University of Virginia Library

DYER.

Samuel Dyer appeared before the Albemarle Circuit Court
in October, 1835, to apply for a pension as a Revolutionary
soldier. He then stated that he was born October 8th, 1756,
and was in his eightieth year. His first purchase of land
was made in 1787 from Thomas Staples, consisting of five
hundred acres, and extending from Hudson's Creek to Totier,
in all likelihood embracing his home, Plain Dealing, where
he lived and died. His store, a well known place of business
in those days, was situated at the junction of the roads from
Staunton and Charlottesville to Scott's Landing. He was so
successful in his mercantile pursuits, that he soon became the
owner of more than twenty-two hundred acres. He established
extensive milling operations at Glendower. He was
much employed in public business, being appointed on
account of his integrity and sound judgment largely to
superintend matters of general concern in his section of the
county. He finished his earthly course in 1840, aged eighty-four,
and his venerable partner, whose name was Celia
Bickley, died the same year.

Their family consisted of eleven children, William H.

who was appointed a magistrate in 1824, Ann, the wife of
George Robertson, Elizabeth, the wife of George M. Payne,
John, Thomas, Mary Jane, the wife of George A. Nicholson,
Martha, the wife of Joseph S. Watkins, Samuel, Francis B.,
Robert and Sarah. During the decade of 1830 most of the
children emigrated to Missouri. Francis was one who remained.
For a number of years he was a prominent member
of the Albemarle bar. He built the brick house and office
on East Jefferson and Seventh Streets, now occupied by
Major Horace Jones. Obliged by business misfortune, induced
perhaps by extravagant living, to surrender this property,
he removed to the house on Park Street, the present
residence of Drury Wood, where he died in 1838. Many
now living remember him as a man of genial disposition
and great corpulence; yet withal he was captain of an artillery
company (with John Eubank as orderly sergeant) which
drilled annually at Old's Forge on the north fork of Hardware.
He married Sarah White, of Staunton, and was the
father of five children, one of whom, Celia, was the wife of
William P. Staples, of Richmond.