John Pendleton
(c.1691-c.1775)
by Becky Dixon-Messier
July 20, 2000
From records found by
Becky Dixon-Messier and David E. Pendleton
To understand these records you will need an understanding of the Virginia Counties during this time frame. Our ancestors are shown in many different counties, is this from moving, changing of county boundaries or the formation of a new county from an existing county or counties. We may never know the answer to this question, we can just speculate about this.
Our direct ancestor, John Pendleton was the second son born to Philip Pendleton and Isabella Hurt. There is probably less known about John and his descendants than his two brothers, Henry and Philip Jr. John's birth has been placed around 1691 in King and Queen Co., Virginia.
[King and Queen County was formed in 1691 from New Kent County. King and Queen County was named for King William III and Queen Mary. It is located in the Middle Peninsula of Tidewater Virginia with its county seat at King and Queen Court House close to the Mattaponi River1]
The first record that I have found for a John Pendleton is in Essex County, Virginia. John Pendleton is listed in the Quit Rent Roll of 1715. He is listed as having 200 acres in this county. John would have been about twenty-four years old in 1715. I believe that this is John, the second son of Philip Pendleton, because in 1715 he was the only John Pendleton known in Virginia at that time. Henry Pendleton and Mary Bishop Taylor's son, John, was not born until about 1719. Philip Pendleton Jr. to the best of my knowledge did not have a son named John and he did not start having children until about 1720.
[Essex was formed in 1692 from Rappahannock County and was probably named after Essex County, England. It is located in the Tidewater area of Virginia with its county seat of Tappahannock is located on the banks of the Rappahannock River2]
Although no marriage record has been found, it is believed that John Pendleton married Mary Tinsley, daughter of Thomas Tinsley3 and Sarah Jackson, around 1719 probably in Essex County. This date has been given by early genealogist as to the marriage of John Pendleton and Mary Tinsley. Gottschalk and Nicklin4 in their research named only one son, William of Amherst County for John Pendleton and Mary Tinsley. In the early work by Dr. Philip Slaughter "Genealogical and Historical Notes on Culpeper County, Virginia," again William is the only child given to John Pendleton and Mary Tinsley.
The early works of genealogist placed Henry Pendleton and Mary Pendleton Waller of Spotsylvania in families without being proved. Henry Pendleton had been placed in the family of Philip Pendleton Jr. and Mary Pendleton Waller had been placed in the family of Philip Pendleton, son of Henry Pendleton and Mary Bishop Taylor.
The basis for the placement by Gottschalk and Nicklin of Henry Pendleton
at the time was:
1) They were looking for an alternative Philip as the father of Henry because
earlier genealogist claimed it was Philip son of Henry, grandson of Philip
the immigrant.
2) Benjamin Pendleton, known son of Philip, Jr. was found in Spotsylvania
at this time.
Not having excess to the records we have today it was a good guess based
on the evidence at hand.
Henry and Mary have been proved to be siblings by a deed recorded in Orange County---"land left to him to go after his decease to his sister Mary Waller," recorded in 1742.
The parentage of Henry Pendleton and Mary Pendleton Waller was proved with the publishing of the following book "The Kay-Pendleton-Neel Families' by George and Margaret Rose, published by J. Grant Stevenson, Provo, Utah, 1969. "This new evidence was called to our attention by Mr. George H. S. King whom we had previously commissioned to do research upon this family. Mr. James Robert Pendleton, acting postmaster at Spotsylvania, showed Mr. King a book of devotions which appears to have been printed about 1742/43. This book was the possession of Henry3 Pendleton of Spottsylvania County. It has several significant entries; in one place appears the note, "Henry Pendleton, his book, June 19, 1789." Another entry reads "Henry3 Pendleton, son of John2 Pendleton and Mary, his wife, was born the 19th of February 1723." To this has been added, "died the 6th of April 1818." The effect of this entry is to establish John2 Pendleton (1691-1776) who married Mary Tinsley, probably daughter of Thomas Tinsley, as the father of Henry3 Pendleton of Spottsylvania County. This notation was, no doubt, entered by Henry3 Pendleton and serves to correct the oft repeated error which assigned Henry3 Pendleton of Spottsylvania to Philip2 Pendleton."
From this new evidence we can conclude that John Pendleton and Mary Tinsley had at lease three known children. They were William Pendleton of Amherst County, Henry Pendleton Sr. and Mary Pendleton Waller of Spotsylvania County.5
William Pendleton (1720-1779) is believed to be the first child born to John Pendleton and Mary Tinsley. He probably was born in Essex County, were his father is shown to have had land in 1715. William married his cousin Elizabeth "Patsy" Tinsley about 1748. Elizabeth was the daughter of Edward Tinsley and Margaret Taylor of Amherst County, Virginia. Elizabeth and William Pendleton are mentioned in the will of her father Edward Tinsley. William Pendleton and Elizabeth Tinsley had thirteen know children. They were named in William Pendleton's will dated January 2, 1774 in Amherst County and probated November 1, 1779 in the same county. The children named were Benjamin Pendleton, James Pendleton, Edmund Pendleton, Richard Pendleton, Mary Pendleton, John Pendleton, Reubin Pendleton, William Pendleton, Sarah Pendleton, Franka Pendleton, Isaac Pendleton, Betta Pendleton. Although Margaret "Peggy" Pendleton is not mentioned in the will of William or in a Land Grant to the heirs of William most researchers believe she was one of his children. I believe that the reason for her being named as his daughter comes from her marriage bond in Amherst Co. VA which shows John Mehone, surety. Consent of Peggy, who signed as "Elizabeth Pendleton". This John Mehone is probably the husband of Sarah Pendleton one of the heirs named in Williams Pendleton's will.
Six sons of William and Elizabeth are listed among the Minute Men of Amherst County, Virginia.6 "On June 21, 1781, they were ordered into service by Daniel Gaines, viz: Benjamin, John, Richard, Edmund, Reuben and William." This raises question to the accuracy of the research on William Pendleton Jr. of Amherst County. If the date of birth for William Jr.(1772) is correct he would have only been about nine years of age in 1781 and therefore to young to have served in the Revolutionary War. There are two posibilies to this question; William was born closer to 1760 or this is was another William and mistaken for William Jr. the son of William Pendleton Sr.
After the Revolutionary War some of William and Elizabeth's children begun to venture West, while others remained in Amherst Co., Virginia. Elizabeth Pendleton, widow of William, James, Richard, and John are listed in the 17877 census of Amherst Co., Virginia. Reuben was married by 1787 but is not listed as head of household in Amherst Co. for the year 1787, he may have counted in the household of someone else or he was missed.
In the 1787 thru 1800 personal property tax list for Russell Co., Virginia a Benjamin and Edmund Pendleton can be found. While residing in Russell Co. the family of Benjamin Pendleton was attacked by Indians. His wife Frances Carter Pendleton and daughter Frances were killed on August 23, 1791 during the attack at Moccassin Gap/Clinch River. His son Reuben was also wounded in the attack.
Deeds have been found in Russell Co. which name a Edmund Pendleton and wife Margaret. At this time there were no other known Edmund Pendleton with a wife named Margaret. It looks like they both, Benjamin and Edmund, settled in Russell County about the same time.
I do not know for sure where Edmund Pendleton moved to after he left Russell Co. The next record for Edmund Pendleton was found him in Tennessee. In the History of the Pendleton Family8 written by George C. Pendleton, a great grandson of Edmund, he writes the following, "It is believed he was a physician and was killed by a bear in a cane-brake while going to see a patient in Wilson Co., Tennessee about the year of 1820."
So far no marriage record has been found for Edmund Pendleton and although no records have been found naming Edmunds children. Researchers have given Edmund at lease five children; Sarah, Lewis, James, John and Benjamin (my direct ancestor). I have only found early records for two of Edmund's children. John and Benjamin are listed in the Warren County, Tennessee census for 1820 and 1830.9 John and Benjamin are found in the 1840 census of Cannon County, Tennessee. It is believed that they were living in the part of Warren County which became Cannon County in 1836.
John (1777-1858) and his wife Rachael (Lucas) remained in Cannon County, Tennessee as did most of his children. Benjamin (1784-bef. 1856)10 and his wife Ann (Elkins-Brown) removed to Greene Co./Christian Co. Mo about 1851 with most of their children. Several of John and Benjamin's children removed to Texas.
Although I have found no records connecting Sarah, James and Lewis as the
siblings of John and Benjamin. I have found a Lewis Pendleton who removed
Greene Co. Missouri. This Lewis Pendleton was born in 1765 and he was living
with his daughter Margaret Pendleton Walker and her family when the 1850
census was taken. There is a James Pendleton living next door to David Walker
and his wife Margaret. It is not know if James was a son of Lewis and therefore
a brother to Margaret Pendleton
Walker.11
If the 1850 census for Greene County, Missouri is right and Lewis was 85
years old it is unlikely that he could have been the son of Edmund Pendleton.
Edmund would have only been about eleven years old when Lewis was born in
1765.
I have found no proof that Lewis Pendleton, Margaret Pendleton Walker
and James Pendleton are a part of Edmunds family. I believe researchers are
only speculating that Lewis is the brother of John and Benjamin because he
appeared in Greene County, Missouri about the same time as Benjamin.
The second child of John Pendleton and Mary Tinsley was Mary Pendleton born
about 1722 probably in Essex County. She married Edmund Waller, Oct. 18,
174012,13 in Spotsylvania Co., Virginia.
Five children of Edmund Waller and Mary Pendleton were named in the will
of Edmund's father, John
Waller, 14 they were John, Benjamin,
William Edmund, Mary and Leonard James Mourning Waller.
The third child of John Pendleton and Mary Tinsley, and the second son, was Henry Pendleton, Sr. Henry was born Feb. 19, 1723/24 probably in Essex County and died April 6, 1818 in Spotsylvania Co. Virginia. He married Martha Curtis, Jan 18, 1946/47, daughter of Rice Curtis and Martha Thacher. Martha Curtis was born Feb. 7, 1729/30 and died after 1784.
Although Henry lived all most all of his adult live in Spotsylvania County, we first find him living in King William Co.15 as proved by a deed " Henry Pendleton of King William Co. and Martha, his wife, to James Dyer of Caroline co. £27 curr. 70a. In St. Geo. Par., spts. Co. (joining lands of Zachary Lewis, Daniel Prewitt, John Shirley and Nicholas Horn), and part of tract purchased by sd. Pendleton of George Wookroof, and known as Woodroofs Ordianary, ets. No witnesses, May 1, 1750".16
From other deeds be find that by 1752 Henry was living in Spotsylvania County. "Rice Curtis, Junr., of St. Geo. Par., spts. Co., to Henry Pendleton of same Par. and county. £5 curr. 151 a. in St. Geo. Par., Spts. Co. No witnesses. June 2, 1752".17
Several children of Henry Pendleton and Martha Curtis remove to Kentucky and many of the next generation removed to Missouri.
(See the line of Henry Pendleton Sr. at the Pendleton Website hosted by David E. Pendleton)
**********
1. Land and Heritage in the Virginia Tidewater: A History of King and Queen
County by Barbara Beigun Kaplan, 1993.
2. Settlers, Southerners, Americans, The History of Essex County, Virginia
1608-1984 by James B. Slaughter, copyright Essex
County Board of Supervisors, 1985.)
3. "The Tinsley family, Jamestown and Beyond" Internet Site by Joe Downing
and Angela Feenerty.
4. "The Pendleton Family" by Mrs. Katherine Cox Gottschalk, Washington, D.C.,
and Major John Bailey Calvert
Nicklin, Chattanooga, Tenn.
5. Spotsylvania County was formed from the western frontiers of Essex, King
& Queen and King William Counties in
1721
6. Hardesty's Historical Encyclopedia, Virginia Biographical Sketches,
by R.A. Brock.
7. "The Personal Property Tax Lists For the Year 1787 For Amherst County,
Virginia" by Netti Schreiner-Yantis and
Florence Love; Genealogical Books in Print, Springfield, Virginia
1987.
8. History of the Pendleton Family, by George C. Pendleton. April 3, 1912.
9. 1820 Census: Warren County, Tennessee, page 9
1830 Census: Warren County, Tennessee, Benjamin page 312, John
page 299.
10. Greene County, Missouri Probate Records; Will Book A:68
Letters of Administrations were issued on 5 December
1856 to Thomas Pendleton for the estate of Benjamin
Pendleton. Bond was
given by Thomas D. Pendleton, A.A. Pendleton and C. Roberts
11. 1850 Census: Greene County, Missouri, Finley Township, page 310
12. Spotsylvania County, Virginia: Marriage License 1726-1744
W. G. Stanard, William and Mary College quarterly Historical
Papers, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Jan., 1893) pp. 139-140.
p. 140 from 1735 to 1767, minister of St. George's
Parish, Spotsylvania
13. Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Will Book F p. 85
14. Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Will Book B (1749-1759) p. 10
15. King William County was formed from the area on the southwest shore of
the Mattaponia River of King and Queen
County, Virginia.
16. Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Deed Book D, 1742-1751, pg. 182
17. Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Deed Book E, 1751-1761, pg. 189
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