John J. Blevins
& Pinkey Cheek

John J. Blevins, son of Dillon BLEVINS & Mary "Polly" ISOM, was born Jan. 21, 1813, in Grayson Co., VA, and died 1872. He married Pinkey Cheek, daughter of Richard CHEEK & Jane "Jennie" ANDREWS, bef. 1838. She was born abt. 1815 in Orange Co., NC, and died Dec. 6, 1890, in Alleghany Co., NC. They divorced or separated in 1866. Pinkey is buried at the Crab Creek Primitive Baptist Church, located off Hwy 18 at Road 1450 near Ennice, Alleghany Co., NC. John J. Blevins' burial place is unknown.

Children of John J. Blevins & Pinkey Cheek:

1. +Mary Jane Blevins, b. Sept. 3, 1838, Ashe Co., NC; d. Jan. 7, 1929, Alleghany Co., NC; m. Jacob RECTOR, son of Anderson & Sarah RECTOR, Oct. 10, 1867, in Alleghany Co., NC (b. abt. 1849, Grayson Co., VA; d. 1918) (divorced before 1880); m. (2) Robert Lee TRUITT, son of Henry J. TRUITT & Hannah BROWNING, June 1, 1895, Alleghany Co., NC (b. Nov. 2, 1848; d. May 12, 1928); bur. Crab Creek Primitive Baptist Church, Ennice, Alleghany Co., NC.
2. +James Blevins, b. abt. 1841, Ashe Co., NC; d. Sept. 30, 1864, Fort Harrison, VA (Civil War); m. Mary "Polly" WOLFE, daughter of Frederick L. WOLFE & Elizabeth CROUSE, Sept. 6, 1862 (b. Sept. 24, 1841; d. Dec. 20, 1910).
3. Elizabeth Blevins, b. abt. 1843, Ashe Co., NC; probably died young.
4. +Margaret "Peggy" Blevins, b. abt. 1845, Ashe Co., NC; d. 1911, Alleghany Co., NC; m. Warren Commodore RECTOR, son of Granville RECTOR & Evaline DAVIS, Feb. 20, 1866, Alleghany Co., NC (b. Aug. 8, 1846, Grayson Co., VA; d. July 12, 1883); bur. Rector Cemetery, Ennice, Alleghany Co., NC.
5. +Thomas Jefferson Blevins, b. Feb. 24, 1847, Ashe Co., NC; d. Apr. 24, 1937, Alleghany Co., NC; m. Elizabeth "Bettie" RECTOR, daughter of James RECTOR & Ruth SWINDLE, Mar. 5, 1865, Alleghany Co., NC (b. Mar. 13, 1846, Grayson Co., VA; d. Apr. 26, 1912); bur. Crab Creek Primitive Baptist Chuch, Ennice, Alleghany Co., NC.
6. +Juliana Blevins, b. May 24, 1849, Ashe Co., NC; d. Oct. 17, 1930, Alleghany Co., NC; m. James Asberry SMITH, son of Seamon SMITH & Mary, last name unk., May 4, 1868, in Alleghany Co., NC (b. May 6, 1846; d. Dec. 26, 1920); bur. Rector Cemetery, Ennice, Alleghany Co., NC.
7. +John Wiley Blevins, b. Sept. 12, 1852, Ashe Co., NC; d. Dec. 16, 1933, Alleghany Co., NC; m. Nancy EVANS, daughter of David EVANS & Margaret WHITAKER, abt 1872 (b. May 29, 1848; d. Feb. 26, 1922); bur. Crab Creek Primitive Baptist Church, Ennice, Alleghany Co., NC.
8. +Houston Blevins, b. June 1855, Alleghany Co., NC; d. Oct. 24, 1930, Alleghany Co., NC; m. (1) Sarah J. CROUSE, daughter of Reeves CROUSE & Caroline EDWARDS, Dec. 26, 1872, Alleghany Co., NC (b. abt. 1855; d. 1882-1887); m. (2) Nancy Juliana SPURLIN, daughter of Eli SPURLIN & Mary R. COLLINS, Apr. 17, 1887, Alleghany Co., NC (b. May 23, 1866; d. Nov. 8, 1929); bur. Crab Creek Primitive Baptist Church, Ennice, Alleghany Co., NC.

Notes

inkey Cheek and John J. Blevins probably married before 1838. They lived in the northeast corner of Ashe County in the vicinity of Crab Creek, Brush Creek, and the Little River. This area became part of Alleghany County in 1859.  John J. Blevins was a grandson of John Blevins (c.1760's-1816), whose family were early settlers and "longhunters" in the area that became Grayson County, VA.

John Blevin's birthdate (Jan. 21, 1813) is written in a Latin book that was owned by his father, Dillon Blevins. It states, "John Blevins was born the 21 day of January in the year of our Lord 1813", followed by "September 25, 1830". This might be the date of John's marriage to Pinkey Cheek, although the meaning is not entirely clear.

John and Pinkey became officially separated during the summer of 1866. Their neighbor Morgan Edwards wrote in his journal on Aug. 3, 1866, "Went to J. J. Blevins. J. Blevins and Lady made a divison of their property at Calvin McGrady's." (Info kindly provided by Leon Kearns who has a transcribed copy of Morgan Edwards' journal.)

John & Pinkey entered into a written separation agreement dated July 24, 1866, which was proved Oct. 1866 in the Alleghany Court of Pleas of Quarter Sessions and recorded in Alleghany Deed Book 1, pp.205-207. The agreement is lengthy and intricate. Under traditional legal principles, a married woman could not own property: only her husband could own property. Therefore, unless Pinkey and John got legally divorced, simply dividing their property was not an option. As an alternative, John J. Blevins conveyed land and various items of personal property to Richard Cheek as trustee (probably Pinkey's brother Richard M. Cheek).  According to the agreement, Richard Cheek was to permit Pinkey Blevins to occupy the property as long as she lived separately from John J. Blevins. However, should the couple reconcile and live together again, then Richard Cheek was to reconvey the property to John J. Blevins. The agreement also provided that Pinkey Blevins was to maintain and support herself without charge to John J. Blevins, and that after her death, Richard Cheek would convey her property to her heirs or as directed by her will. The personal property conveyed to Pinkey by the agreement consisted of a table, bed & contents, household & kitchen furniture, bee hive, four head of cattle, one grey horse, hogs, side saddle, ten dollars as heir of R. Cheek, dec'd, one-fifth of all grain on hand (to wit) corn, wheat, oats and buckwheat, and one half the hay on the Douglas farm. Pinkey's parcel of land was described as follows: "Beginning at a white oak at or near the old line by the waggon road running south to Brush Creek then down the meanders of said creek to Little River then down the meanders of said Little River to the old line then west to the beginning." The separation agreement was signed by John J. Blevins, Pinky (X) Blevins (her mark), and Richard Cheek, and witnessed by John Higgins and Wm. A.J. Fowlkes.

In the 1870 census, Pinkey & John were still living separately. Pinkey is listed with one of their daughters (Margaret) and John with another (Mary).

John J. Blevins died in 1872; his burial place in not known. Pinkey died Dec. 6, 1890, and is buried at the Crab Creek Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Alleghany Co., NC. (See Alleghany Cemeteries Through 1986, pub. by the Alleghany Co. Hist.-Gen. Society).

Records

1840 Census, Ashe Co., NC, p.7: JOHN J. BLEVINS

1 w/m under 5	1 w/f under 5
1 w/m 20-29	1 w/f 20-29

1850 Census, Ashe Co., NC, p.242 (HH#70):
JOHN J. BLEVINS, 37, farmer, $600, b. in VA

-- Pinky, 35, NC
-- Mary, 11, NC
-- James, 9, NC
-- Elizabeth, 7, NC
-- Margaret, 5, NC
-- Thos. 3, NC
-- Julyanne, 1, NC

1860 Census, Alleghany Co., NC (HH#689):
BLEVINS, J.J., 47, farmer, $3000, $1150, NC

-- Pinkey, 45, NC
-- Mary J., 21, NC
-- James, 20, NC
-- Margaret, 18, NC
-- Tho. J., 15, NC
-- Juliann, 13, NC
-- John W., 7, NC
-- Huston, 5, NC

1860 Census, Agricultural Schedule, Alleghany Co., NC: JOHN BLEVINS, 100 acres unimproved land, 400 acres improved land, value of farm $300, value of farm implements $100, 5 horses, 0 asses/mules, 6 milch cows, 2 working oxen, 12 other cattle, 15 sheep, 50 swine, value of livestock $750. (Source: New River Notes)  [Note: listed next to Richard CHEEK and Chis. CHEEK]

Dec. 27, 1864. Pinkey BLEVINS is named in her father Richard Cheek's will (Alleghany WB 1, p.19).

July 24, 1866. Alleghany Co., NC. John J. BLEVINS & Pinky BLEVINS entered a separation agreement dividing their property. (Alleghany DB 1:205.)  (See discussion in above notes.)

1870 Census, Alleghany Co., NC, Glade Creek Twp. (HH#33):
JOHN BLEVINS, 57, farmer, VA

-- Mary, 32, keeps house, NC << John BLEVINS' daughter Mary RECTOR
-- John, 17, NC
-- Huston, 15, NC
-- Senia, 1, VA << Mary's daughter Sina RECTOR

1870 Census, Alleghany Co., NC, Glade Creek Twp. (HH#2):
WARREN RECTOR, 24, farmer, NC

-- Margarett, 25, keeps house, NC
-- Willey T., 2, NC
-- Pinkney, 4 mos., NC
BLEVINS, Pinkey, 50, NC

1872. John J. BLEVINS apparently died in 1872.  No will was recorded.  However, on July 12, 1872, Robert ANDERSON & Dennis SEAFORD filed an inventory of the estate of John J. BLEVINS, deceased, in the court of Alleghany Co., NC.  An administrator's bond was posted on Aug. 3, 1872, by Richard EDWARDS with John HIGGINS & Warren RECTOR.  Richard EDWARDS was also appointed guardian of Houston BLEVINS & Wiley BLEVINS, minor orphans of John J. BLEVINS, and a guardian's bond of $800 was posted by Richard EDWARDS with John HIGGINS & Warren RECTOR.  The estate sale was conducted on Nov. 16, 1872; purchasers included Margaret & Warren RECTOR, T.J. BLEVINS, Juliann SMITH, Wily BLEVINS, Houston BLEVINS, Mary J. RECTOR, and Richard EDWARDS.  (Estate of John J. Blevins, NC Archives Box No. CR.004.508.2.)

1880 Census, Alleghany Co., NC, Glade Creek Twp (HH#91):
PINKY BLEVINS, 63, widow, keeping house, NC NC NC

Deed Abstracts