Notarized Pickens family-Bible record copied at Philippi, W. Va., 28 September 1953
Book 1, Page 649 ·1747–1953
Transcription
A typed single-sheet affidavit on plain paper, with handwritten ink additions and a notarial stamp at the foot.
[Typed upper right:]
28 September 1953 Philippi, W. Va.
[Typed body:]
To Whom It May Concern:
The following record of births and deaths, etc., is copied from the family Bible belonging to Mr. and Mrs. James Pickens, Philippi, W. Va., (James Pickens was the son of Alexander Pickens):
[Tabular section. Column headings — the rightmost column was originally typed “Relationship of each to / Mrs. Anna Walker Modisette” but has been extended by handwritten ink to read “AND JAMES PICKENS WALKER”:]
BORN DIED AGE Relationship of each to Mrs. Anna Walker Modisette AND JAMES PICKENS WALKER James Pickens Jan. 5 1817 — Jan. 22, 1887 Grandfather Anne M. Pickens July 31, 1825 — May 11, 1899 Grandmother Alexander H. Pickens Nov. 18, 1842 — Oct. 12, 1868 Uncle John D. Pickens Jan. 1, 1845 — Dec. — 1916 Uncle Rachel Margret Pickens Nov. 6, 1849 — Aunt Charity M. Pickens Jan. 12, 1854 — Aunt Emma D. Pickens March 10, 1856 — Mch. 30, 1933 Mother Fanny Virginia Pickens Sept. 23, 1858 — Feb. 7, 1940 Aunt Mollie Pickens Oct. 8, 1860 — Oct. 1, 1949 Aunt Dever Pickens Sept. 18, 1863 — Sept. 26, 1945 Uncle
(The above eight persons were the children of Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Pickens.)
[Continued:]
Alexander Pickens — Apr. 2, 1847 — Great-Grandfather
Margaret Pickens (his wife) — Dec. 18, 1863 — Great-Grandmother
[The “Apr. 2, 1847” date on this typescript appears to be a transposition error for 1797 — page 646 of this same album records Alexander Pickens as “D. April 2nd 1797”, which is genealogically consistent with the patriarch (great-grandfather) being a generation older than 1817.]
The following is the family of Mrs. Anne M. Pickens (Mrs. James Pickens):
James Dever 1788 — July 28, 1866 Great-Grandfather [interlined in pencil: “GRITCHFIELD” beneath “James Dever”; “78 Yrs. 4 Mo. 28 days”] Rachel Dever (his wife) 1777 — June 15, 1836 Great-Grandmother [interlined in pencil: “57 Yrs. old”] John Dever (thier son) May 29, 1846 Great Uncle Chairty Dever Nichol (Daughter) Sept. 22, 1898 Great Aunt
Rebecca Stewart Pickens — wife of Alexander Pickens — brother of James Pickens. May 6, 1852 Age 32 Yrs.
[Signed in blue-black ink at lower-centre:]
Anna Walker Modisette
[Typed beneath:]
Acknowledged before the subscriber, this 28th day of September 1953.
[Notary signature and embossed seal, lower right:]
W. D. Corder Notary Public My Commission Expires January 15, 1960
AI Notes
A typewritten single-sheet affidavit on plain paper, dated 28 September 1953, Philippi, W. Va., headed “To Whom It May Concern”. It certifies that the births and deaths listed are copied from the family Bible of Mr. and Mrs. James Pickens, Philippi, W. Va. The “Relationship of each to” column on the typed sheet originally read only “Mrs. Anna Walker Modisette”, but a handwritten ink annotation has been added: “AND JAMES PICKENS WALKER” — extending the certificate to recognise the compiler’s husband James Pickens Walker Sr. (1883–1960, the compiler Amy’s husband) as a relative of the same Pickens line. Anna Walker Modisette has signed in pen at the foot of the page; the notarial certificate is signed and stamped by W. D. Corder, Notary Public (commission expiring 15 January 1960).
Notable details on the affidavit: (1) the relationship column is jointly to “Mrs. Anna Walker Modisette AND JAMES PICKENS WALKER” (handwritten ink addition over the typed line) — the certificate was supplied to BOTH Modisette and to Hunter McEwan’s grandfather James Pickens Walker Sr., establishing the genealogical connection from his side too; (2) Fanny Virginia Pickens d. Feb. 7, 1940; (3) Mollie Pickens d. Oct. 1, 1949; (4) Alexander Pickens (great-grandfather) — Apr. 2, 1847 is the typed reading on this affidavit, though page 646 gives 1797 (the patriarch); the 1847 reading on this typescript appears to be a typographical error for 1797 (per p646 the deceased was born long before 1747 and died well before 1847); (5) the surname GRITCHFIELD is handwritten in pencil under “James Dever 1788” — Critchfield, the maiden name of Rachel Dever (matches p646); (6) interlined corrections also give James Dever as “b. 1786, 78 Yrs. 4 Mo. 28 days” and Rachel Dever (his wife) born 1777, age 57 yrs old at death; (7) “Chairty” preserved as misspelled in original (the typist’s error for “Charity”).
The handwritten ink addition “AND JAMES PICKENS WALKER” to the relationship-column heading is the key annotation on this document — the affidavit was prepared for Anna Walker Modisette but the album-compiler (or whoever obtained the copy on James Pickens Walker Sr.'s behalf) has annotated it to claim the same kin relationships for him. James Pickens Walker Sr. (1883–1960) was the compiler Amy FitzSimons Walker’s husband and Hunter McEwan’s great-grandfather; his mother Emma Dee Pickens (1856–1933) — listed in the typed table as “Mother” of Anna Walker Modisette — was in fact his mother too, making him Modisette’s sibling. The GRITCHFIELD/Critchfield pencil note links to page 646’s Dever genealogy.