Circumstantial evidence that seems to fit:
1) The Tazewell Virginia 1840 census record shows a Uriah WILSON living next to S6 James ESTEP and S62 Shadrack ESTEP. One might think that this was a transcription error by the census taker, or it was not Uriah ESTEP, even though the ages fit both Lucinda and Uriah.
2) Names within the family: S62 Shadrack ESTEP had children that shared similiar names. S62 Shadrack had a son named Uriah (S627), and S63 Uriah had a son named Shadrack (S636, my great great grandfather).
All of the above written evidence supports the premise that S63 Uriah was a son of S6 James ESTEP -- until the later deed and court records are examined. A Pike County court record tells us that the disposition of Uriah's property was given to an independent executor. Within the circuit court records there exists several suits against Lucinda by her children, S631 Richard M. J. ESTEP (aka Johnson ESTEP) and S633 Ruth SLOAN. There also exist associated complaints by S631 Johnson ESTEP against S634 William J. ESTEP and S632 Joseph ESTEP, his brothers. The primary complaints were land related. The Pike County deed records show that in 1879 S63 Uriah gave all of his living children (except my S636 Shadrack) 60 acres each. But apparently there were some stipulations about the transfer -- they were to pay $40 for the land.
First suits were lodged in November 1890. But the time S63 Uriah died (in the mid to late 1880's), they still had not paid. Lucinda ESTEP, their mother, was denying them the land because of this. In the case of Richard M. J. ESTEP, he stated that he had provided care for the ailing Uriah for several years and that that service was worth more than the amount owed for the property. In Ruthie SLOAN's case, she said that it was to have been a dower gift and as such no payment was necessary.
This long and tawdry battle culminated with an 1894 court date, with continuances issued into1900 when it is assumed the action was dropped. Deeds are on file to S631 Richard M. J. ESTEP and S633 Ruthie SLOAN involving 60 acres from Uriah ESTEP. Several things were brought to light in these actions. Ruthie SLOAN died between 1890 and 1892 and all her heirs became parties to the suit.
Uriah's widow, Lucinda, married Lemuel MARSH shortly after Uriah's death and she relates this in her deposition that she had done so. The marriage record is on file in Pike County and therein she states that her parents are James and Sarah ESTEP and that she was 72 years old in that year, 1890. Another marrige record of Lemuel MARSH points to the death of Lucinda ESTEP between 1894, the time of the last court records, and 1896 when Lemuel MARSH married Mary BLANKENSHIP ESTEP who was the 3rd wife and widow of S6-12 John FRAZIER-ESTEP (see page 159 of Estep Book).
This places Lucinda squarely in the twilight zone created by S6 James and Sarah's cohabitation time around 1818. If Lucinda is S6 James ESTEP'S daughter, then who is S63 Uriah's father? We can be 99% certain that a marriage between half brother and sister would not have occurred. So how does Uriah fit?
