Malachi Cummings, Jr.

1744 - 1818

• Notes

  [spark1.FTW] Three brothers, Simon, John and Malachi immigrated from Glasgow, Scotland into Faquier County, virginia about 1759. Records on file in that locale establish the brothers as owning adjoining plantations. National Highway 50 now runs through this property. It appears that Simon was the oldest of the three brothers, followed by John and then Malachi. Little is known about Simon and John other than that they both married and had seven children which were given in their wills, and it is believed they were both buried on their farms. Malachi removed to Tennessee in 1816/17. Malachi Cummings married a girl named Verlinda Taylor, Daughter of James Taylor of Patrick Co., Virginia. Originally this county and Henry County were one called "Patrick Henry County". Verlinda's surname has appeared as Burns in some of the early records--maybe she was married first to a Mr. Burns. Malachi removed to Henry Co., prior to 1782, in which year he sold 250 acres in Faquier County being the former property of Thomas Berry. A search for him in Henry County subsequent to 1782 has produced nothing. In Loudon County Deed Book D: 326-7, we find that William Robinson and Elizabeth his wife had sold 223 acres to a man named "Maliky"Cummings in 1764. It is not likely that the elder Malachi was buying land this late in his life. Especially since he had not needed even the acreage that had been bequeathed to him by his father. William Robinson is probably a grandson of Mary (Muttoone) Robinson, and therefore a cousin to this Malachi. It should be made note of, that although this Malachi's son Joseph, was later living in Henry County, in 1813, his Revoulutionary War Service was performed as a member of the Loudon County Militia. The situation generally suggests that Malachi the younger was living in Loudon County at the time of his death in 1786. In reinforcement of this idea, at the time the Loudon County Malachi's estate was probated, the administrators were Judah & Benjamin Cummings. There is a record of a Benjamin Cummings living in Henry county at that particular time. After his fathers death, this Malachi had sold 250 acres which he identified as formerly belonging to Thomas Berry. We know that Thomas Berry had been a neighbor to both the Muttoone & Cummings/Cummins families. For the Muttoone Will had a reference to his boundary. Verlinda joined with her husband in a 1782 conveyance but not in another one dated 1785. So therefore it is safe to assume that she died between 1782 & 1785. Of the two witnesses on the latter deed, Richard Luttrell was a next door neighbor and James Bell a short distance away on Cedar Run adjacent to Thomas Lee. In the Faquier County June Court of 1779 Malachi the younger, brought suit against one Joseph Blackwell (near neighbor to Simon Cummings) & prevailed. The judgment in his favor was one thousand pounds of crop tobacco, the medium of exchange at that time, plus cash extended. Blackwell was Faquier County's First sheriff and owner of a succession of mills (a water mill on Deep Run in 1765; a saw mill on Rocky Run in 1793, and a mill on Carter's Run in 1804.) The original Blackwell grant had been to General John Blackwell. Ref: CUMMINS ANCIENT,CUMMINS NEW by Frances Funk, pp 98-99. REF: FCGS M CUMMINGS by B. Murray 1-19-1995