Buckingham Notables: John Horsley, Part Two

Need to catch up? Click here: Buckingham Notables: John Horsley, Part One

On March 13, 1836, the property of John Horsley was auctioned at Elk Mills in Amherst County, Virginia. Some of his land lay in Buckingham County and was described in the Lynchburg Virginian as follows:

On the Buckingham side, there are three very good dwelling houses — about 150 acres of this Land, including the Islands, is James River Bottom, of great fertility. The high Land is rolling, but most of it is very productive, well watered, and lies on a bed of Limestone. Immense water-power may be had at trifling expense. . . . This tract of Land runs down to the town of Bent Creek, on Buckingham side. . . .

A Lumber House at the mouth of Bent Creek, 26 feet square, first story stone, balance framed.

Another tract of land in Buckingham County, the joining Mrs. Perkins, Mr. F. Cabell and others, contained 1,100 acres. According to the advertisement, there were “too small settlements” on the property, one of them included a new dwelling house. This tract was heavily timbered, with a creek passing through it, large enough for either a saw or gristmill. Located ½ mile from the James River and not more than two miles from two public landings, one of which was opposite Greenway and the other within sight of the Tye River Warehouse.

There were two additional small pieces of land in Buckingham. One contained 100 acres and adjoined Mr. James Patteson. The other, located near Bent Creek, had been purchased from Hail T. Freeland.

Tax records reveal that one man named John Horsley, miller, paid taxes in Buckingham County from 1821-1840, and lived in Amherst County from 1831-1839. There are however, multiple John Horsleys owning property in Buckingham at the same time.

There were also 1,000 acres of land in Greenbrier County, miscellaneous tracks in Nelson and Amherst counties, and four lots in the city of Richmond. It is unknown how much of this sold the day of the auction.

Coming next: John Horsley’s Personal Property