The CANDLER Neighborhood, ©1999 by Ed Marsh

By 1753, Daniel and Hannah Candler were living on Fishing Creek just south of James River. A Royal Land Grant [13 June, 1755, Virginia Patents #32, 1752-1756, pg.575] was issued to Daniel C(h)andler, but it was our Daniel Candler. John Candler is listed in the Bedford County, VA Order Book in 1754 as living along Blackwater Road. In 1759 [Bedford County Deeds], John bought the original Charles Lynch Grant of 1749 on Rockcastle Branch of Blackwater Creek. Joseph Anthony received a grant on Fishing Creek in 1760 which shared property lines with "Daniel Chandler and William Chandler." William Candler's Royal Grant [11 July, 1761, Virginia Patents 33, 1756-61, pg.1034] states that his land on Fishing Creek shares a boundary-line with that of Daniel Candler.

One document away from William's Grant, one finds a grant to John Candler [VA Patents #33, on pg.1036, also dated July the 11^th]. John's land was just over the hill from William's and Daniel's, lying on Lynches Creek (which no longer bears that name being, at present, a branch of Blackwater Creek which flows westerly down from Candlers Mountain into in the city of Lynchburg). I found Lynches Creek on the Ludwig Buchloltz 1859 map of Campbell County [Map Collection, Virginia Library and Archives]. The grants states that John Candler's land bounded on that of Charles Caffery (although I can't find a grant to Caffery in the archives). Joseph Anthony also received a Grant on Lynches Creek in 1760. Benjamin Johnson and Zachariah Moorman also had grants in this area.

A 1787 deed of sale from Christopher Anthony (son of Joseph Anthony and Elizabeth Clark) to John Lynch (son of Charles Lynch and Sarah Clark) says "...bounded by Daniel and William Candler's now Achilles Douglass' corner..." [Bedford Co. Deed Book (#1 ?) pg.281, Dec. 8, 1787]. Thus we know that by 1787, the Candlers had "removed" (as they used to say) to new locations.

Before we "remove", let me reflect on this "neighborhood". The Candlers, Anthonys, Lynches, Clarks, and Douglasses were all Quaker families, worshipping at South River Monthly Meeting. Joseph and Elizabeth Anthony's young daughter, 14 year-old Elizabeth Anthony (b. March 10, 1747), married neighbor William Candler in May or early June of 1761. William, 25 years old at the time, was the clerk of the Quaker Meeting. At the June 20^th monthly meeting, it was ordered that "Testifications" be drawn up [Quaker Record..., F. E. Wright]; one against William for marrying contrary to discipline; and one against Elinor for accompanying her brother. On August 15^th , he was discowned for being "married by a priest". William's sister "Elloner Chandler, condemned her misconduct in accompanying her brother, Wm., in his disorderly marry" [Hinshaw, Encylopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, vol.6, pg.295]. This marriage must have caused quite a stir in the neighborhood.

The Candlers who remained in Campbell County (separated from Bedford in 1782) were systematically moving southeasterly, up onto the mountain that already bore their name.

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