Parsons Anderson

As part of my ongoing study of family members who served in the Revolutionary War during America’s 250th‑anniversary year, I turned to Parsons Anderson, my sixth great‑grandfather, who served as a Private during the war. Parsons connects to my Wilson/Lankford line through his granddaughter Mary H. Anderson, daughter of Brazier (or Brazure) Cocke Anderson. Mary married John Wilson Jr., and their descendants eventually include James C. Lankford, my second great‑grandfather.

Parsons Anderson was born about 1737 to Charles Anderson and his wife Elizabeth in colonial Virginia. Although no record explicitly names him as Charles’ son, the evidence is clear: Charles conveyed land to Parsons, they appear side‑by‑side in levy lists, parish records, processioning returns, and even in minor court fines. Taken together, these records show Parsons operating within the same precinct, land cluster, and civic environment as Charles Anderson, consistent with a father–son relationship. Parsons had at least two siblings: Frances “Fanny” Anderson and Mary Anderson.

Parsons first appears in Prince Edward County in January 1757, witnessing an indenture between Abraham Venable and Nathaniel Venable, and again in June 1757 when Alexander Kean conveyed 400 acres on Little Briery River to Abraham Venable Jr. These early entries show him already trusted to participate in land transactions among prominent county figures. A September 1757 deed identifies Elizabeth Anderson as the wife of Charles Anderson, the same Charles who later conveyed land to Parsons in 1759. Her private dower examination confirms her identity, and because Parsons consistently appears in records as Charles’ adult son, this establishes Elizabeth as Parsons’ mother.

On February 15, 1758, Parsons married Mary Cocke in Cumberland County, Virginia. The marriage bond includes written consent from Charles Anderson, required when a groom was under 21 or otherwise needed parental authorization. Mary was the daughter of Brazure and Frances Cocke, members of the long‑established Cocke family of Henrico County, descendants of Richard Cocke of Bremo. Parsons and Mary had at least three children: Mary, James, and Brazier Cocke Anderson. It was Brazier’s later migration to Greene County, Georgia that ultimately led me to research Parsons and his father Charles. 

Soon after his marriage, Parsons appears in local parish and civic records. A Sandy River Parish vestry entry dated October 26, 1758 includes a payment to “James Thackston & Parsons Anderson Chain Carrurs,” documenting his work as a chain carrier. The same vestry record orders payment to Charles Anderson for land sold to the parish for a glebe (parish‑owned land that provided the minister with a home, farm, and income), placing father and son together in parish business.

On February 10, 1759, Charles conveyed 504 acres on the South Fork of Buffalo River to Parsons for 20 pounds sterling, land originally part of the 1749 Thaxton patent mentioned above. The deed, proved at March Court by Nathaniel Venable, Sarah Henderson, and Richard Woodson, represents the strongest direct record linking Charles and Parsons by name. It documents a deliberate land transfer from Charles to Parsons at a token price, a pattern typical of a father establishing an adult son on family land, and no other record places them together in such an intentional, legally significant act. In the county levy for November 1759, Parsons was compensated “for guarding Godpy Titas one day and for nails,” showing him performing routine county service during this period.

In August Court 1760, a deed from James Shelton to Parsons was proved by the oaths of Charles Anderson, Elizabeth Anderson, and Joseph Mullens. The appearance of Charles and Elizabeth together in this transaction, both present to witness a conveyance to Parsons, provides another strong link connecting the three.

Parsons appears frequently in Prince Edward records through the early 1760s. In February 1762, he sold a 200‑acre tract on the east side of Baylies to James Shelton for 97 pounds, 10 shillings, a substantial sum that reflects his standing as an established landholder in Prince Edward County. His wife Mary was privately examined and formally relinquished her dower rights, confirming both his residence and his family structure at this time. In April 1762, a small item of Parsons’ personal property was attached and sold for one penny to satisfy a minor debt action. In May Court 1763, the Prince Edward County grand jury returned presentments against both Parsons and Charles Anderson for profane swearing, showing their shared presence in the same social setting.

In February Court 1765, a Prince Edward County minute entry notes a routine civil matter in which William Cocke petitioned against Parsons. Parsons did not appear, and the case was dismissed. In his will dated September 20, 1766, Brazure Cocke bequeathed enslaved individuals to his daughter Mary, confirming her inheritance and demonstrating that she and Parsons held tangible property from the Cocke estate.

Parsons’ last civilian‑era appearances occur between 1767 and 1772, across three counties: Prince Edward (1767), Brunswick (1767 and 1772), and York (1771). These entries show Parsons still active in Virginia courts into the early 1770s. 

Parsons served as a Private in Captain John Morton’s Company of the Fourth Virginia Regiment during the early months of the Revolutionary War. His name first appears on the June–July 1776 pay roll of Morton’s Virginia Regulars, where he is credited with one month’s service for two pounds sterling. The Virginia Regulars were full‑time Continental soldiers enlisted for extended service under General Washington, distinct from the short‑rotation militia who served only briefly near home. 

Compiled Service Record card for Parsons, 4th Virginia Regiment

A second entry, a 1777–78 pay ledger kept by paymaster Mosher Hunter, records an additional 11 shillings owed to him for service already completed. 

Ledger page listing pay due to deceased officers and
soldiers of the 4th Virginia Regiment, including
“Parson Anderson 11 ⅔ [shillings]”

A third ledger page lists pay due to deceased soldiers of the regiment, including “Parson Anderson 11⅔ shillings,” indicating he did not survive the war.

Pay card for Parsons, 4th Virginia Regiment

The Fourth Virginia Regiment drew heavily from Prince Edward, Cumberland, Amelia, and neighboring communities—the same region where Parsons lived, held land, and appeared in parish and court records throughout the 1750s–1770s. His enlistment fits neatly within his known timeline: a man in his late 30s or early 40s, established on land conveyed by his father Charles Anderson, and active in the same precincts documented in county records. A separate listing in Virginians in the Revolution records “Anderson, Parsons, Prince Edward Mil.,” confirms that he also served in the county militia, a dual obligation common among Southside men of his generation.

Parsons left no pension application, bounty‑land claim, or postwar affidavit. His Revolutionary War file contains only the two pay records available on Fold3 and a third ledger page on FamilySearch. The absence of later paperwork indicates he died before the pension era. His death is documented instead through county records. A Prince Edward County marriage bond dated February 11, 1801 for his daughter Mary identifies her father as “Parsons Anderson, dec’d.”

Prince Edward County, Virginia marriage bond dated
February 11, 1801, naming Parsons Anderson (deceased) as father
of Mary Anderson

More decisively, an August Court 1784 order states that “Parsons Anderson departed this life while a soldier in the Continental service.” In the same entry, the court certifies that his son “Brazure Cocke Anderson” was the heir of Parsons and the heir‑at‑law of Charles Anderson, late of Amelia County. This establishes the direct lineage Charles > Parsons > Brazure and confirms that both Charles and Parsons were dead by 1784.

Prince Edward County, Virginia court order, August 1784,
certifying that Brazure Cocke Anderson was the eldest son and heir of
Parsons Anderson, who died while serving in the Continental Army

Parsons’ Revolutionary era surroundings are better understood through the community in which he lived. During the mid‑1760s, Parsons and Patrick Henry were residents of Prince Edward County at the same time, each involved in the county’s civic and political life. Henry lived in the county from 1765 to 1768, practicing law and participating in the rising revolutionary movement. In those same years, Parsons was an established landholder, appearing regularly in deed records and court proceedings, including his 1764 land transactions. Their overlapping residency places Parsons within the same community and political environment that helped shape Henry’s early revolutionary leadership. Parsons’ name later appeared in Charles Edward Burrell’s History of Prince Edward County, Virginia (1922), which preserved him among the county’s Revolutionary soldiers.

Much about Parsons remains unknown—his exact birth date, birthplace, the full identity of his mother, and whether he had siblings beyond those I documented. No death record, burial site, or probate entry has been found in Prince Edward, Cumberland, or neighboring counties. For now, the document trail ends with the 1784 court record. I’ll continue monitoring new releases for additional clues.

References

• Brazure Cocke, Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652–1900.
• County court Orders 1, 1754-1759, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1754–1758, images 97, 150, and 173, FamilySearch.
• County Court Orders 2, 1759-1765, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1759–1765, images 28, 68, 93, 157 and 196, FamilySearch.
• County Court Orders 3, 1765-1767, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1765–1767, image 25, FamilySearch.
• County Court Orders 4, 1767-1770, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1767–1770, image 43, FamilySearch.
• County Court Orders 7, 1782-1785, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Record Indexes 1782–1785, image 158, FamilySearch.
• Deed Book 1, 1754-1759, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Deeds 1754–1759 | Prince Edward. Deeds 1754–1759, image 50, FamilySearch.
• Deed Book 2, 1759-1765, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Deeds 1759–1765 | Prince Edward. Deeds 1759–1765, images 98 and 233, FamilySearch.
• Episcopal church Vestry Book, 1755-1774, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Vestry Records 1755–1774, image 10, FamilySearch.
• Marriage Bonds, 1754–1850, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Marriage Bonds 1754–1850, image 221, FamilySearch.
• McAllister, J. T., Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War: McAllister’s Data, 1913.
• Order Book 11, 1768-1772, Brunswick County, Virginia: Brunswick. Court Orders 1765–1768, images 202 and 255, FamilySearch.
• Order Book 12, 1772-1774, Brunswick County, Virginia: Brunswick. Court Orders 1772–1774, images 108 and 110, FamilySearch.
• Parson Anderson, Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771–1989, FamilySearch.
• Parson Anderson, Virginia, U.S., Marriage Records, 1700–1850.
• Parson/Parsons Anderson, John Hastings Gwathmey, Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, 1775–1783, Richmond [Virginia], Dietz Press, 1938; United States, Muster Rolls 1775–1783, image 29, FamilySearch.
• Parsons Anderson, Ancestor no. A218863, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
• Parsons Anderson, US, Revolutionary War Service Records, 1775–1783.
• Parsons Anderson, Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785–1940.
• Pay Roll of Captain John Morton’s Company of Regulars, Fourth Virginia, 1776, Virginia Military Records, Appendix: State-Wide and Miscellaneous Records, p. 678.
• Virginia. Biographies 1935–1937, History Records 1935–1937, Periodicals 1935–1937, Society Records 1935–1937, images 59–70, FamilySearch.

Martha, Albert, Victor, big Issac, and Oliver named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this December the twenty-sixth eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, Administrators on the Estate of Thomas Thompson, late of said County, deceased, five negroes as named as follows: Martha and child Albert, Victor, big Isaac, and Oliver, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

William M. Blanton

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 751, FamilySearch. 

James S. Ferrell, Virginia Militia–Revolutionary War

As part of my ongoing look at the Revolutionary War in honor of America’s 250th birthday, I was fortunate to uncover the pension file of James S. Ferrell, my husband’s 4th great‑grandfather, while researching his granddaughter, Rebecca Longwell. James’ daughter Martha Ferrell—Rebecca’s mother—is the nearest common ancestor to my husband, and her family connections led me directly to James.

James S. Ferrell was born on April 24, 1763, in the part of colonial Virginia he described as Berkeley County, essentially the same area that is now Winchester—a place familiar to me today. His likely parents were Robert Ferrell (whom he named a son after) and Hannah, surname unknown. Monongalia County records suggest he had several siblings, including Robert Ferrell Jr., Jane Ferrell, Rebecca Ferrell, Susanna Ferrell, and Hannah Ferrell. He likely married Rebecca Bunner, daughter of John and Martha Bunner, who appear to have had at least five children: Robert Ferrell, John B. Ferrell, James S. Ferrell Jr., Eli (or Elisha) C. Ferrell, and Martha Elizabeth Rebecca Ferrell.

I was able to reconstruct James’ family using Monongalia County records that mention the Ferrells and Bunners. The only direct statement is an 1818 court entry naming Robert Ferrell as “son of James,” which anchors James’ household. Other likely children and siblings—especially Hannah Ferrell, who appears in an 1819 court recognizance (a legal bond requiring someone to appear or keep the peace) with members of the Bunner family—fit through age, naming patterns, and close interaction with James. The older couple Robert Ferrell Sr. and his wife Hannah, documented in Monongalia deeds, match the right generation and location to be James’ parents.

Because the available records do not provide a complete picture of his family, this sketch centers on James’ military service. He grew up on the dangerous western frontier near present‑day Morgantown in Monongalia County, and it was from this rugged landscape that he entered Revolutionary War service as a teenager.

His recollections—given 55 years after his service—were remarkably detailed. James entered the war “being a little upward of sixteen years of age.” In May 1779, he volunteered in Captain David Scott’s Virginia militia company under Colonel David McIntosh. He helped build Fort McIntosh on the Ohio River and later garrisoned Wheeling Fort, defending frontier settlements during months of intense Indian activity. His three‑month enlistment stretched into eight, a common reality for militia on the western line.

Header page from James’ Revolutionary War pension file, noting
his service as a private in Captain Scott’s company under
Colonel McIntosh in the Virginia militia

He returned to service in 1780 or 1781 in the company commanded by his father, Captain Robert Ferrell, serving under General George Rogers Clark, the famed frontier commander whose campaigns secured the Ohio Valley for the United States. James served at Fort Defiance near the Falls of the Ohio, where Indian attacks were constant. He recalled one day when a man hitched his horse near the fort and was immediately shot through the ear by hidden attackers. Another attack killed six men in a boat at the mouth of Beargrass Creek, including Captain Lipton. James and his father led relief missions to evacuate isolated settlers and break up exposed forts.

His final and most harrowing service came in 1782, again under Captain Ferrell, when he joined Colonel William Crawford’s Sandusky campaign. The expedition collapsed into chaos after a devastating Indian attack. James gave a vivid firsthand account, preserved in his pension file. He testified that just before dawn, his father—officer of the day—rode into camp and warned Crawford: “The encampment is surrounded by Indians… every man for himself, and God for us all.”

Moments later the Indians opened fire from all sides, and the army broke in confusion. James attempted to escape on horseback, but his horse was shot out from under him, throwing him to the ground. He fled on foot through the darkness until he found another horse, mounted it, and continued the desperate retreat. He traveled for days with a small group of survivors, living on whatever game they could catch, and after weeks of hardship they reached Fort Pitt. James finally returned home in September 1782.

After the war, James continued to appear in Monongalia County records. In 1796, he was appointed Ensign in the county militia, serving under Captain Daniel Sayre after his father resigned his commission. By 1811, he was still living in Monongalia County, where he appeared as surety in a felony recognizance for Robert Ferrell Jr., likely his brother. He remained in the county through at least 1819, when multiple executions were issued against him and Samuel Grubb.

Around 1827, James moved west to Ohio Township, Monroe County, Ohio, settling near the Longwell family. Militia records show he returned briefly to Monongalia County by May 1831, when he resigned a second militia commission as Ensign in Captain William Hayhurst’s company. By 1837, he was again living in Monroe County, where neighbors—including Robert Longwell, his future son‑in‑law—supported his pension application. In 1838, James relocated to Tyler County, Virginia, joining his daughter Martha, who had married into the Longwell family. Although his pension was later suspended after conflicting testimony, the federal government ultimately recognized his Revolutionary War service.

James’ pension was granted at a rate of $30 per year, beginning March 4, 1831. His certificate was issued on November 4, 1838, through the Woodsfield, Ohio office, with arrears totaling $225 and a semi‑annual allowance of $15.

Excerpt from James’ Revolutionary War pension file showing
his certificate issued November 14, 1838, through the
Woodsfield, Ohio office, with arrears of $225 and a
semi‑annual allowance of $15

Excerpt from the Wheeling pension ledger showing James’
payments, including arrears issued through the Woodsfield, Ohio
office in 1838

In July 1838, the Monroe County Court appointed James as surveyor of a newly established road running from the meeting house above John Meadows’ place, connecting Grahams Ferry to the mouth of the Greenbrier River and then across to Bradshaw’s Run Road. As surveyor, he was responsible for directing the hands listed on Isaac Milburn’s subscription paper to clear, finish, and maintain the road—an important civic duty during the same period he was pursuing his pension. The following year, on October 7, 1839, he purchased a 12‑acre tract on the north side of the Greenbrier River from James and Jane Graham of Schuyler County, Illinois. The deed describes the parcel as adjoining land already owned by James and the heirs of David Graham, confirming his established presence along the river and his continued involvement in local land transactions.

James’ exact death date is unknown, but the surviving records establish a clear window. His pension payments appear regularly through 1840, after which the Wheeling pension ledger stops listing him. Tyler County court records prove he lived beyond that point: he appeared in person on March 4, 1841 to take the benefit of the Insolvent Act, a legal process that allowed debtors to declare insolvency and avoid imprisonment, and he is named again in multiple executions issued in early 1842. The latest of these is dated March 21, 1842, making this his final confirmed appearance. He therefore died sometime after that date.

James’ recollections preserve a vivid frontier account of his Revolutionary War experience, and the records that follow his life afterward trace the steady path of a man who served, endured, and remained rooted in the communities he helped defend.

References 

• Execution Book, 1815–1846, Tyler County, Virginia: Tyler. Court Records 1815–1846, images 152 and 162, FamilySearch.
• James S. Ferrell Sr., Virginia, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1800–1890.
• James S. Ferrell, U.S., Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1801-1815, 1818-1872.
• James S. Ferrell, US, Revolutionary War Pensions, 1800–1900.
• John Bunner, West Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1724–1978.
• Monongalia County, West Virginia, Guardianship Records 1807–1820, Land Records 1807–1820, Military Records 1807–1820, Probate Records 1807–1820, Public Records 1807–1820, School Records 1807–1820, Tax Records 1807–1820, Government Records 1807–1820, Court Records 1807–1820, Citizenship Records 1807–1820, image 227, FamilySearch.
• Monroe County, West Virginia, Court Records 1834–1841, 1843–1846, image 571, FamilySearch.
• Monroe County, West Virginia, Deed Books 1840–1846, image 185, FamilySearch.
• Revolutionary War Payment Ledger, Wheeling, West Virginia.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 106, Ohio Township, Monroe County, Ohio, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Sardis, Monroe County, Ohio, 1860.
• U.S. Federal Census, Tyler County, Virginia, 1840.

Warrick, Margaret, Mary Mitchel, and Elizabeth named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this twenty-sixth day of December eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, Administrators on the Estate of Thomas Thompson, late of said County, deceased, the following negroes by name: Warrick a man, Margaret a woman, Mary Mitchel a woman, and Elizabeth a girl, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

W. L. Bishop

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 753, FamilySearch. 

Rebecca Longwell

Rebecca Longwell, daughter of Robert Longwell and Martha Elizabeth Rebecca Ferrell, was born July 24, 1823 in Virginia, likely in Tyler County before West Virginia became a state. She was the oldest of at least eight children—John W., Joseph, Robert, Mary A., Thomas Benton, Nancy Jane, and Martha. Rebecca is my husband’s 2nd great grandmother with their nearest common relative being her son Robert.

In the spring of 1823, a marriage bond filed in Tyler County noted that “a marriage is suddenly intended to be had” between Robert Longwell and Martha Ferrell. The phrasing was standard for the clerk, though Martha was already expecting their first child. They married on June 1, 1823, and Rebecca was born later that summer. By 1824 and 1825, Robert appeared on the Tyler County personal property tax lists as one adult male over 16 with no taxable livestock or enslaved persons—evidence of a modest beginning for the young family.

Rebecca grew up as the oldest of eight children, likely helping her mother with the younger ones as the family established itself in early Tyler County. On December 8, 1831, the Longwell home burned, destroying her father’s War of 1812 discharge certificate and likely many of the family’s early possessions. The fire, noted years later in Robert’s pension papers, occurred during Rebecca’s childhood.

Around 1846, Rebecca married Henry F. M. Church, son of William Clark Church Sr. and Sally Cohen, likely in Monroe County, Ohio. A later census suggests a marriage year of 1850, but the birth of their first son in 1847 makes that entry almost certainly incorrect. Through Henry, Rebecca married into one of the oldest Church families in the region: Henry was a grandson of Henry “Old Hundred” Church and Hannah Kiene, early settlers along Fish Creek whose descendants formed the core of the Littleton‑area Church community.

Rebecca and Henry had six children: William Henry, Sarah, Robert, Martha, George, and one unidentified child. They spent their early married years in Monroe County. On October 9, 1850, they lived in Ohio Township with their children William (3) and Sarah (10 months), and Rebecca’s younger brother Joseph, who was mistakenly enumerated as “Joseph Church.” Henry farmed land valued at $500, and the agricultural schedule shows a productive operation for a man of 24: five improved acres, 145 in timber, livestock worth $137, and a harvest of 1,100 bushels of corn. Rebecca’s parents and siblings lived next door.

During the early 1850s, Henry purchased two 40‑acre tracts in Monroe County—one from David and Elizabeth Paden in 1850, and another from Jacob and Ann Bare in 1852. Neighboring deeds confirm his residence there, and in 1856 he sold the Bare tract, marking the end of his Monroe County landholdings. These records place Rebecca and Henry firmly in Monroe County through the mid‑1850s, just before their move to Wetzel County, Virginia (now West Virginia), where they settled among Henry’s Church relatives along Long Drain. Their son Robert was born in Littleton in November 1850, and Rebecca’s father died in Monroe County in 1852.

On December 30, 1857, Rebecca and Henry sold 114 acres on Long Drain to Hew Garner for $407, retaining a lien until the purchase money was paid. The tract bordered land belonging to Henry’s brother Samuel C. Church, showing the two brothers’ farms lay side‑by‑side. Rebecca and Henry were living in Wetzel County when their son George was born in October 1858.

By July 30, 1860, Rebecca and her family lived in Sardis, Ohio Township, Monroe County, Ohio. The census enumerator recorded four children—William, Robert, Martha, and George—meaning that Sarah, who appeared in the 1850 census, had likely died during the decade. Rebecca kept the house while Henry farmed, with his personal estate valued at $500. William, Robert, and Martha were all attending school. George, the youngest, was two years old.

On August 16, 1870, Rebecca and Henry lived in Burton, Wetzel County, in the home of Henry’s brother Samuel C. Church and his wife Sarah Elizabeth Anderson. Although Samuel was listed as head of household, Henry still owned $1,000 in real estate, showing he held land independently. Rebecca and George were unable to read and write; Robert could read but not write; Martha and George attended school. The neighborhood was a cluster of Church families living on adjoining tracts along Fish Creek.

In November 1871, Henry conveyed a 28‑acre tract on the north side of Fish Creek to their son William, an early transfer of Church family land that bordered the old line of Henry’s grandmother, Hannah Church. This transaction shows that Rebecca and Henry were already helping their children establish farms in the neighborhood where the extended Church family lived.

On September 3, 1874, Rebecca and Henry joined the other heirs of Henry’s grandmother, Hannah Church, in conveying their inherited interest in a 194‑acre tract to Philip Shough. Their signatures confirm Henry’s status as an heir and Rebecca’s presence in Wetzel County by this date. Because the 1874 acknowledgment was later found to be improperly certified, Rebecca and Henry re‑acknowledged and ratified the deed in May 1890.

Rebecca’s son Robert married Lucinda Murphy in 1876, daughter of John Murphy and Joanna Ullom, in Wetzel County, linking the Church and Murphy families of Long Drain and Fish Creek.

In 1878, Henry had to appear in court because a 55‑acre tract he owned in the Green District had fallen behind on taxes. He paid the overdue amounts to keep the land, a small glimpse into the financial pressures Rebecca and Henry faced while raising their family along Fish Creek.

On June 5, 1880, Rebecca and Henry lived in the Church District of Wetzel County in the household of their son William, his wife Narcissus, and their children. Rebecca and Narcissus managed the home while Henry and William farmed. Rebecca’s nephew Doliver (or Dallaven) Longwell lived with them as an adopted son. Rebecca and her son George were able to read and write; Henry could not.

Rebecca’s mother died of paralysis in Monroe County on October 3, 1880, at age 75.

In November 1890, Rebecca and Henry divided their Long Drain property among their sons. They conveyed 71 acres to William, stating it represented his full share of their estate. William immediately sold the tract to his brother George, and Rebecca and Henry added another 7¼ acres the next day. 

Rebecca appears in an 1893 deed as an attesting witness when her son Robert and daughter‑in‑law Lucinda sold a 47‑acre tract on Long Drain to S. A. Carney. The land, part of the Littleton area, had come to Lucinda from her parents, John and Joanna Murphy. Rebecca’s signature shows she was living in Wetzel County and present at a transaction linking both the Church and Murphy families.

In July 1894, Rebecca and Henry, living in Littleton, signed an oil and gas lease with the South Penn Oil Company covering their 170‑acre tract on Long Drain. The lease granted drilling rights, pipeline construction, and rental terms, with Rebecca and Henry receiving one‑eighth of all oil produced and $30 per year for each gas well marketed off the property. The lease provided Rebecca and Henry with a small but helpful source of income in their later years.

On June 14, 1900, Rebecca and Henry were living on a rented farm in the Clay District. Rebecca reported having had six children, with three still living. Two of the surviving children are known—Robert (d. 1932) and George (d. 1943). Their daughter Sarah had died between 1850 and 1860, and one additional child apparently died in infancy and never appeared in the census. That leaves William Henry and Martha as the two children whose death dates have not yet been located. The census recorded July 1823 as the birth month and year for both Rebecca and Henry—correct for Rebecca, but incorrect for Henry, who was born in October. Their son William lived next door.

Henry died in Wetzel County on April 16, 1904 and was buried at Thomas Chapel Cemetery in Wetzel County. Rebecca shares a joint tombstone with him, though her death date was never engraved.

By April 27, 1910, Rebecca—now 86—lived with her son George and his large blended family in Clay District. Eleven people lived under one roof, with George farming to support the household. Clarence, George’s son by his first wife, attended a normal school. Rebecca’s paper trail goes cold after this census record.

Although Rebecca’s death date was never recorded, the records she left—census entries, deeds, and the stone she shares with Henry at Thomas Chapel—preserve her place in the Fish Creek and Long Drain community.

References

• Henry Church, U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850–1880.
• Martha Longwell, Monroe. Death Records 1867–1891, 1892–1908, image 103, FamilySearch.
• Personal Property Taxes, 1824, Tyler County, Virginia: Tyler. Personal Property Tax Records 1824, image 7, FamilySearch.
• Personal Property Taxes, 1825, Tyler County, Virginia: Tyler. Personal Property Tax Records 1825, image 7, FamilySearch.
• Personal visit to Thomas Chapel Cemetery, Wetzel County, West Virginia.
• Robert Church, Certificate of Death no. 15621, Littleton, Wetzel County, West Virginia, November 29, 1932.
• Robert Church, West Virginia, Deaths Index, 1853–1973.
• Robert Church, West Virginia, Marriages Index, 1785–1971.
• Robert Longwell, US, War of 1812 Pension Files, 1812–1815.
• U.S. Federal Census, Burton, Church District, Wetzel County, West Virginia, 1870, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Church District, Wetzel County, West Virginia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Clay, Wetzel County, West Virginia, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 106, Ohio Township, Monroe County, Ohio, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Ohio Township, Monroe County, Ohio, 1850, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Sardis, Ohio Township, Monroe County, Ohio, 1860.
• U.S. Federal Census, Tyler County, Virginia, 1840.
• Wetzel County, West Virginia, Birth Records 1854–1898, Marriage Records 1854–1899, Death Records 1854–1899, Probate Records 1847–1899, Wills 1847–1899, image 35, FamilySearch.
• Wetzel County, West Virginia, Court Records 1879–1884, image 68, FamilySearch.
• Wetzel County, West Virginia, Deeds 1855–1865, image 337, FamilySearch.
• Wetzel County, West Virginia, Deeds 1870–1872, image 437, FamilySearch.
• Wetzel County, West Virginia, Deeds 1880–1882, image 410, FamilySearch.
• Wetzel County, West Virginia, Deeds 1890–1891, images 228–229, FamilySearch.
• Wetzel County, West Virginia, Deeds 1891, images 121–123, FamilySearch.
• Wetzel County, West Virginia, Deeds 1893–1894, image 361, FamilySearch.
• Wetzel County, West Virginia, Deeds 1893–1895, image 203, FamilySearch.

Dennis, Letty, Clara, Matilda, and Mariah named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this twenty-sixth day of December eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, Administrators on the Estate of Thomas Thompson, late of said County, deceased, the following negroes by name: Dennis a man, Letty and child Clara, Matilda a woman, and Mariah a girl, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

Rich’d B. Crowder

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 755, FamilySearch.

Charles Anderson

I recently shared the 11 Crown patents Charles Anderson received, so now let’s take a look at the rest of his story. Charles is my seventh great‑grandfather, connected to me through his son, Parsons Anderson, and later ties into my Wilson/Lankford line in Greene County, Georgia.

There is much about Charles Anderson that remains unknown. His parents, his exact birth date and birthplace, the names of any siblings, the full identity of his wife Elizabeth, when and where they married, and the complete list of their children have not yet been found by me in surviving records. What can be reconstructed is the life of a capable, respected, and deeply rooted man who became one of the most relied‑upon figures in early Prince Edward County in the Virginia British Colonies.

Born sometime between 1715 and 1725, Charles emerges in the 1740s as a substantial landholder along the Appomattox and Buffalo River watersheds. Between 1740 and 1760, he received 11 Crown land patents across Amelia, Goochland, Lunenburg, and Prince Edward Counties, ranging from modest tracts to enormous grants exceeding 3,000 acres. These patents place him among the earliest settlers in the region and show him expanding steadily westward as county boundaries shifted. His land appears repeatedly in neighboring patents, processioning returns (parish boundary walking records), and boundary descriptions, confirming his presence in the Stony Creek–Nottoway corridor, the Dry Creek and Green Creek watersheds, the Buffalo River forks, and the Sandy River region. A 1734 patent to Thomas Haynes even calls out “Charles Anderson’s corner” and “Charles Anderson’s lines,” proving that Charles already owned land in the area where his later patents lay.

By the early 1750s, Charles had become a central figure in Prince Edward County’s civic life. The court relied on him to build and maintain the county’s first courthouse and jail at Worsham, including a 12×16‑foot log jail lined with thick plank, sealed with pitch, fitted with iron bands, and equipped with a brick chimney. 

Approval of Charles’ proposal to build the county courthouse
and jail near his home at Worsham (Prince Edward County Court
Order, March 12, 1754)

He provided his own kitchen as a temporary jail, guarded prisoners for extended periods, and performed maintenance on public buildings and bridges. His ordinary license—renewed year after year—shows he operated a tavern that served travelers, jurors, and neighbors. His militia rank, recorded as both Captain and Colonel, reflects the trust placed in him during a period when local officers handled security, enforcement, and emergency duties. The county also compensated him for legislative service, paying him “Burgess wages” for attending sessions and traveling to Williamsburg.

Excerpts from the November 1754 Prince Edward County
levy order showing payments to Captain Charles Anderson for
guarding prisoners, using his kitchen as a temporary jail,
and performing courthouse maintenance and county labor

Charles appears frequently in civil cases, both as plaintiff and defendant, demonstrating his active role in the county’s legal and economic life. He pursued debt claims, witnessed deeds, proved instruments, served as arbitrator, and participated in processioning teams that reaffirmed neighborhood boundaries. He was appointed to commissions of Oyer and Terminer (special courts empowered to hear and determine serious criminal cases), a sign of high standing, and served as a vestryman of St. Patrick Parish. His land was repeatedly walked and re‑marked in processioning returns, placing him among neighbors such as Bibb, Childress, Price, Cobb, Venable, Richey, Dupee, and Beggar. A 1764 return shows a cluster of Anderson properties—Charles, Parsons, Edmond, and James—indicating a broader family network living on adjoining tracts.

Charles’ wife Elizabeth appears in a July 1754 deed when she privately relinquished her dower, confirming their marriage. Their son Parsons Anderson, born in the late 1730s, appears beside Charles in several records: receiving land from him in 1759, serving as a county guard, appearing in levy lists, and living in the same neighborhood. Although the records never explicitly state that Parsons was Charles’ son, their repeated side‑by‑side appearances strongly support the relationship: Charles conveyed land to Parsons, they lived in the same precincts, were listed consecutively in county service and levy records, and shared boundary lines in processioning returns. Together, these overlapping entries show Parsons functioning as an adult male within Charles’ household and community, consistent with a son who had reached maturity. Other Andersons—James, Edmond, and George—appear in the same precincts and court sessions, suggesting additional kin whose exact relationships remain to be determined.

Throughout the 1750s and early 1760s, Charles remained one of the most dependable men in Prince Edward County. He built the jail, maintained the courthouse, guarded prisoners, operated an ordinary, served as a vestryman, acted as a commissioner, and handled routine civil matters. His land transactions continued, including sales to Archibald Huchelroy, Abraham Martin, George Walton, Henry Ligon, and Richard Woodson. He witnessed deeds, proved instruments, and appeared in levy lists for public work such as repairing Bush River Bridge. His land was sold to Sandy River Parish for a glebe (parish‑owned land that provided the minister with a home, farm, and income), confirming his role in parish affairs.

Charles’ final confirmed appearance occurs in August 1765, when he was paid for two days’ attendance and travel as a witness in a civil case. After that date, he disappears from surviving court minutes, deed books, parish records, land transactions, and tax lists across Prince Edward, Amelia, and Lunenburg Counties. His exact death date and burial place are unknown; the document trail ends. My goal moving forward is to continue piecing together the Anderson family network—identifying family ties, locating missing records, and determining how Charles fits into the larger Anderson lineage of Southside Virginia.

References

• Burrell, LL. B., D.D., Charles Edward, A History of Prince Edward County Virginia: From Its Formation in 1753, to the Present, 1922.
• County court Orders 1, 1754-1759, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1754–1758, images 50–51, 55, 64, 70, 77, 81, 83, 87, 99, 108, 112–113, 115, 125, 144, 161, 164, 198, and 209, FamilySearch.
• County Court Orders 2, 1759-1765, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1759–1765, images 28, 40, 65, 68, 81, 93, 100, 102, 138, 150, 188, 196, 211, 218, 229, and 240, FamilySearch.
• County Court Orders 3, 1765–1767, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Records 1765–1767, images 42 and 69, FamilySearch.
• County Court Orders 7, 1782–1785, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Court Record Indexes 1782–1785, image 158, FamilySearch.
• Crown patent 1, Land Patents Book 19, 1739–1741, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1739–1741, images 227–228, FamilySearch.
• Crown patent 11, Land Patents Book 33, 1756–1761, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1756–1761, images 319–320, FamilySearch.
• Crown patent 2, Land Patents Book 21, 1742–1743, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1742–1743, image 158, FamilySearch.
• Crown patent 5, Land Patents Book 26, 1747–1748, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1747–1748, images 91–92, FamilySearch.
• Crown patent 6, Land Patents Book 28, 1746–1749, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1746–1749, image 147, FamilySearch.
• Crown patent 7, Land Patents Book 30, 1750–1752, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1750–1752, image 462, FamilySearch.
• Crown patent 8, Land Patents Book 34, 1656–1762, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1756–1762, image 99, FamilySearch.
• Crown patents 3 and 4, Land Patents Book 23, 1743–1745, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1743–1745, images 519–521 and 525–527, FamilySearch.
• Crown patents 9 and 10, Land Patents Book 30, 1750–1752, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1750–1752, image 452–456, FamilySearch.
• Deed Book 1, 1754–1759, Prince Edward County, Virginia, Deeds, images 97 and 217, FamilySearch.
• Episcopal church Vestry Book, 1755-1774, Prince Edward County, Virginia: Prince Edward. Vestry Records 1755–1774, images 9, 10, 73–74, 83, and 91–92, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 15, 1732–1735, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1732–1735, image 479–481, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 28, 1746–1749, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1746–1749, image 726–728, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 31, 1751-1756, State of Virginia: Virginia. Patent Records 1751–1756, images 66–67 and 548–549, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 34, 1760–1762, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1760–1762, images 297–299, FamilySearch.
• Order Book 10, 1764–1765, Lunenburg County, Virginia: Lunenburg. Court Orders 1764–1765, image 213, FamilySearch.
• Order Book 2 1/2-B, 1753–1754, Lunenburg County, Virginia: Lunenburg. Court Orders 1753–1754, images 176, 235, 242, 244, 261, and 278–279, FamilySearch.
• Order Book 2, 1748–1752, Lunenburg County, Virginia: Lunenburg. Court Orders 1748–1752, image 303, FamilySearch.
• Order Book 4, 1755–1757, Lunenburg County, Virginia: Lunenburg. Court Orders 1755–1757, image 122, FamilySearch.
• Parson Anderson, Virginia, U.S., Marriage Records, 1700–1850.