ELEVENTH GENERATION

38. Lucrethia Cristinia"Crissa" COUNTS⁽¹⁰⁾ was born on Dec 11 1793 in Cleveland, Russell Co., VA. She died on Dec 6 1855 in Sand Lick, ( now Dickenson Co.), VA.

She was married to Richard "Fightin' Dick" COLLEY on May 17 1813 in Russell Co., VA. Source:
Tom Colley
394 County Road 262
Hanceville, Alabama
35077-7302

E-mail: tcolley@@cneti.com


4 Richard Colley #777 (3.Thomas3, 2.Thomas2, 1.Thomas1) b.
cir 1793, Virginia, County of: Washington, Bur: Mullins Cemetery, m.
May 17,1813, Lucrethia Cristinia (Crissa) Counts #833, b. Dec 11,1793,
Cleveland, Virginia, County of: Russell, (daughter of John Counts Jr.
#843 and Margaret (Peggy) Kelly #844) S(C14, Bur: Colley Cemetery, d.
Dec 6,1855, Sand Lick, Virginia. Richard died Mar 16,1858, Grassy
Creek, Bucanan County, Virginia.13 Richard Colley: #777

Richard Colley first appears as a head of household in the 1820
Census of Virginia, he is a resident of the Lebanon District of
Russell County. Richard was known as "Fighting Dick Colley" and was
the first permanent settler of the Dickenson County territory. He
served in the War of 1812. He was a noted hunter and farmer and lived
most of his life near Sandlick. Sources describe him as "a medium
sized man with square shoulders; fast tempered, hard drinking and hard
fighting." Living in his household in the 1850 Russell County,
Virginia Census was: Elizabeth Ramey (age 14), Harvey Ramey (age 7),
Catherine Colley(age 8), Jefferson Pressley (age 4), and Joshua
Pressley (age 2). Richard is listed as age 54 and a farmer, the value
of real estate owned was listed as $400.00 in 1850.

"SOME DESCENDANTS OF JOHN COUNTS OF GLADE HOLLOW" By: Sutherland
(p185) states that the children listed in the above Census are
"Grandchildren reared by Richard and Christina" and also that "Harvey
later took the Colley name." The 1850 Census also states that
Elizabeth Ramey was born in Kentucky; the other children were born in
Russell County, Virginia. Census also notes Catherine Colley is
"Deaf."

Richard served with Capt George Kindrick's Infantry Co., 72nd. Reg..

Estate recorded Russell County, Virginia Will Book 7, p 187-8,214.

10 Dec 1859; Russell County, Virginia; Inventory of Richard Colley's
estate by Drewry Puckett, Andrew Owens, Harvey Deel & James Sutherland
[WB 7:187] Sale bill of same [WB 7:188]; Estate Settlement [WB 7:214]
Lucrethia: Christinia Colly died at age 61y 11m 25d in Russell County,
Virginia; d/o John & Margaret Counts; death reported by husband,
Richard Colley.[Ln 27 of 1855; Register of Deaths].
Children:
16.iJames Colley #834 b. Mar 1,1815.
17.iiMary Anne (Pop) Colley #872 b. Sep 4,1816.
18.iiiJoshua Colley #853 b. cir 1819.
19.ivJohn Colley #873 b. cir 1820.
20.vMatilda Colley #874 b. cir 1822.
21.viMargaret Jane (Pud) Colley #875 b. cir 1827.
22.viiSarah (Sap) Colley #876 b. cir 1829.



Prior to marriage, Dick Colley was the caretaker of a large boundary
of
mountain land belonging to Andrew Hebern at Sandlick, to which they
moved and
made their home. Here in the midst of the Sandy Basin wilderness they
became
the first permanent settlers in what is now Dickenson Co. Dick
literally
blazed a trail from the Clinch Settlements across Sandy Ridge and
through a
virgin wilderness fifty miles to the very border of Kentucky, and made
his
indelible mark as a community builder during its catalysmic change
from a
wilderness to a farming community. He was the moving force that
secured the
first public road to Sandlick. He owned and operated the first water
mill in
that section. In 1852, he was appointed one of the commissioners to
divide
Russell County into eight voting districts, and his home was
established as
one of the two voting places in the 4th (Sandlick) district. He did
not
perfect title to any land, but his sons owned many thousand acres in
this
section which he settled and helped to improve.
In 1936, Hawk Fuller [E548], remembered his grandfather, "Fightin'
Dick", as
"medium sized, not large, but big square shoulders, bald-headed and
smooth
shaven." In a biography (Some Sandy Basin Characters - 1962) EJS
stated:
"Dick Colley was strong of limb, heart and temper. It took all that
to
conquer the wilderness. No one ever questioned his bravery, nor did
anyone
who ever felt the wallop of his bruising fist soon forget its crushing
power.
His hot temper, often unleashed and terrible, swung him from one
personal
encounter into another with his neighbors ... He was often wobbly with
hard
liquor, his heart and strength carried him through ... It seemed that
he had
more fights with John Fuller than any other man ... One day they met
in the
woods, and as usual got into a quarrel. John managed to get the first
blow
which knocked Dick almost unconscious. While Dick lay on the ground,
John
danced around him singing ...

'Poor old Dick he died of late;
Straightway he went to Heaven's gate.
There he met the Devil with a club,
And drove him back to Beezlebub!'

By the time John had finished his song Dick felt he could handle him,
and got
up and won the fight."

He became a famous hunter and many thrilling tales about his hunting
prowess
are still recalled - the most famous being the time he killed a bear
with his
bare hands. He was a member of Capt. George Kendrick's Company of
Infantry,
72nd Reg, in Russell Co., and was called into active service on Feb 4
1815,
but the war of 1812 soon ended and he saw no further active service.
He died
while visiting his son Joshua on Grassy Creek and is buried there in
the Mullins Graveyard. Christinia preceded her husband in death and
is buried
in the Colley Graveyard at Sandlick, just opposite the mouth of Lick
Creek.
- Some Descendants of John Counts of Glade Hollow by Elihu Jasper
Sutherland
Richard "Fightin' Dick" COLLEY ⁽¹⁰⁾ was born about 1793 in Russell Co., VA. He died on Mar 16 1858 in Sand Lick, Grassy Creek, Buchanan Co., VA. He was buried in Mullins Graveyard, Grassy Creek, VA. Lucrethia Cristinia"Crissa" COUNTS and Richard "Fightin' Dick" COLLEY had the following children:

+131 i. James COLLEY.
+132 ii. Mary Anne "Pop" COLLEY.
+133 iii. Joshua "Josh" COLLEY.
+134 iv. John COLLEY.
+135 v. Matilda COLLEY.
+136 vi. Sarah "Sap" COLLEY.
+137 vii. Margaret Jane "Pud" COLLEY.