Compiled by Teresa
Martin Klaiber 2020
I
mentioned both George Marshall (1768-1827) and Thomas W. Peek (1788 – 1860) in
a blog post Happy Trails Too You[i]
August 2010. Thomas W. Peek was the
son-in-law of George Marshall.
September of this year I wrote about Thomas W. Peek’s parents simply
titled Francis Peake.
Thomas
W. Peek married Frances Marshall (1799-1872), daughter of George Marshall.
George Marshall married Nancy Ann Rossell and is often confused with another
George Marshall in Kentucky during the same period. George died 26 September 1827 in Caldwell
County, Kentucky. Nancy Ann Rossell/Roszell Marshall died 23 February 1822 and
is buried in the Old Pettit Cemetery in Caldwell County. She was the daughter of Dr. Nehemiah Roszell/Rossell
who died 21 March 1797 in the Northwest Territory (Historical).
George
Marshall (1768–1827) was the son of Merryman Marshall[ii]. Merryman has a lyrical tone to me. Merryman Marshall was the son of William
Marshall and Anne Hudson born in King George County then British America, now
Virginia.
I
have based my estimated birth of Merryman Marshall by utilizing William
Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England and two deeds dated 18
July 1753, Hanover Parish, King George County between William Marshall and Ann Marshall
(his mother) to Thomas Turner. The deeds are selling 123 acres with a release
of reversion of inheritance by Anne allowing her life rights. The land was her inheritance from husband
William, deceased, with eldest son William, in his late 20’s, and herself as
executors. The money was to be equally divided by 4 sons, one now deceased[iii]. The deceased son was brother Rush
Marshall.
The
grantee, Thomas Turner, was a vestryman in Hanover Parish and the year the deed
was made, a member of the House of Burgess. Turner died in 1757.
Hudson,
George and Merryman Marshall, were considered “infants” below the age of 21, under
English Law, when their father died in 1748. William and another brother, Benjamin were above
the lawful age. Under the law they could own property,
especially from inheritance, but could not resell it in their own right until
age 21.
Merryman
Marshall married Margaret “Peggy” Farguson, daughter of Joshua and Ann Markham
Farguson, in his early twenties. Five
children of this union have been identified by this compiler: Elizabeth[iv]
born about 1755; George[v]
1768; Reuben 1772; Jane[vi]
1774; and Susannah[vii].
After
his marriage, Merryman Marshall purchased 50 acres in Hanover Parish, bounded
by brother William Marshall, from Joseph and Mary Settle/Suttle, 11 November
1758.[viii] He paid 8 pounds current Virginia money. The second boundary described within the deed
mentions “Ame” Settle.
The
next year, Merryman Marshall was in court in King George County where he witnessed
the release of property sold to his brother George Marshall on 1 March
1759. The deed from Walter Anderson, which
was written 1 August 1758, excluded ½ acres of a burial ground with the
property bounding the glebe[ix]
of Hanover Parish.[x] Brother George Marshall had married
Merryman’s sister-in-law Ann Farguson.
Brother-in-law Joshua Farguson had deeded his sister Ann and George
Marshall 130 acres in King George County being the plantation whereon Joshua
Farguson, deceased father of Joshua formerly lived[xi]
in December 1753.
On
1 May 1760 both George and Merryman sold brother William Marshall portions of
their inheritance[xii] before
Merryman migrated to Orange County between May 1760 and October 1763. In October ’63, in Orange County, brother-in-law
Joshua Ferguson (aka Farguson) sold Merryman Marshall cattle, a feather bed…a
case of bottles, (& other sundry items) 13 pewter plates, tobacco, fodder,
corn and the lot of land where Joshua had resided[xiii].
By
1764/65 Merryman Marshall begins to appear in court orders in Orange County and
was involved in several debt cases Involving various individuals including John
Askew, Robert Pearson, and George Head. On the
4th of July 1765 Merryman and wife Margaret Marshall of Orange
County, Virginia sold the land purchased from Joseph Settle in King George
County, bounded by William Marshall and Thomas Smith to Amy Settle/Suttle for
twenty pounds[xiv].
Merryman
Marshall’s son, George[xv]
was born in Orange County in 1768. August, the same year, Merryman and “Peggy”
his wife sold 300 acres to Ludwell Grymes[xvi]. The digitized scan copy which this compiler
viewed is black and grainy making it very difficult to read. The land was near Piney Mountains. Piney
Mountains probably refers to the range that runs to Piney Mountain in Albemarle
County which borders Orange on its southwest line. Youtube has a folk song Piney Mountain
by Bruce Molsky that shows the range as he plays his fiddle which my readers
might enjoy.
The
indenture cites a patent, 28 August 1746, to Michael Pearson but is hard to
read. These 300 acres were surveyed by
Zachariah Taylor,[xvii]
deceased at the time of filing. In fact,
Taylor died 1 March 1768 and is buried in the family cemetery in Orange
County. One of the bounds described in
the deed is with Taylor whose home plantation was called Meadowfarm. Another bound is with George Head who Merryman
Marshall had a debt case with the year before, in 1765. Another debt case in
1765 involved Robert Pearson son of the patent holder Michael Pearson.
Just
to show how much our ancestors moved around from county to county (and beyond)
Merryman Marshall witnessed a deed in Spotsylvania County January 6, 1769
between Samuel and Mary Simpson of Albemarle County and Peter Marye of
Spotsylvania County[xviii].
Among the other witness’ to this transaction was James Marshall. James is the son of Lucy Marye and husband
Mungo Marshall.[xix]
Lucy was the daughter of Peter Marye cited in the indenture. Mungo was an early minister in St. Thomas
Parish, Orange County. He died in 1758 in St. Thomas Parish. Widow Lucy remarried Dr. Jason Marsden. Both she and son James Marshall
died in Culpeper County. At this writing
I have found no familial relationship with Merryman Marshall. Merryman Marshall next appears in Culpeper
County which lays on the northern border of Orange.
Merryman
Marshall is listed as in the military in Orange County in 1771 and by August 1771
is cited in Culpeper when Richard Vernon
describes property in a deed to Vernon’s
son-in-law William Roebuck…
“…to Cave's old road...cup the branch to Merryman
Marshall's line where it crosses the branch...along the old road to Mr.
Buford's corner...to Beautiful Run…”
Merryman
Marshall “of Culpeper” indemnified himself to his “beloved friend” Richard
Vernon who had given a money obligation on his behalf on 17 March 1771.
“I Merryman Marshall of Culpeper, planter for divers good causes me thereunto moving but more especially to keep indemnified my trusty and well beloved friend Richard Vernon who has layed himself under money obligations on my behalf in the way of bail and security...make over to Richard Vernon[xx] my negro boy named London and negro girl named Jude or Judith, to be by him sold to the best advantage he can at any time when he shall be in danger of distress on the accounts…further I do impower Richard Vernon to enter into any house belonging to me or any person under me where these negroes shall be kept or supposed to be kept or any ways secreted and lease and secure them for the purposes above...wit Richard Quinn, Anthony Deering and Wm Roebuck.”[xxi]This compiler has not yet found a case involving bail and security for Marshall and Vernon.
By 1781 Merryman is back in Orange
County. In February he was one of many
who petitions to repeal compulsory eighteen month service in the Continental
line. The petition was rejected.
In May he along with wife “Peggy” sold
Benjamin Johnson. of King George., a
plantation in Hanover Parish of King George containing 100 acres, it being land
that William Marshall Sr. purchased of John Ingland and devised to elder son
Benjamin Marshall. As with the other lands devised by the senior William
Marshall once a son was deceased it was to descend to the other issues. Merryman’s brother Benjamin died in July 1778
in King George county[xxii].
Merryman and Peggy’s son George
married Nancy Ann Rossell, 30 September 1787 in St. Thomas Parish, Orange
County.
The 1790 census schedules for Virginia
were destroyed during the War of 1812.
State enumerations made in 1783, 84 and 85 have been utilized in various
publications as a form of replacement.
The reconstructed list for a William Bell show Merryman Marshall with “6
white souls.” With George marriage in
1787 and Daughter Elizabeth married in
1789 it is unclear which year or years were utilized as a reference point for
the Marshall family.
Merryman Marshall is cited in a transaction, in December 1792, when
William and Mary Settles of King George sell James Edward land which included
lands Merryman had sold Amy Settles.[xxiii]
The Library of Virginia Chancery Index
shows Farguson vs. Marshall in 1794 in Orange County. We assume this involves
one of Margert “Peggy” Farguson Marshall’s brother’s. However “assume” is a dangerous word when
building a genealogy so I reserve any further comments until I can look at the
reel. The entry is mentioned as a
reference that the Marshall’s are still in Orange County in 1794. Son George along with Dr. Roszell and others
have migrated up through the Cumberland Gap into Scott County, Kentucky[xxiv] and appear on the
Scott County, Kentucky tax list[xxv].
With George gone and Elizabeth married
The remaining family prepared for more marriages in 1795. Daughter Susannah
marries William Taylor November 1795 in Orange County. Daughter Jane marries in December 1795
Thaddeus Blackerby.
In 1792 Madison County had been formed
from Culpeper County and the newly formed county now borders a northern portion of Orange County.
By 1797, according to researcher,
Debbie Vaughn, Merryman gave his son Reuben all his household goods in
Madison County, Virginia. In a letter to
this compiler she states she found the reference in Madison County “miscellaneous
records” at the Filson Club.[xxvi] I find both Meriman
(sic) and Reuben listed on the 19 April 1797 Madison Personal Property Tax
list. Meriman with one white male over
21 and one horse. Reuben only marked as a white male over 21. Reuben would be 25 years old.[xxvii] Then on October 27, 1797, recorded in the
Madison County Order Book, I find the following: “A bill of sale between
Merryman Marshall of the one part and Reuben Marshall of the other was produced
into court and proved by the oaths of John Mountague and James Merry Mountague
witness thereto and ordered recorded.”[xxviii] The actual bill of sale is in Madison deed
book 2 page 109. “Know all men by these presents that I Merryman Marshall of
Madison County …have bargained and sold unto my son Reuben Marshall of the said
county…two feather beds with their furniture…one chest, a bell, Mettle (sic)
skillet, two iron pots, half a dozen chears (sic), one frying pan, one griddle,
one table, three wooden water vessels, a parcel of stoneware and some pewter, a
tin coffee pot, pair of five tongues, two fat hogs for the sum of twenty pounds
lawful money. Recd. Of my son for the above
mentioned goods and do warrant and defend the above mentioned goods unto the
said Reuben Marshall from the claim…of any persons…this 26th day of
October 1797. Merryman Marshall. Teste John Mountague and James Merry Mountague
(by mark). At a court continued and held for Madison County on Thursday 26th
day of October 1794 this bill of sale from Merryman Marshall of Madison County
on the one part to Reuben Marshall of the other proved by John Mountague and
James Merry Mountague[xxix] and ordered to be
recorded. Teste John Walk Jr. clerk.” This compiler would hesitate to assume it
was all Merryman Marshall’s worldly goods since the son paid for the
items instead of receiving same for “love and affection.” But a transaction two
years later in Orange county would indicate that Reuben was caring for his parents.
Reuben files an agreement in Orange
County 27 August 1799, with his brother-in-law Thaddeus Blackerby to care for
his father and mother.[xxx] Reuben transferred
the following: one bay mare, one cow and calf, two feather beds, 15 head of
hogs, corn and tobacco, utensils, his household and plantation to Blackerby
stating Blackerby “undertakes on his part to support and maintain in a decent
and respectful manner the father and mother of said Reuben in board, cloathing,
and every necessary incident to their situation during their lives…”
Merryman and Peggy Marshall’s son Reuben
would migrate to Kentucky, and serve in the War of 1812.[xxxi] Daughter Jane and husband Thaddeus Blackerby
now have the responsibility of Merryman and Peggy Marshall. They also migrate to Kentucky. Son George is already settled in Scott
County, Kentucky. where we find Merryman Marshall listed as “exempt” on the
county tax list for 1811.[xxxii] Most over 65 are exempted by the courts and
Merryman is now 75 years of age.
The Blackerby family went ton Garrard
County and will later move to Lincoln County. Merryman will appear one last time (after
death) in the will of his son Reuben written 6 February 1856: “to my aged and
affectionate wife Catherine Elizabeth...(among other things) land warrant now
in my possession for my service in the War of 1812 calling for 120 acres...also
the unsettled claim which I have against the US for services of my father in
the Revolutionary War”.
Scott county Courthouse has had
several disasters, the first in 1837. Many pieces of deeds have been recopied,
transcribed and even include guesstimate dates.
As stated earlier, Merryman Marshall’s son George appears in Scott
County in 1794. He is cited in a wonderful
Kentucky Land survey involving the Denny’s and father-in-law Nehemiah Roszell.[xxxiii] Indexed under the Denny surname it was quite
an exciting find. George was still in
Scott county as late as July 1819 when he sells property[xxxiv] and migrates
westward, across the state of Kentucky to Caldwell county. He left son John W. and son Stephan his
attorney of fact in Scott county on two occasions. Nancy Ann Rossell/Roszell Marshall died 23
February 1822 and is buried in Caldwell County.
George then married Clara Wright the first of August in Caldwell County. They divorced in Fayette County in February
1826[xxxv] where
he then married Polly Connell. George
left probate records in Caldwell County and died the next year, 26 September
1827 and was buried next to his first wife in Pettit Cemetery.
Lyrical sounding Merryman Marshall
took me on trails leading through various counties of Virginia and a trek to
Kentucky. I suspect Merryman was named
for his grandmother Sarah who married William Marshall. I need to follow that trail. William married
a 2nd time after the death of his first wife to Ann nee Buckenham. Until we meet again, Happy Trails.
