Margaret Thurston Trice
(October 17, 1853 - July 30, 1880) Daughter of Robert Nelson Trice and Lucy Jane Minor Trice, sister of
Mary Jane, Martha, Lucy, and Dabney Trice.
April 3 - I have just gotten back from Aunt Lucy's (Trice) and had a delightful visit. Lucy Lee, Lucy
Davis and I played dolls all day Friday and played Consequences at night, which is a very nice game
I think... Saturday was the first day of April and Cousin Margaret Trice fooled Cousin Martha. She
took a cup and filled it half full of salt and the other half was coffee. Cousin Martha stirred it up
and took a big spoonful and what a face she did make! I saw the train cars pass by Aunt Lucy's
every day. From the journal of Mary Minor (age 11) of Gale Hill - 1871
...Our next cause of excitement was Martha's indecision about a school... They were not able to make
satisfactory arrangements and M. will not go but owing to the many collisions and detentions on the railroad,
we were kept in a state of uncertainty for nearly three weeks, which you know is very unpleasant...
How is Cousin Lizzie? I hope her knee has not been troublesome lately. Please tell her that my five
black Spanish chickens, which were all I succeeded in "rearing", are perfect beauties and are the pride
of my heart.
Mr. and Mrs. Boyden spent the night with us about a fortnight ago. We enjoyed their visit so much. You
remember our deception chairs, Cousin Luce? Those that St. George had cut down? Mr. Boyden unfortunately
got one and nearly tumbled over whilst at prayers. He caught himself, however, and as he was not in the
least hurt, it was irresistibly comic.
I must really stop scribbling or my letter will grow to such dimensions it will not be able to go through
the mail... Margaret T. Trice, to her great aunt Mary Jane Davis and to Lucy Minor Davis,
December 1878(?)
Oh! I must tell you of Dab's recent performance. Last Sunday he went home with a friend to dinner and came back
about seven o'clock. Katie ran to the door to meet him, but came back screaming with terror and he entered
with an immense opossum in his hand, hanging by the tail. He says it ran across the road in front of his horse
and up a small tree by the roadside and that he just got down and pulled it off by the tail. We tease him a
great deal about the Superintendent of the Sunday School "going possum hunting" Sunday night.
We are going to have a scholar for the rest of the session. Annie Hancock - she is a girl of fifteen and will
take English, French, and Music. I will give her music lessons and Martha will teach her all the rest... Margaret T. Trice, to Lizzie or Lucy Minor Davis,
December 1879
...Our new scholar came the Tuesday after we got home and proves a very sweet girl indeed. She is not well
advanced but is an indefatigable student and gives no trouble either as a boarder or a scholar. Of course
it is confining, but teaching is always that you know...
We went to a nice little party last Friday night. It was at Fruitland (Dr. Hart's place) and we furnished the
refreshments and the young men the music - which I must say was execrable... Margaret T. Trice, to Lucy Minor Davis, January 14, 1880
Our drive back from Charlottesville last week was quite a "chapter of accidents". The first occurred
as we drove up the mountain from the free bridge. Dabney cut the horse and she started forward,
snapping the single free half in two. At first we thought nothing could be done but the rapidly
increasing darkness rendered D. desperate and he took a part of the bridle and strapped it together
in some way. By the time we got to the Edgehill bridge it was quite dark and our horse grew very
tired so we could not bear to hurry her. I shall never forget the feeling of desolation I experienced
as we left the lights of Keswick behind us and plunged into the Egyptian darkness of the woods.
The thought of the three long miles of horrid road before us, a tired horse, a broken buggy, and
utter darkness was almost more than my equanimity could stand and but for very shame I should have
cried heartily. Even to this day it comes back to me like a nightmare. Dear Dab was so sweet and good,
he walked nearly the whole way from Keswick. We got in about ten to find Annie and Kate both asleep
in the dining room - worn out with expectation.
I wish you could be here now. The roses are all in bloom and the whole house is perfumed with
honeysuckle... Margaret T. Trice, to Lucy Minor Davis, May 19, 1880
An Unfortunate Family - On Sunday evening of last week Miss Martha Trice was buried from the Episcopal
Church in this place. On last Saturday evening her sister, Miss Margaret Trice, was buried from the same
church. The sad deaths of these estimable young ladies have been caused by typhoid fever, with which the
entire family are stricken.
Mr. Dabney Trice, the brother, and another sister are now lying dangerously ill of the same dread disease
at their residence near Keswick, in this county. Jeffersonian Republican, August 4, 1880
Margaret
Thurston Trice
Martha Jefferson
Trice
Trice - At Mychunk, Albemarle County, Va., July 24, 1880, Martha Jefferson; and on July 30, 1880,
Margaret Thurston, daughters of the late Robert and Lucy J. Trice.
"They were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their deaths they were not divided." The Southern Churchman,
September 16, 1880
"Windieknowe," home of William
W. Minor, Jr., brother of John Minor
From the journal of William W. Minor, Jr.
of "Windieknowe" - 1880
June 20 - Pleasant and clear. I went to South Plains Church and heard Mr. Woods preach a good sermon,
thence to see my cousins, the Trices at Mychunk, where I spent a pleasant evening.
July 4 - Hot and clear. I spent most of the day at Gale Hill. I was very sorry to hear, this morning, of
the dangerous illness of my cousin, Martha Trice at Mychunk.
John Minor, ca. 1880
July 10 - John sick. I am very sorry to learn that my cousins, the Trices,
are quite sick, three out of the four.
July 12 - I went to Mychunk and sat up all night and nursed Dabney Trice. John sick.
July 13 - I spent the whole day at Mychunk nursing Dabney. They are all three very ill, and need careful
nursing and all the attention their friends can give. John sick.
July 23 - Cooler and cloudy. I went to Mychunk to nurse the sick, found all three very ill, Martha
particularly.
July 24 - Warm and cloudy. I spent most of the day at Mychunk, returned home in the evening. My hands
worked Public road all day. Martha Trice died this evening and will be buried tomorrow evening in
Charlottesville.
July 25 - Very hot and cloudy. We went to the funeral of Martha Trice in the evening.
July 28 - Pleasant and clear. I went to Mychunk in the morning to nurse the sick, whom I found as
ill as can be.
July 30 - Warm and clear. Margaret Trice died this morning and will be buried tomorrow evening.
I am so sorry for poor Lucy. Dabney is very ill.
July 31- Warm and clear. We went to Margaret Trice's funeral this evening.
August 15 - I went to Mychunk to nurse Dabney Trice who is getting much better.
Dabney Minor Trice, ca. 1880
...Dabney Trice has spent several days here since his convalescence and is now sufficiently recovered
to resume business and has returned to his solitary home. We expect Lucy to divide her time between Willowby
and Gale Hill.
...There never was more kindness and attention paid any people than the Trices received. All their relations
and even their common acquaintances shared in the duty of nursing them. William and our Mary were with them
generally until we feared that Mary would take the fever.
The fact of the death of his two sisters was not communicated to Dabney till he had recovered strength
enough to bear the heavy tidings; his doctors thought it might prove fatal to him if done sooner. To
tell him the sad news was a trying task to his Uncle William; but the poor boy though much distressed
bore the tidings with Christian submission for he is truly pious... Malvina Terrell, "Gale Hill", September 3, 1880
Alice Davis White, brought me, to church this morning, a batch of old photos, that belonged to the
members of
her family, and asked me to send each one to the relative I thought most likely to appreciate them, so I
am sending you - or Margie - as you wish, these of your Mother's mother, Miss Lucy Trice (my husband's sister)
who married John Minor, and her two sisters, Misses Margaret and Martha Trice, who never married, and both
died before I was old enough to know them - almost simultaneously - of a terrible scourge of typhoid fever that
hit the neighborhood of their home: "Machunk" near Keswick, this county. Anne W. Trice, to Jaquelin C. Burns, August 18, 1963
