Fauquier County Tapscotts - James Tasco Tapscott

 James Tasco Tapscott, Cordelia's first-born child, was born in Fauquier County 4 Sep 1856, While the name “Tasco” is extremely rare, it is not unknown, though it is more often seen as a surname, rather than as a given name. And the name is found among inhabitants of Fauquier County. James’s name is also seen as “Tascon” and “Tascow” in census records, probably owing to enumerator error. Many family historians have assigned him the name “Tasker,” even though James is seen in no contemporary record with that name.

On 27 Apr 1892 in Fauquier County, “Jas T. Tapscott” married Mary E. Colvin, daughter of James and “Aleatha.” Performing the ceremony was Mark Russell, who had married Cordelia’s cousin, Mary Frances Tapscott, and who, it is claimed, fathered several of Cordelia’s children.

“Aleatha,” born c1830 with the last name “Preston,” is given the name “Aletha,” “Lette,” “Letha,” “Alethea,” “Alertha,” “Lethia,” “Leitha,” and “Lizzie” in various records. “Aletha,” with a middle name “Ann,”is most likely correct, the other names being nicknames or mistakes. Mary Colvin had been born April 1865 in Fauquier County to James and Aletha, who were most likely never married. That James was white and Aletha was colored made marriage illegal at the time in racist Virginia.

James Tasco Tapscott and Mary Colvin had but one known child, Ruth Winford Tapscott. Born 23 May 1893 in Fauquier Co, Ruth married Harvey Ellsworth Redmon on 6 Nov 1915 in the District of Columbia. Harvey, whose ancestors were probably named “Redmon,” but whose six known children were given the name “Redman,” died in Manassas, VA, on 18 Nov 1946. Ruth lived to age 90, passing away in Woodbridge, VA, on 5 May 1984.

Our next blog will look at James Tasco’s second marriage.