Samuel McSpadden (1756 - 1844)

Born 10 Oct 1756 in Augusta County, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Keyes) McSpadden — married 1782 in Virginia

Husband of Nancy (Harris) McSpadden — married 23 Oct 1799 in Jefferson County, Tennessee

Descendants

Died 3 Aug 1844 at age 87 in Jefferson County, Tennessee

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Biography

Samuel was born 10 Oct 1756 in that part of the central Shenandoah Valley that would become Rockbridge County, Virginia in 1777 to Thomas McSpadden and Mary Edmiston. Samuel served in the Revolution with Capt. Campbell's company in Col. Dickerson's regiment. ^[1]

According to one researcher, Samuel was married three times and his first wife was Polly Berry. ^[2]

After the Revolution, Samuel married in 1782 in Rockbridge County to Sarah "Sally" Keyes. They removed to Jefferson County, Tennessee in 1792 and had nine children, born in Virginia and Tennessee. After Sarah died, Samuel married 23 Oct 1799 in Jefferson County, Tennessee to Nancy Harris ^[3] and had eleven more children. Samuel operated a powder mill and provided gunpowder to US troops during the War of 1812, earning him the moniker "Gunpowder Sam." ^{[4] [5]}

Note: Unsourced information on Samuel's Find A Grave profile says Samuel's first wife died shortly after giving birth to their first child, but this does not track with research by Margaret Blackburn White.

Samuel appears in the 1830 census in Jefferson County at the age of 70-79, with his wife, age 50-60, two sons, age 20-29, one daughter, age 20-29, and one daughter, age 15-19. ^[6]

In 1840, at the age of 80-89, Samuel was apparently living with his son Samuel's family, including Samuel the younger's wife and three sons under the age of 10. ^[7]

Samuel's children, mentioned in his 23 Jul 1841 will, were:

1. Thomas, b. abt. 1784, d. by 1841 (deceased)
2. Elizabeth "Betsy," b. 10 May 1786, m. Allen Bryan, d. 23 Oct 1862
3. Jennie, b. abt. 1788, m. James Harris, d. by 1841 (to her heirs)
4. Sarah "Sally," b. abt. 1790, m. William Crookshank, d. aft. 1850
5. Darcus (aka Dorchas), b. 10 Feb 1792, m. John Henderson, d. 14 Sep 1869
6. Keziah, b. 10 Feb 1792, m. Benjamin Peck, d. 18 Aug 1829 (to her heirs)
7. Nancy, b. abt. 1794, m. John Love, d. aft. 1870
8. Margaret "Peggy," b. abt. 1796, m. Andrew L. Henderson, d. aft. 1860
9. Samuel Keyes, b. 30 Jan 1798, m. Martha Jane Henderson, d. 07 Jun 1883
10. Polly Berry, b. 13 Jul 1800, m. Anthony Caldwell (executor), d. 31 Jan 1888
11. Martha K., b. 27 Mar 1803, m. (different) Anthony Caldwell, d. 02 Feb 1863
12. Milton H. (executor), b. abt. 1804, m. Sarah Henry, d. by 1850
13. Easter (Esther?), b. abt. 1805, m. Silas Henry, d. aft. 1850
14. Alva, b. 21 Jan 1808, m1. Sarah Caroline Meek, m2. Catherine Newman, d. 13 Dec 1882
15. Emily Thankful, b 15 Jul 1812, m. Jacob Pickle, d. 12 Feb 1863

Based on White's research, the five children not mentioned in the will are presumed to have died without heirs before Samuel wrote his will.

Slaves

Five slaves named in Samuel's will were:

1. Jack - to Alva
2. Manning (sp?) (female) - to Liberia or to dau. Ester Henry
3. Blount (male) - to Liberia or to dau. Nancy Love
4. Stuart - to Liberia or to son Milton
5. Hannah - to Liberia or to dau. Thankful E. Pickle

Samuel was born in 1756. He was the son of Thomas McSpadden and Mary Stuart. He passed away in 1844.

Samuel was born about 1751. He is the son of Thomas McSpadden. ^[8]

No more info is currently available for Samuel McSpadden. Can you add to his biography?

Sources

1. ↑ Samuel McSpadden, DAR Ancestor # A076498
2. ↑ Ashworth, Battles, Carden, Cardon, McSpadden, Smith Genealogy, by Ron Thompson, 08 Apr 2006 citing Way Back When, by Anna B. McSpadden
3. ↑ "Tennessee State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VND6-SXS : 4 December 2014), Samuel Mcspadden and Nancy Harris, 23 Oct 1799; from "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2008); citing p. 30, Jefferson, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.
4. ↑ Becoming White, My Family's Experience as Slave Holders - and Why it Still Matters, by Margaret Blackburn White, AuthorHouse Publishing, 19 Mar 2009
5. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 12715970, Created by: Paul J. Lambert, Record added: Dec 17, 2005
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHP9-D15 : 18 August 2015), Saml Mcspadden, Jefferson, Tennessee, United States; citing 343, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 180; FHL microfilm 24,538.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHYG-93Q : 24 August 2015), Samuel Mcspaden, Jefferson, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 322, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 526; FHL microfilm 24,546.
8. ↑ Entered by Ralph Rogers, Sep 26, 2011

See also:

• The Historical Marker Database: Samuel McSpadden, near Dandridge in Jefferson County, Tennessee
• Rootsweb McSpadden-L Archives: Samuel "Gunpowder Sam" McSpadden, by Don2Jean@aol.com, 02 Jul 2002

Profile history:

• Created by Ralph Rogers, firsthand knowledge. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Ralph and others.
• To be added
• Ralph Rogers, firsthand knowledge. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Ralph and others.