"SIFTED FROM THE ASHES"

THIRTEEN GENERATIONS OF ONE LINE OF THE RANSDELL FAMILY IN AMERICA

FROM ITS FIRST KNOWN DOCUMENT UNTIL JANUARY 1, 1988

 

 

This writing is dedicated to my father and mother:

 

Charles Augustus Ransdell, Jr., born in Louisville, Kentucky, March. 14, 1903; where he died, July 3, 1981

and

Sara May (Garry) Ransdell, born in Louisville, Kentucky, May 18, 1905; where she died, March 13, 1987

 

William Keith Ransdell

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

 

     When and wherever I've sought assistance in my efforts to solve a riddle or spin another strand of the thread that ultimately became the fabric of this writing, I've received a patient and kind response; but I've received particularly noteworthy help, over the years, from two sources: 

 

One is the Filson Club in Louisville, Kentucky where Netty Oliver was quick to encourage me early on, and always listened when I later rambled on about details that could have been of very little personal interest.

 

The other was John Charles Harris, son of Katherine (Ransdell) Harris; my father's younger sister. Often I've received valuable information from John, carefully researched during time taken from his own work on his Harris, Baxter, Barret, Allen, and other lines. Many times we searched the records together, and discussed our findings or shared our frustration. To some degree this has been a joint effort.

 

     I'd be remiss if I didn't also acknowledge the benefit I've received from the basic research done by James L. Kendall, deceased, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, and presented to the Filson Club in March and August of 1931.  Throughout this writing you'll see his hand. I hope I've fulfilled his wish to have the Ransdell family genealogy "properly" arranged. I'm sorry that too many years have passed to permit him to critique my work.

.......wkr

 

 

INTRODUCTION.

 

     The title "SIFTED FROM THE ASHES" reflects the number of primary records that have been lost over the years in Virginia and Kentucky; due to fire, neglect, and war. Far too often it has been necessary to search out bits and pieces of confirming or indicative data from sources that only hard work and chance can bring to your attention. Even then, when you've managed to discover what appears to be corroborating evidence, there is still the gnawing feeling that you may be wrong. That is particularly true when corroboration is significant and others before you have muddied the water by presenting their suppositions as facts. Within this writing I have attempted to contain myself within the bounds of documented knowledge, and have made reasonable effort to cite that documentation; giving specif­ic reference to its source. Where I've allowed my imagina­tion latitude to flesh out facts with supposition, I've made it a point to let that be known. If I've erred, I want to be corrected.

 

     Over forty years ago when entering my teens, I asked my father the classic questions; "Who are we?" and "Where did we come from?" What I was given was the equally classic answer; "Three Ransdell brothers came to Kentucky from Virginia after the Revolutionary War. We're descended from one of them." Of course, that was oral fantasy; based upon a kernel of truth. Somehow the answer satisfied me, until I reached my early thirties.

 

     When my children began to show an interest in their origin, they renewed my own interest in our family's his­tory. What I discovered upon questioning older family members surprised me. No one really knew! By that time my grand­parents were no longer living and neither my father nor others in his immediate family could tell me more than their paternal grandfather's given name, where he was born (which proved to be incorrect), their paternal grandmother's given and family name (that family name also proved to be incor­rect), and the names of known paternal aunts and uncles.   

 

     Now, after more than two decades of sporadically searching for clues and confirmation, I have documented "who we are" and "where we came from." I am unwilling to let that knowl­edge once again be lost. There are times in the life of each of us when it's helpful to reach into the past for insight and inspiration. I want my children and grand­children, and the children yet to be born, to understand that they are part of a continuing history, and realize how difficult that history is to reconstruct once it is lost. 

 

     In our case, as with many, to understand our history you must understand the history of America; how it came to be, and how it evolved. Each is filled with events, both fortuitous and calamitous. What those events were, and how they compounded or simplified the difficulties I encountered in reconstructing them, is part of my story. They are not the thrust of my story, nor are they clearly defined in its telling. But, they are there. They are an underlying element, impacting upon the story's contents; motivating me to give emphasis to material that would have been otherwise omitted. When reaching the point where you wonder what relevance a particular item of information could possibly have, bear with me. If I've done my job well, its relevance will become apparent later.

 

     I've attempted to organize my material in a manner that enables each section to stand alone; relating the history of a given generation. In doing so, I've been forced occasionally to become redundant. To the best of my ability I've kept those occasions to a minimum and have attempted to provide additional insight or clarity when referencing a previously cited document. However, you should anticipate being required to do a little page flipping to fully understand who did what to whom. I suggest you read the material through without referencing the cited documents, then go back and gather in the detail.

PROLOGUE.

 

     There appears to be two or more American families bearing the surname Ransdell. One of them originated in the lands along Chesapeake Bay. The other, or others, originated in New England or elsewhere. This is the history of one line of the Ransdell family of Chesapeake Bay. The children now being born are members of its thirteenth documented generation. 

 

     I've used the qualifying term "documented" because there are indications that the family may have a longer history in America, yet to be documented. If so, the Ransdell family is among the very oldest American families of English origin.

 

     Millicent Ramsden is recorded at Jamestown in 1608 (#1).  On two separate occasions I've found the cursive "Ransdell" interpreted in error as "Ransden" or "Ramsdon" (#2). I've also found the given name Millicent within the family in the early 1700's. Millicent, the daughter of Edward Ransdell of the second generation is named in her father's Will in 1724 (to be cited). Millicent is not a commonly found name for the time and place in which the second known Millicent lived, and the 1724 Will is the first known document to contain the given name of a Ransdell daughter. It's enough to make one wonder. And, as those readers who've delved into it already know; curiosity is the fuel that propels genealogical research. My point is; this isn't the definitive work on the Ransdell family history. There is still much more to be done if the full history of the family is to be recovered. You may be the ideal person to do it. If so, please let me know what you discover.

THE PROGENITOR.

 

     On Wednesday, October 23, 1661, a Court Leet & Court Baron was held at St. Clement's Manor, Maryland. Among those in attendance, as a Leaseholder in the Manor and a member of the Jury, was Edward Ransdell (#3).

 

 

     630   St. Clement's Manor Court Proceedings, 1659-1672.

 

 St. Clements . A Court Leet & Court Baron of Thomas Gerrard

   mannor     . esquire there held on Wednesday the three &

              . twentith (sic) of October 1661 by Thomas

                Monnyng Gent Steward there for this tyme

               

 Baliff   William Barton Gent

 

 Constable   Raphael Haywood Gent

 

 Resiants   Mr. Edmond Nanfen

            George Bankes

            Francis Bellowes

            Will Rosewell

            Tho: James   John Gee

            Michael Abbott

 

 Freeholders   Robt: sly (sic) Gent

               Will Barton Gent

               Luke Gardiner Gent absent

               Robt Cole Gent

               Raphael Haywod (sic) Gent

               Bartho: Phillips Gent

 

 

     St. Clement's Manor Court Proceedings, 1659-1672.  631

 

 Lease       Rich: Foster

   holders   Edward Conoray

             Edward Ransdall (sic)

             John shankes (sic)

             John Knape

             Gerett Brenton

             Clove mace (sic)

             Robt Cooper

             Arthur De la hay (sic)

             John Tennisson

 

 Jury &      Robt Cole

   Homage    Bartho: Philips

             Edward Conoray

             Edward Ransdell

             Gerett Brenton

             Clove Mace

             Edmond Nanfen

             Robt Cooper

             Arthur De la hay

             Wm Rosewelle (sic)

             Tho: James

             Mich. James (sic)

 

     From the preceding reproduction of the Official facsimile of the October 23, 1661, St. Clement's Manor Court record (which is now in the Archives of Maryland) it can be seen that Edward Ransdell is ranked third on the list of ten Leaseholders, and ranked fourth among the twelve men performing Jury and Homage.

 

     Analysis of the document indicates that the rank of individuals within St. Clement's Manor was defined and significant. It isn't known if rank was based upon holdings, tenure, or other factors.  It appears to have been based upon all of them. 

 

     The position of the name "John Gee" in the document indicates that it was specifically placed  to recognize his rank was superior to that of "Michael Abbott" among the Resiants after the name "Michael Abbott" had been recorded. And, the apparent addition of the term "absent", which follows the name "Luke Gardiner Gent" in the list of Freeholders, indicates that the entire document was prepared in advance. The name of "John Gee" must have been initially omitted as an oversight, or he was not expected to attend.

 

     You will also note that Edmond Nanfen is ranked seventh among the jurymen, although he is only a Resiant. For some reason he is accord­ed the title, "Mr.". It appears that he outranks Robert Cooper and Arthur De la hay, Leaseholders on the Jury, because of tenure. Otherwise, he would outrank all of the Leaseholders on the Jury. 

 

     If Edmond Nanfen's rank among the members of the Jury is based upon tenure, that indicates that Edward Ransdell was among the earlier arrivals at St. Clements Manor. From that, it appears probable that by 1661 Edward Ransdell had been at St. Clement's Manor for some time, and was no longer in his twenties. An educated guess places the year of his birth between 1620 and 1630. Assuming that he was born in the decade between 1620 and 1630, it is possible that his mother was at Jamestown in 1608. Pure fantasy? Perhaps. It's interesting to note that no record of the arrival of an Edward Ransdell in America has yet been found.

 

     The preceding is the first documented record of Edward Ransdell who is believed to be the progenitor of the Ransdell family along Chesapeake Bay. There are two ad­ditional known records of him -- both place him at St. Clement's Manor (#4). 

 

     On February 1, 1664, Edward Ransell (sic) (a miswriting or misreading of Ransdell) made a unique purchase of land from Gerrett Breeding (he may be the same man recorded as "Gerett Brenton" in the preceding document) -- they were to share the land and its improve­ments. It isn't known why the unique arrangement was made, nor if the arrangement indicates some marital connection between the Breeding and Ransdell families. It appears from the fact that Edward was the purchaser, that he was the younger of the two. But, that is pure supposition. The true significance of the document is not known. However, two points can be made; Edward Ransdell was still young enough to be acquisitive in 1664, and James Edmonds and George King (the witnesses to the document) must have been nearby neighbors. It's of interest that the Ransdell and Edmonds families are known to have remained neighbors, in Virginia, until after the Revolutionary War. (The references supporting that statement are too numerous to cite).

 

     On October 26, 1666, Edward Ransdell was witness to a Deed of land from Thomas Gerrard to Edward Connery. The document shows Edward Ransdell signing with a unique mark. It has the appearance of a signet. However, not having seen the original document I don't know that to be the case. In any event, its uniqueness is apparent. During this period illiteracy was common; even among individuals of conse­quence. It was also common for individuals who were not illiter­ate, to sign with a signet. Whether Edward Ransdell was illiterate or not remains unknown. My best guess is; he was.

 

     On the same document we again find the name of James Edmonds; showing a continuity of connection, for some reason, between him and Edward Ransdell. Other significant names are also seen. Thomas Gerrard, or his son by the same name, is later found across the Potomac river from St. Clement's Manor -- in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Gerritt Breedinge (showing the constant variation in spell­ing common during this period, and the difficulty encount­ered when attempting to interpret the cursive documents of any period) is also listed. And, for the first time, we find the surname, Foxhall. Years later, that surname is used as a given name in the Ransdell family. It is believed to have originated through a lateral connection at that later time. However, there is a known connection between the Foxhall and Ransdell families in the third generation, which will be covered when the third generation documenta­tion is given.

 

     The three preceding documents are all that is factually known of Edward Ransdell the Progenitor. As scant as that documentation is; it is still highly informative. And, when seen against the history of his period, it paints a fairly clear picture. Over the following paragraphs I will bring that picture into clearer focus.

 

     The years between the founding of Jamestown, in 1607, and the first known documentation of Edward Ransdell at St. Clement's Manor, in 1661, were filled with turbulence. That was so, both in the Colonies and England. The difficulties of the first years at James­town are common knowledge. By 1625 -- only eighteen years following the founding of James­town, and just five years following the later landing at Plymouth Rock -- there were already more dead than living colonists in English America. Famine and pestilence had killed large numbers of those early Virginia colonists who weren't slain by the Indians. Yet, driven by religious turmoil and political dissension at home, the migration to the New World continued. 

 

     In 1634, Maryland was settled by the Calvert family -- under a grant posthumously awarded to the first Lord Balti­more, George Calv­ert. That was not the first effort by the Calverts to colonize America. George Calvert had previously attempted an aborted settle­ment of Catholics in Newfoundland. Failing in that initial effort because of the harsh Newfound­land climate, he visited the lands along the Chesapeake and by 1632 was petitioning the Crown for title to the unsettled Virginia lands above the Potomac river. Those lands were ulti­mately granted, following George Calvert's death, and conveyed to his son and heir, Cecil; second Lord Baltimore.

 

     Cecil Calvert never came to America. The actual settlement of Maryland was led by Cecil's younger brother, Leonard. In two ships (the Ark, and the Dove) Maryland's first colonists arrived at Chesa­peake Bay during bitter weather, and spent their first months in the by then well established settlement at Jamestown. Lacking that hospital­ity they too may have experienced a similar fate to the first settlers of Virginia. But, by order of the Crown, and motivated by the common bond of Nationality, the Virginians treated these unwelcome guests with courtesy.

 

     It was a Virginian, Henry Fleet, who led the Ark, and the Dove, bearing Leonard Calvert and the first settlers of Maryland, to the Potomac; and showed Calvert the Indian village he occupied and christ­ened St. Mary's (#5). [Mar­garet Barrow, a great-granddaughter of Henry Fleet's widow, Sarah Fleet, later married Wharton Ransdell, the great-grandson of Edward Ransdell the Progenitor. I am descended from Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell, and a complete section on them will be provided.] 

 

     From the start there was an element of hostil­ity between the Governments of Virginia and Maryland. That hostility existed for three basic reasons: 

 

The principal of those was the Virginia Government's natural resentment over the loss of the lands above the Potomac.

 

The second was the understandably vocal displeasure of those Virginians who had already settled above the Potomac. In granting the Calverts the lands that subse­quently became Maryland, the Crown had changed the polit­ical climate for those Virginians, and they had influential supporters within the Government of Virginia.

 

The third was the underlying religious conflict between the leaders of the sister Colonies. Virginia was a Protestant enclave where the Church of England was the established religion. Maryland, although never exclusive­ly so, was Roman Catholic. With the estab­lishment of Maryland the three rival religions of England; Anglican, Catholic, and Puritan, each held sway over the Government of an area of English America. Prior to that, the distance between New England and Virginia had kept the religious conflict between the Governments of the Colonies to a minimum. Subsequent to that, with Maryland occupying the lands above Virginia, Governmental conflicts based upon broad religious differences were no longer geographically restrained.

 

     Prior to the founding of Maryland, the then Governor of Virginia, William Berkeley, had become autocratic in his policies. And all Virginians -- regardless of religious preference -- were required to provide economic support to the established Anglican religion. As a result, there were those in Virginia who were more than willing to give up their holdings below the Potomac for equal or better opportun­ities above it. In the immediate years following 1634, many of them did. Not only Catholics, but Protestants also migrated to Maryland from Virginia. There were economic as well as religious incent­ives to do so. The Calverts lured manpower from Virginia by offering more liberal settlement policies than existed under Berkeley. As a result, there was an influential Protestant element in the Maryland Colony almost from its beginning.

 

     The third Protestant church built in Maryland was The Episcopal Church of St. Clement's Manor, erected near St. Paul's creek in 1642 (#6). (I am of the opinion that the family of Edward Ransdell the Progenitor was among its members.)

 

     In 1642, the English Civil War erupted. For the following twenty years Oliver Cromwell dominated the English Govern­ment. That was particularly true following Cromwell's beheading of King Charles I, in 1649. 

 

     Fearful of Cromwell's Puritan driven policies, and vividly aware of his willingness to effect sweeping change, those in control of appointing the Governors of Virginia and Maryland made symbolic changes to avoid Cromwell's interven­tion. The English bureaucracy removed Berkeley as Governor of Virginia, and the Calverts appointed a Protestant, William Stone, as Governor of Maryland.

 

     Following those changes, serious dissension still existed between Catholics and Protestants -- especial­ly within Maryland, where a minor skirmish for control took place and a Puritan faction gained a much stronger voice in the Maryland Government. Eventually, over time, Catholics and Protestants found common ground for developing their mutual interests. But, until that final reconciliation was achieved, one group of Virginians was constantly at the forefront in any opposition to the Calverts. That group was headed by William Claiborne -- who had arrived in Virginia in 1621, and served first as the Surveyor at Jamestown, and later as Secretary of the Colony. 

 

     Claiborne was among those the Calverts displaced from their settled lands above the Potomac. In retrospect, it appears likely that Claiborne's claim to prior settlement was justified, and he was unjustly treated. But, under pressure to maintain an orderly govern­ment, the Court of the British Admiralty upheld the Calverts' posi­tion. Claiborne never forgave that wrong, and on three separate occasions, one prior and two following his displacement, he proved to be a formidable opponent to the Calverts.     

 

     On the first occasion, Claiborne's followers and the followers of the Calverts fought the first naval battle on Chesapeake Bay. Clai­borne's faction was victorious. But the victory was short lived.  Claiborne's fur trading settlement on Kent Island (in Chesapeake Bay, near the present city of Annapolis) was confiscated, and his followers were forced to withdraw below the Potomac. 

 

     On the second occasion, Claiborne -- with the assist­ance of his kinsman, Richard Thompson -- attempted to organize an invasion of Maryland (#7). That turned out to be a fiasco, and both William Claiborne and Richard Thompson were declared enemies of Maryland. For his participation in the fruitless effort, Richard Thompson, who had previously accepted the Calverts and had been granted Popley (later Poplar) Island and the feudal rank of Baron, was stripped of his title and Maryland properties. [A grand­daughter of this same Richard Thompson, Ursula (Presley) Neale, later married Wharton Ransdell, a grandson of Edward Ransdell the Progen­itor. I am descended from Wharton and Ursula (Presley) Ransdell, and a full section on them will be provided.] 

 

     On the third occasion, Claiborne succeeded in gaining control of Maryland -- which he held for a period of five years. This time, he used his influence in England to win appointment as an officer of the Protectorate -- the term applied to the English Government under Oliver Cromwell. It was only after the Calverts appeased Cromwell that Claiborne was displaced, and the Government of Maryland was returned to them. One element of this appeasement was the freedom of religion law, for which Maryland became so justly famous.

 

Edward Ransdell the Progenitor does not appear to have been conspicuously involved in politics or religion, and was most probably a member of that social class which leaves those matters to others. That supposi­tion is borne out by a later document, identifying his grandson, Wharton Ransdell, as a "Yeoman" (to be cited). 

 

     Bear in mind, the fledgling Colonies were an extension of Eng­land, and the Colonial social classes mirrored those of England. In the Colonies, as in England, a Yeoman was respected; but he was a small landholder who rarely involved himself with matters beyond his immediate require­ments. Few Yeomen aspired to, or achieved, an active role of leadership in the broader community. The leadership role was left to the Gentry, who were less pressed with everyday affairs. Historically in England many of the younger sons of the Gentry, forced by their circumstances, became Yeomen. It was not until later, in the Colonies, that sons of Yeomen readily became Gentry. Colonial wealth and its resultant social fluidity were just beginning to develop. The "Yeoman" grandson of Edward the Progenitor, Wharton Ransdell, ultimately became affluent and became "Gentry." As a member of the Gentry he participated in politics and served as Sheriff of Westmoreland County, Virginia.

EDWARD RANSDELL OF THE SECOND GENERATION.

 

     On October 22, 1696, Edward Ransdell, carpenter and cooper, of Westmoreland County, Virginia, is documented in that County's records as the purchaser of 192 1/2 acres between Rappahannock creek and Nomony river. That is the first known record of Edward Ransdell of the second gene­ration. 

 

     The record, itself, is unique (#8).  It documents three transactions which occurred over a period of thirteen years, trans­ferring ownership of the same land. Apparently, the trans­actions prior to 1696 were not recorded, or the records were no longer extant. In either event, Edward Ransdell appears to have protected his title by having the records of owner­ship brought forward prior to purchase. At the same time, he wisely cleared the title of potential clouds, by having the dower rights of the wives of its previous owners released. (It is my belief he was from across the Potomac in Maryland, as the records of Edward the Progenitor indicate, and old enough to secure good advice before acting. His subsequent records support that.) 

 

     It is interesting to note, on April 14, 1696, Henry Arkell of Essex County, cooper, sold land in Westmoreland County (#9). Edward Ransdell appears to have arrived upon the scene to fulfill the need for a required skill. Of course, that he arrived when he did could be pure coincidence; there was a ready interchange between the colonists on the opposite banks of the Potomac, and many of them held land in both Maryland and Virginia.

 

     It is accepted that Edward Ransdell of Westmoreland County, Virginia, was the son of Edward Ransdell of St. Clement's Manor, Maryland. The proximity of the two loca­tions (the Potomac river separates them), the known migra­tion to Virginia from Maryland of associated families, and the knowledge provided by the Will of this second Edward, dated 1724 (to be cited), provide the basis for that accept­ance. It is clear that they were not the same man.

 

     It is known from the Deed of October 22, 1696, that Edward Ransdell of Westmoreland was a carpenter and cooper. His occupation is confirmed in other records; one of which is dated December 7, 1702 (#10). That is a signifi­cant fact. As such, this second Edward Ransdell was less heavily dependent upon the land for his livelihood than those who were Planters. This was an age when tobacco was the only significant cash crop -- a cash crop that was shipped in hogsheads -- and it depleted the soil of its required nutrients in less than a decade. Even those planters who held sufficient land to maintain themselves in one locale, were constantly required to fell the heavy timber of the virgin forest for new fields. They needed relatively large land holdings, and cheap labor, to survive. He did not. Lumber was plentiful, and inexpen­sive. And, then, as now, essential skills were at a premium. Planters who didn't possess the resources to buy slave labor were ultimately forced to move inland. That movement compounded their problems.  Their depleted lands were a drug on the market. Removed from the waterways -- the only mode of relatively inexpensive crop transportation -- they were quickly relegated by economic pressure to the role of second class citizens. Although he himself never acquired vast land holdings, Edward Ransdell prospered. He was not limited by the size of his land holdings, and relatively free from the fluctuation in the price of tobacco that added to the ruin of many other small landholders of the period. 

 

     This was a time of large families. There were several reasons for that. Marriages were made at a very young age -- maximizing the number of years of female fertility. Women were dependent upon men to work the land; and even those younger women with land of their own rarely spent more than a year in widowhood. Children  were an asset in a labor intense economy.  Remarriage often took place in a matter of weeks or months. Romantic love was not a major considera­tion. The death rate was high, and those who survived, married; quickly, often, and to whomever was available. As a result, there was a rapid integration of disparate famil­ies into a clan. Once the clan reached sufficient size to provide the necessary mates, it closed ranks, and more than a century of inbreeding followed. It is highly likely that the process had its earliest begin­ning for the Rans­dell family, in Maryland. And, by the time we find Edward Ransdell in Westmoreland, it is equally likely that he was already related to the community of families known to have migrated to Virginia. Although we know nothing about his mother, her family, a possible stepmother and her family, or a possible stepfather and his family, or pos­sible full or half brothers and/or sisters; it is likely that some combination of those was there, and the process of inbreed­ing had already begun. With that in mind, the known records of Edward Ransdell of the second generation take on an added dimension. They indicate possible past family connections, and point the way to potential future family connections.

 

     The next known significant document of Edward Ransdell of the second generation appears in the Westmoreland County, Virginia records dated May 30, 1699 (#11). In it, he sells 30 acres of land to Jacob Ramy, Jr. The document places Edward Ransdell in Cople Parish (the Sou­thern part of Westmoreland County), confirms his occupation as a carpenter, and provides sufficient information to recognize the land being sold as being a portion of the land he purchased in 1696. But the most significant information provided is the given name of his wife, Mary, who relin­quished her right of dower. From that and other records (to be cited) we know that Edward Rans­dell was married three times; and Mary Ransdell, who was his second wife, was the mother of four of Edward's five known children. And, it is highly probable that he married her in Virginia.

 

     A descendant of the Ramy family, now living in Louis­ville, Ky., has told me that his family originated in Westmoreland County, Va., and the immigrant was a French Huguenot. I have no reason to doubt his statements. I know of no marital connections between the two families, and from what I do know, it is my opinion that none occurred.

 

     Although there are additional records of this second Edward Ransdell, which will be cited, the most informative is his Will (#12). That document, dated May 1, 1724 and probated July 6, 1724, names his wife at the time of his death, and provides the name and County of her former husband. From that, it is known that sometime between 1699 and 1724, Mary Ransdell died, and Edward Ransdell married Amy Kelley, the widow of Captain John Kelley of Rappahannock (later Rich­mond) County, Virginia. (Richmond County is adjacent to Westmoreland.) The Will also provides the names of three sons; Wharton (eldest), Edward, and John.  Edward and John are identified as minors, and are left in the care of Wharton, until 21. Two daughters are named; Elizabeth Talbott and Millicent Longworth.  William Longworth is also named (presumed to be Millicent's husband) and several of Amy (Kelley) Ransdell's children by her former husband are named. Amy (Kelley) Ransdell is left little of Edward Rans­dell's estate; but does receive her former husband's planta­tion. Edward's eldest son, Wharton Ransdell, is named Executor.

 

     On March 10, 1723, a year before his death, Edward Ransdell made a Deed of gift, of slaves, to his two younger sons; Edward and John (#13). In that Deed, he also identi­fied his grandson; Edward, son of Wharton.

 

     On Jan. 24, 1720 -- four years before his death -- Edward Ransdell made a Deed of gift of all his land in Cople Parish, to his son Wharton (#14). In that Deed, Wharton is titled "Yeoman" (as was previously mentioned). Edward's three sons; Wharton (recipient of the gift), Edward, and John are mentioned. The land is to pass from Wharton to his male heirs; in default, it is to pass to Edward, then his male heirs; in further default, it is to pass to John, then his male heirs. In further default, it is to pass to the female heirs of Wharton. No daughters are mentioned. The Deed was acknowledged by Edward and his wife, Amy, on January 30, 1720 -- thus showing that Amy (Kelley) Ransdell was Edward's wife by that date, and Mary Ransdell, Edward's former wife, must have died prior to January 30, 1720.

 

     Sometime after Edward's death in 1724, and before February 4, 1729, Amy (Kelley) Ransdell moved from Westmore­land County to her plantation, formerly belonging to Capt. John Kelley.  Her Will, dated Feb. 4, 1729, gives her as being of the Parish of Sittenbourne, County of Richmond (#15). In it, she does not name any of Edward Ransdell's children. She does name four of her children by Capt. John Kelley. From that it is concluded that she was not the mother of any children by Edward Ransdell. That indicates that she was beyond her childbearing years prior to 1720, and Edward Ransdell, her husband, was born circa 1660.

 

     On a number of occasions, Edward Ransdell was a member of a jury called to settle land disputes (#16).

 

     In 1706, Edward Ransdell received a land grant of 141 acres in Westmoreland County (#17). It appears to be a reaffirmation of his title to his existing holdings. That conclusion is based upon the failure to find any record of him selling land, other than the 30 acres previously cited, and an analysis of the family acquisitions and holdings in the following generations. It is also based upon a knowl­ edge of the history of the period -- during this time, the Culpeper/ Fairfax agent, Robert Carter, was making a concert­ed effort to estab­lish their proprietary rights in the Northern Neck of Virginia, and existing land titles were being reaffirmed by land grants under their proprietary claim.

 

     On October 28, 1707, Thomas Thompson was appointed surveyor of all the lands in Westmoreland County (#18).  

     On Jan. 17, 1715 -- nine years before his death -- Edward Ransdell was named as a "friend" in the Will of Thomas Thompson, Gentleman (#19). The Will also named, "friends", Thomas Lee and William Peirce. 

 

     Thomas Thompson's Will indicates the status Edward Ransdell held in the community: 

 

It is believed, but not certainly known that Thomas Thomp­son was a descendant of Richard Thompson, the partici­pant in the abortive attempt with his kinsman, William Claiborne, to invade Maryland. As was previously stated, Wharton Ransdell, eldest son of Edward of the second generation, married Ursula (Presley) Neale -- her second husband and his first wife. She is known to have been a granddaught­er of Richard Thomp­son, kinsman of William Claiborne (#20). 

 

Thomas Lee was a forefather of the family that is now known as the Lee's of Virgin­ia. That family included Richard Henry Lee, who signed the Declaration of Inde­pendence, and General Robert E. Lee, of Civil War fame. There were later inter­connect­ions between the Ransdell and Lee families. The great-granddaughter of Edward Ransdell of the second gener­ation, Elizabeth (Rans­dell) Davenport, married as her second husband, Dr. George Steptoe -- whose sisters married members of the Lee family (#21).

 

William Peirce was the great-grandson of Capt. William Peirce of Jamestown; who arrived at Jamestown in 1610 and was Captain of the Guard in 1617. Captain William Peirce was also a member of the Council of Virginia, standing sixth, 1632, and second, 1646 (#22). He is well document­ed in early Virginia history. John Rolfe married one of his daughters, Jane, after Pocahontas died. A granddaughter of Edward Ransdell of the second generation, Sarah Elliott Ransdell, later married Joseph Peirce, the second son of William Peirce, "friend" to Thomas Thompson (to be cited).

 

     As is documented by his own Will, Edward Ransdell of the second generation was survived by three sons and two daughters:

 

The daughters (Elizabeth Talbott, and Millicent Long­worth) survived their husbands while still young. Eliza­beth then married William Thornton of Richmond County, Virginia (#23). She died there, testate, in 1742 (#24). Her older brother, Wharton, witnessed her Will. Millicent married as her second husband, Luke Thornton, brother of William Thornton -- her sister's husband (#25). Luke and Milli­cent Thornton moved to Orange County, Virginia, where their records can be found (#26). The known ages of William and Luke Thornton indicate the dates of birth of Elizabeth and Millicent Ransdell were circa 1702 (#27). Thus, Mary Ransdell was their mother.

 

Wharton Ransdell, Edward's eldest son, married (circa 1715) Ursula (Presley) Neale (previously cited), widow of Daniel Neale, III (whose Will is reportedly filed in West­moreland County, dated 1713). She was the daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Thompson) Presley (#28). The date of birth of Ursula (Presley) Ransdell is estimat­ed to be circa 1685 by those who have researched the Presley family. Her father, Peter Presley, son of William Presley, progenitor of the Presley family of Northumber­land County, Virginia, died in 1693. And, it is known that her parents married circa 1660. Unless she was much older than Wharton, he also was born near that same (1685) date (#29). It is known that Wharton Ransdell was born prior to 1696. He appears in the records, as a member of the West­moreland Grand Jury, in 1717 (#30). It is also known that he did not qualify for Grand Jury duty until after marrying Ursula (Presley) Neale. (At least there are no land records to indicate that he did.)  He was probably older than twenty­-one in 1717. Even if Wharton Ransdell was born in 1696, that would still make him six to eight years older than his father's next known child. It is highly improbable that nearly a decade passed between children by the same mother. It is my opinion that Mary Ransdell was the second wife of Edward Ransdell, and she was not Wharton's mother. The identity of Wharton Ransdell's mother has not been learned. His given name implies that his mother was a member of the Wharton family, which is known to have been in both Maryland and Virginia prior to the time of his birth. Considerably more research is needed in the records of both States on the early Wharton family. The supposition that Wharton's mother was Mary Gorham, repeated as fact by some writers, is not tenable. 

 

There are few known records of Edward Ransdell of the third generation. Those found show that he lived to reach manhood, and there is some indication that he married and had children [that supposition is based upon his few known documents (to be cited), and the inabil­ity to clearly identify some individuals bearing the Ransdell name in later generations]. The first record I've been able to attribute to Edward Ransdell of the third generation, is on file in Westmore­land County: in 1736 he was the Executor of the Will of William Shaw (#31). That is known to be his record, because in the Will, William Shaw also mentions Elizabeth Sturman and Edward Ransdell, Jr. (At that date, the designation "Jr." did not have the same meaning as at present. It did not signify a father/son relationship.  Any indi­vid­ual within a community who bore the same name as an older person within that community, was designated "Jun­ior"; or, occasionally, individuals bearing the same name were speci­fied by the use of some distinguishing title, such as a military rank or similar unique identi­fier.)  The Will of William Shaw could not be a record of Edward of the second generation -- he died in 1724. Nor do I believe the Executor to be Wharton Ransdell's son, Edward, grown to manhood. The best estimates of the age of this younger Edward, have him in his late teens in 1736. [Wharton and Ursula did not marry until circa 1715, and their first born child is known to have been a girl, Elizabeth (to be cited)]. Although it is possible that the Edward Ransdell, Jr. in William Shaw's Will was an elsewhere undocumented son of Edward of the third generation, I find that difficult to accept. If more than one younger Edward Ransdell was present in the commun­ity, it is highly likely that William Shaw's Will would have speci­fied which younger Edward Ransdell was intended -- by giving the name of his father. It is my belief the Edward, Jr. in the Will of William Shaw, was Edward, son of Wharton. He is known to have later married Elizabeth Sturman, who is also named as a beneficiary (to be cited). For that reason, I believe William Shaw, Elizabeth Sturman, and Edward Ransdell, Jr. were close to the same age, and friends. It is possible that there was a connection between the Shaw and Ransdell families through Mary Ransdell, the mother of Edward Ransdell of the third generation, and as the eldest male of that connection, he was named executor. That supposition should be checked for validity by  some individual who is descended from Edward Ransdell of the second generation through other than his eldest son, Wharton. The only additional record I can directly attribute to Edward of the third generation, is of record in Orange County, Virginia (#32). He was witness to a mortgage by Luke Thorn­ton, husband of his sister Millicent. I don't know where that document was signed. There are no other known records of Edward Ransdell of the third generation in Orange County. He may have died young, or he may have moved elsewhere. There is a possi­bility that he moved to North Carolina. There are records of a Ransdell family there, but I have not pursued them.

 

John Ransdell of the third generation is known to have moved to Orange County, Virginia with his sister Milli­cent and her husband, Luke Thornton (#33). The records of his family are to be found there. John did not prosper, and in 1760, it is stated that his children were put out by the County Court, to learn trades. I don't know what that means, not having seen the records. I do know that William, John, Sanford, and Jesse Ransdell are recorded in the Orange County records of the 1780's, as having a number of children each (#34), and William, John, and Sanford Ransdell are later recorded as owning land (#35). They appear to be the sons of John of the third genera­tion. Jesse Ransdell died in 1795, leaving very little (#36). William, John, and Sanford sold their Orange County land in preparation for moving to Kentucky (#37), where they appear later. It is my belief that they are the Ransdell family members found in the records of Mercer County, Kentucky (#38). At least one member of the Orange County, Virginia, family (Joshua) is known to have moved to Georgia (#39). Connect­ing families are known to have moved to North Carol­ina (#40). Two members of this family were very early in Harrison County, Indiana (#41), and fought at the battle of Tippecanoe (#42). (Tippecanoe was the initial battle of the War of 1812, and is credited with opening the Indiana Territory for settle­ment.) Those two early Indiana Ransdells are definitely connected to the Ransdell family found in Mercer County, Kentucky (#43). (I possess a considerable amount of detail on the Orange County Rans­dell families, but it is inappropriate for this writing -- wkr.)


WHARTON RANSDELL OF THE THIRD GENERATION.

 

     It is reasonable to believe that Wharton Ransdell of the third generation was trained by his father to be a carpenter, cooper, and joiner. If so, he followed that trade and prospered. If not, he still prospered. He ultimately became a Gentleman Justice of Westmoreland (#44), and was Sheriff of Westmoreland in 1739 (#45). 

 

     Wharton modestly expanded his father's land holdings in Westmoreland. In 1740, he is shown as having 240 acres, and his eldest son, Edward, is shown as having 100 acres (#46). The 100 acres appears to have been purchased (by Wharton?) upon the marriage of this eldest son, to secure the son's franchise to vote. (Anoth­er indication that Wharton himself was beyond the age of twenty-one when he gained this right.) The voting laws of this period required a minimum holding of 100 acres within a County, to qualify to vote in that County. However, a man could vote in every county where he held a sufficient quantity of land. 

 

     Wharton also made sizeable land purchases in Stafford and Prince William Counties. His holdings in Prince William were in that portion which later became Fauquier County (to be cited).

 

     In 1717, Wharton Ransdell served as a member of the Westmoreland County Grand Jury (previously cited). The implication of that record is that Wharton was married to Ursula (Presley) Neale prior to that date. Prior to his marriage, he had no land, and did not qualify for such duty.

 

     In 1718, Ursula (Presley) Ransdell's only brother died. He was Captain Peter Presley, of Northumberland County. The court records of that County following his death, establish her identity and proves she was married to Wharton Ransdell by that date. 

 

     Ursula Ransdell and Mary Cox were named as Executors in Capt. Peter Presley's Will (#47). The Presley family was among the most respected in Colonial Virginia. Ursula's grandfather, father, uncle, and first cousin; between them, sat as members of the Virginia House of Burgesses from Northumberland County for over 100 years (1647-1759) (#48). That County was formed in 1647 -- and initially covered all of Virginia above the York river.

 

     It would be impossible to fully understand the lives of Wharton and his children without first understanding the impact the Presley family had upon them. Through Ursula, this line of the Ransdell family became accepted members of the Tidewater Aristocracy. That membership included the privilege, and the expectation, to participate in the broader social questions of the day. They were no longer members of the "Yeoman" class.  They were "Gentry."

 

     Ursula's mother was Elizabeth Thompson, the daughter of Richard Thompson (previously mentioned) and Ursula (Bishe) Thompson (the daughter of a merchant of Bristol, England) (#49). The life of Ursula (Bishe) Thompson provides suffi­cient material itself to fill a manuscript. She was married three, some say four, times, and each husband was prominent. It has been stated that President Zachary Taylor was descended from her. I have not verified that.

 

     It would be possible at this point to digress at length among the records of the Presley family. Beyond the satisfaction of doing so, there is little to be gained. The point has been made, and sufficiently so, to illustrate a marked change in the circumstances of the eldest line of the Ransdell family in the third generation. Such is not a unique story; a similar change occurred during the migra­tions to Kentucky, and elsewhere, when more aggressive or fortunate members of many families established social status for their posterity -- to be wasted or enhanced by their subsequent behavior. The old saws hold true; "It takes money to make money" and "One third of the world's wealth is passed down every generation". The raw truth is; the younger sons of Edward of the second generation were victims of their time. Not receiving enough to insure their prosper­ity, they failed to prosper. And in subsequent generations, many descendants of Wharton and Ursula suffered that same fate; while descendants of his younger brothers grappled with their circumstances and overcame them. Over time, it became impossible on purely economic grounds to determine one from the other. However, one distinguishing mark remained. The pride in the Presley ancestry of Wharton and Ursula's descendants maintained the Presley name as a given name within that branch of the family for genera­tions. That is an important fact. There is no known incident where the given name Presley has been found in a Ransdell family descended from other than Wharton and Ursula (Presley) Ransdell. If such occurred, I will appreciate being advised.

 

     It is known that Wharton Ransdell married Ursula (Presley) Neale about 1715 (previously cited). It is stated that she had two children by Daniel Neale, III; Hannah, and Presley (#50). There is a possibility that she had more (#51). 

     Daniel Neale, III was born in Northumberland County, circa 1680 (#52). His children could not have been of age when he died in 1713. Ursula Presley was also born in Northumberland, but she is known to have been living in Westmoreland with Daniel Neale, III when he died, and she was apparently still there when she married Wharton Ransdell (#53). With his marriage to Ursula (Presley) Neale, Wharton must have gained control of her former husband's estate. It is probable that he lived there until Daniel Neale III's eldest son, Presley Neale, came of age. 

 

     Presley Neale later lived in Fairfax County, Virginia, where he died in 1749. He owned estates in Fairfax, West­moreland, and Northumberland (#54).

 

     On January 21, 1720, Colonel Peter Presley [first cousin to Ursula (Presley) Ransdell] upon motion of Daniel McCarty, Esq., in behalf of Mr. Wharton Ransdell and Mr. Charnock Cox, appeared before the Court of Northumberland County and gave deposition that he wrote Captain Peter Presley's Will, and the deceased intended to give his Negroes -- not bequeathed -- to his two sisters; Ursula Ransdell, and Mary Cox. That is the first known instance where Wharton Ransdell is addressed by the title, "Mr." -- the title of a Gentleman (#55). 

 

     With the acquisition of ad­ditional slaves, Wharton would have had to find something for them to do. A natural option was to put them to work on the land. It is possible that Wharton was given his father's land in Cople Parish, in 1720, for that purpose (previously cited).

 

     In 1726, in Westmoreland County, Wharton Ransdell is named in the Will of Youell Watts (#56). I do not know the significance of that document. However, it could have a connection to his mother, and needs to be researched.

 

     On March 18, 1727, Wharton Ransdell purchased an additional 100 acres of land in the vicinity of that receiv­ed from his father in 1720 (#57). The new land touched Robert Sanford, Cockerill, and Ashton. The witnesses were William Sturman and Thomas Chilton. Wharton's release and bond were recorded Apr. 2, 1728. It is my supposition that this land was purchased in preparation for Presley Neale's coming of age. On or about that date, Wharton must have had to turn the estate of Daniel Neale, III over to its rightful owner. Both of Wharton's younger brothers were probably still living with him at the time.  (It was not until 1734 that Luke Thornton and John Ransdell -- "Luke Thornton's brother-in-law" -- appear in the records of Orange County.) It is interesting to note that the given name Sanford appears in the Ransdell family of Orange County, and later in the family in Mercer County, Kentucky, and Harrison County, Indiana. It is possible that John Ransdell married a daughter of Robert Sanford before moving from Westmoreland County.

 

     On August 30, 1727, Wharton and Ursula Ransdell, of Cople Parish, Westmoreland County, sold Negro slaves, in trust, during their lives, and afterward for the use of their children, viz., Elizabeth, Edward, Wharton, and William; "being the children of said Wharton and Ursula" (#58). That document clearly establishes the identity of the four known children of Wharton and Ursula Ransdell. The purchasers of the slaves were William Sturman and John Paine. The amount paid was five shillings (probably an annual payment). The implica­tion is; Wharton and Ursula had more slaves than they could use. I do not know the number of slaves involved, but the circumstance fits very well with the theory that Wharton moved to a smaller property about this time.

 

     Sometime between the date of the preceding document (1727) and 1732/3, Ursula (Presley) Ransdell died. That is known because in 1732/3 Wharton Ransdell remarried. Immediately prior to his remarriage, Wharton was the Executor of the Will of his near neighbor William Sturman (#59). Within a short time he married the widow, Sarah (Elliott) Sturman (#60). The tombstone dates of a daughter by this second marriage confirm that. At "Level Green", the ancest­ral home of the Peirce family in Westmoreland County, is the marker of Sarah Elliott (Ransdell) Peirce. She died in 1783, in her 49th year (to be cited). She was born in 1734.

 

     On January 29, 1738, Richard Moxley of Parish of Washington, Westmoreland County, sold 100 acres to Edward Ransdell of the Parish of Copeley (sic), adjoining Wharton Ransdell, Gentleman, and Nicholas Minor. Witnesses were Nicholas Minor, Jr. and William Muse (#61). It is my assumption, as previously stated, that this was land purchas­ed (by Wharton?) for Edward, Wharton's eldest son. This is the time when Wharton's eldest son would have come of age, and about the time this eldest son married his stepsister, Elizabeth Sturman -- the daughter of William Sturman and Sarah (Elliott) Sturman [who was by this date Sarah (Elliott) (Sturman) Ransdell] (#62). 

 

     In 1739, in Westmoreland, Wharton Ransdell is named "friend" in the Will of John Footman (#63). Here again, I don't know the significance of the document, and more research is needed. However, you will recall that this was the year that Wharton was sheriff, and John Footman may have mentioned him in his Will for any of a number of reasons.

 

     Wharton Ransdell was mentioned in another Will in 1739; that of Sarah Monroe (#64) -- his mother-in-law. It is stated that Sarah Monroe was born Sarah Foxhall, and was the niece of John Foxhall, one of the early Westmoreland set­tlers. It is possible that she was born in Maryland -- recall Mr. Foxhall, the neighbor of Edward Ransdell at St. Clement's Manor. It is known that she was Sarah Elliott, widow, in 1708 (#65). She next married Andrew Monroe, who predeceased her (#66). Her Will, as Sarah Monroe, dated 1739, named the following individuals; Mr. Wharton Ransdell, (daughter) Sarah Ransdell, Thomas Ransdell and Sarah Elliott Ransdell (Sarah Elliott Ransdell later married Capt. Joseph Peirce, and it is known that Elliott was her middle name), (son) John Elliott, (grandson) John Elliott, (daughter) Sibella Elliott, (daughter) Sarah Sturman and William Sturman, (grand­son) Foxhall Sturman, (grandson) Spence Monroe, (grandchildren) Elizabeth, Sarah, and Martha Stur­man; Executor, John Elliott. 

 

     I have not seen a complete copy of Sarah Monroe's Will, and do not know why two daughters named Sarah are listed in the abstract, or if in fact they were so designated in the Will. It appears to be an error based upon the identifica­tion of the Sturman grandchildren as being the children of her daughter Sarah, by William Sturman. It is known that William Sturman was dead prior to this date (previously cited).

 

     The Will of Sarah Monroe is the only document in which Thomas Ransdell, the son of Wharton and Sarah (Elliott) Ransdell, is ever mentioned. He apparently died young. There is another name of interest found in this document; Spence Monroe. It is not known if this Spence Monroe was the Spence Monroe who later fathered President James Monroe, or not. But, this was the same Monroe family, and it is entirely possible. I have not checked this out.

 

     In 1736, three years before her death, Sarah Monroe appeared in Court and gave a deposition (#67). Her age, at that time, is given as seventy-one; placing her year of birth as 1665. At this same hearing, William Monroe (age 70) and Mary Chilton (age 55) also gave depositions. I have not seen, and do not know the meaning of this document.

 

     Wharton Ransdell died testate (#68). His Will was written "in perfect health" on June 10, 1755. (This further corroborates the contention that he was born circa 1685.) It was not probated until April 25, 1758. In it, he names the following as Executors: Wife Sarah, and three sons; Edward, Wharton, and William. Edward was given "land where I live", also a silver watch and a silver hilted sword, and the remainder of the land in Stafford, on Beaver Dam Creek, not already given to "my daughter" Sarah Elliott Peirce. Wharton was given his father's wearing apparel and Negro. William was given a piece of land near North Cobbler Mount­ain, in Prince William County, and a Negro. (The portion of Prince William County containing North Cobbler Mountain later became part of Fauquier County.)

 

     It is interesting to note, that also in 1758, the Will of a Daniel Neale was probated in Westmoreland County (#69). That Will names three of the deceased's sons and a brother as Executors. The sons were; Spence, Daniel, and Rodman (or Rodham) Neale. The brother was Ramsdall Neale. I have not seen this document, and do not know if it has been correctly abstracted. I do know that in 1763, Edward Ransdell, Guardian of the orphans of Daniel Neale of Westmoreland County, bound John Neale to Soloman Redman, till 21 (#70). Several interesting suppositions can be drawn from this data: 

 

The brother "Ramsdall" was in fact a half-brother (Edward Ransdell), and Daniel Neale was another son of Ursula (Presley) Ransdell by her first husband, Daniel Neale, III. 

 

The Ransdell and Neale families were interconnected prior to the marriage of Wharton and Ursula (Presley) Ransdell. If the latter, that would indicate the possibility of additional records in Maryland or Virginia, corroborating it.

 

     Six years before he wrote his Will, Wharton Ransdell had already begun to put his house in order. On April 5, 1749, he made a gift of land to his two younger sons; Wharton and William (#71). The land was in Prince William County, on Cedar Run. "Wharton Ransdell of County of Westmoreland, Gentleman, for love and affection for his sons Wharton and William gives (reserving for himself 100 acres in Prince William County on Button Branch during his life and afterwards to his sons) to William land purchased of Captain Thomas Barber on Cedar Run, 350 acres, corner near Mr. Scott's quarter, Francis Thornton to Button Branch, to mouth of Barber Branch; to Wharton, 420 acres, part of same tract, near Cedar Run." Signed Wharton Ransdell; no wife signs. Witnesses; Richard Hampton, George Neavill, John Ralls, Robert Asbee (Ashby?).

 

     It is known from Wharton's Will, dated 1755, that he had given land in Stafford County to his daughter, Sarah Elliott (Ransdell) Peirce. No record of that gift has yet been found.

 

     Wharton's widow, Sarah (Elliott) (Sturman) Ransdell, survived him by twenty-three years. Her Will was written in 1778, and probated in Westmoreland County in 1781 (#72). In it, she names her daughter Sarah Elliott Peirce, son-in-law Joseph Peirce, granddaughter Martha Peirce, and grandson Elliott Sturman.

 

     The four surviving children of Wharton Ransdell of the third generation were; Edward (eldest), Wharton, William, and Sarah Elliott (Ransdell) Peirce. It is not known when his daughter by Ursula (Presley) Ransdell, Elizabeth, died. And, as previously stated, the only record of his son, Thomas, by Sarah (Elliott) (Sturman) Ransdell, is the Will of Sarah Monroe.

 

     Sarah Elliott (Ransdell) Peirce, as has been previously stated, married Joseph Peirce. Joseph Peirce was a direct descendant of Captain William Peirce of Jamestown. The Peirce's were early settlers of Westmoreland County, and Peirce's creek takes its name from them. Joseph and Sarah Elliott (Ransdell) Peirce had five daughters and four sons. Among them were; Ransdell, Martha, Sally Ransdell, Margaret (married elder R. H. Herndon), Fannie, and Sibella (married Samuel Templeman) (#73). 

 

     There is some indication that Samuel Templeman married two of the daughters of Joseph and Sarah Elliott (Ransdell) Peirce, or the same daughter documented by two similar names. He is given as the husband of Isabella (Peirce) (Chilton) Templeman, the widow of Thomas Chilton, son of Major Thomas Chilton and Jemima (Cooke) Chilton, in the extensive documentation of the Chilton family in The Virgin­ia Genealogist. 

 

     Major Thomas and Jemima (Cooke) Chilton were also the parents of Mary (Chilton) Ransdell, the wife of William Ransdell of the fourth generation (#74). The tendency toward marrying within tightly knit family groups reflects the general practice of the period, and is not unique to these families. 

 

     Captain Joseph Peirce (he was so titled) is honorably mentioned in Semple's History of Virginia Baptist's. I do not know if Sally Ransdell was married to a Ransdell, or simply given her mother's maiden name as a middle name. There is precedent for this usage of the mother's maiden name when the first name was Sarah. (Sally appears to be a familiar name for Sarah.) Captain Joseph and Sarah Elliott (Ransdell) Peirce lived on the Peirce family Estate, Level Green, Westmoreland County. The family burial plot is, or was, still there (previously cited).

 

     Edward Ransdell of the fourth generation, is known to have married his stepsister, Elizabeth (Sturman) Ransdell, circa 1738, and inherited his father's lands in Westmoreland; where he died testate in 1773 (#75). He is believed to be the same Edward Ransdell who was guardian to the children of the Daniel Neale who died in 1758 (previously cited). 

 

     Edward and Elizabeth (Sturman) Ransdell (who survived him) had only two known children; Edward Ransdell, Jr., and Elizabeth (Ransdell) (Davenport) Steptoe. 

 

     The obituary of Edward Ransdell, Jr. was advertised in the Virginia Gazette, March 4, 1773; "Died, on 24 February, 1773, Mr. Edward Ransdell, Jr. The only son of Mr. Edward Ransdell of Westmoreland. A hopeful young man, and much lamented." (#76). From that is gained supporting evidence that there was only one Edward Ransdell living in Westmore­land at this date; and Edward of the third generation must have died prior to this date, or moved elsewhere. 

     One of the most historic documents of the period immediately preceding the Revolution, is the "Resolutions Against the Stamp Act" drafted by Richard Henry Lee, and signed in 1765, first by himself, and then by other leading men of the Northern Neck of Virginia. The name Edward Ransdell appears on that document. The Resolution is reputed to be the first public association in the land for the resistance to that act. The Edward Ransdell who placed himself in jeopardy by so signing his name, must have been Edward of the fourth generation. His son was of age, but signed himself Edward Ransdell, Jr. (#77). 

 

     Edward Ransdell and his son, Edward Ransdell, Jr., along with Elizabeth (Sturman) Ransdell are documented in a Deed filed in Fauquier County, dated September 6, 1761 (#78). The Deed is for lands conveyed by the trustees of Robert Vaulx, Parish of Washington, Westmoreland County, to Thomas Chilton of Cople Parish, Westmoreland County; land in Fauquier, formerly Prince William. The deed is signed by Augustine Washington, Edward Ransdell, and William Bernard; as trust­ees. Witnesses were; Foxhall Sturman, Elizabeth Ransdell, Thomas Chilton, Jr., and Edward Ransdell, Jr. The document proves that Edward Ransdell, Jr. was of age in 1761. That valid­ates the contention that his parents married circa 1738.

 

     From advertisements placed in the Virginia Gazette, October 17 and October 31, 1771, it is known that Edward Ransdell, Jr. was Deputy Sheriff of Westmoreland at that time (#79).

 

     Elizabeth (Ransdell) (Davenport) Steptoe, daughter of Edward and Elizabeth (Sturman) Ransdell, survived her two husbands and died sans progeny, in 1802. Her only two children were by Dr. George Steptoe. Both died about the time of his death, 1784 (#80). 

 

     From a history of Westmoreland County we learn James Davenport and Elizabeth Ransdell, daughter of Edward and Elizabeth (Sturman) Ransdell, were married in May, 1769. He was Clerk of Westmoreland County, and a "warm friend of Richard Henry Lee" who signed The Declaration of Independ­ence. "Davenport died in 1777. His widow married second, her kinsman, Dr. George Steptoe, and lived at `Windsor' (the former estate of her father, wkr). Dr. Steptoe was a half-brother to the wife of Thomas Ludwell Lee and to Mrs. Philip Ludwell Lee of `Stratford' and to Mrs. Samuel Washing­ton, wife of the brother of General George Washington. Dr. Steptoe died in 1784, and Elizabeth's two children about the same time. She made her Will Sept. 1, 1801 proved April 16, 1802. She left 350 acres of the `Windsor' tract to Samuel Templeman." (#81). Samuel Templeman was the husband of Elizabeth (Ransdell) (Davenport) Steptoe's first cousin, Sibella (Peirce) Templeman, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Elliott (Ransdell) Peirce (previously cited.). Joseph Peirce was among the first members of the Baptist Church, and, upon his death, freed a large number of slaves (#82).

 

     Elizabeth (Sturman) Ransdell, widow of Edward of the fourth generation, either died intestate or remarried. I know of no record of her Will. It is known that she was still Mrs. Ransdell following the death of her daughter's first husband, James Davenport. She was so identified in an advertisement to sell property from his estate, in the Virginia Gazette, October 17, 1777 (#83). It is my opinion that she never remarried.

 

     Prior to his death, Edward Ransdell of the fourth generation added to his Westmoreland holdings. He held 340 acres in Westmoreland upon the death of his father in 1758 -- the land was adjacent to the present County seat, Montross (#84). On December 1, 1762, Edward purchased an additional unknown quantity of land. (The actual records must state the quantity, I haven't seen them.) The purchase was made from Richard Lee and wife Grace, of Maryland; William Booth and wife Elizabeth, of Westmoreland; and, Augustine and Ann Washington, of Westmoreland. The name of James Davenport, Clerk of the Court, also appears. Acknowl­edgment was made in Charles County, Maryland, May 21, 1764 (#85). The purchase appears to be part of a plan to consolidate his hold­ings. In 1761, he sold to William Taylor of Westmore­land, a portion of his lands in Stafford (#86). Additional land, apparently from the same Stafford tract was sold to a William Taylor, by an Edward Ransdell, November 16, 1809 (to be cited). The second William Taylor is thought to be the son of the William Taylor making the purchase in 1761. The later Edward Ransdell is thought to be the son of William Ransdell of the fourth generation, and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell (previously cited).

 

     Edward Ransdell of the fourth generation must have taken the death of his only son very hard. The advertise­ment he placed in the Virginia Gazette is filled with pathos. He lived less than a year after that. In his Will, dated June 19, 1773, (less than four months after his son's death) he leaves his Plantation to his wife, Elizabeth, "to do as she pleases with it." Others named in his Will are (daughter) Elizabeth Davenport, wife of James Davenport; (brothers) Wharton and William (Ransdell); (nephew) Ransdell Peirce, son of Joseph Peirce; (nephews) Presley Ransdell, son of brother Wharton; and Edward Rans­dell, son of brother William. "if daughter die, old Philip and Sarah shall not be carried out of this County, but shall choose yearly who they shall serve."  He had two Plantations; nephews, Edward and Presley, were made residuary legatees of these, in case his daughter, Elizabeth, should die without a child. He mentions "friend" Joseph Peirce and Sarah, his wife. To Mr. Richard Parker, five Pounds (perhaps Shillings), for services. His wife, Elizabeth, was named Executor. Witnesses were; Mary Purcell, Thomas Thompson, and Richard Parker. Probated Nov. 13, 1773 (previously cited).

 

     There is some indication that Edward Ransdell, Jr. may have married, although no mention of his wife or any children is made in his father's Will. In 1778, in the Will of Nicholas Muse, of West­moreland, the following are named; (wife) Elizabeth, (sons) Jeremiah, Walker, Jesse, (daughters) Penelope Muse, Elizabeth Washington, Mary Randall (possibly Ransdell), and Ann Washington, (brother) Daniel Muse (#87). There is known to have been a Randall family in Westmoreland. However, at least one other Rans­dell document shows a social connec­tion to the Muse family, and it is possible that Mary, the daughter of Nicholas Muse, was the widow of Edward Ransdell, Jr. In his bereave­ment, Edward Ransdell of the fourth generation may have excluded her from his Will; for reasons we will never understand.

 

     Wharton Ransdell of the fourth generation, the second son of Wharton and Ursula (Presley) Ransdell, married, in Richmond County, Virginia, by December 3, 1744, Margaret Barrow, the daughter of Edward and Elizabeth (Minor) Barrow (#88). As previously stated, I am descended from Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell, and a full section on them will be provided. 

 

     Margaret Barrow was the second of three children.  She had an older brother, John Barrow, who married Margaret Ball, the daughter of Samuel and Anna Catherine (Tayloe) Ball. They lived in Culpeper County, Virginia (#89).  Samuel Ball was the son of William Ball of Lancaster County. Samuel Ball's grandfather was William Ball, the progenitor of the Ball family of Lancaster. Joseph Ball, Samuel Ball's uncle, was the father, by his second wife, of Mary (Ball) Washington, the mother of General George Washing­ton, First President of the United States (#90). That relationship is significant later. Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell's younger sister, Elizabeth Barrow, married, in 1747, William Lightfoot (also, #89).

 

     Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell's paternal grandparents were Edward Barrow and Anne (Stone) (Metcalf) Barrow. Anne (Stone) (Metcalf) Barrow's father was Col. John Stone, and her mother was Sarah (Fleet) (Walker) Stone, the widow of Henry Fleet -- the man who led the Calverts to the Potomac river to settle Maryland. Following the death of Colonel John Stone, by a number of years, there was litigation between the Metcalf and Barrow children of Anne (Stone) (Metcalf) Barrow, over the estate of their grandfather, Colonel John Stone. That litigation became the basis for an historic decision, and is found in Virginia Colonial Decis­ions, Barradall's Reports, pages B232-B239.

 

     William Ransdell of the fourth generation, the remain­ing son of Wharton and Ursula (Presley) Ransdell, married circa 1744, Mary Chilton, born 1724. Her parents were Major Thomas and Jemima (Cooke) Chilton of Westmoreland County -- near neighbors of Wharton and Ursula (Presley) Ransdell. Major Thomas Chilton was the son of John Chilton of "Currio­man", Westmoreland County.  Jemima (Cooke) Chilton was the daughter of Mordecai Cooke of Gloucester County. Major Thomas Chilton inherited his father's Westmoreland property, and was charged with 1300 acres on the Westmore­land rent roll in 1740. Both the Chilton and Cooke families are extremely well documented.  Major Thomas Chilton and his son, also Thomas Chilton, each held the office of Sheriff of Westmoreland (#91). 

 

     Through her mother, Jemima (Cooke) Chilton, Mary (Chilton) Ransdell's lineage has been traced to Edward III, King of England. That is not surprising. A number of the families in the Northern Neck of Virginia migrated from England during and immediately following the English Civil War. Among them were known descendants of the British Royal family; principally descendants through the female lines of the Plantagenets. I am aware of a similar claim to Royal ancestry, through a later connect­ing family, for my line of the Ransdell family; but am reluctant to credit it without first satisfying myself that it is accurate. Far too many individuals have reached for this connec­tion to Royalty. Some with more zeal than insight. 

 

     Sometime following their marriage, William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell moved to what was, or later became, Fauquier County. Fauquier County was formed from Prince William in 1759 (#92). 

 

     On March 23, 1760, William Ransdell and Mary, his wife, of Parish of Hamilton, and County of Fauquier, sold to Robert Ashby, 200 acres, being part of a larger tract purchased by Wharton Ransdell, deceased, of Burgess, of Lancaster County. No witnesses. Signed by William and Mary Ransdell (#93). That is a significant document later.

 

     William Ransdell of the fourth generation is known to have served as an Officer in the Fauquier County Militia under the command of Captain William Edmonds, in the French and Indian War (#94). (That is one of the many indications of the close proximity of the Ransdell and Edmonds families that I referred to earlier.) William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell's eldest son, Wharton later received a land warrant for his father's service in the French and Indian War (#95). He sold part, or all of that land in 1778 (#96). (The evidence supporting that last statement is fragile, and needs further valida­tion. However, I believe it to be accurate -- wkr.)

 

     You will recall that William Ransdell of the fourth generation had received two separate tracts of land from his father, Wharton. The first was 350 acres on Cedar Run, in 1749. The second was a tract of land near "Little Cobbler" Mountain, in his father's Will, 1758. Both of the tracts were later in Fauquier County (#97).

 

     On July 27, 1769, William Ransdell placed an ad in the Virginia Gazette, stating his place of residence as being located "near Fauquier Courthouse" (#98). He again placed an ad in the same newspaper, Feb. 4, 1773, offering to sell "4 to 500 acres" on Cedar Run -- Pignut soil. "See John Chilton, near premises" (#99). John Chilton was the younger brother of Mary (Chilton) Ransdell (#100). William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell apparently were still residing near Fauquier Courthouse at this latter date (1773).

 

     In 1765, Major Thomas Chilton, father of Mary (Chilton) Ransdell, died. His Will names; (son) Thomas, (daughter) Mary Randall -- this spelling is known to be wrong, (grand­son) Chilton Randell -- also misspelled, (daughter) Hannah Sturman, (granddaughter) Jemima Sturman, (sons) William, John, Charles, and Stephen (#101). (It is necessary to note that the misspellings recorded are not due to error on the part of those who wrote the original document. They certainly knew how to spell the name. The errors are due to a misinterpretation of the cursive. The Ransdell name is not a familiar one, and is commonly mistaken for Randall or some variation of that better known name, or others. A few errors, now and then, is a small price to pay. Think how impossible this writing would have been if our name was Smith and was always clearly written.)

 

     At the time of his death, Major Thomas Chilton owned large tracts of land in Westmoreland, Fauquier, and Stafford Counties. Among his personal property was listed sixty-two slaves (#102). 

 

     On July 3, 1776, William Ransdell of the fourth genera­tion wrote his Will. It was probated October 29, 1776 (#103). I do not know if William Ransdell served in the Revolution. I do know that his younger brother-in-law, Capt. John Chilton, was killed at the battle of Brandywine (#104). You will recall that William Ransdell saw service as an Officer in the French and Indian War. In 1773, he would have been about fifty years old. It is unlikely that he would have seen service in the Revolution. It is known that a number of his sons were Officers in the Revolu­tion. One of them, Captain Thomas Ransdell, served for the full duration. As an Officer of the Continental Line, Captain Thomas Ransdell was eligible to be, and became, a Charter Member of the Virgin­ia Chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati (#105). 

 

     In his Will, William Ransdell of the fourth genera­tion left his estate to Mary (Chilton) Ransdell for her life, and identified the following children:

 

            Wharton -- appar­ently the eldest son. He is thought to have never married (#106).

 

Thomas -- previously mentioned as Captain Thomas. His brother, Chilton Ransdell, was later the Guardian of the two known children of Captain Thomas Ransdell. These children, John and Marcia, received a pension for their father's military service. They were still minors circa 1807 (#107).

 

William -- believed by some to have moved to Mercer County, Ky., about 1795. I have extreme difficulty in agreeing with that conten­tion. There are too many indica­tions that the Mercer County Ransdell family descends from John of the third generation. The date of birth of William Ransdell of Orange and later Mercer, appears to predate the date of marriage of William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell (#108). Add to that the fact that the eldest son of William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell does not appear to have been named William.  Thus placing the date of birth of William, son of William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell, even later. If my belief is correct, this William died in Fauquier or moved elsewhere. I have no further proven record of him.

 

Edward -- mentioned in the Will of Edward Ransdell of the fourth generation. Possibly inherit­ed lands in Westmore­land and Stafford following the death of Elizabeth (Rans­dell) (Davenport) Steptoe, in 1802. You will recall, Edward, son of brother William, was named as a residuary legatee in the Will of Edward of the fourth generation. I searched for, but was unable to locate the Will of Eliza­beth (Ransdell) (Davenport) Steptoe. I am sure that was a failing on my part.  I was rushed at the time, and a renewed effort should be more fruitful. As previously mentioned, this is possibly the Edward Ransdell who sold land to William Taylor in Stafford County, Va., in 1809 (to be cited).

 

Chilton -- mentioned in the Will of his grandfather, Major Thomas Chilton, and very well documented by one of his descendents (#109). 

 

Wharton, Thomas, and William were named Executors. Witnesses were; Benjamin Ashby, John Marshall, and John Richie. No daughters or other sons were mentioned.

 

     It is reported (by Dorman, in The Virginia Genealogist) that a son named Stephen was born to William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell (#110). Stephen was not mentioned in William Ransdell's Will, and the age of Mary (Chilton) Ransdell in 1773, rules out a posthumous child by that name. There was a Stephen Ransdell (#111). I am of the opinion he was a member of the sixth generation. The purported son, Stephen, is named as such in a letter written in 1843, by Mark Chilton, the youngest son of Charles Chilton, the youngest son of Major Thomas Chilton of Westmoreland (#112). Mark Chilton was writing from Missouri, to his kinsman, Robert Chilton, who was one of the fourteen children of William Chilton, son of William Chil­ton the second son of Major Thomas Chilton of Westmoreland (#113). Mark Chilton prefixed his letter by stating that he was writing from hearsay, about facts that had occurred a generation earlier. (My own experience shows how unreliable that type of family lore tends to be.) The letter may never have come to light if Robert Chilton had not achieved fame as a General, and adjutant to Robert E. Lee, in the Civil War (#114). In any event, Mark Chilton denigrated Stephen and Ursula Ransdell, whom he named as a son and daughter of William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell. As previously stated, a Stephen Ransdell did exist and William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell may very readily have named a daughter for William Ransdell's mother, Ursula (Presley) Ransdell. His comment was, "everyone was quite respectable, other than Stephen and Ursula", or words to that effect, whatever that means.

 

     I don't know who Stephen Ransdell was. If I had to make a wild guess, I would search for him as a son of Thomas Ransdell, Jr. and Mary (Ransdell) Ransdell, who were married in 1786, and will be cited later. Mark Chilton, the writer of the letter, was born in 1786 (#115), and was only two years old when Mary (Chilton) Ransdell died in 1788 (#116). He credits part of his information to an "aunt Mary Rans­dell" (#117). His "aunt Mary Ransdell" could not have been Mary (Chilton) Ransdell. The title appears to be an honor­ary one for Mary (Ransdell) Ransdell who most certainly would not have denigrated Stephen Ransdell if he were her son. The denigrating comments appear to be from Mark Chilton's own memory of events that happened later. At another point in the letter, he cited Chilton Ransdell as Charles Ransdell (Or the printed copy of the letter makes this error) and after stating that Mary (Chilton) Ransdell had six sons, he names only five -- failing to name Edward. It is apparent that he did not proof his letter before posting it. One more error would not surprise me.

 

     I have no idea who Ursula Ransdell was. (The name Ursula may have later appeared in the family as Sally. Thus causing it to be confused with Sarah.) There was an Ursula Ransdell, who appears briefly in the records of Missouri, about Mark Chilton's time. I don't know if she was born a Ransdell, or not. I have never found the time to pursue her. She had several children surnamed Ransdell, as I recall -- though very dimly. I also dimly recall she was old enough to have been older than Mark Chilton [the information came to me from my first cousin, John Charles Harris, son of Katherine (Ransdell) Harris, and I don't have the reference at hand. However, it should be readily found in the U.S. Census for Missouri, 1850 or later.] My point is; if its not in the records, you have to take it with a grain of salt. If you really want the truth, you have to dig for it. It's buried somewhere. Until I find an official record indicating that Stephen and Ursula Ransdell were the Children of William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell, I intend to assume they were not.

 

     It is known that William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell must have had daughters. One of them, in my opinion, was Hannah Ransdell (1758-1810), who married William Moore in Fauquier 1779, and later moved to Kentucky (#118). Her marriage bond was signed by Wharton Ransdell -- I believe he was her eldest brother. Had Hannah Rans­dell been a daughter of Wharton Ransdell of the fourth generation, as some have contended, I believe she would have been mentioned in her father's Will. It is known that she was living at the time it was written. I am also biased by the fact that Mary (Chil­ton) Ransdell had a sister, Hannah (Chilton) Sturman. 

 

     Kentucky Court of Appeals Deed Book, Vol. II, contains a very enlightening document about the immediate family into which Hannah (Ransdell) Moore married. On page 219, it gives an Indenture dated March 23, 1808. Names included in this Indenture are: William Moore of Fayette County, Kentucky, and Hannah Moore, his wife; Henson Moore and Anne Moore, his wife; Mary Simpson; Thomas Chinn and Ann Chinn, his wife; Cuthbert Musgrove and Elizabeth Musgrove, his wife; David Bryan and Sarah Bryan, his wife; and Samuel Moore and Malinda Moore, his wife; heirs and legal repre­sentatives of Samuel Moore, deceased, to William McGinnis of Mercer County, Kentucky, for 188 pounds ... 150 acres.  Recorded March 23, 1808, by the Kentucky Court of Appeals. The document apparently identifies the father-in-law of Hannah Moore, and William Moore's brothers and sisters. [The document also provides a possible source of research to determine how the Middle name Chinn, came into the family of a John Ransdell, born circa 1782, who will be mentioned in a later section. I mention this now, only for the benefit of his descendants, who may read this family history and desire to rethink a segment of their own family history which has unfortunately mistaken John Ransdell, circa 1782, to be a descendant of Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell. It is my belief, John Ransdell, circa 1782, is descended from William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell, although I have no specific knowledge on which that belief is solidly based. I do have specific knowledge, which will be cited, that John Ransdell, circa 1782, is not the John Ransdell with whom he is confused -- wkr.]  

 

     Another daughter of William and Mary (Chilton) Rans­dell, in my opinion, was Mary Ransdell, who married Thomas Ransdell, Jr. in 1786 (#119). [This is the Mary (Ransdell) Ransdell mentioned earlier.] I believe her older brother, Thomas Ransdell, Sr. (alias, Captain Thomas Ransdell) signed her marriage bond. It is my contention that Captain Thomas Ransdell was older than Thomas Ransdell, the son of Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell. That is based upon the given name of Mary (Chilton) Ransdell's father, Major Thomas Chilton. The practice of the day was to name an elder son for the mother's father. The order of listing of William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell's children, in every document, bears that out. 

 

     I possess far more records on this branch of the family, but they do not lend themselves to this writing. I have already gone far beyond my original intention.

WHARTON RANSDELL OF THE FOURTH GENERATION.

 

     As previously stated, Wharton Ransdell of the fourth generation married, by December 3, 1744, Margaret Barrow. The next record we have of them (#120), is the Register of Overwharton Parish, Stafford County, Virginia. From that register, we know the names and dates of birth of three of their children;  Elizabeth (1746), Edward (1748), and Wharton (1750). [The Overwharton register continued until 1758.  Recorded within this register also, is the informa­tion that two members of the Ransdell family, Edward and Wharton, were owners of slaves within the Parish. Wharton of the fourth generation is thought to be the Wharton so listed. The identity of Edward is open for debate. It is my opinion that this was Edward of the fourth genera­tion, son of Wharton and Ursula (Presley) Ransdell. If so, he must have acquired additional land of his own or utilized land owned by his father.] It is also known, from Judge Embry's Abstracts, that between 1747 and 1754, two Ransdell land transactions were recorded in Staf­ford County. They were in the Old General Index, and the book is lost. One transaction was from Ransdell to Ransdell. The other, was Ransdell to George. I do not know what the transactions mean. It is possible that Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell received land in Stafford from her family, and he sold that prior to moving to Prince William -- where he is known to have been later (to be cited). (I have long intended to check this theory out, by examining the Barrow documents in Richmond County.  But, to date, have failed to do so.)

 

     Sometime between the birth of their third child (1750) and the birth of their next child, Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell are believed to have moved to that portion of Prince William County that was later to become Fauquier.

 

     You will recall, Wharton Ransdell of the third genera­tion gave his two younger sons, Wharton and William, land in Prince William in 1749 (previously cited). It appears most probable that Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell moved to that land, on Cedar Run, after the birth of their son, Wharton, in 1750. 

 

     In 1752, Wharton Ransdell, thought to be Wharton of the fourth generation, purchased 250 acres in Prince William County from Rev. Lawrence deButts of Parish of St. Mary's, in Maryland (#121). Reverend Lawrence deButts is known to have, prior to this time, been assigned to Washington Parish, Westmoreland. He also preached at Cople Parish, in Westmoreland, and Farnham Parish, in Richmond County (#122). Both Wharton of the third generation, and Wharton of the fourth generation, would have known him. I favor this purchase being made by Wharton of the fourth generation, because it is known that he made other purchases of land in the vicinity of this tract after the death of his father (to be cited) and I have no knowledge of his having receiv­ed this deButts land from his father. The purchase of this deButts land raises the question of whether Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell then moved from the land on Cedar Run. I believe they did not. On May 23, 1757, it is recorded that Wharton Ransdell was a Vestryman of the Parish of Hamilton, Prince William County; Rev. John Brunskill, Clerk (# 123). Reverend John Brunskill is known to have served two churches in Hamilton Parish (#124). His upper church was the nearer to Cedar Run. At the headwater of Cedar Run was the "Ordinary" of George Neavill (#125). George Neavill is also named, with Wharton Ransdell, as a Vestryman of Hamilton Parish in 1757. Although I have no certain knowledge of it, the deButts land seems to have been purchased in anticipation of future needs. There is no indication that it had been improved.  Reverend Lawrence deButts was in Maryland, and there is no record of him having served in Prince William. (All of that takes on additional significance later.)

 

     On April 5, 1759, the County of Fauquier was formed from the Hamilton Parish territory of Prince William County. Wharton Ransdell was named among those eligible to be sworn as members of the first Commission of Peace (Gentlemen Justices) (#126). There was a dispute over where the County Courthouse was to be built. The first Fauquier County meeting was held near Elk Run Church (served by Rev. Brun­skill). The Colony politicians of the day overruled the preference of members of the new Fauquier County Court, and a site in Fauquier, on the property of Richard Henry Lee of Westmoreland, was designated as the location where Fauquier Courthouse was to be built. It is my recollection, although I do not have a copy of the verifying document and no longer remember its specific source, that Wharton Ransdell was not administered the oath for some time; because of his resistance to that decision. His reason being; the distance the new site was from his place of residence. I am recalling detail from many years ago, before I began making copies of signifi­cant documents, and I am certainly subject to being wrong. But, I do not believe so. I think his reluctance is part of the reason I have long felt the estate of Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell remained on Cedar Run. 

 

     On December 17, 1762, Cadwallader Slaughter and Eliza­beth Rans­dell were married; consent by Wharton Ransdell (#127). Elizabeth was 16 years old. She was born in Over­wharton Parish, Stafford County, in 1746 (previously cited). Cadwallader Slaughter later settled in Kentucky, and was one of the Founding Fathers of Louisville -- the Cherokee Triangle is now located on Slaughter land, and Ransdell Avenue derives its name from this connection.

 

     In April of 1765, Wharton Ransdell purchased 195 acres in Fauquier County from John Balendine (#128). Witnesses were; James Scott, Jr., William Ransdell, John Bell, Gustav­us Scott, and John Chilton. It was part of the tract patented to Rev. Lawrence deButts. You will recall, Wharton had purchased 250 acres from Rev. deButts in 1752.

 

     In August of 1765, Wharton Ransdell purchased another 195 acres in the same locale from John Balendine of Fairfax (#129). The land was shown as part of a tract of 2,864 acres patented to Reverend Lawrence deButts of Maryland, to Samuel deButts, brother, then to Barnaby Egan, then to Balendine. 

 

     On June 27, 1771, Wharton and Margaret Ransdell sold to John Churchill, land in Fauquier, on both sides Cedar Run (#130). (John Churchill was a member of the Churchill family that later settled in Louisville, Kentucky -- Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, derives its name from them. -- wkr)

 

     On September 14, 1771, Wharton Ransdell purchased land from John deButts of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Witness­es were; James Scott, Elizabeth Scott, William Ransdell, and Edwin Fielding (#131).

 

     Recorded later in 1771, is the Deed to land purchased by Wharton Ransdell from Archibald and Abigail Allen (#132). This purchase is in the same locality, and is shown to corner on Thomas Barber. Witnesses were; James Scott, Jr., Randolph Spicer, and George Rogers.

 

     You will recall that the land Wharton Ransdell of the third generation purchased in Prince William County, and later gave to his younger sons, was purchased from Captain Thomas Barber. That indicates that all of Wharton Ransdell's land transactions, just listed, were in this same locale -- in the vicinity of Cedar Run.

 

     On December 26, 1775, Chandler Fowke, Parish of Hamil­ton, was apprenticed to Wharton Ransdell, Parish of Leeds, Fauquier County (#133). This is thought to be Wharton of the fourth generation. His Will shows him as being of Leeds Parish, and by late 1775 his sons had begun to go, or were prepar­ing to go, to fight in the Revolution. By this date, Fauquier County had been split into two Parishes. Leeds Parish was in the Northern section of the County, and Hamilton Parish was in its Southern section. To the North of Fauquier, abutting Leeds Parish, was, and is, Loudoun County. That fact is important later. It indicates that Wharton Ransdell of the fourth generation, and his family, lived very near Loudoun County.

 

     Following the death of William Ransdell of the fourth generation in 1776, it is no longer easy to distinguish the transactions of Wharton Ransdell of the fourth generation, from those of Wharton Ransdell, eldest son of William Ransdell of the fourth generation. 

 

     It is my belief that the next series of land transac­tions were those of Wharton Ransdell of the fifth genera­tion, son of William. You will recall that a land Warrant had been issued to Wharton Ransdell, eldest son of William and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell, for his father's service during the French and Indian War. I believe Wharton of the fifth generation, eldest son of William, sold that land in 1778.

 

     September 26, 1778, Wharton Ransdell to Robert Sanders, land in Fauquier, on North end of Pon? Mt., Peyton's line, no witnesses, wife did not sign (#134). He sells part of same tract -- to Newhouse (#135).

 

     September 28, 1778, Wharton Ransdell to Joseph Smith, land in Fauquier, no Witnesses, wife did not sign (#136).

 

     November 1, 1779, Wharton Ransdell, Jr. sells land in Fauquier on John Churchill's line, now in possession of John Ransdell, son of Wharton Ransdell. No wife signs. Witnesses; William Kenton, Robert Hanem, Benjamin Hamrick (#137). Again, this appears at first examin­ation to be Wharton Ransdell, son of William. If so, I do not know why his mother was not required to sign this Deed. Mary (Chil­ton) Ransdell was to have her husband's estate during her life, and should have been a party to the Deed if this was part of her husband's estate. It is known that she was still living at this date (prev­iously cited). However, upon closer examina­tion, it appears that this is a sale of land by Wharton of the fourth generation, and the identi­fier should be Sr., not Jr.  If so, that indicates that Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell was dead by this date. Or, it might be the sale of land by Wharton, the son of Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell. He was born in 1750, and could have been the purchaser of one of the previous­ly cited tracts, purchas­ed in 1771, that was attributed to his father. In any event, the John Ransdell cited as being in possession of the land has to be John Ransdell, born circa 1754, the son of Wharton and Margaret (Barrow) Ransdell. He could not possibly be anyone else. I am descended from John Ransdell, son of Wharton Ransdell of the fourth generation. A full section on him will be provided.

 

     On January 16, 1782, Wharton Ransdell and Mary Morehead were married. Wharton Ransdell and Turner Morehead signed the bond. Turner Morehead was the brother of Mary Morehead. Her father was Charles Morehead (#138).

 

     On November 30, 1782, Wharton Ransdell, Jr., son and heir to William Ransdell, and Mary (Chilton) Ransdell, widow, sold land to Thomas Digges -- "part of land which was purchased by Wharton Rans­dell for the use of said William Ransdell, deceased" (#139). (The Wharton Ransdell who made the initial purchase was apparently Wharton Ransdell of the third generation. This is a portion of the land he gave to his son, William, in 1749.) Signed by; Wharton Ransdell and Mary Ransdell. Witnesses; Charles Chilton, John Metcalfe, William Stewart, and John Kennedy. As is clearly stated, this is Wharton, son of William of the fourth generation. He is selling a portion or all of his share of the land received in his father's Will, dated 1776. As contended earlier, Mary (Chilton) Ransdell was required to be a party to this Deed, in order to release her dower rights; and, based upon this requirement in this Deed, I believe the earlier Deed for land in the "possession of John Ransdell", was from Wharton Ransdell of the fourth genera­tion. (In the cursive of this period, Sr. and Jr. are often difficult to distinguish.)

 

     October 27, 1783, Thomas Ransdell of Fauquier to Aquilla Dyson,