Individual Details

Property Records

Drury received land grants in what was to be Grayson County in 1781, 1839, and 1840. These grants were on Piney Creek and New River. On February 4, 1841 Drury purchased from Elizah and Sarah Baker three tracts of land, totaling 520 acres on Wilson Creek and Beaver Dam Creek, a branch of Wilson Creek (Grayson County Deed Book No. 9 - Pages 422-23) .

Drury and Polly's house is vacant, but still stands beside Wilson Creek about a mile southwest of Mouth of Wilson on Route 16. It is unclear if they built the house, or if it was already standing when they moved to the property in 1841. The house has been added onto over the years, and could probably accommodate two families. Drury and Polly and some of their children are buried in the family cemetery on the hill above the house. (Grayson County Deed Book No. 3, Page 206).


From the 1855 Minutes of the Washington District Baptist Association
copied by J.E. Sutherland, Clintonwood, Virginia

The subject of this memorial, the Rev. Drury Senter, was born in Cumberland County, NC, on the 25th day of September 1788. His parents moved with him to Washington County, Va. And there he married on June 6th 1809. In the year 1814, he became a member of the Baptist Church at Saint Clair’s Bottom. In September 1814 he commences exercising a public gift and in December 1815 was licensed to preach by the same church. About 2 years and 6 months thereafter he was Regular Ordained by the proper Presbytery as an Elder and pastor of the Regular Baptist Church at Saint Clair’s Bottom in June 1818, he labored as a public minister in the bounds of the Washington Association until about the year 1823. He was chosen by the Washington Association as their messenger to Sister Association. In the year 1823 removed to North Carolina and settled in the County of Ashe, where he labored as a public Minister in the mountain and Adjoining Association and his labors were greatly blessed. About the year 1840 he removed to the County of Grayson in Va. where he lived till the time of his Death on the 10th of January 1853. During the greater portion of his life from 1823 to the time of his death, he was chosen Moderator of the Mountain Association and their Messenger to the Neighboring Association from 1823 to 1853. He also was pastor of several churches in Mountain Association.

In 1853 the Senter Association was formed and a convention was held at Senter Church. This Association was formed from the Mountain and Three Forks Associations. Senter Church at Crumpler, Ashe County, NC was named for Rev. Drury Senter and his son, Rev. Nathaniel Senter.


Will of Drury Senter

Grayson County State of Virginia November the fourth AD one thousand eight hundred and fifty two I, Drury Senter being of sound mind and memory as I ever were and taking into consideration the worldly goods which it has been pleased God to possess (?) me with amen I now proceed to the distribution of the same in manners as followoth to wit first I desire that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid if any secondly it is my desire that my wife Polly Senter shall have as much of the farm and wood land including my mansion house and all my house hold and kitchen furniture and as much live stock including one small filly and cattle sheep and hogs during her natural life, I desire that my sons Nathaniel Henry John Aaron William Harvy Levi Calvin shall have one hundred and fifty dollars in land that they have already received except Calvin and he shall be made up equal with them either in land or money, it is my desire that all my money that is due me be collected and all my perishable property be put to sale and after my wife Polly dowry is laid off and Calvin made equal with the rest of the boys in land and other property and if there be anything left after the first sale there shall be an equal distribution made amongst all my children both boys and girls, it is also my desire that the bit of land that Henry now lives on that I have deeded to him since this indenture was dated that he should have it extra, it is my desire that Matilda Jones __?__ who inter married with Joseph Sturgill shall have five dollars in good and lawful money of Virginia so as to disinherit her of any further claims of any real estate or perishable property Lastly I ordain and appoint my two sons Nathaniel Senter and Levi B. Senter my lawful coexecutors I do hereby make void and null any will or testament made by me heretofore declaring this to be my last will and testament and I have here unto inter changeably set my hand and seal in the present of us

Drury Senter (Seal) Attest John A. Parsons Levi B. Senter


Grayson County Court January term 1853 This last will and testament of Drury Senter deceased was presented in court proved by the oath of John A. Parsons and Levi B. Senter witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded, and on the motion of Nathaniel Senter and Levi B. Senter the CoExecutors there in named who made oath there to and together with Isom Cox and Stephen J. Bryant their securities entered into and acknowledged a bond in the penalty of $1600 conditioned (?) as the law directs certified, is granted them for obtaining probets of said will in due form

Test Stephen M. Hale C. C.

There are at least two large pages of items that were sold at the sale of Drury's estate. Among the last names of some of the buyers are: Young, Senter, Parsons, Blevins, Pugh, Baker, Wells, DeBoard, Pasley, Phipps, Barton, Strange, Griffeth, Perkins, Drawn, Durall, Thomas. Drury Senter had notes on people totaling approx. $1,000.

Birth	25 Sep 1788	Fayetteville, Cumberland, North Carolina
Marriage	29 Jun 1809	Abingdon, Washington, Virginia - Mary Jane McCLURE
Residence	1820	Washington County, Virginia
Residence	1830	Ashe County, North Carolina
Residence	1840	Grayson County, Virginia
Residence	1850	Grayson County, Virginia
Will	Jan 1853	Grayson County, Virginia
Burial	10 Jan 1853	Mouth of Wilson, Grayson, Virginia
Death	10 Jan 1853	of dyspepsia - Mouth of Wilson, Grayson, Virginia

Spouse	Mary Jane McCLURE (1792 - 1853)
Child	Nathaniel M. Senter (1810 - 1876)
Child	Rebecca Senter (1812 - 1830)
Child	Stephen Henry Senter (1814 - 1893)
Child	John McClure Senter (1815 - 1881)
Child	Aaron S. Senter (1817 - )
Child	William N. Senter (1818 - 1880)
Child	James Harvey Senter (1820 - 1900)
Child	Caroline Senter (1824 - 1870)
Child	Levi Bishop Senter (1827 - 1898)
Child	Evaline Senter (1828 - 1900)
Child	Drury Senter (1830 - 1853)
Child	Calvin Halbert SENTER (1832 - 1911)
Child	Mary Jane Senter (1834 - 1880)

Father	Henry SENTER (1760 - 1832)
Mother	Rebecca AVANT (1764 - 1853)
Sibling	Stephen Senter (1787 - )
Sibling	William Senter (1789 - 1858)
Sibling	Elizabeth Senter (1791 - )
Sibling	Aaron Senter (1793 - )
Sibling	James B. Senter (1796 - )