Descendants of Samuel Gorby - b.ca 1700: Fourth Generation

43. William⁴ Gorby (Eli³, Thomas², Samuel¹) was born in Ohio Co, VA. February 1820. William died January 8, 1910 in Near Veto, WV., at 89 years of age.

He married twice. He married Christina Wade AFT. 1848. Christina was born February 2, 1828. Christina was the daughter of Hezekiah Joseph Wade and Elizabeth ?. Christina died April 10, 1862 at 34 years of age. He married Rebecca Jackson in Near New Martinsville, WV., 1839. Rebecca was born 1817. Rebecca died 1849 in Near New Martinsville, WV., at 32 years of age. (1936) William Gorby was born on Ohio Co, VA, now Marshall Co, WV. In 1838 he moved to Wetzel Co, being one of the early pioneers of that country, farming over much of the site of the town of New Martinsville, most of his life being spent near this town.

(1978) In 1839, a year after settling in the New Martinsville, WV area, he married Rebecca Jackson and to this union were born five children. The mother, a noble Christian woman, dying when Jesse K was an infant. William married 2nd, Christina Wade, the mother of eight more children. Both wives died in their early thirties and are buried in Clark Ridge Cemetery.

(1936) He witnessed and experienced many of the hardships of early pioneer life. It seemed to be his misfortune to be bitten often by poisonous reptiles, in all 19 copperheads and 2 rattlesnakes. In stepping over a large log in a huckleberry patch, when a young man, he was bitten on the heel by a rattlesnake 9 feet long. He was nearly knocked down when the snake hit him and carried the scar to the grave. When well up in years he was bitten by a copperhead when binding oats, but went right on with his work. While he suffered from the bites, his system seemed to have the power to throw off much of the poison.

For 76 years William Gorby was an active member of the M E Church. He assisted in building the early log church of his community. For 40 years he was class leader and steward for nearly half a century. Often when there was a shortage of funds at conference time, rather than see the cause suffer, he paid the deficiency himself. He was one of the foremost men in helping build the original brick M E church in New Martinsville, and he and the Rev JJ Dolliver were the first men on the ground when the Old Limestone Church at Green Hill was built. With their axes they felled the trees and hewed most of the logs for that building which was the first church built in that section of the country.

He was always interested in prohibition, and as he grew in years his interest increased, but he did not live to see the old time saloon voted out.

William Gorby was a man of large physique and great endurance. He toiled early and late until a few years before his death just one month before his ninetieth birthday.

His faith never wavered, he never doubted the power of God to save and a common expression of his was, "Put your best foot forward and trust in the Lord." He was an untiring worker in his church, a loyal citizen to his country - sending two sons to fight for their country during the Civil war, and a man devoted to his family.

He died January 8, 1910 at the home of his daughter - Malinda (Gorby) McCullough - who lived near Veto, WV. He is buried at Craig's Chapel near New Martinsville.

(1978) An 1850 Census lists William Gorby, his second wife Christine Wade and three children of 1st wife, whose gravestone says died in 1849. Family history says that mother Rebecca died when Jessie was an infant.

(1997) Obituary, source: Clipping dated 20 Jan 1910, as published in Tri-County Obituary Collection, Volume II, p41. William Gorby, one of the oldest citizens of Wetzel County, West Virginia, died 8 Jan 1910, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Josephus McCullough of Veto, West Virginia. William Gorby was born in Ohio County, (West) Virginia, now Marshall county, in February 1820. He came to Wetzel county in 1838 and lived on what is now the John Leap farm. From there he moved to the Brown farm, south of this city. Just before the Civil War, he came to New Martinsville, where he lived for several years.

In 1839, he married Rebecca Jackson and to this union the following children were born: Ephraim, who died in infancy; Malinda, now Mrs. Josephus McCullough; Ira, who died a few years ago at Wellsburg, WV; Rebecca, who married a Kerby and lived in Indiana; and Jesse, whose residence is in this city. Rebecca Jackson Gorby died when Jesse was an infant and William Gorby married second to Christina Wade, to which the following children were born: Jonah, living near Pittsburgh, PA; Mrs. Jane McGowan of Bellaire, OH; James, who died at Sherrard, WV; William of Belpre, OH; Selby of Belpre, OH; Joseph of Wellsburg, WV; Dudley of Reader, WV; and John, who died young.

For seventy-six years, Mr. Gorby was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The deceased was a man of large physique and great endurance and was very active until a few years ago. He was buried in Tomilson's Cemetery.

Ref: Wetzel County History page 119-1.10.99 - Lists many of the children. William and his brothers Eli and John Ryan Gorby came to Wetzel County in 1838. He was one of the early poneers in Wetzel Co., experiencing the hardships of pioneer life. A man of large physique and great endurance, he was an untiring worker, toiling early and late until a few years before his death. He had become almost immune to the venom of reptiles, having been bitten by 19 copperheads and two rattlesnakes, one being more than 9 feet long, the force of which knocked him to the ground. In later years he carried to work a shaker of salt with to draw out any venom.

He farmed on what then was known as the John Leap farm, later living on the larger Brown farm south of New Martinsville. Before the Civil War, the family moved into town, and he and his sons cultivated much of the land on which this beautiful city is built.

William was also an untiring worker in the 1st M.E. Church in New Martinsville serving in many capacities, 40 years a class leader, and for nearly a half century, a steward. It was he and the Rev. J.J. Dolliver who laid out the old log Limestone Church at Green Hill. They felled the trees and hewed most of the logs for the building, the first church in that part of the country. He was also one of the foremost men in helping build the original M.E. Church in New Martinsville, probably the one started in 1854. Three of his sons served in the Civil War, (and his gr-father Thomas in the Rev. War.) William attended the 1905 Gorby Reunion at Abersold's Orchard in New Martinsville, and lived to within a month of age 90.

William Gorby and Rebecca Jackson had the following children:

child 226 i. Ephraim⁵ Gorby was born BEF. 1841. Ephraim died BEF. 1845.

Mortality info: Died in infancy.

child 227 ii. Rebecca Ann Gorby was born BEF. 1849. She married ? Kirby. (1978) Rebecca (Gorby) Kirby was mentioned in her father's obit as "Mrs Rebecca Ann Kirby, living in Muncie, IN". No further information.

child + 228 iii. Malinda Gorby was born April 22, 1841.

child + 229 iv. Ira Edward Gorby was born July 5, 1845.

child + 230 v. Jesse K Gorby was born July 2, 1846.

William Gorby and Christina Wade had the following children:

child + 231 vi. Josephus Gorby was born ABT. 1854.

child 232 vii. John Gorby was born AFT. 1861. Ref: WC History page 119 and WC 1860 Census

Mortality info: Died young.

child + 233 viii. Jonah Gorby was born 1850.

child + 234 ix. James Dolliver Gorby was born February 28, 1854.

child + 235 x. Dudley D Gorby was born April 14, 1854.

child + 236 xi. William Gorby Jr was born March 25, 1857.

child + 237 xii. Zadoc Selby Gorby was born March 1, 1859.