Gabriel Loving Sr. (abt. 1725 - abt. 1790)

Born about 25 Jun 1725 in Powhatan, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Clara (Bond) Loving — married 1745 in Powhatan, Powhatan, Virginia

Descendants

Died about 1790 at about age 64 in Wilkes, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

Gabriel Loving was born about 1725 in Powhattan County, Virginia. His parents are unknown. Some researchers, believe Gabriel to be the son of Thomas Loving, of Powhatan County, Virginia, however, no proof is available at this time (April 2019). Circumstantial evidence indicates that Gabriel witnessed a conveyance in Amherst County by Thomas Loving to the heirs of Mary Loving.^[1]

He was married about 1745 in Powhatan to Clary Bond. Their possible children are as follows. THIS NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED.

1. Thomas Loving, born c. 1750 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.; died 13 February 1827 in St Clair County, Alabama; married Polly Stroup c. 1771.
2. Elizabeth Loving, born c. 1752 in Burke, North Carolina (VA); married John Fox 19 July 1781 in Wilkes, North Carolina.
3. Gabriel Loving, born c. 1760 in Burke, NC (VA); died 1855 in Franklin, Arkansas; married (1) Mrs. Gabriel Loving; married (2) Polly Sumpter; married (3) Rachell Sisk 27 August 1781 in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
4. John A. Loving, born c. 1765 in Burke, North Carolina; died WFT Est 1775-1864; married Lory Estes c. 1787.
5. William LOVING, born c. 1765 in Virgina; married Lucy Loving c. 1793.
6. James Loving, born 1766; died WFT Est 1752-1853.
7. Anna Loving, born April 28, 1766 in Wilkes, NC; died WFT Est 1767-1860; married William (Colonel) DAVIS November 15, 1780 inWilkes, NC.
8. Hannah Loving, married John Allen.
9. Mary Loving, born May 26, 1769 in North Carolina; died 20 January 1849 in Hopkins County, Kentucky.
10. Abigail Loving, born November 19, 1774; died 1855 in Franklin, , AR; married Ebenezer Bourland.
11. Milly LOVING, born 1776; died in Franklin, , AR; married Allen Thomas 1796.

The Loving Family in America

Excerpts from "The Loving Family in America" ^[1]

Gabriel Loving probably grew up in that fertile region called the Valley of Virginia, where many members of the Loving family settled in first years of the 18th century, This area, watered by the south fork of the Shenandoah River, the James River and the Staunton River, Included parts of Augusta, Frederick, Botetourt, Berkley, Dunmore, Rockbridge and Rockingham counties. Legend says he was a son of Thomas Loving of Powhatan County, Virginia, and some circumstantial evidence will be offered in support of the legend. Legend also fixes his birth in the year 1725 and his death in 1790. The name of his wife has been sought for decades without success. The number of his sons and daughters was ten and their names will be set forth in a later paragraph.

Documents pertaining to Gabriel himself are hard to find and the one most often passed around among Loving researchers is the land grant record issued by the State of North Carolina to Gabriel Loving in the year 1779.

A photocopy of this land grant has been provided by Mr. Raymond Lovan of Fresno, California, an avid genealogist who has pursued Gabriel and his kin for many years. The original may be examined in fhe Land Office of North Carolina. It bears file number 21 and the date "third day of March in third year of our Independence and in the year of Our Lord One thousand Seven Hundred and seventy nine." This style was copied from English and European documents which often carried dates from the beginning of the reign of the ruling monarch.

The land grant was a standard printed form with certain information filled in by the clerk in pen and ink. The land in question, two hundred and thirty four acres, was granted to Gabriel Loving..." for and in consideration of the sum of Fifty Shillings for every hundred acres...paid into our Treasury by Gabriel Loving." It lay on the North side of the Yadkin River, adjoining land owned by John Parkes. The paper makes no mention of Gabriel's wife, who may have been dead by 1779. An order to the State Surveyor requesting a survey of Gabriel's land "without delay" bears a date of 28 September 1779 and indicates that G. Loving was at that time living on the land in question. These two documents fix Gabriel Loving geographically and chronologically in North Carolina in September 1779. He was fifty four years old and all the ten children may have been born by this time. (The youngest, Milly, was married in 1796. She could have been born after 1779.)

Legend says that prior to settling in North Carolina, Gabriel had lived in South Carolina for a time, and that his two daughters Mary and Abigail were born in South Carolina. No proof can be provided here, but it may have been true. A similar legend exists in the Bourland family -- that they migrated from Augusta County, Virginia to South Carolina and then moved north again to North Carolina. The Bourlands and the Lovings settled near each other in the Yadkin River area of North Carolina and Mary and Abigail Loving married Bourland brothers, John and Ebenezer.

Two documentary entries in the records of Amherst County should be examined for the circumstantial evidence mentioned earlier which tends to link Gabriel to the mysterious Thomas Loving of Powhatan County, Virginia. The first one, in Deed Book F, page 84, is a statement appointing John Loving to assist in settling the estate of Mary Loving "late of King William County" and sister to John Loving of Amherst County (deceased). It is signed by William Loving, clerk of Court, Amherst County.

The second entry, also in Deed Book F, page 119, bears the date 31 October 1786, just 29 days later than the first entry mentioned above. Both have to do with the settlement of the estate of Mary Loving, and this second entry deals with Thomas Loving's selling all his rights to any interest he may have in the estate of Mary Loving "my deceased sister" to William Loving and his heirs for the sum of twelve shillings. This summarizes what otherwise is a tedious legal statement of these basic facts.

The substance of these two entries is of little consequence to the historian. What matters is that the first entry establishes a family connection between "Old John" Loving of Amherst County and Mary Loving of King William County, and the second one establishes a family link between Thomas Loving of Powhatan County and Mary Loving of King William County. It appears, then, that Old John, Thomas and Mary were children of the same father, whose name never appears anywhere. That is the first conclusion drawn, but it may be erroneous, for the first statement also mentions that Mary Loving had a son named Isham Loving, and this leads one to think that by "sister" the court clerk may have meant "sister- in-law" -- an error often made in court writings.

Entry number two, dated 31 October 1786, is most important to the story of Gabriel Loving, for Gabriel is listed as a witness to the statement made by Thomas Loving, who made his "X" after renouncing his claim to Mary's property. The entry ends with this statement: Signed Sealed and Delivered in Presence of: John Loving John Loving, Junior Gabriel Loving

Witnesses for such matters were chosen, carefully and deliberately, from the family. John Loving and John Loving, Junior, were son and grandson of "Old John" Loving. Gabriel Loving was, it is logical to assume, a witness on behalf of his father, Thomas Loving. These were the closest living kin of Mary Loving, whose estate was being settled. It was a matter of some importance to the families involved, for Gabriel, living in Wilkes County, North Carolina, would not make the long journey to Amherst County, Virginia for a trivial matter. Gabriel was then in his sixty first year and he may have come back to attend the funeral of Mary, his aunt, and to visit with his father, Thomas. Yet another clue seems to bear out the link between Gabriel and Thomas -- he named his first son Thomas. While none of this is legal proof, it serves as a foundation for the belief that Thomas Loving of Powhatan County was father of Gabriel Loving.

Copies of the two entries discussed here were submitted by Miss Helen Harriet Patton of Salt Lake City, Utah, along with her reflection that Gabriel "could be a son of Thomas Loving" and her comment that Mary Loving may have been a sister- in-law rather than a sister to both John Loving and Thomas Loving. We are inclined to agree with Miss Patton's logic for we respect her long experience in Loving history.

The ten children listed below may not have been all the family of Gabriel. He may have had children we have not discovered yet. These children and their offspring have been assembled into a coherent "tribe" by May Read after almost three years of analysis of all the thousands of letters and family sheets submitted by Loving kinfolks all across the United States. The record is not 100% complete, but it will serve as the basis for future research.

Residence

Date: 1784

Place: Wilkes, North Carolina, USA^[2]

Date: 1790

Place: Wilkes, North Carolina, United States^[3]

Research Notes

Some researchers believe that he was married to Rachell Sisk of Saint Peters Parish, Talbot, Maryland. But no sources have been found to validate that claim. So far it appears to be a misguided assumption claimed in various unsourced trees in Ancestry.com, My Heritage, GENI etc.

• The parents listed for this individual are speculative and may not be based on sound genealogical research. Sources to prove or disprove this ancestry are needed. Please contact the Profile Manager or leave information on the bulletin board.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Reed, Carl and Reed, May. The Loving Family in America. published in 1981
2. ↑ Data: Text: Record for Gabrill Loving http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=statecensusnc1784&h=13100&indiv=try
3. ↑ Page: Year: 1790; Census Place: , Wilkes, North Carolina; Roll: ; Image: Note: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1790usfedcen&h=204990&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt Note: Data: Text: Residence date: 1790 Residence place: Wilkes, North Carolina, United States A

• U.S. War Bounty Land Warrants, 1789-1858 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.Original data - U.S. Revolutionary War Bounty Land Warrants Used in the U.S. Military District of Ohio and Relating Papers (Acts of 1788, 1803, and 1806), 1788-1806;