Fauquier County Tapscotts - John Tnomas and Reburta

My previous blog showed how Reburta Tapscott and John Thomas Tapscott were first cousins once removed. But a Fauquier County cousin emailed me and said tne chart was confusing. Perhaps it was the representation of a vertical tree using a horizontal chart. I have redone it and added a lot. It may be more confusing now. I also added a 1700s British flag to Henry to show that he is the only England-born person in this chart. This was done because my cousin pointed out that many trees show Elizabeth Perciful as born in England. She was not. 

Years ago, Roberta Estes, a well-known genetic genealogist said  “Proof is not, not, 1000 times not someone else’s tree.” And over the years, I have found that to be correct. The multiplication of errors by “family historians” copying each other without hint of reliable sources is appalling. Elizabeth was born in Virginia, not in England. We have absolute proof of that. Numerous reliable records (not trees) show that Elijah was living in Virginia both before and after Elizabeth’s birth. Tax records and deed transfers show that her father, Elijah, was living in Lancaster Co Virginia in the years before she was born. Surely, he did not go to England so that his daughter could be born there and then immediately come back. And Elijah’s will names his daughter as “Betsey who into married with Tapscott” (Elizabeth was often called “Betsey”). So we know that he was her father. Moreover the 1850 census show that Elizabeth was born in Virginia, not England. A Gallaudet article stating the Tapscotts were from England is more or less correct since the first Virginian Tapscott was from England. Henry Tapscott arrived from England in January 1700, and his descendants through his great great grandughter Harriet formed many of the Fauquier Co Tapscotts. The Fauquier Co Tapscotts, at least those descended from Harriet, were indeed from England because that is where their ancestors had lived. But none of the Fauquier Co Tapscotts were born there.