George Washington Herring and Lucy Simco


George W. Herring was my great great gandfather. He was born in Albemarle Co. Virginia in 1794. His father, George Herring, named him after George Washington, his father's (Benjamin) commander in the Revolutionary War. He was the son of George Herring and Elizabeth Closeby, both of Albemarle Co. Va.

He was a soldier in the War of 1812. See bottom of this page for article mentioning his service from the Fulton Telegraph, 1871. His service in the War was also mentioned in a hand written note by his grandson, Dolor W. Herring, [quote: "Grandfather served in the second war with Great Britain (1812), and was present when General Packingham was killed Jan 8th, 1815 at New Orleans." end quote by Dolor Herring], and also mentioned in the book Pioneer Families of Missouri. (see below)

George first married Polly Carver on Dec. 16, 1818. She was the sister of Lucy Carver who married George's brother John. Polly was a daughter of Jarrell Carver and Nancy Beck, who married Oct 16, 1795 in Albemarle Co. Va.. Jarrel was born about 1777 in Albemarle Co. Virginia and was a son of William (b: abt 1749 d: abt 1811, Albemarle Va) and Mary Carver (b: abt 1753). We have found no definate record of children or death date for Polly Carver, but believe she probably died about 1823. We believe there is a possibility they did have a son in 1823 , who was raised by John and Lucy Carver Herring. We are still trying to verify this.

From the Albemarle marriage records:
Herring, George & Polly Carver 16 Dec 1818; b-Jarrell Carver (father) who gives his consent wit-William Wertenbaker [B/C Papers, 1818-24]

In 1825, George and his 1st cousin John B. Herring came to Missouri to scout out the land. They probably camped in Callaway County and stayed for several months. They returned to Albemarle Co. Va. and in 1835 George moved his family to Missouri.

George married Lucy Simco on December 28, 1829. Lucy Simco was born 28 Nov 1808 in Madison Co., Virginia. Her parents were James and Francis Canada Simco. She had 8 brothers and sisters, several of which also married into the Herring family. Lucy Simco Herring was the grandmother of my grandfather Dolor Herring, and her sister Judith Simco Fletcher was the grandmother of my grandmother Josephine Carter Herring, (Dolor Herring's wife). Their brother, Reuben Brooks Simco had two daughters that married nephews of George W. Herring. The Simco, Hill, and Herring families were neighbors in Albemarle Co., Va. and there are many marriages between them.

From Albemarle Co. marriage records:
George Herron married Lucy Simco 28 Dec 1829; minister, John Goss; bondsman Reuben Simco; witness Ira Garrett; daughter of James Simco, who gives his consent; witness Reuben Simco.

Pictures of George Washington Herring and Lucy Simco

George and Lucy had 12 children; their son George W. Herring Jr was my great grandfather. They had two children who died young that I have no information about, names or dates.

  1. James E. Herring b: 26 Dec 1831 Albemarle Co. Virginia d: 25 Apr 1918 Callaway Co. Missouri.
    • married 11 Apr 1857, Callaway Co., Missouri, Eliza R. Conger b: 12 Aug 1840 Callaway Co. Missouri. d: 17 Sep 1892 Callaway Co. Missouri.
  2. Julia A. Herring b: Dec. 26. 1833 Albemarle Co. Virginia d: Abt 1878 Callaway Co. Missouri.
    • married 31 Jan 1856, Callaway Co., Missouri, Albert Samuel Fletcher b: abt 1827, Virginia d: after 1880. He was a son of my 3rd great grandparents, John and Mary Fletcher.
  3. Georgianna Herring b: 27 May 1835 Albemarle Co. Virginia d: 18 Jan 1913 Callaway Co. Missouri.
    • 1st married 19 Apr 1860, Callaway Co., Missouri, William Ewing b: Apr. 17, 1822 Callaway Co. Missouri. d: 14 May 1876 Callaway Co. Missouri.
    • 2nd. married Jun 7, 1877, Callaway Co., Missouri, Francis Brandon b: 20 Nov 1819 Halifax Co. Virginia d: 27 Dec 1890 Callaway Co. Missouri.
  4. John Luther Herring b: May 2, 1837 Callaway Co. Missouri. d: Dec. 22, 1922, Monroe Co., Missouri, buried Phillips Cemetery, Monroe Co., Missouri.
    • married abt. 1860, Rebecca Skinner b: abt 1842, Ohio d: June 1928, Monroe Co., Missouri, buried Phillips Cemetery, Monroe Co., Missouri.
  5. Jane Francis Herring b: 1838 Callaway Co. Missouri. d: 24 Feb 1929 Callaway Co. Missouri.
    • 1. married 22 Oct 1857, John G. Conger b: 1838 Callaway Co. Missouri. d: 19 Jun 1864 Died in battle at Kenesaw Mountain Tenn, on the side of the Confederacy.
    • 2. married 22 Dec 1864, Benjamin D. Suggett b: 1811 Kentucky d: 1877 Callaway Co. Missouri.
    • 3. married abt 1878, Cal Craighead b: 1834 Franklin Co. Virginia d: 15 Nov 1915 Callaway Co. Missouri.
  6. William H. Herring b: Jan. 6, 1840, Callaway Co. Missouri. d: 15 Feb 1923 Jefferson City, Cole, Missouri.
    • married abt. 1864, Zelda Skinner b: abt 1846, Ohio d: 13 Oct 1876 Callaway Co. Missouri.
  7. Mary E. Herring b: Jan. 26, 1843 Callaway Co. Missouri. d: Jan. 10, 1935, St. Louis Missouri.
    • married 13 Feb 1870, George W. Gannaway b: June 11, 1842, Missouri, d: Dec. 19, 1915, St. Louis Missouri.
  8. George Washington Herring Jr. b: 14 Feb 1846 Callaway Co. Missouri. d: 15 Jun 1929 Callaway Co. Missouri.
    • married 19 Feb 1871, Josima McNerva Allen b: 16 Apr 1854 Callaway Co. Missouri. d: 6 Dec 1922 Callaway Co. Missouri.
  9. Susan E. Herring b: Abt 1849 Callaway Co. Missouri. d: _
    • married 12 Jan 1868, Thomas Van Bloom b: abt 1844, Missouri
  10. Willis Dabney Herring b: 10 May 1851 Callaway Co. Missouri. d: 12 Oct 1932 Callaway Co. Missouri.
    • married 9 Jun 1881, Lucy Emma Giboney b: 6 Dec 1863, Callaway Co. Missouri. d: Apr 1928 Callaway Co. Missouri.
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Herring Family Cemetery pictures
Township 47N, Range 8W southwest of Unity Church+
There are two Herring Family cemeteries. The Callaway County Historical Society refers to them and Herring #1 and Herring #2. #1 is located on George Washington Herring's original land. #2 is on John and Lucy Carver Herring's Land. Herring #1 is in much better shape than Herring #2, it is on farmland and fenced. It is slowly crumbling away with age, but at least it is being protected. The two cemeteries are not far from each other, but both are hard to find.
George W and Lucy Simco
Herring, George - died July 23 1876
Herring, Lucy - Nov 28 1808-April 7 1896- wife of G. W. Herring
Taken from engravings on the headstones.

From the 1850 census index, Callaway County, Missouri, shows George Herring (54) and wife Lucy (53), several of their children, and his brothers and their families.Click here for Herrings listed on the 1850 census index and the actual census page showing George W. Herring family in 1850.

From the 1870 census, Fulton Township, Callaway County, Missouri, shows George Herring (76) and wife Lucy (60), son Willis D. (18) living on the farm. Click here for actual census page.

original land in Callaway Co. Missouri.
G.W. and Lucy Herring's farm was just southwest of Fulton, east of what is now Route 54.
46n 09 1876 8 G.W. Herring (must be Sr.) 80 acres (school on NE edge, small creek running through land. Just west of Hams Prairie, NW of county farm) Click here for plat map.

46n 09 1897 8 Mrs. Lucy Herring 80 acres (school just above NE edge, small creek running through land poss. named Dich Branch) a road runs the east side, intersects the road from Hams Prairie. That road goes on south side to west border, and then angles S.W. House was in the south west corner of lot, on west edge just a little to the north of south edge.Click here for plat map.

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Headline: Soldiers of the War of 1812 in Callaway County,
published April 7, 1871, Fulton Telegraph, Fulton, Callaway County, Missouri.
We are endebted to Mr. J. C. Renshaw, claim agent for the following list of a portion of the soldiers of the War of 1812, who resided in Callaway County:
Stephen H. Hyten, aged 76; Jno. B. Finley; James Davis, aged 82 years; Jno. W. Galwith, aged 78 years; Gideon Games, was at the battle of Thames, where Tecumpsch was killed.; Geo. T. Johnson, aged 81 years; Joel Adcock, aged 79 yeas. Guarded Norfolk, Virginia; Dan'l Brown, age 78 years; Patrick Ewing, aged 78 years. Guarded Norfolk, VA;Samuel Rieley, aged 80 years; Geo. Herring, age 77 years; William B. Garrett, aged 75 years; Wiley Vinson, aged 78 years. Guarded public stores, at Peachland Choctaw Nation.

from the book: A history of the pioneer families of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri.: Lucas Bros., 1935, 589 pgs.
written in 1876
Herring, George Herring, of Virginia, married Elizabeth Closby and they had Jonathan, George, John, and Nathan. The three last named were soldiers in the war of 1812, and they afterward married and settled in Callaway county. George married Lucy Sinco, John married Lucy Carver, and Nathan married Susan Hill.

Obit, Callaway Gazette
Death of a Veteran
     Died at his residence several miles south of this place, on Sunday last, Mr. George Herring, aged 86 years. He was a soldier of the War of 1812 and a pensioner at the time of his death. He was a native of Virginia and emigrated to this state in 1835, settled in this county where he has resided ever since. He leaves and aged companion together with ten children and a large number of relatives and friends.
     He had been for a number of years a member of the Christian church. On Monday last his funeral was preached by his beloved paster, Elder A. Rice, to a large number of mourning relatives and friends. After which, his remians were deposited in the family cemetery.
     He was a kind neighbor, an affectionate husband, and an indulgent parent. He lived a consistent christian life, died in peace, and biding earch adieu, has been gathered, as the ripened ear, to the garner of the Lord to go out no more forever.

obit - Mrs. Lucy Herring Abt 89 7 Apr 1896 10 April 1896 Callaway Weekly Gazette      Mrs. Lucy Herring Dead
     Mrs. Lucy Herring, aged 89 years, died at her home six miles south of Fulton, Tuesday, of old age.
     Mrs. Herring is the mother of nine children, four girls and five boys. Her funeral was conducted Wednesday afternoon by Elder Otto.
*note about obit - there were 12 children 5 boys and 5 girls. At the time of Lucy's death there were 9 living children, 4 girls and 5 boys. Two children died as infants.

obit -
In Memory of Mrs. Lucy Herring
Ham's Prairie, Mo. May 28
     The subject of this brief notice was the daughter of James and Sallie Simcoe and was born in Albemarle county, Va., Nov. 8, 1808, and on Dec. 3, 1829 married Geo. W. Herring. In the autumn of 1835 they bade audieu to the scenes of their childhood and eary youth and came overland to Missouri, arriving in Callaway county in October of the same year. Her husband was a soldier in the war of 1812 and took part in the most noted land engagements. His death occurred July 23rd, 1878. Since, she has resided on the old homestead with her son, W.D. Herring.
     Mrs. Herring was the mother of 12 children - two having died in infancy - the rest living to adult age, are Jeames, J. L., W. H., G. W., and W. D. The daughters are: Mesdames Brandon, Craighead, Fletcher (now dead), Gannaway and King.
     Her death was the resolt of a severe attack of catarrhal pnuemonia and occurred Tuesday, April 7, 1896, aged 87 years, 4 months, and 19 days. She had been a resident of the county 61 years and had witnessed the almost marvelous changes wrought by the hands of the hardy, industrious pioneers and their worthy descendants. Usually extreme old age is attended by loss of mind and bodily vigor, but her mental powers remained unabated and the lamp of reason went out only in the delirium that preceded death.
     Mrs. Herring was esteemed ___ by those most intimate with her and leaves a memory rich with the details of a life well lived and of a work well done. She was blessed with a disposition that was above the evil speaking, scandal loving, as it has been said of her that she was never known to speak an unkind word of anyone.
     On Wednesday, April 8th, she was laid to rest in the family buring ground to await the final summons. She has finished a long and useful life, loved and respected by all who knew her and leaves a large circle of relatives and friends to lament her death.
     To her there is no death,
     What seems so is transition,
     This life of mortal breath,
     Is but a suburb of the life elysian
     Whose portal we call death.



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