Here are the only articles I found regarding the disappearance and death of John F. Alvey:
Headline: Mysterious Occurrence; Article Type: News/Opinion
Paper: Alexandria Gazette; Date: 06-01-1837; Page: 2; Location: Alexandria, Virginia
This entire product and/or portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society. 2004.
MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE.-Much sympathy has been excited by the mysterious disappearance of Mr. John F. Alvey, of this city, a respectable grocer and very worthy man. Mr. A. had been afflicted for some time with a cancer on his face, and had resolved to visit Philadelphia for surgical assistance. Being too late for the steamboat on Sunday morning, he determined to set out in his own carriage with the hope of getting ahead of the boat while she was passing some of the bends of the river, and to get on board at New Market, about 11 miles below this place. When arrived at the spot, the driver (his own servant) states that Mr. Alvey got out of the carriage, and directed him to remain until he (Mr. A.) should cross over by a near path to see if the boat was coming. The driver remained for an hour or more, but getting uneasy proceeded in search of his master to the spot where he supposed he had gone, but could not find him. On approaching the river he found Mr A's hat, and the handkerchief with which his face had been bandaged, in a canoe, with a paddle resting upon the hat. No trace has since been discovered of this unfortunate gentleman; and his family and friends are consequently in deep distress at the uncertainty of his fate.
P.S. -Since writing the above we learn that the driver and a free negro have been arrested, on suspicion of having murdered Mr. Alvey.-Rich. Whig.
--
Headline: [Mr Alvey; Richmond Whig; James River; Steamboat; Disappearance]; Article Type: News/Opinion
Paper: Alexandria Gazette; Date: 06-15-1837; Page: 3; Location: Alexandria, Virginia
This entire product and/or portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society. 2004.
The body of Mr Alvey, an account of whose mysterious disappearance we copied from the Richmond Whig a few days since, was found in the James River on Tuesday last, not far from the point at which he expected to meet the steamboat.
Cathy Hellier
Historian
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Huffstutler, Eric S.
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 5:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Charles Wills and John Alvey mystery
I am thinking that with Capt. Wills, he may have died from stress? This
of course is only speculation but with his wife dying sometime between
1815-1820, the crops around the world damaged due to the 1816 year
without a summer (aka the Poverty year), and the Panic of 1819... along
with battles between his children and just day to day running
businesses... who knows if that all contributed to his death at age
44-45 in late 1820?
I want to also mention concerning him being a grocer. Odd but seems
like much of his family or in-laws were also in the grocery business
including his son-in-law John F. Alvey, Sr. who died 1837. With W.
Bland Whitley pointing me to the early Virginia newspapers at
GenealogyBank (which I do not have a subscription to), doing a search
for John Alvey reveals some article entitled "Mysterious Occurrence" and
from what bits I can see looks like he mysteriously disappeared and
possibly found dead or died afterwards? The article is in the June 1,
1837 Alexandria Gazette and his headstone only reads died in May 1837 at
age 29. He was listed as a grocer too and Alvey married Charles Wills'
daughter Sarah Wills who died in 1862.
Does anyone have access to this newspaper databank to be able to see in
this article what happened?
Eric
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jon Kukla
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 9:11 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Charles Wills and tax records
The book is
Clyde A. Haulman, Virginia and the Panic of 1819 : the first great
depression and the Commonwealth ( London and Brookfield, Vt. : Pickering
& Chatto, 2008).
Jon Kukla
________________
www.JonKukla.com <http://www.jonkukla.com/>
* * *
This E-mail, along with any attachments, is considered confidential and may well be legally privileged. If you have received it in error, you are on notice of its status. Please notify us immediately by reply e-mail and then delete this message from your system. Please do not copy it or use it for any purposes, or disclose its contents to any other person. Thank you for your cooperation.
* * *
To ensure compliance with Treasury Department regulations, we inform you that, unless otherwise indicated in writing, any U.S. Federal tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (1) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or applicable state and local provisions or (2) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any tax-related matters addressed herein.
Disclaimer Version RS.US.1.01.03
pdc1
______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
|
