Name/Title
W. S. Perry (son of Ebenezer Perry & Almina McVay) of River Forest, Illinois, to Mattie McVay (daughter of William Irwin McVay & Elizabeth D. Woodruff) of Woodruff, West Virginia, letter, 26 March 1930Entry/Object ID
2019.42.53Scope and Content
W. S. Perry (son of Ebenezer Perry & Almina McVay) of River Forest, Illinois, to Mattie McVay (daughter of William Irwin McVay & Elizabeth D. Woodruff) of Woodruff, West Virginia, letter, 26 March 1930; Rex and Irene Marie (Morgan) McVay Collection, privately held by Lisa McVay Hook, 2014.
William Sylvester Perry's letter campaign to cousins in the 1930s was an attempt to locate and compile genealogical data. The family accounts he collected from relatives who had personal memories of the ancestors, provide valuable research leads. Unfortunately, no other documented evidence or sources are mentioned.
Transcribed by Candice Buchanan, 2014.
"7628 Washington Blvd.
River Forest, Illinois, Mar. 26, 1930
Miss Mattie McVey,
Woodruff, W. Va.
Dear Cousin: Since writing to you I have learned from Mrs. Rachel Elbin White that our gr. grandfather John McVey was twice married and that Hannah Sidwell was his second wife. The two children by first wife (name unknown) were Catharine and Rachel who appears to have married a Mr. Powers. They both seem to have been lost in so far as finding any traces. It seems that when their mother died that they went to 'their mother's people' somewhere in Ohio and never returned to live in Penna. or with their father.
Since you live in the 'Old Homestead' you may not be far from the 'McVey Cemetery.' While the maiden name of 1st wife may not be on the tombstone yet her or Christian may. I presume it (the tombstone) may be found in the same burial lot or plot as John McVey and his wife Hannah.
Should you perchance visit the Cemetery you may be able to verify.
Should this McVey Cemetery have existed long before our gr. grandfather's (John McVey) death, no doubt a search may reveal the burial places of our gr gr grandfather William McVey and his wife Rachel Parkinson McVey either in this same or separate burial lot or plot. You would have to determine by comparative dates, namely William McVey (1760 to 1846), Rachel McVey (1768 to 1736 [sic 1836]) both of these dates, estimated. Should you find them in a separate lot or plot, you no doubt will find names of other children and their births and deaths.
It appears that Wm. McVey lived in his old age with his daughter Rachel McVey Garrett (do not know her husband's initials). It may be they (Garretts) are buried in McVey Cemetery and he (Wm. McVey) is buried in his or their lot or plot.
Sidwells: I, as I wrote before believed that we belonged to the Monongalia Co., W. Va. Sidwell family. Your grand father James McVey recites that his parents 'John McVey and Hannah Sidwell McVey' were natives of Greene Co. Pa. Of course both could be correct in as much as Monongalia Co. Va. claimed at one time Greene Co., Fayette Co., and part of Washington Co. Pa. I had the family as
I. Willis Sidwell (1779-1821) m. 1800 Mary Menere (1781-1825)
Children
1. Hannah Sidwell (2 wife) (1801-1867) m 1818 John McVey (1794-1851)
2. Hugh Sidwell (1804-1871) m 1826 (1st wife) Sarah Kyle (1807-1846) m 1835 (2nd wife) Elizabeth Porter (1819-1867)
3. James Sidwell
4. John Sidwell
A letter from our cousin Mrs. Rachel Elbin White (80 years) in which she said she remembers quite well gr grand mother Sidwell. She was old and blind. She lived and died in her grand mother Hannah Sidwell-McVey's home. She used to tell the children stories of the Indians. She (Mrs. White) says gr. gr. grandmother Sidwell is buried in the 'McVey Cemetery.' This destroys my set up as I have her death 1825 which would be long before Mrs. White's birth. It may be just possible that I have her death entry wrong. As her burial is in the 'McVey Cemetery,' then her tombstone may be found there, either in a separate Sidwell lot or in the 'John McVey' lot. Mrs. White was about 6 years old when gr gr grandmother Sidwell died this would make the death date around 1855 or 1856.
Should you find her tombstone, then you will be able to learn her husband's first name and initials, perhaps their marriage dates, birth and death dates of each.
There is a Penna. Chester Co. Sidwell Family. Samuel (1766 - ) is recorded as having gone west. His brother Nathan Sidwell (1764 - ) m. Eleanor Cook (1768 - ) and went west. How far I do not know. It may be that these too may be buried in McVey Cemetery.
I note that your father's name William 'I' McVey. Does the 'I' stand for 'Ira'? I have an uncle Joseph 'Ira' McVey. If the name is 'Ira,' do you know from what ancestor the name is taken?
I had an uncle named David 'Willis' McVey, and an uncle whose grandchild is named 'Willis.' This may indicate that the name was taken from 'Willis Sidwell.'
Maybe you may help me unravel. I am
Your cousin,
W. S. Perry"Collection
Rex and Irene Marie (Morgan) McVay CollectionLexicon
Search Terms
Garrett family, Letters (Correspondence), McVay family, Sidwell familyArchive Details
Date(s) of Creation
Mar 26, 1930Other Names and Numbers
Other Number
MCVA-AN001-DOCU-0001Provenance
Provenance Detail
McVay Series - Rex and Irene Marie (Morgan) McVay CollectionNotes
The Rex and Irene Marie (Morgan) McVay Collection was passed from Rex McVay [1900-1971] and his wife, Irene Marie (Morgan) McVay [1911-2001], to their children William Carroll McVay and Karen Elizabeth (McVay) Haines, both of whom passed the collection to Lisa (McVay) Hook, daughter of William Carroll McVay, who shared them with the Greene Connections: Greene County, Pennsylvania Archives Project in 2014.
Rex McVay was the son of William Irwin McVay and Elizabeth D. Woodruff.
Irene Marie (Morgan) McVay was the daughter of Santford William Morgan and Jessie May Fletcher.
SOURCE CITATION: W. S. Perry (son of Ebenezer Perry & Almina McVay) of River Forest, Illinois, to Mattie McVay (daughter of William Irwin McVay & Elizabeth D. Woodruff) of Woodruff, West Virginia, letter, 26 March 1930, item no. MCVA-AN001-DOCU-0001, Rex and Irene Marie (Morgan) McVay Collection, shared by Lisa (McVay) Hook, Greene Connections Archives Project (www.GreeneConnections.com).