Eleanor (Barton) McPherson (abt. 1735 - abt. 1830)

Born about 1735 in Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of Richard McPherson — married 1753 in Colony of Maryland

Descendants

Died about 1830 at about age 95 in Virginia

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She could not have been born in Scotland, unless of course, Thomas took his wife Elizabeth to Scotland on a holiday. They were both born in Province of Maryland, America.

The f-a-g listed below gives her "Birth:1735 in Maryland Death: 1830 (aged 94–95)

Virginia, USA

Burial: Echols and McPherson Family Cemetery, Sinking Creek, Craig County, Virginia

Biography

Daughter of Thomas Barton

Whether Eleanor is a Barton, or a daughter of Thomas Barton, is purely supposition, based on the speculation of Lewin Dwinell McPherson. ^[1]He doesn't state it categorically, only speculates, on the basis that she and Richard named their eldest son Thomas, and that they named another son Barton. The only definitive information we have on Eleanor, is that she appears in the records of Fauquier County, Virginia with Richard in 1774, when they together convey 120 acres to Edwin Furr of Loudon County, adjacent to the land of Ephraim Furr. Witnesses included John Kincheloe. (Deed Book 6, p. 345)^[2]

It's very possible that, if Eleanor was a Barton, a not unreasonable line to pursue, she was originally from Virginia. First, two Thomas Bartons are recorded in the Prince William County tax lists in 1738.^[3] Fauquier was formed from Prince William County in 1759, which is also the first year that Richard McPherson is recorded in Fauquier - at its inception - as witnessing the will of Joseph Wright (will signed 5 Nov 1759, probated 1760, Will Book 1, p. 14).^[4]This is a good indication that Richard had been resident in Prince William before 1759, the time that Fauquier was formed from it.

It is also entirely possible that Eleanor Barton's family was living in Virginia at the time of her marriage or shortly thereafter, given the number of Bartons living in Fauquier and Prince William counties. That the family originally came from Maryland is certainly possible, but there is no definite evidence to indicate that she herself was born in Maryland or that Richard married her in Maryland. There are, in fact, more Bartons listed in Prince William and Fauquier counties during this time than in Charles or Prince George's counties, MD.

Interestingly, an Edward Barton of Stafford Co., Virginia acted as attorney for members of the Nevitt family in Maryland regarding a land transfer in 1703. This included a Richard Nevitt dec'd, and John Nevitt Sr and a John Nevitt Jr, all of Maryland and all names and relationships that appear in Richard McPherson's Nevitt ancestry. Prince William County was formed from Stafford - is it possible that this Edward Barton, familiar to the Nevitt family, is a progenitor of Eleanor Barton? This would imply an early connection between the Bartons and the Nevitt/McPherson/Tennison family.

Last items of interest are that a Henry Barton was living in Botetourt Co. in 1785, as were Richard, Daniel and Alexander McPherson. Also, a Thomas Barton was born in Botetourt Co. about 1795. Again, in the 1790s, there was a Thomas and a Henry Barton living in Sullivan and Grainger Cos., Tennessee, as were the McPhersons. Note that Richard and Eleanor named one son Henry, in addition to the Thomas and Barton already mentioned. This could be a case of near relatives migrating together - note that the Kincheloes did the same. It would be worth untangling these Barton relationships to see if they connect, and if they can be linked to the McPhersons.

Sources

1. ↑ Lewin Dwinell McPherson, Kincheloe, McPherson and Related Families, 2nd edition (Fairfax, VA: James Gordon Kincheloe, 1988), p. 150.
2. ↑ John P. Alcock, abstractor, Fauquier Families 1759-1799 (Athens, Georgia: Iberian Publishing Co., 1994), p. 243.
3. ↑ J. Estelle Stewart King, abstractor, Abstracts of Wills, Administrations, and Marriages of Fauquier County, Virginia 1759-1800: with Cemetery Inscriptions, Rent Rolls and Other Data (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1986), 73
4. ↑ Estelle Stewart King, abstractor, Abstracts of Wills, Administrations, and Marriages of Fauquier County, Virginia 1759-1800: with Cemetery Inscriptions, Rent Rolls and Other Data (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1986), 2

1. WikiTree profile Barton-916 created through the import of Weeks_Malcolm_James_Wonderly F.ged on Dec 9, 2011 by Deana Anderson. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Deana and others.
2. findagrave.com for Eleanor Barton McPherson