Genealogy of Canters of Southwestern Virginia

Genealogy research has led to more than just a more thorough knowledge of where we came from.  It has brought to the surface many interesting facts and bits of history.  We especially love the anecdotes that help us know our ancestors more fully.  This genealogy site is being added to on a regular basis.  Please check back.  And please, if you have any information you would be willing to share, let us know.  Just email judy.kilpatrick@gotricounty.com or phone 252-943-6695.

Photographs on this page have been optimized for the internet, so they are not in a format that is easy to copy.  If you would like copies of any of these pictures, please email me at judy.kilpatrick@gotricounty.com and identify the photo by the caption under it.
 

William Arthur Blaylock

Birthdate:  September 18, 1892
Death:   December 27, 1980

Parents:  Samuel Patrick Blaylock
              b. 3/22/1850 d. 7/10/1936
              Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Canter
              b. 12/6/1869  d.  8/3/1927             

Marriage:  5/13/1913
                Anna Maude Blaylock
                b. 8/27/1895  d. 4/23/1973

	left: Arthur Blaylock with daughter Grace Children of Arthur and Maude: ~Nancy "Nannie" Virginia ~James "Jim" William ~Ina Pauline "Polly" ~Alvin (twin--died at birth) ~Alton (twin--died at birth) ~Clarence "Shorty"     Emmanuel ~Herbert Eugene ~Carl Henry ~Grace Lee ~Bonnie Ellen ~Donald Glen ~Anna Katharine
Arthur Blaylock, a man of small stature, but  known for his unusual strength and stamina. According to Bob Blaylock, son of Anna Maude's brother, Rob, "Uncle Arthur got paid a wage and a half when he worked for the railroad, because he could do the work of two men.  While other men carried one railroad tie at a time, Uncle Arthur would pick up two railroad ties and carry them." Nellie Privette Blaylock, married to Arthur's son, Herbert, remembers an incident that happened when she was a little girl.  According to Nellie, "A taxi cab brought my mother home from town one day and had a flat tire right in front of our house. The driver didn't have a car jack, so he didn't know what to do.  Mr. Blaylock was just then bringing a wagon load of hay from the field and he had to go past our house. He had a pole stuck in the loose hay.  When he saw the taxi driver's problem, he stopped his wagon, took the pole out of the hay and used it for a lever to lift the back end of the car up while the taxi driver changed the tire." Arthur Blaylock was also known as a man with a very bad temper. However, as his grandchild, I never saw it.  Whenever I was around, if he wasn't out chopping in his garden or doing something in the woodshed, he would be sitting in his favorite corner of the room in his ladder back chair with the radio on a small chest to his right and the t.v. set right in front of him.  He would be either listening to the radio--which he played very loud because he was hard of hearing--or he would be watching t.v.

Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Canter

Birthdate:  December 6, 1869 Washington Co., VA
Death:   August 3, 1927 Bristol, VA (cancer)
Buried: Mountain View Cemetery, Bristol, VA
Married: June 2, 1886 Washington Co., VA

Parents:  William Harmon "Dock" Canter
              b. 1847 d. 2/20/1904
              Mary Ann Whittaker
              b. 7/9/1847
              d.  11/03/1900            

Marriage:  Samuel Patrick Blaylock b. 3/22/1850 VA d. 7/10/1936 Bristol, VA
                 b. 3/22/1850  Scott Co., VA
                 d. 7/10/1936 Bristol, VA

Occupation:  worked on railroad until age 86.  After his wife's death, Sam lived with his son Orville, who was married to Mary Hutton.  "Miss" Mary spoke fondly of her father-in-law.  She says he told her he had had two wives, but neither one of them was as good to her as she was.  Mary recalls trying to discipline one of her 3 sons and Sam told her to leave him alone.  He told her he didn't believe in spanking children.
 

Mary Catherine   5/19/1889
Charles Patrick  7/19/1890
William Arthur  9/18/1892
Maggie  3/22/1894
Oscar Lee  2/12/1896
George Ernest  5/9/1902
Orville Roscoe  10/10/1904
Alvin  6/7/1907

William Harmon "Dock" Canter

Birthdate:  1847
Death:   February 20, 1904

Parents:  William Canter
              b. 2/1824
              Elizabeth Mary Perrigan
              b. 5/4/1823 
              d.  11/19/1871         

Marriage:  8/3/1867
                Mary Ann Whittaker
                b. 7/9/1847 
                d. 11/03/1900

Occupation:  shoemaker
 

Abel Canter and Anna Lee Mason (d/o Anna Belle Canter Mason)

Abel J.
Mary Elizabeth
William Clayton (see Wm Robert)
Susan Ellen
Nancy Katherine
Joseph
James Benjamin
Eliza Victoria
John Calvin
Sally Monroe
Anna Belle

Nancy Katherine Canter

Eliza Canter and Children:
right:  Arville and Luther  left: Ellen, Nannie and Bill  on lap: Nola
 

Eliza and Martin Canter

John Calvin, Susan Ellen "Aunt Sude",
Annie Belle, James Benjamin

seated: Willis Pippin Jackson, seated center unknown,
Sally Canter Jackson,
standing: Anna Mae Whittaker Barham, Rosa Whittaker Rhymer

William  Canter

Birthdate:  February 1824
Death:  

Parents:  Levi Canter
              b. abt 1790 d. abt 1835
              Sarah  
              b. 1800

Marriage:  Elizabeth Mary Perrigan
                 b. 5/4/1823 
                 d. 11/19/1871
                 Rosannah "Roxie"
                 Bowman
                 b. abt. 1832
                 m. 10/24/1872
                 parents: Thornton Bowman and
                              Judy Bott

Occupation:  farmer

Notes:  Served with Goodman's Co. of the 105th Militia

James Henry Canter
 

Catherine Booher 7/26/1846
William Harmon 1847
Unknown
James Henry 3/24/1849
Joseph Alexander 3/24/1849
Mary 1852
Alfred 8/1/1855

by Roxie:
Sylvester 1873 - 3/5/1874
Harrison "Harry" 6/22/1874

 

Levi Canter

Birthdate:  aft 1790
Death:   1835

Parents:  Truman Canter
              b. 1771 in Wythe Co., VA/
                             Frederick Co., VA
              d. aft 1830 Rockcastle, KY
              Cynthia Harris
              b. 1770 in Franklin Co., VA
              m. 3/19/1792  in Franklin Co.        

Marriage:  1815 in Scott Co., VA
                 Rebecca James
                 b. 1800
                 2nd. marriage 9/28/1820
                Sarah
                b. 1800

Henry B.
Matilda
William
James Henry

Truman Canter

Birthdate:  1771 in Wythe Co., VA/
                  Frederick Co., VA
Death:        aft 1830 Rockcastle, KY

Parents:  Thomas Truman Canter
              b. 1749 in Charles, MD
              d. abt 1798 in Trinity Parish,
                  Charles, MD
              Elizabeth Hickey
              m. 11/24/1774 in Trinity Parish,  
                   Charles, MD             
              b. abt 1753 in Charles, MD

Marriage:  3/19/1792 in Franklin Co., VA
                 Cynthia Harris
                 b. 1770 in Franklin Co., VA
                 2nd. marriage 1824
                 Mary Howe            

Levi

Thomas Truman Canter

Birthdate:  1749 in Charles, MD                 
Death:        abt 1798 in Trinity Parish,
                  Charles, MD

Parents: 

Marriage:  11/24/1774 in Trinity Parish,  
                   Charles, MD   
                 Elizabeth Hickey
                 b. abt 1753 in Charles, MD   

Henry N.
Thomas 1769 in Charles, MD
Truman 1771
William 1794 in Wythe Co., VA
James Allen