Richard Christopher Dameron

On the 1850 census Richard's family was recorded in Northumberland. Leroy was listed as a farmer with real estate valued at $900. Richard was the youngest of six children. The family probably lived along the road going from Village to Gibeon. Their neighbors were the Jewels and Wilsons.²

Leroy Oldham Dameron died in 1852. In his will he left to Richard Christopher a "tract of land where Richard Jewel now lives." Other documents relating to the sale of Leroy's estate mention the road between Village and Gibeon. The rest of his estate real and personal was to be equally divided between all of the other children.¹

The 1860 census showed Frances Dameron, age 50, as the head of the family. She was marked as being born in Lancaster County, where ten years earlier all the family members were listed as born in Northumberland. She was also marked as being unable to read or write. Her real estate was valued at $1,000, with personal property worth $120. Richard's older brother Thomas was the only one marked as working, he was a farmer.³ The 1860 slave schedule for the county showed F. Dameron owning one slave, a 40 year old male.⁴

Thomas left to join the Confederate Army in May of 1861. He served in the 40th VA Infantry. Thomas was wounded and subsequently captured at the Battle of Gettysburg. After being sent to Point Lookout prison camp for almost a year he was exchanged and allowed to return home. He did not stay home very long before he returned to Maryland. Family lore says he returned north to try and find the nurse that cared for him. He ended up settling near St. Mary's Maryland and living out his life there in a town now known as Dameron, MD.⁵

Richard Christopher took over the family farm. Times were probably tough after the Civil War and it appears Richard had money trouble. A Northumberland County deed of trust was signed on March 20th, 1868 by Richard Dameron and T. Edwin Betts. The deed stated that earlier that year a justice of the peace issued a judgment against Richard Dameron, Thomas Dameron and Richard Dawson for $50 plus interest from October of 1866 to be paid to Eppa C. Walker. The deed also stated that Richard Dameron owed Eppa Walker an additional $12. Richard agreed to either pay back the debt by January 1st, 1869 or sell 100 acres of land (in Northumberland County adjacent to the land of Warren P. Hill) to Edwin Betts for $1 so that Betts could in turn sell the land to pay the debt to Eppa Walker. It appears that Richard paid Walker off in time and the land was not sold.⁶ Eppa C. Walker may have been a brother or nephew of Richard's mother, whose maiden name was Walker.

On the 1870 census Richard was the head of the family. They were still in Northumberland, probably on the same land. Richard was marked as a farmer with land worth $500 and personal property of $100. His mother at age 66 was marked as able to read, but not write. She was also marked as "insane," possibly indicating a condition like alzheimers. His sister Susan, age 28, also still lived at home. Additionally and 8 year old Black male named Andrew Medley lived with them.⁷

The 1870 agricultural schedule showed that Richard had 100 acres, 50 improved for farming. He had one horse, one milk cow and three swine all valued at $110. In the past year he had produced 100 bushels of corn.⁸ Richard's mother died in 1873, her death was recorded in Richmond County.⁹

In February of 1880 Richard was living in Richmond County. A deed was written at that time in Northumberland where Richard sold 100 acres of land to Kettura Lewis for $600. The land was described as being in the Lottsburg magisterial district of Northumberland on the road between Union Village and Fruit Plain. The sale of 100 acres may not have been the full amount of land Richard had inherited from his father.¹⁰ On the census in June 1880 Richard was listed in the Washington township of Richmond County. His sister Susan still lived with him. Richard was marked as a farmer.¹¹ This switch in counties on the census may have only been a move of a few hundred yards as the road from Village to Fruit Plain and Gibeon is very near the county line, and tavelling down the present day Fallin Town Road quickly quickly brings you in to Richmond County.

Richard married at the age of 45 to Mildred Cleopatra "Minnie" Fallin, daughter of Richard Luke Fallin and Martha Dorothy Stephens. They were married on October 15th, 1889 in the home of W.P. Middleton by Rev. A. J. Reamy.^{12 13} Minnie's 2nd Great-Grandfather was William Dameron, who was also Richard's Great-Grandfather, making them 2nd cousins once removed. Richard and Minnie went on to have their first three children before the year 1900.¹⁴ Around the time of their marriage Richard transitioned from farming to running a mercantile business. His first store was in Village, he purchased 4 acres of the Winstead homeplace in September of 1890 from Giles Eubank.^{15 16}

In 1894 Richard sold the 4 acres in Village to CM Dameron for $450. He also sold CM Dameron a "stock of merchandise" for $900.^{15 17 18} It appears that he put the land and stock in his wife's name because he was still running the store there in 1899. In 1899 Richard began building a new combined store and residence 1 1/4 miles north of Village at the intersection of Routes 600 & 618 (Gibeon & Fallin Town Roads). In November of 1899 he sold the Village store to LH Lewis.^{15 19} Lewis called the store "People's Store" and ran it until 1914. The building is longer standing, a private residence sits on the site.¹⁵ The home and store at Fallin Town road is still standing, although it is in very poor condition in 2022.

The 1900 census listed Richard back in Northumberland at his new home. His occupation was given as merchant and he owned his home mortgage free. His age was marked as 58 and Cleopatra, 28.¹⁴ After that census they had four more children.

On Sunday, June 20th, 1909 Richard was on the way to Gibeon Church with two of his children when he lost control of his horse and buggy. He was thrown into a tree, breaking his leg and hitting his head. Neither of the children were injured.^{20 21} Richard's leg injury turned gangrenous and he died on July the 12th, 1909.²² He was buried at Gibeon Baptist Church. He shares a headstone with his youngest child, Otelia, who was born just weeks after his death and lived less than three years.