Welcome relatives and friends. On this page you will find the story that ran in the Lynchburg Virginia Press on July 27, 1819, concerning the death of Abner Vance!
On Friday the 16th instant, Abner Vance was executed at Abingdon, in pursuance of his senrence for the murder of Lewis Horton. He addressed about 4000 for an hour and a half, with considerable ability; and died with the most perfect composure and heroic fortitude. He accused some persons of giving false evidence against him; and said that if he obtained a fair trial, and nothing but truth had been sworn against him, he thought the penitentiary would have been the proper punishment for his offense.
Yes, Abner Vance was hanged for murder. But, was it an unjust hanging. I don't know, I wasn't there. All we know is what we can find to read in old papers, and what stories we hear that have been handed down through the years. So should Abner Vance have died for his crime that he commited in 1817? I don't know. That is a question that Abner VANCE'S and Lewis HORTON'S decendents will have to ask themselves. However it really doesn't matter now, the past is past, it can't be changed. If the past could be changed, I would see to it that Lewis HORTON wasn't killed on that day in 1817.
I am sure there is more to this story that we will never know. So we have to go by what facts we have, which is not many. If you have any thoughts or information about this story.
To start: Burnsides may not be the maiden name of William Vance's wife, but, that is what I have. If I find her maiden name is different, then I will change it!
Children of William Vance and Nancy Burnsides were:
John Vance b. 18-Apr-1811 in Tazewell Co. Va.m.1843 to Rhoda Griffitts.
Mary Vance b.8-Nov-1813 in Tazewell Co. Va. m.Asa Helton.
William Howard Vance b.24-Mar-1846 in Tazewell Co. Va. m.Sarah Ratliffe.
James Harvey Vance b.10-Feb-1819 in Tazewell Co. Va. m.Eliza Jane Elswick.
Sally (Sarah) Vance b.15-Mar-1817 in Tazewell Co. Va. m.Reece Davis.
Susannah Vance b.29-Jan-1821 in Tazewell Co. Va. m.Tyree Davis.
Marinda (Rinda) Vance b.8-Jan-1823 in Tazewell Co. Va. m.Abner Vance.
Rhoda J. Vance b.21-Jul-1827 in Tazewell Co. Va. m.John Vance.
Lucinda Vance b.12-Jan-1825 in Tazewell Co. Va. m.Tolbert J. Elswick.
James Howard Vance b.1828 in Tazewell Co. Va. m. Elizabeth McGlothlin.
Abner Vance spent some time in Pittsylvania Co. Va. along with some other Vances, QUESTION: Who were the other Vances, were they related to Abner?
This is the oath of allegiance sworn in 1777!! I do swear or affirm that I renounce and refuse all allegiance to George the third, king of Great Brittain, his heirs and successors, and that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the commonwealth of Virginia, as a free and independentstate, and that I will not, at any time do, or cause to be done, any matter or thing that will be prejudicial or injurious to the freedom and independence thereof, as declared by congress, and also, that I will discovere and make known to someone just of the peace for the said state, all treasons or traiterous conspiracies which I know or hereafter shall know to be enacted. That the justice of the peace before whom such oath or affirmation will and shall on or before the first day of january:
Lankfords List: Abner Vance..Matthew Vance..
Charles Kennons List:Benj. Burgess..Edward Howard..Ezekial Howard
William Shorter's list: Thomas Burgess
James Harvey Vance was born in Tazewell Co. Va. in 1819 and married Eliza Jane Elswick on 10-Feb-1853.
Children of James Harvey and Eliza Jane (Elswick) Vance are:
John Patton Vance b. 24-Jul-1853, d, 1-Apr-1910, m. 30-May-1872 to: Virginia A. Basham.
William H. Vance b. 8-Mar-1855, d. 14-Nov-1901, m. 5-Feb-1880 to: Louisa Margaret Helton.
Rosannah Vance b. 20-Dec-1856, d. UNK?, m. UNK? to: UNK?
Malinda W. Vance b. 25-Nov-1857, d. UNK?, m. UNK? to: UNK?
Charles Thomas Vance b. UNK?, d. UNK?, m. UNK?, to: Sarah ?????
Abner Vance b. UNK?, d. UNK?, m. UNK? to: UNK?
James A. Vance b. UNK, d. UNK?, m. UNK? to: UNK?
Reece Vance b. UNK?, d. UNK?, m. UNK? to: UNK?
As you can see I have very little information for this generation. I believe part of the reason for this is the fact that James Harvey's Father William, did not like his daughter in law for some reason, the reason could be that Eliza was pregnant with their first child before they were married. John Patton Vance was born only five months after her and James were married. In James Harvey's Father's will he leaves $1.oo to James unless he divorces Eliza, or she dies. I will try to get a copy of the will on the page somewhere. If you have any information about this generation I would really like to hear about it, so I can add it to my page.
Thanks for visiting Abner's homepage, and if you have any doccumented proof of anything on this page that needs to be changed I will gladly change it. I want to be as accurate as I possibly can in sharing my family history with you.
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