Rev Silas Frederick Minter

  General Notes:

The 1850 Federal Census for Henry Co., VA (page 9A-Clergyman) records Susannah Minter, age 95, living with her son, Silas Sr. (59), and his family: wife Elizabeth (52), and children John (17), Susan (14), and Martha A. (12).

The 1860 Federal Census, Henry County, VA Slave Schedule lists Silas Minter as having 5 slaves and 1 slave house. The 1860 Federal Census, Henry County, VA, Dyers Store P.O. page 51 records Silas Minter, Sr. (70) with wife Betsy (63). Silas is listed as a "Preacher O B" and has real estate valued at $7,000 and personal property at $28,000.

The 1870 Federal Census, Leatherwood Township, Henry County, VA, Martinsville P.O. page 72A records Silas Minter (80) (indexed as Silas Winter at ancestry.com) with wife Elizabeth (73). Silas is listed as a "Minister Gosful" and has real estate valued at $3,000 and personal property at $1,000.


from: http://webpages.charter.net/chamberlayne/minter/mnotes.htm Minters of Henry County by Donald W. Chamberlayne : chamberlayne@charter.net
Silas Fredrich Minter
From the censuses of 1850 and 1860 it is derived that he was born in 1790 or 1791. Dodd's transcription of the marriages of Henry County shows that he married Nancy Stultz (there spelled Stults) on Nov-19-1813 [p.36]. The person to contact regarding the Stultz family is Jim Williams, who also manages the (Henry County Genweb site <http://www.rootsweb.com/~vahenry/>) and others.
Nancy and Silas had eleven children, all of whom married. She died before 1845, and Silas married again, on Apr-24-1845, Betsey Philpott. From the 1850 census, where she was listed as "Elizabeth," age 52, her date of birth is taken to be about 1798. The 1860 census showed the wife of Silas to be "Betsy," age 68, so it is unclear whether this was the same person as Elizabeth of 1850. "Betsy" could be the familiar form of Elizabeth, but the ages miss by about six years. Some researchers have given the name Betsy Walker, suggesting the possibility that Silas married a third time.
Silas was a preacher of the primitive Baptist faith, and performed numerous marriages recorded in Dodd's transcription, the earliest being in 1831. In the Minter Genealogical Bulletin (p.164), the description of the letter written by Capt. A. S. Minter in 1898, discussed above, offers an interesting perspective on the Rev. Silas Minter. It should be kept in mind that it is difficult to determine when or whether it is A. S. Minter or the editor of the Bulletin who is rendering the commentary, and if it was the perspective of the Captain then it was what a young nephew recalled many years later. The Rev. Minter was described as "a hardshell Baptist preacher of decided ability and violent prejudices." Judith P. A. Hill provided this account: "It is related of him that he preached so long to a Baltimore audience that they began to leave; whereupon he said: 'I perceive you all can't stand strong doctrine.'" [Hill, p.270] Captain Minter (or the editor of the Bulletin) added that Silas "... had a son who became a Christian preacher to whom he never spoke again."
The alienated son apparently was John Abner Minter (5I). If, as seems to be the implication, there was a serious disagreement between father and son, a good guess might be that the issue had to do with religious doctrine. As will be seen, however, the first census to record John's occupation as a minister was that of 1880, and Silas died in 1872, so it is not clear that they were ever in the ministry at the same time.
A portrait of Silas Minter is said to have hung on the wall of the Leatherwood Baptist Church for many years, along with those of other pastors, and a photograph of the portrait was provided by two different contributors, Seth Compton and Bob White, each of whose Minter lines tie into these notes at a later point (generations 5 and 6). A third offer to provide the same photograph was received from the person, Desmond Kendrick, the Henry County archivist, who is the originator of the image. (The boxed inscription below the portrait is Mr. Kendrick's work.)
We are left wondering where this portrait is now. Is it back on the wall of the church following its renovations? If not, is it, along with portraits of any other Leatherwood Baptist preachers, in safekeeping? Does anyone know?

Silas Fredrich Minter, born Mar-26-1790, died 1872, is in the Leatherwood district of Henry County.
mar. (1) Nancy Stultz, born about 1795, died between 1838 and 1844 in the Leatherwood district of Henry County; mar. (2) Elizabeth "Betsy" Philpott (or Walker), born 1797, died about 1879.
Children of Silas and Nancy Stultz Minter:
3.1 Elizabeth ("Betty") f ~1817 unk mar. William M. Doyle in 1837, one child known
3.2 Cynthia (or "Sintha") f ~1819 bef 1844 mar. Richard Burch in 1838, one child known
3.3 Joseph Warren ("Joe") m 1821 Mar 1874 mar. Matilda Jane Bocock, unknown date, 12 children known
3.4 Richard W. m 1822 1872 mar. Mary Ann Doyle in 1840, 4 children known
3.5 Nancy f 1825 1884 mar. Abner Richardson in 1838, 8 children known
3.6 Silas Abner ("Silas Junior") m 1826 1898 mar. Jane Abigail Eggleston in 1846, 10 children known. Occupation:Farmer; Military: Private, H Co., 24th Virginia Infantry, CSA.
3.7 William S. ("Billy") m 1828 1906 mar. (1) Julia Ann Law in 1849, 9 children known; (2) Mittie Doyle in 1880, one child known; (3) Lucinda Prillaman about 1890, no children.
3.8 James E. ("Jim") m 1831 1862 mar. Matilda Caroline Eggleston in 1848, 8 children known.
He was killed at the Second Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Md., Aug-30-1862.
3.9 John Abner m 1835 1906 mar. (1) Eliza A. Zieglar, date unknown, one child known; (2) Minnie Buford, date unknown, children unknown.
Relocated to and died in Missouri.
3.10 Susan f 1836 unk mar. James Zieglar in 1854, children unknown.
3.11 Martha Ann ("Mattie") f 1838 unk mar. Charles J. Zieglar in 1856, children unknown

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Primitive Baptist Minister.

Silas married Nancy Stultz, daughter of Living and Living, on 19 Nov 1813 in Henry Co., VA. (Nancy Stultz was born about 1795 and died about 1842 in Leatherwood Community, Henry Co., VA..)

Silas next married Elizabeth (Betty/Betsy) Walker on 24 Apr 1845 in Henry Co., VA. (Elizabeth (Betty/Betsy) Walker was born on 9 Jan 1797 and died after 1870 in Leatherwood Area of Henry Co., VA..)