McFall family researchers have been studying Cornelius McFall as a possible father for Great Grandfather Thomas McFall for at least twenty years. I have been among that group for quite some time. While I successfully gathered records for Cornelius, I have struggled to find any documentation linking Cornelius and Thomas.
So, in today’s blog, I’ll tell you what I know about Thomas McFall and hope you can help.
I first learned about him when I employed Mrs. Katherine Bushman, from Augusta County, Virginia to uncover my ancestry in 1991. She quickly traced my Great Grandmother Flora Belle (McFall) Joseph to James Addison McFall to David McFall to 4th Great Grandfather Thomas McFall.
Thomas was born about 1790 in Virginia and died February 3, 1854 in Augusta County, Virginia where he resided for many years. The Staunton Spectator and General Advertiser printed his death notice March 8, 1854.
DIED.
In this county, at his residence, on the 3d of Februa-
ry, Mr. THOMAS
McFALL, aged about 64 years. He
was formerly of
Albemarle, but had been a resident of
this county for the last thirty years.
To set the record straight, he had been an Augusta County, Virginia resident for more than thirty years. Records indicated it was forty-two years. I found him in an 1812 Augusta personal property tax list when he was a young man about 21-22 years old.
Thomas had documented
connections to Albemarle County, Virginia dating back to August 1814 when he
married in that county. A marriage bond dated August 23, 1814 declared his
intention to marry 4th Great Grandmother Nancy Hall, daughter of the
deceased James Hall.
By the way, Albemarle is
where Cornelius McFall lived as early as the American Revolution casting a
research trail that I would follow looking for a 5th great
grandfather.
Let’s get back to Thomas’ early life. As I said, he began appearing in the Augusta personal property tax lists in 1812. The 1815 Augusta County personal property tax list dated March 2 reveal Great Grandfather owned 1 horse, ass, mule, mare, or colt and 1 head of cattle.
The August 7, 1820 federal census enumeration found the Thomas McFall home in Staunton, Augusta, Virginia:
4 Free White Males Under 10: sons, James, John, William, and David
1 Free White Male - 26 thru 44: Thomas age about 30 years
1 Free White Female - 16 thru 25: wife
Nancy (maybe 20-24 years)
1 Person Engaged in Agriculture: Thomas
4 Free White Persons Under 16: 4
McFall sons
Free White Person - Over 25: 1 must be
Thomas
Total Free White Persons: 6
Total All Persons - White, Slaves,
Colored, Other: 6
1820 U S
Census; Census Place: Staunton, Augusta, Virginia; Page: 30; NARA Roll: M33_132
I have not been able to find the McFall’s in the 1830 federal census but know Thomas remained in Augusta County as I found him in the 1830 personal property tax list. During the 1820’s two more children were born—Mary Jane in 1821 and Isaiah 1825.
By January 12, 1832, Great Grandfather was a widower and married Ann Smith in Augusta County.
The 1835 Augusta County, Virginia personal property tax lists included Thomas as well as his eldest son, James McFall. James must have been 16 to 18 years old to be taxed on his own behalf. James and Thomas both were taxed in 1836. In 1837. Thomas’ sons John and David McFall appeared in the county tax lists. Thomas, sons David and William were taxed in 1839.
Augusta County was still home to the McFall’s per the 1840 federal census:
Name: Thomas McFall
Home (City, County, State): Augusta,
Virginia
1 Free White Male - 50 thru 59: Thomas
age about 50 years
1 Free White Female - 15 thru 19: Daughter
Mary Jane McFall
1 Free White Female - 40 thru 49: 2nd
wife Ann
1 Person Employed in Agriculture: Thomas
1 Free White Person - Under 20: Mary
Jane McFall
1 Free White Person - 20 thru 49: 2nd
wife Ann
3 Total Free White Persons: Thomas, Ann,
and Mary Jane
Total All Persons - Free White, Free
Colored, Slaves: 3
Year: 1840; Census Place: Augusta,
Virginia; Roll: 551; Page: 12; Image: 28; Family History Library Film: 0029684
The older McFall sons no longer lived with their father, but I was surprised to see the youngest boy, Isaiah (about 15 years) was not in Thomas’ home either.
The 1850 federal census:
District No. 2 and 1/2; Augusta
County, Virginia
Page 339a, Line 26, Dwelling 261, Family 267
Thos McFall age 58 male Farmer Value of Real Estate Owned $578 Place of Birth Virginia
Anne McFall age 59
female Place of Birth
Virginia Cannot read & write
After Thomas’ death, his widow Anne, initiated a chancery cause to have her dower rights assigned to his estate. The Staunton Spectator published details of the case in their April 25, 1855 issue:
VIRGINIA
;--At Rules held in the Clerk’s
Office of the Circuit Court for Augusta
coun-
ty,
March the 31st, 1855, Ann McFall, Samuel
Good
and David W. Riddle,--Plaintiffs,
AGAINST
James
McFall, John McFall, Catharine McFall
and
Margaret McFall, Hamilton McFall, James
McFall,
Stuart B. McFall and David McFall, in-
fant
children of David McFall, dec’d.,--Defen-
dants.
The object of this suit is to obtain an
assign-
ment
of dower for the plaintiff Anne McFall, the
widow
of Thomas McFall, dec’d., in the real es-
tate,
of which said Thomas McFall died seized
and
a partition or sale of the residue of said real
estate.
The
Defendants James McFall and John Mc-
Fall
not having entered their appearance and giv-
en
security, according to the act of Assembly,
and
the Rules of this Court, and it appearing by
satisfactory
evidence that they are not inhabitants
of
this Commonwealth: It is ordered that
the
said
Defendants do appear here within one month
after
due publication of this notice and answer the
bill
of the plaintiff and that a copy of this order
be
forthwith inserted in some newspaper printed
in
Staunton, for four weeks successively, and
posted
at the front door of the Court-house.
A Copy—Tests,
N. C.
KINNEY, Cl’k.
April 4, 1855—4w.—H. W. Sheffey, P. Q.
Thomas’ daughter, Mary Jane and husband James Dalton had already sold their interest in her father’s estate to Samuel Good prior to the chancery suit. The same was true of William McFall and his wife Susan in October 1854 when they sold their interest to David W. Riddle. Isaiah McFall predeceased his father dying in 1847.
The October 15, 1856 edition of the Staunton Spectator and General Advertisers reports on the pending Commissioner’s sale of Thomas McFall’s land.
COMMISSIONER’S
SALE.—By virtue of a
decree of the Circuit Court of Augusta
county,
rendered
on the 20th day of June 1856, in the case of
Ann
McFall, &c., vs. Catharine McFall, &c., I shall pro-
ceed,
on Tuesday, the 18th day of November next, to
sell
on the premises the TRACT OF LAND of which
Thomas
McFall died seized and possessed, lying in Au-
gusta
county, near Mt Pisgah Church, and containing
about
33 Acres. The improvements consist of a com-
fortable
DWELLING HOUSE and suitable out-build-
ings.
TERMS OF SALE:--Cash for the expenses of
sale and
reasonable
costs of suit; the balance in six, twelve and
eighteen
months; bonds, with good security, to be ta-
ken
for the deferred payments, and the title to be re-
tained
until the purchase money is paid.
HUGH W.
SHEFFEY, Com’r.
Oct. 15, 1856.—tds.
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