BLACK.
Samuel Black was a native of Ireland, and coming to this
country as a student of theology, was licensed to preach by
the Presbytery of New Castle. He was settled as pastor
over two churches in Donegal Presbytery in Pennsylvania.
In 1743 he began to visit Virginia as a missionary, and in
1747 received a call from Mountain Plains Church, and the
people of Ivy Creek, who formed the congregation of D. S.
In 1751 he purchased from Richard Stockton four hundred
acres on Mechum's River, where he made his home until his
death in 1770. For a time he taught school in connection
with his ministerial duties. His wife's name was Catharine
Shaw, and his children were Samuel, James, Margaret, Mary,
Sarah, John and William. James became the owner of six
hundred acres on Stockton's Creek not far from Rockfish Gap,
where he kept a public house, and where in the fall of 1777
he had as a guest General George Rogers Clark. He and
his wife Eleanor sold out in 1780, and seem to have removed
from the county. John and his wife Elizabeth, in 1789 sold
to Menan Mills one hundred and thirty acres adjoining the
home place. After this time the only member of the family
whose course can be traced is Samuel, the eldest son.
He became a man of prominence, prospered in his affairs,
was active as a magistrate for some years, and died in 1815.
He and his wife Mary had six sons and three daughters,
Samuel, William, Dorcas, the wife of Charles Patrick, Catharine,
Mary, the wife of John Ramsay, James, John, Joel and
Daniel. The second son, William, married Matilda Rowe,
and died in 1809, leaving seven children, Samuel, who died
unmarried in 1846, Jane, the wife of Caleb Abell, Andrew,
James, Thomas, who died unmarried in 1878, John and Mary.
Andrew died in 1875. His wife was Sarah, daughter of Nicholas
Merritt, and his children, William, Nicholas, Mary, the
wife of Willis Piper, Elizabeth, the second wife of James H.
Rea, and Cynthia. James married Rosanna, sister of
Andrew's wife, and died in 1876. His children were Samuel,
Nicholas, Elizabeth, the wife of Richard Robinson, and Sarah
Ann, the first wife of James H. Rea.
