"Major"
Charles Yancey
(1770-1857)
Biography from: "200 Years of Freemasonry in Buckingham County, Virginia" By Carl Coleman Rosen
Charles Yancey, our worthy Brother who did so much for Masonry in Buckingham County and the State of Virginia, was born 22nd March 1770, in Trinity Parish, Louisa County, Virginia. The son of Rev. Robert Yancey, minister of Trinity Parish Church, Louisa County and Ann Crawford Yancey. Brother Charles Yancey married, 5th April 1791, to Nancy Spencer, daughter of Francis Westbrook Spencer and Mary Horsley Spencer, of Traveler's Rest. At a very young age he removed from Louisa to Buckingham County. Their one child, Mary Chambers Yancey, married John Horsley, who died on a deer hunt at the age of 32. His children were raised by their Grandfather, Brother Major Charles Yancey.
At one time Brother Yancey owned an estate of 26,000 acres. He owned the following homes along the James, Traveler's Rest, Island View (near Manteo), Montevideo near Wingina Station, formally known as Hardwicksville, and owned first by the original Cabell settlers, Yellow Gravel a plantation situated on the James River between Warminster and Wingina. He gave Montevideo to his daughter.
Brother Charles Yancey was initiated on 25th June 1791, in George Lodge No 32, A. F. & A. M., at Warminster, (then Amherst County), two months after George Lodge was chartered. He was raised to a Master Mason an 24th March 1792, and elected Secretary of George Lodge, on 22nd 3une 1792. The Grand Lodge Proceedings show that Brother Charles Yancey and other brethren from George Lodge were granted a Dispensation, and Chartered Buckingham Union Lodge No 38, on October 29th 1793, located in the town of Diuguidsville, Buckingham County, Virginia. Brother Yancey was the first Worshipful Master and the first Past Master of a Masonic Lodge in Buckingham County. It is possible that he was Master of Buckingham Union Lodge during the ensuing years. Records show that he was back a member of George Lodge in 1800, as its Worshipful Master.
Brother Yancey was again a member
of Buckingham Union Lodge No 38, when it was rechartered and
moved to Buckingham Court House, in 1817. He was the Worshipful
Master 1817, and was shown on its roster as Past Master through
1828. While he was listed as Past Master in George and Union
Lodges, he became very active in the Grand Lodge as follows:
1819 Grand Senior Warden
1820 Grand Senior Warden
1821 Deputy Grand Master
1822 Grand Master
1823 Grand Master
During the War of 1812, Brother Lt. Col. Charles Yancey was commanding officer of the 1st Regiment (Yancey's), Virginia Militia. This Regiment was shown on the muster roll, July 1814 to February 1815 at Camp Holly. He also served in the Virginia State Legislature, while commanding the regiment in U. S. Service. For this service he was paid, $662.45, in pay, forage, subsistence and clothing.
In 1817, while Brother Yancey was in the chair in the Grand Committee, at the Grand Lodge, a petition of sundry brethren residing in and near the town of New Canton, Buckingham County, praying for a charter to open a Masonic Lodge in the said town, was received, to which was annexed a certificate and recommendation of Buckingham Union Lodge No 38: "Resolved - That a charter do issue for the establishment of a Lodge in New Canton, by the name of Monroe Lodge No 107."
Most Worshipful, Charles Yancey, was very helpful in the Dispensation issued to Eureka Lodge No 134, at Bent Creek, Buckingham County. He represented this Eureka Lodge, at the Grand Lodge during 1828 and 1829. Known throughout the land as the "Wheel-Horse of Democracy", Brother Yancey was a gentleman of the highest order, intelligent with marked influence. His patriotism and wisdom were attested to by his long service in the Virginia Legislature, representing Buckingham County.
Brother Yancey's service in the General Assembly was as follows: 1796-1798, 1800, 1801, 1811-1813, 1817-1821, 18231825, 1829-1831, 1833, 1835, 1837, 1838. He served in the Virginia Senate, representing Buckingham, Albemarle, Amherst and Fluvanna Counties over the years, 1802-1805.
Brother Yancey was instrumental in getting the General Assembly of Virginia to elect Peter Francisco as sergeant-at-arms of the House of Delegates. Francisco served for six years. When death came to Peter Francisco, in 1831, it was his old friend, Charles Yancey, who informed the House of Delegates that the noted Revolutionary War hero, from Buckingham County, was dead. Brother Yancey was appointed on the committee on arrangements. Brother Charles Yancey died November 9, 1857, and was buried in the Horsley Cemetery, at Traveler's Rest on Highway 604, Buckingham County.
On his stone is written:
In this dark world of Sin and Pain
We only need to part again
But when we reach the heavenly shores
We then shall need to part no more
DJY: It should be noted that the county records of Buckingham County were destroyed by fire in 1869 - for these reason virtually no court/county records are extant in relation to Charles Yancey - including any will/estate distribution records as well as deed records etc.
Above image from the book "Samuel Spencer of Virginia" by Spencer W Wilkinson
Letter to Thomas Jefferson from Charles Yancey in relation to Buckingham County Courthouse.
Buckingham July 4th. 1822 --
My dear Sir,
Your highly esteemed favor of July last enclosing a draft for our Court house was duly received, and I owe an apology for not answering it earlier, which is As follows -- upon the Submission of your plan to the board of Commissioners, it was disapproved, much to my mortification, and a plan adopted Similar to the Albemarle Court house, I still indulged the hope that before the work progressed too far to Make a Change of the plan, that the Strong objections to the plan would be manifested, and fortunately two of our Commissioners were Called over to Charlotteville last month, while there they saw & heard from the Members of the Court & bar the Strong objections to the plan of your Court house, that they have Changed their op[in]ion, & on Saturday last I obtained A board, when your plan was adopted entire with one dissentient only, -- we have directed a wing on each Side, of 16 feet Sqr. attached to the Main building by an entry of eight feet with an Arch on each Side, flat roof & Colums to the Wings, the propriety of which I doubt as they will not finish well to the porticoe of the main building, & being So Much lower will obstruct Air &C -- their being no partion wall to Support the outer walls we have thought it but to make the latter two bricks thick -- Mr. Brookes a tinner at the university has offered to do our roof, but having heard you had dismissed him for extravagance in price although A good tiner; we returned him for Answer that, we would employ him to do our Court house if he would Submit the price of the Work to you, in his proposals I think he offers to do the work for About $6.30 A Sqr. the roof -- guttering piping &C Another Charge but I do not recollect the prices -- we have determined to Cover with Tin, As you advised, & any information you May Choose to Afford us, <either> in relation to Mr. Brookes, the price of Such work, & whether other persons than Mr. Brooks, equally Skilled in Tining Cannot be had; will be thankfully receved by Me who has already tresspased too Much on your Valuable time, patience & goodness with real & Sincere regard, yr. H Servt.
Charles Yancey --
P.S. the Wings are intended for the offices of the Clk of the Superior & County Courts
Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Charles Yancey:
Monticello July 12. 22.
Dear Sir
Your favor of the 4th. is just recieved. mr Brooke's price of 6. D 30 the square for laying on the tin of a roof, is exorbitant. it may be done, as well as he can do it for 1. Dollar the square. we went on at the University giving him that price until ¾ of the houses were covered. we were led to it from a belief that it could not be done without the very expensive & complicated machine which he used to bend the tin, which he told us was a patent machine, costing 40. D. and not to be had in the US. at that stage of our business I got him to come and cover a small house for me. seeing his machine at work, and how simple the object was, I saw that the same effect could be produced by two boards hinged together. I had this done accordingly, and it did the work as neatly & something quicker than his 40. D. machine, while this could be made for 50. cents. we then ceased employing mr Brokes, and set a common negro man to work with our board machine, & he has covered all the remaining houses as neatly and securely as those done before. any person will learn to do it in a day as well as in a year, and when you are ready, mr Brockenbrough will spare you this man for a week or so, to shew any body you please how to do it: you will have to get your tin from Richmond at 13. D. a box. a box does a square & a half, and a handy man will lay a square a day. your building exclusive of the wings will require nearly 30. boxes.
You should take care that the roofs of your wings do not rise so high as the bottom of your entablature. indeed this cannot be necessary, for if the rooms be 16. f. square and 12 f. pitch, the roof, if of pediment pitch, will be only 4. f. high, making 16. f from the floor, whereas the bottom of the entablature of the main building is 20. f. from the floor. but if you put flat & guttured roofs on them (as our dormitories have) they are but 2 f high. I recom<mend> this strongly, because they will be vastly handsomer & <much> cheaper than the common roof. they need no rafters, no tin covering, and the gutturs are better of wood than of tin or any other metal. the manner of making them may be seen at the University or a[t] this place. I heard you were at our last court, and should have been much gratified had you taken your quarters here. I would have gone to the University with you, & pointed out the particulars which you should attend to in your building. should you pay another visit to the neighborhood I shall hope you will do me the favor to call. Accept the assurance of my <sincere> esteem and respect
Th: Jefferson
"The Monthly Magazine - Feb 1 1800 V 9 page 10
Other Links:
Cemetery Information
Bible Record
The Issue of Slavery
Address to the Buckingham Agricultural Society [Complete text in Farmer's Register here]
Slave Schedules from Account Records
Book: Samuel Spencer of Virginia
Book: The Cabells and their Kin
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