a preacher.He moved from Surry co. VA in 1813 to Greene co., GA . Elton & Terri on your record s you refer to him  as Robert Booth (V). His first wife was Phebe Johnson  m 22 Oct 1792  d  1807 Surry co. Phebe"s children by Robert (V) were Beverly  c 1800, Permelia(Pamely Ann) c 1803  had Rev Beverly  Booth's Bible, Hiram Booth  c  1805.The y were all born in Surry co.VA.  Robert"s second wife was Rebecca Sheffield  b  5 Mar 1790  m  29 Sep 1810  Surry Cty VA.  Robert's 1st child by Rebecca was Robert Louis Booth usually listed on documents as Robert L. Booth. He was born  7  Jul  18 11 Surry co. VA.They moved to Greene co., GA in 1813. Their next child was Adaline  b  7 Apr  1813 in Greene co. GA, followed by Antinett, c  1817, then Amanda   c 1820, then Mary  c  1823, then  Cynthia  15 Aug 1829. Cynthia was buried in my home town, Longview, TX  on  17 Apr 1912. The Robert L. Booth previously mentioned  became   a Baptist Preacher  like his father &  Grandfather. I  have the the Bible of  Robert L. dated 1842.I also have the Marriage info on the nine children previousl y mentioned by the two wives of Robert Booth (V) This family moved to Lagrange, Troup co., GA in 1831. My proven Booth lines go to two generations past  Rev Beverly Booth  which I proved some years ago when I  visited Va in the late 50"s & earl y 60's.Attention Gene Harris Tell Dr.Harry Snead hello & thanks again for the books he gave me yrs. ago.I have a old picture of Snow Hill before the restoration by Sumpter Priddy. I would like a picture of how snowhill looks now & a closeup of Bev erly's tombstone.I would be glad to pay someone for their help. Their was no tombstone when was there.
Best regards to all, Talmadge Booth, 1703 Wood
Place, Longview, TX 75601-4033


Dear Gene, At the Library of Virginia Monday morning, I verified that BB did, indeed, plant Market Street Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church) in Petersburg in 1817. He was active in the area of that congregation about 1813-1814 before it wa s officially constituted in 1817.

The other part of my research did not fare as well. There was a large, influential Cocke family in the17th, 18th and 19th centuries in Surry County and vicinity, but I could not find an Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel, who might have married BB . I won't give up, however. The Virginia Historical Society has a comprehensive card catalog index and I'll try there Thursday afternoon and report back.

Best, Bill.

My memory may not be so good on the cemetery . Better yet, I will send you a list of all the cemeteries with exact location & people buried their. This list includes Snow Hill.My list shows where Beverly Booth's second wife is buried & I understoo d that he was buried beside her, but there was no stone when I was there.That was why I brought up getting  about a marker. Beverly & the Col, & Snow Hill should have a historical Marker .Probably One about Snow Hill with mention about the others. I believe the sequitennial Surry co. brochure mentioned Bacon's castle,  Warren house, & Snow Hill! I will send copies of what tou asked for by mail.
Best regards, Talmadge

Hi, Gene, Thanks for your E-mail of 7/20/99. My line Beverly, Robert son,
Robert L. Grandson, Willis Early G  Grandson, James Willis GG  Grandson, Me
GGG Grandson.  Yes it is sad about the cemetery condition. If I remember
correctly I thought it was between Snow hill and Oak Grove (where Percy Booth
lived)..I enjoyed Virginia ham with him & his wife having driven up from
Texas. He showed me the cemetery toward Snow Hill. He wrote me later that he
had it cleaned up. Some years go before his death he wrote me to see if I
wanted to buy his place. Back to the cemetery, I think it is wise to check
with your Lawyer. A lot of Booth's in their wills set an area for not to be
sold & to be used for gravesites of relatives. I can't imagine anyone
complaining.  Twenty-five years ago I formed a Non-profit cemetery
association to assist in beautification & repairing broken tombstones from
vandalism & storms.    This cemetery is the oldest one in town. They will mow
it & that's about all.
About Sumpter Priddy- The reason I asked about him. Back in his college days he heard about me some way   & offered to help me in my research, which he did. He drew some plans for renovation of
Snow Hill & sent me a copy. I assumed that it had already been done.  This was in the late 70's.
My wife was ill with cancer & died in 1981. After this my interest in genealogy subsided.  I turned my files over to my brother & but he didn't do much with them.  My brother Edwin died in 1998. After the funeral, visiting at his home I though t to ask about the files. I found his son had already left for Memphis with a truckload.  Several months ago sent me 5 boxes & told me the next time he comes to Longview he will deliver the other 5. Did you know Sumpter Priddy or do you know anyth ing about him now?  He
inherited Snow Hill from his Mother.

Gene, I spent  several hours at the Virginia Baptist Historical Society this afternoon trying to determine if BB had actually "planted" Market Street Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church), Petersburg. I went through everything there. Not al l of it was in agreement, but I think I can now safely report that BB did NOT plant that church. In 1814 - largely at the instigation of Richard Dabbs, who had preached often in Petersburg - the Portsmouth Baptist Association named BB to a committ ee of three men who were
appointed "to collect the subscriptions, to purchase a lot, and to proceed at once to erect a meeting house in Petersburg, under the direction of the association." BB might have been active in the planning of the church, but Dabbs was the drivin g force in establishing the congregation, soliciting the
funds, convincing members of other nearby churches to become members before,  during and after it was constituted in 1817. I could not locate one word to indicate that BB ever preached in Petersburg.

Let me also return to Seacock Church (later Elam Church), in Sussex County. I know and have documented, just as your records indicate, that BB was a resident of Southampton County from 1782-1787. I am reasonably certain that he also lived in South ampton County from 1787 until he moved to Surry County in 1794. I then noticed that he was also a resident of Sussex County in 1787, according to the 1787 state census. How could he have lived in two places at the same time, I asked myself? The n I found the John Asplund book, ANNUAL  REGISTER OF THE BAPTIST DENOMINATION IN NORTH AMERICA TO THE FIRST OF NOVEMBER 1790, published in 1791. It is Asplund who discovered that BB was associated with Seacock Church in 1789 when he made the round s of every Baptist church in North America. I think BB was probably staying with a friend or a member of Seacock Church when he preached there, but I also believe that, at the same time, he maintained his real residence in
Southampton County [until 1794]. I wanted to clarify this point, and to suggest it as a possibility/probability in the absence of any documentaion (Seacock's early records have long since disappeared).

Bill.


Gene, I read your letter from Bill forwarded to me.  In a previous e-mail someone stated that BB planted the church at blank (don't remember).  I responded by picking up on the word "planted" in mentioning BB & the Market Street Baptist Churc h in Petersburg.  It all depends on what the definition of plant or planted is.  I was in the insurance business for 45 years before I retired in 1994.  We had a different definition for these words.  To establish or found is another.  Maybe Rev . Dabbs was planted as the new
Preacher after the committee completed its task.

The minutes of the Virginia Portsmith Baptist Association in its meeting held at the Otterdam Meeting House in May 1810 stated that BB, Robert Murrell, and Carr Bowers were appointed to transact all matters to effect the building of a Baptist Meet ing house in the town of Petersburg.  In 1815 BB was listed as an original trustee.  We believe this to be the founding of Baptist Church in Petersburg.  It would be hard for me to believe that BB didn't preach there, at least as a guest.

When I visited I was amazed at how close Surry, Sussex & Southampton were.  On a visit to a Booth home I remember that Surry Co. was just a stone's throw from Sussex.  I never meant to imply that BB was the preacher at Petersburg.  Dr. F. W.  Moor e, in a sermon on the Baptist Church in Petersburg, gave an interesting account of his (BB's) activities.  Moor's Swamp Baptist, first known as Cypress Swamp Baptist Church, had as its first Pastor the Rev. BB in 1818.  They still had service s in 1973.  The late Congressman Patrick Henry Drewry in 1914 states that "Beverly Booth founded the Baptist Church in or
near Petersburg."

I concur completely with Bill on the last portion to the end beginning with "Let me return toSeacock."  I certainly believe Rev. Dabbs deserves his due.  The VPBA is appears to me almost gave the committee Carte Blanc authority to build the churc h and they did their job.

I sent by mail the items you requested except Bible pages.  I'm trying to figure out how to shoot copies of the pages.  I'll send later.

The copies about Snowhill were copies I think Sumpter prepared for Preservation Commission.  I believe maybe he was trying to get funded by the Commission.  I don't know this for a fact.

I sent a letter written to me by a relative of yours.

Best regards,
Talmadge



John Asplund made an error in his register 1 Nov 1790 that Seacock was in Sussex co.I have an early map that clearly shows it in Southampton co. We may never know the full truth,  because of records destroyed in two wars. we do know that the PB A  was in  charge. They charged the committee to raise
funds for,   a meeting house in Petersburg, buy a lot and built it. They did same.  Richard Dabbs evidently was in Petersburg &  assume he did everything stated. I would say thats the reason he was installed the preacher. He carried the ball & mad e a tremendous success building a great church . In writing about the start the of the  chuch , the PBA,BB committee, & Dabbs all must be considered with the latter getting.  BB lived a long time well beyond his  con.temporaries. He died in 183 3 an old man. A committee was appointed to write a biographical history . It was not done as you know.
Best regards, Talmadge

Information received from copy of the Booth Family Bible states that Beverly Booth moved from Southhampton County to Surry County on 4 Jan 1797.  It also says that Beverly Booth moved to James Rae's place on 4 Nov 1806.  It also says that his so n Robert arrived at Beverly's house on 6 Feb 1818 and returned to Georgia on 20 Feb 1818. Beverly says that his wife died on 15 Feb, so that means that their son Robert came home from Georgia to be with his mother before she died.

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