Thomas Whitson (1732 - 1808)

Born 1732 in Overwharton Parish, Stafford County, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Lucy (Bell) Whitson — married about 1750 in Shenandoah Valley, Dunmore, Virginia [uncertain]

Husband of Mary Ann (White) Whitson — married about 1772 in Burke, North Carolina [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 1808 at about age 76 in Washington, Tennessee, USA

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Biography

Thomas Whitson was the eldest son of William and Margaret Whitson. Margaret's maiden name is unknown. She appears to be the only wife of William Whitson. Thomas was born ca 1732 in Stafford County, Virginia. In 1730 the Whitson's were still living on Austin's Run of Acquia Creek off the Potomac River. This was the location of the first Whitson land grant in 1694. William had grown up along the Virginia coast. He was a farmer. Only a few farmers owned a plow at this time, most were still using hoes as their fathers had before them. The Whitson family had the means of shipping tobacco and receiving goods directly from abroad.

Sometime after 1750 'Thomas, his parents, and his brothers John, William, Charles, James, George and Jesse moved to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. His sister Sarah had married .John Nelson in 1745 and they continued to live in Overwharton Parish until 1756. William settled on land between the north and south forks of the Shenandoah River west of Passage Creek in the area of Powell's Fort, Here they would learn a new way of life. With an abundance of wild game the pioneers supported their families by spending their time hunting. The boys became excellent marksmen at a very early age. Thomas married his first wife about 1750 in Shenandoah County, Virginia. He is listed on the Frederick County, Virginia Rent Rolls for 1759 and by 1769 he was in Burke County, North Carolina, where he witnessed a deed for land owned by John and Sarah White along the Catawba River. Thomas settled on land north of the Catawba River on Lower Creek. He served as a constable in Rowan County in 1772 along with three of his neighbors who lived "up the Catawa River". He was elected sheriff in Rowan County in 1774 and a member of the Congress held at Hillsboro in 1775.

Thomas Whitson and the McDowell family were neighbors in North Carolina and close associates. They had come from the same area of Virginia. Some speculate that there might have been a family connection between the two but no relationship has been established to date. Thomas' son William did marry Anne McDowell, daughter of "Hunting John" McDowell, and granddaughter of Charles McDowell.

Thomas was a Captain in the North Carolina Militia during the Revolution under Colonel Charles McDowell. He was also under McDowells command at a skirmish with the Cherokee Indians. It was during this skirmish on the north fork of the Catawba River that Thomas lost partial use of his arm and Captain Reuben White was killed.

It has been suggested by some descendants of Thomas that Thomas may have been related to the 'White family. William White was having financial difficulties and his brother Reuben White of South Carolina, bought his property and put the property in William's wife, Sophia's name for the benefit of the children. At that time, 1777, Sophia was living with General Charles McDowell. This is based on (file #1778) Reuben White to Sophia White and her children, August 20, "at Colonel Charles McDowell's house this date Alexander Cole witnessed deed of gift of 10 negroes, etc., from White to wife and children of William White." Wit: George Hickman in presence of widow of Reuben White and her father Erasmus Allen. On the 9th of May 1777, William Whitson, John "Whitson, William Faris (the schoolmaster) and Joseph Dobson Sr. were to appear at the next court to give testimony with respect to the Will of Reuben White deceased supposed to be secreted by William White his administrator. Then on the 8th of August 1777 Thomas Whitson, .John White (Whitson in May record ?), Joseph Dodson and William Faris were again summoned to court to testify about Reuben White's Will.

In 1779 Thomas was elected to the House of Commons. It was around this time that Thomas Whitson changed his allegiance and fought with the loyalist troops- he became a Tory. He served as a Captain under his friend and neighbor Colonel Veasy Husband. Colonel Husband operated the Loyalist militia in Burke County in the same manner as the patriots ran their militia. Colonel Husband is said to have commanded at least 800 men in Burke County. In the Pension application of William Lenoir he gives the following account: "In Mayor June 1779 information was received that the Tory Captain Whitson with a company was committing great deprivations on the waters of the Catawba. Lenoir was ordered with his Company and some others to march under Colonel Cleveland up Yadkin River and across the Catawba in quest of Whitson, Colonel Larkin Cleveland a brother of Colonel Benjamin was badly wounded by a shot from a high cliff of rocks supposedly from a Tory who made his escape. Captain Lenoir with a detachment of forty men well mounted was ordered to patrol the country between the Catawba River and the South Fork after Whitson which they did all night "without success".

Benjamin Whitson believed to be Thomas's son was sentenced to be hanged for the part he played with the tortes at King's Mountain. He received a reprieve probably due to his father's influential friends and family. Thomas Whitson is on the list of "Alleged Loyalist" living in Burke County, North Carolina in 1782 indicted by the State. If he was found guilty his property could have been confiscated. What action if any was ever taken against Thomas Whitson is not known. In May 1788 Thomas Whitson received several grants of land from the state of North Carolina totaling 500 acres situated along the Holstein River on Little Doe of Roans Creek in Washington County, now part of Carter County, Tennessee.

Thomas is listed in the tax list 1792 thru 1795 of Washington County along with a son John. Anny Whitson witnessed a land transfer for Thomas and might have been a wife. It is believed he must have had at least two wives considering the age differences between what is considered to have been his older children (William was born ca 1750) and the younger (John Whitson was born ca 1785). Nancy Whitson (Ann was nickname for Nancy) was received by subscription into Sinking Creek Baptist Church in Carter County, Tennessee in 1779. "A" Thomas Whitson married Tryphenia Williams in 1800- third wife'? He would have been sixty years old and not too old to father her two daughters: Lucretia and Ozina.

A Thomas Whitson was elected constable in Washington County in 1796. It is unclear which Thomas Whitson this was. The elder Thomas Whitson would have been a man in his mid sixties. He did have years of experience as a constable and sheriff in North Carolina.

Thomas's second marriage was about 1780.

Research Note

1. Captain Thomas Whitson was married 2 times- Mary Ann White was his second wife Believed to have had daughters that married into the Evan Heatherly and John Heaton families Lived in Rowan , North Carolina - Rowan later became Burke County. 2. In Burke County, North Carolina (Rowan) 1769 Through 1784, in Carter Co., Tennessee (Little Doe River) as overage untol about 1808. See also: 3. Resolution is needed on his date of death, which is given in the biography as 1808 and 1780. Neither date is supported by documents.

Sources

• Source: S-2112514024 Repository: #R-2144973299 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Note: This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created. http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=10086585&pid=1930
• Repository: R-2144973299 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com Note:

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Greg Hicks for creating WikiTree profile Whitson-189 through the import of Hicks-Davis Family Tree.ged on May 10, 2013.