Fauquier County Tapscotts - Ann Virginia

Ann Virginia (from Michelle Brown)

Ann Virginia Tapscott, the Coachman's second known grandchild (see The Coachman's Descendants), was born in Fauquier Co, in May 1836 according to the 1900 census record, though other records give ages corresponding to birthyears between 1833 and 1842. Like others that we will meet in Fauquier Tapscott blogs, Ann had a multiplicity of ages, providing birthdates that tended to become later with increasing age, a decidedly narcissistic trend.

Ann spent most, possibly all, of her life in the Cedar Run Distr along Cedar Run Creek near the community of Auburn. In the 1900 census, Ann claimed to have borne eleven children, seven of whom were living at that time. (In the 1910 census, Ann is said to have had three children, two of whom were living, apparently the two in the household in that census.) In agreement with the 1900 claim, the names of seven children are known, though Lucy, as we will see, had to be determined by deductive methods. There is strong evidence that two of the children were fathered by William Doddridge Chichester, who might have fathered some or all of the other children. The birthdates shown here for these seven children are the most reliable of the highly variable dates found in records.

Ann Virginia’s seven children were

Robert J. Tapscott, born 18 Feb 1863 in Fauquier Co, and died there in the Cedar Run Distr 8 Sep 1946, who started his working life as a DC waiter in 1889, and transitioned to the DC police force as a mounted officer, a position he held from 1895 to sometime after 1926. (See Robert the Mounted Policeman.)

Mary Eliza Tapscott, born May 1864, died 30 Dec 1923 Dinwiddie Co, Virginia, never married and had no known descendants.

Annie V. Tapscott, born in Fauquier Co, May 1871, died in Dinwiddie Co 5 Nov 1946, was probably born “Ann Virginia Tapscott,” named after her mother. And Annie V. had a daughter named “Annie Virginia.”

Alice S. Tapscott, born 6 Sep 1873, died in Cedar Run 18 Jun 1935, has a death certificate giving her father as William D. “Chichister” and her mother as “Annie Platter.” The latter name is undoubtedly an error for Ann “Plato,” the name given for Ann Virginia in Telem Plato’s estate sale record.

Rosa Lee Tapscott, born Mar 1878, died 2 Jan 1931 in Cedar Run Distr, knocked years off her age as she grew older, claiming an age corresponding to a birth year of c1891 when she married. Her death record gives a birthdate of 28 Mar 1888, but a date ten years earlier is much more likely.

Edward Tapscott, born Jun 1879, appears as a son of Ann Virginia in the 1900 census and is never seen again.

William Doddridge Chichester and
daughter Lucy Tapscott. (AAHA)

Lucy Sydnor Tapscott, born Jul 1881 in Virginia, died 22 Dec 1915 in Washington, DC, is the only one of these seven for whom no direct record exists for being a child of Ann Virginia. There is, however, strong evidence for the relationship. First, Lucy’s living grandchild relates that her grandmother was the child of Ann Virginia Tapscott and William Doddridge Chichester. Second, Lucy’s grandchild and great grandchild both show autosomal DNA matches to living descendants of Elizabeth Percifull and of William Chichester. Third, Lucy’s unusual middle name indicates a relation to William Doddridge Chichester’s grandmother Fanny Sydnor and to his father, William Sydnor Chichester. Fourth, though she is found only in DC records, Lucy was buried in Fauquier County. And, finally, a photograph said to be a photo of Lucy and her father, William Doddridge, is found in the collections of the AAHA.

We will meet William Doddridge Chichester again in these blogs. As we will see, William got around.