Fauquier County Tapscotts - Phil

The name “Phil,” appears in a single record, a record of the 1 May 1872 Fauquier County marriage between William Tapscott and Margaret Proctor. The marriage register gives William’s parents as Phil and Elizabeth, with no last names, though Phil’s surname is assumed by many to have been “Tapscott.” It almost certainly was not, at least not his birth name. William’s father was likely a slave since William and his descendants appear to have been at least partially African American.

There was a slave named “Phil” living in Fauquier Co during the early 1800s. From a Fauquier County Minute Book for 1800 and 1801:

The Overseers of Poor of this County are to take the Negro Phil, said to belong to the estate of Joseph Duncan and afford him such support and sustenance as they may deem necessary. The Overseers of Poor shall make inquiry to whom said negro belongs and report back to the Court in order that steps be taken to subject the owner to payments of his expense.

Probates indicate that Joseph Duncan, who lived in Fauquier County and did own slaves, passed away around September 1793, and his wife, around July 1797. Their slaves were distributed to their children. Might Phil have somehow or other ended up with Elizabeth?

Was there a Phil? Perhaps. There was a male who was the progenitor of Elizabeth’s final line, at least final as we have organized the lines, and his name could have been “Phil.” We’ll take a look at some of “Phil’s” descendants during the next several blogs.