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The earliest record we have for Aaron Pinson Sr is the first of his two Spotsylvania County, Virginia land grants dated 6 May 1727. There are no documents yet discovered proving where he was before, where and when he was born, or who his parents were. However, the date of the land grant proves he must have been born by 1706 at the latest, as he would have had to have been at least twenty one years old to receive the land grant. Generally he is believed to have been born about 1700 plus, or minus, a few years.
Aaron was probably the son of Thomas Pinson Sr (Pinson-864), a miller and possible millwright, of Lancaster County, Virginia. That theory is based on the fact that no record has been discovered for any other Pinson in Virginia, or surrounding states, of age to be his father. Also, Aaron was almost certainly the brother of Thomas Pinson II (Pinson-863), a miller himself, who lived in Prince William County Virginia, which was separated from Spotsylvania County only by the river Rappahanouk. If Aaron and Thomas Pinson II were brothers, then proof of paternity for one also fell to the other. For more on this topic consult the profiles Pinson-863, Pinson-864 and Pinson-883.
In Colonial Virginia, travel of any distance was by water. A year after building a fort at Jamestown in 1607, the English had sailed, or rowed, up the James, York, Rappahannock, and Potomac rivers to the Fall Line, where further passage was blocked. (GP4) The Fall Line is a region where the hard bedrock of the Piedmont region meets the soft sedimentary rock of the coastal Tidewater region to it's east. Differential erosion of the rock caused the rivers flowing east to Chesapeake Bay to drop as much as 100 feet in a relatively short distance, creating a series of rapids and falls. East of the Fall line, in the Tidewater region, the rivers would reach sea level and the rivers widen and slow, and the tidal surge would aid boat travel upstream.
In the Tidewater, colonists built their houses close to the rivers. They could roll heavy hogsheads of their cash crop, tobacco, from barns to wharfs on the rivers, and load the barrels directly onto ships headed to England and receive supplies in exchange. Largely because the Fall Line blocked ships from sailing further west, the English colonists remained in the Tidewater coastal plain for over a century.
By the 1720’s, towns were being built at the fall line of all the major rivers. Fredericksburg, at the fall line of the Rappahanouk River became the seat of Spotsylvania County in 1732. Into Fredericksburg passed the Kings Highway one of America’s few great roads. And at Fredericksburg the Fall Line Road branched off the King’s Highway and continued south to Brunswick County, Virginia and crossing the border into North Carolina.
Aaron Pinson Sr’s May 1727 land grant was for “280 acres on the North side of Nussaponock run near and by the falls.” (GP1) It was awarded him by Robert "King" Carter, Lord Fairfax’s land agent and the close neighbor of Thomas Pinson I (Pinson-864) in Lancaster County, Virginia. Historians claim that Carter made it a habit to favor friends and neighbors with such grants, but we have no proof that such was the case with Aaron. (GP6)
The May land grant stated that Aaron was a resident of Spotsylvania County prior to it’s issuance. A recipient normally located the property and petitioned for the grant or warrant. The land was then surveyed and the grant approved and issued. After receiving a grant, the settler was required to build a house and plant crops, within three years. If he didn’t, the land reverted to the issuer and could be granted to someone else. However, he could first sell the grant to someone else. (GP2) Aaron Pinson Sr. sold his 280 acre grant to Augustine Smith on 7 May 1728, a year and a day after it’s issuance. (GP3)
The location Nussaponock run (creek) has import in speculation about Aaron’s early movements. While the name was found on many land transactions for the next decade, it then seemed to disappear. We know it was quite close to the Rappahannock because of references on deeds and patents for neighbors Augustine Smith and Roger Oxford which place the two watercourses together (i.e. the Nussaponeck was a creek feeding into the Rappahannock River). Later deeds from former neighbors pointed to Massaponax Creek and one of many local fishermen’s names for Massaponax Creek was “Mussaponic Creek”. Change the “M” to “N” and you have Nussaponeck. Further confirmation came when I found a book on the history of the area, which stated “Nussaponnack Run is now called Massaponax Creek.” (GP10)
In 1720, an Iron works, commissioned by Virginia governor Spotswood, became operational near Massaponax Creek. A wharf was built at the mouth of the creek to unload supplies for the area's inhabitants and load products from the works to ship to England. By 1728, the Iron works employed 160 men. (GP9) Perhaps Aaron Pinson first migrated to Spotsylvania County to work there? Millwrights and blacksmiths worked together and often millwrights acted as blacksmiths to make the iron fixtures needed in grist mills. And we know that Aaron’s son John and nephew Joseph both worked as blacksmiths. Perhaps the skills were passed down from their fathers?
The location is important because it is east of the Fall Line city of Fredericksburg and still in the Tidewater region. Aaron Pinson would certainly have migrated to Spotsylvania County from down river and that is where his only logical origin, Lancaster County, Virginia is located. Aaron’s contemporary, Hugh Jones, described the Tidewater rivers scene in 1724: “Into these rivers run an abundance of great creeks or short rivers, navigable for sloops, shallops, long-boats, flats, canoes and periaguas. These creeks are supplied with the tide...so…most houses are built near some landing-place; so that any thing may be delivered …. with less trouble and cost, than to one living five miles in the country in England….”(GP8) Aaron Pinson could have traveled from a wharf in Lancaster County to the wharf at Massaponax Creek, shipboard with little effort, in just a couple of days. Furthermore, we know that the Massaponax Creek wharf was heavily trafficked because of the iron works.
Aaron Pinson Sr received a second Spotsylvania County land grant on 13 October 1727 for “202 acres “on the south side the North river of the Goardvine River.” (GP11) Like Nussaponock run, the Goardvine River is an archaic name and again I had to look at neighbors later transactions and local hints to derive it’s location. I found an old church cemetery named Goardvine in Culpeper County Va. and old deeds pointed to that area also. Then I found a Rappahannock County Virginia newspaper article concerning local history. Rappahannock County was formed from in Culpeper County in 1833, Culpeper from Orange County in 1749 and Orange from Spotsylvania County in 1734. The article discussed a 1731 land patent by a Francis Thornton II for land on the “the north river of the Gourdvine Fork” and stated that the Gourdvine is now called the Thornton River and the Gourdvine Fork is the land between today’s Thornton and Hazel Rivers. (GP12) Aaron’s Gourdvine land was far west and upstream of Fredericksburg and the Fall Line and into the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains.
Aaron Pinson held this land for a bit over three years and then sold it in 3 parcels in 1731: 50 and 101 acres were sold to John Ashley in 2 lots on 19 February and 2 October, respectively. The other 50 acres to Richard Johnson on 5 July 1731. On the two 50 acre parcel sales, Aaron’s wife Elizabeth (maiden name unproven) acknowledged her Dower Rights. The final sale of 101 acres was for 2500 lbs of tobacco. Aaron’s final known record in Spotsylvania County was witnessing a deed from Cottman to Farmer on 5 October 1731(GP13). However, we can be sure that Aaron lingered a bit longer before moving south, because he would have needed to liquidate the tobacco received in the last land sale and also would not have wanted to make a long trip in the dead of winter. He may have leased back his cabin on the last parcel sold until spring 1732. At that time he could have made the trip and still had time to plant crops and build a cabin on his arrival.
We know that by 10 October 1733, Aaron was settled in Brunswick County (later Lunenburg County), Virginia on the North Carolina border. On that day, Colonel William Byrd II visited Aaron at his cabin on Tewahominy Creek (later called Aaron’s Creek), per Byrd's journal. (GP17) While it’s probable that Aaron migrated from Spotsylvania County in the spring of 1732, we can also be fairly certain of his overland route. First, he would have traveled back down the Rappahannock River to Fredericksburg. There he could have bought supplies, perhaps a wagon and oxen, and then taken the Fall Line Road all the way to Brunswick County on the other side of the state. (GP14-16)
Aaron Pinson spent the final quarter century of his life living in the part of Brunswick County that would become Lunenburg County in 1746 and Halifax County in 1752. In 1764, Mecklenburg County was also formed from Lunenburg County and it is purported that Aaron’s Creek formed part of the dividing line between Halifax and Mecklenburg Counties.
Coincidences abound in genealogy and here's one for you: Colonel Byrd who visited Aaron Pinson in October 1733 was one of the wealthiest men in the colonies. His daughter, Maria Byrd, married Landon Carter, son of Robert "King" Carter, who granted Aaron Pinson land in May 1727 and who was a neighbor of Thomas Pinson I (Pinson-864) in Lancaster County, Va. Landon Carter owned land adjoining the Pinsons in Prince William (later Fairfax) County Virginia. (GP18). Placed by G. Pinson (Pinson-796) on 5/21/2021.
Aaron Pinson was one of the early settlers of Brunswick Co., Virginia (Lunenburg County in 1746). His will written 26 Dec. 1757, when he was less than 60 years of age, was probated 7 March 1758 and names his sons, Thomas and Aaron, as executors. He also names his son John and daughter Elinor. [1]
To my son Aaron Pinson 100 acres
To my son Thomas Pinson about 150 acres
To my son John Pinson about 150 acres
To my son Thomas Pinson - 1 grey mare and a bay horse and a cow and heifer. Said mare is the gift of his Godfather Christopher Ranbury
To my daughter Elinor Pinson - a horse and horse colt, and a cow and calf and heifer, they being the gift of her Godfather, Christopher Ranburry
To my son Thomas Pinson - 1 cow and calf, upon condition that he is to return 1 cow and calf to my grandson, Moses Grigg, upon the day he shall come of age. I give Thomas 1 bed and furniture whereon I am now lying.
After the expense of my funeral is discharged, whatever goods and chattels I leave behind me, may be equally divided among my children, after my worldly contracts are discharged.
Executors: my sons, Aaron Pinson and Thomas Pinson.
Signed Dec 26, 1757 - Aaron Pinson (A his mark).
Witnesses: Henry Phillip Hart, William Royster, Stephen Wiles
7 March 1758 Lunenburg County Court: proved by oaths of two witnesses. Certificate granted the executors and they entered into bond with their securities Richard Yancey and William Royster.
There are unsourced trees that indicate Aaron Pinson Seniors parents are Thomas Pinson and Sarah Stockbridge of Scituate, Massachusetts, such as Tim Dowling's Family Tree. They appear to be copied from one source. There are numerous problems with the theory, beyond the lack of evidence supporting it, including:
It's long been proposed that Aaron Pinson Srs wife was the daughter of Sven (aka Swan) Rambo Sr. This idea has been uncritically copied and pasted into a legion of on line pedigrees. However, there are several problems with this theory:
Summary: Unless someone has concrete evidence of Elizabeth Pinson's parentage, it's in doubt and should be claimed as a theory, not a fact. It is most likely that she was born in Virginia and married Aaron in Spotsylvania County or the county (probably Lancaster Co. Va.) Aaron occupied prior to that. The Rambos being in Pennsylvania prior to 1730 make this marriage hard to believe. Thoughts?
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Aaron is 24 degrees from Herbert Adair, 21 degrees from Richard Adams, 20 degrees from Mel Blanc, 25 degrees from Dick Bruna, 18 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 32 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 18 degrees from Sam Edwards, 16 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 17 degrees from Marty Krofft, 15 degrees from Junius Matthews, 16 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 17 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Categories: Estimated Birth and Death Date | Uncertain Family
Entering test results is easy. Just e-mail the project administrator, Dan Wharton, at [email address removed] and give him your test number and a brief description of your descent (Example: Aaron Pinson Sr of Lunenburg Va thru his son Thomas). Wikitree feels that the 37 marker test is the minimum needed for comparison and I agree. Anything over the next test up, 67 markers, is a waste of money though. FamilyTree DNA (FTDNA.com) runs sales on their Y-DNA tests regularly. Currently the project has only 1 proven descendant of Reverend Aaron Pinson (Me) and two projected descendants of Aaron Pinson Jr of Granville Co. N.C. However, one of the lines is uncertain. Hopefully, we can raise the numbers to 4, or 5, subjects in both the Lunenburg Va line and the Fairfax Va line (Reverend Aaron et al.). It's very important to get the oldest member of your Pinson line tested to get the most robust results.
Elizabeth (RAMBO) from Laurens County, South Carolina with his son Aaron Pinson 2nd and his wife Elizabeth Omohundro (WELLS)..." This shows he's got Rev. Aaron Pinson confused with Aaron Pinson Sr. of Lunenburg County Virginia. This guy is merely repeating misinformation that was debunked 40 plus years ago in the first Pinson quarterly by Loreita Hayden and her team of researchers. And where does he get Omohundro as a wife of Reverend Aaron's son Aaron Jr? We know Reverend Aaron's brother Joseph married Mary Omohundro in Prince William/Fairfax County Va. and the old allegation that Rev Aaron married her sister Elizabeth Omohundro was debunked, but now this guy passes the wife down to Reverend Aaron's son. And turning to the first page listing Reverend Aaron's issue is a son Henry. There is no record of a Henry Pinson anywhere near Reverend Aaron Pinson. Then he has Reverend Aaron Pinson's son Aaron Jr. having children's births alternating between Laurens and Spartanburg during the 1790's despite the fact that there is no record of this Aaron being in Laurens. He was in Spartanburg in both the 1790 and 1800 censi and a few years after that before going to Kentucky. But worse yet, in the middle of the 1790's he has daughter Cassandra being born in Fairfax County Virginia, despite the fact that the Pinsons left their 45 years before at about the time of her father's death. This book may have some value as a spring board for investigation of Aaron Jr's issue in Missouri, but even then it should be viewed with caution and nothing in it believed, because if the writer is making such fundamentally unsound statements, you can't believe anything in the book. Please do not reprint the errors in this travesty on Pinson profiles.
edited by Gary Pinson
1) "...his will indicates that he has not yet reached 60 years old in 1757. " (paragraph 1) 2) "His will written 26 Dec. 1757, when he was less than 60 years of age..." (paragraph 3)
Yet, nothing in the will transcription, on this page, makes any mention of his age. Ergo, either the two statements are baseless and should be removed, or the will transcription is inaccurate and/or incomplete, and should be corrected.
We can guess at Aaron's birth year based on another document, his land grant in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, which appears to be the oldest document in which he is known to have been named. Virginia law required a male to be at least 21 years old to acquire property other than by inheritiance. This proves Aaron was born by 1705, but probably earlier. From what's known of Aaron, it's most likely he was born sometime within the decade preceding 1705. So, 1700 is a good guess, plus, or minus, five years.
There are plenty of legitimate primary and secondary sources for this individual and descendant/researchers should list them. I've added 4 sources on 1/12/2021. Page managers can research and format them.
edited by Gary Pinson
1) No one knows this Aaron Pinson's birth year. 2) There is absolutely no evidence that he was the son of Thomas Pinson of Scituate Massachusetts and, in fact, there is evidence to the contrary. He was probably the son of Thomas Pinson who was living in Lancaster Co. Va from at least 1687 into the 1720's. That theory is not only plausible, but gains support from DNA evidence. 3) There is no proof, whatever, of any of this Aaron Pinson's siblings. He probably had a brother, Thomas, who had a mill on Popeshead Run in present day Fairfax county Va. That theory is also supported by both y-dna and autosomal dna evidence. 4) That his wife Elizabeth's maiden name was Rambo is a theory without absolute proof. May, or may not, be true.
About that same time, two younger Pinsons show in Virginia records. Another Thomas Pinson migrates westward, associated with a number of people who can be identified as neighbors of Thomas Pinson Sr of Lancaster. The Junior Thomas Pinson is shown in a number of records in Prince William (later Fairfax) County Virginia and has a grist mill on Popeshead Run. He is listed next to a Richard Omohundro on a 1744 voters list and the next year a Joseph Pinson weds Omohundro's daughter Mary. This Joseph and his brother Aaron (later termed Reverend Aaron) migrated south to Orange County in western North Carolina. They formed one branch of the Pinson family that is much confused with the branch descending from the Aaron Pinson on this page, who.... appears to have migrated from Lancaster Co Va south (simply because there is no other place for him to have come from in Virginia to Spottsylvania County Virginia where he is shown in various deeds acquiring land in 1727 and by 1731 disposing of said land and goods On 19 February 1731 he disposes of 2000 lbs of tobacco and 50 acres of land. On 5 July 1731, another 50 acres. His wife Elizabeth acknowledges her Dower on both deeds. This further identifies him, because not only is there no other adult Aaron Pinson in Virginia at that time, there certainly isn't another with a wife Elizabeth. In October 1731 he is the seller in two more transactions the first involving 2,500 lbs of tobacco and 101 acres and the second 50 acres. In 1733, the extremely wealthy Colonel William Byrd makes a trip to survey land on the Virginia/North Carolina border. He keeps a journal and in it he mentions a visit to Aaron Pinson who was living on Tewahominy Creek, which later becomes known as Aaron's Creek. So, it would appear that the Aaron Pinson of this page, arrived from Spotsylvania County to Brunswick (later Lunenburg) County Virginia sometime after October 1731, probably in the spring of 1732. By the time Byrd visited in 1733, Pinson had his cabin erected and already collecting quite a bit of dust, per the elitist Byrd. Therefore, any children born prior to 1732, would not have been born on "Aaron's CreeK" in Brunswick County. As to the two branches of Pinsons (1) Brunswick Aaron of this page and 2) Reverend Aaron & Joseph Pinson mentioned above), researchers were always convinced in the pre DNA testing days that they were related. We were "sure" that the Brunswick Aaron here listed was the uncle of the Reverend Aaron & Joseph Pinson, who migrated from Fairfax Va to Orange N.C. then Laurens S.C. We felt this for two reasons: 1) We could find only one rational source for the two lines.....the Thomas Pinson who was in Lancaster Virginia by 1687 and 2) The naming patterns of the two lines are too similar to ignore, especially in the males where biblical names, Aaron, Thomas, Isaac, Joseph etc are favored. Subsequently, Y-DNA testing validated the theory that the two lines were one, however there were few subjects who could prove their lineage to either line and had straight paternal Pinson ancestry (surname Pinson). However, autosomal DNA evidence overwhelmingly proves the case. I have bulletproof evidence of my descent from the Reverend Aaron Pinson of the "other line". Yet, I match as 5th-8th cousin with perhaps 20 people who can trace their ancestry to the Brunswick/Lunenburg Aaron Pinson on this page.
While there is no primary evidence that the two Virginia groups descended from the Thomas Pinson in Lancaster Va from 1687, or earlier, to 1722, or later, it is a plausible theory and the only likely one available. We know the two lines are one and we know the paths taken by Aaron of this page and Thomas Pinson of Prince William County Va. Occam' razor points clearly to Thomas of Lancaster County. Still there is no primary evidence, so If anyone lists him as father of Aaron Pinson (this page) of Brunswick Co. Va., they should append it with "probably".
I've never posted a profile for either Thomas Pinson, mill owner, from Fairfax Va, nor his believed father Thomas in Lancaster Co. Va. I have seen people trying to push a baseless case that one of the series of Thomas Pinsons (Father, son, grandson) who all lived and died in Plymouth Massachusetts was the father of the Aaron Pinson who migrated first to Spotsylvania Va, (by 1727) then to Brunswick County Va. My genealogical mentor, Loreita Hayden, published a bit on the Fairfax Pinson mill in the Pinson Quarterlies published by David Pinson of Texas about 40 years ago. David, like Jerry Taylor of Georgia who published Annals of Towns Co. Ga, was another protege of Haydens. Later I went back and studied the history and migration of people migrating west from Lancaster Va and found Pinsons proceeding with other surnames associated with Thomas Pinson of Lancaster. I put much of this in postings on the Pinson page of the old Rootsweb network about 20 years ago. I'd like to put this information on line, create profiles for the Pinsons and straighten out much of the confusion as to how the various Pinsons related to each other, or appeared to do so. I am much chagrinned by the constant confusion between the Pinsons, especially those 18th century Pinsons named Aaron and their wives. Unfortunately, I'm having some trouble getting it posted other than as comments. Thanks for your post. Question me anytime.