Samples Family of West Virginia


It appears that there were three different Samples families in West Virginia in the 1800s who probably were not related, which makes our research even harder. The earliest known member of our Samples family is Robert A. Samples, born about 1770 in Monroe County, Virginia and died after 1815. Robert's ancestry is at this time still uncertain, but there is some speculation and research is still being done.

Robert Samples and Mary Ann Walker were married September 20, 1795 in Greenbriar County, VA. Mary Ann Walker was born about 1769 and died December 20, 1857.

Children of Robert A. Samples and Mary Ann Walker were:

Peter Samples, b. 1799, m. Lurana (Lorhanna) Smith Lum,daughter of Ralph Smith and Catherine, b. 1803 Kanawha Co, VA April 19, 1825

More about Peter Samples and Lurana Smith

John Samples, b. 1801 Monroe Co VA, m. Martha (Patsy) Young, b. 1813 in Kanawha Co, VA July 19, 1833.

More about John Samples and Martha Young

Priscilla Samples b. 1803, m. Andrew Malcom 20 Sept 1824

Jane (Janetta) Samples b. 1805, d. 8 Nov 1885 M. Samuel Alexander Samples II in 1824

More about Jane (Janetta) Samples and Samuel Alexander Samples II

Sophia Samples b. 1807 m. 3 Feb 1831, Ralph Smith Kanawha County VA

More about Sophia Samples and Ralph Smith

Mary Samples b. 1809, d. March 17,1883, m. Lewis Naylor Young 7 Dec 1830 Kanawha County VA

More about Mary Samples and Lewis Naylor Young

Henry Samples b. 1813-14, d. m. Hulda Elswick 13 Dec 1836

Hiram Samples b. 1815, m. Caroline Atkinson 19 Sept 1845

More about Hiram Samples and Caroline Atkinson

Children of Peter Samples and Laurena Smith:
  • Sarah Jane Samples, b. 1826, Kanawha Co VA; d. December 29, 1897
  • Rachael Delila Samples, b. 1828, Kanawha Co VA; d. December 26, 1875, Clay Co. VA
  • Archibald Samples, b. 1831.
  • Mary Samples, b. 1833; d. August 20, 1890, Clay Co. VA;
  • Sophia Samples, b. November 28, 1837, Nicholas Co. Va; d. December 14, 1899, Blue Creek Clay Co W V.
  • Lewis Anderson Samples, b. 1840.
  • Catherine Samples, b. 1843.



Children of John Samples and Martha (Patsy) Young
  • Robert Samples, b ca 1834, m. Mary Catherine Pauley 20 Feb 1856
  • Agrippa Samples, b. ca 1839. m. Mildred
  • Mary Samples, b. ca 1841, m. John F. Pauley, 2 Feb 1956
  • Martha Jane Samples, b. ca 1843, m. James Gunter 12 Apr 1860
  • John Samples, b. ca 1847
  • Henry Ralston Samples, b. 22 Jan. 1854, Point Pleasant. VA (born a twin, the other dying at birth) d. 14 Sept 1937,Oklahoma City, OK m. April 13, 1872 in Kanawha County, WV to Lelia Octavia White, daughter of William White and Sarah. She was born in Greenbriar County WV on May 15, 1857 and died in Oklahoma City June 9, 1943. They moved to TX in 1899, OK in 1901,
  • William H. Samples, b. ca 1857


Children of Jane (Janetta) Samples and Samuel Alexander Samples II
  • William H. Samples, b. 1821, Ohio
  • John W. Samples, b. 1822, m. to Roseanna Jarrett, b. 1830, d. October 19, 1881)
  • Polly A. Samples, b. 1824, d. 1849
  • Andrew M. Samples, b. 1826, m. #1 May 30, 1850 Eveline Ashley (b. 1829-30, d. 1878) m. #2 Rebecca King (b. 1836)
  • Thomas P. Samples, b. 1829, m. Virginia Paxton, b. 1835
  • Jesse A. Samples, b. 1831, m. March 31, 1851 Marianne Brooks (d. civil war)
  • Pricilla Samples, b. April 22, 1833, d. April 7, 1891, m. June 25, 1851, William Patterson Paxton,( b. Dec 4, 1829, d. Nov 20, 1911)
  • Selathiel Samples ("Lafe") b. 1836, d. 1907, m. Apr l 10 1862 Melcina Ashley (b. 1848, d. April 7, 1916)
  • Amanda J. Samples, b. 1838, m. Jan 19 1860 Lewis A. Burdette (b. 1839, d. March 22, 1882)
  • Delia Samples, b. 1841, m. September 6, 1860 to Andrew Ferguson Jones, (b. 1828, d. Jan 22, 1922)
  • Sarah E. Samples, b. Jul 26, 1847, d. Aug 12, 1918, m. August 2, 1865 Joshua K. Moore (b. 1847, d. June 7, 1915)


Children of Sophia Samples and Ralph Smith
  • Catherine Smith, b. 1835
  • Mary Jane Smith, b. 1831, m. Reuben Atkins
  • John Smith, b. 1836, m. Margaret Phillips
  • David Smith, b. 1840, m. Minerva Guinn
  • Ralph Smith, b. 1843




Children of Mary Samples and Lewis Naylor Young
  • Sophia Young, b. 1832, m. May 25, 1853 Nathan B. Swarr
  • Caroline Young, b. 1835
  • Martha Young, b. 1837
  • David Young, b. 1839
  • Mary A. Young, b. 1840
  • Robert Young, b. 1842
  • Charles W. Young, b. 1843
  • Nancy J. Young, b. 1844
  • Amanda Young, b. 1846


    Children of Hiram Samples and Caroline Atkinson
    • Nancy Samples, b. 1845.
    • Milton Samples, b. 1847.
    • Martha Samples, b. 1849.
    • James Samples, b. 1851, Kanawha Co. WV.; d. May 14, 1931, Rapid City, SD..
    • Lewis Samples, b. 1853.
    • Mark Samples, b. 1855.
    • Joseph Samples, b. November 10, 1857.
    • Frederick Samples, b. January 15, 1860; d. December 15, 1878, Big Sandy Township Kanawha C. WV.
    • Newton Samples, b. February 1862.
    • John Samples, b. February 18, 1866, Kanawha CO., WV.; d. September 26, 1929, Hill City, SD, m. Emma E. Light, (daughter of Andrew Light and Lucie McCarty)



    Some of the above material was contributed by Paul Walker, Judith Brinegar,Marge Oliver and Jerry Samples.
    Other material came from a brochure printed for a Samples Family Reunuion in 1949.