Fauquier County Tapscotts - What’s in a name?

 

Bertha Mae’s letter requesting a name change, if needed.

While working on a history of the Fauquier County Tapscotts, I ran across Marion Douglas Tapscott,  a great granddaughter and also a great great granddaughter of Elizabeth Percifull, founder of the clan. Why two relationships? Because Marion’s parents, Walter Wallace and Bertha Mae, were both Tapscotts, a case of cousins marrying, or in this case first cousins twice removed marrying. Now this is not what intrigued me about Marion. It was her name. How in the world did she get what most would consider a male name? The answer is simple, and oh so lovely, at least most of it.

The Department of Health Response.

When Marion was born, in 1916, her mother, Bertha Mae, was, in her own words, “very ill.” The doctor in attendance at the birth, who helped Bertha through the difficult time, was Morton Douglas, a Fauquier Co physician. Since he was so much help, it was decided to name the new born girl “Marion Douglas” after the doctor’s wife. But the birth certificate was accidently submitted with the child’s original name, “Florence.”

Years later, in 1944, concerned that the birth certificate might have mistakenly given the name “Florence,” rather than the name “Marion,” which her daughter had used throughout her life, Bertha Mae wrote the Registrar of Vital Statistics, to change the name, if needed, to “Marion Douglas Tapscott.” The name “Florence” was struck out and the requested name inserted.

But there is one more part of our tale, the unlovely part. Take a careful look at the registrar's signature on the Department of Health letter -- “W. A. Plecker.” That’s right, the rabid racist author of Virginia’s   “Racial Integrity Act of 1924.

“Florence” struck out and “Marion Douglas” inserted.

”

Fauquier County Tapscotts - Elizabeth's Children - Edmond/Edward Tapscott

One of the children of Elizabeth (Percifull) Tapscott is claimed to be named “Edmond Abraham Tapscott,” but we some problems with this.

1. Contemporary records show his name as “Edward” as often as “Edmond.” But that is a minor problem.

2. The middle name “Abraham” is found only in family trees, not in a single reliable record. (Does anyone know how this name arose?)

3. Edmond/Edward Tapscott is found in the 1850 census, living with his mother, Elizabeth, and his siblings, including Harriet. And he is found in the 1870 census as a married man. But Edmond/Edward cannot be found in the 1860 census -- at least until recently (see below). The 1860 census, however, does show a John Tapscott living with Harriet. 

Because Harriet and John are found together in the 1860 census, it has been assumed that they were mother and son. But Elizabeth had died by this time and it is likely that her unmarried children would be living together. Moreover, if John was Harriet’s son, why does he not appear with her in the 1850 census? The 1860 census, the only place John is found, he has an age corresponding to a birth year of about 1829, very near to that of Edmond/Edward, whose grave marker shows a birthdate of 3 Sep 1828. (Census data indicate a birth year for Edmond/Edward between 1827 and 1831.)

I once proposed that Edmond/Edward Tapscott and John Tapscott were one and the same. That Harriet had no son named “John.” Either the 1860 census enumerator had made an error in the name, as all too often happens, or Edmond/Edward’s middle name was “John” not “Abraham.” This nicely explains John's seeming absence in the 1850 census and in other records, and nicely explains Edmond/Edward's seeming absence in the 1860 census. 

But it turns out that I was wrong, wrong, wrong about John and Edmond/Edward. Edmond/Edward is found in the District of Columbia 1860 census, as "Edward Tapscoe" (a spelling he often used) living with 3-year-old "Mahaly A. Tapscoe," presumably a daughter from Edmond's first marriage to Frances Hughs (who was apparently deceased by 1860). A 10-year-old Nancy A. "Hues" in the household is probably a relative of Frances.

And who was the John Tapscott in the 1860 census? It is beginning to look like he was one of Cordelia's paramours and that "Tapscott" was just an assumed last name. But I am still working on that.

Fauquier County Tapscotts - Elizabeth's Children, the Tapscott Lines

Elizabeth Percifull (c1790 - c1855) had a large number of male companions, both before and after her short marriage with James E. Tapscott, who died young, around age 30. Her many descendants comprise the Tapscotts of Fauquier Co, Virginia. Below is my working chart showing origins of the various lines. Is it correct? Probably not. That's why I call it a "working chart." There is very good evidence for the twins from her union with Richard Cundiff. Though we don't know what became of them. There is excellent evidence for Harriet being a daughter of James Tapscott, though many people believe otherwise. There is good DNA evidence for Robert Francis Tapscott being the son of a "Holder," though the evidence that it was Taliaferro Holder is weak. There is fair evidence for William Tapscott being a descendant of a "Phil Tapscott" though we know little about Phil, except that his birth name was almost certainly not "Tapscott." The other unions, particularly that involving Plato (who may not have even existed) are somewhat questionable. But this chart is a start. Now let's see if we can prove or disprove portions. Maybe we can name the "Unknown" partner, or more likely partners. But I need your help is doing so. Don't be afraid to criticize. I have very thick skin. But try to provide evidence. Trees produced by others without sources, are not evidence. And if you are a male descendant of Elizabeth or Harriett with the name "Tapscott," your yDNA might provide names or connections for the unknown(s).

Are you A Fauquier Co Tapscott descendant? Which is your line?

Fauquier County Tapscotts - Elizabeth’s Children

Those I often term “Fauquier County [Virginia] Tapscotts” are not all descended from a male Tapscott. But they are all descendants of Elizabeth Percifull, either through her 1811 marriage to James E. Tapscott, son of Ezekiel, or through relationships with others, which produced children she named "Tapscott." Those not descended from James sometimes express disappointment since they feel they cannot claim Revolutionary War soldier ancestry.  (Ezekiel Tapscott was a Colonial soldier.) But that is not true. In fact all Fauquier County Tapscotts (or descendants thereof) are DAR- or SAR-eligible, for Elizabeth’s father, Elijah, was a Revolutionary War combatant. On 17 Jun 1779 Elijah signed an oath as an ensign (the lowest ranking military officer) in the Lancaster Militia.(1) The war would continue for well over two more years.

(1) John Hastings Gwathmey, Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, 1775-1783, The Dietz Press, Richmond Virginia, 1938, p. 617.

Fauquier County Tapscotts - A Tapscott Family Reunion

This blog has often talked about Tapscotts of Fauquier County, Virginia (search for the word “Fauquier” and you will see what I mean).

Each year since 1983, with one exception, the Fauquier Tapscotts have held a reunion in Fauquier County the last weekend of July. Until recently the gathering was held in a rural field in the Cedar Run District, where many Tapscotts once lived. The creek that runs through the field, Cedar Run, was used for baptisms by Poplar Forks Church, two miles distant, where many Tapscotts are buried. In the earlier years, when the reunion was a two-day event, multiple tents were set up, allowing overnight camping to keep the party going. Since its initiation the reunion was only canceled once, in 2017 due to the threat of heavy rain, which never occurred. The event is now limited to one day and is held in a more convenient and comfortable site than the field, despite the field’s sentimental value. (Thanks to Mark Porter for this information.)

The earlier reunions were held near Poplar Forks
Church and Cemetery, where many Tapscotts rest.

On Saturday, 27 July, the 2019 reunion the was held at Northern Fauquier Community Park, Virginia.. And Mary Frances and I drove 1852 miles one way from Albuquerque to attend this 36^th gathering. We actually drove much further because the trip was not only to meet the Tapscotts, but to collect information on Mary Frances’s family, the Summers. (But that is another subject and a different blog, http://summersfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/).

We had attended the Tapscott reunion once before, in 2015, and had a great time. Then we had met sixth and seventh cousins, their spouses, their children. But this time was even better. Mark Porter did a superb job planning and coordinating the function, with help from funds manager, Bridget Harris. Mark’s dad, Conway, worked continuously grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. Greg and Daron Tapscott provided splendid live entertainment. But perhaps the best entertainer was “Duke” Bland, who did an outstanding job auctioning off donated items to pay for next year’s reunion.

And in addition to renewing old acquaintances and making new ones (including folks I had corresponded with for years but had never met), I met a descendant of Robert “King” Carter, who in 1723 had hired Henry Tapscott, “The Immigrant,” my 6^th great grandfather, to do carpentry for him. And I met a descendant of Bishop Enoch George Jr., whose grandmother was Ann Edney, whose first husband was Henry the Immigrant. Wow!

Great event, great people, great memories. We’ll be back next year.

Fauquier County Tapscotts - Henny Penny

I just heard yesterday of the death on 23 Jun 2019 of another Tapscott cousin, the gregarious Charles Henry Colvin, known to most of the family as “Henny Penny.”

Charles was a member of the Fauquier County, Virginia, Tapscotts, the only son of Henry L. and Viola (Tapscott) Colvin, and a great great grandson of Harriet Tapscott. Harriet, the progenitor of many of the Fauquier Tapscotts, is believed to be a granddaughter of Ezekiel Tapscott, via James and Elizabeth (Percifull) Tapscott (see blogs of 1/13/2013, 1/15/2013). That would make Charles and me sixth cousins.

Omitting passages naming some still living relatives, let’s let Henny Penny tell his own story (from a work in progress on Tapscott, Colvin & Nickens Ancestors by Nakia Lorice Long):

Hello family, This is Charles Henry Colvin, Nickname “Henny Penny,” My life started on 17 February 1934 at 1722 Montello Ave. N.E. Washington D.C. I attended Crummell Elementary School, Brown Junior High School, and Phelps Vocational High School for one and a half years, I transferred to Armstrong Technical High School where I graduated. While in High School I earned my Varsity Letter for playing baseball.

Upon graduating from High School I was employed by the Defense Department of the U.S. government from which I retired after 37 years of service. On December 1956, I was drafted into the U.S. army and served 2 years active duty, 2 years active reserve, and 2 years standby reserve duty before receiving my discharge. On 4 September 1960 I married Audrey Mae Whiting of Prince George Va. We had two children. . . . I retired in 1989 and moved to LaPlata, Md. Where I have been living since my retirement.

Charles’s death comes exactly five weeks before the 2019 Tapscott Reunion in Fauquier County (Mary Frances and I will be attending). We will miss you, Henny Penny.

Fauquier County Tapscotts and DNA Testing, Once Again

Classical “paper-trail” genealogy is a challenge when researching the Tapscotts of Fauquier County, Virginia. Most were black or mixed-race descendants of slaves, without good records. And, there were often name changes and births outside of matrimony. Thus, only with the inclusion of unreliable family history and questionable conclusions, can classical methods indicate that some Fauquier County Tapscotts are descended from Henry the Immigrant. Of course, some Fauquier County residents bearing the name "Tapscott" were actually descendants of Elizabeth (Percifull) Tapscott by relationships with men other than descendants of Henry the Immigrant. This site has proposed the use of autosomal DNA to provide additional evidence of relationships between at least some Fauquier Co Tapscotts and Henry the Immigrant (see, e.g., Fauquier County Tapscotts; DNA Testing, Revisited; Once Again. Needed has been a DNA match between a descendent of the Fauquier County Tapscotts and a descendant of The Immigrant outside of the Fauquier County group.

We now have not one match, but two. Two separate individuals indicated by classical, though questionable, genealogical research to be descendants of Harriet Tapscott of Fauquier County, great granddaughter of Edney Tapscott, show autosomal DNA matches (one "moderate," one "good") with a descendant of Edney’s son Henry of Caswell County. Paper studies indicate that the matching individuals are 6^th cousins once removed. The DNA-predicted relationship for both is 5^th to 8^th cousin. To protect individual privacy, names are not being released.

    

Is all of this exact proof? Not exactly. The matching descendant of Henry of Caswell is 7 generations from Edney Tapscott, the common link. That person has 126 total parents and grandparents going back to Edney. The ancestral distance from Edney is even greater for the two Fauquier County subjects—8 generations, with 254 ancestors. Thus, there could be non-Tapscott connections between the individuals, though it isn’t likely since the Henry of Caswell line was located geographically far from Fauquier County. Due to the site containing the data and the small number of matches, chromosomal mapping and phasing, which could increase reliability, cannot yet be carried out.

Nevertheless, we can now say that autosomal DNA evidence indicates that some Fauquier County Tapscotts are descended from Edney Tapscott, presumably though his son Ezekiel, grandson James, and great granddaughter Harriet.

Fauquier County Tapscotts - 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.

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.