Rebecca's Daughters

It is believed that Rebecca Payne was born into slavery in Virginia.  She married Fortune Stewart sometime around the end of the Civil War.  She had eleven daughters and five sons that lived to maturity.  The first five of Rebecca Payne's daughters may have also been slaves in Hardy County Virginia; Fortune Stewart treated them as his daughters once he married Rebecca.  

Five of Rebecca's daughters (Mary Catherine, Frances, Margaret, Luhr, and Emma) married five Hilliard brothers.  Edward, Strother, Hyder, Andrew, and Charles were the sons of Werter Hilliard and Hulda Sall and the grandsons of Pryor and Phebe/Eda Hilliard and William and Amy Sall.  

Mary Catherine "Kate" Ford/Stewart 

Kate Stewart was born in September 1849.  She was married to Edward Hilliard (born August 1850) on August 11, 1870 by Rev. Joseph Arnold at his home in Mineral County. They had six children:

1. Hinkle Hilliard was born September 9, 1871.  He married Lillie ? and had one son George Robert Hilliard on October 25, 1911.   Hinkle died April 5, 1930. 
2. Gertrude Hilliard was born in 1873, had a child with Thomas Stallings, and then married George Method.  They had one daughter Rosa L "Rosie" Hilliard/Method (1889 -) who on June 6, 1911 married George E. Bruce (1879 -).  Gertrude died March 18, 1936.
3. Andrew H. Hilliard  was born in 1877.  He married Lula Clifford (1885 - 1911) on October 20, 1906; after Lula passed, he then married Lilly C Bruce (1890 - ) on September 17, 1911 and had at least three children: George R Hilliard (1912 -), Rosa C Hilliard (01/25/1914 -), Mary Madeline Hilliard (10/25/1920- ) who married a Pulice.  Andrew died in 1932.
4. William Hilliard was born on September 6, 1881. He married Edith Armstead (03/06/1893 - 11/02/1922).  They had two children:  male infant Hilliard (10/24/1889 - 11/30/1889) and Inez Hilliard (11/06/1921 - 12/26/1988) who married (07/09/1976) Roosevelt Gist.  William died on August 30, 1922. 
5. Rosa Hilliard was born in March 1889, but died before 1910.
6. A male infant Hilliard was born October 24, 1889, but died November 30, 1889.

On June 20, 1900 Kate and Edward had been married 28 years with three of five children still living. They were living in Grant County West Virginia with two children:  Hinkle and Rosa.  Edward and Hinkle were farm laborers.  By 1910 Kate and Edward had been married 42 years and only three of their six children were still living; Hinkle (widowed) and William were living with them.  Edward Hilliard died January 2, 1924 of a heart affliction.  

In 1930 Catherine Hilliard was living with her son Hinkle (1874 -) and widowed daughter Gertrude Method, and grandchildren Robert, Madeline, and Inez.  Kate died December 12, 1933.


Jane Williams/Stewart





















Jane Stewart was born in April 1850.  Jane may have been a slave.  In 1874 she married Strother Taylor (08/08/1850 - 01/05/1927).  They had ten children:

1. male Ford (12/26/1870 - ).
2. Willie Taylor (08/1872 or 07/17/1874 - ).
3. Mollie Taylor (1877 - 09/12/1893 ).
4. Edward/Edgar Taylor (10/1878 or 10/1879 - ).
5. Annie Taylor (10/1880 or 09/1881 - ) married 02/01/1900 Harry Harvey (02/1872 - ). They had three children:  Nellie H Harvey (1900 - ); Henry Harvey (02/28/1915 - 11/12/1939) married Helen Redman; William David Harvey (02/29/1916 -).
6. Joshua W Taylor (01/1883 - 08/26/1937) married on 06/21/1904 Mollie Newman (1882 - 03/09/1928).
7. John Taylor (02/1884 - 02/05/1963).
8. Strother Taylor Jr. (05/11/1885 or 07/1885 - ).
9. Mary Virginia Taylor (10/1889 or 11/1889 - 08/06/1958).  (Mary was “Grandma Mary” who was our occasional baby sitter.)
10. Robert Taylor (01/1893 - ).

Jane died on June 15, 1924.  Strother indicated Jane’s father was a James Williams on her death certificate.


Rachel A Ford/Stewart 

Rachel Stewart was born in 1851.  Rachel may have been a slave.  She was married to William Henry Bruce (1848 -) on 10/11/1871 by Rev. Dunbar G Miller at Fortune Stewart’s home in Grant County.  William's parents were Isaac and Jane Bruce.  They had eight children:

1. Joseph W Bruce (07/13/1872 - )
2. Richard Bruce (1873 - )
3. Cora M Bruce (1875 or 2/24/1896 - )
4. Harly N Bruce (1877 - )
5. Ellen V Bruce (1878 - )
6. male Bruce (05/15/1880 - )
7. Rebecca J Bruce (12/08/1882 - )
8. Harrie R Bruce (02/27/1885 - )

Rachel died December 14, 1944.

Frances "Fannie" Stewart

Fannie Stewart was born in 1852 and may have been a slave.  She was married to Strother Hilliard (06/1846 -) on May 6, 1868 by Rev. William George at Edward Williams home in Grant County.  They had seven children:

1. Laura Hilliard (1868 -) married Richard Bickwood (1867 -) on 11/05/1890.
2. Mary Rae Hilliard (1870 - ).
3. Obe Hilliard (08/1873 - 11/14/1908) died in a rail yard accident in Pennsylvania.
4. Minerva Hilliard (03/1877 -) married on 04/29/1903 John W Streets (1869 -); and later married Charles Carroll.
5. Jemima Ford (07/10/1882 - ).
6. Arthur/Artwoodrow Hilliard (07/16/1886 - 03/09/1952) married on 05/04/1923 Maude Ross/Coleman (04/03/1881 - 11/11/1964).
7. Blaine Hilliard (06/1888 - 03/18/1908) died of heart disease.
8. Infant girl Hilliard (11/1891 -).

In 1880 Strother was a farm laborer living on the Daniel Babb farm.
In 1900 Fannie and Strother were living alone; three of their six children were still living.
In 1910 Fannie and Strother had been married 37 years and only two of their seven children were living; Artwoodrow was still living with them. 
By 1930 Fannie and Strother had only two of their seven children still living; Artwoodrow was still living with them.


Margaret "Maggie" Stewart (Redman) 

Maggie Stewart was born in February 1852.  She married Hyder Hilliard (born 1853 or 06/07/1855) on 09/27/1876 at the parsonage of the Methodist Episcopal Church by Rev. Maston.  Maggie died.

Hyder remarried 02/01/11 to Ellen Taylor in Moorefield by Rev. James T. Reed.  They were both fifty and widowed.  He died March 28, 1924.

1. Edward "Eddie" Hilliard (1877 - before 1900) married Maggie Brooks.  They had on daughter ? Hilliard (07/21/1896 - ).
2. ? Hilliard ( - before 1900).
3. ? Hilliard ( - ).
4. Mary Catherine Hilliard (07/25/1882 - 11/19/1957)  married George H. Brooks (1880 -) on 09/10/1903.
5. Albert Charles Hilliard (07/1890 - 05/26/1961) married on 12/22/1941 Peggy Taylor.
6. Hezekiah Elwood Hilliard (11/1892 - 08/02/1970) married on 05/01/1929 Georgianna A. Duffy.  They had five children:  Hezekiah Elwood Hilliard Jr. (06/10/1930 - 01/09/1952), Carlton Alexander Hilliard (08/27/1932 - 2010), Mary Magdalene Hilliard (09/11/1934 -), Justina Virginia Hilliard (05/09/1937 -), David Robinson Hilliard 06/2/1939 -).

Luhr Stewart 

Luhr Stewart was born in 1956.  She married Andrew Hilliard. Luhr died on October 3, 1907 of peritonitis.


Emma Stewart

Emma Stewart was born in 1861.  She married Charles Robert “Petey” Hilliard (1859 or 09/26/1854 - 02/23/1927) on April 12, 1883.  Their daughter Lottie Hilliard was born in 1887, but died in a fire in March 1891.  Their son Fred Hilliard (03/1888 - 06/19/1963) who married Blanch Method (1909 -) on June 13, 1927.  Emma died December 20, 1892 of diabetes. Charles then married Mary Bruce on September 25, 1894, had a daughter Bessie in 1895, married Sam Robinson 09/15/1921, and died February 23, 1927.

Belle Stewart

Belle Stewart was born in 1866 in Hardy county.  She married on 01/19/1888 Ambrose Kent (1864 -), son of James and Lucinda Kent of Hardy county. It is not known what became of her.  She died sometime before 1910.

Annie Stewart 

Annie Stewart was born about 1865 in Hardy county.  She married on 12/29/1881 Ambrose Kent (1862 -), son of John H. and Rosa Virginia "Jinnie" Kent, at her parent's home in Grant county.  It is not known what became of her.


Mary Renoix "Ren" Stewart

Ren Stewart was born in 1867.  She married William Brooks (06/14/1870 - 07/11/1943) on 11/27/1889.  They were married by Charles Price at Rebecca Stewart’s home in Moorefield, West Virginia.
William parents were Andy and Martha Peterson Brooks; Andrew Brooks was a farm laborer and Martha Peterson Brooks was a domestic servant for W M Randolph in 1870.  Ren and William had four children:

1. Raymond Augustas Brooks (11/22/1890 - ).  
2. James L Brooks (07/18/1892 - 04/12/1958).
3. Pearl Andrew Brooks (02/22/1893 - 08/23/1976) married Jennie Meyers (03/1897 - 08/1978).  Pearl registered for WWI and WWII drafts and served in WWI (inducted 06/23/18 as a Private, promoted to Private 1st Class 11/22/18, 154 Dep Brig; Co B 333 Serv Bn 7/16/18, honorably discharged 7/8/19, served overseas from 8/31/18 to 6/28/19).
4. Martha A. Brooks (09/1896 -).

Ren committed suicide at age 30 on July 14, 1897 at her home in Moorefield, West Virginia. Ren's children went to live with William's parents Andrew and Martha Peterson Brooks and their Aunt Bertie after their mother’s death.  William Brooks then married Kate Scott Strawder and had another family.

Sarah Thornton "Sallie" Stewart 

Sallie Stewart was born on September 3, 1880.   She married on 10/05/1904 Alfred Stanley Bruce (10/10/1889-06/16/1967).  Sallie and Stanley had four children and adopted a daughter:

1. Lillian E Stewart/Bruce (08/20/1896 - 10/18/1964) married (01/28/1928) Charles Day (08/01/1886 - 03/07/1965).
2. Stanley Stewart Bruce (06/20/1908 - ) married Frances Page.  Their children were:  step-daughter Gertrude, step-son “Bummy”, son Stuart Calvin Bruce.
3. Mary Thornton Elizabeth Bruce (03/24/1909 - 01/03/2003) married Stanley William Stewart (05/13/1919 - 12/23/2003).  They had one son, Stanley Homer Stewart (12/22/1950-05/20/1992).
4. Dailey Randolph Bruce (10/08/1913 - 10/29/1989) married Beulah Clifford (10/05/1919 - 04/16/2012).  They had two children.

Sallie died April 28, 1969.  She was the last of Rebecca's daughters.  She was the only one of Rebecca's daughters I knew.