My Mormon Heritage

My Mormon Heritage

I am very grateful for my family heritage in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My earliest LDS ancestors were two of my great-great-grandmothers, Mary Ann MARTIN KIRBY and Mary Frances TAYLOR, and their children (my great-grandparents) Samuel Richard KIRBY and Ella Nora TAYLOR KIRBY. They all joined the Church in Albemarle County, Virginia, in the 1890s. Mary Ann was the first to be baptized, on October 20, 1890. Their joining the Church at that time and place -- where the Church was still in its infancy -- suggests a certain amount of courage on their part. The tradition in Albemarle County is that either Samuel KIRBY, or his father, Calvin M. KIRBY (who apparently did not join the Church) donated the land for the first Mormon chapel in their area.

Here is my transcription of excerpts from the early records of the "Virginia Conference" of the Church of Jesus Christ, reflecting the baptisms and other LDS ordinances involving my ancestors and some of their family members. (The term "conference," which the Church no longer uses for this purpose, referred to a large geographical area encompassing multiple congregations. The term "branch," also used below, denotes a small congregation.)

I would be delighted to hear from descendants of any of the missionaries named below!



Extract of Entries from Records of the Virginia Conference
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

[Transcriber's notes: The following entries are extracted from two different records on the same roll of microfilm in the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (microfilm #0001995). The entries in the two records overlap somewhat. Therefore, rather than listing entries from each record separately, this extract lists ordinances and other actions in chronological order, regardless of which record(s) they came from. The record from which each entry came (that is, whether "No. 1" or "No. 2") is noted by a bracketed "[1]" or "[2]" at the end of the entry.]

[Title page of first record:]

Record No. 6 No. "1"
of the Virginia Conference
Southern States Mission
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints
1884-1901
March 31st 1898

[Title page of second record:]

Record No. 2
of the
Virginia Conference
of the
Church of Jesus Christ
of
Latter Day Saints
Sept. 9, 1886



Mary Ann Kerby; born 22 Jan. 1816; baptized 20 Oct. 1890 by G.C. Allen; confirmed 20 Oct. 1890 by Macrae McDonald; Father - William Martin; Mother - Sally Dallens; Died 3 Jan. 1893. [2]

Catherine V. Kanney; born 16 Dec. 1859; baptized 20 Oct. 1890 by Geo. C. Allen; confirmed 20 Oct. 1890 by Maccrae McDonald; Father - Calvin M. Kirby; Mother - Mary Ann Martin; Post Office - Batesville. [1]

Samuel R. Kirby; born 9 Mar. 1856; baptized 1 May 1891 by Geo. C. Allen; confirmed 1 May 1891 by E.J. Eardley; Father - Calvin M. Kirby; Mother - Mary Ann Martin; Post Office - Batesville. [1]

Lucy H. Key; born 20 Jan. 1836; baptized 1 May 1891 by Geo. C. Allen; confirmed 1 May 1891 by E.J. Eardley; Father - [blank]; Mother - Mary Ann Martin; Died 8 Mar. 1900. [1]

Maria S. Wells; born 16 Jan. 1841; baptized 30 May 1891 by Geo. C. Allen; confirmed 30 May 1891 by E.J. Eardley; Father - Calvin M. Kirby; Mother - Mary Ann Martin; Post Office - Afton R.F.D. [1]

Annie E. Canody; born 7 Sep. 1865; baptized 28 Sep. 1891 by Thomas Butler; confirmed 28 Sep. 1891 by Thomas Butler; Father - Calvin M. Kirby; Mother - Mary Ann Martin; Post Office - Farina. [1]

Richard G. Kirby; born 3 Oct. 1892; blessed 25 Dec. 1892 by R.C. Harvey; Father - S.R. Kirby; Mother - Ella Taylor; Post Office - Batesville. [2]

[Transcriber's note: "Blessed" refers to another ordinance, the blessing of children, which is usually performed when a child is very young. This is not baptism; baptism is not performed until a child is eight years old.]

Batesville Branch of the Virginia Conference; organized 30 July 1893; President - Garrett A. Wells; Clerk of Branch - Samuel R. Kirby; No. of members when organized - 16; Post Office - Batesville. [1]

Batesville Sunday School of the Virginia Conference; organized 6 Aug. 1893; Superintendent - Samuel R. Kirby; Secretary - Florence Wells; No. of members when organized - 22; Post Office - Batesville. [1]

Samuel R. Kerby; Residence - Batesville; born 9 Mar. 1856; ordained a Deacon 3 May 1896 by Nathaniel Thomas. [1]

[Transcriber's note: "Deacon," as well as "teacher" (referred to below), are offices in the Priesthood. Most male Church members are ordained to an office in the Priesthood sometime after baptism. However, the fact that Samuel was called as the clerk of the branch and superintendent of the Sunday School indicates that he was one of the leaders of the branch.]

Ella Norah Kirby; born 20 May 1866; baptized 23 Sep. 1898 by Edward D. Jones; confirmed 23 Sep. 1898 by Samuel E. Taylor; Father - (unknown); Mother - Mary Francis Taylor; Post Office - Batesville. [1]

Mary Francis Taylor; date born - unknown; baptized 23 Sep. 1898 by Edward D. Jones; confirmed 23 Sep. 1898 by Samuel E. Taylor; Father - (unknown); Mother - Francis Taylor; Post Office - Dead. [1]

[Transcriber's note: "Record No. 1" also contains the baptisms of several nieces and nephews of Samuel and Ella Nora (that is, children of Samuel's siblings).]

Batesville Sunday School of the Virginia Conference; reorganized 11 Dec. 1898; Superintendent - William S. Fitzgerald; Secretary - Garet A. Wells; Post Office - Batesville. [1]

Batesville Branch of the Virginia Conference; reorganized 1 Jan. 1899; President - William S. Fitzgerald; Clerk of Branch - Samuel R. Kirby. [1]

Samuel R. Kirby; Residence - Batesville; born 9 Mar. 1856; ordained a Teacher 9 (or 1) Jan. 1899 by Ed Jones. [1,2]

Van Wallace Kirby; born 5 Jul. 1904 at Batesville; blessed 22 Nov. 1904 by H.J. Clark; Father - S.R. Kirby; Mother - Ella N. Taylor. [2]

Elsie May Kirby; born 15 Jun. 1908 at Afton, Nelson Co.; blessed 3 Jan. 1909 by William L. Shelley; Father - Samuel R. Kirby; Mother - Ella Nora Taylor. [2]

[Transcriber's note: Due to lack of time, I did not search extensively the entire listing of children blessed in "Record No. 2."]


Click here to return to my main page

Click here to return to the About Me page

Send me e-mail

Delete "NOSPAM" from the address before sending me e-mail.

This page was last updated on January 9, 2017.


This page Copyright 2002 W. Scott Simpson. All rights reserved. A person viewing this page online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. The material on this page may not otherwise be copied, duplicated, downloaded, printed, stored, transmitted, reproduced, or otherwise used, in any form or medium, except with the prior, express written permission of the author. Linking to this page, however, is encouraged. If you would like to share this page with others, please do so only by conveying the URL (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~vagenealogy/heritage.htm), and not by copying and pasting the text.