History
of the Skinner and Inge families
And
their contributions to the founding of
Perseverance
and Oakland Christian Churches
Lunenburg
County, Virginia
By
David Arthur
In the latter part of the 18th century, Samuel
Skinner b. 1745 and his wife Ann Pendney b.1740 came
to Lunenburg County and purchased land NW of the present day community of
Dundas, Va. This land was mostly North of Hwy 137 in the area of Gigg Road and Sugar Hill Road, with Jonesboro Road to the
West.
After the arrival of the Skinner Family, Vincent Inge
b.1742 and his wife Mary Chandler b.1743 purchased adjoining land to the South
of the Skinner Farm, South of Hwy 137 in the area of Gigg
Road, Olo Road, and Half Mile Ln.
Both of these couples were my 4th
Great-Grandparents.
Both of these families were blessed with many children, and
quite a few of the children of the neighboring families married each other.
About a half century later a grandchild of these original
immigrants to Lunenburg, Jack Inge b.1810, gave land for the establishment of
Perseverance Christian church. The land he gave was a part of the original
Skinner land which he obtained through his Mother Nancy Skinner b.1782 who
married John Inge b.1774. This land was adjacent to the Skinner Family Cemetery
which today is at the SW corner of the intersection of Gigg
Road and Sugar Hill Road. The new Church was built at the NW corner of the
intersection of Gigg Road and Sugar Hill Road.
My Great-Great-Grandfather Samuel Skinner b.1809, and Jack
Inge b.1810, were double-first cousins due to sibling Skinners marrying sibling
Inges.
All of my Skinner and Inge ancestors were members of
Perseverance Christian Church from its original formation until the
establishment of Oakland Christian which was started as a satellite church by Perseverance while the Rev. John
P. Givens was pastoring at Perseverance in 1899.
A detailed history of Perseverance Christian Church was
recorded in 1930s as a project of the New Deal Program of FDR by the Works
Progress Administration (WPA), available at:
http://www.edavidarthur.net/OaklandChurch/WPAPerseverance/PerseveranceWPA.htm
Excerpt from the WPA history regarding the establishment of
Oakland Christian Church
Bio of the Rev. John P. Givens
1871–1944
BIRTH 14 SEP 1871 • Simmonsville,
Craig, Virginia, USA
DEATH 15 NOV 1944 • Peoria, Woodford, Illinois, USA
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/27024763/person/12575253963/facts
Wife - Rosa Hawthorne
b.1869 Lunenburg County, VA – Daughter of Caleb Hawthorne
Her
father was the Stepson of a Granddaughter of the original Skinner Family,
Samuel and Ann.
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/5506653/person/230125245991/facts?
Marriage
Aug 26, 1902 • Marion, Indiana
John Paris Givens (1871–1944)
------------------
Education
1887
Taken from a handwritten letter from the family of John
Paris Givens: "Attended the school near his home until he went to Fair
View Academy in September 1887. Entered Milligan College in 1890 and graduated
in June 1894 with a A. B.
degree."
Graduation
April 1902 • Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA
Taken from a 1959 handwritten letter from the family of
John Paris Givens: "Preached in numerous churches until August 1899 when
he entered the University of Chicago. In April 1902, he received a Bachelor of
Divinity degree from University of Chicago."
John
Paris Givens photo, seated lower right
As per the oral history relayed to me by my Grandfather,
James Overby b. 1894:
His father, David Overby b. 1852,
was a native of Dinwiddie County, VA until he first married Mary Elizabeth
Moore a native of Lunenburg County. David Overby’s
original immigrant ancestor, Nicholas Overby (AKA
Overbury) came from England to the area of today’s Petersburg with Colonel
Abraham Wood who established Fort Henry in 1654. Many Moore family members
attended Perseverance as did David and his wife. After the death of Mary at a
young age during childbirth, David remarried to Sarah Skinner the daughter of
Samuel Skinner b. 1809. David and Sarah “Sallie” were members of Perseverance
and brought their growing family with them up until the establishment of
Oakland Church a satellite church of Perseverance.
These churches are in the Disciples of Christ denomination. When Oakland was
being established David Overby was asked to be a charter member and agreed
to do so. He helped build the church and built the wooden pew benches for the
church. The family then continued to attend as members there.
My grandfather went to school at Fairview, which was near the present day intersection of Fairview Road and Longview Road. He and his siblings of course had to walk to school which was about 3-4 miles. He said at that time there was a road from near Brickland, directly to Fairview, this road no longer exists and he also said that was before they started Kenbridge and there was no road where 138 now exists from Brickland to present day Kenbridge. He said the original town was near where Perseverance Church is now. When the Norfolk and Western Rail Road laid track through this area they put a depot on the rail line at what is now Kenbridge, so the “town”, (Community known as “Chinquapin Grove”) consisting of a few store building was moved to the present day site of Kenbridge. He related that the few buildings, a store and blacksmith shop, repair shop, etc, were de-constructed and the building materials were taken to the present site of Kenbridge and re-constructed.
My Grandfather’s account of the Skinner Family
Cemetery - This cemetery pre-dates the establishment of Perseverance Church
which stands across Sugar Hill Road. This cemetery originally encompassed an
additional area to the Southwest of the current established boundary. This
additional area had no inscribed headstones, only field stone markers, and was
overgrown with trees/vegetation. In the early 1900s this area was returned to
agricultural production by the adjacent landowner at that time. The
Northwestern most grave with an inscribed headstone at that time was the grave
of Sidney Skinner died 1908. The current Southwestern boundary was established
to include the row of graves with Sidney Skinner and those rows to the
Northeast of that row. Sidney Skinner is the son of Samuel Skinner born 1809
and his first wife - Elizabeth ?.
Read more of my Grandfather’s oral history at:
http://www.edavidarthur.net/FamilyHistoryStoryTelling.htm