Stodgill, James

Birth Name James Stodgill 1
Gender male

Events

Birth 1725
Death 1803
Burial Alleghany County, NC

Parents

Father James Stodgill b. 1695d. 1753
Mother Ann Blackstone b. 1700d. 1763
 
Siblings Ambrose Stodgillb. 1730 
Elizabeth Stodgillb. 1735 
John Stodgillb. 1740 
Mary Stodgillb. 1745 
Joel Stodghillb. about 1750d. 1795
 

Families

Wife Ann Callowayb. 1726 
_STAT
Marriage 1748
 
Children Ambrose Stodgillb. 1750 
Mary Stodgillb. 1753 
Francis Sturgill, Sr.b. 1755d. 1807
Ruth Stodgillb. Jan 9, 1758d. 1822
James Stodgillb. 1761d. 1835
John Stodgillb. 1763 
Docia Stodgillb. 1765d. after 1830
Lewis Stodgillb. 1767d. 1841

Narrative

James and Ann migrated to present Alleghany Co. NC where they lived out their lives and are buried in a family cemetery on their original homestead. -p. 30

JAMES STODGILL-STURGILL and his wife Ann Calloway made their first home in present Green Co. VA (then Orange Co) on a farm on Swift Run Creek near the town of Stanardsville. All of their children were born on this farm. In 1771 James disposed of the last of his property in that area, including his share of his fathers estate. He did acknowlege a deed there in 1774 but other public records indicate that he moved his family to present Alleghany Co. NC not later than 1771 and he may have visited the area before this to claim land. As he settled on the north side of New River James thought that he was still in VA and all of the earliest records of him are found in VA. In the Montgomery and later in the Grayson Co. records the name of James and other members of his family was often spelled STURGEON but this spelling was never used in the NC records even though some of the family pronounced the name as Sturgin.

The early Jefferson-Frye survey of the VA-NC state line was very inaccurate through the mountains and the early settlers along New River were very inaccurate just where the state line was. Another survey through the area was made in 1799 and still another in 1824. The second survey of the state line proved the original homestead of James was in NC and this farm is now a part of the NC New River State Park. James and Ann were buried in a small family cemetery on this New River farm.

Although some of those listed following can not be proven children of James and Ann by public documents known family relationships and private records leave no doubt that they were. This family also became widely scattered and a historical note on a following page shows where they went. -p. 32

All who spell the name Sturgill, Sturgell, or Stargil are direct descendants of James Sturgill and Ann Calloway. Where this spelling of the name was first used by his uncle John in Greenbrier Co. VA non of that branch of the family continued to spell the name that way and reverted to the older spelling of Stodghill or a similar variation. It is also possible that some of the decendants of Lewis still spell the name Sturgeon. -p. 32