Mecklenburg County
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"My Uncle CB Crowder Jr. often traveled back and forth to the Clarksville area to visit family, but I was too young to join him. I wish I had been able to go with him back then. My line is Dr. John James Crowder, and I know very little about him except that he attended medical school in Philadelphia and Richmond. During the Civil War, he left Boyton for Ashland and then Yorktown, where I’ve transcribed letters. He later lived at Fruit Farm, and his father, AB Crowder, and then AB Jr. lived in what was left of Kensington near Abbyville, and I believe there’s a graveyard there. It was mentioned that all of that was underwater, but I’m not sure. It all started near Jamestown and moved to Mecklenburg, but the lineage that formed in Bristol Parish seems a bit unclear. Abraham Crowder, I believe, traded for firsts in Petersburg after buying land from Peter Jones and making enough money to start moving towards Mecklenburg (land grants and purchases). I’d love to be proven right or wrong by someone in Mecklenburg. Even better, if I could find out a little about Dr. John James and whether he served as a doctor in the area or just as a farmer. I know he sold land to an ex-slave. It seems the Crowders were quite active in the area. I believe the Crowder Brothers were great uncles, maybe. My grandfather, Charles Bertram Crowder Sr., moved from Mecklenburg to Manchester, Va., just outside Richmond, around 1908." --John Crowder, 21 Jul 2026 oak7320wood@icloud.com
1. Alexander Bascom CROWDER was born in 1811. He married in 1832 to Martha E.
BLANKS [1815-1891]. He lived at Fruit Farm, in what was left of Kensington near
Abbyville. Alex died in 1886 and was buried in the Crowder-Bouldin Family
Cemetery in Clarksville, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. [The cemetery is off of
Sandie Point Drive, on government land. It might be underwater now.]
Alex and
Martha (BLANKS) CROWDER had children.
1-1. John James CROWDER was born 30 Jan 1838. He attended medical school in Philadelphia and Richmond. He was an Ordinance Scout, Company A, 2nd Regiment Virginia Cavalry, in the Confederate States Army. During the Civil War, he left Boyton for Ashland and then Yorktown. John married Jennie L. HARDY [1852-1928]*. He later lived at Fruit Farm. He may have served as a doctor in the area, or just as a farmer. He sold land to an ex-slave. Dr. John James CROWDER died 4 May 1914 and was buried in Bluestone Independent Baptist Church Cemetery in Clarksville, Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
John James and Jennie L. (HARDY)* CROWDER had children.1-1-1. Charles Bertram CROWDER, Sr., was born 4 Apr 1873 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, a son of Dr. John J. and Margaret R. (MOSELEY)* [*Is Jennie or Margaret correct?] CROWDER. He moved from Mecklenburg to Manchester, Va., just outside Richmond, around 1908. He 1st married in 1902 to Mary Alice MOORE [1880-1904]. He 2nd married 1909 to Bertha Pauline (JORDON) [1888-1973]. Charles died 25 Nov 1938 in Richmond, Virginia, and was buried in Maury Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.1-2. Lucy Elizabeth CROWDER was born in 1840 in Bluestone, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. She 1st married 1st 26 Jul 1882 to Edmund A. DAVES/DAVIS. She married 2nd in 1898 to Thomas Poultney BRUCE [1825-1907]. Lucy E. (CROWDER) BRUCE died 28 Jul 1921 in Bluestone, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, and was buried in the Crowder-Bouldin Family Cemetery in Clarksville, Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
Charles Bertram and Mary Alice (MOORE) CROWDER, Sr. had one child.1-1-1-1. Charles Bertram CROWDER, Jr.Charles Bertram and Bertha Pauline (JORDON) CROWDER, Sr. had children.1-1-1-2. Alice Pauline CROWDER [1911-1912]1-1-2. Susie Shelton CROWDER was born 22 Nov 1890 in Clarksville, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. She married in 1917 to William Davis BARDEN, Jr. [1877-1943]. Susie S. (CROWDER) BARDEN died 14 Aug 1969 in Richmond, Virginia, and was buried in Maury Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.
1-1-1-3. John Alfred CROWDER [1912-1979]
1-1-1-4. Ashby Bland CROWDER [1915-1974]
1-1-1-5. Sarah Helen CROWDER [1920-1987] married Frank D. SHARP.
1-1-1-6. James Warren CROWDER [1925-1979]
1-1-1-7. Florence Evelyn CROWDER [1927-1929]
William Davis and Susie Shelton (CROWDER) BARDEN, Jr. had children.1-1-2-1. Elsie Mae BARDEN [1919-1921]
1-1-2-2. Phyllis Lee BARDEN [1923-1993] married Lacy Giles GUILL.
1-1-2-3. Stuart Jefferson BARDEN [1925-2008]
1-1-2-4. Ray Shelton BARDEN [1932-1945]
1-3. Sarah Frances CROWDER was born 23 Jul 1843. She married in 1866 to Rev. Wesley Childs VADEN [1841-1909]. Sarah F. (CROWDER) VADEN died 27 Feb 1908 and was buried in Greenlawn Memorial Park, Newport News, Virginia.
Rev. Wesley C. and Sarah F. (CROWDER) VADEN had children.1-3-1. Wesley Carroll VADEN [1866-1937]1-4. Martha Susan "Sue" CROWDER was born 4 Feb 1846 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. She married in 1867 to Maj. William Dozier SHELTON [1836-1913]. Sue (CROWDER) SHELTON died 8 Nov 1910 in Jeffress, Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
1-3-2. Sallie Floyd VADEN [1868-1935] married Rev. George W. WRAY.
1-3-3. Ruth Sinclair VADEN [1873-1949] married Marvin McTyeire PARKS, Sr.
1-3-4. Arthur Garyson VADEN [1873-1944]
1-3-5. Mary Marvin VADEN [1876-1911]
1-3-6. Garland Munsey VADEN [1878-1936]
1-3-7. Helen Claire VADEN [1887-1948]
William D. and Sue (CROWDER) SHELTON had children.1-4-1. James Alex SHELTON [1872-1921]1-5. Nelson Harper CROWDER was born 16 Aug 1848 in Abbeyville, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. He married in 1871 to Angelina Dabney BOULDIN [1847-1929]. Nelson H. CROWDER died 17 Aug 1923 in Blueston, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, and was buried in the Crowder-Bouldin Family Cemetery in Clarksville, Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
1-4-2. William David SHELTON [1875-1944]
1-4-3. John Harper "Jack" SHELTON [1993-1933]
1-4-4. Sallie Sue "Lucy" SHELTON [1884-1988]
1-4-5. Leonard Vaden SHELTON [1886-1908]
Nelson Harper and Angelina (BOULDIN) CROWDER had children.1-5-1. William Bouldin CROWDER [1872-1872]1-6. Alexander Bascom CROWDER, Jr. was born 4 Feb 1855 in Virginia. He married 10 Nov 1886 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, to Sarah Katherine HUMPHREYS. A. B. CROWDER, Jr., died 3 Jan 1935 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, and was buried in the Crowder-Bouldin Family Cemetery in Clarksville, Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
1-5-2. Annie Martha CROWDER [1874-1955] married Edward Rawlings MOORE.
1-5-3. John Nelson CROWDER [1877-1944]
1-5-4. Bouldin CROWDER [1879-1967]
1-5-5. Walter Scott CROWDER [1881-1970]
1-5-6. Alma Maude CROWDER [1888-1974] married James Oliver WINN.
1-5-7. Herbert B. CROWDER [1890-1890]
1-5-8. Carol CROWDER [1895-1895]
1-5-9. Beryl Hope CROWDER [1902-1902]
Alexander B. and Sarah K. (HUMPHREYS) CROWDER, Jr., had children.1-6-1. Thomas Fletcher CROWDER [1887-1959]
1-6-2. Alex Bascom CROWDER [1888-1894]
1-6-3. Otis Bland CROWDER [1898-1988]
1-6-4. Isabel Gladys CROWDER [1904-1999] married in 1931 to Samuel Hiram CALLENDER.
1-6-5. Herbert CROWDER
1-6-6. Richard Boyd CROWDER
1-6-7. Howard Hanson CROWDER
1-6-8. Carol CROWDER
1-6-9. Atlee Bryan CROWDER
1-6-10. Lelia Elizabeth CROWDER
1-6-11. Beryl Hope CROWDER
John Crowder oak7320wood@icloud.com
FindAGrave.com
Cemetery and Tombstone Records of Mecklenburg County, Virginia, Volume I by Muncey Adams Moore
The Harness Makers by Patricia Crowder-Yaw
James Madison Crowder was born in Mecklenburg, County on Mountain Creek as was his older four siblings. His father is Littleberry Crowder on the 1820 census page 153. His grandfather is William on page 158 in 1820 and page 027 in 1830. James was working on building the railroad in 1850 so was listed in Amelia on that census as overseer when he was just 21. His wife's family, the Ashworth, were also from Lunenburg and then Mecklenburg, County. James' Grandfather, John Crowder Sr., died in 1809, his estate March 26, 1810 Lewis Parham list, with William the father as heir. This Crowder family was in Mecklenburg before it was Mecklenburg. James was a Harness and Shoe Maker.
Pictured:
James Madison & Emily Amanda (ASHWORTH) CROWDER, both born 1829.
Francis Madison CROWDER, born 1858, baby boy on father's lap.
Alice E. CROWDER, born 1854, girl in middle.
George C. CROWDER, born 1856,
boy in front.
And, Mary ASHWORTH, born 1851, older girl standing back-center,
sister of Emily Amanda.
Contributed 2003 by Patricia Crowder-Yaw, author of The Harness Makers - a book about the Crowder Family in America
Nelson Harper CROWDER
labeled "Nelson CROWDER, Sr."
Father
John Nelson CROWDER
labeled "Nelson CROWDER, Jr."
Son
Alma Maude CROWDER
1888-1974
daughter of Nelson Harper & Angelina Dabney (BOULDIN) CROWDER
wife of James O. WINN
Contributed by Frances McGowan
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This page was last updated
07/21/2026