Richard Blue Heath, born 1803 Berkeley Co VA, was the son of Israel Heath b. 1773 Berkeley Co VA who married July 25 1799 in Martinsburg, Berkeley Co VA, Elizabeth Blue born 1784.

Richard was one of nine known children born to this marriage, third in birth order. His father Israel Heath was from a family of seven, five sons and two daughters.

The family were ardent early members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. As a young boy he moved with his parents out of the Harper's Ferry area of VA to Cabell Co WV about 1809, where Richard Blue Heath later married in 1823, Sarah Elizabeth Jordan b. 1810.

The entire Israel Heath extended family migrated again by 1839 out of Cabell Co WV into early Missouri when land became available. Richard Blue Heath settled with his wife and children into Tom Twp, Benton Co MO.

Most of them settled in Platte Co MO, but Richard Blue Heath and two of his brothers (Rev Stephen Preston Heath and Rev Jonas Blue Heath) chose Tom Twp, Benton Co MO where they owned large adjacent properties.)

There were four land transactions recorded for Richard Blue Heath in Benton County MO during 1844 and 1845, and one for his brother Stephen Preston Heath. We know they were living there as early as 1839 but had been unable to purchase land until 1844. The land transactions were:

Stephen Preston Heath bought 40 acres Benton County, Twp 40, Range 22, Sect 19 recorded Oct 1, 1845 (He bought land next in Platte Co recorded 1/1/1851 Twp 53, Range 34, Sect 23 for $199.)

Richard B Heath bought 107.5 acres Sept 10, 1844 in Benton Co, Twp 40-N, Range 22-W, Sect 17 (the SW fractional quarter of Section 17)

Richard B Heath bought 160 acres Sept 10, 1844 in Benton Co. Twp 40-N, Range 22-W, (SE quarter of Section 18 in the District of Sands.)

Richard B Heath and 'Jonas B Heath' (now dead) record purchase of 159.39 acres on Sept 10, 1844, Township 40-N, Range 22-W Section 20, Benton Co. *This is the land that ends up in such dispute in court. I have no idea if perhaps Jonas's name is just carried on it, or what this means. He was dead by 1844. I thought maybe it was just a 'combined' section of something else above that Richard 're-recorded', but don't see that any of the above are for Section 20. But the original suit had to do with unpaid balance on land that he and Jonas bought together.

Richard B Heath bought 79 acres Oct 1, 1845 Benton Co, Twp 40, Range 22, Sect 19 NW Quarter of West half of the northwest quarter (lot #2 of the NW quarter)

In Jan 1846 in MO, Richard B Heath settled a large court case which had been going on for years over a property dispute on a piece of land he bought with his brother Rev. Jonas Blue Heath. After going through various court levels, Richard finally won the lawsuit in Jan 1846 although by that time it had been taken to the MO Supreme Court.

In Spring 1846, Richard Blue Heath settled things in MO, left all his siblings and extended family behind in Missouri, and took his own large family into early Texas. His large extended family back in Missouri at that time were in four counties: Platte, Benton, Daviess and Howard. 1846 was a time period when there were a lot of bills and advertisements and newspaper articles urging Missourians to 'move to Texas and help settle it for the U.S. side' The ads promised great opportunity if Missourians moved. Richard Blue Heath's Texas migration took him to Red River Co TX, Cass Co TX and finally Hill Co TX where he died.

On Jan 23 1858 there is a land transaction where he bought 320 acres along the Brazos River from Elizabeth A. Carter for the sum of $640. I believe this to be the Elizabeth Ann Clifton Carter, a famous indian captive and woman who had both adversity and challenge who is mentioned in the Handbook of Texas which is online. Her husband and father in law had been murdered in 1857 and she sold the land to RB Heath Jan 23 1858. Richard B Heath succumbed first, his wife Sarah outlived him. Their son James Thomas Heath applied for administration of his mothers estate May 10, 1877. Their children led very diverse lives. This is the Heath family for whom this cemetery was named.

At least four of Richard Heath's sons served the Confederacy during the Civil War in the 12th Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Parson's Mounted Volunteers): Frederick G Heath, James 'Thomas 'Heath, William Spencer Heath and John G. Heath. John G. Heath was in another unit under Capt. Whiteside, Col. McCord's regiment.

Richard Blue Heath and wife Sarah Elizabeth (Jordan) Heath are my g-g-g-g grandparents.

Their 11 known children were:

America HEATH b. 1826 Cabell Co VA (married Walter Mitchell). America Heath and her husband came to TX with her father but did not like it. She returned to MO where she remained for life. She married an early photographer Walter Mitchell.

John G. HEATH b.14 Feb 1829 Cabell Co VA
Ebenezer 'Webster' HEATH b. 12 Sept 1831 Cabell Co VA
Frederick G.L. HEATH b. 17 Sept 1832 Cabell Co VA
William Spencer HEATH b.1836 Cabell Co. VA
George Washington HEATH b. 1840 Benton Co MO
Frances 'Fannie' HEATH b. 1843 MO (married Daniel Coker Dyer)
James 'Thomas' HEATH b. 10 Oct 1844 MO
Lara 'Mattie' Martha HEATH b. 1846 TX married Jan 1870 Greenberry Wheat
Willis HEATH b. 6 Mar 1848 TX (married Margaret Unknown)
Sarah 'Elizabeth' HEATH b. 25 July 1854 TX (married James Kenzie Connolly)