Isaac VanBebber

     Isaac VanBebber was born on 30 April 1790 at Russell County, Virginia.¹ He was the son of John VanBebber and Margaret Chrisman. Isaac VanBebber first married Mary Martin, daughter of Salathiel Martin and Mary Cook, in 1816 at Claiborne County, Tennessee.¹ Isaac VanBebber married a second time, at age 49, Sarah Parker Hamilton, daughter of James Hamilton and Elizabeth Wear, in July 1839. Isaac VanBebber died in 1866 at Claiborne County, Tennessee, at age 75 years.¹ He was buried Lone Mountain, Claiborne County, Tennessee.
     ISAAC VAN BEBBER OF CLAIBORNE COUNTY TENNESSEE
By Steve Smith (bgood@centuryinter.net)
5 Jan 1998

     Isaac VAN BEBBER of Claiborne County, Tennessee was the most interesting man I have studied in my 20 something years researching. He was the son of John VAN BEBBER, Sr., Esquire and Margaret CHRISMAN. He was born April 30, 1790 in RUSSELL County, Virginia near present day Dryden, LEE County, VA. He came to what was then HAWKINS County, Tennessee in 1796 or earlier with his VAN BEBBER and YOAKUM family and relatives. His father was very active in the early politics of GRAINGER County when it was formed in 1796 and then later when CLAIBORNE County was formed in 1801. This lifestyle young Isaac grew to love.

     He entered the political scene shortly after his 21'st birthday, which was required at that time. His first position was that of Constable. His father, at this time was a magistrate or Justice of the Peace and at times a Chairman of the County Court. John taught Isaac the ways of the law and he was evidently learned at one of the local schools.

     The Speedwell Academy which was helped by John VAN BEBBER was most likely his school of learning. This institution was an all male academy in its first beginnings and at one time an education from this school was ranked with a college education. Here the young boys learned such things as law, Latin, math and other useful information for business.

     Isaac was well into adulthood when he met and married Mary 'Polly' MARTIN, the daughter of Salathiel MARTIN and Mary COOK. They married about 1816 according to the age of their first child. They had seven children. I am a descendant of John M. VAN BEBBER, the second child, and John's second wife, Elizabeth BEELER, the daughter of Adam BEELER and Susan BOWMAN. John M. VAN BEBBER was also a very colorful character of the Powell Valley along with his father, Isaac VAN BEBBER, Sr. Esquire. He, too, favored politics and became active at a very young age, as his father and grandfather. His first wife was Manerva Jane KINCAID, of the most influential family of Claiborne County. Her parents were William Harrison KINCAID and Susan WILSON. They were the most wealthy family of the Speedwell area, owning many fine farms, plantation homes and slaves. John's first wife, Manerva, and his father-in-law, William Harrison KINCAID both died before the beginnings of the Civil War and John married my grandmother, Elizabeth BEELER.

     John's politics apparently were not right for his KINCAID in-laws. They invested heavily in the Southern cause. John did not join the war. William Harrison KINCAID had a younger brother named John KINCAID, II. of neighboring CAMPBELL County in Powell Valley. By the beginnings of the Civil War, he was even more wealthy than his brother William. He invested very heavily into the cause of the Confederacy. He sent several of his sons to fight for them. At about the end of the war someone assassinated John KINCAID, II. The area of Powell Valley, in East Tennessee was heavily dominated for people of the Northern cause. This happened about January 1865. About March 1865, John KINCAID's son, 'Little John' KINCAID, III, came back from the war and led a raid down Powell Valley and killed several men. One of these men was John M. VAN BEBBER, my gg grandfather. The reasons for this are not clear to me because of the legends handed down through the generations. It appears that maybe John M. VAN BEBBER had converted 'Little John' KINCAID's home, which is a beautiful Plantation home and still stands and occupied today, into a hospital for the Northern Army. This did not go over well at all, as you could suppose.

     After this, Little John KINCAID went to the state of Missouri and went by the SURNAME of his wife Maggie HUFF. He lived there with other members of the KINCAID, VAN BEBBER, and YOAKUM family and they looked to him as a friend who did what he had to do and no charges were ever brought against him for this.

     Isaac VAN BEBBER, Sr., Esquire, by the end of the Civil War was an elderly man. He had retired from the political life and had moved to the Lone Mountain area of CLAIBORNE County, where he had two daughters living. Evidently he and his two eldest sons, John M. and James C., did not agree eye to eye on things. When John M. was killed he left five children by his deceased KINCAID wife and four children with his young bride, Elizabeth. My great grandfather, David Franklin VAN BEBBER, was only about six months old when his father was killed and so did not remember him, but Elizabeth lived until about 1914 and my grandmother SMITH, who was Cora Ann VAN BEBBER, remembered her when she was a young girl and told me many stories about her life.

     Isaac VAN BEBBER's first wife, Mary 'Polly' MARTIN, died about 1837 or maybe earlier. There is no record of her death date. Her last child was born in 1833. Isaac remarried in July 1839 to Sarah Parker HAMILTON, the daughter of James HAMILTON, Sr., and Elizabeth 'Betsy' WEAR. Sarah was born about 1800 and so she and Isaac only had one child and evidently this child died at a young age. Both Sarah and Isaac died in the year 1866 and buried in the Lone Mountain district of CLAIBORNE County, TN.
ISAAC VAN BEBBER'S BIRTHDAY
By Charles Van Bibber (svanbebber@aol.com)

     While in Washington, DC last week I photocopied the Revolutionary War pension files from the National Archives for my ancestor Salathiel Martin, whose daughter Mary married my ancestor Isaac VanBebber, son of John VanBebber and grandson of Isaac 'Michael' VanBebber. I was pleased to find there an affidavit written by Isaac VanBebber which states his birthday as 30 April 1790. I have always wondered about this birth date and have now found it corroborated. Also, I found it interesting that this Salathiel Martin, a captain in the North Carolina Militia was listed as six feet nine inches tall.