Alice Roane Ruffin

(1815-1873)

Story

The Ruffin family papers refer to her as “Aunt Alice.” She and her sister Sarah (Sally) Nash Ruffin took care of Nannie Brodnax at the Ruffin house while her father John Brodnax was away in the Civil War.

Biographical Data

Important Dates

Alice Roane Ruffin was born on March 1, 1815. She died on March 24, 1873, and was buried in St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Hillsborough, NC.

Places of Residence

• Hermitage Plantation, NC, from 1829 [1].
• Rockingham County, NC [1].

Relatives

• Parents: Thomas Carter Ruffin [1] (1787-1870) [1] and Annie McNabb Kirkland (1794-1875) [1].
• Paternal grandparents: Elizabeth Margaret Ruffin (1823-1838) [1] and Alice Roane (1767-1829) [1].
• Siblings:
  • one brother, Peter Browne Ruffin (1821-1900) [1].
  • two sisters, Susan Mary Ruffin (1827-1851)  and Anne Ruffin (1814-1897).
• Others: John Wilson Brodnax (brother-in-law, 1821-1911) [1], Mary Rebecca Jones  (sister-in-law, 1823-1878) [1], Allen Jones Ruffin (nephew, b. 1857), Annie Kirkland Ruffin (niece, 1860-1960), Cadwallader Jones Ruffin (nephew), Joseph Roulhac Ruffin (nephew), Mary Browne Ruffin (niece, b. 1850), Rebecca Edwards Ruffin  (niece, 1846-1899), Sarah Lillie Jones Ruffin (niece, b. 1860), Sarah Jones Ruffin (niece, 1856-1859), Susan Brodnax Ruffin (niece, b. 1852), Sterling Ruffin [3] (nephew, 1857-1932), Thomas Ruffin [3] (nephew, 1852-1922) and Anne K. Ruffin (niece, b. 1848).

References

1. Mary Claire Engstrom. The Book of Burwell Students: Lives of Educated Women in the Antebellum South. (Hillsborough: Hillsborough Historic Commission, 2007).