William Frum Family of Monongalia County (West) Virginia

     I crafted a piece about my paternal great great great great great grandfather, William Frum, a decade or more ago.  I decided to copy that page from my outdated genealogy website and add any additional research since that time.  There are plenty of records for him and his activities in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia.  His first marriage to Ann Smith (Anna Smith), possible daughter of  Captain Jeremiah Smith of Frederick County, Virginia remains a conundrum.   

     I have also seen on Ancestry records attributed to William.  

1.  One from the Pennsylvania German Society for a William Frame   indentured in Philadelphia to learn the trade of tailor in 1772. 
2.  Another record that attributes his name as William Hobart Frum, the   same as one of his sons.  
3.  A will for a William Frum (signed with his mark as William Frum, Sr) on Ancestry on page 153; however, when I scrolled to the will (which is on pages 153-154 images 379 & 380), it is a will for William Hobart Frum, my paternal great great great great grandfather's son, dated August 26, 1857 and lists his sons Andrew J Frum and William B. Frum as his executors.  The will was filed in November 10, 1868.  The same time frame as William Hobart Frum.
4. William Frum immigrated from Germany.  The only research I have seen is that Eugenus Frum, son of William and Catherine Spence Frum, is listed as having German roots in his obituary.  Eugenus died in 1890 in Oregon, where he had lived for decades.

     I know why it has taken me years to attempt to blog on William Frum and family.  Numerous ancestors have tried to unlock the wife mystery using records from Frederick, Virginia and Monongalia County, (West) Virginia.  Grave stones from over one hundred and seventy five years ago are  either missing, broken or not legible.  Many records are missing.  Family members who wrote articles or journals at the turn of the twentieth century may have had incorrect information.   

     I'll give this my best effort.

Muster Rolls and Other Records of Service
of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution
Volume 18, page 72
1776

The Monongalia Story
II.  The Pioneers

     William Frum(From) has a record of service with the Maryland Troops from Frederick County--Middle District, under Captain Vallentine Creager. DAR records tell us that he was born in Scotland in 1755. I am using his Revolutionary War record as the earliest record of William in America. 

    He removed to Frederick County, Virginia in the Back Creek area by 1780 and, it is believed, married Ann Smith (Anna Smith), daughter of Captain Jeremiah Smith II and Elizabeth Snyder. Together they raised at least eight children. No marriage record has been found to date; however, Ann and William's names are listed as mother and father on Deliah Frum Bailey's and William Hobart Frum's Monongalia County, (West) Virginia death record.

     There are some researchers who think William and Ann removed to Tom's Run, Monongalia County, (West) Virginia about 1790.  I believe that the Frum's were still living in Frederick County, Virginia in 1798.  There is a record dated June 1798 signed by William Frum and a number of members of the Smith family.  They are asking for a road to be built to the Bath Springs from Robert Lockhart's farm and that all those signed have received benefit from the waters in the springs.

1799 Frederick County, Virginia, marriages, 1771-1825
page 34 minister return cropped

     Whether Ann was still alive at that time is unknown; however, there is a marriage record for William Frum and Catherine Spence dated September 23, 1799 in Frederick County, Virginia.  The youngest two Frum children born after 1800 in Monongalia County list Catherine as their mother.

Section of Samuel Smith's Will
Listing the children of William Frum
September 29, 1803

     Much of this is speculation as no marriage records have been located for the marriage of William and Ann. The link to Captain Jeremiah Smith II is also in question, however, Jeremiah’s son, Samuel Smith, a bachelor, in 1803, willed his estate to his relations, and William Frum’s children were named. In fact, my paternal great great great great grandfather Sampson Smith Frum, received the 200 acres tract of land outside of Winchester, Virginia where Samuel Smith lived, the land and farm given to him by his father Captain Jeremiah Smith II. Samuel also gave William’s sons, William, Jr. and Solomon Frum, a 200 acre tract of land on Simpson’s Creek in Harrison County, (West) Virginia. The will and the bequest of land has lead us to the conclusion that Ann was Samuel’s sister and because she was not named in the will, was probably deceased.

     Samuel Smith's will and the land given to William's sons outside Frederick, Virginia may have been the reason the family moved. William Frum is part of the early tax lists and County, District and Superior Court records in Monongalia County as early as 1804. 

1805 Monongalia County Tax Record
1805

      In 1807 in Monongalia County Court there is a record regarding a road to be built by surveyor Robert Hill, my paternal great great great grandfather.  His property was up the hill, north west of Morgantown.  William Frum and William Chipps offered wagons, horses, etc and were considered, "...two honest housekeepers hereby appointed for that purpose...".  This leads me to believe that when the Frum family first removed to Morgantown, that they lived in close proximity to the town.  

1810 (West) Virginia Census
Monongalia County
August 6, 1810

William Frum

Males age 16 thru 25     4  Solomon, Sampson William, Samuel?

Males age 45 and over    1   William Frum

Females age 10 thru 15     2  Mary Frum, Elizabeth Ann Frum

Females age 16 thru 25    2  Deliah Frum, ?

Females age 45 and over   1    Catherine Frum

Eugenus must not have been born yet.

     There are numerous court records in Monongalia County between 1810 to 1820 involving William Frum and his son Sampson Smith Frum. They involve land purchase, assault and debt.

     One of the land purchase documents that again brings into question the name of Ann Frum is the one dated 1817.  The actual deed to the property was between William Frum and two of my other paternal great great great great great grandparents, William Lanham and Catherine Ferguson Lanham dated October 27, 1817.  

     Ann Frum, wife, is listed along with William Frum as a grantor of the sale of 134 1/2 acres on August 9, 1842 to Samuel Frum.  The property is on the Monongalia River beside property owned by his brother, William Frum, Jr.  This looks to have been sold after William Frum died and is possibly the home farm on Tom's Run.  

     William owned a number of parcels of land in and around the Morgantown area along with his son, Sampson Smith Frum after 1817.  Sampson was the largest landowner in the county at his death in 1862 with 1275 acres primarily in the county including the 200 acres in Frederick County, Virginia willed to him by Samuel Smith.

1820 (West) Virginia Census
Eastern Division, Monongalia County
August 7, 1820

William Frum

Males under age 10--1  Eugenus Frum

Males age 26 thru 44--1   William Frum

Females under age 10--2  Deliah Frum and ?

Females age 26 thru 44--Catherine Frum

1 person engaged in agriculture

     Son-in-law, Benjamin Freeman and sons, William Frum, Jr. and Samuel Frum are also enumerated on this sheet.

1830 (West) Virginia Census
Eastern District, Monongalia County

William Frum

Male age 10 thru 15--1  Eugenus Frum

Male age 60 thru 69--1  William Frum

Female age 5 thru 9--1  ?

Female age 30 thru 39--1  ?

Female age 70 thru 79--1  Catherine Frum

The Monongalia Story
A Bicentennial History
III.  Discord
page 138

     There are records listing that William Frum operated an ordinary or a tavern in Monongalia County.

1840 (West) Virginia Census
East Monongalia County, (West) Virginia

William Frum. 

1 male age 70 to under 80  William Frum

1 female age 20 to under 30  ? 

1 female age 80 to under 90  Catherine Frum

1 person engaged in agriculture.

     I had to look for this enumeration since it did not come up on Ancestry.  He is enumerated directly under his son, William H. Frum.  Also on the same page is his son, Samuel Frum.  The names on the census are not clear.  William Frum has something written after the name.  Perhaps Sr.?

     William's land, at his death, was located on Tom's Run, a feeder stream for the Monongahela River in Monongalia County.  It is unknown how many years he lived on that land during his entire residence outside of Morgantown.

     There is a burial marker for William From in the older section of Mt. Pisgah Cemetery on Route 73 in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is located in the last row near the woods. Beside William, there is a marker for his son, William, Jr., William’s wife Catherine, and several of William and Catherine’s children. William Frum’s daughter, Elizabeth Frum Corrothers and family are also buried at Mt. Pisgah. 

     I have been told, by Ruth Cullen, another Frum researcher, that William Frum is not actually buried at Pisgah. That the burial marker was done by the DAR. His remains, along with other family members, are buried on a somewhat remote hillside near Mt. Pisgah--probably on his Tom's Run property.

Generally believed to be the

Children of William Frum and Ann Smith

1. Catherine Frum born September 9, 1789, Frederick County, Virginia; died July 9, 1837, Monongalia County, (West) Virginia; married Benjamin Freeman.
2. Nancy Frum born 1783, Frederick County Virginia; married John Reed.
3. Samuel Samson Frum born July 5, 1785 in Frederick County, Virginia; died April 27, 1856 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia; married Catherine Bland. 
4. William Hobart Frum born August 27, 1787 n Frederick County, Virginia; died October 27, 1868 in Monongalia County, West Virginia; married Catherine Corrothers.
5. Deliah Frum born June 16, 1788 in Frederick County, Virginia; died September 30, 1877 in Taylor County, West Virginia; married George W. Bailey.
6. Sampson Smith Frum born January 27, 1890 in Frederick County, Virginia; died November 13, 1863 in Monongalia County, West Virginia; married Elizabeth Ann VanGilder. (my paternal Great Great Great Great Grandparents)
7. Elizabeth Ann Frum born September 29, 1791 in Frederick County, Virginia; died April 4, 1854 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia; married Andrew Jackson Corrothers.
8. Solomon Frum born June 19, 1793 in Frederick County, Virginia; died November 9, 1869 in Taylor County, West Virginia; married Tabitha Goodwin.

Children of William Frum and Catherine Spence

1. Mary Frum born 1800 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia; died April 4, 1864, in Taylor County, West Virginia; married first William Powell and second David Beagle.
2. Eugenus Frum born March 9, 1809 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia; died January 6, 1890 in Linn County, Oregon; married Elizabeth Ore Barnett.

Sources

Core, Earl L., The Monongalia Story.  A Bicentennial History.  III. Discord, McClain Printing Company, Parsons, West Virginia, 1979, page 138.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2025, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Tombstone Tuesday--Sampson Smith Frum

     One of the benefits of my cleaning out hard copy files is that I am finding blogs that I have missed writing.  Featuring the grave marker of my paternal great great great great grandfather is one.

      In June, 1995, with a lot of assistance from Morgantown family, I was able to locate The Old Frum Cemetery, also listed as The Bell cemetery.   I believe that the first photos taken of the cemetery and remaining markers were taken then.

     Sampson Smith Frum, son of William Frum and Anna Smith, was born on January 27, 1790 in Frederick County, Virginia.  He died at the age of seventy-three on November 13, 1863 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia. He is buried beside his wife, Elizabeth Ann VanGilder in the cemetery that was located on a piece of his land beside Aarons Creek.

     Sampson's tombstone is barely legible.  There appears to be a tree of life at the top.  In 1939 there was a written list compiled of this cemetery.  Sampson's tombstone was read as:

Sampson Frum

b. 1-27-1790

d. 11-13-1863

Veteran War 1812

  During the War of 1812, Sampson was a Lieutenant from Monongalia County, (West) Virginia. He resigned the position in 1817 (Zinn)  

Citations

Zinn, Melba Pender, Monongalia County, (West) Virginia Records and the District, Superior and County Courts Volume 10: 1815-1819, (Heritage Books, 2000), 168, 251-1817, Monongalia County Court.

Other Sampson and Elizabeth VanGilder Frum Blogs on Flipside

Sampson Smith Frum and Elizabeth Ann VanGilder

Old Frum Cemetery

Old Frum Cemetery Revisited

 

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2025, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Sampson Frum Pool--My Paternal Great Great Grandfather

     I am sorely behind blogging about so many of my ancestors.  It is not due to the lack of documents....more due to lack of time to review, write and edit.  I am taking a day or two each week that I am laid off from the coronavirus shutdown of my employment to remedy the situation.

     I will admit that my paternal great great grandfather, Sampson Frum Pool was somewhat of a mystery for many years.  He lived his life on farms outside Morgantown, West Virginia and although I have driven there numerous times to visit cemeteries and spend time in the genealogical library on WVU's campus, there was simply not much information.  Like with many genealogical brick walls, a day comes when they crack open.  Such was the case with Sampson.  

     Monongalia County, (West Virginia) birth records list that Sampson Frum Pool was born on February 20 1843.  The son of Rev William Lanham Pool and Anne Louise Frum Pool he joined two older sisters on his family farm.  By the time Sampson was fourteen the Pool family had grown to nine living children.  One sister died at age one in 1849.

     Sampson, the first son born to the marriage, was named for his maternal grandfather, Sampson Smith Frum.  He was a toddler when his maternal grandmother, Elizabeth VanGilder Frum died; however, his Grandfather Frum lived until Sampson was nineteen.  I am sure they spent time together. 

    As was mentioned in my blog regarding Sampson's wife, Sarah Louise Harner Pool,  Sampson grew up in Morgantown, (West) Virginia during the 1850's and it was a time of great development.  The area was moving from a pioneer village to an actual town with roads, a newspaper, schools and two higher learning academies.

!850 Sabraton Area outside Morgantown.  Pool parcels are marked

     The national unrest building in the 1860's also reached Morgantown.  Sampson was in his young twenties and helping his father with the family farm.  Rev William Lanham Pool mustered in to Company I, 14th West Virginia Infantry in 1862.  At that time Sampson and his brothers were in charge of running the farm.  Perhaps they were also tending to one parcel of land on Aarons Creek given to their mother, Ann Louise Frum Pool by her father, Sampson Smith Frum.

     In October 1863, Sampson is listed as subject to military duty.  He is twenty-one, a laborer and at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania driving for the government.  There is documentation on the West Virginia Archives website, that Sampson Pool was a private in the Monongalia County 14th Militia, Captain L.S.Hayes  B Company--a Union soldier.  These two documents were the first I had seen that mentioned Sampson other than census reports.  Needless to say, it was a happy dance day.  I have not found a pension file, and perhaps his service did not qualify for one.

     A major family historical artifact is a letter written for Sampson by a fellow soldier, dated Martinsburg, May 23, 1863.  The letter is to his mother, Ann Louise Frum Pool and is in response to a letter he received from her .  He talks about the farm, his horse and send his love to family and friends.  Transcription of Sampson Frum Pool's Civil War Letter.  Thanks go to my cousin Phyllis for sending the letter to me years ago.

     New information comes on line all the time and I am updating this blog in 2022.  

Muster Roll of Captain L. S. Hayes, 1864

     This is a crop of the actual Muster Roll dated August 8, 1864 to October 16, 1864.  Sampson Pool, written Samson Pool, is listed.  Difficult to read, even when enlarged, plus his name is listed under the darkened area on the left.  His name on the right is perfectly legible.  

Samson Pool, private, paid account by order of the government, August 8, 1964 to September 29, 1864, by paymaster, 16 days, Samson Pool was present, period paid for 16, amount of pay per month $13, amount of pay $6.93, received payment Samson Pool signature, witness--cannot read. 

     From these three documents, Sampson was serving in the Civil War on October, 1863 and later.  He was paid for sixteen days of service in August-September, 1864.  So many muster rolls have been lost or are illegible,  Did Sampson serve for more time then these three documents outline?

     As mentioned in the blog about Sampson's wife, I have no idea how the two met; however the family farms and homes were somewhat close together.  Both the Pool and Harner families were pioneers, large and spread throughout the Morgantown area.  I think I will cut and paste the marriage information from Sarah's blog.

     On May 26, 1866 in Monongalia County, West Virginia, twenty three year old, Sampson Frum Pool married twenty two year old, Sarah Louise Harner, daughter of Philip William Harner and Sarah Fearer Harner.  The marriage was performed by Sampson's paternal grandfather, Reverend Asby Pool. 

Sampson Frum Pool's farm is shown at the top of the map
and two properties owned by his mother, Anne Louise Frum Pool,
located on Aarons Creek are shown at the bottom of the map

     Sampson and Sarah lived on a farm north of Morgantown in the Morgan District, almost to Easton, West Virginia.  Together they had eight children; Nettie M. Pool, Sarah Ann Pool, Jessica B. Pool (my paternal great grandmother), Olive Pool, Annabell Pool, Estelle Pool, Philip Albert Pool and Eleanor Pool.  The siblings appear to be close in their adult years, spending time together on many visits recorded by Sarah Ann and printed in the Charleroi, Pennsylvania newspaper.  Also, at some time after 1900, Pool changed to Poole in many documents.

     It is my understanding that many of the children of William Lanham Pool and Ann Frum Pool cut their ties with their father following the divorce.  My feeling is that Sampson was close to his mother as shown in the Civil War letter.  Sampson was fifty years old when his mother died on August 11, 1893.  Court documents from Monongalia County list the division of Ann's real estate following her death.  Sampson received the road from his sister's, Elizabeth Pool McClure's, property, 35 1/2 acres and $100.00.  His father outlived him by three years.  

     Sampson lived his life on farms.  I imagine there were animals to care for and acres to till, plant and harvest.  Much of the farm work was done by hand with the assistance of wagons, horses and tools.  No big machines like we find on today's farms.  Probably the children assisted with some of the work.  Back in that day, work was gender based.  The girls may have helped with the animals; however, were primarily assisting Sarah with household duties.  The Pool's had only one son, so Philip was out working the land with his father.  I will mention that the Pool children did attend school--all were literate.  I have noticed that Sampson and Sarah were not.  Sampson had a friend write the Civil War letter and Sarah signed papers with an "X".

     I wonder if religion was a part of the Pool Family life?  Sampson came from a line of Methodist preachers.   My guess is yes.  The country church was a source of not only spiritual needs but also social ones.  Today there is a small church, Mount Union United Methodist Church, located across from the cemetery where all the family is buried.  It was located there during the 1800's.  I wonder if that was the church the family attended?  The Pool farm was located up in that area.  Or did they travel by wagon into Morgantown to attend services?      

     

     Sampson Frum Pool was front page news on the day of his death, Tuesday, December 14, 1909 at the age of sixty six.  I was thrilled to find this obituary scrolling through microfilm at the WVU library years back.  It is the reason why obits are so important, giving a family member years later a peek into the persons life.  What I gleaned from this obit.  The Pool farm was near Number 5 coal mines.  His son, Philip Albert Pool, lived near his parents.  

     My paternal great grandmother, Jessie VanGilder was living in the Sabraton area in 1909 with her four daughters and housed her father
while he died.  Her mother must have continued to stay at the Pool farm.  Dr. Aaron Moore Buchanan of the Morgantown Presbyterian Church was to officiate at the funeral.  Death records indicate that Sampson died from complications of diabetes and was medically attended to by Dr. E. A. Taylor.  

     There is a Pool section and marker at Union Cemetery, Route 119 north, also known as Point Marion Road.  Sampson was laid to rest there near two of the Pool daughters who died earlier, Estelle and Nettie.  His wife Sarah would join him in 1911.  

     As mentioned in Sarah's blog, all of the Pool children are buried in Mount Union Cemetery.  Jessie Pool VanGilder is in the VanGilder plot, Philip Albert Poole has his own marker, Annabell Pool Davis has a marker and is in the Pool section.  Eleanor Pool Bashaw, Olive Pool Reeves and Sarah Pool Pinyerd do not have markers.  I am guessing they are buried in the Pool section.  All are listed on Find A Grave.

**********

Court documents outlining the division of Ann Louise Frum Pool's estate was shared by Dr. Robert Poole Wilkins when we corresponded in the 1990's.  He was a genealogist, historian, cousin and friend.  Thank you.

Updated:  September 13, 2022


I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2020, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Graveyard Rabbits Carnival--Alpheus Frum

The “challenge” for the July 2009 edition of the GYR Carnival is obituaries. That’s right! This one is going to be a challenge of sorts. The “rules” are quite simple: Find a grave, then find the obituary, or vice versa.

Destroyed tombstones of Alpheus and Jane Frum

     Alpheus Frum, son of Sampson Smith Frum and Elizabeth VanGilder, was born in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia on June 7, 1830.¹ He is my paternal great great great granduncle. On February 19, 1854 he married Elizabeth Jane (known as Jane) Hayes in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia.² The ceremony was performed by Reverend Asby Pool, my paternal great great great great grandfather.

     On January 6, 1857, Alpheus and Jane received 32 acres in Monongalia County from the will of Charles Hayes.³ Alpheus farmed land along the Aarons Creek three miles south east of present day Morgantown, West Virginia. Much of the land was given to him by his father, Sampson Frum. Alpheus received 143 acres on Aarons Creek when his father died in 1862.⁴

     Numerous members of my Monongalia County family served with the West Virginia Union Militia during the Civil War. Alpheus was a private with the 14th Militia, Captain L.S. Hayes “B” Company.⁵

The Frum's had six children, however only three lived to adulthood.⁶

1. Benjamin Franklin Frum b. 25 Feb 1854 d. 08 Sep 1863
2. William Samuel Frum b. 8 June 1855 d. 19 October 1912
3. George Frum b. 8 Feb 1857 d. 1 May 1857
4. Martha Jane Frum b. 02 Jul 1858 d. 29 Sep 1863
5. James Sanford Frum b. 08 Oct 1861 d. 24 Dec 1925
6. John Alpheus Frum b. 30 Apr 1872 d. 11 Oct 1945

     Alpheus Frum died on October 6, 1901 and Elizabeth Jane on February 7, 1905.⁷ They are both buried in the Old Frum Cemetery overlooking Aarons Creek. There is a discrepancy with the obituary which lists the Bell Cemetery as his final resting place. Alpheus’ sister, Margaret Frum, married John Beall, which is sometimes seen as Bell. John and Margaret Frum Beall are buried in the Old Frum Cemetery, but they are they only people with that surname interred there.

     Children of Alpheus and Elizabeth Jane also buried in the Old Frum Cemetery are: Benjamin Franklin Frum, George Frum , Martha Jane Frum, and William Samuel Frum.⁸

     On June 14, 1902 the following 133 acres of land was divided among Alpheus’ heirs.⁹

Jane, his wife received 24 3/8 acres on Aarons Creek
John Alpheus, a son, received 40 1/8 acres on Aarons Creek
James Sanford, a son, received 33 acres on Aarons Creek
William S., a son, received 35 ½ acres on Aarons Creek

     I have never had any contact on this line from another researcher. If you connect and want to share information, please contact me.

Updated August 2025

Notes

1. Cemetery Readings in West Virginia: Monongalia County, 1940

2. Robert Poole Wilkins, Frum Family Research.

3. Grantee Index to Deeds, Monongalia County, West Virginia, Volume 1, Page 72.

4. Grantee Index to Deeds, Monongalia County, West Virginia, Volume 4, Page 151.

5. West Virginia Militia Database, Monongalia County, Record ID 13465, Internet Site.

6. Birth and Death Records, Monongalia County, West Virginia.

7. Cemetery Readings in West Virginia: Monongalia County, 1940

8. Cemetery Readings in West Virginia: Monongalia County, 1940

9. Grantee Index to Deeds, Monongalia County, West Virginia, Volume 63, Pages 506-509.

The Good Earth: Family Ties to the Land—Sampson Smith Frum and Elizabeth VanGilder

The topic for the 73rd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: The Good Earth. Were your ancestors sharecroppers or land barons? Perhaps an ancestor was a logger or a miner. Do you have stories of homesteading? Is there a master gardener in your tree? If your ancestors lived in the city did they keep a square foot garden or escape the city to a favorite park? Tell us about your family's ties to the land! Apple will host the next edition of the COG on Apple's Tree.

     My paternal great great great great grandfather, Sampson Smith Frum, was, at his death, the largest land owner in Monongalia County, West Virginia. Sampson was the son of William Frum and it is believed his mother was Anna Smith (I have also seen her listed as Mary Ann Smith on ancestry.com). He was born on January 27, 1790 in Frederick County, Virginia in the Back Creek area.¹

     To date no records have been found to prove the name of his mother. The dilemma stems from the records in Frederick County, Virginia of the Jeremiah Smith II family. There is no record of the marriage of William Frum to a Smith woman. There is a will belonging to Samuel Smith, the son of Jeremiah II. Samuel mentions all of William Frum’s children in the will. The son’s are bequeathed sizeable tracts of land and in 1803 my ancestor, Sampson Smith Frum, was given the 200 acre farm of Samuel Smith.² Other brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews are also listed in the will giving rise to the feeling that the Frum children were also relations.

     Several years ago someone sent me a rather interesting website that has a memoir entitled, Notebook of Aristotle Smith, Eden, West Virginia, that puts forth the story that Samson (Sam’s son) Frum was actually the son of the bachelor, Samuel Smith and Anna Frum.³ Oddly, the Frum’s had two sons with similar names: Samuel Samson Frum and Sampson Smith Frum. The recollection of Aristotle Smith is that Samson Frum removed to Taylor County, West Virginia. In actual fact, the Frum son that lived in Taylor County was Solomon Frum. It’s difficult to know just how much credibility to give to the story; however it does provide a new slant to the Frum/Smith mystery.

     At one time there was War of 1812 on Sampson's tombstone.  When I visited the cemetery, there was no indication of his service. Fortunately, there was a cemetery reading back in the 1940’s, long before the cemetery was partially destroyed and the tombstones badly weathered.

     This documentation was sent to me by another researcher (Zinn, 345-346)

"1815 Monongalia County Court.  To the Monongalia County Court. 'Joseph Allen, your petitioner, begs leave to report to Your Worships Sampson Smith Frum being the person elected in my company as Lieutenant to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Jacob Madera and wish the said Frum be by your worships recommended to the Governor and Council of the Commonwealth of Virginia to be commissioned a Lieutenant in the Grenadier Company in the 78th Regiment, 10th Brigade and the 3rd Division of the Virginia Militia.'

Signed by

Joseph Allen

8 May 1815

     Sampson was a Lieutenant from Monongalia County, (West) Virginia. He resigned the position in 1817.⁴  

      To date, I have not found any documentation regarding Sampson's actual involvement in the War of 1812.  The above country court records are dated after the War, although they suggest that the Lieutenant position could have been a promotion from the rank served earlier.

     Sampson, age twenty-five, married Elizabeth VanGilder, age twenty-three, daughter of Jacob VanGilder and Anna Margaret Gibler (Kibler) in Monongalia County, Virginia on June 11, 1815.⁵ 

     At an early age, Sampson realized the value of land and began purchasing parcels in and around Morgantown, often with his father. From 1817 until 1853, Sampson Smith Frum purchased 1279 acres of land primarily in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia. He owned the largest acreage of any single individual in the county at his death in 1862.⁶

3 farms in Uffington--283 acres
1 farm on Cobun's Creek--85 acres
4 farms on Aaron Creek--551 acres
2 houses on 2 lots in Morgantown
360 acres in Frederick County, Virginia

     According to research done by a relation of mine, Dr. Robert Poole Wilkins, livestock and farming were Sampson’s primary interests. “He found little market for his cattle in Morgantown, so he moved them east to Baltimore. The cattle were driven by foot with the resting place on his farm near Winchester, Virginia, before moving on to Baltimore and many being exported to Europe."⁷

1820 (West) Virginia Census
Eastern Division, Monongalia County
August 7, 1820

Sampson Frum

Males ages 26 thru 44--1     Sampson Frum

Females under age 10--2     Anne Louise and Matilda (?)

Females ages 26 thru 44--1  Elizabeth Anne VanGilder Frum

1830 (West) Virginia Census
Eastern District, Monongalia County

Sampson S Frum

Males under age 5--1  Alpheus Frum

Males age 5 thru 9--2  Sampson S Frum

Males age 20 thru 29--1  Unknown

Males age 40 thru 49--1  Sampson Smith Frum

Females under age 5--1  Margaret Frum

Females age 5 thru 9--1  Matilda Frum

Females age 10 thru 14--1  Anne Louise Frum

Females age 30-39--1  Elizabeth Anne VanGilder Frum

1840 (West) Virginia Census
Eastern District, Monongalia

Sampson S Frum

Males age 10 to under 15--1  Alpheus Frum

Males age 15 to under 20--1  Sampson S. Frum

Males age 50 to under 60--1   Sampson Smith Frum

Females age 5 to under 10--1  Elizabeth Jane Frum

Females age 10 to under 15--1  Margaret Frum

Females age 15 to under 20--1  Matilda Frum

Females age 40 to under 50--1  Elizabeth Anne VanGilder Frum

My great great great grandmother, Anne Louise Frum was married to Reverend William Lanham Pool May 14, 1839.

     On August 1, 1845, Elizabeth Anne VanGilder Frum died at the age of fifty-three.  She was buried on a piece of her husband's land next to Aaron Creek.

1850 (West) Virginia Census

Eastern District, Monongalia County

August 5, 1850

Sampson Frum, age 60, male, farmer, value of real estate owned $17000, born in Virginia

Margaret Frum, age 22, female, born in Virginia

Alpheus Frum, age 20, male, farmer, born in Virginia

Elizabeth J Frum, age 18, female, born in Virginia

John Smith, age 13, male, born in Virginia (? relation through Sampson's mother's Smith line)

     Letters at the Morgantown Post office on February 1, 1852.  Sampson Frum is listed as is my other paternal great great great great grandfather, Asby Pool.  Sampson's daughter, Anne Louise Frum, married Reverend Asby Pool's son, William Lanham Pool.  

1860 (West) Virginia Census
District 2, Morgantown Post Office
September 1, 1860

Sampson S Frum, age 70, male, farmer, value of real estate $18,000, value of personal estate $700, born in Virginia.

Margaret Frum, age 32, female, born in Virginia.

     Son, Alpheus Frum and his family, are enumerated directly below his father.  He is probably farming and living on his father's land.

Children of Sampson Smith Frum and Elizabeth Ann VanGilder

1. Anne Louise Frum born September 2, 1817 Monongalia County (West) Virginia, died August 11, 1893 Monongalia County, West Virginia, married Rev. William Lanham Pool. (My Paternal Great Great Great Grandparents)
2. Matilda Frum born September 26, 1821 Monongalia County (West) Virginia, died December 29, 1898 Monongalia County, West Virginia, married James Donaldson Fleming.
3. Sampson S. Frum born January 6, 1822 Monongalia County (West) Virginia, died November 26, 1893 Monongalia County, West Virginia, married Eleanor Anne McBee.
4. Margaret Frum born September 23, 1825 Monongalia County (West) Virginia, died February 6, 1905 Monongalia County, West Virginia, married John Beall.
5. Alpheus Frum born June 7, 1830 Monongalia County (West) Virginia, died October 6, 1901 Monongalia County, West Virginia, married Elizabeth Janes Hayes.
6. Elizabeth Jane Frum born June 1834 Monongalia County (West) Virginia, died February 2, 1910 Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia, married John Kinsley.

     Sampson, Elizabeth and some of their children and descendants are buried on a hillside overlooking Aaron Creek on land that once belonged to Sampson. 

     Elizabeth Ann VanGilder Frum was the first to be interred in The Old Frum Cemetery. She died on August 1, 1845 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia at age fifty-three.  

     Sampson Smith Frum died on his farm on November 13, 1863 at the age of 73 years, 10 months and 16 days.⁹ A listing of those buried in this small family graveyard is on findagrave.com.

In Sampson's will the following property was disposed of:⁸

Alpheus Frum--143 acres on Aaron Creek
Ann Pool--210 acres on Aaron and Booth Creeks (my line)
Margaret Beall--148 1/2 acres of two parcels
Sampson, Jr.--153 acres
Elizabeth J. Kinsey--145 acres
Matilda Fleming--98 1/2 acres and two houses and lots

Updated:  August 2025

Notes

1. Cemetery Readings in West Virginia: Monongalia County, 1940

2. Will of Samuel Smith, Frederick County, Virginia, 1803, Probate September 29, 1803 at Superior Court, Will Book SC 2, page 10.

3. Wilson, M. Blaire, Notebook of Aristotle Smith, Eden, West Virginia, Internet.

4. Zinn, Melba Pender, Monongalia County, (West) Virginia Records and the District, Superior and County Courts Volume 10: 1815-1819, (Heritage Books, 2000), 168, 251-1817, Monongalia County Court.

5. Monongalia County, West Virginia Marriage Records, Volume 1 Page 725.

6. Robert Poole Wilkins, Research done at West Virginia University Genealogical Library.

7. Robert Poole Wilkins, Frum Genealogy: A Manuscript.

8. Grantee Index to Deeds, Monongalia County, West Virginia, Volume 4, page 151-155.

9. Cemetery Readings in West Virginia: Monongalia County, 1940.

    Zinn, Melba Pender, Monongalia County, (West) Virginia Records and the District, Superior and County Courts Volume 9: 1813-1817, (Heritage Books, 1998), 345-346, Monongalia County Court.