Our Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather Richard Bailey, Sr. was born in England and came to America probably prior to 1760. He settled in part of Bedford County, Virginia and married Annie Belcher. Annie and Richard had nine children: John, James, Eli, Micajah, Archibald , Richard Jr., Henry, Sarah (who was captured by the Indians on Gilbert Creek) and Chloe.

Richard and his family moved in the spring of 1778 to Beaver Pond in Montgomery County, Virginia, which later became a part of Wythe County and in 1899 became part of Tazewell County and finally in 1837 a part of Mercer County (later to be West Virginia). His homestead was located near where Bluefield College now stands.

Richard and his friend John G. Davidson built a log fort near a spring, known as the Davidson-Bailey Fort. He was a soldier in the Continental Army during the Revolution (that makes all us Granddaughters Daughters of the American Revolution). Two of his sons, John and James were assigned the duty of guarding the Davidson-Bailey Fort, the Wynns Fort and the Reece Bowen Fort. It is not known if they were enlisted men, scouts or if they were given a military rating.

Richard survived the war and died in Tazewell County before December 1907, it is presumed that Indians killed him.

Archibald Bailey our Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather, married Agnes Godfrey. He owned many acres in the Bluestone area in 1809, and the Big Fork of Guyandotte, (now Wyoming County) in 1818-20, this land was near property owned by his brother James and his son Thomas and was in the Huff Creek area. Archibald and Agnes had eight children: Ealie, Harvey, Rufus, David, Gordon, Dicie, Chloe and Thomas.

Thomas Bailey our Great, Great, Great Grandfather, born 1808, married Priscilla Cooke (1807), a daughter of Thomas Cooke, Sr.,(See Cook Page) and they settled on Big Huff. Thomas was a farmer, he dug ginseng, raised bees and hunted. He owned 1300 acres of land. He and Priscilla were very active in church and local and county affairs. He taught spelling and reading in a Sunday School class at the Guyandotte Baptist Church.

Thomas and Priscilla had ten children: Loudon, Amanda, Isaace, David , Twins Judson and Andy Bailey (the first of many twins born in the Bailey family) they were both in the Union Army at Red House Shoals on the Kanawha River where they both died of the measles and were buried there. Iverson, Mary, (who married a Union soldier of the Co.I,7th Regiment of the West Virginia Cavalry.), James (whose Wife Nancy Brown’s father was killed on Huff Creek in the Civil War by Confederates Home Guard.) and Cosbi.

David Bailey our Great, Great Grandfather married Margaret Cook, daughter of Robinson and Nancy Cooke. Their children were Andrew Curtis, James Walter, Helen, Cosbi and Launie.

Andrew Curtis Bailey Born Jan 8, 1867 – died 1918. His first marriage was to Rhoda Clemintine Harvey. Their children were: Viola (married Chip Cline), Izora A., and Ira. After Rhoda Clemintine’s death Andrew Curtis (“Big Curt” as he was called) married Celia Petry, daughter of Jake Petry, and they had nine children: Maude (married Bilton Perry, their children are Robert Bilton and Kathern Perry Gent) Nettie, Herbert, Lacy D., Newsom, Delia V., Opie, (married to Elsie Chappell, daughter of John W. and Sarah Vanover Chappell) –(see Vanover – Chappell Page) Neldie, and Elsie.

Izora A. Bailey Bucy born June 21, 1865, died April 4, 1980, she lived most of her life in Lorado, Logan County, West Virginia. Izora married Charles William Bucy, son of William and Rebecca Hall Bucy of Steubenville, Ohio on February 7, 1918. Charles was an engineer for the new Lorado Coal Mining Company that was just being established in the area. Izora and Charles has one son Charles Walter Bucy before he died of TB in 1919. Charles Walter married Edith Charlotte Chappell on June 17, 1939.(See Vanover Chappell Page.