My association with the Myers families of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, starts with my paternal great-grandmother, Virgie Myers Chapman. Her mother was Sally F. Myers, my paternal second great-grandmother, who was born in Pittsylvania County in January 1856. Sally was in Pittsylvania County in the 1870 census, but by the time she married Charles Chapman in 1876, she was in Kanawha County, West Virginia. At the 1920 census, Sally was 61 and widowed, living with her daughter, Effie, and her husband, Grover Dotson, in Mount Hope, Fayette County, West Virginia. Sally died on 20 March 1928 in the McDonald community of Fayette County, West Virginia.
Sally’s parents were Charles Thomas Myers, my paternal third great-grandfather, and Mary Ann Willis Myers. Charles was born in Pittsylvania County in about 1819. [1] Charles and Mary Ann were married in Chatham, Pittsylvania County, on 22 December 1840.
In the 1850 census, Charles was a farmer in the Northern District of Pittsylvania County. He and Mary could not read or write. They had four sons and one daughter. Directly above them on the census page are Charles’s brother Pleasant Myers (19, laborer) and his wife Rebecca. Directly above them are their parents, James Myers (55, blacksmith) and his wife, Francis (54), with five children still at home.
For the 1860 census, Charles was listed as a farmer in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, with personal property valued at $400; no real estate value is shown. It shows that neither he nor Mary can read or write. There are 10 children listed (some names are hard to read): James M. 17/M, Jack? 14/M, Count D. A. (?) 12/M, John R. 11/M, Charles F. 9/M, Alt A. J. (?) 7/F, Mary A. J. 6/F, George 4/M, Sallie C. 3/F, and Crafton, 5 months/M. This census lists the Museville Post Office. This area of present-day Pittsylvania County is located in the intersection of Museville Road and Columbus Road, just south of the Pigg River and about four miles south of Rt—40 in the Sandy Level area of northwest Pittsylvania County.
During the Civil War, Charles is believed to have served in the 135th Regiment of the Virginia Militia. A Charles Myers is listed on the 1890 Veterans Schedule, living in the Cabin Creek District of Kanawha County. The service details are blank.
In the 1870 census, the family was still in Pittsylvania County, in the Chatham post office area, the subdivision north of the Dan River, where Charles (52) is now a blacksmith and Mary (48) is keeping house. Four children—Charles, a 21-year-old farm laborer; George, a 14-year-old farm laborer; Crafton (10); and Sallie (12)—were still in the home.
By the 1880 census, Charles and Mary were living in the Loudon area of Kanawha County, West Virginia. Charles died in Marmet, Kanawha County, West Virginia, on 24 March 1896.
The children of Charles and Mary Ann are believed to be:1. James M. Myers, b. 12 September 1842, in Pittsylvania County, d. 7 March 1922 in Union Hall, Franklin County, Virginia, m. Emily B. Rice, 27 Sep 1865, in Franklin County, Virginia.2. Jack Myers, b. July 1843 in Pittsylvania County, d. unknown, m. Elizabeth Vance, 1868, Kanawha, West Virginia.3. Martha W. Myers, b. 1845 in Pittsylvania County, d. 1 July 1855 in Pittsylvania County. 4. Count D. Allison Myers, b. February 1846 in Pittsylvania County, d. 27 Jul 1932 in Marmet, Kanawha County, West Virginia, m. Mary E. or B. Willis, 02 Nov 1869, in Pittsylvania County.5. John R. Myers, b. abt. 1848 in Pittsylvania County, d. unknown, m. unknown. He was apparently in Kanawha County in 1883.6. Charles T. Myers, b. 30 August 1848 in Pittsylvania County, d. 2 February 1927, in Fayette County, West Virginia, m. Mary Radford, 26 Dec 1878, in Fayette County, West Virginia.7. Mary Ann Josephine Myers, b. 13 Feb 1853 in Pittsylvania County, d. 19 Jun 1938 in Kanawha County, West Virginia, m1 Charles H. Dalton, 23 Dec 1869 in Pittsylvania County, m2 Thomas Daniels, 1878 in Kanawha County, where she used the last name of Dawson. Was there a husband in between these two?8. Alwilda Elizabeth Myers, b. 01 Jul 1851in Pittsylvania County, d. 27 Jun 1929 in Mount Hope, Fayette County, West Virginia, m1 Robert Myers Willis, 26 October 1869 in Pittsylvania County, m2 David Lewis, 30 August 1913 in Fayetteville, Fayette County, West Virginia.9. Margaret Myers is listed on the 1860 census for the Northern District of Pittsylvania County as a six-year-old female living with her parents. I have found no other records for her, and she is not on the 1870 census, so she probably died in between the two.10. Sally F. Myers see above11. George K. Myers, b. 30 April 1856 in Pittsylvania County, d. 19 March 1927 in the Glasgow community of Fayette County, West Virginia, m. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Berry, 29 May 1878, in Kanawha County, West Virginia.12. Crafton Thomas Myers, b. 25 December 1859in Pittsylvania County, d. 1 February 1935 in Montgomery, Fayette, West Virginia, m. Julia Cochran, 1879, location unknown.13. Stephen Selby Myers, b. November 1861. No further information has been found.Charles’ father was James Myers, who was born in Pittsylvania County in 1795, the son of George Myers and Mary Corbin Davis Myers. James married Francis Waller on 14 February 1816 in Pittsylvania County. James died in Pittsylvania County in 1870.
The children of James and Francis are believed to be as follows. Not all information has been verified. 1. Mary Graves Myers, b. abt. 1814 in Pittsylvania County, d. 1870 in Pittsylvania County, m. William Churchill Dalton 18 November 1845 in Pittsylvania County.2. Charles Thomas Myers (see above)3. John J. Myers, b. 12 Oct 1819 in Pittsylvania County, d. 15 July 1875 in Pittsylvania County.4. Permelia Jane Myers, b. 23 March 1820 in Pittsylvania County, d. 10 August 1900 in Dry Branch, Kanawha, West Virginia, m. Count Darrell Allison Willis, 21 Dec 1841, in Pittsylvania County. They were in West Virginia by the 1870 census. 5. Edward D. Myers, b. abt. 1830 in Pittsylvania County, d. 15 July 1875 in Pittsylvania County, m. Berilla Dalton 28 January 1851 in Pittsylvania County. 6. George T. Myers, b. abt. 1827 in Pittsylvania County. No further information.7. Amanda Myers. B. 1828 in Pittsylvania County, d. 10 November 1886 in Pittsylvania County, m. Willis Doss 9 September 1843 in Pittsylvania County. 8. Pleasant William Myers, b. 1828 in Pittsylvania County, d. 30 April 1889 in Union City, Kanawha, West Virginia, m. Rebecca J. Willis, 10 December or January 1849, in Pittsylvania County. 9. Matilda Hopkins Myers, b. abt. 1829 in Pittsylvania County, d. 17 December 1895 in Pittsylvania County, m. Noton (sometimes shown as Norton or Noten) George in 1861, presumably in Pittsylvania County. 10. Tabitha Ann Myers, b. 25 December 1830 in Pittsylvania County, d. 10 November 1910 in Concord, Campbell, Virginia, m. Richard Henry Keesee 05 April 1853 in Pittsylvania County.11. Priscilla Myers, b. abt. 1835 in Pittsylvania County, d. abt. 1880 in Pittsylvania County. She was unmarried.12. Frances Myers, b. 1838 in Pittsylvania County. Living with her parents in the 1850 census. No further information. 13. Susan Myers, b. abt. 1839 in Pittsylvania County, d. unknown, m. William Daniel Dalton, unknown. The 1870 census lists her last name as Dalton, and she lives with her parents and other family members, including her two children. In the 1880 census, she was a widow, using the last name Myers.
James Myers's father was George Myers (my 5th great-grandfather). George’s origin and birth information are presently unknown, but he appears in the Virginia, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1800-1890, as being in Pittsylvania County in 1782. Based on when his first child was born, he was probably born about 1735. He was likely from Culpeper County, Virginia, where several of his children were born. He died sometime in 1820, as his will was proved on December 18 of that year in Pittsylvania County.
George appears in the 1782 Pittsylvania County census as George Miers, with 10 white and 5 black persons. [2] The first property tax list for the county was also made in 1782. Several records exist for a person with a similar name who lived in Pennsylvania in the 1740s.
George Myers received land from his father-in-law, William Davis, part of which he later deeded to the Upper Bannister Baptist Church. According to Pittsylvania Deed Book 17, p. 477, 10 Mar. 1812 (recorded 16 Mar. 1812): George Myers to Moses Hutchings and George Giles, all of Pittsylvania County, “whereas William Davis, deceased, did in his livetime (sic) give his bond to the members of the Baptist church (known & called by the name of upper Bannister)” for “one and an half acres of land whenever they might call for the same, where the present meeting house now stands, and the right of said land being in George Myers, and he wishing to comply with said bond,” the church appointed Hutchings and Giles trustees to receive the land (paying one dollar), on the waters of the Bannister River, adjoining Leftwich. Signed: George (x) Myers (his mark). Witnesses: Will Turnstall, Jesse Leftwich, William Hutchings. From George’s will, we know that his wife’s name was Mary and that he had seven sons: William, Stephen, Benjamin, John, Jacob, Isham, and James, and two daughters, Sally and Polley. He also had one female slave, Viney. George’s parents are currently unknown. Mary’s parents were William Davis and Susannah Wells. They were married in Halifax County on 5 May 1772.
The children of George and Mary are:1. John Myers, b. abt. 1758, probably in Culpeper County, Virginia, d. 04 December 1859 in Pittsylvania County, m. Rose/Rosa/Rosy Davis, 8 November 1808, in Pittsylvania County.2. William Myers/Miers, b. abt. 1765, probably in Culpeper County, Virginia, d. 1850 in Pittsylvania County, m. Anna Corbin, 11 Apr 1791, at Pittsylvania County. 3. Stephen R. Myers, b. 1770, probably in Culpeper County, Virginia, d. April 1855 in Pittsylvania County, m. Dicey Price, 15 October 1804, in Pittsylvania County. 4. Benjamin Myers, b. 1775, probably in Culpeper County, Virginia, d. 22 August 1837, in Lawrence County, Illinois, m. Elizabeth Corbin was born in November 1808 in Pittsylvania County.5. Jacob Myers, b. abt. 1776 in Culpeper County, Virginia, or Pittsylvania County, d. 16 November 1863 in Chatham, Pittsylvania, Virginia, m. Elizabeth Orrender, 20 September 1815, in Pittsylvania County.6. Sally Myers, b. abt. 1778, possibly in Pittsylvania County, d. 1847 in Kentucky, m. Moses Hardy, 07 Dec 1796, in Pittsylvania County.7. Isham Myers, b. abt. 1778, possibly in Pittsylvania County, d. unknown, in unknown, m. Patsy Emerson, 24 December 1817, in Pittsylvania County.8. James Myers, b. abt. 1795, in Pittsylvania County, d. 1870, in Pittsylvania County, m. Frances Waller, 14 February 1816, in Pittsylvania County. 9. Polley Myers's birth and death information are presently unknown. She m. Robert Lynch on 9 February 1819 in Pittsylvania County.
NOTES:[1] The 1860 census lists him as 41 years old, so born in 1819. In the 1820 census, his family is in Pittsylvania County.[2] See https://www.usgenwebsites.org/vagenweb/pittsylvania/census.htm
Updated December 28, 2025