Elizabeth HORSLEY

   Other names for Elizabeth were Mrs. Elizabeth McCULLOCH and Mrs. Roderick McCULLOCH.

   User ID: P00051284.

  General Notes:

Elizabeth Horsley, born March 22, 1749; baptized five days thereafter by the Rev. Robert Rose; married, prior to September 2, 1768, at "Union Hill," to Roderick McCulloch, Esq. "She was prepossessing in person and manners, and domestic in her habits. Her health declined some years before her death, and she became subject to severe attacks. On April 7, 1821, while sitting at the din­ner-table, she swooned, and in less than five minutes was dead."

Roderick McCulloch, her husband, was born Novem­ber 6, 1741 (O. S.), in Westmoreland County, Va.; "edu­cated at a school in Rockfish Gap and elsewhere in Va." In 1768, he was a tutor in the family of Col. William Ca­bell, Sr., of "Union Hill," and Miss Horsley is said to have been at one time one of his scholars. From 1770 to 1775, one of his majesty's justices for Amherst; and from 1776 he held the same office for many years under the common­wealth. In 1772, he was a churchwarden, and was long a vestryman.

July 15, 1775, he subscribed to the patriotic fund for the use of the delegates, and for the aid of the Bostonians. He was a soldier in the Revolution, sheriff of Amherst in 1783-1784, vestryman of Lexington Parish, 1785-1809 (before and after), and a lay delegate, in 1786, to the Epis­copal convention from his parish.

After his marriage, he settled on his wife's farm, which they sold during the Revolution for continental money, ultimately of no value. He afterwards bought the "Ver­dant Vale" estate, on James River, a little below Waugh's Ferry, in Amherst County, a valuable property, first owned by Capt. Cornelius Thomas.

Notwithstanding his Revolutionary losses, his own and his wife's estate afforded ample support, and, being neither ambitious nor covetous, he was content. Loving home and domestic life, he accepted no offices which duty did not force upon him. He supplied himself with the best authors of the period. He was a fine scholar, with high literary culture and strong religious feelings; lofty ideas of the principles and duties of life; pure and refined in every sen­timent, he devoted himself much to the society and cultiva­tion of his children, and "they remembered him as su­perior to all the world." His descendants cherish many les­sons and memories handed down to them about him.

Late in life, about 1819 or 1820, he had the misfortune to have his dwelling burned, with all the valuables, papers, family records, etc., and his wife and self passed the re­mainder of their days with their daughter, Isabella Waugh, on an adjoining farm. He died November 1, 1826, and was buried by the side of his wife in the family burying­ground at "Verdant Vale."

He was the son of Rev. son of Rev. Roderick (said to be son of David) McCulloch, of Scotland, who was educated at Cambridge, England, emigrated to Virginia, and became the minister of Round Hill Church, Washington Parish, Westmoreland County, Va. He was related to Elizabeth McCulloch, who married Thomas Scott, Esq., brother of Sir Walter Scott, Bart., of Abbots­ford.

Elizabeth Horsley and Roderick McCulloch had issue:

38. i. Mary. 39. ii. Elizabeth. iii. Belinda, b. June 21, 1775; m. James Waugh, Esq., and died in 1817, s. p. iv. Roderick, b. October 20, 1777; a lawyer: d. a young man, unmarried. 40. v. Frances. 41. vi. Isabelle.


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vii. Robert Horsley, b. May 1, 1786; served in War of 1812; moved to Callaway County, Mo., in 1834; d. October 9, 1839, unmarried. 42. viii. Nancy Ellis. 43. ix. William H.

Elizabeth married Roderick McCULLOCH.