Biography of John Whitehead, Ginger's 3rd-great-grandfather

Biography of John Whitehead (1789–1857)

Early Life

John Whitehead was born on October 25, 1789, in Amherst County, Virginia. Various records give alternate birthdates, including October 12, 1789, and simply the year 1787, but the most detailed record points to October 25. He was the son of Burcher Whitehead and Nancy Camden Whitehead.

John grew up in post-Revolutionary Virginia, a time when the country was just beginning to establish itself. His father passed away before 1815, and it's likely that his mother, Nancy, later lived with John and his family, as she may have been the older woman listed in his household in the 1830 census.

Marriage and Family

On February 24, 1812, John married Anner (Anna) Mahoney, the daughter of Dennis Mahoney, at Mountain View in Amherst County, Virginia. Anna was born on May 28, 1794, also in Amherst County. There is some conflicting information about her birthplace, but most sources confirm she was a native Virginian.

Together, John and Anna had at least seven children:

1. Robert Whitehead (Aug 6, 1815 – Nov 28, 1898)
   Born in Lovingston, Nelson County, VA. He married twice—first to Lucy Baylor Gwathmey in 1838, then to Margaret Daniel Baldwin in 1856.
2. Dr. Marcellus Whitehead (Jan 27, 1821 – Jan 2, 1885)
   Born in Roseland, Nelson County, VA. He married Virginia G. Coleman in 1846 and later practiced medicine in Salisbury, North Carolina.
3. Sarah Ann "Sallie" Whitehead (Apr 6, 1823 – Jan 27, 1914)
   Married Robert M. Brown in 1841 and lived into her 90s, passing away in Covington, VA.
4. Thomas Whitehead Sr. (Dec 27, 1825 – Jul 4, 1901)
   Born in Lovingston, he married Mary Kincaid Irving and later Martha Henry Garland. He lived and died in Amherst County.
5. Edgar Whitehead (Mar 28, 1828 – Dec 19, 1909)
   Also born in Lovingston, Edgar married Sarah Massie Cabell and remained in Amherst County.
6. Rev. Paul Whitehead (Sep 13, 1830 – Apr 3, 1907)
   Born in Nelson County, Paul became a Methodist minister and married Virgilia Minerva Timberlake. He died in Richmond, VA.
7. Silas C. Whitehead (Sep 13, 1830 – Jun 16, 1857)
   Twin to Paul. Silas worked as a druggist and salesman in Lynchburg but died young at 26 and never married.

Residences and Census Records

John appeared in multiple census records between 1820 and 1850, primarily in Nelson and Amherst Counties:

• 1820: Living in Nelson County with his wife, young son Robert, and three enslaved individuals.
• 1830: Still in Nelson County, with a growing household of children and several unidentified adults—likely extended family. He owned 10 enslaved people at that time.
• 1840: Moved to Amherst County, with sons Paul and Silas added to the family. He continued to own enslaved people and employed several in commerce.
• 1850: Listed in Lynchburg, VA, as a Bank Officer, living with Anna (though her age was misrecorded as 36 instead of 56) and a Thomas Perkins, whose relation is unknown.

Career and Community Involvement

John Whitehead wore many hats throughout his life:

• High Sheriff of Amherst County
• Merchant and tobacconist
• Teller at the Bank of Virginia in Lynchburg (appointed in 1847 after a scandal at the bank, noted in the Richmond Enquirer)

His professional life suggests he was well-regarded in business and civic affairs. In his later years, he became a member of Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church in Lynchburg, where a memorial tablet was placed in his honor.

Death and Legacy

John Whitehead died on April 25, 1857, in Lynchburg at the age of 67. A brief notice appeared in the Richmond Dispatch, referring to him as a “respected citizen” and noting his position at the bank.

He was buried in Amherst Cemetery, possibly after being moved from the original Mountain View burial site. His wife Anner passed away just a few months earlier, on December 17, 1856, also in Lynchburg.

John and Anner left behind a large and accomplished family, many of whom stayed in Virginia and became prominent in their communities.

(The biography above was created using ChatGPT and Randy Seaver’s draft biography prompt on a 1-generation narrative report produced in RootsMagic 10.)