BATTEN: First of Spring Creek.

The first of this family name "Batten," was William J. Batten, his wife, nine sons and one daughter came from Hackers Creek, Lewis County, West Virginia, and settled first on what is now the high school grounds. William J. Batten was a blacksmith or day laborer. His wife who came here with him died, and soon afterward he married Catherine Runnion, March 12, 1857. Of this marriage were born six sons and five daughters; of the above twenty-one Battens we have much general, but little sufficiently specific information to write here. All married and settled in Roane County. The son of the family best known in the Town of Spencer, was William H. Batten who married Rachel Harper, daughter of Henderson Harper of Poca. These were the parents of a William, Jr.; Joseph; Pery; Lee, and Louis, the youngest.


Source: History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927, William H. Bishop, Esq., p 444
Submitter: Sandy Spradling, October 1, 1999