Thomas Gwaltney (abt. 1804)

Born about 1804 in Virginia

Ancestors

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Biography

Thomas Gwaltney was the son of James Gwaltney and Polly Davis.

His father, James Gwaltney, died in 1813 and left children who "were under the age of 21 in 1819."^[1]

"The Appraisement of his estate was made Dec. 13, 1813 by Simmons Gwaltney, Josiah Holleman, Moreland Delk. Wife Mary Gwaltney.... Inventory filed Dec. 5, 1818. (W.B. 15-194)...^[1]

"(Will Book 15, page 256): James Gwaltney's account current with Simmons Gwaltney, administrator. Paid Mary Gwaltney, guardian of Winnifred Gwaltney, Josiah Gwaltney, William Gwaltney, Thomas Gwaltney, and Benjamin Gwaltney. June 7, 1819. Paid Mary Gwaltney her proportion of the estate. Paid John S. Gwaltney, by his receipt, $91.90. Estate was settled June 19,..."^[1]

Research Notes

Estimated Date: James Gwaltney's children were under 21 when he died in 1813. In the 1819 accounting of his estate, his wife Mary was named guardian of their five children, meaning they were all born after 1798. Assuming that the children were listed in the record from oldest to youngest^[1] and that they had one child about every 2 years, Thomas would have been born about 1804.

1850 Census: Possibly for his household, in Isle of Wight County, although FamilySearch has it attached as a source for a different Thomas Gwaltney.^[2]

• Thomas Gwaltney (43), born in Virginia^[2]
• Virginia Gwaltney (25), born in Virginia^[2]
• Ann M Gwaltney (8), born in Virginia^[2]
• Josiah T Gwaltney (5), born in Virginia^[2]
• James M Gwaltney (2), born in Virginia^[2]

Of interest, the household of Elizabeth Holliman (31), with Nancy T Holliman (9), is a near neighbor (dwelling 576; the Gwaltneys are 579).^[2]

Find a Grave: An unsourced memorial for Thomas Gwaltney (1812-1866) is attached as father of Josiah (born 1845), who died 9 March 1865 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.^[3] Text on Josiah's profile says that he was admitted to Chimborazo Hospital, No. 3, in Richmond, Virginia on 28 February 1865 and that he died of "Intermitted Fever". It also included what appeared to be from the 1860 census, which led to the image in FamilySearch:

1860 Census, Eastern District, Isle of Wight, Virginia; Post Office: Smithfield (Dwelling Number: 418 / Family Number: 418)^[4]

• Thomas Gwaltney (47), born in Virginia
• Virginia Gwaltney, Spinster (36), born in Virginia^[5]
• Ann M Gwaltney (18), born in Virginia
• Josiah T Gwaltney (15), born in Virginia
• James M Gwaltney (12), born in Virginia
• Robert A Gwaltney (8), born in Virginia
• Nicholas O Gwaltney (4), born in Virginia

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} John Bennett Boddie, Historical Southern families (Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore, reprint 1967), page 117 (two Google Books snippet views of the page - this one and this one, listing their children - and a partial image of the page shared by Joe Snow).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} "United States Census, 1850", Isle of Wight County, Virginia, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8DW-GZ4 : Fri Mar 08 14:43:56 UTC 2024), Entry for Thos Gwaltney and Virginia Gwaltney, 1850.
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #95295544 for Josiah T. Gwaltney (accessed 14 April 2024).
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch, Virginia > Isle of Wright > Eastern District > image 54 of 149; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
5. ↑ Probably not the traditional definition of spinster. See https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/463889/why-would-all-wives-in-an-1860-census-be-listed-as-spinster