Thomas was born on December 27, 1825 in Lovingston, Nelson County, Virginia to John Whitehead and Anna Mahoney. Most information I have found about Thomas has or supports this birth date. I have found a couple of census entries, though, where his birth date is different. In one of his 1900 census entries, his birth month and year is entered as February 1825, instead of December 1825. In the 1880 census, his age given, 52, which calculates to a birth year of 1828.
He was 7 years old when his future wife, Martha Henry Garland, was born on January 11, 1833.
He was admitted to the bar as a lawyer in Amherst County, Virginia in March 1849.
Thomas lived in Amherst County, Virginia with his sister’s, Sarah’s, family on June 1, 1850. Sarah had married Robert M. Brown, who was a lawyer. Thomas and Sarah’s brother, Edgar, was also living with the family. Enumeration day was December 5, 1850. Members of the household included:
·
Robert M. Brown (36 years old, Lawyer, real
estate $2000, born in VA)
·
Sarah A. [Whitehead] Brown (27 years old, born
in VA)
·
Thos [Thomas] Whitehead (24 years old,
Lawyer, born in VA)
·
Edgar Whitehead (22 years old, Deputy Sheriff,
born in VA)
·
John W. Brown (6 years old, born in VA, attended
school)
·
Robert Brown (4 years old, born in VA)
·
Thos A. Brown (1 year old, born in VA)
Thomas Whitehead Sr. and his first wife, Mary Kincaid Irving, were married sometime before 1853. This first marriage lasted less than a year and there were no children. I have estimated this marriage occurred sometime before 1853 based on Thomas being single in 1850 and widowed when he married Martha Henry Garland in 1854, and one of his obituaries stating he and Mary were only married a year before she died.
Thomas Whitehead Sr. and Martha Henry Garland were
married on June 15, 1854 in Amherst County, Virginia. As mentioned previously, Thomas
was widowed at the time of this marriage to Martha. He was 28 years old.
Thomas was 30 years old when his mother, Anna Mahoney, passed away on December 17, 1856.
He was 31 years old when his father, John Whitehead, passed away on April 25, 1857.
Thomas and Martha lived in Amherst County, Virginia with their family and some of the Brown children (Thomas’ nephews) that he was guardian for on June 1, 1860. Thomas’ father, John, had died in 1857, and Thomas probably inherited some real and personal estate. The household included:
·
Thomas Whitehead (34 years old, Lawyer, real
estate $9000, personal estate $9315, born in VA)
·
Martha H. Whitehead (27 years old, born in
VA)
·
John J. Whitehead (3 years old, born in VA)
·
Millie P. Whitehead (2 years old, born in VA)
·
Edgar Whitehead (2 months old, born in VA)
·
Thomas Whitehead guardian for John W. Brown,
Henry S. Brown, and Truster for C. W. Brown. [Note: John W. was listed in the
1850 census, but Henry S. and C. W. Brown were not. Could they have been Brown
children born after 1850? I need to find out what happened to Sarah Brown and
her remaining children between 1850 and 1860, assuming Robert Brown died.]
He appeared in the 1860 slave schedule as a slave owner on June 15, 1860 in Amherst County, Virginia. He owned 8 slaves, who were listed by age, color and sex: a 90-year old black female, a 58-year old black female, a 54-year old black male, a 33-year old black female, a 22-year old mulatto male, a 6-year old mulatto male, a 6-year old black female, and a 1-month old black female. None of the slaves were named in this census. These slaves lived in 4 slave houses.
He served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War from May 23, 1861 to April 15, 1865. He enlisted in Amherst County, VA on May 23, 1861 as a 1st Lieutenant in Company E, Virginia 2nd Cavalry Regiment. He was promoted to full Captain on April 24, 1862 and then promoted to full Major on April 15, 1865. This final promotion happened after Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
Thomas and Martha lived in Amherst, Amherst County, VA on June 1, 1870. Members of the household included Thomas, Martha and 6 children:
·
Thomas Whitehead (44 years old, occupation:
Lawyer, real estate worth $16,450; personal estate worth $4320; born in VA;
male citizen over 21)
·
Martha A. (37 years old, Keeping House, born
in VA)
·
John W. (13 years old, At School, born in VA,
attended school)
·
Millie P. (12 years old, At School, born in VA,
attended school)
·
Thomas J. (8 years old, born in VA)
·
David G. (6 years old, born in VA)
·
Mary A. (4 years old, born in VA)
·
Irving P. (2 years old, born in VA) [Note: was he
named after Mary Irving, Thomas’ first wife?]
Living in the same location were the Rose family, who may have been former slaves: William W. (35, Mulatto, Farm Hand), Kate (35, Black, Domestic Servant), Nannie (10, Black, Domestic Servant), Susan (6, Black), and Mollie C (2, Black); and Anna Parkins (16, Black, Domestic Servant).
He appeared in the 1870 agriculture census on June 1, 1870 in Amherst, Amherst County, Virginia. He had 100 acres, of which 60 acres were used for farming and 40 acres were woodland. His farm was valued at $10,000; farm implements at $200, and $300 in wages were paid to farm laborers. His livestock included 2 horses, 2 milch [i.e., dairy] cows, 10 other cattle, 3 sheep, 11 hogs, all worth $300. In the year ending June 1, 1870, his farm produced 75 bushels of Indian corn and 100 bushels of oats.
He appeared again in the 1870 agriculture census on June 1, 1870 in Temperance, Amherst County, Virginia. This may have been another farm that Thomas Whitehead owned in Amherst County. This farm had 200 acres used for farming and 100 acres of woodland. The farm was valued at $9000 and the farm implements were worth $75. This farm's livestock included 4 horses, 6 milch cows, and 3 other cattle. The total value of the livestock is unreadable on the census form. The farm produced 100 bushels of winter wheat, 250 bushels of Indian corn, 100 bushels of oats, and 2000 pounds of tobacco in the year before June 1, 1870.
He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1872 in Virginia and served as a United States Congressman from March 4, 1873 to March 3, 1875. He only served the one term.
He was a newspaper editor for the Lynchburg News in Lynchburg (city), Virginia in 1875.
Thomas and Martha lived at Fifth Street in Lynchburg, Campbell, Virginia on June 1, 1880. The family consisted of Thomas, Martha and 10 children:
·
Thomas Whitehead (52 years old, married,
worked as Editor of Newspaper, born in VA)
·
Martha H. (46 years old, Wife, married,
Keeping house, born in VA)
·
John (23 years old, Son, single, worked as
Editor of Newspaper, born in VA)
·
Mary Jane (21 years old, Daughter, single, at
home, born in VA)
·
Thomas (18 years old, Son, single, worked as
Clerk in Store, born in VA)
·
David (15 years old, Son, single, at school,
attended school, born in VA)
·
Irving (11 years old, Son, single, at school,
attended school, born in VA)
·
M. [Mary] Irving (13 years old, Daughter,
single, at school, attended school, born in VA) [Note: was she named after
Thomas’ first wife, Mary Kincaid Irving?]
·
Maria G. (10 years old, Daughter, single, at
school, attended school, born in VA)
·
Sallie A. B. (8 years old, Daughter, single,
born in VA)
·
Nellie G. (6 years old, Daughter, born in VA)
·
Robert C. (4 years old, Son, born in VA)
Thomas was Commissioner of Agriculture for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1886 to 1898.
They lived in Madison, Amherst County, Virginia on June 1, 1900. The household located in Amherst included Thomas, Martha, a couple of their sons, their grandchildren through one of those sons, and a couple of servants, one of whom was old enough to have been a slave:
·
Thomas Whitehead (Head, born Feb 1825 in VA,
75 years old, married 46 years, parents born in VA, occupation Lawyer, lived on
rented farm)
·
Martha H. Whitehead (Wife, born Oct 1832 in
VA, 67 years old, married 46 years, 12 children born, 10 children living,
parents born in VA)
·
Thomas Whitehead, Jr. (Son, born Sept 1861 in
VA, 38 years old, widowed, parents born in VA, occupation Lawyer)
·
Irving P. Whitehead (Son, born July 1868 in VA,
31 years old, single, parents born in VA, occupation Lawyer)
·
Robert Whitehead (Grandson, born May 1891 in VA,
9 years old, single, parents born in VA)
·
Thomas Whitehead III (Grandson, born June 1893
in VA, 6 years old, single, parents born in VA)
·
Bessie M. Whitehead (Granddaughter, born April
1894 in VA, 5 years old, single, parents born in VA)
·
Mary L. Whitehead (Granddaughter, born May 1897
in VA, 3 years old, single, parents born in VA)
·
Tobe Byas (Servant, Black, born 1819 in VA, 81
years old, widowed, parents born in VA, occupation Farm Laborer, cannot read or
write)
·
Ella Wright (Servant, Black, born 1874 in VA, 25
years old, single, parents born in VA, occupation Cook, cannot read or write)
They were also listed as living at 121 South 5th Street in Richmond City, Henrico County, VA on June 1, 1900. Thomas Whitehead is listed twice in the 1900 census - in Amherst County, VA and here in Richmond, VA. The enumeration dates for each census entry are a few days apart. He may have maintained two residences - one for business in Richmond and one for family in Amherst. His household in Richmond included Thomas, Martha, 3 of their unmarried adult children and 2 of their grandchildren:
·
Thomas Whitehead (Head, born Dec 1825 in VA,
74 years old, married 46 years, occupation was Lawyer, lived in a rented house)
·
Martha H. Whitehead (Wife, born Jan 1833 in
VA, 67 years old, married 46 years, 12 children born, 10 children living,
occupation Professional Nurse)
·
Mary I. Whitehead (Daughter, born Aug 1866 in
VA, 33 years old, single, no occupation)
·
Nellie G. Whitehead (Daughter, born May 1874 in
VA, 26 years old, single, occupation Clerk for Life Insurance company)
·
Robert C. Whitehead (Son, born Aug 1876 in VA,
23 years old, single, occupation Reporter for Newspaper)
·
Bessie M. Whitehead (Granddaughter, born Aug
1894 in VA, 5 years old, single)
·
Mary L. Whitehead (Granddaughter, born July 1896
in VA, 3 years old, single)
He died on July 4, 1901 at the age of 75 in Lynchburg (city), Virginia. One of his obituaries noted he had been in failing health for some time and had just left the hospital and gone to his son's house, where he passed away.
Thomas's obituary appeared on July 5, 1901 in both The Richmond Times and The Richmond Dispatch newspapers.
He was buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg (city), Virginia.
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Martha Henry Garland, daughter of Samuel Meredith Garland and Mildred Irving Powell, was born on January 11, 1833 in Amherst County, Virginia.
She was 68 years old when her husband, Thomas Whitehead Sr., passed away on July 4, 1901.
She died just a couple of years after her husband passed away, on September 8, 1903, at the age of 70 at 121 5th Street, 4th Precinct, City of Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia. Martha was buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg (city), Virginia.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Whitehead and Martha Henry Garland had the following children:
i. John W. Whitehead, born 1856, Amherst
County, Virginia; married Eulah Lee Browne, June 8, 1880, Lynchburg, Virginia;
died January 31, 1932, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
ii. Mildred Powell "Millie" Whitehead,
born March 24, 1858, Amherst County, Virginia; married John Dobbins Murrell
Jr., February 18, 1880, Lynchburg, Virginia; died November 6, 1945, Richmond
(city), Virginia.
iii. Edgar Whitehead was born about April
1860 in Amherst County, Virginia. He died sometime before June 1, 1870 in
Virginia because he wasn’t listed in the 1870 census.
iv. Thomas Whitehead Jr., born September 8,
1861, Amherst County, Virginia; married Sarah Evans, September 6, 1888, Amherst
County, Virginia; married Sallie Oliver Carter, July 1, 1903, Burkeville,
Nottoway County, Virginia; died March 6, 1939, Amherst County, VA.
v. David Garland Whitehead, born March 1,
1864, Virginia; married Annie Belle Brown, October 8, 1895, Hanover County,
Virginia; died July 7, 1917, Richmond (city), Virginia.
vi. Mary Irving Whitehead, born August 11,
1866, Amherst County, Virginia; married Edward Schneider, June 9, 1906,
Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom; died August 14, 1958,
Lynchburg (city), Virginia.
vii. Irving Powell Whitehead, born July 6,
1868, Virginia; married Martha Winston Walker, July 3, 1901, Christian County,
KY; married Lollie Fleetwood Murphey Cordle, June 16, 1916, Washington,
District of Columbia; died January 20, 1938, Baltimore, Maryland.
viii. Martha Garland "Maddie" Whitehead,
born June 6, 1870, Amherst, Virginia; married Dr. Stuart Neville Michaux,
December 8, 1906, City of Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia; died January 10,
1939, Westhampton, Henrico County, Virginia.
ix. Sarah Anna Brown "Essie"
Whitehead, born March 1, 1872, Amherst, Amherst County, Virginia; married
Henry Drewry Perkins, October 25, 1894, Hanover County, VA; died September 9,
1958, Norfolk, Virginia.
x. Nellie Guy "Ella" Whitehead,
born May 3, 1874, Virginia; married Dr. Theodore Hough, June 12, 1909, Richmond
City, Henrico County, VA; died May 20, 1967, Charlottesville, Charlottesville
(city), Virginia.
xi. Robert Camden Whitehead, born August
11, 1876, Amherst County, Virginia; married Helen Harmon Cowles, February 10,
1909, Kings County, New York; died January 27, 1935, Norfolk, Virginia.
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