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Wishing all of you and your loved ones a joyous, meaningful and blessed holiday season.
~ Rosemary
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A Victorian Christmas
The theme of this issue is a Victorian Christmas. We look back at an era and lifestyle that surrounded our great-grandparents, their parents and their grandparents. As we do this, we follow a Virginia family over the course of more than 200 years, including how some of its members celebrated Christmas in 1835 and 1922.
The Victorian era is the period (1837-1901) during which Queen Victoria (pictured at right) ruled the British Empire. American imitations of the English Victorian lifestyle were first prominent in New England, then spread westward, with the gabled and turreted Victorian homes cropping up in small town America.
In England, the Victorian era was after the Georian era and before the Edwardian era. In America, the Victorian era followed the Gilded Age and the Civil War, getting a late start.
Now it's back to the horse and buggy days!
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A 1922 Rice Family Christmas in Medora, Illinois
The tree was trimmed and the sumptuous dinner about to begin. The family gathered in the old Medora, Illinois, Rice home just as they had for decades. The oldest Rice present was the Rev. J. W. Rice, 91, a retired Baptist minister.
Uncle Jack was barely more than a toddler when his parents, Thomas Brown Rice and the former Mahala Farrow, left Fauquier Co., Virginia, in May of 1835 in a large wagon drawn by four horses and accompanied by John Simpson, driving a lighter wagon, and Jack's uncle Lija Barnes (husband of Margaret Farrow) driving a buggy. (See separate story below about Thomas Brown Rice.)
This 1922 Christmas celebration was in the same log cabin where the Thomas Brown Rice family first celebrated Christmas in 1835. The family home had since undergone rather extensive renovations, but the original cabin remained its nucleus. Living there with the 91-year-old Uncle Jack were his brother Charles, 71, and his sister, Mrs. Emma Van Horbeke, 73. Five of these 10 siblings were still living, Mrs. Mary Westbrook in Eatontown, New Jersey, and Mrs. ELizabeth Vancil in Modesto, Illinois. Jack remembered when there was no town surrounding their South Main Street home. Charles and Emma remembered many family Christmas celebrations in this home.
NOTE: A newspaper story noted that Rev. J. W. Rice, "oldest living resident of Medora," would be celebrating his 95th birthday on Oct. 21, 1926. It said he was "in remarkably vigorous health." The story also says: "The Rice homestead, which antedates all buildings now standing in Medora and which is still in a good state of preservation...was built in 1835 before Medora was known.
NEXT: Judge Thomas Brown Rice.
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Thomas Brown Rice (1806-1889)
Thomas Brown Rice was born in 1806 near Millwood in Frederick Co., Virginia, son of Revolutionary War soldier James Brown Rice and his wife, the former Susan Wallis. He was raised in a large family and was entering his teens when his mother died. James B. Rice had been a man of property, but because he was a security on a delivery bond, his means were swept away.
Thomas grew up being used to hard work, not only on the family farm, but as overseer of a neighboring farm. On his 22nd birthday, Thomas married Mahala Farrow, who had been born in 1807 to William and Lydia (Wiley) Farrow in Culpepper Co., Virginia.
Thomas took over a saddle and harness business at Upperville, Virginia, a small settlement at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Fauquier Co., Virginia. After his shop burned during the spring of 1835, he decided to move westward. They drove over the Allegheny Mountains to Wheeling, crossed the Ohio River and went to Ohio, where heavy rains detoured them south to Cincinnati. There they boarded a steamboat which took them down the Ohio, then up the Mississippi to St. Louis, where they chose a piece of land before going on to visit Mrs. Rice's brother, French Farrow,in Illinois.
They liked Illinois better and never returned to St. Louis. There then were only two houses between where they settled and the town of Jerseyville, but the road was well-traveled and Rice thought it a good locale for a town to be built. He was a farm boy with dreams...and, it turns out, the savvy to accomplish them.
Thomas built a log cabin for his family and watched Macoupin County prosper. He bought land at $1.25 per acre, accumulating more than 1000 acres. Thomas served as state's attorney and was also a juryman in 1836. The courthouse was built of logs laid up without chinking. The surrounding countryside had an abundant supply of deer, wild turkey, quail, wild oats and a great number of wolves.
Rice was elected county judge in 1862. When the Rock Island Railroad was surveyed, he filed the first town plat, laid off town lots and named the community Medora. Following the 1871 completion of the railroad, he set off an addition to the town and it grew to more than 700 inhabitants. Rice served as Medora's postmaster, built the town's first mill and spent the end of his life in the milling business.
All 10 of their children were living when Thomas died in 1889. They were: Susan C., John W., Elizabeth S., James Washington, Thomas B. Jr., Mary Virginia, Stephen F., Amanda M., Emma A. and Charles A. Susan married John Cleaver, Mary wed H. W. Westbrook, Elizabeth wed I. B. Vancil and Amanda married John Payne.
Mahala continued to live in the old log home, to which they had added a modern addition. Mahala, at age 80, had never ridden a train, but could read her Bible and sew without spectacles.
It was this family--Thomas and Mahala and their older children--who first celebrated Christmas in the Medora log cabin, beginning a holiday tradition that was carried on by four generations of their descendants.
NEXT: Some family history.
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THOMAS BROWN RICE AND HIS FIVE SONS
Thomas Brown Rice (1806-1889) is shown with his five sons. Standing are Charles (b. 1850) on the left, and Stephen (b. 1842). Seated, from the left, are sons Thomas Jr. (b. 1837) and James Washington Rice (b. 1835), who is seated beside his father. On the other side of Thomas Brown Rice Sr. is his son John W. "Jack" Rice (b. 1831).
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The Family of Revolutionary War Soldier
James Brown Rice of Virginia
Your editor has two sources of information about the James Brown Rice family. The first is the history as told by Thomas Brown Rice to his grandson, C. W. Payne, in 1886 and 1887. Payne then wrote up the account and it appeared in a history of Macoupin Co., Illinois, which was published a couple of years later. It is given here as written then.
Thomas Brown Rice's grandfather, James Michael (or Michael) Rice, was of English descent. Was married in southern part of Culpepper Co., Va. to Miss Mary Brown, also of English descent. Two children were born, the eldest (Elizabeth) married a Mr. Jobe Race. The other, James Brown Rice, father of Thomas Brown Rice, was born 1764 and when about 38 married Miss Susan Wallis of Culpepper Co., Va., daughter of John Wallis of Scotch descent, whose wife's maiden name was Miss Behethler Strother, of English descent, whose mother's name was Dabney and whose maiden name (her mother's?) was Susan Jennings. To James B. and Susan Rice nine children were born. The three oldest died when small.
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The fourth, Elizabeth, the only one living when T. B. Rice was born, died sometime during the late war at her home in northern Fauquier Co., Va.
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The fifth, Thomas Brown Rice, born April 17, 1806.
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The sixth, John Strother Rice, married Miss McCormack; the only child, Mary Virginia Rice (photo at right), married Lloyd Gibson, now residing near Jefferson City, Missouri.
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The seventh, William W. Rice, living at present near Orlean, Fauquier Co., Va.
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The eighth, Susan Rice, married Mr. John Payne, son of old Major James Payne, now residing near Orlean, Fauquier Co., Va.
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The ninth, James M. Rice, married Miss O'Raire, now living in Paris, Fauquier Co., Virginia.
T. B. Rice's father (James Brown Rice) was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, serving under Washington and Lafayette. Saw the French troops land and describes the officers as being dressed in fine military suits trimmed with lace and carrying very long swords. There being a scarcity of tents, the Americans gave up theirs for the French to occupy while encamped before Cornwallis' army then being besieged at Yorktown.
He also served for a time in Morgan's cavalry. He relates a little account of what Morgan said in an address delivered to his men just before going into battle. Morgan said: "Men do not fire until you see the white of the enemy's eye and then every man to his man and (with an oath) we will whip them."* He describes Morgan as being a tolerable large man, very stern and commanding in a loud voice. Very determined when he undertook to do anything, entering into it with spirit and dash.
He also relates an incident of Anthony Wayne, or "Mad Anthony" as he was sometimes called, as he came into Washington's camp to assist in the siege of Yorktown, he saw a few British soldiers not far off and immediately began firing at them, and Washington had to order him to quit.
James Brown Rice took active part in the principal battles during the last of the war and witnessed at Yorktown the surrender of Cornwallis, who, feigning illness, sent his sword to Washington by a brother officer. Washington ordered the sword to be delivered to General Lincoln, who had previously surendered his sword to Cornwallis. Rice served most of the time without pay. The above is as his father (James Brown Rice) told it to Thomas Brown Rice
Soon after the war, James Brown Rice and his father moved out to Kentucky. At this time the Indians were very hostile and it was necessary to have one of the company stand guard at night. After living in Kentucky several years, he (James Brown Rice) returned to Virginia and for 19 years was manager of Col. Burell's estate. Col. Burell was a wealthy Englishman and owned large tracts of land. He quit Col. Burell and began farming at Cherrymead, 5 miles from Winchester. At this time Thos. B. Rice was about 3 years of age. Bought and settled upon a piece of land not far from Flint Hill in Culpepper Co., Va., residing there some time.
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*Morgan might have said this, but the phrase "don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes" was also an order of an American officer at the earlier Battle of Bunker Hill. Some sources say it originated 30 or more years earlier at a battle in Europe.
NEXT STORY: Another source for information on this branch of the Rice family.
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Family History Notes from a
Great-Great-Granddaughter
of Revolutionary War Soldier
James Brown Rice of Virginia
INTRODUCTION
Nearly all of the information in this issue was forwarded to your editor 35 years ago by Mrs. Virginia (Calhoun) Senior, a retired teacher living in Overland, Kansas. She forwarded newspaper clippings, an article from a history of Macoupin County, Illinois, and her own notes. Virginia was a granddaughter of Mary Virginia (Rice) Gibson, a daughter of John Strother Rice. Most of the information above is about John's brother, Thomas Brown Rice, and his descendants. We close with the following notes by Virginia. Some of her material corroborates what is already given in this issue and we have not repeated most of that information.
Mary Virginia Rice was born in Fauquier Co., Virginia, and died at Red Bluff, California, having crossed the continent. After her father's death in Virginia, Mary and her husband, Lloyd N. Gibson, went by covered wagon to Illinois, then settled at Russellville, Missouri.
"I have a quilt of James Brown Rice's made about 1830 by his oldest daughter. She embroidered his name on it. My daughter, Ann, has his doctor book, which was printed in Philadelphia in 1797. He read the book on request to help his neighbors in time of sickness. My mother and I were members of the D.A.R. I have resigned my membership, but would be willing for any descendant of James Brown Rice to copy my papers. My national DAR number is 205194 and I was admitted to membership in 1924. My earliest Rice that I have proof of was James Michael Rice who was known as Michael Rice." VIRGINIA SENIOR
"J. Michael Rice went to Kentucky after his wife's death and may have re-married there. Our branch of the family lost track of him and has been unable to determine his date and place of death, or the names of any descendants he may have by a second marriage. In his pension application, James' sister, Elizabeth (Rice) Race, stated that in 1781 she lived in Culpepper Co., Virginia, with her grandfather, James Brown, and her brother, James Brown Rice. I know there are many descendants of my Rice ancestors now living in Virginia, Illinois and other states as my mother received 1/8 of 1/105 part of the estate of her great-grandmother Susannah (Wallis) Rice's brother in the 1950s." VIRGINIA SENIOR
EDITOR'S NOTE: That estate would have belonged to someone in the Wallis family. If, however, Susannah's brother died without children-or his sister was deceased when he left her part of his estate--her Rice descendants would have been heirs. The 1950 date is curious as Susannah's brother would have been dead for several decades. (His sister died in 1819.)
"James Brown Rice died Aug. 5, 1851, and his wife Susannah on Aug. 10, 1819, according to records copied about 1923 from the old Rice Bible by their great-grandson, Charles L. Gibson. My great-grandfather, John Strother Rice, known as Jack Rice, was born in 1808 and married in 1836 to Mary McCorm ick (1811-1839) of Fauquier Co., Va. Mary died of complications following child birth and John's sister, Elizabeth Rice, who had helped raise her own younger brothers after her mother's death, took over the care of John's baby girl, Mary Virginia Rice, who was to become my grandmother. Sister Elizabeth kept house for her brother, John, and their father, James Brown Rice, for many years." VIRGINIA SENIOR
"John Strother Rice was a farmer and stock man who owned rolling hill land about 60 miles from Washington, D.C., along a road where many drovers took their fat cattle to market in Washington. John, a good judge of cattle, bought the best of the injured or foot-sore cattle from the drovers at a greatly reduced price and grazed them until they were in condition to make a nice profit. Since he was only 60 miles from market, he could deliver his cattle in good shape and receive good prices for them. He became wealthy, but during the Civil War conditions became very bad in Virginia so that at his death in 1867 much of the money he loaned could not be collected. Also, in his will, he gave his brothers and close relatives and a few friends the amount they owed him. My grandmother--his daughter--received $15,000, which was considered a large sum. I have a copy of his will." VIRGINIA SENIOR
"I remember my grandmother telling of her childhood, of being tutored with the children of a wealthy neighbor, of raids by soldiers during the Civil War, of hiding the silver in a blackberry thicket, of planting fruit trees and burying their supply of gold at the foot of the trees, of burying their cured meat, and of the slaves telling the soldiers, who dug it up and made off with it." VIRGINIA SENIOR
"After her father's death, Mary Virginia Rice and her husband, Lloyd Nelson Gibson, and three children, went by covered wagon to Illinois, near Medora, and spent a short time with her uncle, Judge Thomas Brown Rice, and then started on to some 400 acres of land in Arkansas owned by her father. On the way, they decided to settle in Missouri, near the small town of Russellville. My mother, Annie Laura (Gibson) Calhoun (1879-1970), was their eighth child and was born at Hope Farm near Russellville." VIRGINIA SENIOR
EDITOR'S NOTES:
Orlin Clifford Rice (1903-1974) of Pensacola, Florida, was also researching this branch of the Rice family when he died. He was a descendant of Judge Thomas Brown Rice.
John Edwin Rice Jr., a Washington, D.C. newsman and editor, was compiling information on this branch of the Rice family and in 1929 was issuing a family newsletter in which he said he was preparing for publication a genealogy of this branch of the family. Does anybody know anything about him, what became of his material and if he ever published the genealogy of this branch of the Rice family?
He was a grandson of James Michael Rice II, a son of James Brown Rice.
Of special interest to current Rice researchers is the alleged Kentucky branch of this Rice family. There are currently descendants of several unrelated Kentucky Rice families that are not able to trace their ancestry back to an immigrant ancestor. Some could belong to this branch.
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