Pioneer Baptist Minister~The Rev. Valentine William Brock

Yesterday in my blog post I mentioned Rev. Brock’s father and wrote about a son of his brother William R. Brock. Rev. Valentine William Brock was a man with "Wunderlust" in his heart. When his father and Mother (William & Charlotte Brock) left Chesterfield, SC their son Valentine was estimated to be about 11-14 years of age.  The move from Chesterfield likely took place between 1817 and 1820. This is based on son, William, being born abt 1817 in SC and daughter, Sarah, being born about 1820 in Hinds County, Mississippi. 

The Rev. Valentine William Brock was born about 1806 in Chesterfield, South Carolina. I haven’t found his actual Ordination date as a Baptist preacher but assumes it was before November 1826.

In November 1826- Bro. Valentine Brock was received by experience into the congregation of Silver Creek Baptist Church. 

[19th Century Baptist Church Records of Marion and Pike Counties, Mississippi; By Bevin J. Creel, page 4, Silver Creek Baptist Church Minutes, Pike County, Mississippi]

In July 1829- A letter [was] handed in by Bro. Vollintine Brock, requesting the church grant him and his wife Annis a letter of dismission.   [19th Century Baptist Church Records of Marion and Pike Counties, Mississippi; By Bevin J. Creel, page 5]

I have no record of a wife named Annis other than these comments from the Silver Creek Baptist Church Minutes, Pike County, Mississippi. I do have a record of two other later marriages that we will mention.  

In 1830, we find Valentine Brock in the 1830 Census for Concordia parish, Louisiana. In this Census Valentine is age 20-30, his Wife, presumably Annis is age 20-30 and they have 1 child, a son under age 5. He is assumed to have passed away at a young age. 

On 2 April 1835, Valentine W. Brock buys a plat of land in Uticia, Hinds County, Mississippi. 

On 12 October 1835, Valentine W. Brock married Vaskti Brooks in Claiborne County, Mississippi. If the above Church Records are correct; this is Valentine's  2nd marriage. I have no idea what happen to his first wife, Annis or the under 5 male child that was listed in the 1830 Census. No additional record indicate he may have passed away as a young child.  

On 25 April 1940, Bro. Valentine W. Brock sold the property he purchased on 2 April 1935. 

Trust Sale. 

By virtue of a deed of trust heretofore executed to me as Trustee by V. W.  Brock and Moses Brock to secure the payment, of certain notes therein described, due to Thos. B. Rixby  senior dec'd has been duly recorded in the office of the Clerk, of the Probate court of Hinds County --I will on Saturday, the 25th April 1840 before the door of the court house of Hinds county, Miss. sell for cash the following described property, to wit: a lot of ground in the town of Utica upon which is now erected the dwelling house of him the said V. W. Brock, containing one quarter of an acre; also, the south half of the south west quarter of section fourteen, and the south half of the west half of the north west quarter, of section twenty-three; also south half of the west half of the North East quarter, and north half of the east half of the north west quarter of section fifteen; also, the north half of the west half of the north west quarter of section twenty-three; also, west half of the south west  quarter of section fifteen,  all situated in Township 3, Range 4 West; with all appurtenances unto said land belonging or in any way appertaining to the said V. W. Brock. 

                             JOHN PERRY, Trustee

April 3,                                 13-1t

{Source: South-Western Farmer (Raymond, Mississippi) · 3 Apr 1840, Fri · Page 2]

In 1850, Valentine and Vashti can be found living in Grand Gulf, Claiborne County, Mississippi. In the household with Valentine and Vashti are 5 children; Theodore, age 10; Albert, age 8; Charles, age 5; Henry, age 3 and Mary, age 6/12.

On 6 March 1851, Vashti (Brooks) Brock passed away and was buried in Grand Gulf Cemetery, Grand Gulf, Claiborne County, Mississippi.

Bro. Valentine William Brock next married Martha E. Burch (nee Sims) widow of David S. Burch on 16 March 1852 in Claiborne County, Mississippi.

The last entry we have for Bro. Valentine William Brock and his wife Martha, “The Widow Burch,” is the 1870 Census for Clinton Twsp, Hinds County, Mississippi. Valentine is age 68, Martha is age 58 and their only child, Mattie, is age 12. No obituary, tombstone or additional record has been found for Rev. Valentine William Brock or his last wife, Martha, and daughter, Mattie.  

Many of these early pioneer ministers are mention in Mississippi Historical Society, Volume 7 (1903), Page 293 including V. W. Brock. .

Valentine William Brock is my 1st Cousin 5X Removed. 

_________________________

1. Bevin J. Creel, 19th Century Baptist Church Records: of Marion and Pike Counties, Mississippi (Self-Published: Bevin Creel, 10 August 2013), 5.

2. 1830, Western District, Concordia Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Concordia, Louisiana, Page#156; Line#18, Household of Valentine BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: viewed 3 June 2018); citing National Archives and Records Administration, Roll: M19_43.

3. Mississippi, DEED BOOK 6: Page 425, Land Deed to V. W. Brock; Chancery Clerk, (Raymond, Hinds County, Mississippi; accessed).

4. 1840, Western District, Concordia Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Concordia, Louisiana, Page: #165; Line#16;, Household of V. W. BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 June 2018); citing National Archives and Records Administration, Roll: M704_130.

5. "Trust Sale of Property," Legal Notice, South-Western Farmer (Raymond, Mississippi), 3 April 1840, Page 2; Digital On-Line Archives, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/: viewed 28 April 2020).

6. 1850, Claiborne County, Mississippi, population schedule, Grand Gulf, Claiborne County, Mississippi, Page 113B, Line 36-42, Dwelling 202, Family 202, Household of V. W. Brock; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: viewed 11 June 2010); citing Roll M432_370.

7. 1870 U. S. Census, Hinds County, Mississippi, population schedule, Clinton Twsp, Hinds County, Mississippi, Page: 594B, Line 39, Dwelling 30, Family 30, Household of Valentine BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: viewed 11 June 2010); citing National Archives M593_730.

8. Mississippi, Claiborne County, Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935, Valentine William Brock & Vaskti Brooks, 12 October 1835; www.ancestry.com, Port Gibson.

9. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com: accessed 3 March 2020); Memorial page for Vashti Brooks Brock; (1813–6 March 1851); Find a Grave memorial # 16781532, Citing Grand Gulf Cemetery; Grand Gulf, Claiborne County, Mississippi, USA.

10. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database, "Record, Vashti Brooks Brock (1813–6 March 1851), Memorial # 16781532.

11. Mississippi, Claiborne County, Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935, Valentine William Brock & Martha E. Burch (nee Sims), 16 March 1852; www.ancestry.com, Port Gibson.

12. Riley Franklin L. (Franklin Lafayette), 1868-1929, "Historic Clinton by Dr. Charles Hilman Brough," Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society, 1903, Mississippi Historical Society (: viewed & read 22 April 2023), Volume 7 (1903), Page 293.