Letter written Jan 1960 about Lasley
This is a letter my grandmother kept.I can't tell you who wrote it because I think it was inserted into the envelope of another letter from a Virginia Lasley (wife of James W. Lasley)of Walnut Cove, NC in 1960.It holds some interesting clues to several Lasley lines.If yu can make a connection, I'd love to see you post your tree in response to this posting.This is what the letter said:
...at one important meeting of the summer, our Annual Conference, my husband was elected one of the Conference Supts.Our trip became frequent to the camp.On one occasion he was in a meeting for just ministers so I took the opportunity to look up Rev. Owen Lasley... What I give you here is information he had gathered.He knew someone who looked up some material for him...Rev. Owen Lasley said:
The name LASLEY was originally LESLIE and that they originated in Scotland.thery were devoute Free Church people and were exiled to Holland.The Hollanders could not say LESLIE but called the name LASLEY and so the Leslies became Lasleys.In Holland they were boat builders. Then they were exhiled from Holland and ten brothers migrated to the United States and settled in an area now known as Pittsburg, PA.
then later two of these brothers migrated to a spot on the Ohio river now called Point Pleasant.They were boat builders and they were established at a place where now is located the Marietta Boat something...I suppose Marinea or something like that.
There was a Samuel Lasley who held a government Ship's Pilot's License or permit.Seems this enabled him to pilot anyplace.It was this Samuel Lasley who was Pilot of the boat that sank a particularly important ship at Vicksborg. (This is supposed to be something important but I am not up on my History well enough to tell all that)
Rev. Owen Lasley said there was a Samuel Jr. Lasley at Jeffersonsville, Indiana.A Mrs. Francis Lasley at Los Angeles, CA and he had records that there were Lasleys in Missouri, Indiana and Virginia.
This Rev. Owen Lasley had two sons who are Baptist Ministers. ****************
I do not know exactly where my own grandfather came from. I refer to James Paschal Lasley.All I ever heard was that they came up from Kentucky.I cannot remember the name of my Granfather Lasley's father.He lived with a son Dudley Lasley in Putnam Co., IN. It vaguely runs in my mind that his name was Joe but I can't be sure.
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When I was in the Toledo Hospital in Nov of 1958, I met one of the Hospital Dietitians and was surprized to learn her name was Lasley.She was Virginia Lasley and said her home was Walnut Cove...NC. she said her father was James William Lasley and her Granfather, Joseph Lasley.Her tribe of Lasleys went in for School teaching.Her family was inclined to be tall and large.I wrote to her mother to see what she could tell me and received a nice letter which I will quote...
John E. Lasley came to NC in the early settlement of NC and if his father came I never knew it but do know there is other Lasley families other than his immediate family.He (think she means John E) married Sarah McNally near where we live now on Dan River in Stokes Co. and this is where my connection comes in:My great grandmother was a McNally too.I have a deed where John and Sarah Lasley sold my grandfather, James Davis, around 400 acres of land, her inheritance from her father's estate in 1852. They then moved to Fersythe Co between Walnut Cove nad Winston-Salem and are buried at Love's Methodist chruch at Walkertowne, a little town near where they lived.
Sarah and John Lasley had 3 sons and 2 or 3 daughters, but I do not know their names (daughters).The sons were Ed, Charles and Joseph.(She tells me Joseph was Virginia's grandfather...and father-in-law ot the lady giving this information.
Ed was called to service in the war between the states and didn't come back.
Charles married a local girl and bought a large plantation on the East side of Dan River that ran sound.
Charles had 4 sons, Will, Albert, Edgar and Frank and 5 daughters that lived to manhood and womanhood.The sons went to other places to live:
Will bought a farm 6 miles west of Winston-Salem and is in Lewisville now.And his son Charles and grandson Ray still lives with families and operate a dairy farm.
Albert wandered around a lot and one time was in Colorado but finally came back to NC, married and lived in Winston-Salem.He died a few years ago leaving three girls, Mary Ruth, Margaret and another.I forgot her name.
Edgar married a girl in Richmond, VA and wnet west, was near El Paso, TX. Then went to Sant Monica, CAL. He had 2 sons and a daughter there.
Frank went to dental college in Richmond VA and located near Staunton, VA. He married in Richmond, had 1 son and 2 daughters. I do not know their names. The son was also a dental Dr. Frank owned an apple orchard in the Shenandoah Valley in VA.
Joseph married a cousin, Ruth Martin.Lived on the west side. (I presume she means on the west side of the Dan River) They were just a few miles apart (I believe she is talking about charles and Joseph)They both had large families.The boys and girls were tall and slender with blue eyes and dark hair.And I will say grandmother told me they were Irish, and came from some point north in Pennsylvania, I think.They were Methodist here and had strong religious convictions.
Joseph's sons were Ed, John, Theodore and James (James became the husband of the lady giving this info).
Ed went west in 1907.Was in Colorado and Arizona. Died in Arizona, not married.
John worked for the American Bridge Co. Married a girl in Maryland and finally located at Woodbury, NJ. Died a few years ago and left a son, John Paul Lasley, who has a family and lives at Zionsville, PA.
Theodore and James stayed in NC near the old Lasley home. Our home is a part of the Lasley farm.Theodore had one son, C.J. Jr. who lives near us.
There are other Lasleys south of us who say they are our relatives, some around Greensboro and Gilford College.They held family reunions at Gilford Battle grounds for several years but for some reason we never got to attend or we would know about our families.
Miss Era Lasley, Gilford College, NC maybe could tell you more about the family than I.Her father was closely related to us.Grandfather Joe used to say, Cousin Wesley.I think his father and Joe's father were brothers.
There is a Rev. J.W. Lasley living in Winston-Salem, a methodist minister.All Lasleys I have met so far were Methodist. They were tall fine looking men but not so handsome.There are several other familys in Winston Salem with the same name.
More Replies:
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Re: Letter written Jan 1960 about Lasley
Brian Lasley 2/21/03
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Re: Letter written Jan 1960 about Lasley
Kenneth Lasley 9/03/01