Garret VAN METER

                   or 12 Oct 1757

9 whites  4 blacks


1791 Deed:
Hite & Vanmeter Agreement

Memorandum of Agreement made and Entered into this 24th day of December One thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety One between Abraham Hite of the county of Jefferson & District of Kentucky of the one part and Isaac Vanmeter and Joseph Vanmeter both of the County of Hardy & State of Virginia of the other part. Witnesseth, that the sd. Abraham hath this day sold to the said Isaac & Joseph four Tracts of land lying on Vanmeters Mill Run Late the property of Abraham Hite Deceased and Patented in his name amounting to One thousand and fifty Acres for the Sun of Nine hundred Pounds Current money of Virginia, for and in Consideration of which the ad. Isaac & Joseph doth agree to pay to Mr. Jas. Mercer for and on Acct. of the sd. Abraham Hite Decease on or before the first day of March One thousand seven hundred and ninety three the sun of Four Hundred and Eight Pound thirteen Shillings and ten pence half penny being the amount of award against the sd. Abraham, deceased & Interest to the sd. first day of March 1793 and further the sd. Isaac & Joseph doth agree to pay to Mr. Gabriel Jones a bond of the sd. Abraham Deceased to the sd. Gabriel for Two Hundred Pounds, when the sd. Jones shall demand the same and to pay the Annual Interest thereon from the first day of April in the year One Thousand Seven hundred and Ninety Eight with legal Interest to be pd. annually from the first day of April One thousand Seven Hundred & Ninety five and the remaining part of the sd Nine hundred pounds to wit Ninety one pound Six shilling & Six penny half penny to be pd in the settlement of a bond from the said Abr. a. Hite deceased to Garret Vanmeter Deceased for the sun of One hundred and fifteen Pounds Payable the Second day of April 1788, for the true performance of the above Articles the parties bind themselves firmly by these present Witness our hands this day above written
Teste .
Isaac Cade Abr. A. Hite
William Snyder Isaac Vanmeter


1797 Letter
August 20th 1797

Mr. Isaac Van Meter


Sir
I received yesterday yours of _____ 25th Inst by Mr. Smith, Stating your pretensions to _____ SurveyÑÑ Assume the Mr. Lane you mentioned had _____ for the land he settled on within the limits of my survey, and that Lord Fairfax granted him a deed for 1550 acres adjoining in consideration of any little improvements he might have made. The one survey, which was run out about a year after the ______ or was not concidered as a part thereof nor subject to the same rules of settlement In respect to Mr. Ashbys pretension, I believe it will be in our power to prove as well by his own confessions as by other testimony, that he had simply a permission from Lord Fairfax to settle on the land and remain as long as he pleased, with a view to keep off intruders But let us even suppose for a moment that Lord Fairfax had given him permission to live on the land during his and his wifes land ÑÑ is it possible you can be of opinion that such a permission implied a power to transfer it to another? Can any man reasonably suppose that Lt. Fairfax even intended to make such ablis position of so valuable a tract of 1550 acres of land? I appeal to your candour for a Ñ. It is true Sir, that both Mr. Man and Myself are very Averse to going to law with you _____ occasion we fully expected that the you came _____ reflect on the futility of your claim that you ____ under the property Ñ but Sir, in case you should determine otherwise we cannot, out of respect to you, submit _____ longer to the top of so valuable a property Ñ I shall thank you therefore to write me by post your final determination in this respect that I may govern myself accordingly Ñ I mentioned to you in conversation, and I believe by letter also ______ we would not sell this property subject to any claim however fictitious Ñ when we have possession, I shall get sumone to examine the land minutely, and shall be governed by their _____ the value Ñ it will then I expect be offered for _____ will be given to you as a purchase. This much I can say at present, and I hop on ______ on, that you will spare us the disagreeable necessity of having recourse to conceive measures for the recovery of out right.
I am very respectfully,
Sir,
Rawleigh Cataton

1808 Deed:

Know all men by these presents that we Henry Vanmeter, Nathaniel Cartmill, Joel Hinkle and Saul Hinkle are held and firmly bound unto Isaac Vanmeter in the just and full sum of two thousand pounds lawful money to the payment of which will and truely to be made to the said Isaac Vanmeter his heirs or assigns we bind ourselves and our heirs jointly and severally firmly by these presents, sealed with out seals and dated this twenty sixth day of September 1808. The condition of the above obligation is such whereas the said Henry Vanmeter, Nathaniel Cartmill and Joel Hinkle and Saul Hinkle have sold to the above names Isaac Vanmeter the two following tracts of land to wit one tract or parcel of land situate laying and being in the County of Hardy formerly Hampshire containing one hundred acres, in the trough of the south branch of Potowmac with all and singular rights numbers and appertenanies thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining, the other tract or parcel of land containing one hundred and eight five acres, joining the aforesaid tract which aforesaid tract is know by the name of Carrols, for the consideration above stated, now if the above bound Henry Vanmeter, Nathaniel Cartmill, Joel Hinkle and Saul Hinkle who are entitled to four sevenths of the said tracts of land and which they have hereby sold to the said Isaac Vanmeter shall on or before the twenty sixth day of September 1810 make to the said Isaac Vanmeter a good sure perfect and indefeasible title in fee simple to for four sevenths part of the aforesaid tracts or parcels of land with General warranty, then the above obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue.

Witness Henry Van Meter Seal
the word and our hands Nathaniel Cartmill Seal
in fifth line from top interlined Joel Hinkle Seal
before signed Saul Hinkle Seal
Enoch Smith as to HV
Abel Seymour as to NC
Edw. Waggoner as to NC
James Gray & Thomas Vause as to J.H.

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Database: West Virginia History, Vol. 1 - Miller, Thomas Condit and Hu Maxwell. West Virginia and Its People, Volume 1. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1913.

The Virginia convention which assembled at Williamsburg, May 6, 1776, and adjourned July 5, 1776, framed the first Virginia constitution. That document was among the first of its kind and became a model for many subsequent state constitutions. It had defects, but was better than anything of the kind that had gone before. Territory now embraced wholly or in part in West Virginia, sent six delegates to that convention. Berkeley county elected Robert Rutherford and William Drew; Hampshire county sent Abraham Hite and James Mercer; while the District of West Augusta, which embraced most of Virginia's settled territory West of the Alleghany mountains, as well as part of the present state of Pennsylvania, to which Virginia at that time laid claim, sent Charles Simms and John Harvie.
On June 2, 1788, a convention assembled at Richmond to ratify or reject the United States constitution which had been framed at Philadelphia the preceding year and was sent to all the states for rejection or approval. There was much opposition to it. Many Virginians opposed it because they considered that it placed too much power in the Federal government and too little in the states. Patrick Henry was leader of the opposition and James Madison conducted the fight for ratification. Territory now in West Virginia had sixteen members, and fifteen of these voted for ratification and one, John Evans of Monongalia county, against it. Following is a list of West Virginia delegates.
Berkeley county--William Darke, Adam Stephen.
Greenbrier county--George Clendenin, John Stuart.
Hampshire county--Ralph Humphreys, Andrew Woodrow.
Hardy county--Isaac Van Meter, Abel Seymour.
Harrison county--George Jackson, John Prunty.
Monongalia county--John Evans, William McCleary.
Ohio county--Archibald Woods, Ebenezer Zane.
Randolph county--Benjamin Wilson, John Wilson.

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OLD FIELDS CHURCH open saturday only

Also known as the Fort Pleasant Meeting House, Old Fields Church holds special significance in the history of the South Branch Valley. It is the second oldest church in West Virginia; and because it also served as a school house, it is believed to be the oldest extant school house in the state.

The church was built in 1812 on land donated by Isaac and Elizabeth VanMeter, early settlers in Old Fields who, in 1832, built Fort Pleasant, an 18-room mansion of mixed Georgian and Federal styles nearby.

The original deed for the church stipulates that while the property is to be owned by the Methodist Church, it must be available for use by any denomination at any time. This ecumenical goodwill reflected a strong sense among early Protestant settlers that church attendance took precedence over congregational parochialism.

Religious tolerance did not extend to racial equality. While black slaves were allowed to attend services, they were segregated in a balcony accessed from an outdoor staircase. The balcony, which had become unsafe, was removed in later years.

Members of the VanMeter and other local families continue to be buried in the church yard as their ancestors have been for the past seven or eight generations.

Old Fields Church has been restored and is maintained by the Duffey Memorial United Methodist Church of Moorefield.

Open courtesy of the Duffey Memorial United Church of Moorefield DIRECTIONS: US 220 north from Moorefield, watch for the green
                  

                   or 15 Oct 1825

8 whites  1 black


http://www.uh.edu/~jbutler/gean/wildernessroad.html

"Jacob Van Meter, the younger son of Colonel Garrett Van Meter, inherited the Fort Pleasant homestead, where he and his wife, Tabitha, spent their lives. He was colonel of a regiment in the second war with Great Britain in 1812. He became a flour miller in the South Branch Valley and for many years was a partner of Chief Justice Marshall in the breeding of thoroughbred horses. He was also one of the chief pillars of the Presbyterian church in his valley."

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Jacob built the finest Flour Mill that had ever been erected at the time, in the South Branch Valley, it ran water for power.


1791 Deed:
Hite & Vanmeter Agreement

Memorandum of Agreement made and Entered into this 24th day of December One thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety One between Abraham Hite of the county of Jefferson & District of Kentucky of the one part and Isaac Vanmeter and Joseph Vanmeter both of the County of Hardy & State of Virginia of the other part. Witnesseth, that the sd. Abraham hath this day sold to the said Isaac & Joseph four Tracts of land lying on Vanmeters Mill Run Late the property of Abraham Hite Deceased and Patented in his name amounting to One thousand and fifty Acres for the Sun of Nine hundred Pounds Current money of Virginia, for and in Consideration of which the ad. Isaac & Joseph doth agree to pay to Mr. Jas. Mercer for and on Acct. of the sd. Abraham Hite Decease on or before the first day of March One thousand seven hundred and ninety three the sun of Four Hundred and Eight Pound thirteen Shillings and ten pence half penny being the amount of award against the sd. Abraham, deceased & Interest to the sd. first day of March 1793 and further the sd. Isaac & Joseph doth agree to pay to Mr. Gabriel Jones a bond of the sd. Abraham Deceased to the sd. Gabriel for Two Hundred Pounds, when the sd. Jones shall demand the same and to pay the Annual Interest thereon from the first day of April in the year One Thousand Seven hundred and Ninety Eight with legal Interest to be pd. annually from the first day of April One thousand Seven Hundred & Ninety five and the remaining part of the sd Nine hundred pounds to wit Ninety one pound Six shilling & Six penny half penny to be pd in the settlement of a bond from the said Abr. a. Hite deceased to Garret Vanmeter Deceased for the sun of One hundred and fifteen Pounds Payable the Second day of April 1788, for the true performance of the above Articles the parties bind themselves firmly by these present Witness our hands this day above written
Teste .
Isaac Cade Abr. A. Hite
William Snyder Isaac Vanmeter

Names of parents, date and place of birth, names and dates of birth of children as listed in VanMeter Family Bible.
Colonel and regimental commander in War of 1812; built home about 200 yds outside of the old fort; built flour mill on S. Branch Potomac; partner with Chief Justice John Marshall in breeding of thoroughbred horses; owner of fine grass and grain farm. G&BS, pp. 61-62.
Will probated October 13, 1829, Hardy County, Virginia: wife, Tabitha, sons, Isaac, Garrett, Abraham, daughters, Hannah, Ann, Rebecca, Susan, Sally. West Virginia Estate Settlements, p. 142.

"Colonel Jacob Van Meter, the younger son of Colonel Garret, inherited the old Fort Pleasant homestead, where he and his wife, Tabitha, spent their lives and reared quite a large family of children. He was a colonel and commanded a regiment, and took an active part in the war against Great Britain in 1812-13. He built a residence about two hundred yards outside of the old fort, where he and his wife spent the balance of their lives. He also built the finest flour mill that had ever been erected up to that time in the South Branch Valley, which was constructed to run by water power, and it is still standing, although now in a very dilapidated condition. He was an enterprising business man, and for many years a partner with Chief Justice Marshall in the breeding of thoroughbred horses.

"Judge Marshall lived over in what is now old Virginia, and owned quite a thin and ill-adapted farm for grass and grain, but was a very enthusiastic admirer of the thoroughbred or race horse. Colonel Jacob owned then one of the finest grass and grain farms in the United States. Judge Marshall proposed to furnish Colonel Jacob a lot of fine mares and fine horses if he would take charge of them, be at all expense and care of them, and deliver to Judge Marshall one half of the colts each spring, at two years old. Colonel Jacob accepted the proposition, and delivered to the Judge principally colts for a good many years, and retained the fillies, until finally he sent to the Chief Justice one spring as many or more colts than the entire number of mares which he had originally received, when Colonel Jacob received a letter from the Chief Justice saying that he was now more overstocked with horses than he was before he made the deal with him, and he would please never send him another horse. This dissolved the partnership and left Colonel Jacob with a stock of horses which finally improved and bred up the horse stock of the entire South Branch Valley so that it became noted for its excellent horse stock, and held this reputation until the war between the North and the South swept the entire stock away. At the commencement of that war the horses from this valley were eagerly sought after for cavalry purposes, but before the war closed there were none to be found. Colonel Jacob was for many years an elder in the Presbyterian Church, and one of the chief pillars of that church in the valley. His house was headquarters for ministers of the gospel who passed through this valley, whether Presbyterian or Methodist (no other denominations were represented in the valley then).

"Colonel Jacob Van Meter and his wife, Tabitha, had born to them the following named children: Hannah, born in Fort Pleasant, November 8, 1791; married Mr. John Hopewell, of Hardy County; lived there to be quite old, and died without children. The second child, Ann, was born April 1, 1793; was never married, but lived with two of her younger sisters, neither of whom ever married, viz: Rebecca, born May 2, 1799, and Susan, born December 12, 1807. These three maiden sisters lived with their parents at the old homestead near Fort Pleasant until the death of both parents, when they built a neat and comfortable brick mansion about a mile distant from the homestead and on a part of the same estate."

Benjamin F. VanMeter, Genealogies and Biographical Sketches, pp. 61-62 (Louisville, 1901).
                  

                   Not listed in Garret Van Meter bible as posted on vanmetre.com/Bible%20Records/garret_van_meter_bible.htm
                  

                   Source:   Descendants of John Seymour (http://www.joanrodenberger2000.com/seymour_john.html); also B. F. VanMeter, Genealogies and Biographical Sketches, p. 51.