Cain-Abernathy, Dinwiddie/Greensville Co, VA
In historical and genealogical research, facts accumulate slowly, in little increments, especially as more documents are placed on-line at various web sites such as the Library of Virginia's most helpful site.
Some facts about the George Cain family of Greensville County, VA:
Item 1: George Cain (Sr): will dated 11 May 1789, probate 24 Jan 1793. Wife Keziah, sons John Cain, Howard Cain, George Cain (Revolutionary War Patriot), and Martin/Mastin/Maston Cain.Daughter Martha md Apr 1789 to William Atkinson by Rev William Andrews, Methodist (marriage bond dated 26 Mar 1789 consent given by George Cain Sr, father).
Item 2: Keziah Cain; will dated 24 Oct 1809, probate 1810: daughters Elizabeth Abernathy, Martha Atkinson, Lucy Lanier; grandaughter Martha Cain.
Item 3: John Cain md 27 Nov 1794 Selah Mabry (dau of Evan Mabry) by Rev William Andrews, Methodist Minister. John 2nd md 31 Oct 1798 to Jane Hobbs, widow. John deceased before Dec 1839.
Item 4: Howard Cain, will dated 29 Oct 1829, probate 1 Aug 1831: wife Elizabeth, son Isham Cain, grandson Samuel Young; daughters: Patsy (Martha) Cain, Sally Adams, Elizabeth Street. Daughter Sarah md 7 Feb 1821 to James B. Adams; surity Thos Vaughn, witness Isham Cain.
Item 5: Isham Cain. Will dated 16 Aug 1832 probate 1 Oct 1832: sisters Marthy Cain and Sarah Adams (Mrs James B.).
Item 6: Geogre Cain (Revolutionary War Patriot), aged abt 75 in May of 1833 (he was abt 16 and a half or 17 when the Revolution began). His first marriage was to Rebecca Abernathy, dau of Charles Abernathy and Alice Short; his 2nd marriage abt 5 yrs later (23 Aug 1787) was to Priscilla Bass, apparently of Southampton Co, VA. George's will was dated 28 Dec 1839, and probated 6 Jan 1840. One tenth of his estate to each of the following:
a) children of brother Howard Cain dec'd
b) children of brother Marston Cain dec'd
c) children of brother John Cain dec'd
d) children of Herman (Harmon) Abernathy dec'd "who married my sister Elizabeth"
e) children of Labun (Laban) Abernathy dec'd "that he had by my sister Celia"
f) children of sister Lucy (nee Cain) Lanier dec'd
g) children of brother-in law Maclin Bass dec'd
h) children of sister-in-law Rebecca Kirby
i) sister-in-law Susannah Short
j) neice Susan C. Hall formerly Susan C Aberanthy dau of Jesse Abernathy
In addition to the above, George's neice Mary (nee Kirby) Smith received $200 and Sarah (formerly Andrews) Vaughn received $400 "to be placed in hands of proper person to be given to her as she needs it subject in no respect to the control or claim of her husband".
Item 7: Isham Cain. Will dated 19 Dec 1851, probate April term 1852: son John T. Cain, daughter Sarah E. Cain, daughter Susan E. Cain, daughter Mary B. Jones.
Item 8: Various other marriages.
a)4 Feb 1814: Isham Cain and Mary C. Williams; Mitchell Grigg (guardian); Jordan Richardson Jr (security_; Rev. Nathaniel Chambliss, MG.
b) 16 Jun 1817: Willis Abernathy and Julia A. B. Smith; Isham Cain (security & witness).
c)2 Dec 1817: Harvey Smith and Polly M. Kirby; concent by guardian George Cain; James Adams (security and witness).
d)8 Nov 1818: Meshick Street to Eliza Ann Cain (neice of George Cain Jr); Howard Cain (security).
e) 14 Oct 1822: Thomas R. Vaughn to Sally Andrews (nee Cain, dau of George Cain Jr); Littleton Payne (security).
f) 10 Dec 1833: Benjamin Lax to Martha B. Cain; Joel Lax (security); John Doyle, Minister.
Item 9: Note for interested Abernathy Researchers.
Research by Elizabeth Denty Abernathy indicates (as mentioned above) that George Cain's first wife was Rebecca Abernathy, daughter of Charles Abernathy and Alice Short. George's 2nd wife was Priscilla Bass, whom he apparently married in Southampton County VA on the 23 Aug 1787.
Brothers Howard, Marston, and John Cain all predeceased George Cain, as did sister Lucy, and brothers-in-law Harmon Abernathy, Laban Abernathy, and Maclin Bass. It is believed that William Abernathy, Laban Abernathy, and Harmon Abernathy were Rebecca's brothers. Dinwiddie County Tax records indicate that George Abernathy (who first appeared in tax records in 1794) was a son of Harmon Abernathy. Howard Abernathy (found on the 1830 Dinwiddie Census, but not before or since) was also very likely a son of Harmon and Elizabeth (nee Cain) Abernathy. Researchers have previously been unable to link Mastin/Martin/Maston Abernathy of Dinwiddie County with any other Abernathys, despite his nearness to the Abernathy descendants of either Charles and Alice or those of the Robert Abernathy lineage who are known to have lived in the area. The coincidence of the names of George Cain's brothers and those of a younger generation of Abernathy who are related to him lends credence to the supposition that Mastin/Marston Abernathy was a son of either Laban Abernathy and his wife Celia Cain or Harmon Abernathy and his wife Elizabeth Cain. IF (and that's a pretty big if) a record of the settlement of George Cain Jr's estate survived the destruction of so much of Dinwiddie's records in Petersburg during the War Between the States, then it might be possible to place Mastin within the Charles Abernathy/Alice Short lineage, where I believe he evidently belongs. I hope my premis can be substantiated with further evidence.