y-DNA

I have ordered an upgrade from 67 markers to 111 markers for my y-DNA testing to obtain more accurate assessments of possible relationships with subjects who do not bear the Tapscott surname (in particular Bolding/Bowlin/Bowling and Stone) but who have close matches at 67 markers. Since some of these have undergone a 111-marker test, we should be able to get immediate and more reliable comparisons. Testing at a higher number of markers is needed since the predicted haplogroup of those being compared is the exceedingly common R-M269 (R1b1a2). It is indeed unfortunate that when it comes to our y-DNA, we Tapscotts are commoners.

I am increasing my search for individuals bearing the Tapscott name in Canada, Australia, and England or descended from the New Jersey Tapscotts to undergo y-DNA testing.

For more information, those following this blog may wish to see the website http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Tapscott/

Tapscott Name

What's in a Name?

What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet.

~William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

The Tapscott name and its variations first appear in the middle 1500s, almost fifty years before Will S. wrote his famous lines. The earliest Tapscott records are found in Southwest England, the “West Country,” which encompasses the counties of Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Cornwall, and the City and County of Bristol. The name emerged shortly after 1538, when Thomas Cromwell, the Vicar General under Henry VIII, decreed that Anglican clergy should record in a book all christenings, marriages, and burials for the preceding week after each Sunday service in the presence of the churchwardens. Before then the few records made were written on loose sheets, which were almost always lost.

The second syllable of “Tapscott” almost certainly comes from Old English (OE) “cott” (related to Old Norse “kot”), meaning a small hut. From this origin come the words “cottage” and “cot.” Early English place names with the suffix “cott” were attached to humble settlements, often small farmsteads, and were frequently compounded with a personal name, probably that of an early tenant. “Tapp” is a county name, originally found almost solely in Devon and Somerset. The standard singular OE possessive ending was usually “s” or “es” (no apostrophe). Eventually the location of Tapp’s cottage or farmstead (“Tapps cott”) would become known as “Tappscott,” and names such as “William of Tappscott” would become “William Tappscott,” an early variant.

Today, no place name in the Somerset/Devon area remotely resembles the name “Tappscott,” other than Tippacott (near Lynton at the far west side of Exmoor) and Tascott, both in Devon. The latter neighborhood, which is occasionally listed with North Petherwin near the Cornwall border, is named after a local family rather than the converse. Any “Tappscott” settlement has disappeared in the mists of time. “Tapps,” a manor of Baldwin de Brionne in Devon, is listed in the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, and a cottage, farmstead, or small settlement associated with this manor could have become a place name source for “Tapscott,” though there is no evidence of this.

Many West Country names have derivations similar to that described here—”Nethercot” (lower cottage/farm, from OE “nether”), “Westcott” (west), “Estcott” (or “Estcot,” east), “Prescott” (priest, from OE “prēost”), “Woolcott” (or “Wolcott,” stream, from Middle English “wolle”), and “Chilcott” (from the OE name “Ceola”). A common name source, however, does not necessarily mean a common bloodline. Unrelated persons may have been associated with a settlement, farm, or cottage known as “Tappscott,” and more than one location may have had this designation. Nevertheless, the Tapscott name arose in a limited area, for relatively few individuals, who may have been related.

Trees

Great news. Today I found that "One World Tree" generated by Ancestry.com has been discontinued. Ancestry.com "stitched together" trees submitted by users to make "One World Tree." "One World Tree" was then being used as a "source" for information in family trees which were then used to create One World Tree. A vicious cycle promulgating massive errors. You may ask what this has to do with the Tapscott family. As of today, Ancestry.com has 156 trees posted showing Henry Tapscott, the immigrant, having a father Edward. Most of these also show his mother as Elizabeth Hill. Of course there are no reliable sources for any of this fiction, but the source most often cited is "one World Tree." Unfortunately, it is now impossible to stop these errors. In a few months time there will be many more than 156 trees, all copying each other with the same (or more) misinformation. I am going to repeat what I have said in the past and what is now in the draft of the second edition of my book:

It is often stated that three Tapscott brothers, including an Edward Tapscott, came to America in 1659.[i] Edward is said to have lived in Virginia until 1730[ii] (in Northumberland County according to many), to have married an Elizabeth Hill,[ii] and to have had a second wife, Ann Lee Davis,[iii] though others state that Ann Lee Davis (sometimes just Ann Lee) was Henry Tapscott’s wife. It is also claimed that Edward was Henry’s father and came to America with John and Lawrence Washington.[iv],[v] No primary or reliable secondary source is provided for any of these statements, and none has been found. Many of the claims are, in fact, nonsensical, placing Henry’s father, whatever his name may be (“Edward,” an exceedingly rare Tapscott name, is unlikely), in America at the time of Henry’s conception in England, and having Edward Tapscott live in Northumberland County until 1730 without his name appearing on a single contemporary record in that well-documented county. Moreover, as we will see, upon Henry’s arrival in America, a letter was sent his mother requesting permission to indenture Henry as a servant. Why would there have been correspondence with Henry’s mother if his father was with him in Virginia? The fact is that Henry Tapscott traveled to the New World alone, without father or any other relative. And there is no reliably documented connection with an Ann Davis or an Ann Lee. I apologize for the polemics, but the truth demands to be told.

---

[i].         “Historic and Genealogical Notes,” William and Mary Quarterly, Ser. 1, Vol. 8, No. 3, 1900, p. 209.

[ii].        Mary Louise Marshall Hutton, Seventeenth Century Colonial Ancestors, Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., 1983, p. 247.

[iii].       Ancestry.com family trees.

[iv].       Ancestral Records and Portraits, Vol. 1, The Grafton Press, New York, 1910, p. 313.

[v].        Higdon, pp. 1, 3.

DNA and the Bolling/Bowling/Bowlin/Bollin/Bolding Surname

yDNA results from the Tapscott DNA Project show a very close paternal genetic relationship between at least some individuals with the surname Bolling/Bowling/Bowlin/Bollin/Bolding and the Tapscotts tested. Despite extensive research using classical means (i.e., paper) I have been unable to find a connection. The relationship is so strong that it appears that a major Tapscott progenitor had a father named "Bowling" (or variant thereof), or the converse. This could have happened either here (both families are from Virginia) or before arrival in America (both families are British). As you all know, the earliest Tapscotts arrived from England in New Jersey around 1690 and in Virginia in 1700. Of course it is possible that the connection between the two families occurred prior to the common use of surnames (i.e., prior to 1400). I am searching for a connection.

Probate of Will of William Tapscott of Daviess County

William was apparently alive in July 1826 when a letter was written him by James Madison ("James Madison to William Tapscott, 29 Jul 1826," James Madison Collection, Founders Early Access, University of Virginia Press.), but had died by 11 Dec 1826, when his will was probated (Probate, will of William Tapscott, Daviess County, Kentucky, Will Book A, 1815-1842, p. 58, Microfilm Roll 702067, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky.). A transcription of the probate court record has been posted in the Tapscott surname message board.

Will of William Tapscott of Daviess County

During my recent research trip, I found a microfilm of the will of William Tapscott of Daviess County. William was a son of Capt. Henry Tapscott and Margaret Stott. I have put an exact transcription of the will on the Tapscott Board at Ancestry.com. Will of William Tapscott, Daviess County, Kentucky, Will Book A, 1815-1842, p. 57, Microfilm Roll 702067, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky. The will was probated at a 11 Dec 1826 Daviess County court. Probate, will of William Tapscott, Daviess County, Kentucky, Will Book A, 1815-1842, p. 58, Microfilm Roll 702067, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky.

Monica R. Sanowar

While on the road during my recent Tapscott research trip, I received a telephone call from Selby Tapscott, a descendant of Harriet Tapscott, the originator of many of the Fauquier County (Virginia) Tapscotts. He called to tell me of the death of his first cousin (once removed) Monica Sanowar. (Monica passed away 4 Oct 2013, her obituary appeared in the Washington Post today, 13 Oct). Monica, whom you may know by her moniker "yelothndr," was a very early contributor to Tapscott family history discussions. In particular she passed on a lot of first-hand information (or at least family tales) about the Fauquier County Tapscotts. She and I did not always see eye to eye (I believe her GGG Grandmother Harriet Tapscott to be a daughter of James and Elizabeth Percifull Tapscott, she did not), but I always found my discussions with her infinitely interesting and informative. In recent years, Monica had gotten increasingly involved with DNA Genealogy, American Indian culture, and the manufacturing of her hot sauces, Yellow Thunder being one. I am truly sorry to hear of Monica's death. She was a universal person with involvements in and opinions on everything. Monica, you will be missed.

Trip

Traveling through Kentucky and North Carolina researching Tapscotts. Spent two days at the Kentucky Dept for Libraries and Archives. Great place and I may have to go back for a week. They have every record from every county on microfilm, but almost nothing on the internet. Spent two days in Daviess county KY, where William Tapscott, son of Capt. Henry, lived. Mary Frances and I are now in Glasgow KY, our location for the next three full days for exploring Barren, Green, and Casey counties (and a little of Allen). My GGG grandfather, William the Preacher, spent his later life in Green. Henry, his son, my GG grandfather, spent his childhood in Green and married there, then moved to Barren for a few years around 1830, before going on to Indiana and then Illinois. Three of William's sons (William Stewart, George Rice, and Richard) moved to Casey County from Green. Richard later went to Marion County KY. I'll let you know what I find on this trip when I have a chance to digest it and look at my notes.

Henry C. Tapscott and Robert C. Tapscott

I have posted this also on Ancestry.com to see who reads what.

It is often stated that Robert C. Tapscott, son of Edney and Sarah (Windsor) Tapscott had the middle name "Conway," a name that he used in Caswell County, NC, but not after moving to Missouri. One often cited record (Property for Methodist Episcopal Church, 28 Aug. 1828, Caswell County, North Carolina, Deed Book Y, pp. 61-61) which names a "Conway Tapscott" as a grantee. But this was certainly not Robert C. Tapscott, who would have been at most 14 years old in 1828 (1850, 1860, 1870 Missouri censuses) and could not have been a grantee. Moreover Robert C. had no known Conways in his line. On the other hand, Henry C. Tapscott, son of Henry and Nancy Tapscott and first cousin of Robert (through his mother, Nancy) was 28 years old in 1828 and had a paternal grandmother who was a Conway. I believe that Henry C. was probably the "Conway" in the 1828 transaction (along with his close relatives, brother James and uncle John). I know of no evidence for Robert having the middle name "Conway". I am requesting comments on or arguments against this.

Second Edition

I am now working furiously on the second edition, which I am expanding to include the fourth generation (in America) for all Tapscott descendants. Of course a large number, with interesting stories, go even farther towards the present than that.

I run into a big problem with William the Preacher, born 24 Jan 1764 in Cumberland County, Virginia, died about Mar 1837 in Green County, Kentucky, son of Edney Tapscott. In spite of the fact that I am his direct descendant (GGG grandson) and have extensive information about his military service and even his own personal life, I know next to nothing about his family. A major problem is that Buckingham County court records were destroyed by a fire in 1869, and it was there that William is believed to have started married life. Only one plat book survived, although some lost wills and deeds were rerecorded later. William is said to have married Winifred Cobb and to have had five children: Henry, William Stewart, George Rice, Richard, and Winifred; however, no original or even contemporary secondary sources have been reported. We know a lot about the four boys, but nothing that says their father was William. No original record has been found that gives either his wife’s family or given name. In fact, in his Revolutionary War pension application which contains a brief biography, William says not one word about his family. But his four supposed sons do appear in numerous documents at the same times and in the same locations as does William. For convenience I am taking the name of William’s wife as “Winifred Cobb,” though given the middle names of two of the “sons,” a family name of “Rice” or “Stewart” seems also likely. “Cobb” (or “Cobbs”), “Rice,” and “Stewart” are all relatively common Virginia names.

Where in the world did the name Winifred Cobb come from! Does anyone have a reliable source (not someone's unsourced family tree!)?

The death of Jacob Tapscott

In a previous blog I mentioned that I had been corresponding with Ben Ames, a descendant of Jacob Tapscott, my great great uncle, and Ben's great great grandfather.

"Jake" Tapscott lived for a while in or near Hutsonville, Crawford County Illinois, immediately south of Clark County. Another member of the community was Judge Steers, John W. Steers a wealthy farmer and an important man in the community. In 1868, the house of Judge Steers was robbed and evidence pointed to a disreputable group of relatives and hangers-on headed by Old Jim Lane. The "gang" was arrested but several posted bond and were released. The local community called on a group of regulators, some say a "posse," others "vigilantes," to rid the county of these suspected miscreants. On 8 Aug 1868 the "posse" walked into Jim Lane's house, where a gunfight ensued. Jacob Tapscott, a "posse" member, was hit by a bullet (some say fired by Old Jim Lane) and died instantly. He was only 32 (or so). His widow, Mary Lockard moved to nearby Terre Haute to find work to support her four children.

Young Jim Lane was also killed in the gunfight and his father, seriously wounded. The posse panicked realizing that they had no warrant and left with Jake Tapscott's body. For some time afterward Old Jim Lane, who recovered from his wounds, sought justice to avenge his son's death from what he considered to be mob action, but to no avail. Lawyers, worried about their standing in Crawford County, refused to take the case. A couple of years later, a lone horseman rode into Annapolis, a small settlement near the scene of the gunfight, dismounted, and walked among the few buildings. After a short time, Old Jim Lane (for that is who it was) remounted and rode away, never to be seen again. Although the Lane family had likely committed the robbery of Judge Steers, the action taken by the enforcers was unjustified and for Jacob Tapscott, it was disastrous.

Illinois was surprisingly rough back then. Jacob Tapscott had a brother Samuel, a scalawag and an accused murderer. But more on him later.

Jacob Tapscott

I had a nice email from Ben Ames calling my attention to a yDNA match I had to his uncle on Family Tree DNA. With the information Ben gave me I was able to fit his line into the Tapscott family tree (see the tree "Descendants of Henry Tapscott the Immigrant" on Ancestry.com). Ben is descended from Jacob Tapscott, one of the Clark County Illinois Tapscotts. I am descended from Jacob's brother William Tapscott. We are both of the Edney line.

Fauquier County Tapscotts and DNA Testing

Today I received an email from a descendant of Cordelia Tapscott asking if she could get involved in DNA testing to show a connection with the Tapscotts possibly through testing with a male relative (e.g., a cousin). I wrote the following (slightly modified):

Thanks a lot for the offer. Unfortunately it appears to be almost (but not quite) impossible to use DNA to show relation between descendants of Ezekiel Tapscott, whose son James E. Tapscott was involved (somehow or other) in founding the Fauquier County Tapscotts, and descendants of Cordelia. The problem is that no matter how the descendancy occurred, any connection between you and a Tapscott involves a line with both males and females. A male descendant (a male Tapscott cousin for example) has the same problem. At some point there is a male/female break in the line so that it is neither paternal nor maternal and neither mtDNA nor yDNA testing can be used.  For the Fauquier County Tapscotts, there will always be a break (if our genealogical research is correct).

The only possibility to show your connection with Tapscotts would be with autosomal DNA and the results will not be easy to interpret since there will be many false negatives (due to large relationship distances) and many false or at least unimportant positives. Nevertheless, matches from autosomal tests could show something. For example, you and I are probably connected and could match with autosomal testing (which I have already had done through Ancestry.com). If we did match, it would be strong evidence that you are descended from Tapscotts. If we do not match (which is likely due to the distant relationship) nothing is proven. You may, therefore, wish to have Ancestry.com testing (which is only autosomal) done, though it is a gamble.

The mtDNA test, which you have had done, can be used to follow your maternal line, but this will not get to the Tapscotts, though it might be possible to get back to Elizabeth Percifull, wife of James E. Tapscott. One possibility would be to find living descendants of Elizabeth's sisters through female lines. It is quite likely that such descendants exist, but tracing and finding them would be exceedingly difficult. But a positive match between you and them would be very, very exciting.

I wish I could be more optimistic about proving a Tapscott connection for the Fauquier County Tapscotts using DNA.

Tapscott Brothers of Liverpool

Robert J. Tapscott, of the James Tapscott line from Henry the Immigrant, sent me a photo of an advertisement for the William Tapscott and James Tapscott (The Tapscott Brothers) line of ships carrying emigrants from Liverpool to, primarily, New York. William ran the company from the UK and James (along with some of William's children, I believe) ran the company from New York. I and many others have long had an interest in the Tapscott Brothers of Liverpool, who originally came from Minhead in Somerset, England, in the West Country where Henry the Immigrant is believed to have originated. Indeed, when I visited Michael’s Parish Church in Minehead in 2002, I saw a number of monuments in the church cemetery bearing Tapscott names. Little did I know that these were relatives of the Tapscott Brothers of the Liverpool shipping company.

It would be great to find living Tapscotts descended from the Tapscott brothers to confirm (or deny) a connection with Henry the Immigrant using DNA testing. Any help would be appreciated, and thanks a lot to Robert J. Tapscott for arousing my interest in this area once again.

Charles Sweetfield Tapscott

John Fox and I have been discussing the origins of Charles Sweetfield Tapscott, who often went solely by his  initials "C. S. Tapscott", and his son Beverly Rogers Tapscott. We have seen the relatively unusual male name "Beverly" among other Tapscotts. Beverly Alexander Tapscott was a son of Robert Francis Tapscott of Clarke County, Virginia, whose origins are still uncertain (but hopefully will be revealed with DNA testing). Beverly W. Tapscott was Robert Francis Tapscott's grandson. Perhaps this indicates that Robert Frances Tapscott was part of the Jamers Tapscott line, which, as we shall see, is Charles Sweetfield Tapscott's line, but we certainly cannot make this leap with this meager evidence.

Beverly Rogers Tapscott is known to be the son of Charles Sweetfield and Nellie E. Murphy Tapscott from the 1930 census for Buckingham County, Virginia. A West Virginia marriage record for C. S. Tapscott and  Nellie E. Murphy states that Charles was the son of "W. W." Tapscott and "May W." There is little or no doubt, for a variety of reasons, that these are William Wallace Tapscott and Mary Willis Hamner (William's second wife). But the marriage record actually gives Charles's stepmother, the only mother Charles knew. He was born 9 October 1883, and Cornelia S. (Baber) Tapscott, William's first wife and Charles S. Tapscott's actual mother, died three days later, 12 Oct 1883, almost certainly due to Charles's birth. William Wallace did not remarry until 5 Aug 1884. Obituaries for Mary Willis Tapscott and for one of Charles S. Tapscott's brothers show that "C. S." Tapscott was a member of the family and Mary Willis Tapscott's stepson.

The problem is that Charles Sweetfield Tapscott was born 9 October 1883, but he does not appear with William Wallace and Mary Willis Tapscott in the 1900 census. Instead there is a "Charles D." born in Feb. 1892. But we never see a Charles D. Tapscott again, at least a Charles that is likely. Charles D. Tapscott in the 1900 census is almost certainly an mistake. The error was probably due to Charlotte Ann Tapscott, who was born in Feb 1891 or Feb 1893 according to various sources (and not unlikely, therefore, to have actually been born in Feb 1892) being confused by a busy census enumerator or a neighbor with her brother Charles S. Tapscott. Their first names are somewhat similar. Neither Charlotte or Charles Sweetfield appear in the 1900 census with William Wallace and Mary (and they should), but "Charles D." does.

Since Charles Sweetfield Tapscott is the son of William Wallace and Beverly is the grandson, then we know that Charles and Beverly are descended from Henry the Immigrant through his son James. The line is James - George Sr. - William H. - Benjamin G. -William Wallace - Charles Sweetfield - Beverly Rogers., a line that I have been able to document well. Thus, Charles S. and Beverly R. Tapscott are part of the James line (as opposed to the Edney or Captain Henry line).  I would love to find a male descendant of Charles S. or Beverly for a DNA test.

Do you have comments or do you want sources for the data presented above? Contact me.

Tapscott DNA Project Update

The Tapscott Project has been set up at Family Tree DNA (http://www.familytreedna.com/) and I am hoping that other Tapscotts will participate. I now have the results of my Y-DNA37 test (37 markers) and have uploaded them to YSearch (http://www.ysearch.org/). Go to either site and search under the Tapscott name. My haplogroup and that of others in the Henry ("The Immigrant") Tapscott line is R-M269 (R1b1a2). This is an extremely common haplogroup, which means that results of 12-marker tests will be highly questionable. A 37-marker test will probably be OK, though I have upped requested that my testing be expanded to 67 markers.

The results of the Y-DNA test are already exciting and I have just scratched the surface.

First, I have a very close (1-step difference) match with another Tapscott. He is descended from the Capt. Henry line and I am descended from the Edney line. These two lines converge at the first Henry, The Immigrant. This "confirms" that our tracing of the two lines back to the original Henry is correct. Now we need a descendant of James, brother of Capt. Henry and Edney to confirm the third line.

Second, I have a very close match, again 1 step, with a line of mixed-race Fords in Jamaica (who have been traced to a John Ford born abt 1753.. As many of you know, in 1696 a William Tapscott was transported to Jamaica as a prisoner following the failure of the Monmouth Rebellion in England. He came from the Somerset area and has always been suspected of being a relative of Henry the Immigrant, possibly even his father (though there is no proof). It now seems quite possible that the Fords are descended from William Tapscott (with a name change as was often the case in interracial relationships). Whatever the reason, it is almost certain that the Virginia Tapscotts are related to the Jamaican Fords through an all-male connection.

Tapscott surname project

I have been made the Group Administrator for the Tapscott project on Family Tree DNA at http://www.familytreedna.com/default.aspx. As soon as the project is officially listed on the site, I will be contacting potential participants and making announcements.

William Tapscott of Berkeley Co WV/Daviess Co KY

Nathan Marks, who has been of great help in unraveling the history of William Tapscott of Berkeley County West Virginia and Daviess County Kentucky (son of Capt. Henry Tapscott), recently asked how this investigation was coming along. Here is what I have written in the 2nd edition of the book Henry the Immigrant (still unpublished). Figures and endnotes have been removed, but I will be glad to provide these to anyone who asks. The material is thoroughly documented.

In 1820 a William Tapscott appears in the Daviess County, Kentucky, census, in a household with one male 10 and under, two males 45 and older (one apparently William), five females under 10, one female 26 to 45, and ten slaves. In the Daviess County census for 1830, a Nancy Tapscott is found as the head of a household with one male of age 20 to 30, two females 10 to 15, three females 15 to 20, one female, presumably Nancy, 40 to 50, and seven slaves. William, Nancy’s husband, had died. An abstract of William’s will helps provide names for the boy and the five girls shown in the two censuses: Henry, Nancy, Fanny (“Frances G.” in the 1850 census), Deland (believed to be an inaccurate transcription of Alcinda), Sally (Sarah), and Juliet. We see nothing more about Henry, the oldest child, but the marriages of the five girls are found in Daviess County records.

For many years we asked whether William of Daviess County, married to a Nancy (middle name “Ann” according to a marriage record for her daughter Frances), could be William son of Capt. Henry? William of Daviess’s birth year before 1755 from the 1820 census certainly fit. Moreover, 1850 and 1860 Daviess County census records showed the birthplace of daughter Frances G. Sharp (her married name) as Virginia, and death records for two of her children (Joseph Weaver Slaughter and Medora A. Phelon) show daughter Ann G. Tapscott’s birthplace also as Virginia, indicating that William of Daviess and his wife were from Virginia. One problem, however, was that William of Daviess had several children, yet no heirs appear for William Tapscott son of Capt. Henry in the 1845 division of Martin Tapscott’s estate. This, however, can be explained, as we will see.

The two Tapscotts are at last known to be one and the same. A series of letters to and from James Madison, retired U.S. president, provides the proof.

In Daviess County, stands an historical marker, which reads

James Madison, 4th U.S. president, and wife, Dolly, owned 2,000 acres along Panther Creek, now Daviess County. Land held by them until sold in smaller acreages, 1832-1834. Madison was member of Continental Congress, 1780-83, 86-88 and of Federal Constitutional Convention, 1787. Member of the first Congresses, 1787-1797. Secretary of State, 1801-1809. President of United States, 1809-1817.

The marker is a little misleading. The land was “sold in smaller acreages.” but only in two lots, of a thousand acres each, to William Tapscott and Benjamin Bell of Berkeley County, Virginia.

In 1780 and 1781, when James Madison was still a young man seeking his future calling, his father, James Madison Sr., and James’s brothers Ambrose and William purchased over sixteen thousand acres in Daviess County near the mouth of Panther Creek, which empties into the Green River between what are now Henderson and Owensboro (then “Yellow Cliffs”). The family continued to invest until, jointly with others, they filed claims on nearly forty thousand acres. Long-running litigation voided the original survey and the family lost it all. Later, while he was still in Congress, James Jr. and his brother Ambrose tried investing in Daviess Co once more, purchasing 7,000 acres including 2000 acres on Panther Creek. In a 1794 memorandum to Madison, his Kentucky relative Hubbard Taylor described the two 1000-acre tracts as lying

… 4 Miles from Green River, about 20 Miles from the Mouth, & about 6 Miles from the Ohio, the Land is of a good quality lies level, & the extream part from the Creek is inclinable to be sandy, it is well adapted to raising Corn, Flax Cotten, Indigo, and the Lands on the Cre[e]k will make good Meadow.

When Ambrose Madison died in 1793, his portion of the Panther Creek land went to his daughter, James’s niece, Nelly Conway Madison.

Following his retirement from the presidency, James Madison returned to the family plantation, Montpelier, to become a gentleman farmer like his close friends Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe (presidents who preceded and followed him), and like them suffered severe financial straits. Not only had price for wheat dropped sharply with the arrival of peace in Europe, Montpelier could not achieve the productivity of the new lands wrested from the Indians. Unlike Jefferson and Monroe, however, Madison was able to stave off bankruptcy. Nevertheless, he had to sell off land including his two thousand acres along Panther Creek.

In 1810, living in Berkeley County, where William Tapscott resided, was Benjamin Bell, who served as a trustee for the village of Smithfield (where he was selling off town lots under the direction of the Virginia General Assembly) from at least 1804 to 1815 and owned village land. Although located in Jefferson County, Smithfield is less than a mile from the Berkeley County line. William Tapscott, whose name appears near that of Benjamin in the 1810 census and is seen among the names in old account and ledger books for Smithfield, was living in the same area though, like Bell, he was in Berkeley rather than Jefferson County. Many documents refer to William Tapscott and Benjamin Bell of Jefferson County, Virginia, though they were probably residents of Berkeley County, although living near the county line.

In hopes of avoiding confusion with another town with the same name, Smithfield was renamed “Middleway” when the post office was established in 1806, but residents continued using the old name for years afterwards. To add to the confusion, the portion of Jefferson County in which Smithfield is located was until 1801 part of Berkeley County. And to complete the confusion, both Jefferson and Berkeley Counties, originally part of Virginia, became part of West Virginia during the Civil War.

William’s wife, Catherine, probably died sometime between 1810, when she seems to appear in the Berkeley County census, and 1820, when William is seen in the Daviess County census. Sometime during this time, William married his third wife, Nancy Ann, whose given name is unknown.

Between 1 May 1810, when Benjamin and his wife Margaret sold Jefferson County land, and 21 July 1812, when Benjamin sold additional land without a wife as co-seller, as required by law, Margaret apparently died. By 1 march 1817, when a deed of sale gives Benjamin’s wife as Frances, he had remarried.

Frances, the widow of Levi Taylor, is believed to have had the given name “Graham” though the proof is a little convoluted. That two of Nancy and William’s daughters also had a (middle?) name “Graham” (see below) indicates a possible relationship. (A third daughter, Alcinda, is said also have had the name “Graham” though no proof is provided.) It was first thought that Nancy and Frances had been sisters, but it is more likely that Nancy was married to a Graham before she married William and that the name “Graham” was the children’s surname before taking the name “Tapscott.” In May 1818 William Tapscott was a witness to a sale of land by Benjamin Bell to help settle the estate of Levi Taylor. (Another witness was Christopher F. Baylor, though what relationship, if any, he may have had to William’s second wife is unknown.)

However, they got together, the recently remarried widowers William and Benjamin, decided to buy James Madison’s Panther Creek Land and start a new life in Kentucky, a state attracting many Virginia adventurers. On 1 December 1817, Benjamin proposed buying the land in a letter to Madison, who replied that same month:

Sir                                                                                                                                                   Montpelier

Decr. 22, 1817

I have but just recd. your letter of the 1st. inst. My niece is disposed to part with the land in question; and I shall acquiesce in the sale on the terms to which you refer. It remains with you therefore to come down & close the bargain. Accept my respects                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             James Madison

On 10 April 1818, William Tapscott and Benjamin Bell purchased 2000 acres from James Madison and his niece Nelly Conway Madison Willis for $6000 with $2000 to be paid up front and $4000 to follow in two annual installments. The down payment was made and William and Benjamin headed for Daviess County. In preparation for the trip, Benjamin Bell, on 1 April 1818, signed an Article of Agreement, with William Tapscott as witness, for William P. Craighill to use and care for the land inherited by his wife from Levi Taylor for transfer someday to Levi’s orphans (for whom Benjamin was guardian). In an action that definitively connects William of Berkeley and William of Daviess, William left $1000 with his former brother-in-law Richard Baylor to make the first of his two annual payments to Madison.

William’s second payment was the last that Madison would receive for his 2000 acres. Benjamin, who appears, with William, in the 1820 Daviess County census made no payment other than his original. William Tapscott still owed $1000; Bell, $2000. Madison began dunning Bell and Tapscott, without success. In 1825 Madison wrote Kentuckian and his relative Hubbard Taylor “From Bell I have heard nothing; and from Tapscott nothing but apologies & promises which have lost their value.” The following year he wrote Hubbard “As a consequence I make another appeal to Tapscott & thro’ him to Bell, and beg the favor of you after [sealing] perusal to seal & to forward it, by mail.” Madison continued, noting his economic difficulty, “I have myself been particularly unfortunate, having made but one favorable crop of Tobo. & Wheat since my reestablishment on my farm.” Madison finally hired attorney John H. Lee to bring legal action. A letter from Lee dated 4 April 1827 gives the financial shape of Madison’s debtors.

It is believed here that Bell owes money to the amt of 6 or 7000 $ exclusive of your demand against him, he has in possession 15 Negroes; and some personal property; this information I derive from Mrs Tapscott; Tapscotts Estates has in possession 18 Negroes; and small Tracts of Land on Cumberland River some personal Estate; and owe but little money.

That Lee talks of Tapscott’s estate and is dealing with Mrs. Tapscott, shows that William had died, apparently in 1826 (when James Madison directly wrote him) or early 1827. He had made his will three years earlier, on 27 December 1823.

Madison wrote several letters directly to Mrs. Ann Tapscott, and finally settled with the widows (Bell had also died) allowing them to keep some of the land, but permitting him to sell the rest. Much bitterness ensued, however, with attorney Lee stating that “This proposition only excited the anger of Mrs Tapscott, & after having recd more abuse than I ever heard poured forth from a Female tongue, I succeeded in prevailing with the Ladies to go with me to Town and consult their Attorney.”

Nancy Ann is known to have been living around 23 April 1831, when attorney John H. Lee wrote Madison describing an interview with “Mrs Tapscott” concerning the disputed land. She is not shown as living after that date. Except for one free black woman, 80-year old Virginia-born “Patsey Tabscott,” found in the 1860 census, Tapscotts are not seen again in Daviess County censuses until 1900.

Tapscott DNA Project

I have sent a proposal to FamilyTreeDNA to establish a Tapscott DNA Project with the following objectives and goals:

Most U.S. Tapscotts originated from two individuals, who may have been related and who are believed to have come from the Exmoor region of England. Henry arrived in Virginia in 1700; William arrived in New Jersey about 1691. The Virginia Tapscotts had slaves, some of whose descendants took the name "Tapscott," some of whom are believed to be descendants of white Tapscotts. Despite extensive research the origin of a very few white Tapscotts has never been determined. We want to answer the following questions. 1. Are the New Jersey and Virginia Tapscotts related? 2. Are one or both groups related to present-day Exmoor-area Tapscotts? 3. Can the ancestry of some mixed-race Tapscotts be identified? 4. Can the U.S. Tapscotts of untraceable origin be shown to descend from Henry or William? 5. What is relationship of U.S. Tapscotts with those in Australia and Canada? 6. Can we confirm the researched genealogy for Virginia Tapscotts (there are believed to be three major branches from Henry)?

If approved, I will be looking for participants and eventually a co-administrator. I would appreciate feedback, suggestions, etc.

DNA

Today I ordered a yDNA 37-marker test kit from FamilyTreeDNA. The cost is $169 and is upgradable to a 67-marker test for an additional charge at any time. Since I believe my connection to Henry the Immigrant is fairly well established comparison of my results with other results should be able to answer some questions concerning the relationship to the Virginia Tapscotts of Robert Francis Tapscott, George Thomas Tapscott Sr (believed son of Thomas Cobbs Tapscott), the New Jersey/Ohio Tapscotts, the Tapscotts of Somerset England, etc. I'll keep you posted. And I am looking for other male Tapscotts who wish to get involved.

Thomas Cobb Tapscott's Buckingham County Land

Today I received an email from Paige Anderson, a J. D. candidate at the University of Virginia School of Law and Executive Editor of the Virginia Law Review, providing information on what became of the land Thomas Cobb Tapscott left to his children Amanda Davis and George T. Tapscott. Here is her email in full:

I posted on your blog the other week about Thomas Tapscott’s land in Buckingham County, VA; sorry it has taken me a while to get back to you, but I was out of town and just pulled out my notes.

As I know you know, Thomas left land for George and Amanda on his death – 60 acres and 34 acres, respectively.   George died intestate.  The property went to his children and their spouses: George T. Tapscott, Jr. & Kate Allen Tapscott, Adson W. Tapscott, Nannie T. Berkely & Fletcher Berkely, and Malina T. Fields.  The land was not divided, and on Jan 21, 1966, the children sold it to C. Douglas Branch & Clayton C. Bryant.  There are two other transactions after that, but they were essentially paper transactions (or so it appears, because the names on them are of land dealers in the area).  My husband’s late father acquired that tract in 1991.  The deed still refers to it as the George T. Tapscott tract.

Amanda inherited 34 acres, but it was not recorded until 1890.  She and her husband, Enoch, both died intestate; Gay O. Parsons and Edna Parsons Cosby were the heirs.  In 1979-1980, there was a suit, Cosby v. Parsons, in Buckingham County Circuit court regarding the disposition of the land.  I only have the deed resulting from this suit, not any of the court papers.  The deed transferred the 34 acres (as well as 46 acre parcel acquired separately) to Roland & Sharon Parson and Travis & Wanda Parson.  The owners of the 34  acres had been: Gay O. Parsons (1/2) & Dorothy Robinson (1/8), George E. Cosby (1/8), Zack Cosby (1/8), and Edna Taylor (1/8).  [I think I’m correct on this] This deed specifically refers to the 34 acres as being placed in the Buckingham County books in 1890 under the name Amanda Tapscott.  (Which is interesting – this is the only place I have ever seen her using the name Tapscott, not Davis prior to her marriage).  In 1998, Travis & Wanda Parson sold the land to C. Douglas Branch.  (I’m not sure what happened to Roland & Sharon’s share—they may taken land on the 46 only?)  My husband’s father purchased the land a few months later.

I hope this information is helpful to you!

Harriet Tapscott and Harriott Tapscott

Today, a Fauquier County relative contacted me arguing that Harriet and Harriott Tapscott are the same person because Elizabeth would not have adopted her own daughter. She has a good point, but I believe the following argument from my book shows that they were different persons. (Forgive footnote numbering and formatting problems since I just cut and pasted from a Word docuemnt.) 

Harriet Tapscott was one of two people with similar names associated with James. That the Harriet of Fauquier County was not James’s sister Harriott (as assumed by some researchers) is unquestionable. She is designated as “Harriet Tapscott Orphan of James Tapscott” in Elizabeth’s guardian bond, issued at a Fauquier County Court of 23 June 1817, at which Eppa (Epaphroditus) Porter gave evidence that “Harriet Tapscott is the Legitimate daughter and only Heir at law of James Tapscott.”[i] Like James, Porter was a veteran of the War of 1812, but in the Virginia Militia, 41^st Regiment, rather than the U. S. Army.[ii] The 3 (or 9) July 1817 notification of the issuance of a bounty land warrant designates the recipient as “Harriet Tapscott only Daughter & Heir at Law of James Tapscott deceased.”717 That the final land patent was to be sent to “Post office at Fauquier Ct. House Va.” shows that it was for the Harriet living with Elizabeth. Some years later, on 27 August 1834, a Fauquier County court declared

It having been this day proved to the satisfaction of the Court, that Elizabett [sic] Tapscott is the widow of James Tapscott deceased a private in the Army of the United States in the late war - that said Tapscott died in the service of the United States in the Corps of Artillery leaving the said widow and Harriott Tapscott his only child - On the motion of the said Elizabett and Harriett Tapscott, the same is ordered to be certified.

The Fauquier County 1850,725 1860,726 and 1870727 censuses show Harriet with ages corresponding to a birth year between 1809 and 1820,[iii] well past 1798, the year of Ezekiel’s death. Moreover, as shown earlier, Harriott the sister of James was born no later than January 1796, which means that she would have been 21 or older when the guardianship bond was made by Elizabeth, and thus would have been of legal age and would not have been made a ward. In fact, the guardianship bond states that “Elizabeth Tapscott her executors or administrators, shall well and truly pay and deliver to Harriet Tapscott Orphan of James Tapscott deceased all such estate or estates, as now is or are, or hereafter shall appear to be due to the said orphan when, and as soon as she shall attain to lawful age,” a ridiculous clause if Harriet were already of legal age.

Thus, the Fauquier County Harriet is a daughter of James and, probably, though not certainly, Elizabeth and was doubtless named after her aunt Harriott, who may have died relatively young. Since a widow was not automatically a legal guardian (i.e., financial administrator) of her minor children, the guardian bond posted by Elizabeth provides no information about her relationship with Harriet. A parent of either sex was often made guardian of his or her child when that child had inherited property or was entitled to real or personal property (such as the bounty land discussed below).[iv] It is, however, just possible that Harriet was one of Elizabeth’s two illegitimate children claimed to have been fathered in Lancaster County by Richard Cundiff. James could have adopted one or both, legally or otherwise, and given them his name.

At this point, we need to take a closer look at the bounty land awarded for James’s military service. Sometime around 1817, a notification was sent to “Mrs. Harriet Tapscott only Daughter & Heir at Law of James Tapscott deceased” notifying her that a warrant dated 3 July 1817 (the actual warrant was dated 9 July 1817) had been issued with a note to send the final patent to the “Post office at Fauquier Ct.” A facsimile is shown below:

WAR DEPARTMENT

SECTION OF BOUNTY LANDS.

To - Mrs. Harriet Tapscott only Daughter & Heir at Law of James Tapscott deceased

SIR-Pursuant to the Law of the united States, of the 6^th of May, 1812, appropriating certain Tracts of Land, to satisfy the Claims of the Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates of the late Army, and in conformity with the preceding Regulations, you are hereby notified that the Land Warrant No. 10033 has been issued in your name, under date 3 July 1817, and will be deposited in the General Land Office; at the Seat of Government, where the Patent must issue--there to await your order for its location, which may be made so soon as the survey of the appropriated Lands can be effected; public notice of which will be given in all the Newspapers authorised to publish the Laws of the United States.

Nat Cutting

To be located in Missouri North and the patent to be sent to the Post office at Fauquier Ct. House Va.

Two years later on 6 March 1819, a patent was issued to Harriott Tapscott (the bounty land records give names of “Harriet,” “Harriott,” and “Harriot”) for 160 acres of land, the SW quarter of Section 35, Township 54N, Range 22W (today, Carroll County, Missouri). This patent causes no end of confusion. Why was Harriet (no matter what her relation to James) awarded land when Elizabeth, James’s wife, was still living? Under Virginia intestate succession statutes, a surviving wife would be a co-heir with any children, even if the children were not hers. Moreover, had a will been made (and none has been found), Elizabeth would still be required by law to receive a dower (one-third) portion. Despite this, Harriet is said to be the “only Daughter & Heir at Law.” There are no satisfactory explanations. Perhaps Elizabeth and James, despite the bond, never married (though a Fauquier Court of 27 August 1834 determined that Elizabeth was the widow of James). Perhaps the Elizabeth in the Fauquier County censuses of 1840 and 1850 was a different Elizabeth (exceedingly unlikely).

Harriet died unmarried at the age of 58 (birth year 1812 or 1813) on 12 August 1871 near Warrenton in Fauquier County.[v] Cordelia Tapscott, the informant in the death register, is named as her mother, an obvious error. Cordelia, in fact, is believed to be a child of Harriet, along with John and Maria Tapscott. John and Cordelia appear with Harriet in the 1860 census with ages that correspond to a birth year of 1829 to 1830 for John (listed as a laborer) and 1834 to 1839 for Cordelia (listed as a weaver). John is not found in other records.

---

[i].          Joan W. Peters, Military Records, Certificates of Service, Discharge, Heirs, & Pensions Declaration and Schedules From the Fauquier County, Virginia Court Minute Books 1784-1840, Heritage Books, Westminster, Maryland, 2007, p. 50.

[ii].         Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812, Record Group 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Microfilm Publication M602,

[iii].        In the 1840 Census, Harrett was probably one of the two white females aged 20 to 30, making her birth year 1810 to 1820. From the official 1850 Census enumeration date (1 June 1850) and her age (30), her birth date range is calculated as 2 June 1819 to 1 June 1820. From the official 1860 Census enumeration date (1 June 1860) and her age (50), her birth date range is calculated as 2 June 1809 to 1 June 1810. From the official 1870 Census enumeration date (1 June 1870) and her age (56), her birth date range is calculated as 2 June 1813 to 1 June 1814. From her death date of 12 August 1871 and her age (58), her birth date range is calculated as 13 August 1812 - 12 August 1813. That Harriet is shown as illiterate in all censuses in which she appears (though an attempt appears to have been made to erase the illiterate mark in the 1860 Census) may explain the large discrepancies in ages given.

[iv].        John K. Gott, Fauquier County, Virginia Guardian Bonds 1759 – 1871, Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, 1990, p. vii.

[v].         Patricia B. Duncan, Fauquier County, Virginia, Death Register, 1853-1896, Willow Bend Books, Westminster, Maryland, 1998, p. 114.