The Amis Family of Virginia first appears in the records in Gloucester County, where Thomas Amis in 1678 recieved a grant of 295 acres of land. In 1690, and again in 1693, one John Amis recieved patents on 470 acres on the south side of the Rappahannock (John Meadows Creek) and 500 acres on Cockleshell Creek in Middlesex County. Early Huguenot records in Virginia list Louis Amis of Mannakintown as a member of that sect in 1699. [end of page 2 (un-numbered)]

[NOTE: The page containing the preceding text is un-numbered, but is assumed to be page 2, and we appear to resume next with page 3. The reason for the incomplete sentence at the beginning of page 3 is unknown.]

and was married to Constant (or Constance) Jones whose family were from Tidewater Virginia. In 1766 Joseph Amis' family consisted of sons: Thomas (2)(b. 1732); Phillip (2); William, Sr. (2); and Gabriel (2) and several grandchildren: William, Jr. (3), John (3), and perhaps others. Lt. Gabriel Amis was already established in the county as Constable in 1763, later going to Frederick County (will – 1770). The tract of land acquired by Joseph was in St. Mark's Parish in the Little Fork of the Rappahannock River, purchased for the consideration of "one ear of corn on Lady's Day" from Gabriel Jones. (This Gabriel Jones is named as executor of the will of Gabriel Amis (Frederick County, 1770) and referred to as "my dear friend, Gabriel Jones.")

Gabriel Jones, formerly of Essex County, later called "the Valley Lawyer", was largely instrumental in bringing settlers from eastern to western Virginia, and, incidentally, was a colorful character of whom interesting sketches have been written. He became a brother-in-law of Colonel Fielding Lewis, who married Betty Washington, sister of General George Washington, and shared with him a large tract [end of page 3] of land in Rockingham County at the time of his death. The name Gabriel is often repeated in the family of Joseph Amis. I have not found a relationship between Constance Jones and Gabriel Jones, both coming, however, from the same section of Virginia.

Joseph Amis (1)(b. 1710), Thomas Amis of Middlesex (b. about 1700) and perhaps James Amis were, in the writer's opinion, brothers. Serving to corroborate this is the fact that Thomas Amis of Middlesex had a sister Ann who married in 1726 Samuel Smith of Essex and had a son Samuel, born 1729. This Samuel Smith of Essex was with General Wolfe in Quebec in 1759, climbed the cliffs, "Abraham's Plains", and assisted in the capture of Quebec. For this service he was awarded three thousand acres of land in Granville County, North Carolina, which he called "Abraham's Plains". I find from the Kemper Genealogy that William Amis, Sr., and William, Jr., who appear last on the tax lists of Culpeper County in 1788, sold out to Martin Fishback, husband of "his sister Lucy", and went to North Carolina (Lucy was the daughter of William, Sr.) In 1778 William, Sr., and William, Jr., appear on the tax lists of Abraham's [end of page 4] Plains, Granville County, North Carolina, having entered 640 acres each and in 1796, the list of taxables shows William, Sr., owning 1605 acres and William, Jr., 191 acres. Later lists until 1802 continue to show these names with John Amis owning 1225 acres, the same for William, Sr.

If these men, William, Sr., and William, Jr., were the same men who "sold out" in Culpeper, their migration to "Abraham's Plains" would indicate a relationship to its founder, the nephew of Thomas Amis of Middlesex and probably also Joseph Amis.

The settlers in western Virginia from this time on have Anglicized the spelling as well as the pronunciation of their name by adding an "s", but the older members of the family continued to be called "Amy", sometimes spelled "Amey" in the records.

Besides the record of the family Bible of the Amis family of Amissville which is owned by Miss Lizzie Newton Leavell of Boston, Virginia, a great deal of the family history has been preserved by Miss Leocadie Henrietta Amiss of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Leocadie is the great-granddaughter of Lewis Amiss (3)(Thomas(2), Joseph(1)). She has in her possession both complete Bible records of her [end of page 5] family for several generations and also the "Spitzer Memoranda" on which we have relied for corroboration of our data. The writer remembers Lewis Amiss Spitzer when he made a visit to Washington, D.C., from California. While in Washington he visited his relatives, noting their names and relationships. Lewis Spitzer was the grandson of Gabriel Amis (3)(Thomas(2), Joseph(1)) who married his cousin, Margaret Amis, daughter of Philip Amis (2) (will, Culpeper Co., 1809). His family moved to New Market, Shenandoah Co., Va. At an early age Lewis Spitzer undertook to go to St. Louis, Mo., to visit his uncle, Lewis Amis (4)(Gabriel(3), Thomas(2), Joseph(1)). He finally settled in California after a most exciting and eventful journey during the gold rush period when he was closely associated with "Buffalo Bill" and other pioneers of the prairies (For biographical sketch of Lewis Amiss Spitzer see HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA (Guinn)).

Joseph Amiss, the founder of the family in Culpeper County, his sons and their growing families seem to have soon gotten a foothold in the Piedmont region, their farms increasing in size, as shown by the records. Joseph died in 1794 at the age of 84. His son, Thomas, settled his estate. Thomas and his [end of page 6] brother, Philip, died about 1809, both of their estates being administered that year.

SECOND GENERATION

Thomas (2)(Joseph(1)) born 1732, married Rebecca Fletcher, 1755. Their children were: Ann(3)(b. 1756, married Lowry); Joseph (3)(b. 1759); John (3)(b. 1760); Lewis (3)(b. 1783); Thomas (3)(b. 1785); Gabriel (3); Philip Newport (3)(b. 1788); Catherine (3)(married Hogan); Elizabeth Frances (3)(m. Dickerson).

Philip Amis (2)(Joseph(1)) according to the Spitzer Memoranda, had three wives: Stark, Parsons, and Landrum, respectively. No children by the last marriage. Philip's will (Culpeper Co., 1809) mentions wife Ann, probably a fourth wife. The children by thte first wife were: Thomas; William; Gabriel; Margaret; Elizabeth; Lucy; Maria. By the second wife: Charlotte and George.

The children of William, Sr.(2), son of Joseph(1), as far as has been found, were William, Jr., and Lucy, who married Martin Fishback in 1783 and resided at "Fleetwood", Culpeper County.

Gabriel Amis(2) of Frederick County names in his [end of page 7] will his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Dolly.

THIRD GENERATION

John Amis(3) (Thomas(2), Joseph(1)) who lived to be a hundred years old (1760-1860), (Will dated October 16, 1854, Culpeper County) married Lavinia Basye in 1790. Their oldest son was Elijah Amiss (b. May 21, 1792, d. January 2, 1852) who married three times: (1) Sarah Royston, (2) Elizabeth Royston, and (3) Ann Eliza Leavell. Elijah Amiss was a prosperous and highly respected citizen of Rappahannock County (formerly Culpeper), owned large mills, and built a canal connecting with Falmouth to convey his grain to England. He had a large and distinguished family, three of his sons being surgeons in the Civil War with outstanding service (see Bruce's HISTORY OF VIRGINIA). His children by the first marriage were: Sarah Wyatt (m. John Albert Menefee, grandparents of Judge Bolitha J. Laws, Rev. Frederick J. Sohon, S.J. and Dr. Ambler Marstellar. Second marriage: Dr. William Henry Amiss, Mildred Louise (m. John Minor Leavell, parents of Hon. Byrd Leavell, William Thomas Leavell, Nannie, Miss Lizzie Neton Leavell, Benjamin Ashby Leavell, and grandparents of the distinguished [end of page 8] president of the Holloway-Amiss-Leavell Society, Ida Leavell Holloway); and Lavinia H. Amiss (m. Dr. William M. Alsop). Third marriage: Dr. John Burwell Amiss (m. Amanda V. Throop, grandparents of Virginia Throop Olhausen, secretary of H.A.L. Society); Dr. Thomas Benjamin Amiss (father of Frederick Taylor Amiss of Harrisonburg); Dr. Joseph Minor Amiss; Edmund Amiss (father of Harry Dorsey Amiss); Eliza Spindle Amiss (m. Dr. Robert Green Holloway); Fanny Lamond Amiss (m. George Buckner Fariah). The complete lineage of this branch of the Amiss Family is to be found in the Holloway-Amiss-Leavell Society records.

Other children of John(3) (Thomas(2), Joseph(1)) besides Elijah(4) were: John L.(4) (m. Elizabeth Carson of Winchester (daughters Mary Jane (Leavell) and Catherine F. Amiss) (see will of John Amis, grandfather); Joseph B. Amiss(4) (b. December 20, 1793, m. Miriam Hopper (children, Arbelia Roades, Harriet Walters, Adeline Hume, Mary Moore.)

The children of Gabriel(3), who married his cousin, Margaret, daughter of Philip(2), were: Elizabeth (b. 1815, m. Charles Spitzer, New Market, Va.); James Madison (Capt., War of 1812, m. (1) Nancy Dennis, [end of page 9] (2) Rebecca Tapp); John B. (County Clerk, Charlottesville, Va., 1831; Lewis (of St. Louis, Mo.); Philip (of "Rose Hill", Ind. b. 1815, d.1887, m. (1) Rachel Good, (2) Rebecca Good.) For descendents of Philip Amiss of "Rose Hill", see HISTORY OF KOSKIUSKO COUNTY, IND.

Thomas Amiss(3) (Thomas(2), Joseph(1)) married August 1, 1803, in Frederick County, Va., Susannah Brookover. They had children, Mahala (b. about 1805) and Hiram Lorenzo (b. December 4, 1807). Hiram's mother died when he was born and he was raised by his uncle, Lewis Amiss and his wife in Montgomery County, his name appearing in their family Bible. On November 7, 1827, Hiram married Emily Rives Young, daughter of Benjamin F. and Elizabeth Williams Young of Culpepper County, and thereafter lived on their farm near Jeffersonton. Their children were: Benjamin; Richard Lewis (b. May 13, 1830, m. Mary Catherine Henry Dec. 27, 1854); Mary (m. Fielding Patterson, no issue); Mahala Frances (b. February 26, 1833, m. Paul C. Montgomery); Joseph Henry (Rev.) (b. September 5, 1834, m. Joyce Hathaway); Martha Elizabeth (b. February 22, 1836, m. Newton James Cox of Stafford Co., Va.); Carroll (killed in the Civil War with Little Forks Rangers); William Littleton (b. Oct- [end of page 10] ober 17, 1839, m. Emma Burke; Tazewell Brookover (b. Aug. 29, 1841, m. Mary Wheeler of Dumfried); Melville Jane (b. Apr. 12, 1845, m. George T. Stranahan); Sylvanus Young (m. Mary Elizabeth Cox); Samuel (b. June 16, 1856, m. Georgiana Fletcher). The foregoing are the twelve children of Hiram Lorenzo Amiss who lived to maturity. He died in 1906 in his 99th year, still hale and hearty. An article in the WASHINGTON POST at the time of his death carries a picture of five generations of which he was the head. They were Hiram L. Amiss, Martha Elizabeth Cox, Lizzie Newton Collison, Mattie Collison Wallace, and Marietta Newton Wallace. The article further told of the remarkable span of his life from the time he was a member of the reception committee to welcome LaFayette on his visit to Virginia in 1826 through the stagecoach days and into the 20th Century. The writer recalls being with him when his great-grand-son, George Chester Collison, took him for a ride in one of the first "Stanley Steamers", when in his stentorian tone his observation was: "This is a far cry from the old stagecoach."

Among the descendents of Hiram L. Amiss and his wife, Emily Rives Young, are the Rev. Joseph Henry Amiss of the Methodist Conference of Virginia; Major William L. Crittendon, prominent citizen of Oklahoma; Charles [end of page 11] Patterson Montgomery, tariff expert with the American Sugar Refining Co. of New York; Dr. Henry Amiss Hornthal of Washington, D.C.; Dr. S. Clifford Cox of Washington, D.C.; Dr. Percy M. Cox of Washington, D.C., an attorney in the Department of Justice with fifty years of service; Dr. Enos Ray; John Newton Yeatman, horticultural scientist; Lt. Col. Charles D. Daniel, USA, William Nelson Morrell, Jr., economics expert, and David Cooper Hall, Electronics Engineer.

Lewis Amiss (3)(Thomas(2), Joseph(1)), born 1783, married Elizabeth Martin in Frederick County, Va., July 25, 1805, and lived in Montgomery County from an early date. He represented his county in the Virginia Legislature, and died while serving in that capacity at Richmond in 1826. His children were: Arabella; Edwin Jones; Rebecca; Thomas Lewis (m. Lucinda Ann Lampkin, Culpepper Co., August 14, 1814, and became the grandfather of Leocadie Amiss and her seven brothers of Baton Rouge, La.); Flavius Josephus; Elizabeth; Ann Caroline; Catherine Cooksey.

Col. Philip Newport Amiss (3)(War of 1812) (Thomas(2), Joseph(1)) (b. October 22, 1878, m.(1) Polly Bayse, (2) Edna Bayse). His children were Edna who married Dr. B.P. Ferguson and is the ancestor of [end of page 12] Mrs. Cornia Royston Reese of Newton, Kansas, a prominent member of the Daughters of the American Revolution; Milton P. Amiss who married Elizabeth Robertson; Madison; Rebecca, who married William Stallard; Lavinia; and Mary, who married Robert Latham.

The families of the third generation of Philip(2) (Joseph(1)) as shown by the Spitzer Memoranda, were: Gabriel, who went to Pendleton Co., Ky. [NOTE: here W. Va. was crossed out and Ky. written in]; Margaret, married her cousin Gabriel Amiss and moved to New Market; Lucy, married Jones; Charlotte, married Scott; George, Judge in Pendleton Co., W. Va., later moved to Pocahontas County where he was a prosperous farmer. His wife, Kitty Dyer, was the daughter of Col. Dyer. The Dyer family were pioneers in West Virginia and were victims of the Indian massacres. George's family were: Andrew (m. McNeil); Florence; Susan (m. Richard Hill of Pocahontas Co.); Sarah (m. John C. Woodson, Rockingham Co.); Lucy; Francis; Virginia (m. her cousin, Joseph Amiss of Loudoun Co.); George; Louisa Lynn (m. George Mauck of Harrisonburg); William (died during Rebellion); Ann Rebecca (m. Fenton Walton of Shenandoah Co.).

THE FOUNDING OF AMISSVILLE
AS A POST OFFICE

It was probably the progressive enterprise [end of page 13] of Elijah Amiss(4) (1792-1852), son of John and Lavinia Amiss(3) (Thomas(2), Joseph(1)) which founded the community called Amissville, then in Culpeper County, now Rappahannock. He owned and operated the large mills on a tributary of the Rappahannock River and constructed a canal to Falmouth for the shipment of his grain to England. His homestead, called "Melville," still stands at Amissville, together with the family graveyard.

Located also in the county nearby was the old town of Jeffersonton and, with the establishment of the Postal system in 1789 and the increasing population of the county, a post office was established at Jeffersonton in 1799 and one at Amissville in 1810. Thomas Amiss(3), son of Thomas(2), was first postmaster of Amissville (then Culpeper County), appointed October 2, 1810, at a salary of $500 per annum. He continued to serve until 1817 when his brother, Col. Philip Newport Amiss, succeeded him. At that time Rappahannock County had been carved out of Culpeper and Amissville was in Rappahannock. The salary of the postmaster had been raised to $800 (seemingly figures indicating growing prosperity!)

Quoting from a pamphlet published by the Postal Service which states: "the history of the Postal Service is a record of human progress itself," and using this as an incentive for our arduous search [end of page 14] through dim records for light on early personal history, we are led to the assumption that our immediate forebears were surely pioneers in opening up the western part of Virginia, which became a gateway to the vast reaches of America.

--
Laura Collison Ray
Washington, D.C.
1952
Columbia Chapter
Daughters of the American Revolution
[end of page 15]

[This is the complete text of the document. It is followed by a circular genealogical chart which covers numerous pages. Unfortunately the microfilmed copies are not the best and portions are illegible, thus I haven't attempted to recreate it. Hopefully I'll find a better copy or get to the Library of Congress to have a look at and photograph the original. – April 4, 2002, Nick Brisbois (nickbriz@mindspring.com)]

[SOURCE:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Family History Department
35 North West Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150

Microfilm/fiche #: 1303284 Amiss Family]