PEPPER Family

10. Holton, Alexander(~1721 - 1782) VA d. MAR 1782 in Fauquier, VA
Pepper ???, Elizabeth(*1710 - )
- m. ABT 1739
----------child: Holton, Elizabeth Ann 'Lady' (1730 - 1820)
----------child: Holton, William Rev (1739 - 1831)
----------child: Holton, Sarah (*1747 - )
----------child: Holton, Alexander Jr (*1747 - )

The father of Alexander Holton was a Colonel in the English army, but his Christian name is not known. Alexander was born on the Atlantic while the family was enroute to America. His mother died on the vessel and his father returned to England, after placing Alexander in the hands of an estimable lady, a fellow passenger. Colonel Holton was the founder of the HOLTON family in America. He was an English Army officer and bachelor of about fifty years of age when he chanced one night to procure lodging at a home near the camp of his command. In the morning he was informed of the birth of a baby girl in the household during the night, and he was invited to see the infant and christen her. Accepting, he remarked jokingly to this effect: "Who knows but this little infant might someday become my wife." This started the romance. Some sixteen years later, the Colonel, being again in the same community, decided to call upon the former hospitable friend. Approaching the house he beheld a beautiful young girl on the porch, who bade him enter. Soon his former host, who introduced the young lady as his daughter, cordially greeted him. Having been hard smitten at first sight the Colonel was highly pleased to ascertain that the object of his newly aroused affection was none other than the child he had christened as an infant. Following courtship, and marriage a year or two later, the couple embarked for America. On board the ship in mid-Atlantic, was born to them a son, whom they named Alexander Holton. But the youthful mother did not survive the remainder of the voyage and was buried at sea. Among the passengers who attempted to console the heart-broken husband and father was the lady to whom he entrusted the boy baby. As for himself, the Colonel took return passage in the next vessel bound for England. (From "Kentucky and Kentuckians" by E. Polk Johnson, 1912, Vol 3, Pg 1556-7)


9. Elizabeth Ann “Lady” Holton (b. 1730 – d. 1820)
b. 1 APR 1730 in VA
d. 6 JUL 1820 in KY
father: Holton, Alexander(~1721 - 1782)
mother: Pepper ???, Elizabeth(*1710 - )


8. Samuel Pepper (b. 1725 – d. 1798) Prince William, VA
*Elizabeth Ann “Lady” Holton (b. 1730 – d. 1820)
m. 1750 VA
----------child: Pepper, John (~1750 - 1816)
----------child: Pepper, Mary (~1752 - )
----------child: Pepper, Ann (~1754 - ) Married to OLDHAM, Richard (see below)
----------child: Pepper, Samuel Jr. (1756 - 1824)
----------child: Pepper, William H. (1759 - 1826)
----------child: Pepper, Frances (1764 - 1845)
----------child: Pepper, Jeremiah (*1766 - )
----------child: Pepper, Jesse (~1767 - 1835)
----------child: Pepper, Elijah Capt. (*1769 - 1831)
Patriotic service during Revolutionary War. He provided 750 pounds of beef for troops in VA. His service accepted by DAR.

Samuel Pepper settled in Prince William County; later lived in Fauquier County and, in 1791, resided in Montgomery County. His home was called "Buffalo Pond". On December 9, 1791, the Virginia Assembly passed an act establishing a ferry across the New River at his land.
Later in life, he moved to Mason County, Ky. He is buried on farm at Minerva.

7. John Samuel Pepper (b. 1750 – d. 1816) VA, Died in Williamston, Anderson, SC
Elizabeth Oldham (b. 1756 – d. 1854)
m. North Carolina
----------child: Pepper, Ruth (~1777 - )
----------child: Pepper, Samuel (1779 - 1845)
----------child: Pepper, William A. (1781 - 1874)
----------child: Pepper, Frances 'Fanny' (1782 - )
----------child: Pepper, Elijah (1788 - 1851)
----------child: Pepper, Mary 'Polly' (~1790 - >1840)
----------child: Pepper, John Jr. (~1793 - <1860)
----------child: Pepper, Jesse (1795 - 1863)
----------child: Pepper, Elisha (1796 - ~1877)
----------child: Pepper, Elizabeth 'Betsy' (~1800 - 1882)

In 1774, a petition was signed in Fauquier County, VA, requesting that the petitioners be permitted to worship as Baptists. At that time (prior to the American Revolution), the official church was the Church of England. Among the signers were a Samuel PEPPER, a John PEPPER, two Richard OLDHAMs (OLDHAM, Richard 'Estill"-husband of Ann Pepper b. 1754), a John OLDHAM, and an Alexander HOLTON.

Oldham, Richard 'Estill' Jr. (1745 - 1834)
b. 1 MAR 1744/1745 in Prince William, VA
d. 20 APR 1834 in Estill, KY
father: Oldham, Richard 3(~1704 - ~1785)
mother: Basye, Elizabeth(*1714 - )

Became "Sr." after moving to KY in order to distinguish from his nephew. Later records show him as "Estill" Richard Oldham. He signed a petition in 1774 in Fauquier Co., VA to be allowed to worship as a Baptist. Same petition was signed by Samuel Pepper, his father-in-law and by John Pepper, his brother-in-law (double), (being brother of his wife and husband of his sister, Elizabeth.) He enlisted three times during Revolutionary War and served in his brother, Capt. John Oldham's company under Col. Moore and Gen. Butler from Caswell Co., NC. Fought at Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse. Was pvt. in NC and Maj. after moving to KY.

John PEPPER recorded three deeds to property in Caswell County, NC prior to 1780. One of the deeds stated that John was from Guilford County. He was on the tax rolls of St. David's District of Caswell County in 1777 with an estate valued at 110 pounds. He had a land grant to 500 acres on Stoney Creek in Caswell County dated 1 Oct 1778.

Description of the properties indicated that the adjoining landowners were OLDHAMs. Family records of the OLDHAM family reveal that Richard OLDHAM married Ann PEPPER and that Elizabeth OLDHAM married "Mr. Pepper in North Carolina". John is the only PEPPER found to be living near the OLDHAMs, and Elizabeth PEPPER is listed on the 1850 census for Anderson County, SC in the household of Ruth BENNETT. This seems to provide sufficient evidence that it was our John that married Elizabeth OLDHAM. John sold his NC property in the early 1780s and was in the Pendleton District of SC in 1790. He was a charter member of the Big Springs Primitive Baptist Church near Williamston, now in Anderson County, SC. He is said to have given the property for the church, which is borne out by the quit claims signed by his children in the 1830s. His will was signed 25 Jan 1816 and proved 4 Mar 1816. It is recorded in Will Book A, page 186, in Anderson County, SC. The Battles of Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, King's Mountain, Camden, and other battles of the Revolutionary War, took place while John was living in the Caswell/Guilford area of NC. Most of the OLDHAMs, who were his brothers-in-law and neighbors, are found in the official records as having participated in some of these battles. There had been much speculation about John's military record, but it was not until late in 1980 that a connection was established. A letter to Miss Nina Pepper from Mrs. Lavada Smith, Route 2, Smithdale, MS 39664, provided the following news: "This info has been accepted by DAR. They passed the John Pepper War Record from NC and refused the record from SC, which I had previously sent in, therefore, since 6 Nov 1978 I have been searching for our John Pepper. The info I am giving you was accepted by DAR so the line has been established. Our John Pepper has a record recorded in a manuscript Volume in the custody of the State Archives of NC dated 3 Oct 1785, Certificate No. 25, a pay voucher certificate to John Pepper for 18 pounds and 4 shillings for service during the Revolution, dated 29th day of Sept. 1783. They accepted this and that completed my two years of searching. I think they are correct. Note that Samuel was born 19 May 1779 in NC, his wife Ann Harper was born in NC, Ruth Pepper was born in 1776 in NC, so would think that after the War they moved to SC and that John served from State of NC, not SC. If there are members of the Pepper family who would like to use John Pepper as a supplement, they are welcome to use my National No. 620262. When you check your records I think you have most of what I have given you except that they took the John Pepper from NC."

6. Elisha Pepper (b. 1796 – d. 1877) Anderson District, Pendleton, SC
Jane Clark (b. 1801 – d. 1862)
m. 1820 in Greenville, SC

Elisha Pepper died in Tallapoosa, AL
This is the line from which Congressman Claude D. Pepper (D-FL) descends. The information about Elisha's son, Arthur Clark Pepper, was mainly obtained from a book by Gladys Fiederlein, Wichita Falls, TX. Much of the balance from L.T.Pepper, Wetumpka, AL and Pat Benson, Henderson, TX.

5. Arthur Clark Pepper (b. 1836 – d. 1891) Pike, GA
Sarah Elizabeth “Sallie” Findly (b. 1849 – d. 1931) Coosa, AL
m. February 28, 1867 in Coosa, AL
Arthur served in Co. B, 34th Alabama Infantry during the Civil War. He was captured 16 Dec 1864 near Nashville, TN and was paroled 2 May 1865. In early 1869 family traveled in a covered wagon drawn by oxen from Coosa Co., AL to Rusk Co., TX. The trip took six weeks.
----------child: Pepper, Robert Emmet (1868 - 1948)
----------child: Pepper, Franklyn R. (1869 - 1874)
----------child: Pepper, Maggie L. (1871 - 1873)
----------child: Pepper, Lola Montez (1874 - 1961)
----------child: Pepper, Effie Eugenia (1876 - 1966)
----------child: Pepper, Gilchrist Shaw (1878 - 1940)
----------child: Pepper, Arthur Columbus (1881 - 1942)
----------child: Pepper, Joseph E. Johnston (1883 - 1969)
----------child: Pepper, Oscar Miller (1886 - 1965)
----------child: Pepper, Eason Milner (1886 - 1972)
----------child: Pepper, Homer Findley (1889 - 1937)
----------child: Pepper, Elizabeth Clark (1891 - 1974)
NOTE: Rusk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Originally a part of Nacogdoches County, Rusk was established as its own county by the Congress of the Republic of Texas on January 16, 1843. Its seat is Henderson and it is part of the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Longview–Marshall Combined Statistical Area. Rusk County is named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk, a secretary of war of the Republic of Texas.

4. Arthur Columbus Pepper (b. 1881 – d. 1942) Black Jack, Rusk CO, TX
Hattie Virginia Prather (b. 1886 – d. 1971)
m. December 21, 1904 – Henderson, Rusk CO, TX
----------child: Pepper, Verna Ross (1906 - 1929)
----------child: Pepper, Alton Burnett (1907 - 1968)
----------child: Pepper, William Clifford (1911 - )
----------child: Pepper, Everett Eugene (1912 - 1995)
----------child: Pepper, Mable Catherine (1917 - )

Henderson, Texas. Rusk County Courthouse, [ca. 1878-1879] rendering by F. E. Ruffini for the proposed structure.

3. Alton Burnett Pepper (b. 1907 – d. 1968) Black Jack, Rusk CO, TX
Iva Lee Anderson (b. 1910 – d. _______) Boss, Coleman CO, TX
m. September 21, 1927 – Wichita Falls, Texas
----------child: Pepper, Mable Louise (1928)
----------child: Pepper, Dortha Maxine (1930)
----------child: Pepper, Patsy Ruth (1932)
----------child: Pepper, Joy Faye (1934)
----------child: Pepper, Alton Carroll (1936)
----------child: Pepper, Nelda Fern (1938)
----------child: Pepper, Garland Dale (1940)
----------child: Pepper, Sharon Lee (1943)
----------child: Pepper, Helen Lavonne (1945)
----------child: Pepper, Howard Brock (1949)
----------child: Pepper, Connie Jo (1950)
----------child: Pepper, Debra Kaye (1951)
----------child: Pepper, Lillie Dianne (1953)

Boss, Coleman CO., Texas


2. Nelda Fern Pepper (b. 1938 d. 2009) Thornberry, Clay CO, TX
Bobby Jon Christmas (b. 1935 – d. 2009) Montrose, Ashley CO, AR
m. May 2, 1960 – Grace Community, Dermott, Arkansas

Thornberry, Texas
Thornberry is at the intersection of Farm roads 2393 and 171, in northwestern Clay County. It was established in 1890 by settlers from Illinois and originally called Illinois Colony. Within a few years of its founding, however, it was renamed Thornberry, after Amos Thornberry, a leading settler and dedicated orchardist who introduced large-scale orchard-based agriculture into the county. By 1891 the community had a post office, although it lasted only until 1908. A proposed rail line linking Thornberry to Wichita Falls was never completed. The population was listed as twenty throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Four rated businesses operated locally in the mid-1930s, two in the late 1940s. From the late 1950s, when the community had three businesses, to 2000, when it had none, Thornberry reported a population of sixty.


1. Bart Brock Christmas (b. 1970) Shepard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, TX