Octavia Egnor

Female 1860 - Aft 1930  (71 years)


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  • Name Octavia Egnor  [1, 2, 3, 4
    • View First Name Variations
    Born 1860  VA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • October 12, 1882 Marriage Record of William H. Horton & Octavy (Egnor) Smith shows Octavia as 22 years old, setting her birth year at approximately 1860.
      -- born 1856/1860 VA per Gould family records
      -- born abt 1856 VA per 1870 census
      -- born abt 1861 per 1880 census
      -- born June 1856 per 1900 census (listed previously as 1862, but a clearer image shows 1856)

      Because Octavia is not present in the 1860 Census with her parents, it is assumed she was born in 1860 just after the census was taken. This agrees with her age when married to her first husband, Floyd Smith, in 1882.
    • No record has been found for Octavia's birth as an Egnor or death with any last name ascribed to her spouses. Family lore has it that she was an Indian of Cherokee descent, but no further information was given. As she doesn't show in the 1860 census and then shows in the 1870 census as 14 years old, it is possible she was informally adopted into the family. Without U.S., VA/WV or Cherokee records showing this, it is not possible to determine.
      If she was Cherokee, none of the ancestors shown here were actually hers...unless some of them were actually Cherokee.
      Interestingly, her grandchildren through her daughter, Mary Frances Horton Atkins, never provided either a first or last name or a specific tribe for Octavia when asked, even though decades later it came to light that Mary's oldest daughter at least, did know her name and tribe. This would be congruent with her children instructing her grandchildren throughout their lives to not reveal this information to avoid persecution and possible relocation as an Indian.
      Information previously unavailable: A granddaughter of Octavia whose mother grew up away from her siblings after her parents died in 1928 & 1931, said that DNA testing has been done by one of the granddaughter's siblings, and no Native American blood was indicated. Those grandchildren had also been told about being descended from Native Americans (as had the granddaughter's mother's siblings). If more information comes to light and is suitable for showing here, I will add it at that time.
    Gender Female 
    Died Aft 1930  WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I4552  adkinshorton
    Last Modified 11 Dec 2022 

    Father John Washington Egnor, Sr.,   b. 29 Jun 1833, Monroe Co, VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 29 Mar 1903, Lincoln Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 69 years) 
    Mother Lucinda Frances Plumley,   b. 11 May 1835, Cabell Co, VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1 Sep 1908  (Age 73 years) 
    Married 1850  [5
    Documents
    1860-VA Census, Griffithsville, Cabell Co, VA
    1860-VA Census, Griffithsville, Cabell Co, VA
    John Washington Egnor & Lucinda Frances Plumley
    1870-WV Census, Griffithsville, Union Township, Lincoln Co, WV
    1870-WV Census, Griffithsville, Union Township, Lincoln Co, WV
         << View United States Federal Census Help >>

    John Washington Egnor & Lucinda Frances Plumley with children
    1880-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
    1880-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
         << View United States Federal Census Help >>

    John Washington Egnor & Lucinda Frances Plumley with children
    1900-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
    1900-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
         << View United States Federal Census Help >>

    • John Washington Egnor & Lucinda Frances Plumley with children
    • James Calloway Plumley & Octavia Egnor - pt.1
    • William Horton - pt.1
    • Mary Frances Horton - pt.1
    Family ID F24910  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Floyd Smith,   b. Abt 1856, Lincoln Co, VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef 12 Oct 1882  (Age ~ 26 years) 
    Married Abt 1877  [6
    • Carol Setliff is wife to Verlan, whose great grandmother is Octavia Egnor.
    Notes 
    • 1st Husband to Octavia
    Children 
    +1. Martha Jane Smith,   b. 8 Feb 1878, Lincoln Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Nov 1939, Clymer Creek, Putnam Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 61 years)
     2. Cillia Smith,   b. May 1880, WV Find all individuals with events at this location
    Documents
    1880-WV Census, Jefferson District, Lincoln Co, WV
    1880-WV Census, Jefferson District, Lincoln Co, WV
         << View United States Federal Census Help >>

    Floyd Smith & Octavia Egnor with children
    Family ID F24903  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 William H. Horton,   b. 1857, Putnam Co, VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1900, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 43 years) 
    Married 12 Oct 1882  Kanawha Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Listed in IGI record as William H. Horton, b.1857, Kanawha, VA, married to Octaby Smith b. abt 1862, on 12 Oct 1882, Kanawha, WV. This was an LDS submission, submitter unknown.
    Notes 
    • 2nd Husband to Octavia
    Children 
    +1. Mary Frances Horton,   b. Dec 1882, Cabell Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 24 Dec 1928, Little Sandy Creek, Kanawha Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 46 years)
     2. Beulah,   d. Yes, date unknown
     3. William Horton,   b. 1889,   d. 26 May 1958, Huntington, Cabell Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 69 years)
    Documents
    William H. Horton & Octavia <em>Egnor</em> Smith - 1882 Marriage Record
    William H. Horton & Octavia Egnor-Smith - 1882 Marriage Record
    (Mrs. Octavy Smith is Octavia Egnor Smith, widow of Floyd Smith.)
    Family ID F7530  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 3 James Calloway Plumley,   b. Mar 1866, VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Married Abt 1888  Lincoln Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [7
    Notes 
    • 3rd Husband to Octavia
    Children 
     1. Benjamin Harrison Plumley,   b. May 1889, Lincoln Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
    +2. Eva Belle Plumley,   b. 10 Apr 1895, Lincoln Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 21 Mar 1949, McCorkle, Lincoln Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 53 years)
    +3. Sylvester Plumley,   b. 20 Dec 1898, Griffithsville, Lincoln Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location
    +4. Pink Lillie Plumley,   b. 04 May 1900, Griffithsville, Lincoln Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 2 Apr 1987, South Charleston, Kanawha Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 86 years)
    Documents
    1900-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
    1900-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
         << View United States Federal Census Help >>

    • John Washington Egnor & Lucinda Frances Plumley with children
    • James Calloway Plumley & Octavia Egnor - pt.1
    • William Horton - pt.1
    • Mary Frances Horton - pt.1
    1900-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
    1900-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
         << View United States Federal Census Help >>

    • Henry Arnold & Martha Jane Smith with sons
    • James M. Egnor & Julia B. Stowers
    • James Calloway Plumley & Octavia Egnor - pt.2
    • William Horton - pt.2
    • Mary Frances Horton - pt.2
    Family ID F24901  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 4 James Saddler,   b. Est 1854, VA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • 4th or 5th Husband to Octavia
    Children 
    +1. Albert Newton Saddler,   b. 15 Mar 1907, Lincoln Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 07 Dec 1950, Yawkey, Lincoln Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 43 years)
    Documents
    1910-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
    1910-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
         << View United States Federal Census Help >>

    James Sadler & Octavia Egnor with son and stepchildren - pt.1
    1910-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
    1910-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
         << View United States Federal Census Help >>

    James Sadler & Octavia Egnor with son and stepchildren - pt.2
    1920-WV Census, Duvall District, Precinct 3, Lincoln Co, WV
    1920-WV Census, Duvall District, Precinct 3, Lincoln Co, WV
         << View United States Federal Census Help >>

    • Sylvester Plumley
    • Octavia Egnor Saddler with sons from two marriages
    (Albert's father is James Saddler)
    Last Modified 2 Oct 2022 
    Family ID F24904  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 5 SUTLIFF  [8
    Notes 
    • 4th or 5th Husband to Octavia
    Family ID F24902  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Documents
    1930-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
    1930-WV Census, Union District, Lincoln Co, WV
         << View United States Federal Census Help >>

    • Sylvester Plumley & Veda Egnor with children
    • Octavia Egnor Sadler

  • Notes 
    • =======
      (their notes)
      YEAR AGE EVENT/LOCATION {Source}
      ---- --- ----------------------------------------------

      MAR: MARRIED FOUR TIMES
      MAR: 1ST TO SMITH
      MAR: 2ND TO ???
      MAR: 3RD TO WILLIAM HORTON
      MAR: 4TH TO JAMES SADDLER
      BIR: 1856, 1857, OR 1860

      Birth: ABT 1856 in VA (per 1870 census)
      Birth: ABT 1857 in Per Anthony Ray Gould
      Birth: ABT 1860 in Per Carolyn Saul
      Birth: 1860 in Per Lincoln County book
      Death: UNKNOWN
      Census: 1860 not listed
      Census: 1870 Listed as age 14, in Union Twp, Griffithsville PO #25, Lincoln Co, WV
      =======
      1870 Lincoln Co. WV Fed Census, Union Twp, Griffithsville PO, Pg4
      #25-25 John W. Egnor 37, farmer, born VA, cannot read or write;
      Lucinda 35, housekeeper, born VA, cannot read or write;
      Mathias 16, labors on farm, born VA;
      Martin 15, labors on farm, born VA;
      Octavia 14, Mary 19; Martha 8; Lucinda Jr. 4, John 1

      Doug Couch notes May 2009:
      From various records found, the apparent order of marriages is 1)Smith, 2)Horton, 3)Plumley, 4)Saddler. Relatives of the time say there was an additional husband, Sutliff...order not known. She is said to be Indian...said to be full-blood Cherokee. For many years we did not know her given or surname. In late 2008, information surfaced showing her as Octavia Egnor, confirmed by several census records, etc.


  • Sources 
    1. [S8] 1870-WV Census Griffithsville, Lincoln Co, WV.

    2. [S9] 1880-WV Census Jefferson, Lincoln Co, WV.

    3. [S10] 1900-WV Census Union, Lincoln Co, WV.

    4. [S11] 1910-WV Census Union, Lincoln Co, WV.

    5. [S18892] 1860 US Census, Griffithsville, Cabell Co, VA.

    6. [S18771] Carol Setliff.
      Abt 1877- Octavia Egnor married Floyd Smith. (Octavia and her sister, Mary Ann Egnor married Smith brothers- Floyd and Parker.)

    7. [S18771] Carol Setliff.
      Dec 1882, a child, Mary H. was born and appears on the 1900 Lincoln County census with Octavia and James Plumley, but her age is listed as 17, born Dec 1882. The census says that Octavia and James were married 12 years...1888. So Mary H. was born 6 years before Octavia and James married. Mary was the daughter of William Horton and Octavia.

    8. [S18800] Lorine Mae Strickland.
      Unknown mother of Mary Frances Horton given as believed to be full-blood Cherokee (according to Lorine's mother, Nada Adkins Strickland). She was married 5 times (given as 4 by Viril Atkins). Spouses surnames were Smith, Horton, Plumley, Sadler, and Sutliff.
      Citation from Doug's notes 1999. As of Feb. 2009, no evidence showing a marriage of Octavia Egnor Horton has been uncovered, although it has been found for all four other spouses. A photo clip is included showing two Setliff families living very close by (per 1900 census) when Andrew Jackson Adkins was a child. These families may well be related to his future mother-in-law, Octavia. (suggested future research)


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