A letter written to a descendant of Daniel Candler ©1999 by Ed Marsh, written in March of 1999.

I have not yet read Campbell Chronicles, but I have a copy of Allan D. Candler's Colonel William Candler of Georgia, His Ancestry and Progeny, copyright 1898. I have poured over it. It has flaws and those flaws show up time and again in other books about the Candlers. After reading several works, only to discover that I was actually reading A. D. Candler's opinions again, I decided to start fresh. The reward has been great.

Permit me to relate the story of the early Candlers as I know it. You must correct me if you see errors. I will try to keep the facts and speculation apart.

The earliest documented record of Daniel Candler in America is the 1755 royal grant from King George II. The survey that was registered in 1755 must have been completed before 1753 (when Bedford County was separated from Albemarle and Lunenburg). Since Daniel's sons were surveyors and appraisers, it's likely that he taught them the skills (the North Carolina branch claims that his initials are carved on survey stones all over Virginia). It is likely that Daniel did the survey himself. Ten years later, he died.

According to Mrs. Douglass Summers Brown's book Lynchburg Pioneer Quakers and their Meeting-House, Charles Lynch, Sr. and wife Sarah Clark of Louisa County were the first to settle at South River. Lynch acquired "Chestnut Hill Plantation" through a Royal Land Grant dated 1749. This excerpt says,

"...Successors do give grant and confirm unto Charles Lynch one certain Tract or Parcel of Land containing two hundred and thirty three Acres lying and being in the County of Albemarle on a branch of Black Water Creek known as Rock Castle Branch and bounded as followith to wit, Beginning at a white Oak and running..."

-- Interestingly, John Candler, Sr. bought this land from Charles Lynch in August of 1759.

Charles Lynch, Sr. died c1752. His will was probated in Louisa County, but Sarah and her children were situated in South River and there they stayed. In August of 1754, Friends at South River, "gathering at the Lynch home, petitioned for the right to establish an organized public meeting. Thus, South River Particular Meeting was set out on its long history. It was not until 1757 that the first log meeting house was built, on the land given by Sarah Lynch, and made ready for occupancy.

... in 1757, in unity with another meeting which had been established at Goose Creek, South River Monthly Meeting was established..." - [D. S. B.]

Before the Monthly Meeting could be sanctioned, someone would have to travel from Cedar Creek to South River to scrutinize the "life-style" of the Friends there. Three men were selected and, lucky for us, one of them (Robert Pleasants) kept a journal of the entire journey. It reads, "Agreeable to the order of the Quarterly Meeting of the 4th month, 1757, set out on second day the 7th of 11th month and came to Richmond being Henrico Court day where I met with Jno Crew; we lodged at Jos: Elam's (15 miles). ...7th day ye 12th, Breakfasted at Chas. Linches thence to Sarah Linches where we lodged (12 miles)."

Pleasants was referring to Chas. Lynch, Jr. who lived on the present-day Amherst Co, side - from whence his ferry crossed to the "wilderness side" of the James. Across the river and up the hill to Sarah's home Pleasants traveled, then down the Salem Turnpike to Bedford Courthouse (present-day New London) and out to the Friends at Goose Creek.

From home, Pleasants had traveled - "(Total for outward journey, 200 miles)."

"(Return journey) - 4th day of the week & 16th of the month was at Richd. Turner's where we breakfasted thence to Jno Hampton's & after to the new meeting house & afterwards to Jno. Ecles' (8 miles).

5th day ye 17 to a meeting appointed by Jno. Ecles at a House of John Pains' near Bedford Court House thence to Daniel Candler's (25 miles)."

If you take the Virginia map and measure twenty-five miles from New London toward Lynchburg, you will find your end-point at Candler's Mountain -- just as Robert Pleasants did 242 years ago.

Quaker records show that: In 1755, William, Robert, and Eleanor Candler, of Bedford Co, were taken into the Society of Friends (Cedar Creek MM). I suspect that this Robert was actuality our John Candler, Sr. In 1756, Daniel himself was "taken under care of Friends". -- Hinshaw, v.6

References to these Candlers in the records of South River Meeting proper are misleading:

• 1759, 8, 18. Daniel [Chandler's] name first appeared when he served on committee;
• 1763, 8, 20. William received by request;
• 1758, 7, 15. John [Chandler] received by request.
• 1758, 7, 15. Elizabeth (Caffrey) received by request

Taken at face value, these references seem to imply no earlier membership in the Society, but this is incorrect (as shown above).

I find no record of Daniel's wife Hannah or son Zedekiah, b. c1747, d. after 1816, having ever joined the Quaker church. Most researchers will argue this point at least with respect to Hannah, saying that there are several references to Ann Candler being at South River Quaker weddings. I doubt that these references were to Hannah Candler.

1] Zedekiah married Ann (Anna) Moorman in 1772 and all these wedding references come from after their wedding. 2] Non-Friends were allowed at weddings, and Zed was often in attendance at these functions also. 3] Anna Moorman was disowned by Friends for marrying "out of unity", meaning that she married a non-Quaker -- Zed. 4] Daniel's will says, "to my loving wife Hannah", and other old letters say "Hannah" was her name.

I think the idea that Hannah was sometimes called Anna or Anne comes from this misunderstanding about Zed's wife Anna Candler. Myth has been that Zed and Anna went to North Carolina. There are records of the settling of Anna Moorman Candler's estate in Bedford County after 1805 and Zed was selling slaves in the 1810's, also in Bedford Co. Their children's weddings were in Bedford and spread between 1790 and 1803. I think they stayed in Bedford County, at least as their primary residence.

Allan D. Candler insisted that, according to legend, Hannah was an Irish Catholic; if so, it's likely that she so remained.

WEBMASTER'S NOTE: I will save our ancestor John Candler, Sr. till last and briefly cover the other children of Daniel and Hannah.

Elizabeth Candler, b.c1733, d. after 1791, married to John Caffrey (c1722-1790) prior to joining Friends in 1758. She survived John in death appearing as executrix of his will in 1791. John was the son of Charles and Sarah Caffrey. Charles Caffrey was John Candler's next-door-neighbors on Lynches Creek in 1761 (the northwestern foot of Candlers Mountain). There were seven children listed on Johns will.

It is thanks to this Candler that so much has been written. I will not try to add too much to that body of knowledge except to say that the comments of his descendants, when they have referred to Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland Candlers, have often been in error. William's life in Virginia merits a few remarks.

William Candler (1736-1784) began his young adult life full of energy. He must have been a strong and attractive man. He obviously commanded respect and had natural leadership abilities. At around age 20, he was elected as the clerk of South River Monthly Meeting. He was the leader of the Goose Creek Meeting, and when the Indian War pushed those settlers back into more settled areas for a time, he took action.

In August of 1760, at Fort Lewis in Salem, VA, Wm. struck an agreement (with one Joseph Ray of Augusta County - merchant) to bring supplies to a garrison at Dunkards Bottoms on the New River. By 1764, he was being sued in Augusta County Court (much of western VA at that time) for breach of contract. The testimony of several witnesses to the deal was given and is recorded still in Chalkey's, Chronicles of the Scotch Irish Settlement. Candler had never arrived with the supplies and Ray was asking for damages.

Why had Wm. Candler failed to deliver the goods? William's life was getting complicated. In May or early June of 1761, the 25 year-old clerk of the Quaker meeting married 14 year-old Elizabeth Anthony (b. March 10, 1747). The bride's parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Clark Anthony, were furious.

At the June 20th monthly meeting, it was ordered that "Testifications" be drawn; one against William for marrying contrary to discipline; and one against Elinor [Candler] for accompanying her brother. On August 15th, 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" This marriage must have caused quite a stir in the neighborhood.

William was reinstated in 1763. He asked Friends to conclude his business in 1766 (just after Daniels death), and moved to Georgia. Wm. and Eliz. had 11 children.

This second daughter of Daniel and Hannah was born c1739 and died in 1790. She married Byrum Ballard (1740-1817) in August of 1763. Byrum was the son of Wm. Ballard (1715-c1793) and Mary Byrum (1710-1765) who married at Cedar Creek Monthly Meeting in 1739. After Mary Byrum Ballard died, William married Rachel Moorman Clark (1714-1792) in 1768 at South River. It just so happens that my wife, Martha Alice Forbes, is a descendant of this Ballard family.

William Ballard's great-grandfather, Thomas Ballard (1630-1689), migrated to Jamestown in the 1640's and was quite prominant. He served as head of the House of Burgesses, and gave the land on which William and Mary College was built.

Byrum Ballard's birth was registered at Cedar Creek in Hanover Co. The family moved to Cane Creek Monthly Meeting in NC, and later to South River. Elloner Candler (and brother Wm.) held certifcates from South River to attend this Carolina meeting. Wherever Byrum and Elloner met, they married at South River. They were both listed as ministers (which in Quaker circles meant especially inspired Christians -- Freinds opposed preaching and taking money for religious "work" of any sort). Byrum and Elloner had 6 children.

Zedekiah Candler

Daniel Candler's will of 1765 states:

"...if the s'd Zedikiah Candler Shall Leave my Wife Hannah Candler Without her Consent Till he Arrives at the age of Twenty Years or Married..."

This shows that Zed was not yet twenty in 1765. Therefore, the earliest date for his birth would be 1746. This means that the Candler Legends that refer to him as owning thousands of acres of land on Candlers Mountain at this very time (1760's) must be fiction. It also means that the NC Candler legend that his son Zacheriah Candler was married and living in North Carolina by 1778 is false.

Facts: Zed married Anna Moorman in April of 1772 in Bedford Co, VA. She was disowned for marrying "out of unity." Zed was not a Quaker.

I don't see that he ever was. I find Bedford County marriage records for 5 daughters and one son (which dates fall between 1790 and 1803). This and the record of their attendance at various community events argue that the Candler Legend about Zed and Anna moving to present-day Asheville NC is just a myth.

Our direct descendant, John Candler was born c1730 and died in 1802. Allan D. Candler said that Col. William Candler (1736-1784) of GA was the oldest son of his father -- not likely. As stated above, the Robert Candler who joined Friends in 1755 was probably our John. There is no further mention of any Robert Candler or C(h)andler in all of VA Quaker records. This argues my point.

John Candler married Elizabeth Gibson, d. bef. 1801, (daughter of James, d. 1765, and Elloner Gibson). Some say that Quaker records date this marriage in 1762. The records of South River do show that John married, but they don't say to whom or when. The record shows: "___,__,____, John Candler, m._____________".

There is a citation for John in that year: "1762, 8, 21. Benjamin (Johnson) & John Chandler employed to put up an addition to South River meetinghouse; first time Benj. Johnson's name appeared in these minutes; the next mo they were continued on same project." - Hinshaw

To conceive of John as having married Eliz. in 1762 is to miss by a long shot. John's first-born son, arrived in 1751 (Wm. so testified in his Revolutionary War pension application in 1832 - at Age 82).

William Candler (1751-1830's) is said to have married Agnes Guthrie, b. c1757. If so, he married into the same family as his sister Jane (below). According to Robt. A. Russell, it is family legend that Wm. was at Yorktown but never fired a shot. Russell said we don't know if it was because he was a Quaker or because his musket was "out of fix." On the other hand, the battle of Yorktown was "short-circuited" by the arrival of the French Fleet in the Chesapeake, so many soldiers who were there "never fired a shot."

In 1835, the name of William Candler of Campbell Co, VA appeared on a list of Revolutionary War soldiers who were entitled to bounty land for service, but never claimed any. Perhaps William didn't want to receive land for killing.

Daniel Candler, second son, was born about 1753. He was the Daniel to whom the famous 1779 Grant (with Thom. Jefferson's signature attached) was issued. Daniel moved to Montgomery County, Maryland by 1783 where he first appears on tax records. On the 1790 Federal Census, Maryland schedule, he is listed as having two sons 16 or older and one son and daughter under 12. To have two children 16 or over, he had to have married c1773 - at age 20.

He was mentioned in an 1808 Campbell Co, VA deed. James Candler of Campbell Co, VA, was buying land on Candlers Mountain from Daniel Candler of Montgomery County, Maryland; and William Candler and James Guthrie of Campbell Co, VA. James Guthrie was the husband of Jane Candler, the sister of these Candler men. Likely, this was land inherited from their father John, Sr. after his death in 1802 -- see "James Candler" below.

On the 1810 Fed. Census, Montgomery County heads of household included 1] Rosanna, 2] John, and 3] William Candler. I assume that Daniel died between 1808-10 and that Rosanna, John and William were wife and sons. No word on who the other son and daughter were, but in 1820, on the Fed. Census of Campbell Co, VA; there was a Daniel Candler, Jr. whose father I can't figure out. This Daniel, Jr. lived next door to William Candler, age 70. A search of MD records might shed light on who the other two children were and where they went.

James Candler (1756-1826) was the third son of John and Elizabeth Gibson Candler. The Quaker records state that he was 70 years old when he died in 1826. This was my first clue that the 1762 marriage date for James' parents had to be wrong (I hadn't yet heard of William and Daniel). James requested Friends membership in his own behalf in 1782 (the same year that his father was readmitted among Friends after having been dismissed for quarreling and drinking to excess in March of 1767).

I suspect that John, Sr. was quarrelling over the Stamp Act (1765) and the coming storm of Revolution. It is curious that he was dismissed just when the rebellion began and recanted just after the War. Was this superb woodsman, surveyor, appraiser, and builder serving with childhood friend, Charles Lynch, in western Virginia?

Just before Christmas in 1785, James requested a certificate of good standing at South River to take to Louisa County. On January 16th, he married Agnes Johnson in the home of the bride's parents, James Johnson and Lucy Mildred Moorman. James Johnson was the son of Scots immigrant John Johnston and Lucretia Massie; and Lucy, the daughter of Andrew Moorman, Sr. and Susannah (prob. Reynolds).

Both families were early Henrico Co, Quaker stock. It is quite possible that Andrew Moorman, Sr. was the grandson of Mary Candler who married Capt. Moorman in Ireland. If so, then James and Agnes might both be descendants of Lt. Col. Wm. Candler of Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland.

James and Agnes had 7 children who they raised on Candlers Mountain. One-by-one each was disowned by the Quakers (mostly for military service).

Jane Candler (c1758-1807) married James Guthrie (1757-1848) in Bedford County in 1778. Shortly after Jane's death in 1807, James Guthrie sold Jane's inheritance of Candler Mountain land to James Candler and moved to Ohio (see deed of 1808 under Daniel Candler above).

James and Jane Guthrie had 10 children. Some moved to Highland County, Ohio with their father and some stayed in Campbell Co.

Hannah Candler (daughter of John says the Bedford County marriage book) married Douglass Irby on 2 Jan 1782. I have not been able to find any more on this couple.

John Candler, Jr. (1765-1832)

The Quaker record says, " 1] John, born 1766, 2, 9." In a wonderful stroke of luck, I have made the acquaintance of several descendants of John Candler, Jr. who are enthusiastic genealogists. They sent me this copy from The Candler Stovall Bible as proof that the Friends were off by a year.

John, Jr. married Dorothy Stovall (1778-1855) on 24 July 1799. John had already relocated to Russell Co and been disowned by Friends for owning a slave and inattendance. Dorothy was the daughter of George (1695-1786) and Elizabeth Landon (1736-1812) Stovall (his second wife), wealthy land- and slave- owners.

John, Jr. and Dorothy had 11 children, and are buried in the Candler Cemetery near Hansonville, Russell Co, VA. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there is a Candler, VA and that is the true location of the cemetery, but cousins tell me that it is only a deserted crossroads. However, they climbed up the rugged mountain terrain and found the untended graves of their ancestors, and it was good for them.

Henry was the baby boy of Elizabeth and John Candler, and if john, Jr. was a "hellian", Henry was so in spades. Friends reprimanded Henry for refusing to take responsibility for an illegitimate child he had fathered, but he was disowned for military service before the child issue was settled. I can find nothing more on Henry except a Campbell Co, estate inventory dated 13 Oct 1806 -- died at 37 years.

In 1801, John Candler, Sr. married Penelope Guthrie the mother-in-law of two of his children (William and Jane). For this marriage, he was (for a second time) disowned by Friends. In 1802 John died. Penelope Candler appears in the 1810 Fed. Census, but by that of 1820, she too was gone.

Penelope Johnson married Henry Guthrie (1726-1786) in Louisa County in 1755. Her parents were Benjamin Johnson and Agnes Clark (daughter of Christopher Clerk and Penelope Johnson). Christopher Clark was the grandson of Mary Candler and Capt. Moorman of Belfast, Ireland. Here is yet another connection to the Irish Candlers.

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