A Walk with Ancestors

A Walk with Ancestors

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

The Children of Gwyn Dudley - Levi

Levi Dudley

Son of Gwyn Dudley

Levi was born in Bedford County, Virginia about 1778. On  27 Mar 1802 he married Mary "Polly" Kemp, the daughter of Thomas Kemp and Ester Hester Maxey. Thomas Kemp was a Revolutionary War soldier. Polly passed away in February 1816. Levi remarried 2 Jun 1817 to Elizabeth Gilbert, the daughter of Michael Gilbert and Wilmouth Davis. Elizabeth passed away on 21 Dec 1858. Levi may have passed away on 15 Apr 1865, There is some confusion about when and where he passed away and where he is buried.

The Children of Levi


  • Frances Nancy was born about 1813. On her marriage record she used Frances but on census records she used Nancy. Nancy married Robert L. Dudley, son of James Dudley and Nancy Ann Kemp. They were first cousins since Levi and James were brothers. They had three sons; James, Wiley, and Levi. Both Robert and Wiley were killed during the Civil War and are buried in Charlottesville, Virginia.

1. Their son James T. was born on 17 Apr 1838. He may have fought in the Civil War but his records have not been discovered yet. He married Julia Ajax Ferguson on 29 Nov 1865. He died on 6 Apr 1896. 

2. Their son Levi Otey was born 1 Jan 1843. He did serve in the confederacy. After the war he married Mary Victoria Bradley on 20 Dec 1876.


Levi Otey Dudley and Mary Victoria Bradley Dudley





  • Stephen Dudley (son of Levi) was born on 23 Sep 1813. On 3 Feb 1834 he married Charlotte Heptinstall in Franklin County. They moved to Callaway Missouri. Stephen died in 1880. Their children:
  1. Mary A. - was born in Franklin County according to census records on 2 Oct 1836. She married Michael Maddox in Missouri on 5 Feb 1852. Michael was born in Virginia too. They had 10 children.
  2. Amanda Catherine - born on 12 Dec 1838 in Missouri. She married twice; first to Frank Day on 4 June 1857 and they had three children. She married second to James Bradley and they had four children. Amanda died 13 Nov 1911.
  3. Emily C - born in Missouri on 24 Jan 1841. She married Stephen Maddox the son of Stephen Maddox and Parthena Legg on 2 Feb 1860. Stephen was killed during the Civil War. Emily did not remarry. She and their son John H. were living with her parents in 1870. Emily died on 6 Nov 1906.
  4. Sarah Jane was born in 1843. She was living with her parents in 1870. She married Dudley Kemp on 3 Jan 1875. At the time of the marriage Dudley was 72 years old and Sarah was 32. After Dudley passed away in 1886 she remarried. Her second husband was Alphus P. Williard. There was a Sarah J. Williard in 1910 living in Washington State. 
  5. Silas- born 18 May 1846 in Missouri. Married Martha Lawrance on 9 Nov 1869 the daughter of John Lawrance. Silas died on 31 Jul 1910.
  6. Rebecca F - was born in 1848. She married Charles Lawrance on 2 Dec 1866. Charles and Martha (who married Silas) were brother and sister. Sadly Rebecca died in 1868.
  7. George - was born 7 Aug 1851. On 23 Jan 1879 he married Martha Jane Hutts. Martha was the daughter of Bleauford and Rebecca Hutts from Franklin County, Virginia. George and Martha had three children. George died on 5 Mar 1896.
  8. Jenette Winsley was born on 11 Sep 1853. She married John Thomas Buchanan on 13 Nov 1873. They had eight children. Jenette died on 30 Mar 1923.
  9. Robert Levi- was born in 1857. He married Lilley Stuart/Stewart on 1 Nov 1877. He died on 31 Aug 1897. 
  10. William Riley was born in 1858. He married Lucy Stuart/Stewart on 23 Dec 1886. Lucy and Lilley may have been sisters. William died on 2 Aug 1931.

  • Thomas "Trading Tom" Dudley (son of Levi)  was born about 1804. He was known as a trader going all over making his trades. Thomas first married Temperance Heptinstall on 7 Aug 1826. Second he married Lydia Cundiff when he was 66 and she was 26. Tom and Temperance had six children and Tom and Lydia had three more.

Children of Thomas Dudley

1.  Mary Frances Dudley born about 1827. She married Thomas W. Dudley 17 Dec 1840. They had 6 children.

2. William Riley Dudley born 28 Jul 1829. He married Fanny Kasey. They had 9 children.
William R. Dudley and Fanny Kasey

3. Tilmon P. L. Dudley married Mary Elizabeth Holland the daughter of Thomas J. Holland and my husband's three times great grandfather on the Holland branch.


4. Julia Ann Elizabeth Dudley born 26 Nov 1832 married James Henry Dudley on 31 Oct 1848. James was the son of Stephen Dudley and Martha Pattie Kemp.  Julia died on 10 Nov 1875. They had several children together. James remarried to Susan M. Goad. Susan is my 3rd cousin 5 times removed. (My 7 times great grandfather is her 2 times great grandfather - John Goad)

Children of Julia and James Dudley

Grandchildren of Thomas "Trading Tom" Dudley

  • Octavia A. Dudley was born on 12 Mar 1850 and died on 19 Jun 1861.
  • Eldridge Marcellus was born on 26 Apr 1852. He married Clarinda Emaline Angle on 19 Mar 1874. She was the daughter of Joel and Mary Angle. In 1880 they were living in Union Hall where Eldridge was working as a Dry Goods Merchant. By 1910 the family had moved to Callaway Missouri where he was a proprietor of a Flour Mill. He died on 7 Apr 1925 and Clarinda died on 24 Sep 1932.
  • Silas T. Dudley was born on 5 Mar 1857. He married Ella D. Poindexter the daughter of William Poindexter and Amanda Angeline Dudley. Ella's mother, Amanda and Julia were sisters. Silas died on 5 Jun 1892. Ella remarried to Alex Robert Mattox. 
  • James Henry Dudley Jr. was born in 1859. He married Nannie Street on 8 Apr 1880. She was the daughter of John A. Street and Fannie. In 1880 he was a Dry Goods Merchant. On the 23rd Jun 1880 he was Postmaster in Glade Hill. He died on 2 Jan 1889 at the age of 30. Nannie remarried to George D. Williams.
  • Gustavus Beauregard "Gus" Dudley was born on 1 Jun 1861. He married Sallie L. Brown on 29 Nov 1883. She was the daughter of William A. Brown and Sue L. Finey. He died at 64 in Martinsville on 30 Jul 1925. His occupation was listed as "tobacconist".
  • Albert McLeod Dudley was born on 23 Dec 1862. He married Ada Nye Hancock on 27 Nov 1884. She was the daughter of John H. Hancock and Mary Mitchell. Albert died at 62 in Martinsville on 5 Sep 1925. His occupation was listed as contractor. 
  • Rev. Emmett Edgar Dudley was born in 1867. In Norfolk he married Viola Belle Love on 26 Dec 1901. She was the daughter of James F. Love who was also a minister. Emmett was the reverend of a Baptist Church in the Norfolk area for many years. He died on 15 Mar 1934.
  • William O. Dudley "Willie" was born in 1870 and died on 6 Jan 1892 at the age of 22.

Levi had numerous children. Next blog post will be about more of Levi's descendants.

Thanks for stopping by!
Pattie