Buckingham County Obituaries, Part II
In the autumn of 1837, Richmond’s Enquirer published several obituaries reported from Buckingham County. Click here for Buckingham County Obituaries, Part I.
Reported deaths included:
— Also, Capt. Robert Hill, a resident of our Court house; the gentleman a very fine character, of amiable and bland disposition, courteous manners, and generally much esteemed by his acquaintances. He has left a young and amiable widow to lament her early deprivation.
— Also, Lion E. Hooper, merchant, of Curdsville, in the prime of life, of breast affection. Mr. Hooper was much esteemed, and deservedly so, through the circle of his acquaintance, as an upright, just man, of fair prospects, but nipped by untimely death. He has left an amiable widow and several young children to bewail their great loss.
—Also, George Carter, a deserving, valuable man, in the prime of life, with a scrofulous disease, leaving a young widow to lament her heavy bereavement.
In the 19th century, scrofulous, a specific form of tuberculosis, was particularly prevalent among slaves in Buckingham County, however, it affected the entire population.
If a Slate River Rambling reader can expand on the lives of Messrs. Hill, Hooper, or Carter, please comment.
Coming next: Buckingham County Obituaries, Part III
slate river ramblings . . . . 
Dear Reader,
The death of Lion E. Hooper is of special interest to me–and possibly other readers. He was Lionel Elcan Hooper–named for his uncle, Lionel Elcan. Lion E. Hooper was born at “Oakland,” the son of Capt. Stephen Hooper and grandson of Col. George Hooper–all of Buckingham County. Lion died leaving a widow, Elizabeth Austin Rives–first cousin to U. S. Sen. William Cabell Rives. He left two sons: Henry Rives and Benjamin Stephen. The former was Maj. Henry R. Hooper of Farmville who served for many years as Clerk of the Court for Prince Edward County. He was survived by children including Mrs. Mary Archer Hooper McClaugherty, wife of the attorney Bernard McClauherty of Bluefield, West Virginia. The latter was Lion’s son Ben, who was commonly known as Congressman Ben Hooper of Farmville. He represented Virginia’s 5th Congressional District in Congress in the 1880’s. He married the former Sallie Holman, and they had two sons: Dr. Hooper of Paris and the Mayor of Covington–neither left children.
Harry Stuart Holman
Harry, Many thanks for your thoughtful and detailed comment about Lion E. Hooper. I’m glad that to know his name was Lionel. Joanne
Both Robert Hill and George Carter turn up in my research. Of course, it’s difficult to be certain whether my ancestor, Robert Hill is the very same one mentioned in the obituaries you’ve posted here. I have images of a Bible record with the marriage date of my Robert Hill, as well as a silhouette portrait of him. I am happy to share these images with you if you like. His daughter, Jane P. Hill married into the Brightwell family of Prince Edward County, Virginia. Here is a link to the FHL index card recording his D.O.B. and D.O.M.: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9PXH-SMH7?i=155&cc=1932510 I don’t have a birth or death date for my George Carter. His wife was Nancy Guill born about 1756 in Prince Edward County. Her sister married the brother of the Brightwell gentleman who married Robert Hill’s daughter, Jane. Robert Hill’s grandson-in-law, John G. Brown purchased property from a George Carter located in Prince Edward County in 1849. That property was conveyed by John Brown’s father, Littleberry, to George Carter a decade earlier. The Browns came from David’s Creek, once located in the part of Buckingham County that is now in Appomattox County, just north of the old Courthouse. (Obviously, this George Carter was alive and kicking in 1835.) Again, I am happy to share my research notes with you if you think my Robert Hill and George Carter may be the gentlemen mentioned in these obituaries.
Nancy, Many thanks for your thoughtful and interesting comments about Robert Hill and George Carter. I don’t know any more about these men or how they might connect to each other. More may turn up to help you verify that this is your Robert Hill. Joanne