Priscilla Jones (Jones) Washburn (1756 - 1839)

Born 14 Jan 1756 in British Colony of Maryland, North America

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 8 Jan 1839 at age 82 in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

Priscilla Jones was born January 14, 1756^[1] in St. George Parish, Baltimore, Maryland. She was the daughter of Jonathan Jones (2), b. 28 April 1719 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland and Martha Farmer, b. 7 January 1716/7 in Maryland (who were married 14 May 1778.)

Priscilla married Gabriel Washburn. These are their known children:

1. Rhoda Washburn, b. 5 March 1780 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
2. Martha Washburn, b. 1781 in Rutherford County, North Carolina, m. Alexander Gilbert Harrill Sr., ca. 1796 in North Carolina, d. ca. 1864
3. Elizabeth Washburn, b. 1782 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
4. John Washburn, b. ca. 1783 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
5. Mary Washburn, b. 1784 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
6. Sarah Washburn, b. 3 March 1785 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
7. Reuben Washburn, b. 25 March 1787 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
8. Margaret Washburn, b. 28 July 1788 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
9. Rev. Gabriel Washburn Jr., b. 14 November 1789 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
10. Josiah Washburn, b. ca. 1790 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
11. Lurana "Laurany" Washburn, b. 5 December 1794 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
12. Susannah "Sucky" Washburn, b. 8 October 1796 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
13. Priscilla Washburn, b. ca. 1797 in North Carolina
14. Abraham Washburn, b. 23 May 1798 in Rutherford County, North Carolina
15. Thomas Washburn, b. ca. 1800 in Rutherford County, North Carolina

Priscilla passed away on January 8, 1839 at the age of 82 in Cleveland County, North Carolina. and was buried in the Washburn Family Cemetery in Lattimore, Cleveland County, North Carolina.^[1]

Research

More than a few hours trying to figure out this woman's birth name and marital history. On the one hand, some records tend to indicate that her given name was Priscilla Jones McSwain, a descendant of the McSwain family well known in North Carolina before the Revolutionary War. On the other hand, some records tend to indicate that this woman was born Priscilla Jones, born (presumably) in Maryland, who married a McSwain in North Carolina before she married Gabriel Washburn. This is all further confused by various allegations of her birth place and parents. I have yet to see any record I would take as presenting the presumed truth of the matter. Until such time as somebody comes up with some sort of reliable proof (based, presumably, on some still-existing 18th century documentation or a later copied record thereof) I will not render my own judgment upon this issue. I think both sides have a number of good arguments. But there is no basic disagreement that Priscilla was the wife of Gabriel Washburn and the mother of at least most of Gabriel's children (the Find-A-Grave memorial for Gabriel indicates that Gabriel's family Bible tends to indicate 2 children were by a first wife; which has caused me to correct dates of birth for the two woman so identified by other sources). The person who seems to have the best evidence for Gabriel and Priscilla says this about her: Spouse: Priscilla Jones (b. 1/14/1756 in St. George Parish, Baltimore, Maryland - m 5/14/1778 - d. 1/8/1839 in Rutherford County, NC)

Originally shared on Ancestry in 2015 by William Schultz.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70959669/priscilla-jones-washburn: accessed 30 March 2023), memorial page for Priscilla Jones McSwain Washburn (14 Jan 1756–8 Jan 1839), Find a Grave Memorial ID 70959669, citing Washburn Family Cemetery, Lattimore, Cleveland County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Beth Kalal (contributor 47287594).

• "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V121-ZZV : 13 March 2018), Priscilla Washburn, 1845; citing Cleveland, North Carolina, United States, State Archives, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 1,769,316.
• https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/273432-the-hamrick-generations-being-a-genealogy-of-the-hamrick-family?viewer=1&offset=0#page=137&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q= The Hamrick generations : being a genealogy of the Hamrick family] Author: Stephen Collins Jones. Publisher: Shelby, North Carolina : S.C. Jones, 1920. Page: 140 & 156.
• Baltimore County families, 1659-1759 by Robert W. Barnes (1939) Maryland Genealogical Publishing Company, 1989, page 371

See Also: Ancestry Family Trees (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Database online.