Abraham Vandal’s descendants spelled the surname in several different ways, but this document will use VANDAL. Anything undocumented is from the Vandal Family Newsletter under the leadership of Charles Hield.
A manuscript by Vandal descendant and researcher Wayne Vandal Masterson, dated Sept. 25, 1983, and sent to Allen and Nelda Steele (parents of K. Steele Barrera), describes the last years of Abraham and Mary Dillon Vandal: "In 1837, they gave all of their property to their youngest son, Edward Dillon Vandal, who signed a Maintenance Agreement, swearing to take care of his parents for the rest of their lives. The full details are not known, but apparently, he sold all of their property and moved to Rush County, Indiana, about 1843, and there is no indication that he fulfilled his obligations. His father and mother went to live with their daughter Mary and her husband, James Brace Westlake, on the Westlake Farm at New Haven, now Ansted, where Mary Vandal died February 9, 1840. . . Abraham, Sr. . . . also spent his last years on the Westlake Farm. The farmhouse was burned by Union adherents during the Civil War, and the only known portrait of 'Old Abraham' was lost in the blaze."
The children and grandchildren of Abraham and Mary Dillon Vandal follow:
James Abraham Vandal, born 6 Jan 1781, in New York, according to the 1850 Kanawha County, Virginia, U.S. Census. There has been a question about his birth, but he stated on the census that he was born in New York, and his father said, in his pension application, that he moved to Rockbridge County, Virginia, in 1783.
James Abraham Vandal died 19 Aug 1867 in Roane County, West Virginia. History of Roane County, West Virginia, pp. 280-281 states that James Abraham Vandal had a big farm and extensive land holdings on lower Spring Creek. James married Sarah Boggs, daughter of John Boggs and Susan Drennan, in Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia on 18 March 1806, according to Greenbrier County marriage records. She was born in 1789 in Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia, based on her Roane County death record that says she died 26 July 1858, at the age of 69. They had ten (10) children: Jonathan Boggs Vandal, Mary Elizabeth “Polly” Vandal, Susan C. Vandal, Charity Vandal, Harriet Vandal, Sarah “Sally” Vandal, Editha Vandal, William M.B. Vandal, Andrew L. Vandal, and Ruth Vandal.
Charity Vandal, according to Findagrave.com, was born 4 Oct 1784 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and died 20 Dec 1860 in Chalybeate, Edmonson County, Kentucky. She married Charles McClung Sr. on 19 Sep 1805 in Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia, according to Greenbrier County marriage records. Charles McClung was born 20 Oct 1775 in Rupert, Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia, and died 3 April 1847 of heart disease on the family farm in Chalybeate, Edmonson County, Kentucky. Charity and Charles are buried in the McClung Family Cemetery in Chalybeate, Edmonson County, Kentucky. Findagrave.com states they had eleven (11) children: Thomas McClung, Charles L. McClung, Jr., John G. McClung, Agnes Black McClung, Mary Ann McClung Miller, William H. McClung, Leander S. McClung, Louisa Ann McClung Lucas, Rachel McClung, Edmund McClung, and Alexander McClung.
John Dillon Vandal was born 1789 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and had a rather complicated marital life before he died in 1853 in Roane County, (West) Virginia. He married, first, Nancy Boggs, 28 Oct 1809, according to Greenbrier County, (W)VA marriage records, but they divorced and had no children. She was born 1793 in Greenbrier County, (W) Virginia, and died by suicide in June 1856. About 1814, John married Abigail Blake, born about 1795 in Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia. They had six (6) children: Melvina F. Vandal Martin, George Washington Vandal, William Thornton Vandal, Harvey William Vandal, Bartholomew Columbus Vandal, and Edward Dillon Vandal. Abigail Blake Vandal died before 1827. John Dillon Vandal then married Rachel Wiseman on 2 May 1827 in Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia. She was born 25 Jan 1807 and died about 1834. They had four (4) children: Napoleon Bonaparte Vandal, Fidelius Leander Vandal, Dr. William Floyd Vandal, and Amanda Vandal Burgess.
Joel Worth Vandal, who served in the 4th Regiment of the Virginia Militia in the War of 1812, was born 28 Feb 1791 near Natural Bridge, Rockbridge County, Virginia, and died 19 Apr 1863 in Green Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier County, West Virginia. He married Charity Ann Davis on 12 Sep 1810 in Lynchburg, Virginia. She was born 16 Dec 1783 in Charlottesville, Virginia, and died 14 Oct 1826 in Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia. Her parents are unknown. They had seven (7) children: Thomas Stewart Vandal, Abraham Vandal, Jr., Jamima Vandal Althar, Elizabeth Vandal (struck by lightning about age 7), Sabina F Vandal, Joseph Dan Vandal, and Samuel Davis Vandal.
According to Greenbrier County, West Virginia, marriage records, Joel Worth Vandal was married, second, to Sarah Spencer on 29 Mar 1828, by Jno. McElhenny. She was born 11 Dec 1789 in Virginia. They later separated and had no children. According to notes made by my mother based on unconfirmed information from Ruth Curtis, Fayetteville, WV, Library: “Joel Worth Vandal's mind got bad after his daughter Elizabeth was killed by lightning. He and second wife Sarah Spencer did not get along well. Joel made a property settlement with her and they separated. Joel Worth went west and stayed with Thomas Stewart Vandal. He returned to Green Sulphur Springs and bought a mill and operated it until he died. It was stated that Joel Worth Vandal was a big man, weighing close to 210 pounds and only of medium height. He was very smart and read a lot, especially about history.”
Jamima Vandal, born 1795 in Vandal’s Mountain, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, died in December 1833 in Fayette County, (West) Virginia. She was married 11 July 1824 in Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia, to Thomas L. Davis. He was born about 1795. They had two children: William H. Davis and John Davis.
Edward Dillon Vandal, born 1797 in Vandal’s Mountain, Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia, died 25 September 1867 in Shelby County, Indiana. He was married first on 12 Sep 1823 in Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia, to Mary “Polly” Davis. She was born about 1808 and died before 1849. They had three (3) children: Henry A. Vandal, Fernando Cortes Vandal, and Mary E. Vandal. He was married, second, on 15 November 1849, in Henry County, Indiana, to Sarah Scott, born in 1804. They had three (3) children: Octavia Elvira Vandal, Martha Ann Vandal, and Caroline Josephine Vandal. On 11 April 1855, in Shelby County, Indiana, he married Catherine Dalrymple.
Mary “Polly” Hannah Vandal, born 17 Dec 1799, in Vandal’s Mountain, Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia, died 25 Sep 1853 in New Haven, Fayette County, (West) Virginia. The following is a quote by James Vandal Masterson, based on a transcription of the marriage bond:
"On September 27, 1818, at Pearisburg, Giles County, Virginia, Abraham Vandal signed the County Clerk's record book with the following authorization: 'I doe herby sertify that uou may issue out licens e to James Westlake to mary my daughter Polly Vandal.' Witnessed: Dillin Vandal, Jamima Vandal. Signed: Abraham Vandle.”
According to Giles County, Virginia, marriage records, she was married 29 Sep 1818 in Pearisburg, Giles County, Virginia, to James Bracee Westlake. James was a farmer and served as Fayette County, (W) VA sheriff. He was born 15 Mar 1794 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and died 15 April 1872 in St. Louis, Missouri, but they are buried side by side in Westlake Cemetery in Ansted, West Virginia. They had eight (8) children: Wellington B. Westlake, James Vandal Westlake, Mary Westlake Forsyth, Araminta (also seen as Eraminta) Westlake, Henry Pilcher Westlake, Matilda H. Westlake Wood, Helena Westlake, and Leonidas “Lonnie” H. Westlake.
Elizabeth “Betsy” Vandal, born 3 Sept 1805 in Vandal’s Mountain, Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia, died 1873 in Cedar, Smith County, Kansas, while living with her son John. She is buried in Cedar Cemetery there. She was married in 1820 in Nicholas County, (West) Virginia, to Samuel Arminius Masterson, M.D. He was born 6 Sep 1795 in Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia, and died 27 Oct 1871 in Marshall County, Iowa. He is buried in Center School Cemetery, Marshalltown, Iowa. They had eight (8) children: Samuel Masterson, Amanda Masterson Cavendish, Madieu Masterson, Thomas Vandal Masterson, Bonaparte Arminius Masterson, James William Masterson, Mary Jane Masterson, and John Ligon Masterson.