William Naylor

pt 3.

1 first discovered the identity of William Naylor who died in Hampshire County, VA (WV) through a probate filing in Missouri.  That filing led to the original probate in Virginia and the wealth of information I found on William and his family there.

William died 4 Mar 1840 in Romney leaving his wife Susan (McGuire) and eight children by his two wives.  Susan moved to Selby County, Missouri where he oldest son Edward had settled sometime before 1850.  At that time the estate of William had still not been totally settled and Susan had brought slaves with her from Virginia.  In order to sort it all out probate documents were filed in Missouri but not before a few lawsuits had also been filed.

This is the will of William Naylor.  At the time of his death he had 11 slaves.  Although he didn't free them directly on his death, he did direct that they could not be sold for life and gave a timetable for manumission of all but the oldest who he said should be cared for for life.  When Susan died in 1850 the slaves were placed in the care of son Edward, some were rented out to William Moffat.  Edward in the meantime died in 1856 and when executor of the estate Edward McDonald tried to gain possession Moffat claimed ownership.  resulting in a lawsuit in 1859 in Missouri.

William Naylor - Probate Files including MO lawsuit  


William Naylor pt 1
William Naylor pt 2

Edward Ralph Naylor and Cornelia Myers

Edward Ralph Naylor was born on 7 Aug 1813 in Romney, Hampshire County, Virginia (now West Virginia).  He was the oldest of four children of William Naylor and Susan McGuire.  He also had four older half siblings, the children of William and Nancy Sanford.

William's father died in 1837 and Edward moved to Missouri along with a number of his siblings.

There he met Cornelia Myers the daughter of Jacob Francis Myers and Elizabeth.  Elizabeth brought her  daughter to Missouri after the death of her husband in Virginia.  Cornelia and Edward were married on 9 Sep 1841.

In 1850 the family is living in District 94 in Shelby County, Missouri. Besides Edward and Cornelia, there are four children and Cornelia's mother Elizabeth Myers. Slave schedules for the district also show one 8 year old male slave.  By 1856 there were two additional children.

Then tradgedy struck.  It was most likely cholera that took five year old Gilbert in July of 1856.  Edward's death followed on 18th August.

Edward left a good estate for his wife and children.  With no will the property passed mainly to his wife.  Those items that were sold netted Cornelia over $1000, a goodly sum in the years before the Civil War.

Cornelia continued farming the land for the next six years. Millicent, Edward's unmarried sister, moved in to help.  Then in 1862 Cornelia became the third wife of Matison Vanosdol.  They had two children, Craig born in 1863 and Mattie born in 1865.  In 1877 tragedy struck again, both Craig and Mattie died within a month of each other.

At this time Cornelia left the home she had shared with Matison.  The 1880 Census finds her in the home of her son James Monroe Naylor. When James moved to Colorado permanently she moved in with another son John Meyer Naylor.  This is where she was living when she died at the age of 76 in 1896.

Cornelia is buried  in Kings Graveyard near Pelvna, with the Vanosdols, including Craig and Mattie.  Edward is buried in the Naylor Cemetery on the old homestead in Bethel township along with son Gilbert.

The Children of Edward Ralph Naylor and Cornelia Myers

1. Susan McGuire  1842 MO - 1930 NM m. James Redd Brawner
2. William  
3. John Monroe  1846 MO - 1933 MO
4. Edward Ralph 1849 MO - 1925
5. Gilbert Francis 1851 MO - 1856 MO
6. James Monroe 1854 MO - 1935 CO