Family: Franklin MAXWELL / Frances Jane REYNOLDS (F13448)
m. 1840-
Father | Male
Franklin MAXWELL
Born 16 Jun 1814 Harrison Co, (W)VA 
Died 4 Jul 1892 West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Buried Franklin Maxwell Cemetery, Maxwell Ridge, Doddridge Co, WV Married 1840 [1] Father Abner MAXWELL | F10877 Group Sheet Mother Susan DAVISSON | F10877 Group Sheet
Mother | Female
Frances Jane REYNOLDS
Born 12 Jan 1819 Harrison Co, (W)VA Died 21 Aug 1897 Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Buried Franklin Maxwell Cemetery, Maxwell Ridge, Doddridge Co, WV Father Mother
Child 1 | Male
+ Leeman MAXWELL
Born 30 Nov 1840 Doddridge Co, (W)VA Died 6 Sep 1920 Bluestone, Doddridge Co, WV Buried Franklin Maxwell Cemetery, Maxwell Ridge, Doddridge Co, WV Spouse Mary Columbia BASSEL | F14305 Married 9 Nov 1887 Harrison Co, WV
Child 2 | Male
+ Lewis M. MAXWELL
Born 21 Feb 1843 Bluestone, Doddridge Co, WV Died 22 Oct 1934 Bluestone, Doddridge Co, WV Buried Blockhouse Hill Cemetery (IOOF section), West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Spouse Alice M. HARPER | F15000 Married 2 Dec 1867 Doddridge Co, WV Spouse Sarah Elizabeth GIVENS | F24100 Married 1886
Child 3 | Male
+ Porter MAXWELL
Born 3 Apr 1847 Doddridge Co, (W)VA Died 13 Sep 1928 Harrison Co, WV Buried Elkview Masonic Cemetery, Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Spouse Columbia Virginia POST | F17280 Married 29 Apr 1869 Upshur Co, WV Spouse Bertha STOUT | F13949 Married 1899
Child 4 | Male
Rector MAXWELL
Born 16 Feb 1848 Died 10 Feb 1886 Buried Blockhouse Hill Cemetery (old SDB section), West Union, Doddridge Co, WV
Child 5 | Male
Dexter MAXWELL
Born 1850 Doddridge Co, (W)VA Died 1850 Doddridge Co, (W)VA Buried Franklin Maxwell Cemetery, Maxwell Ridge, Doddridge Co, WV
Child 6 | Male
+ William Brent MAXWELL
Born 27 Apr 1850 Doddridge Co, (W)VA Died 10 Jun 1930 Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Buried Elkview Masonic Cemetery, Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Spouse Emma Belle WILLIAMS | F13719 Married 8 Oct 1884 West Milford, Harrison Co, WV Spouse Lillie Belle JARVIS | F13717 Married 10 Jul 1895 Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV
Child 7 | Female
Harriet Payne "Hattie" MAXWELL
Born 12 Sep 1853 Doddridge Co, (W)VA Died 20 Sep 1890 Buried Blockhouse Hill Cemetery (old SDB section), West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Spouse George W. BROWN | F13449 Married 23 May 1882 Doddridge Co, WV
Child 8 | Female
Mary Martha MAXWELL
Born 23 May 1855 Died 5 Dec 1860 Buried Franklin Maxwell Cemetery, Maxwell Ridge, Doddridge Co, WV
Child 9 | Male
Franklin Post MAXWELL
Born 7 Dec 1857 Died 15 Feb 1880 Buried Franklin Maxwell Cemetery, Maxwell Ridge, Doddridge Co, WV
Child 10 | Female
Frances Jane MAXWELL
Born 20 Sep 1859 Died Dec 1878 Doddridge Co, WV Buried Blockhouse Hill Cemetery (old SDB section), West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Spouse Benton C. BLAND | F24305 Married
Child 11 | Female
Susan Alice "Susie" MAXWELL
Born 19 Jul 1861 Bluestone, Doddridge Co, WV Died 5 Aug 1883 Buried Blockhouse Hill Cemetery (old SDB section), West Union, Doddridge Co, WV
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Notes - The 1850 Federal Census Slave Schedule for Doddridge County, enumerated on Jul 16 1850, contains the following entry:
Slave owner: Franklin Maxwell.
Description of slaves:
1 black male, age 46
1 black female, age 23
1 mulatto female, age 3
1 black female, age 1
The 1860 Federal Census Slave Schedule for Doddridge County, enumerated on Jun 1 1860, contains the following entry:
Slave owner: Frank Maxwell
Description of slaves:
1 black male, age 56
1 black female, age 30
1 black female, age 12
1 black male, age 10
1 black female, age 8
1 black female, age 5
The following in an excerpt from an article about Franklin Maxwell's son Lewis that appeared in the February 21, 1932, issue of the "Sunday Morning Exponent-Telegram." Part of it quotes Lewis Maxwell directly:
"The [Jones-Imboden] raiders went into camp right at my father's home at the head of Bluestone creek," Mr. Maxwell said. "The officers occupied rooms in our home and my mother and a slave, 'Aunt Till,' cooked for and fed them." ...
Besides "Aunt Till," the Franklin Maxwell family had four slaves, all members of one family. The man slave was "Anthony," who Maxwell bought in the Wood County jail for $250 from a man named Henderson, whose cattle Maxwell bought. The price was low, as Henderson had much trouble keeping Anthony on the West Virginia side of the river, the slave having a natural inclination to live in a free state. The colored couple had two daughters and a son.
"Aunt Till" was a wedding present to Mrs. Franklin Maxwell, a gift made by her father. Because of that fact, as well as the long period she served in the Maxwell family, "Aunt Till" was very much endeared to the Maxwells, and the colored folk were very fond of their master's family.
Franklin Maxwell, as stated, once bought a slave, but he never sold one. He was offered $1,600 by a Virginian for the two slave girls, but spurned the offer, and the son declares he would not have sold them at any price.
The Maxwell slaves were given their freedom before the Civil War, but the old couple remained on the premises, died there, and were buried near their former master and mistress. The children were presented with a farm in Taylor County by their former master. He was kind to them and they respected him to the point of devotion.
After "Anthony" had been given his freedom, he rode to Parkersburg on the first train that ran over the Grafton-Parkersburg division of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad system a few years before the Civil War began.
1870 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (Southwest Twp), enumerated on Aug 22 1870:
Franklin Maxwell, 55, farmer, value of real estate $80,000, value of personal estate $40,000; Frances, 50; Rector, 22, farmer; Williams B, 20, farmer; Harriet P, 16; Franklin, 12; Frances J, 10; Susan A, 8.
1880 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (West Union District), enumerated on Jun 4 1880:
Franklin Maxwell, 66, farmer; wife Frances, 52; son Rector, 31; dau Harriet, 25; dau Susan A, 18; servant Sarah Waldo, 28, single; ward Rebecca Shreeves, 12.
- The 1850 Federal Census Slave Schedule for Doddridge County, enumerated on Jul 16 1850, contains the following entry:
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Sources - [S293] History of Ritchie County, Minnie Kendall Lowther, (1911, reprinted 1999, McClain Printing Co, Parsons WV, http://McClainPrinting.com), p. 601.
- [S293] History of Ritchie County, Minnie Kendall Lowther, (1911, reprinted 1999, McClain Printing Co, Parsons WV, http://McClainPrinting.com), p. 601.