Gwaltney Tidbits-2

Interesting Nuggets About the Gwaltney Family History

Gwaltney Family History---Notes of Interest

*In 1665, our common ancestor Thomas Gwaltney sold a six-year old cow, with a hole in its right ear, by the name of Coole Crappe.

*Michael Gwaltney (who also spelled his name Gaultney, Gwartney, and Gualtney) of Brunswick Co. VA was an Revolutionary War soldier present at Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown. Michael’s brother, Micajah, left Virginia and crossed the mountains into Kentucky and then into Harrison County, Indiana. His line’s pronunciation of the last name had an “r” sound rather than emphasizing the “l” and resulted in the spelling change from Gwaltney to Gwartney. Hence, all Gwartneys in America derive from Micajah (Gwaltney) Gwartney.

*Peterson Gwaltney of Mecklenberg County, Virginia migrated into Alabama by the 1860’s. His line eventually made its way into Conway County Arkansas. Their pronunciation of Gwaltney left out the “l” sound and the family name took on the spelling Gwatney.

*William Vestor Gwatney of Conway, AR was known as “Iron Man” on his football team.

*Bill Gwatney of Arkansas, whose family owns the Gwatney Motor Company of Memphis TN and Little Rock AR, was also head of the Arkansas Democratic Party before he was tragically shot and killed in the fall of 2008.

*Benjamin Franklin Gwaltney, son of George Washington Gwaltney of Carroll Co. AR was killed at the age of 19 in 1884 by a lightning strike while he was standing by the front room fire place. Noah Gwaltney, of Posey County, Indiana was also a lightning victim in 1860 when he was 27 years old.

*Benjamin Gwaltney of Brunwick County, VA moved to Natchez, Mississippi in the later half of the 1700’s. His family line eventually started spelling the last name Galtney. Benjamin was killed while felling a tree, and his wife, Hannah Earhart Gwaltney, at one time worked as a housekeeper for a former territorial governor of Mississippi, Manuel Gayoso de Lemu. *In 1952, Russell Eugene Gwaltney of Roanoke, VA, was the marbles champion of the United States, winning the National Marbles title in Asbury Park, NJ. *Another son of George Washington Gwaltney of Carroll Co. AR, John Wesley Gwaltney migrated into Idaho and then on up into Canada by the early 1900’s. While other Gwaltneys have lived in Canada on occasion, this is the only known Gwaltney line which has for several generations lived in Canada. *Ginny Galtney of Mississippi and New Mexico has worked on the film sets of Terms of Endearment and Silkwood. *James Renalson Galtney Esquire (1818-1880), was an attorney, counsellor at law and Solicitor in Chancery in Liberty, Mississippi. He practiced in the Circuit Courts of the First District, the Probate Court of Amite County, and the Vice Chancery Courts of the Southern District. *Leck Gwaltney of Alexander County, North Carolina had two sets of twin boys, Dale and Gale, and then Glynn and Lynn. *According to legend, William Samuel Gaultney of Giles County TN, was near Stonewall Jackson when he was fatally wounded during the War Between the States. 1 *Jay Parks Gwaltney, of Durham, NC, founded Gwaltney Oil Company in 1938 and from 1947-1949 was President of the National Oil Jobbers Association. In 1947, he served with the Dept. of Interior as a member of the National Petroleum Council. *Ralph J. Gwaltney (1915-2005) of Avery County, NC, was instrumental in the founding of Mayland Community College and has a scholarship fund in his honor at the college.

*Lee Vance Gaultney of Banner Elk, NC was a true mountain man--he gave the names Frost and Snow to two of his daughters!

*Not to be outdone by interesting names--talk about some fast Gwaltneys--Swift Gwaltney of Hiddenite, NC named his son Fleet. Swift and Fleet--you can't get much faster than that!

*Rev. William Robert Gwaltney was a noted Civil War Chaplain and later on the Board of Trustees at Wake Forest University. He wrote a thrilling account called "The Capture of Fort Hamby" about post-Civil War North Carolina.

*In 1972 Eugene Cleveland Gwaltney became the president and CEO of the Russell Athletic Corporation in Alabama and made it into a successful operation.

*A 1890 St. Louis Republic Newspaper article reported that Mr. and Mrs. James Gaultney of Washington IN still could not find their 14-year old daughter who had been kidnapped for over two years.

*The oldest-living Gwaltney man on record was Truman Gwaltney (1893-1999) of Carmi, IL who lived to be 106 years old. Lucille Gwaltney Agee (1907-2013) of Gordonsville, TN matched his age at 106 years of age to be the longest living female Gwaltney descendent.

*Monroe Tony Gaultney of Georgia was a close friend of former Georgia governor, Eugene Talmadge.

*The Gwaltney with the longest-name-award goes to Albert Johnson Jefferson Davis Stonewall Jackson Stephen Lee Gwaltney (1862-1934) of Wayne County NC. AJJDSJSL Gwaltney allegedly was given his name by his father Franklin Monroe Gwaltney’s confederate commander.

*Marion Lewis Gwaltney was a federal judge in Alabama

*Judge Joseph C. Gwaltney, originating from the Hamilton Co. OH area, served the Arlington, VA General District Court for many years. *When our common ancestor, Thomas Gwaltney (1613-1666) left London in 1635, he sailed to Barbados on a ship called the Faulcon. He later left Barbados for Jamestown and the rest is history. *The second generation William Gwaltney (c.1655-1732) was a farmer and also made some money on the side by shooting panthers and selling their heads. There are a couple of entries in the Surry County, Virginia deed records that document the sales of panther heads. *Michael Jonathan Gwaltney, a retired law officer from Cypress, California, is the founder and director of the International Police Museum in southern California. *Leslie Lee Gwaltney , Jr. was a former Insurance Director for the State of Alabama. *Jerry Lundy Gwaltney was the City Manager of Danville, Virginia for many years. *Monroe Tony Gaultney IV, a certified chef, is also known as Chef Monroe. Chef Monroe has had a distinguished speaking career, combining his knowledge of food preparation and Bible teaching. *Henry Rufus Gwaltney, originally from White County, Illinois, established the Gwaltney Drilling Company of Washington, Indiana and became a successful businessman in the oil production industry.

Gwaltneys and Higher Education

The Gwaltney family has its share of farmers, lawyers, business people, real estate agents, law enforcement, ministers, and other occupations, but one occupation that seems to stand out among the Gwaltney family in America is the field of education. There are a great number of individuals in the Gwaltney family who have or are currently working in public education as teachers and administrators. But the Gwaltneys have had their impact upon higher education also. Luther Rice Gwaltney (born 1830) was the founder and first president of Shorter College in Rome, GA. He later became president of Judson Female College in Marion, AL. William Robert Gwaltney of North Carolina and a Confederate Chaplain turned down the opportunity to teach at Wake Forest so that he could pursue Christian ministry, but later was on the Board of Trustees at Wake Forest.

I am also aware of the following who have taught or are currently teaching at the following universities:

*Dr. Jack Gwaltney--professor, researcher, and medical doctor at the University of Virginia-Charlottesville

*Dr. Thomas Gwaltney--Eastern Michigan University

*Dr. William Cary Gwaltney, Jr.--Milligan College (TN)

*Dr. Larry Gwaltney--Wichita State University (KS)

*Dr. Chad Gwaltney--Brown University (RI)

*Dr. Steve Gwaltney--Mississippi State

*Dr. Kevin Gwaltney--Kennesaw State (GA)

*Dr. Darrell Gwaltney--Dean of Religion School at Belmont University (TN)

*Herb Gwaltney--Benedictine College (KS)

*Jack Vernon Gwaltney--John Tyler Community College (VA)

*Dr. Danny Rogers Gwaltney--Catawba Technical College (NC)

*Dr. James D. Gwartney--Florida State University