Also See: The Vannoy Connection: Linking Cousins Grover Shepherd and Ethel Walker

According to Vannoy family tradition, the Vannoys are of Hugnenot extraction, having fled from France to Holland, and later, to England during the reign of Charles I. The name in France was probably spelled Vannoise or Venois. The latter were names of distinguished families in France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Tradition says that the father of the emigrant to America fought under the banner of Oliver Cromwell and was related to him by marriage.

John Vannoy Born: abt. 1666 in England Died: 1699/1700 in Staten Island, Richmond, New York Married: Rachel Cornwall, 1685 Six Known Children born in Staten Island, NY: 1. John Vannoy, born 1686 2. Francis Vannoy, born 1688 3. Abraham Vannoy, born 1690 4. Rachel Vannoy, born 1692 5. Catherine Vannoy, born 1696 6. Sarah Vannoy, born 1694

Francis Vannoy Born: September 15, 1692 in Staten Island, Richmond, New York Died: July, 1774 in Hopewell Twp, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Married: Catherine Anderson, in 1715 Four Known Children born in Hunterdon Co., NJ: 1. John Vannoy, born Nov. 25, 1719 2. Hannah Vannoy, born June 22, 1722 3. Cornelius Vannoy, born Sep. 24, 1723 4. Andrew Vannoy, born Apr. 9, 1725 5. Rachel Vannoy, born May 14, 1727

John Vannoy Born: November 25, 1719 in Hunterdon County, New Jersey Died: 1778 in Wilkes County, North Carolina Married: Susannah Baker Anderson, 1740 in Hunterdon Co., NJ Nine Known Children born in Rowan County, NC: 1. Rachel Vannoy, born April 12, 1741 2. Andrew Vannoy, born Aug. 12, 1742 3. Abraham Vannoy, born Jan. 15, 1745 4. Francis Vannoy, born Aug. 3, 1746 5. Nathaniel Vannoy, born Feb. 16, 1749 6. Hannah Vannoy, born March 26, 1751 7. Daniel Vannoy, born Feb. 22, 1752 7. Susannah Vannoy, born July 6, 1754 8. Katherine Vannoy, born Dec. 26, 1755

Andrew Vannoy Born: August 12, 1742 in Rowan County, North Carolina Died: October 9, 1809 in Reddies River, Wilkes County, North Carolina Married: Susannah Shepherd, October 18, 1779 in Wilkes Co., NC Ten Known Children born in Rowan/Wilkes County, NC: 1. Rebecca Vannoy, born Aug. 7, 1780 2. Abraham Vannoy, born Dec. 27, 1782 3. Andrew Vannoy, born June 17, 1784 4. Sarah Vannoy, born Mar. 7, 1788 5. Enoch Vannoy, born Nov. 20, 1790 6. James Vannoy, born June 27, 1792 7. Nathaniel Vannoy, born Feb. 8, 1794 8. Mary Vannoy, born April 7, 1796 9. Susannah Vannoy, born Sep. 22, 1799 10. Elizabeth Vannoy, born April 11, 1804

Elder James Vannoy Born: June 27, 1792 in Reddies River, Wilkes County, North Carolina Died: February 19, 1857 in Reddies River, Wilkes County, North Carolina Married: Sarah 'Sallie' Shepherd, Dec. 5, 1813 in Wilkes Co., NC Eleven Known Children born in Wilkes County, NC: 1. John H. Vannoy, born Sep. 19, 1814 2. Phebe Vannoy, born July 27, 1816 3. Mary Vannoy, born Mar. 17, 1818 4. Jesse Vannoy, born Nov. 10, 1820 5. Enoch Vannoy, born Jan. 21, 1822 6. Susannah Vannoy, born Oct. 13, 1824 7. James H. Vannoy, born Mar. 9, 1826 8. Sarah Vannoy, born June 31, 1828 9. Catherine Vannoy, born Oct. 17, 1833 10. Neil Vannoy, born Dec. 17, 1838 11. Lewis Vannoy, born Nov. 22, 1840

Phebe Vannoy Born: July 27, 1816 in Reddies River, Wilkes County, NC Died: November 30, 1892 in Reddies River, Wilkes County, NC Married: Wade Hampton Colvard, Nov. 2, 1831 in Wilkes Co., NC Eleven Known Children born in Wilkes Co., NC: 1. Rufus Winfield Colvard, born Aug. 8, 1832 2. Wiley T. Colvard, born Dec. 23, 1838 3. Sallie E. Colvard, born Jan. 17, 1843 4. Peyton M. Colvard, born July 6, 1844 5. William H. Colvard, born Sep. 2, 1845 6. Rachel Colvard, born Jan. 23, 1846 7. Thomas J. Colvard, born Aug. 9, 1847 8. Charles Cicero Colvard, born Jan. 21, 1849 9. John Colvard, died at age 12 10. Jessie Colvard, born abt. 1837 11. James W. Colvard, born abt. 1835

Susannah Vannoy Born: October 13, 1824 in Reddies River, Wilkes County, NC Died: November 13, 1882 in Reddies River, Wilkes County, NC Married: Col. Alexander Whittington, August 11, 1842 Four Known Children: 1. Eliza V. Whittington, born May 21, 1853 2. James Vance Whittington, born July 1, 1860 3. Phinea A. Whittington, born July 11, 1866 4. Laura Whittington, June 11, 1855

Charles Cicero Colvard Born: January 21, 1849 in Reddies River, Wilkes County, North Carolina Died: July 5, 1876 in Reddies River, Wilkes County, North Carolina Married: Laura Ann Whittington, January 1, 1871 in Wilkes Co., NC Three Known Children born in Wilkes County, NC: 1. Sallie Anna "Anti" Colvard, born Oct. 23, 1871 2. Thomas R. Colvard, born Dec. 3, 1873 3. Phoebe s. Colvard, born Nov. 15, 1875

Sallie Anna "Anti" Colvard Born: October 23, 1871 in Reddies River, Wilkes County, North Carolina Died: November 14, 1933 in Ashe County, North Carolina Married: Willis Milton Walker, Nov. 24, 1889 in Ashe Co., NC Ten Known Children born in Ashe County, NC: 1. Roby A. Walker, born Oct. 20, 1890 2. Ethel Isabelle Walker, born Oct. 15, 1892 3. John Cicero Walker, Sr., born May 5, 1895 4. Clarence Eugene Walker, born Jan. 6, 1898 5. Wirt Houston Walker, born June 2, 1900 6. James Dumah Walker, born Mar. 18, 1904 7. Challie Thomas Walker, born April 17, 1905 8. Artie Gale Walker, born July 16, 1908 9. Edna Ophelia Walker, born Sep. 22, 1909 10. Iola Mae (May) Walker, born May 9, 1911

Ethel Isabelle Walker Born: October 15, 1892 in Grassy Creek, Ashe County, NC Died: November 1, 1952 in Crumpler, Ashe County, NC Married: Grover Cleveland Shepherd, January 26, 1910 Eight Known Children: 1. James Wilburn Shepherd, born July 10, 1911. 2. Walter Leonard Shepherd, born Feb. 22, 1913. 3. Robert Blaine Shepherd, born Dec. 28, 1915. 4. Sallie Edith Shepherd Howard, born Aug. 16, 1918. 5. Ralph Franklin Shepherd, born July 8, 1920. 6. Myrtle Luna Shepherd Pugh, born Aug. 29, 1922. 7. Mont Fred Shepherd, born Sept. 1, 1926. 8. Betty Ruth Shepherd Williams, born Feb. 28, 1933.