Person:Thomas Ratcliff (5)

Thomas Ratcliff was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Contents 1 Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA 2 Will of Thomas Ratcliff 3 Records of Thomas Ratcliff in Augusta County, VA 4 Information on Thomas Ratcliff		Welcome to Old Augusta Early Settlers Beverley Manor Borden's Grant Register Data Maps Places Library History Index
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Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA

Acquisition of Land from Chalkley's:

• Page 362.--11th August, 1767. John ( ) Taylor to Thomas Ratliff, 75 acres on James River. Teste: James Trimble, James Allison, John McNutt, John Allison. Delivered: (?) John Trimble, 12th September, 1755 (possibly his own signature).

Will of Thomas Ratcliff

• Will of Thomas Ratcliff, names his wife Mary, his sister Mary, and children Samuel, Isabel, Mary, Betsey, William, Thomas, Joseph, Isaiah, Alexander, Elisha, and Susanna. His "friend" (probably brother-in-law) Alexander McClure and son Samuel were listed as executors. (proved Jan 3, 1797 - Woodford County Wills B, p. 32):

Records of Thomas Ratcliff in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records:

• Page 298.--15th May, 1767. Christian Godfrey Miliron and Mary ( ) to James Bailey, £5.10, 16 acres, part of the tract whereon Miliron now lives; Wm. Halman's line; corner James Bailey's former survey. Teste: Thomas Ratlif. Delivered to William? per order, 1st January, 1796.

• Page 359.--11th August, 1767. James Trimble, of Green Spring, and Sarah to Peter Holle, of Hampshire, £15, 85 acres on the Crab Apple Fork, a branch of South Branch of Potomac; corner survey formerly made for James, but now belonging to Peter; corner Peter Holle. Teste: Thos. Ratlif, John and Jean Trimble.

Information on Thomas Ratcliff

From Genforum.com post:

Thomas Ratcliff - early Augusta, VA Posted by: Steve Varvel Date: February 12, 2002 at 05:16:52

  of 935  

Hi, I'm trying to trace the ancestry of a Thomas Ratcliff who lived near Timber Ridge, VA (near Natural Bridge) during the 1760's-1790's (the area was first part of Augusta, then Botetourt, finally Rockbridge County). I'm not sure when he first came to Augusta, but he was married in 1765 to Mary McClure, daughter of Samuel McClure, a prominent early resident of Augusta County. So he was probably born c1745, or maybe a bit earlier.

I've collected a whole series of references to Thomas from Augusta, Botetourt, and Rockbridge, and subsequent records from Woodford County, KY where he moved shortly before his death (listed below). However, I haven't found anything for Thomas before his marriage and I don't know who his parents were. He appears to have been the only (adult male) Ratcliff living in the area during that time.

The only other Ratcliffs in the early Augusta records were the group that settled about 80 miles to the southwest, further up the Shenandoah Valley in what would become Montgomery County. I don't know if Thomas was connected with these Ratcliffs.

Can anyone out there help me with this? I have a few suspicions but would really like some input from someone who's been looking at this stuff longer than I have.

Thanks!

Steve Varvel (varvel@cavtel.net)

Misc. data about Thomas Ratcliff:

Aug 18, 1767 - Thomas Ratcliff bought 75 acres on the south side of the James River from John Taylor (Augusta Deed Book 13, p. 361-361)

1770 - 1778 - The area where Thomas lived became part of Botetourt County in 1770 until 1778 when Rockbridge County was formed.

Aug 14, 1770 - Thomas Ratliff bought 124 acres on the south side of the James River and 4 acres on the north side of the James from John Taylor. Tracts originally granted to Taylor by Patents Sep 26, 1766 and Jul 14, 1769 (Botetourt Deeds 1, p. 125)

1772 tax list from district North of Buffalo Creek, Botetourt County (later Rockbridge) - Thomas Ratcliff, 2 tithables (probably counts his oldest son Samuel)

Aug 9, 1774 - Thomas Ratcliff bought 124 acres from Joseph Cooper in the Forks of the James, on a small branch of the North Branch (of the James), adj. James Bailey, David Syttles (Botetourt Deeds 2, p. 62)

Nov 7, 1775 - Thomas Ratlif and wife Mary of Botetourt sold Moses Bennett 124 acres on south side of the James, 75 acres on south side of James, and 4 acres on north side of James (Botetourt Deeds 2, p. 196)

Sep 3, 1786 - Thomas Ratliff of Rockbridge bought 17 acres from Benjamin Bennett on the northwest side of a branch of the North River, on a line with James McClung (Rockbridge Deeds A, p. 584).

Apr 27, 1787 - Thomas Ratcliff paid personal property tax in Rockbridge County. Neighbors included Samuel, John, James, and Jane McClure, John Taylor

Feb 14, 1791 - Thomas and Mary sold two tracts of land - one 124 acres and the other 41 acres - on the North River, which were adjoining themselves and a Joseph Caldwell (Rockbridge Deeds B, p. 220).

Apr 3, 1792 - Thomas Ratliff and Samuel McCluer (probably his brother-in-law) were witnesses on a deed for another tract "in the fork of Buffalow and Back run" from George Campbell to Wm. Sutherland Bailey (Rockbridge Deeds B, p. 338).

Woodford County, KY Tax lists:

1790 - William & John McClure

1791 - William & John McClure

1792 - William McClure

1793 - William McClure

1794 - Alexander, John, and William McClure, Thomas Ratliff

1795 - Alexander & Samuel McClure, Thomas Ratcliff

1796 - Alexander & Samuel McClure, Thomas Ratcliff

1797 - Alexander & Samuel McClure, Samuel Ratcliff (Thomas's son)