Descendants of Robert Means

Stony Run Looking north from County Road No.1 where Stony Run intersects with Hackers Creek. Stony Run is located in the Hackers Creek District of Lewis County, West Virginia. Robert Means paid taxes on 170 acres on Stony Run from 1811 until 1832. We assume he lived in this area, since his children married into other families in this neighborhood, which spans from today's Jane Lew east to Berlin.

Robert Means was born about 1766 in County Tyrone, Ireland, and died ca 1840-1849 probably in Lewis County, (West) Virginia. He married (1) Jane Neeley about 1784 in Hampshire County, (West )Virginia. She was born about 1766, and died about 1791 in Monongalia County, West Virginia. He married (2) Mary Henry about 1792, daughter of Aaron Henry and Rebecca Burrell. She was born about 1773, and died before 1826 in Hacker's Creek, Lewis County, (West) Virginia. He married (3) Mrs. Margaret Linger in 1826 in Lewis County, (West) Virginia.  The marriage bond for his third marriage was signed March 20, 1826 in Lewis County. Bondsmen were Gideon  D. Camden and Jacob Cozad Jr. (Bk2p90). There is no known issue from the third  marraige. Margaret Means died in 1849 in Lewis County, (West) Virginia.

Robert and Jane are believed to have had four children before Jane's death. Robert Means' second wife, Mary Henry (1763-1825), was the daughter of Aaron and Rebecca Burrell Henry. Robert and Mary had 11 children. The marriage bond for Robert's third marriage was signed March 20, 1826 in Lewis County. Bondsmen were Gideon D. Camden and Jacob Cozad Jr. (Bk2p90). There is no known issue from the third marriage. Margaret Means, the third wife, died of jaundice in June 1850 and was listed as a widow in the 1850 Lewis County Mortality Schedule.

According to the book, "Means Family of America", edited by Elizabeth Cissell Foglesong, Robert Means ran away from his home in Ireland and came to America when he was 18.

There are two stories as to the reason for his emigration. According Nancy Allman in her book "The Leaseburg Family", Robert did not want to marry the girl his parents had chosen for him. Allman wrote that Robert's father, whose name is as yet unknown, considered himself to be a rich man, having nine tenants and holding a 99-year lease on his farm in County Tyrone, Ireland. The father wanted Robert to marry for wealth and position. Instead, Robert wished to marry another girl, who was poor according to his father's standards. (Some researchers believe Jane Neely, who became Robert's first wife shortly after he arrived in America, was that girl.)

Another story, found in the book "Carter, Alkire, Kennedy, Williams and Related Families" by Judge James Carter, is that one day Robert was sent to the well to fill a very expensive pitcher with water. Robert tripped and fell, breaking the pitcher. Rather than returning to the house to face severe punishment, Robert ran away.

For whatever reason, Robert came to America about 1784, landing at the port of Boston. He then traveled to Philadelphia and later joined an uncle, Isaac Means (1732-1818), on the south branch of the Potomac, near Romney, Hampshire County, Virginia.

According to "The Means Family of America," Robert's uncle Isaac Means had come to America about 1730 (about 30 years before Robert was born), settling first in Boston, then moving to Hampshire County, where he owned a large plantation known as "The Burg." (See bottom of page.)

The name Robert Means shows up several times in early Monongalia, Harrison and Lewis County records. We cannot be positive that all references are for our Robert Means since there were other men with the same name in  the area.

In 1789, a Robert Means owned 400 acres of land on the waters of the Cheat River, according to Sims Index.

A Robert Means acquired a great deal of land as an assignee of several Revolutionary soldiers. Sims Index shows 16 land transfers to Robert Means in Harrison County, (West) Virginia, recorded between 1791 and 1795, amounting to 27, 484 acres of land. Where did he get his money? Did his wealthy father die and leave him his fortune? Did his Uncle Isaac give or loan him money or give him advice on land speculation? Or, is this Robert Means a different man?

In 1796, Robert Means and Samuel Wilson were summoned to a Monongalia County court to answer David Scott in a plea of covenant for $100 (Vol.1 p188)

Robert's name first appears on the personal property tax lists of Harrison County in 1800.

A Monongalia District Court named Robert an overseer for the road being built from the Clarksburg Road to Dent's Mill in 1802. His workers included Francis Henry, Joseph Henry, Jacob Royce, Aaron Henry "or those working on his lands", Otho Henry, David Hall, Joseph Barker and Aaron Barker.

In January 1804, Robert told the court he had not been able to complete a road leading from Clarksburg Road to intersect with the Indian Creek Road to Dent's Mill. He had been assigned another road, but asked to be relieved of that duty because of the Dent's Mill road not being completed.

An 1807 deed records a Mill Tract, referred to as "land lately occupied by Robert Means".

Robert Means was in court in 1810, over a land sale he had made in 1798, apparently without a clear title.

In 1811, Robert Means purchased 170 acres on Stony Run in now Lewis County. The stream is about a mile long, running north from Hacker's Creek. It is located immediately west of the Fairview Church, about midway between Jane Lew and Berlin. The same year he filed a lawsuit against a neighbor, Archibald Wilson, for slander. Wilson had accused Robert's 15-year-old daughter Jane Means of stealing $2 from his house. Since Jane was a minor, her father filed the slander suit. The court found that Jane had indeed been slandered and fined Wilson for damages.

Several court records ca 1812 in Monongalia County show Robert and Jacob Means, presumably his son, as road workers.

In 1817, Robert's "sled and two horses and gear" were valued at $1 a day for use in surveying a road. In 1818, he served on a Lewis County grand jury.

Robert sold 56 acres "on the waters of Hackers Creek"  to John Bonnett for $100 in 1826. The land adjoined that of John Hacker, Thomas Batton, Peter Swisher and Samuel Bonnett.

In 1827 and 1830, a Robert Means sold land on Dent's Run in Monongalia County to Pernel Knox

In 1830, Robert Means and wife, Margaret, sold 105 acres on Hackers Creek  for $100 to Holzen Kelly and in 1834, they sold eight acres on Hacker's Run to Isaac Means for $1. Lewis County Land Records show that Robert paid taxes on the land until 1832.

Robert Means applied in 1832 for a Revolutionary War pension in Lewis County, claiming three years of service during the war. His claim was rejected when three neighbors testified that Robert had told them, and they believed, that he was not even in America during the war; that he "was on the other side of the Ocean."

A deed was recorded in 1836 of Robert Means' land grant of 3,000 acres on Hacker's Creek (Deed Book F p463).

Robert Means' name appears on the membership of the Laurel Lick Church, which was organized sometime before 1838. Other members included the Tom Hinzmans, Lewis Bonnett and his wife, Mary Boram, Jacob Hinzman, William Starcher and William and John Myers.

It should be noted that Robert Means is listed on page 4 of the 1840 federal census of Lewis County, while the Glaze, Starcher, Hinzman, Wilson, Rinehart, Bonnett, Smith, Reed and Hess families are all found on page 3; all neighbors - all related through marriage to Robert's children. The families remained in the area and continue as neighbors in the 1860 and 1870 censuses.

In 1850, married daughters, Mariah Osborn, Margaret Bonnett, and Sophia Glaze, and Robert's son, Otha Means, were neighbors in the Lewis Cuonty census (Family Nos. 1470-1474)

It is also interesting to note that several of Robert Means' descendants had red hair.

Sources include: Lewis County Deed Book C, Page 229; Lewis County Deed Book E, Page 98; Lewis County Deed Book Page 38; Lewis County Tax Book 1817-1824, Pages 13, 36, 62, 89, 118, 154, 189, 223; Lewis County Tax Book 1825-1834, Pages 11, 31, 51, 89, 109, 127, 152; Lewis County Tax Book 1834-1840 (No Robert Means listed); Sims Index Page 484.

A little bit about Uncle Isaac:

The book "Historic Hampshire, A Symposium of Hampshire County" by Seldon W. Brannon, says that Isaac Means (Robert's uncle) lived at the manor house known as The Burg (See picture). The Burg, still standing, is located at the west end of Mechanicsburg Gap, three miles west of Romney on Highway 50 near the South Branch of the Potomac River. Isaac Means owned all the land west of Mill Creek to its mouth, including Mill Creek Mountain. He lived at The Burg plantation until his death in 1818.

Isaac Means had seven children: Robert, Ephraim, Isaac, Sally, Betsy, Margaret and Jane. Isaac's daughter Margaret married Edward Taylor and they eventually acquired The Burg, which later became known as the Taylor-Williams house. Today the Williams family still resides there, seventh-generation descendants of Isaac Means.

Children of Robert Means and Jane Neeley:

i. Jacob Means, born ca 1785; d around August 30, 1837 Monongalia County, (West) Virginia. He served in the War of 1812 with the 12th regiment, U.S. Infantry, for 18 months. Jacob wrote a will Jul y 6, 1812, leaving 50 cents to his father, Robert Means, 50 cents to his sister Eleanor, and named his sister, Sarah, as his executrix. He willed Sarah 71 acres of land on the head of Little Laurel Run, (now) Lewis County. He also owned land on White Day Creek. A deposition signed in December 1837 in Columbiana County, Ohio verified that Hannah Fast Leyman signed the will at his request and felt he was of sound mind at the time. Some sources say he died at Galena, Illinois. (A marriage record in Harrison County shows a Jacob Means married Elizabeth Jackson  July 4, 1798. Our Jacob would have been a teenager at the time. This Jacob's descendants have been traced to Ohio.)

ii. Robert Means, Jr., born about 1788-90 Monongalia County, Virginia, died 1822/23 at the residence of Abraham Brown, Monongalia County. Robert was single, and a cabinet maker by trade. He enlisted in 1815 in the Viriginia Militia. There is conflicting information on Robert, Jr. Perhaps there were two young men named Robert Means? One source says Robert Means died young. If this is so, then this, the second Robert Means, might have been illigitimate. He seems to have been raised in the same home as Michael Core, possibly a half-brother? Robert was about 10 years older than Core. Abraham Brown was Core's son-in-law. Robert owned about 21 acres of land on Dents Run, Monongalia Co.

iii. Eleanor Means, born about 1788 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia; died about 1850 in Buckhannon Run, Lewis County, (West) Virginia.  She married Walter Wilson December 30, 1806 Monongalia County, (West) Virginia. He was the son of George and Lydia Robey Wilson.

iv. Sarah Means, born about 1789 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia. Sarah is named in the book, "The Means Family of America." Nothing more is known about her.

Children of Robert Means and Mary Henry are:

i. Jane Means, born November 25, 1794 near Scott's Run, Monongalia County, (West) Virginia; died June 1864 in Lewis County, (West) Virginia. (Without exact marriage and death dates, we can't be sure if Jane's mother was Jane or Mary...Would Mary have named her first child after her husband's first wife?? The court case mentioned above indicates she was born 1796.)

ii. Rebecca Means, born July 29, 1796 in Harrison County, Virginia; died October 29, 1852 in Laurel Lick Run, Lewis County, West Virginia.

iii. Isaac Means, born September 30, 1798 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia; died August 27, 1856 in Morrow County, Ohio.

iv. Mary Ann "Polly" Means, born March 20, 1803 in Harrison County, (West) Virginia; died 1864.

v. Otho Means, born September 12, 1803 in Harrison County, (West) Virginia; died June 12, 1872 in Finks Creek, Lewis County, West Virginia of heart disease.

vi. Elizabeth Means, born about 1805; died January 30, 1885 in Doddridge County.

vii. Sophia Means, born May 11, 1808; died 1895 in Roane County, West Virginia.

viii. Tabitha Means, born August 9, 1808 in Virginia; died October 14, 1876 in North Cardington, Morrow County, Ohio.

ix. Mariah "Mamie" Means, born between 1809 and 1811 in Virginia; died October 11, 1895 in Lewis County, West Virginia.

	x. Margaret Means, born about 1815 in Harrison County, (West) Virginia; died February 4, 1896 in Lewis County, West Virginia. (She had red hair.)
Margaret Means Bonnett

xi. Amy "Ora" Means, born 1816; died before 1845 in Lewis County, (West) Virginia.

Robert's parentage is unknown.  One source gives the father of Isaac (1732-1818) as Isaac b 1697 in County Tyrone; his father as Isaac Means b 1670 Enniskrillen, Fermanagh, Ireland and his father as Josiah b 1616 Clonakrity, Cork, Ireland.  We have no proof, but if this line is correct, Isaac (b 1697) would be Robert's grandfather.