Thomas Fortson (1742 - 1824)

Born 1 May 1742 in Caroline County, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Rachel (Winn) Fortson — married about 1764 in Caroline County, Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died 15 Feb 1824 at age 81 in Elbert County, Georgia, USA

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Biography

Lieutenant Thomas Fortson served with Orange County Militia, Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

Thomas Fortson is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A041335.

Thomas was born in 1742. Thomas Fortson ... He passed away in 1824.

Birth

Birth:

Date: 1 MAY 1742

Place: Caroline County, Va

Notes

Information taken from "A Family History of Lt Thomas Fortson (1742 - 1824") by John Wright Boyd 1973

Born a month or two before his fathers death.

The Will of Rev. Soldier Lt. Thomas Fortson, Jr. is recorded in Will Book 1822-1825, pages 269-270, probated 13 Mar 1824.

Will

^[1]

"In the name of God Amen, I, Thomas Fortson, in the county of Elbert and state of Georgia being of present mind and sound memory and calling to mind the uncertainty of human life do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following

"First, I commit my soul into the hands of God trusting in his mercy and in the merits of my redeemer for the redemption of my sins and my body I committ to the earth to be buried at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named. And as to my temporal estate I bequeath and dispose in the manner following, to wit, The whole of my estate both real and personal except what is hereinafter excepted to be equally divided between the heirs of my son Benjamin Fortson deceased one distributive share. My sons William, Jesse Fortson, Richard Fortson and my daughters Elizabeth Gibbs and Millie Willis, share and share alike. To the said heirs of my son Benjamin Fortson deceased, my sons William Fortson, Jese Fortson, Richard Fortson and my daughter Elizabeth Gibbs and their heirs forever and to my daughter Millie Willis for and during her natural life and at her death to be equally divided between her surviving children--sons and daughters share and share alike. My will and desire further is and I do hereby give and bequeath unto my daughter Millie Willis, over and above her equal share as afore said all that parcel of land supposed to be seventy acres situated in said county of Elbert beginning at Durrett Stodgehil line and running down to the road leading from Fortson's bridge on Beaverdam Creek to Elberton on the west side of said road and adjoining the said Millie Willis to have and to hold for and during her natural life and at her death to be equally divided between her children, sons and daughters, share and share alike.

"My will and desire further is that my faithful two old negro slaves to wit Cate and his wife Rachel have the privilege of choosing their master in the family and the person so chosen be bound to take them at the appraised value of three disinterested persons to be chosen by my Executors but in the case the appraisers should consider them of no value, but a charge, then will pay what compensation the master so chosen should have out of my estate, provided he will agree to take charge of them. And I do further desire that my faithful servant named Chany should receive out of my estate the sum of fifty dollars in money for her faithful services and attention to me during my last illness.

"And lastly I do constitute and appoint my son Richard Fortson Executor to this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former Wills by me made. To witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the twenty-fourth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four. Signed sealed and acknowledged before us, and by Thomas Fortson to be his last Will and Testament. The day and date above written.

Thomas Fortson (Seal)

R. M Carter

Benejah Houston

John J. Carter"

The above Will was proved on 4 March 1824 by Robert M. Carter

and John J. Carter and was recorded on 13 Mar 1824 by Job

Weston, C.C.O., Elbert Co., GA.

[Submitter's notes: Lt. Thomas Fortson, Jr.'s name appears on

the DAR monument to Revolutionary Soldiers in Elberton, GA.]

Submitted by: Chandler Eavenson

Note: Joined the Army of the Revolution in 5-24-1780 and served as a lieutenant in Captain Edward Shackleford’s Company.

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA with the rank of LIEUTENANT. [http:/services.dar.org/members/dar_research/search_adb?action=full&p_id=A041335 DAR Ancestor #: A041335].

http:/www.frankgillispie.com/familytreeid1.html

Thomas Fortson Jr. 5-1-1742 to 2-15 1824. Joined the Army of the Revolution in 5-24-1780 and served as a lieutenant in Captain Edward Shackleford’s Company.

In 1782 he and Rachel were living in Orange County, Virginia with a family of eight whites and six servants. In 1774 he had leased from William Stanard for twenty-one years a farm plantation on the west side of the south branch o f the Rapidan River in Orange County. In 1785 they were living in Orange County with a family of nine whites. He had furnished supplies for the Revolutionary Army and in 1780 was appointed a lieutenant in Captain Edmund Shacklefor d's company. He and Rachel must have moved to Georgia by 1792, when Thomas Carter deeded to Thomas 330 acres on Beaverdam Creek in that part of Wilkes County that became Elbert County in 1790. They lived in the Ruckersville area o f Elbert County and were members of Vann's Creek Baptist Church. One record gives the name of the Fortsons' Elbert County home as Gatewood. They were slave owners, and he has been described as a man of education, culture, and unus ual refinement. He was justice of the peace during the period 1790-1805. His will, dated 24 Jan 1824, was probated in Elbert County 13 Mar 1824 and is reprinted at pages 61-62 of Boyd's family history. His estate, including ninete en slaves, was valued at $6,942.68. Thomas and Rachel were second cousins as their great grandfather was Capt. John Winn.

Gedcom sources

• Ancestry Family Tree 894511

• Ancestry Family Tree 1586493

• American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. Ancestry.com 1999. Original data - Godfrey Memorial Library. American Genealogic al-Biographical Index. Middletown, CT, USA.

• Ancestry Family Tree 2808503

• Georgia Marriages to 1850 Dodd, Jordan Ancestry.com

• Ancestry Family Tree 18474

• Virginia Census, 1607-1890 Ancestry.com 1999.
• Ancestry Family Tree 33599746 Residence place: Orange County, VA
• Ancestry Family Tree 920335

• 1820 United States Federal Census Ancestry.com 2009. Year: 1820; Census Place: , Elbert, Georgia; Roll: M33_8; http:/trees.ancestry.comrd?f=sse&db=1820usfedcenancestry&h=1455865&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt Residence date: 1820 Residence place: Elbert, Georgia, Unit ed States 1,7734::1455865.

• Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution http:/trees.ancestry.comrd?f=sse&db=flhg-registervarev&h=338504&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt 1,48423::338504.

• Roster of Revoloutionary Soldiers in Georgia Vol. I Ancestry.com 2006. Original data - McCall, Mrs. Howard H. Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004. http:/trees.ancestry.comrd?f=sse&db=flhg-rosterrevsoldiersinga1&h=91690&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt 1,49320::91690.

• Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850 Ancestry.com 2004. Original data - Chalkley, Lyman. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settleme nt in Virginia, 1745-1800. Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County. Baltimore http:/trees.ancestry.comrd?f=sse&db=varecords_ga&h=42266&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt 1,7832::42266.

• Heads of families at the first census of the United States taken in the year 1790. : records of the state enumerations, 1782 to Ancestry.com 2005. http:/trees.ancestry.comrd?f=sse&db=genealogy-glh46544253&h=99&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt Residence date: 1782-1785 Residence place: Virginia, USA

• Ancestry Family Tree 16348594

Sources

1. ↑ Fair, Marielou Roach, Roach, Roberts, Ridgeway and allied families N.P., [Mansfield] [La.], [1951?] Accessed 24 Oct 2016 at HathiTrust HathiTrust Pages 179-180

• Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [1]

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed Nov 4 2022), "Record of Thomas Fortson", Ancestor # A041335.