John Riley Sansom
and Elizabeth Davidson

John Riley Sansom b about 1760 VA; Burial: Knox Creek, Woodman, Pike Co KY; Married: 24 Apr 1797 Giles Co VA to Elizabeth DAVIDSON b: about 1780 Giles VA. Children of John Riley Sansom and Elizabeth Davidson;

I. Mary "Polly" Sansom b about 1801 Logan Co VA m. 1816 to William White b about 1790. Children of William White and Mary "Polly" Sansom;

1. Hampton White b 1825

2. Hickman White b 1827 WV

3. Nancy White b about 1822 d 6 Sept 1856 Logan Co WV m. about 1841 to Hiram White b about 1813 Giles VA; s/o John White and Susannah Unknown. Children of Hiram White and Nancy White; i. David K. White b about 1838 WV ii. Lucy White b about 1840 WV iii. James H. White b about 1842 WV iv. Harmon White b about 1844 WV v. Hiram White b about 1847 WV vi. William White b about 1847 WV vii. Hickman Sansom White b about 1849 WV viii. Laidley White b AFT Jun 1850 WV ix. Betsey White b about 1853 x. John White b Mar 1855

Hiram White m. 21 Nov 1859 Logan VA to Mary J Collins b about 1840 Kanawha Co VA; d/o Benjamin Collins and Cath Unknown.

4. Elizabeth White b 1829

II. James Sansom b about 1802 Montgomery Co VA m. 2 Jan 1823 Pike Co KY to Chloe Chapman b about 1803 d about 1837 Pike Co KY; d/o Thomas Chapman and Ginny Unknown. Children of James Sansom and Chloe Chapman;

1. Susanna (Susan) Maynard b May 1856 VA

2. James Hiram Maynard b about 1858 Logan VA

3. Andrew Jackson Maynard b about 1859 VA

4. Elizabeth Maynard b 1861

5. Riley Maynard b about 1862 WV

6. John Boge Maynard b about 1865

7. Madison "Mack" Maynard b about 1868 Martin KY

8. W. R. Maynard b about 1869 Logan WV

9. Samuel Maynard b about 1870 WV

10. Ira Maynard b about 1872 WV

11. Hiram Maynard b about 1874 WV

12. Martha Maynard b 1874

13. Victoria Maynard b about 1877 WV

14. Harmond Maynard

15. Henry Peter Maynard

Chloe Chapman m. Hiram McCoy b about 1803 VA d before 1860 s/o Samuel McCoy and Elizabeth Davis.

III. William A. Sansom b about 1804 Logan Co VA m. Mary "Polly" White b about 1815 VA. Children of William A Samson and Mary "Polly" White;

1. James Sansom b 1829 Logan Co VA

2. Anna Sansom b VA

3. Gordon Sansom b 1835/1836 Logan Co VA

4. Floyd Sansom b 1839 Logan Co VA

5. Overton Sansom b 1841 Logan Co VA

6. Andrew Sansom b 1845 Logan Co VA

7. John Wesley Sansom b Mar 1845 Logan Co VA

8. Melvin Sansom b 1847 Logan Co VA

9. Bythena Sansom b 1850 Logan Co VA

IV. Chloe Sansom b 1807 VA m. Hiram McCoy b 1803 Pike Co KY; s/o Samuel McCoy and Elizabeth Davis

V. John Riley Sansom Jr. about 1811 VA m. 5 May 1832 (or 1833) Pike Co KY to Perlina Stafford b 1814 VA; d/o John Stafford and Nancy Unknown.

VI. Davidson Sansom b 1813 Kanawha Co VA m. Tabitha Hensley b about 1814 VA; d/o William Hensley. Children of Davidson Sansom and Tabitha Hensley;

1. Rebecca Sansom b about 1837 Logan Co WV

2. Nancy Sansom b about 1839 Logan Co WV

3. Elizabeth Sansom b about 1842 Logan Co WV m. John Lawson b about 1836 VA. Children; i. Rebecca Lawson b about 1861 VA ii. Hiram Lawson b about 1863 VA iii. Tabitha Lawson b about 1866 WV

4. Hannah Sansom b about 1843 Logan Co WV

5. Luemma Sansom b about 1845 Logan Co WV

6. Mary Sansom b about 1849 Logan Co WV

VII. Hiram Sansom b 1815 VA

VIII. Matilda Sansom b about 1816 VA

IX. Abel Sansom b 1817 VA m. about 1836 Logan Co VA to Juliantus White b 12 Mar 1822 VA d 6 Jan 1897 Wayne Co WV; d/o John White and Susan Elkins. Children of Abel Sansom and Juliantus White;

1. Edward Workman Sansom b 20 Jun 1837 VA d 14 Jun 1922 Sheridan District, Lincoln Co WV; buried Franklin Cemetery, Sheridan District, Lincoln, WV; m. 11 Feb 1858 VA to Lurani Cummings b 24 Aug 1842 Cabell Co VA d 21 Oct 1881 Lincoln Co WV; d/o Adam Cummins and Hulda Adkins. Children of Edward Workman Sansom and Lurani Cummings; i. Albert Ross "Burt" Samson b 2 Mar 1859 Boone Co VA ii. Juliantus Samson b 8 Jul 1861 Lincoln Co WV iii. Abel or Abraham Lincoln Samson b 23 Dec 1864 Lincoln Co WV iv. Martha Rachel Samson b 17 Jun 1866 Lincoln Co WV v. Evaline Samson b 23 Sep 1868 Lincoln Co WV vi. Louisa Samson b 6 Jul 1871 Lincoln Co WV vii. Hudson Samson b ABT 1873 WV viii. Hulda Jane Samson b 26 May 1874 Lincoln Co WV ix. John Dexter SANSOM Sr. b: 28 Mar 1876 Lincoln Co WV x. Adam Fillmore Samson b 26 May 1878 Leet, Lincoln Co WV xi. George Zacariah Samson b 26 Aug 1880 Lincoln Co WV

Edward Workman Sansom m. about 1882 to Valerie Jane Walls b 15 May 1864 d 10 Jan 1967 Charleston, Kanawha WV; d/o Anderson Walls and Juliu Antis Smith. Children of Edward Workman Sansom and Valerie Jane Walls; i. James H Sansom b Mar 1883 WV ii. William Floyd Sansom b 26 May 1885 iii. Paralee Sansom b 23 Oct 1887 iv. Ulysses Otis Sansom b 31 Aug 1890 WV v. Benjamin Franklin Sansom b 7 Nov 1892 Lincoln WV

Valerie Jane Walls m. James Harvey Smith

2. Rhoda Sansom b about 1841 VA

3. Amanda Sansom b about 1843 VA

4. Mary A. Sansom b about 1845 VA

5. William Sansom b Feb 1847 VA

6. Malinda Sansom b about 1849 VA

7. Greenville C. Sansom b Mar 1852 VA d 10 Jan 1939 Lavallette, Wayne Co WV; m. 2 Apr 1874 Wayne Co WV to Adalade Gilkerson b 17 Sept 1859 Wayne Co WV d 7 Nov 1940 Wayne Co WV; d/o Ira Gilkerson and Sarah Price. Children of Greenville C Sansom and Adalade Gilkerson; i. Stella Belle Sansom b Jan 1878 Wayne Co WV ii. Millard Sansom b 23 Jan 1879 Wayne Co WV iii. Okey J. Sansom b 25 May 1880 Wayne Co WV iv. Polly Sansom b Nov 1879 Wayne Co WV v. Hiram Ireland Sansom b 18 Jun 1882 Wayne Co WV vi. Josephine Sansom b 13 Dec 1883 Wayne Co WV vii. Cora Sansom b 27 Nov 1886 Wayne Co WV viii. Nora Sansom b 27 Nov 1886 Wayne Co WV ix. Not named Sansom b Dec 1889 Wayne Co WV x. Abraham Sansom b Feb 1885 Wayne Co WV xi. James Sansom b 18 Apr 1891 Wayne Co WV xii. Tolbert Sansom b from 22 Jun 1894 to 16 Jul 1893 Wayne Co WV xii. not named Sansom b ABT 1895 Wayne Co WV xiii. Nolan Sansom b Wayne Co WV xiv. Jennings Sansom

8. Susanah Susan Sansom b Feb 1854 Logan VA m. 3 Sept 1873 Wayne Co WV to Sylvester Adkins b Jul 1844 Cabell Co WV d/o Randolph Adkins and Elsie Lucas. Children of Sylvester Adkins and Susanah Susan Sansom; i. James Adkins b Oct 1877 Wayne Co WV ii. Parker Adkins b Jan 1880 Wayne Co WV iii. William Michall Adkins b Nov 1881 WV iv. Alafair Adkins b May 1884 Wayne Co WV v. Julie Adkins b Jul 1887 Wayne Co WV vi. Emma Adkins b Jul 1887 Wayne Co WV.

9. Nancy A. Sansom b about 1857 VA m. 28 Jul 1888 Wayne Co WV to David Ferguson b about 1867 Wayne Co WV; s/o Cassender Ferguson and Serrena Smith. Children of David Ferguson and Nancy A Sansom; i. Leo b Aug 1889 Wayne Co WV ii. Floyd b Mar 1890 Wayne Co WV iii. Anthony Ferguson b 27 Sept 1892 Wayne Co WV

10. John Sansom b May 1858 VA m. about 1885 to Elizabeth Sansom b Oct 1865. Child; i. Zilpha Sansom b Jul 1889

11. J. Belleveret Sansom b from 10 Dec 1860 to 10 Jan 1862 Wayne Co WV m. 15 Dec 1886 Wayne Co WV to Hester Ross b Oct 1866 Wayne Co WV. Children; i. Columbus b Dec 1886 WV ii. Green b Nov 1888 WV iii. Norma b Feb 1891 WV iv. Everet Sansom b Nov 1892 WV.

12. Albert Sansom b Jan 1862

13. Leander Gilkerson Sansom b 26 Nov 1866 Wayne Co WV m. 6 Nov 1889 Wayne Co WV to Margaret Belle Halley b 10 Feb 1873 Boyd Co KY d 16 May 1947 Cabell Co WV. Children of Leander Gilkerson Sansom and Margaret Belle Halley; i. Floyd Randolph Sansom b Dec 1890 Wayne Co WV ii. Laura May Sansom b 14 May 1892 Wayne Co WV iii. Emmit L. Sansom b 4 Oct 1894 Wayne Co WV iv. Bertha A. Sansom b 1 Jan 1898 Wayne Co WV v. Burnie Golden Sansom b 28 Sep 1895 Wayne Co WV vi. Nolan Garrett Sansom b 22 Jul 1903 Wayne Co WV vii. William Jennings Bryan Sansom b 1 Sep 1906 Wayne Co WV viii. Marie Mosser Sansom b 1910 Wayne Co WV ix. Ruth Beatrice Sansom b 11 Jun 1912 Wayne Co WV

X. Jennie Sansom b about 1819 VA

XI. Elias Sansom b about 1821 VA

XII. Andrew Sansom b Jan 1823 VA d 29 Apr 1907 Wayne Co WV m. about 1846 to Mary Ann Smith b 1828 Logan Co WV; d/o John Smith. Children of Andrew Sansom and Mary Ann Smith;

1. Hugh Washington Sansom b Nov 1846 Logan Co WV

2. Luannah Sansom b about 1849 Logan Co WV

3. Robert Scott Sansom b about 1851 Logan Co WV

4. Manerva or Missouri Sansom b about 1854 Logan Co WV

5. Elizabeth M. Sansom b 16 Mar 1856 Wayne Co WV

6. Not Named Sansom b 6 Jan 1859 Wayne Co WV

7. Amacetta Sansom b 27 Jul 1860 Wayne Co WV

8. Lee Monroe Sansom b 3 Nov 1865 Wayne Co WV

9. Sidney Sansom b May 1868 Wayne Co WV

10. A. T. Sansom b about 1874 Wayne Co WV

XIII. Landa Sansom b 1822 VA

XIV. Elizabeth Sansom b about 1826 Logan Co VA

XV. Riley Sansom b Feb 1833 VA d 6 Apr 1905 Riverside Lewis WA; m. 5 Feb 1852 Pike Co KY to Sarah Cline b about 1837; d/o Jacob Cline. Children of Riley Sansom and Sarah Cline;

1. Sarah Sansom b CAL 1851 KY

2. Araminta Sansom b 12 Dec 1852 Magnolia District Logan Co WV

3. Levi or Leroy Sansom b ABT 1854 KY

4. Hannah Sansom b 17 Jan 1856 KY

5. Margaret Sansom b CAL 1858 KY

6. Frances Sansom b CAL 1860

7. William R. Sansom b 7 Mar 1866 Logan Co WV

8. Mary Ann Sansom b CAL 1867 Logan Co WV

9. Andrew Sansom b CAL 1870 Logan Co WV

10. America Sansom b Feb 1872 Logan Co WVa

11. Elizabeth Sansom b WV

12. John Sansom

13. Burrell Sansom

14. not known Sansom

1850 Pike Co KY Census
3 535 535 Sansom John Jr 38 M Farmer 700 VA X
4 535 535 Sansom Perlina 38 F VA X
5 535 535 Sansom Elias 13 M KY
6 535 535 Sansom John C 11 M KY
7 535 535 Sansom Nancey 9 F KY
8 535 535 Sansom Hiram 7 M KY
9 535 535 Sansom Sarah A 5 F KY
10 535 535 Sansom Elizabeth E 3 F KY
11 535 535 Sansom Causbey C 1 F KY

12 536 536 Sansom John Sr 90 M Carpenter VA X
13 536 536 Sansom Elizabeth 70 F VA X
14 536 536 Sansom Riley 19 M Labourer KY

(Note: Two counties are listed as the marriage place for this couple. Nancy Barbuto lists Montgomery Co., Virginia, while Helen Grace Butler lists Giles, Co., Virginia as the marriage place)
Note: Nancy Barbuto, in her Family Registry entry, states that John and wife Elizabeth "raised 12 children in Montgomery Co., Kanawha Co., and Logan Co., Virginia. Helen Grace Butler lists 14 children for this couple on the family group sheet she sent to me.

BIRTH- Ed Sansom relates that "John Sansom came from England as a boy of 14 years of age, about 1790, as per History of Logan County by Henry Clay Ragland."

BURIAL - Denton Sansom states: "John Riley Sansom was buried in the Sansom cemetary, Woodman, Pike Co., KY, an area called Knox Creek." From "Descendants of John & Elizabeth Sansom" by Van Edwin Turner: John Sansom, progenitor of most of the Sansom descendants now living WV, Kentucky and Ohio, according to tradition, came to America from England as a boy of fourteen years. This may be true but records tend to show otherwise.

When the Logan County, WV 1880 census was taken, two of John's children were still living in that county and told the census enumerator that their father was born in Virginia. Furthermore, in the early census records that were taken while John was still living show that he was not of foreign birth. So we must assume that the records were correct. It should be noted here that tradition usually contains some basis of truth, but during the retelling from generation to generation it sometimes becomes sadly perverted.

John Sansom was married 24 April 1797 in Montgomery County, Virginia to Elizabeth Davidson, born about 1781. His name appears on the personal property tax list of Tazewell County, Virginia in the years 1802 and 1803. His name also appears on the 1806 Tazewell County, Virginia land tax list as owning 100 acres of land. In the years 1810 and 1815 he appears on the tax list of Cabell County, Virginia (a part of which is now Logan County, West Virginia).

John Sansom purchased two tracts of land in 1814 in Cabell County. The first, 23 August 1814, from James Bias and his wife Peggy for $150.00. The land was located on the Guyandotte River. The second tract was purchased 1 October 1814 from William Dingess for $300.00 for 100 acres in Cabell County. The land was located on the Spruce Fork of Coal River. He later deeded half of this land to his son Elias Sansom. Both of these parcels of land are in what is now Logan County, West Virginia.
In the early 1820s John Sansom and his family moved to Kentucky. His eldest son, James Sansom, married in Pike County in 1823. His next oldest son, William Sansom, married in Lawrence County, Kentucky in 1824. John and his household appear in the 1830 census of Lawrence County, Kentucky.

John Sansom returned to Logan County, (West) Virginia before 1840. His household is listed in that census. At least two of his sons, Abel and Andrew settled Wayne Co WV, and raised large families. John Sansom Jr. remained Pike Co KY, but some of John Jr.'s children settled in Webster County, West Virginia.

Most of the Sansom of West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky can be traced back to John and Elizabeth (Davidson) Sansom.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE NAME AND FAMILY ORIGIN
Among the Norman nobles who followed William the Conqueror into England in 1066 A.D. were Ralph and Thomas de St. Sampson. They were born in Donvre, near Caen, France, sons of Osbert and Muriel, who were of noble lineage. Osbert was a priest, and the family lived near the Monastery of St. Sampson of Roen. it was from the Monastery of St. Sampson some historians believe the Sampson family received their surname. (The prefix "de" signifies "of" or "from").

In the early English records the names Sampson, Sansom, Sanome, Sansum, and other variations, seemingly in many instances, refer to the same person. It would not be unlikely that it was descendants of these families that came to the shores of America, the first of whom was perhaps Richard Sansom who came to America in the ship "Elizabeth and Ann" on 14 May 1635, however, his relationship to the later Sansom has yet to be determined.