Samuel Black was born in 1700 in Ulster, Northern Ireland. He was the son of James Black (1674-1751) and Eleanor Black (1675-).

Samuel married Catherine Shaw in 1740 in Pennsylvania, USA. At this time, Catherine's parents names are unknown.

Samuel and Catherine were the parents of the following known children: Samuel, James, Margaret, William, Sarah, John and Mary. They had a total of nine children, six sons and three daughters.

A native of Ireland & coming to this country as a student of theology was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New Castle. He was settled as pastor over two churches in Donegal Presbytery in PA. Pastors of Brandywine Manor Presbyterian Church, a church record, shows that Rev. Samuel Black was installed November, 1726, On the 10th of November, 1736, the Presbytery met at the Forks of Brandywine, and ordained and installed Mr. Black as pastor of the congregation, and the pastoral relation was dissolved July, 1741.

DELETE: "Samuel Black obtained his naturalization papers from the state of Pennsylvania. District Court, Eastern District, Pennsylvania, Petition for Naturalization, Naturalization Record Number: 38876

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Samuel's brother, James Black obtained his Naturalization from Western District of Pennsylvania, U.S. District Court." [****Justification from the National Archives at https://www.archives.gov/research/immigration/naturalization/history-cert-of-naturalization: The demand for proof of citizenship resulted in the creation of certificates of naturalization during the "Old Law" period of United States naturalization history (March 26, 1790–September 26, 1906).] 

In 1743 Rev. Samuel began to visit Virginia as a missionary and in 1747 received a call from Mountain Plains Church and the people of Ivy Creek who formed the congregation of D.S (Davis Stockton). In 1751 he purchased from Richard Stockton four hundred acres on Mechum's River where he made his home until his death in 1770. For a time he taught school in connection with his ministerial duties.

"The Rockfish meeting house was established here by 1746, making it one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in the region. James McCann conveyed land for a church and school. Samuel Black became the first pastor of the church in 1747. See this website ( Rockfish Presbyterian Church in Nellysford, Virginia) for proof:

http://www.rockfishpresbyterian.org/about_us.html

The town of Blacksburg, incorporated in 1798, derives its name from the son of a pioneer Presbyterian preacher, the Rev. Samuel Black. This minister of the gospel, born in North Ireland in the year 1700, was educated at the University of Edinburgh and licensed to preach at Glascow, Scotland. In the year 1735 he emigrated to America, where he became pastor of a Presbyterian church in Brandywine Manor, Chester County, PA. After a few years of residence there, he moved down into the Valley of Virginia and finding that a very considerable number of his Scotch-Irish co-religionists had occupied the beautiful region east of the Blue Ridge along the Rockfish, he removed to that section and spent the remainder of his long and useful life administering to the settlers along the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge and in the lovely Rockfish valley.

Judge David E. Johnson in his History of Middle New River Settlement says that two sons of Rev. Samuel Black, "John and William, came across the Alleghanies and settled nearby where the town of Blacksburg, in Montgomery county is now situated.

More about the Black family and the town of Blacksburg is in this Roanoke Times, Sunday, August 27, 1944 article: http://spec.lib.vt.edu/bicent/recoll/wilson.htm

"Since they have been scattered widely, from Albemarle county, Virginia to the Pacific ocean, it would be a very interesting study to trace out what manner of people they have been as a whole and what sort of services they have rendered in the many places where they have lived, and thus to arrive at a total of the contributions to American life made by an humble preacher who lived quietly and died in the frontier settlements on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge mountains". From the Roanoke Times, Sunday, August 27, 1944.

Rev. Samuel Black died on 9 Aug 1770 in Crozet, Albemarle, Virginia, USA. Albemarle County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville. In 1744, the Virginia General Assembly created Albemarle County by taking the northern portion of Goochland County. Crozet situated along the I-64 corridor approximately 12 miles west of Charlottesville and 21 miles east of Staunton. Because of Crozet's location in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, its natural scenery is one of its distinguishing features.

His will was probated Jul 21 1770 in Albermarle Co VA. To wife Catherine, 50 pounds currency and mansion house where she is to be maintained. To son Samuel, 250 acres of land and negroes. Son James, land and 20 pounds of currency. Sons John and William to have plantation where I now live and currency. Daughters: Margaret , Mary and Sarah to receive currency. Executor, Samuel Black, Jr. Witnesses Charles Patrick, Joseph Kinkead and Jean Alexander.

Sources:.

81. Family wall chart by Janey Ray Hughes Hoffbuhr . 82. Rev. Edgar Woods, Histor y of Albermarle County, Virginia , (The Michie Company, Printers, 1901), 145.

83. Rev. Edgar Woods, History of Albermarle County, Virginia , (The Michie Company, Printers, 1901).

Don't have any proof, but I'm going to put his burial at the church where he was the first pastor since his wife died in that same county where this church is located six years after Rev. Samuel's death. If anyone finds out this is wrong, please let us know the real burial. - (Note from Stella).