Ancestors of Charles Wilbur Leighton, Jr. Charles Wilbur Leighton, Jr., was born December 7, 1930 in Covington, Alleghany County Virginia. I grew up and attended school in Covington and in joined the navy. While stationed at the Naval Ammunition Depot in Hawthorne, Nevada I married Wilma Grace Weaver on April 29, 1955. Our children are Nora Lynn, born December 16, 1955; Susan Louise, born January 6, 1957; Nancy Lea, born June 9, 1959. Wilma was born November 29, 1937 in Lincoln, Nebraska and came to Hawthorne in the early 1840's with her parents Charles Edward Weaver and Bessie Maxine Killingsworth. My paternal ancestors were: My father, Charles Wilbur Leighton, Sr. was born September 4, 1903 in Covington. On August 16, 1927 he married Mildred May Kirby. During the 1920's with his brothers, John Lewis and Mack Edward, operated "The Leighton Brothers Taxi Service". In 1950 he purchased and operated the City Service Bus Line until his death in 1969. My Grandparents were John Ernest Leighton, born January 25, 1874 in Botetourt County and Elmyra Austin born on 27 Jan 1873 in Rockbridge County were married on March 21, 1900 in Greenlee, Rockbridge Co., Va. In 1902 they came to Covington and John went to work at the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. John died, December 24, 1944. Elmyra was the daughter of John Henry Austin and Martha Jane Tolley. Martha Jane's parents were Archibald "Bear" Tolley and Susan F. Worley. He was born about 1824 and the exact place of his birth is unknown. His later years were spent on Purgatory Mountain. He died October 24, 1902 and is buried in Buchanan at the Fairview Cemetery. A figure of him is immortalized in the Natural Bridge Wax Museum. Archibald's ancestors have been traced to Johann Christian Tolle that arrived in Philadelphia, September 11, 1753, on the "Queen of Denmark". My Great Grandparents were Lewis Edward Leighton and Rachel Ann Markham. They were married in 1871 in Rockbridge County. Rachel Ann Markham, the widow of Lewis Leighton and Martha Jane Tolley, the widow of John Austin, came to live in Covington in 1902. Rachel Ann lived with her daughter Gertrude Catlett and Martha Jane lived with her daughter Estie Bell Matheny. Both are buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery, in Covington, Va. My Great Great Grandparents were John Leighton and Elizabeth Saunders, married May 17, 1835 in Botetourt County. In the 1850 Rockbridge Co. Census John's name was spelled Layton. In the 1860 Rockbridge Co. Census it was spelled Leighton. My 3rd Great Grand parents were William Leighton and Nancy Sorrell. They were married March 19, 1812 in Rockbridge Co. Both William and his son John were born in Nelson Co. My maternal ancestors were: Mildred May Kirby, my mother, born July 5, 1906 on Kerrs Creek in Rockbridge County. In her teens, Mildred worked at the weaving mill in Goshen, Virginia. She came to Covington in 1925 and worked at the "Little Silk Mill". In the 1940's she worked at the Industrial Rayon Plant. Until her death, on December 12, 1975, she was very active as member of the South Covington Methodist Church and the AARP. Her father was John Tate Kirby, born about 1881 in Rockbridge County. The parents of John were Walter Anderson Kirby and Isabell Tremble McCormack. Walter and Isabell were married on the 15th of November 1888. Walter was the son of William R. Kirby and Martha Elizabeth Harlow. Besides Walter, William and Martha had fifteen other children. My Grandmother was Bertha Hileman Armentrout, born May 27, 1886 on Kerr's Creek. She married John Tate about 1905 and came to Covington in 1910, where John went to work at the paper mill and remained in it's employ until his death on March 16, 1935. Bertha lived with her children in Covington and South Carolina until she died October 26, 1969. My Great Grandparents, the parents of Bertha , were John William Armentrout and Martha Virginia Siler who were married in 1881. John William's parents were Cornelius M. Armentrout, Sr., born September 26, 1837 in Rockbridge County and Margaret Ruley. They were married October 20, 1859 in Rockbridge County. Margaret was born in 1836 and was the daughter of John T. Ruley and Nancy Webb. Cornelius was in the 1st Virginia Cavalry and served under by Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. After the "Battle of Gettysburg", on July 5, 1863 he was captured with a wagon train outside of Hagerstown, Maryland. Cornelius died January 30, 1913 and is buried in New Monmouth Cemetery in Lexington. I have traced the Armentrout family to my 9th Great Grandfather Johan Ermentraudt born about 1655 in Rieschweiler, Germany. His son, Michael, died in Holland or Germany prior to the families departure for America. Michael's wife Elizabeth Hain and seven children arrived in Philadelphia August 27, 1739 aboard the "Samuel". Conclusion: A mystery in my research is the absence of the Leighton / Layton surname in most Virginia state records before 1800. Finding the residence of my Leighton / Layton ancestors prior to their migration to Virginia remains a challenge. The trail of my Leighton ancestors has led to Nelson County Virginia. Update 1 Jan. 2000: A trip to Nelson Co. in September 1999 did not reveal any new information other than a reminder that Nelson Co. was not a county until 1810. There were some Leighton families in the Montebello District of the county. It was reported easier to get to Lexington in Rockbridge County than it was to get to Lovingston, the county seat of Nelson Co. This explains why there are records in The Rockbridge Vital Records that give Nelson Co. as the residence of the individual. That leads my research to Amherst Co., the parent county of Nelson Co. Where were the Leightons before 1790 - 1800??????????????????????????????