John CALLAWAY

HAIRSTON.org ID#772, b. 1 August 1781, d. 8 January 1865
Father*Col. James CALLAWAY b. 25 Dec 1735, d. 1 Nov 1809
Mother*Elizabeth EARLY b. 3 Feb 1759, d. 5 Jan 1796
Birth*John CALLAWAY was born on 1 August 1781 in Virginia.1 
He was the son of Col. James CALLAWAY and Elizabeth EARLY. 
WillJohn CALLAWAY was mentioned in the will of Col. James CALLAWAY on 2 May 1809 in Bedford, Virginia; Bedford Will Book C, page 214.1 
Marriage*John CALLAWAY married Mary Polly HAIRSTON, daughter of Col. Samuel HAIRSTON and Judith Sparrell SAUNDERS, on 7 December 1809 in Franklin, Virginia. Father Samuel Hairston, Surety Caleb Tate. - FSL #7490229 image 155 and 159.2,3,4,1,5,6
Census 1820*John CALLAWAY appeared on the census of 7 August 1820 in Franklin, Virginia, Male: <10 1, 10-15 1, 26-44 1, Female; under 10 1, 26-44 2.7 
Death Spouse*He's wife, Mary Polly Hairston, died before 1821. 
Marriage*He married America HAIRSTON, daughter of Gen. George Stovall Hairston and Elizabeth PERKINS, on 14 January 1821 in Henry, Virginia.8,9,2,4,10,6 
Census 1830*John CALLAWAY appeared on the census of 1830 in Bedford, Virginia, Males; 20-29 1, Females; under 5 1, 20-29 1, Slaves; 46.11 
WillHe was mentioned in the will of Col. Samuel HAIRSTON on 4 November 1834; Samuel Hairston left a will dated 7 November 1834 and a codicil dated 8 November 1834. Samuel Hairston also left a second codicil dated 4 November 1834, but I believe the court clerk wrote November instead of December. The will was filed with the Franklin County Court on 5 January 1835. - Franklin County Will Book 4, pages 290-292, FSL 7644995 image 455.12
Census 1840*John CALLAWAY appeared on the census of 1840 in Bedford, Virginia, Males; 5-9 1, 30-39 2, Females; under 5 1, 30-39 1; Slaves 37.13 
Census 1850 Agri*He appeared on the census of 6 September 1850 in Henry, Virginia, agriculture census lists 150 acres improved land.14 
Census 1850*He appeared on the census of 21 September 1850 in Henry, Virginia, John Callaway 68, George Callaway 27, Barnabas Balile 26 (overseer).15

 
Census 1850 Slave*He was listed as a slave owner in the 1850 Slave Inhabitants census on 26 October 1850 in Pittsylvania, Virginia, lists John Callaway as owning over 41 slaves.16 
Census 1860*He appeared on the census of 8 August 1860 in Henry, Virginia, John Callaway 78, Geo. Callaway 38, Eliza M Davis 48, James Headen 21 (laborer).17

 
Census 1860 Slave*He was as a slave owner lists 42 slaves on 9 August 1860 in Northern District, Bedford, Virginia.18 
Death*He died on 8 January 1865 at age 83. 
Burial*He was buried in Beaver Creek Plantation, Henry, Virginia; TO THE MEMROY OF JOHN CALLAWAY, ROCKY HILL HENRY CO. VA., AUG. 1, 1781 - JAN. 8, 1885, SON OF COL. JAMES & ELIZABETH EARLY (2ND WIFE) CALLAWAY & GRANDSON OF
COL. WILLIAM & ELIZABETH TILLEY (1ST WIFE) CALLAWAY OF BEDFORD CO. VA -- MEMBER HOUSE OF BURGESSES.8

 

Family 1

Mary Polly HAIRSTON b. 25 Feb 1793
Children

Family 2

America HAIRSTON b. 21 Feb 1801, d. 16 Mar 1826
Children
ChartsDescendant Chart (#1)
Descendant Chart (#2)
Descendant Chart Box (#1)
Descendant Chart Box (#2)

Sources (www.HAIRSTON.org)

  1. [S3767] Ackerly, Mary Denham and Parker, Lula Eastman Jeter. Our Kin - The Genealogies of Some of the Early Families Who Made History in the Founding and Development of Bedford County Virginia, 1930, Family Search Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
  2. [S106] Early, R. H. The Family of Early: Which Settled Upon the Eastern Shore of Virginia And Its Connection With Other Families. Lynchburg, Va: [Brown-Morrison], 1920., Family Search Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
  3. [S110] Dodd, Jordan R., et al.. Early American Marriages: Virginia to 1850, Precision Indexing Publishers, Bountiful, UT, Ancestry.com.
  4. [S3074] Hale, Nathaniel Claiborne, Roots In Virginia: an Account of Captain Thomas Hale, Virginia Frontiersman, His Descendants And Related Families. With Genealogies And Sketches of Hale, Saunders, Lucke, Claiborne, Lacy, Tobin And Contributing Ancestral Lines. Philadelphia?, 1948.
    https://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89066151580, Hathi Trust Digital Library.
  5. [S3166] Wingfield, Marshall, Marriage Bonds of Franklin County, Virginia, 1786-1858 - 1939, West Tennessee Historical Society, Memphis, Tennessee, Family Search Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
  6. [S3073] Hill, Judith Parks America, A History of Henry County, Virginia : With Biographical Sketches of Its Most Prominent Citizens and Genealogical Histories of Half a Hundred of Its Oldest Families, Press of Bulletin Printing and Publishing Company, Incorporated, 1925 - Henry County, Va. (THERE ARE MANY ERRORS IN THIS BOOK) Ancestry.com.
  7. [S1820] 1820 Federal Census - National Archives and Records Administration - Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
  8. [S15] Beaver Creek Plantation Cemetery, Henry County, Virginia.
  9. [S67] Dodd, Virginia Anderson, Henry County, Virginia, Marriage Bonds, 1778-1849, Southern Historical Press, Inc., Greenvile, S.C. 1955.
  10. [S24] Hall, Wm. Kearney 1918-2011. Descendants of Nicholas Perkins of Virginia. 1957 Ann Arbor, Michigan., Hathi Trust Digital Library.
  11. [S1830] 1830 Federal Census - National Archives and Records Administration - Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
  12. [S119] Will of Samuel Hairston 7 November 1834 and 2 codicils. Franklin County Will Book #4, pages 290-292. FSL #007644995, images 455-456. Family Search Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
  13. [S1840] 1840 Federal Census - National Archives and Records Administration - Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
  14. [S108] 1850 Agriculture Census - National Archives and Records Administration.
  15. [S1850] 1850 Federal Census - National Archives and Records Administration - Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
  16. [S10] 1850 Slave Census - National Archives and Records Administration.
  17. [S1860] 1860 Federal Census - National Archives and Records Administration - Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
  18. [S107] 1860 Slave Census - National Archives and Records Administration.
Last Edited19 May 2026