James Fields Crabtree
the son of Capt. James & Rhoda Fields Crabtree was born abt. 1780 in
Washington Co., VA.
James was 1st married to Docia Smith on Mar. 20, 1803. Docia was
born abt . 1775 in Smyth Co., Va and died abt 1850 in Smyth Co., VA.
James and Docia had 9 known children. After Docia's death
James married a 2nd time to Lydia Matney Dec. 23, 1858 in Smyth Co.,
VA. James and Lydia had
no known children together.
Lydia died Jul. 3, 1859 in Poor Valley, Tazewell Co., VA.
James died about 1860 in Virginia.
Children of James Crabtree and Docia Smith are:
Mary "Polly" Crabtree Johnston (1803-1839), James S. Crabtree
(1805-1870),
John Crabtree (Abt. 1807- ), Louisa
“Liza" Crabtree Grimes (Abt.
1809-), Solomon Fields
Crabtree (1813-1876), Maria Crabtree (1815-1837), Gabriel S.
Crabtree (1816- Aft. 1860), Sally
Crabtree, (1820- ) Charles F. Crabtree, (1822- );
Notes for James Fields Crabtree:
Taken from a letter written by Miss Lois May Johnston:
" I will tell you the family tradition on James Fields Crabtree
line. My father
Lysander Johnston was born in Smyth Co., VA May 15, 1833.
He was 89 years old when he died and he never knew that his
grandfather James F. Crabtree was named Crabtree.
He only knew him as old Jimmy Fields and his Uncles as
Gabriel & Solomon Fields.
When I made my first trip to Wash. Co., VA in 1915, I
contacted some old people who knew my Grandfather, Benjamin Albright
Johnston, husband of Mary (Polly) Crabtree and sister of Gabriel S.
and Solomon F. Crabtree, sons of James F. Crabtree.
The story was that James F. Crabtree was named after an old
Judge Fields. There
being so many James Crabtree’s in that vicinity, people got to
calling him James Fields.
To this date, all of James Fields Crabtree descendants are
called " Fields" but when signing legal papers they sign "Crabtree".
You probably have seen the marriage license of James Fields
and Docia Smith in Wash. Co. record 1803.
I think this should have been James Fields Crabtree.
His first wife was Docia Smith.
This excerpt was take from page 120 of the Crabtree’s of Southwest
Virginia, by Arah Miller Fritz & Margaret Milam McProud published in
Pecos, Texas, 1965