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.

The Edney Line - Palace Revisited

When I spoke of Palace Tapscott, great grandmother of Horace Tapscott, in my previous blog, I stated “we will probably never know Palace's origins with any certainty.” We may be coming closer. Terry Bullock, a family history collaborator, who has been of immense help to me over the years, has found a delayed birth certificate for Valentine Tapscott, one of Palace and James R. Tapscott’s ten children. Not all the information in the certificate is trustworthy since the document was created in 1941, sixty-eight years after Valentine's birth and over three decades after the deaths of Palace and James. Nevertheless, that the information was supplied by sons John and Valentine provides some reliability. The certificate states that James R. Tapscott’s full name was “James Robert Tapscott,” very likely since his father was "Robert Tapscott." More important is that the certificate gives Palace’s maiden name as “Palace Matilda Pettus.” Now that’s very interesting since in Kemper Co, Mississippi, where James Robert Tapscott had lived in 1850 before moving to Washington Co, Texas, were three families with the slightly unusual name “Pettus,” and all three owned slaves. (In Ancestry.com the name in the 1850 Slave Schedule is incorrectly transcribed “Petters.”). One slave owner, J. J. Pettus, owned 24 slaves. J. J. Pettus was “John Jones Pettus,” who would twice be the governor of Mississippi, once when the state seceded from the Union.

It is not unlikely that Palace was once a slave of a Kemper Co Pettus family, was sold to the Tapscotts, and was taken with the Tapscotts to Washington Co, Texas, during the 1850s. As was noted earlier, an 1860 slave schedule for Washington Co shows one of the Tapscott slaves to have been a female, age 20, the exact age expected for Palace at the time. At some point Palace may have assumed or been given the name of her former slave owner. John Jones Pettus is known to have spent some time in Alabama, where Palace claims to have been born. J. J. spent his childhood in Limestone Co, Alabama, and studied law in Sumter Co, Alabama.

The Edney Line - Palace

I can’t stop thinking about Palace and James R. Tapscott, Horace Tapscott’s great grandmother and great grandfather (previous blog). Who was Palace? Where did she come from? It is almost impossible to determine the origin of a slave, as Palace almost certainly had been. Treated as property, slaves were usually nameless in documents. But I can’t stop thinking about her.

In 1850 thirteen-year-old James was living in Kemper County, Mississippi, with his mother and father, Robert and Olivia (Degges) Tapscott, and with two sisters and three brothers. The Tapscotts were farmers and owned slaves, eight to be exact, five male and three female. And next door to the family lived Olivia’s sister Harriet. who had married Nathaniel R. Crump (who usually went by “N.R.”). And the Crumps also owned slaves, ten.

1860 Slave Schedule, Washington Co, Texas.

Then Robert Tapscott died and for some reason the Crumps, the widow Olivia, and James and his two brothers Rodolphus Curry Tapscott (who almost always went by “R.C.” and who, like his brother James would become a Confederate soldier) and Jonathan R. headed to Washington County, Texas. By 1860 Olivia had remarried and the three boys were living in Washington County with their aunt and uncle Harriet and Nathaniel. There, Nathaniel continued owning slaves, probably most brought with the Crumps and Tapscotts from Kemper County. Nathaniel had eight slaves of his own and six more that he held as an “Agt for 2 Heirs of Tapscot.” These had probably been owned by the deceased Robert. James, Robert's eldest son, was likely one of the two heirs.

Among the slaves belonging to the Tapscott heirs and living on the plantation where James was staying in 1860 were a twenty-year-old woman and a two -year-old boy. Could these have been Palace and her and James’s oldest child, Lewis? The ages are certainly right. Palace had been born in 1840 and Lewis was born in 1858 or 1859. But, we will probably never know Palace's origins with any certainty. 

The Edney Line - Horace Tapscott

 

Anonymous, Find A Grave

This past Christmas my niece Kirsten gave me a book Songs of the Unsung by Horace Tapscott, a pianist, composer, and educator. The book is his autobiography, the story of a "powerful, highly individual, bop-tinged pianist with avant-garde leanings; a legend and something of a father figure to latter generations of L.A.-based free jazz players" (L.A. Times). At last, a famous Tapscott.

When he died on 28 Feb 1999, his obituary took up half a page in the Los Angeles Times (Tue 2 Mar 1999, p. A16).  Now I must admit that I don't really care for Horace's music. I am more a fan of Thelonious Monk, to whom Horace was sometimes compared. But you must read his autobiography. Horace was shockingly truthful about his life as a musician in what was often (always?) a racist society. An outstanding book by an outstanding man.

And how is Horace related to the Tapscott clan? He is descended from Henry the Immigrant through Henry's son Edney. He is a member of the Edney line, as I am. In fact, Horace and my dad (my niece's grandfather) were fifth cousins.

But, can this be correct? Edney was of European descent; Horace, of African descent. And therein lies a fascinating tale. In 1870 Horace's great grandparents James R. (Edney's great great grandson) and Palace Tapscott were living in Washington Co, Texas, with six children, including John Robert Tapscott, Horace's grandfather. In 1880 James and Palace were still living in Washington Co, but now the family had nine children (a tenth appears to have died). And the 1880 and 1900 censuses specify Palace as James's wife. This would not be surprising except that all three censuses show James as white and Palace and all their children as black or mixed race.

Between at least 1870 and 1900 James and Palace lived as a married couple in Texas, an exceedingly racist state where marriages between blacks and whites were banned by law between 1834 and 1969, except briefly during reconstruction. James and Palace did not have to report that they were married in the censuses. James could have declared himself single and Palace could have claimed to be the housekeeper, a common ruse used to hide relationships from census takers (and prying neighbors). But they didn't.

And equally surprising, James had enlisted in the Confederate Army on 1 Aug 1862. He and Palace were apparently living together or at least were having children while James was a Rebel! Their youngest child was born around 1860. And Palace, who was born in 1840 in Alabama, almost certainly began life as a slave.

Was it a loving union between a Johnny Reb and a former slave? It certainly appears so. They proclaimed to the world that they were married. In the 1900s, probably while visiting her daughter Amelia, Palace died in Oklahoma and was buried there. In his will, James wrote 

Fourth I further direct that should I be unable to remove the body of Palace Tapscott from Oklahoma, when it is now buried before my death, then I direct and request the above devisees and legatees, who are the children of said Palace Tapscott to remove her remains from Oklahoma and bury the same by the side of my own body on my farm whereof I now reside in Washington County Texas.

Wabash Valley Tapscotts - It's Done

It's done

 It's done

 It's done

 It's done

Well, sort of. 

The indexing is finished and I am doing a final reading. Anyone who wants a copy to review before it goes to press, to correct stupid and possibly scandelous errors, email me and I will send an electronic copy. I am particularly interested in corrections from the vast number of contributors, all of whom have my email address, and many of whom will be receiving a free hardbound copy.

And who are the contributors? Credited in my book are the following in surname alphabetical order:

Ben Ames, who provided scanned documents and family history for Ernest Andrew Tapscott, helped immensely in unraveling Andrew Tapscott’s line. Kathleen Pohlman Beckom provided photos for the Tynan family. Jacqueline (“Jackie”) Bell contributed a detailed genealogy (coauthored by Chris Childs and Shirley Bays) of the Mathias Siverly family. Terry Bullock was a cornucopia of information, articles, and photos for the Sanders family and their Tapscott relatives, often digging up what I had totally missed. Judy Cooke, an expert on the Iroquois Theater fire, was a source on both the fire and the victims, one of them a Tapscott descendant. In my very early days of family history research, Phillip Cunningham shared his research on the descendants of Fairy Lowry, helping unravel the genealogy of James Cunningham, Emma Tapscott’s son-in-law. Debra Lea Hawkins Erwin, a dedicated genealogy researcher, helped with photos and information when I stumbled on a new (to me) descendant of Sarah Ann Tapscott. Ritch Fuhrer provided photographs and information about the descendants of Nancy (Tapscott) Siverly. Scheryl Jean Gaylor was a wonderful source of material on the Sweets, much of it first-hand. Paula (Gray) Bennett, contributed photographed documents and held my hand as I stumbled through the tangled web of William and Laura Ann (Sanders) Gray. Linda (Rogers) Grinnell supplied family stories concerning the connection of Isaiah Grant Wright, Grant Tapscott, Mary Emma Sanders, and Joseph Tapscott. She was also the source of a large amount of hard-to-find information on the Lowrys, particularly on the descendants of Jackson and Eliza Ann (Sweet) Lowry. Michael L. Hébert supplied detailed information and reliable sources about Leslie Sweet, a Tapscott descendant I had worked on for weeks, and he did it in days. Rev. & Mrs. Frank and Teresa Helton contributed photos, research results, and valuable discussions about the Rev. Richard Wright family. Thanks to Sherri Lenz for connecting me with David Teel, who in turn connected me with Karen Giffin, all three sources of information on the Teel family and on Ruth and Alice, the orphaned children of Aden and Lydia Moore. John David Massey generously supplied Massey family photos. Meredith and LeAnna McGuire were a treasury of photos and valuable information about the descendants of Major Josiah Tapscott. Indeed, were I more altruistic, LeAnna would be listed as a co-author. Marilyn McKittrick was a great source of information and discussion regarding the Spencer family. Cheryl (Pickett) Naegel was a prodigious source of amazing photos and information for Susan (“Susie Bell”) Tingley and her progeny. Had it not been for Cheryl, I would never have figured out what became of Susie. Pamela Loos-Noji, a thorough, efficient, and highly knowledgeable genealogist, obtained Civil War pension records for Wesley Tapscott. Patricia Phillips kindly provided information and photos concerning the Grant Tapscott family. Sharon (Bruner) Poteet supplied abundant photos, obituaries, and information and pointed out my blunders about the descendants of Joseph and Mary Emma (Sanders) Tapscott. Dan Reedy gave me a copy of his book on Clark Co history, Growin’ up on Big Crick, allowed me to duplicate a newspaper-published passage for my book, and was a great source of information on the Milbourns, Moores, and Siverlys. Nancy (Martin) Rhoades furnished photos and innumerable, valuable communiques with information on the descendants and siblings of Nellie Mae Tapscott. Gail Ann (Reed) Schenck contributed greatly to discussions about the Wrights and furnished information about Wright relatives. Brian Scott supplied photographs and stories about the Mallorys and the Scotts. Patrick Joseph Shade, who understands the meaning of “reliable documentation,” was a great information source for Rev. Richard Wright and supplied a photo of the preacher. Minga (Buckle) Stivers supplied information and photos for the William Henry Day family and connected individuals. Robert Dean Tapscott provided data on the Forrest William Tapscott family. My late brother Jim, sister Mary Ann, niece Kirsten, sister-in-law “Liz,” and wife, Mary Frances, spent hours in the Clark Co courthouse transcribing documents. This book would have been nothing without the John Wesley Tapscott family history and old letters contributed by Edgar and Marjorie Tingley. Jeff Wallace, a thorough researcher, provided highly valuable information about the Wallace family into which William Tapscott married. Pat Anderson Wallace and Loistel Delp Summerville provided stories and photos about Harold Bernard Sweet and the Hurt family into which he married. Bob Walls was a prolific source of well-researched genealogy and copies of records concerning Flora Bell Walls, her descendants, and their Tingley, Sweitzer, Clouse, and Tapscott connections. Kathy Wienrank, an exceptionally thorough and accurate researcher, brought to my attention a possible illegitimate child of Andrew Tapscott, son of Jacob, and then went on to supply records, documents, and photos, leading me by the nose through a detailed investigation of the descendants. Marianne (Bruner) Wilson contributed a transcript of family information from Mary Emma Tapscott’s Bible, was an informative contributor to Grant Frederick Tapscott discussions, and provided information about the Bruner family. I am particularly grateful to her for showing me the location of the William and Mary (Wallace) Tapscott farm, where her great uncle “Tinker” (Millard) Tapscott had also lived.

Thanks, Thanks, Thanks

Fauquier County Tapscotts - Tapscott Family Cemetery

In Fauquier Co, Virginia, is situated the Tapscott Family Cemetery. In 2007 Mary Frances and I got to visit this beautiful cemetery and pay respect to our relatives.

2007

Recently David Dowell, a Fauquier Co Tapscott descendant and my 6^th cousin once removed, visited the cemetery and published on FaceBook eleven photos of markers for some of the Tapscotts and relatives. I hope he doesn’t mind, but I have made exact transcriptions of the markers from his photos. Here they are for those of you interested in Tapscott family history. Thanks a lot, cousin David.

CATHERINE DOWELL
1919 - 1990
CAROLYN ANN DOWELL
1953 – 1956

TAPSCOTT
SISTER
EVLYN M
FEB. 28 1912
FEB 8, 1934
BROTHER
HERMAN S.
NOV. 13, 1917
FEB 6, 1934

PORTER
ALICE C.
JULY 5, 1911
JAN 1, 1998
ZEFF W
OCT. 27, 1909
DEC. 27, 1995

HARRIS
PEGGY S.
JULY 29, 1932
SEPT 24, 2017
CASPA L. JR.
MAY 20, 1928

HARRINGTON W. HARRIS SR.
APR. 9, 1934 - APR. 2, 2009
As I sat quietly holding your hand, you slipped peacefully
away to God's promise land, So be happy my darling
until I get there. We'll have a big party and I'm sure
God won't care. Your Loving Wife Eva

HUGHES
CARLTON C.
FEB. 22, 1917
DEC. 24, 2011
TOMASHA M.
NOV. 10, 1923
FEB. 17, 2005

BELOVED FATHER
CONWAY G.
COLVIN
JULY 1, 1929
DEC 31, 2004
YOUR LOVING SON BRITT

TAPSCOTT
WILLIAM D.
APR. 30, 1914
FEB. 8, 2005
LOUISE H.
JUNE 12, 1922
FEB. 23, 1980

HANUSKA
PAUL D.
JULY 11, 1944
DEC. 9, 2012
NADINE E.
NOV. 3, 1925
SEPT. 10, 2016

JOYCE EVELYN TAPSCOTT
SEPT. 2, 1949 - JUNE 2, 2017
"FOR ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST
AND TO DIE IS GAIN." PHIL. 1:21

SAMUEL LEON
TAPSCOTT
1926 - 2020