Luquilla Marquess, born 15 Aug 1939 in Preston County, (W) Virginia, and James Marquess, born in Harrison County, (W) Virginia, were the sons of Craven Marquess, born in Louisa County, Virginia about 1805, and Sarah "Sally" Evans, born about 1811. Sarah was the daughter of Hugh Evans and Sarah Carroll, according to "A History of Preston County, West Virginia" by Oren F. Morton, 1914. Craven was probably the son of Isaac Taylor Marquess, a grist mill owner, an early resident of Taylor County and the founder of the town of Marquess in the Reno District of Taylor County.

1850 Census, Taylor County, (W) Virginia:
Cravin Marquis, 45, Farmer, $1000, b VA
Sarah, 38, VA
James, 16, VA
Mary, 15, VA
Luquila, 9, VA
Sarah, 7, VA
Isaac, 5, VA
Elizabeth, 3, VA
Hugh, 1, VA

1860 Census, Taylor County, (W) Virginia:
C. Marquis, 51, Farmer, $1200, $700, b VA
Sarah, 48, VA
Mary, 24, VA
Luquilla, 20, Farmer, VA
Sarah, 19, VA
Isaac, 16, Farmer, VA
Elizabeth, 13, VA
Hugh, 11, VA
John, 9, VA
Emily, 3, VA

     Craven Marquess died 29 Jul 1868 and is buried at Haymond Cemetery, Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia. Sarah lived until 18 Mar 1910.

1870 Census, Taylor County, West Virginia:
Sallie, 57, $2000, $1000, VA
Luquilla, 29, Farmer, $1000, $300, VA
Sarah, 25, VA
Hugh, 21, VA
John, 18, VA
Emily, 14, VA

Nearby is
James Marquess, 37, Farmer, $2000, $400, b VA
Sarah J., 34, Keeping House, VA
Lucy, 9, VA
Scott H., 3, WV

     Luquilla married Ruhanna/Ruhama Menear 12 Mar 1876 in Taylor County.

1880 Census, Fetterman, Taylor County, West Virginia:
(Mother "Sally" is nearby with Sarah & John)
Marquess, Quila, 41, Farmer, WV WV WV
Rahema, 31, Wife, Keeping House, WV WV WV
Mary E., 3, Daughter, WV WV WV
Hue, 1, Son, WV WV WV

     In a questionnaire in his pension application, dated 4 June 1898, Luquilla had four children living. He gave their names and birthdates as follows: Mary E., b 25 Jan 1877; Hugh L. b 26 Jan 1879; James L., b 10 Mar 1881; Edgar, b 31 (as written) June 1883.

     He applied for an Invalid Pension, saying that while at or near Winchester, Virginia about August 1864, he "contracted Chronic Diarrhea and Piles from hard marching and fighting and exposure incident to camp life and also during the campaign in summer of 1864 in the Valley of Virginia from excessive & hard marching took cramp in legs and affected me so I could scarcely sleep at night. After marching I would have to rub my legs through the night with but very little sleep and from aforesaid diseases and effects of same. I did not recover while in service nor since till the present time recover..."

     Many affidavits supported his claim for an Invalid Pension and Luquilla Marquess received a pension, certificate #486.757.

     The wife of Luquilla Marquess died 7 April 1895, according his statement in his pension file. He died 27 Aug 1903 and is buried at Haymond Cemetery, Taylor County. According to the United States Pension Agency, Luquilla was last paid ($12 a month) to 4 June 1903. It doesn't appear that anyone notified the pension office of his death and the office finally dropped his anme 22 Nov 1906 "because of failure to claim pension."

Grave of Luquilla Marquess

Photo provided by Sharon Marquess Fant.

     James Marquess married Sarah Jane Means on 14 Oct 1858 at Grafton, Taylor County, (W) Virginia. As shown in the census above, they had two children at the time of the 1870 census of Taylor County. Lucy Marquess married William H. Criss on 13 May 1877 in Taylor County.

     According to statements in his widow's application for a government pension, her husband, James Marquess, contracted chronic diarrhea and erysipelas during his military service and it caused his death on 10 July 1871.

     The soldier's widow married Isaac Bliss, a Civil War veteran of Company "A" 14th West Virginia Infantry, on 23 Dec 1873. Nine years later, on 4 Dec 1882, she filed a claim for a pension. Her application was rejected because of her delayed application and her remarriage.

     Issac must have been previously married and had at least ons son when he and Sarah Jane married. By 1880, they had two more children, Luther G., 5, and Mary B., 3.

1880 Census, Taylor County, West Virginia
CRISS, Isaac, 52, Farmer, WV WV WV
Sarah J., 44, Wife, Keeping House, WV WV WV
Albert G., 14, Son, Laborer, WV WV WV
Scott, 14, Stepson, Laborer, WV WV WV
Luther G., 5, Son, WV WV WV
Mary B., 3, Daughter, WV WV WV

     Isaac Criss died 14 Nov 1902, at which time Sarah Jane applied for and received a pension of $30 a month (certificate #570519), based on his service. She applied for a pension of $50 a month and did not qualify because she had not been married to the soldier, Isaac Criss, at the time of his service. However, in 1927, when she was about 91 years old, the Committee on Pensions decided to combine her marital histories and they granted her the $50 per month since she had been married to James Marquess during his service.

          The death of Sarah Jane (Means) Marquess Criss occurred on 28 Sep 1935 in Staples, Minnesota.

     The deaths of a number of family members are found on the WV Department of Culture and History WEBSITE.