(from Ruth Snead Papers and Fluvanna County Courthouse records)

John Thomas Kent, son of William Kent and Sarah P. Kent, born 1820 died between 1877 and 1882, at the home of his daugher, Sarah Elizabeth Kent Sclater, in Goochland, Co. He was buried there. He was a farmer and a Baptist minister. Married July 26, 1842, by Robert Lilley, in Fluvanna Co, VA to Mary A. Woodson born about 1822, died July 17, 1877, daughter of Thomas A. Woodson. She was buried at the home place near Antioch, Va.

Their children 1860 Census (all born in VA)
1. William J.,15 M,born 1845
2. Sarah E., 13 F, born 1847
3. Samuel H.,11 M, born June 11, 1849
4. John T., 8 M, born 1852
5. Valera A., 6 F, born 1854
6. Ida W. , 3 F, born 1857
7. Mary ,1/12 F , born 1860
In this Census, birthplace VA,
John T. Kent , 40 M Farmer, Real Estate $4,950, Personal $1,800
Mary A. Kent , 38 F

John T. Kent and wife, Mary and his brother, Robert A. Kent and wife, Martha "sold to William S. Parrish for $172.50 in hand, all their rights and claim to a certain tract of land, lying on Byrd Creek, containing 274 � a. it being the land whereon the late William Kent, deceased resided and now in the occupancy of Sarah Parrish Kent, widow, who possesses a life interest in the Estate, and at her death, to be equally divided among all the heirs of William Kent. The said John T. Kent and wife, Mary and Robert A. Kent and wife, Martha, hereby covenant and agree with William S. Parrish, to bargain, sell and convey unto the said Wm. S. Parrish , all their right and title or claim in ant o the Tract of Land, with all appurtenances.

John T. Kent�s share of his father, William Kent�s lands, as above mentioned was 138 1/4th acres, which he sold for $86.25.

At this time, John T. Kent and his brother, Robert A. Kent, moved to Antioch Va and bought land on Cunningham Creek about 50 miles from Kent Store.

1844-1850 Tax Records, Fluvanna County 1844 John T. Kent sold to Archibald F. Thomas, Louisa county, our ancestor, 150 acres of land on Cunningham Creek for $100.00
1844 - John T. Kent, Jr. of Fluvanna Co, paid taxes on 171 � acres, on Cunningham Creek.
1858 - November
Antioch Baptist Church was organized. Church Book as follows:

"Whereas Robert A. Kent, John T. Kent and others, after due and prayerful consideration, the people of this community feeling that there should be a Church in this section, decided to try and build one. John T. Kent was a preacher and Robert A. Kent, a very religious man. John T. Kent and brother Robert A. Kent were elected as deacons. The first preacher was Elder Peter C. Hoge. John T. Kent was one of the many and one of the first to be baptized by him. Mr. John Thomas, who lives with his daughter, Mrs. Bragg of near Antioch, whom I visited in 1951, he would be 96 years of age in December of 1951, remembered John T. Kent well. He called him "Preacher John" and said that John Kent always said that he "wanted to die in his sleep". He heard John T. Kent preach many times, at various churches. Robert A. Kent, sitting on a log, out in this grove, said to the members, "We ought to build a church on this spot." He was one of the most determined workers in building the church.

Miss Mattie Haden in 1952 sent Ruth Snead this Record from The Scottsville Sun.

"Antioch Baptist grew in such a way, that in 1856, a group of eighteen original members, gathered together to form a church and make plans to build a meeting house. On Nov. 15, 1856, John H. and Mary H. Burgess, husband and wife, deeded five acres of land to church trustees., John T. Kent, William H. Sadler and W.I. Hughes. Shortly after this, the first church was built. Those determined to build the church were, Robert A. Kent, John T. Kent, Jesse R. Hughes, T.C. Jones, Joseph C. Scruggs, Wm. I. Hughes, T.H. Wood and others. N. E. Scruggs was elected first clerk of Antioch Baptist."

There were two church houses, but there is no record of the first house. In 1956, Miss Mattie sent Ruth Snead this, "My sister says that an old lady told her �that many years ago an old church (that was before my time ) less than a mile from me, was know as "Kent�s Chapel". I have always heard of it as "Galilee" Church. I remember an old log frame on the opposite side of the road, that my father started for Engross, when, I do not know. The same church evidently was know by two names. Probably Kent�s Chapel was the first. I have papa speak of being at Galilee and about a big black snake, being in the church. "

When Antioch Baptist was first built, there were a few colored people baptized into the church. As late as 1891, there was one colored member reported in the Associational letter.

At one time a committee was appointed to investigate and see "which of the members of the church have engaged in dancing, and who have been giving eggnog parties."

Robert A. Kent was stricken with illness, about the same time as the first Minister, Mr. Hoge, and lived only a few months longer than he. Robert A. Kent�s descendants are buried in the church graveyard. There is a row through the middle of the graveyard and many others bearing the name. (Mrs. Snead writes here, David Pollard�s ancestors)

I could find none of John T. Kent�s descendants buried there, except for William J. Kent. They all left Antioch and settled elsewhere. There is a family burying ground near the Old Home place. Mary Woodson Kent is buried there. The Kent Place sold to a Mr. Lownsend. There was some trouble because he cleared this burying ground. There is a law in Virginia forbidding the clearing of these graveyards. All of the old homes in that section have these old cemeteries near the houses.

Antioch Baptist Church was the social center of the community. In 1953, the church celebrated its centennial. Every year, they have a homecoming with a big picnic and celebration. A couple of years ago, Miss Mattie Haden, saw an old friend of hers, Dr. f. J. Moore of Beckley, W VA at one of these picnics.

Our Grandfather, Samuel H. Kent, probably was a member of Antioch Church. He says, "They always had company, on Sundays particularly, the girls, beaus and their friends ate his father out of house and home".

From Overton Kent to Ruth Snead --- "There is a story that John T. Kent furnished four teams of horses to the army during the Civil War. After the war was over, three of the teams returned to him and he turned them out to pasture for the rest of their life. Freed them as he did his slaves."

John T. Kent only had eight slaves.

The pictures I have seen of John Kent�s children, they were all very good looking and well dressed. Samuel and John Thomas Jr. were handsome young blades. Mary F. was a beautiful girl. I think black hair and brown eyes.

Record of Marriage

John T. Kent, Jr. and Judson M. Sadler were united in marriage at the bride�s father�s by Re. John T. Kent, SR October 12, 1874 Fluvanna Co, Va.

Letter from Vera Sclater Shumate - daughter of Mary Elizabeth Kent who married Hamilton Sclater

Grandfather Kent had a farm and slaves before the War. When the War was over, they did not leave for a long time. I remember the old quarters all around that they lived in, and a lot of the slaves, they all loved "Mars John and Miss Mary". Some of them stayed there until their were grown, both boys and girls. Then he had a saw mill and a gristmill to grind corn and wheat for some time, had a big flood on the river where the mill was and washed everything away. You know he was a Baptist Minister, preached at Antioch Church and Fluvanna Church near Central Plains. He had a store at Antioch. Uncle Sam took care of it (I think grandmother and grandfather lived over the store when they were first married). He owned a lot of things, around there. When Grandmother died, he just gave up and sold everything or gave it away. One day he fell on the saw and hurt his hand so badly, he gave up. He used to stay with it up most of the time. He always seemed to think more of Mother than the rest of them. They had everything nice and a niche, happy home. They buried Grandma there. The home he gave Uncle Billy, adjoining his place. They were up to date and nice people, everybody respected them.

I remember Mattie Haden, used to be several of them. They are my cousins on the Sclater side. I used to know so many up there. All are dead now. All my folks, Sclaters, Massies and Hadens. My cousin Billy Sclater was County Clerk in Palmyra all his life. He went to work there and kept the place until he died. He never had another job anywhere else (Fluvanna Co - Wm. Sclater was clerk of Fluvanna Co 1875-1887 - 12 years).

I forgot to tell you, Grandfather was with Mother when he died. He was buried in Goochland Co. He died with a blood clot on his brain. He complained of a headache, Mother put him to bed. He said his prayers and went to sleep, never woke up. Mother went to wake him and found he was dead. The blood vein had bursted and blood all ran out on the bed.

There was no way to get him home. The road was so bad, could not read cut off page) one at his Burial. Of course, Mother was there. It was the December before I came to West Virginia.(Verta Sclater and her sister, Lottie Brown Sclater came to W. VA. With Verta to live with her Uncle Samuel Henry Kent, our grandfather, and Lottie to live with her Uncle John Thomas Kent. Verta stayed awhile, then went to Richmond, Va. Worked at Miller and Rhodes most of her life. Lottie stayed and married Lee Foster. Her sister, Verta, here on a visit, met Wm. T. Shumate and married him.

This letter was written by Verta Sclater Shumate while she was in a Nursing Home, Highland Springs, near Richmond, Nov. 6, 1952. She died May 11, 1954. Continuation of Verta�s letter. "I never knew Mr. Andrew Kent. He must be some of Uncle Jimmie Kent�s Family. They lived several miles from grandmother�s (Antioch). I have forgotten what it was called, all I ever heard was Kent Store. It was in the county. Mother and Aunt Valeria used to visit them. I have heard them tell about them. They were all nice people.

I have just read this letter and am afraid you cannot read it. It reminds me of a letter my Uncle got from a Mr. Burgess of Central Plains. He could not read it, so he took it to Mr. Burgess and said, "Read this for me". Mr. Burgess looked at it for a minute and said, "The damn fool who wrote that can�t read it". Uncle James said, "You are the one who wrote it."

Miss Mattie Haden wrote: "The old Kent home was in that section between the road to Antioch and the one I would take home. I remember there was some trouble about the cemetery being cleared up, after it was sold to a Mr. Lownsend."

Mama says (1956) that John T. Kent had ony eight slaves - 1850.

She also says that John T. Kent died before Grandfather and John T. Kent Jr. came to West Virginia. That would make his death between 1877 and 1880.

Aunt Bessie Prince says, "The James River flood came at the same time as the Johnston flood. She had heard grandfather, Samuel Kent, say that they had fished 100 barrels of flour out of the river? John T. Kent had a grist mill on the James River, which was washed away at this time.

Verta Sclater Shumate: In speaking of her grandfather, John T. Kent, "they buried grandma, Mary Woodson Kent, near the home he gave Uncle Billie." Speaking of John T. Kent�s death, "there was no way to take him home, the roads were so bad, the railroad so far away. They buried him in Goochland. It was about the middle of December, before I came to W. Va. Uncle Billie was the only one at the funeral besides mother." I remember in one of her letters, she mentioned that the �W.J.Kent place was adjoining and in sight of his father�s place." I do not know which of these places was sold to Mr. Lownsend. I was told (1952) that one of them had burned down.

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