Person talk:Thomas McSpadden (2)

Who is this Thomas? [6 April 2009]

This Thomas McSpadden gets picked up in the Wigton Walker lineage (Source:White, 1902:181 which tells us that

ELIZABETH LYLE Walker, oldest child of James Walker and Jane Thompson; b. March 17, 1789; m. about 1809 Thomas McSpadden of Rockbridge County, Va. Of their 11 children, 2 were living in 1896. Children were :

Samuel McSpadden.

James Walker McSpadden; resided at Alvarado, Va. He was living in 1896, aged 86; very feeble; was b. about 1810.

Moses McSpadden.

John McSpadden.

King McSpadden.

Joel McSpadden.

Jennie McSpadden.

Rebecca McSpadden.

Eliza McSpadden.

Esther McSpadden.

Margaret McSpadden; m. Mr. Larimer. She was living in 1896, aged 79 years.

White had extensive correspondence with families in Rockbridge, and was probably in communication with some of the children of Elizabeth and Thomas. Unfortunately, she often fails to tell how she knew what she knew. Moreover, there are significant confusions embedded in her work. (The chief ones are not really her fault---as the family Walker had been confused about certain lineages since at least the 1840's. White just gave us what she was told by that she believed were knowledgable family members. White can't really be blamed for missing the boat on some of this, as we've only been able to sort out some of the discrepancies today with the help of YDNA.)

There are several interesting points about this that are worth pointing out, but at the moment I don't know enough about the family to do anything with. So I'll ay this out here, in the hope that someday someone will fill in the blanks.

First, White styles Elizabeth as "Elizabeth Lyle Walker". I presume that the "Lyle" middle name is her maiden name, (though perhaps she was a widow?). The McSpadden family that settled in the Borden's grant area (Rockbridge) c. 1740. lived close to the Lyle's (as well as to the Edmiston's who some believe also intermarried with the McSpadden's.) So a marriage between the Lyles' and the McSpadden's seems likely. Checking SWVP_Register_1769-1775#H-L shows no Lyles in SW VA at an early date, though a quick check of Source:Summers, 1929 shows them present at least by 1784.

Second, this Elizabeth is given a DOB of 1789 in Rockbridge County, and that her husband, Thomas McSpadden was living there as late as 1809. I know of four presumed sons of Thomas McSpadden, the founder of the line in Rockbridge: Person:Thomas McSpadden (3), Person:Archibald McSpadden (1), Person:Moses McSpadden (1), and Person:Samuel McSpadden (1). Thomas father of Elizabeth could be one of their sons, but these presumed sons moved to SW VA c 1775. So who is Thomas who remained in Rockbridge? I see two possibilities: A) THomas McSpadden the founder, had a brother who remained in Rockbridge, and that brother had a son or grandson Thomas. B) The family retained property in Rockbridge, and a son of one of the four brothers in SW VA returned to Rockbridge to farm that property. Perhaps he had a son Thomas, or perhaps he's the Thomas who married Elizabeth Lyle. c) or perhaps some other explanation altogether.

Third, note that son James lived near Alvarado in SW VA.

Here's a map of the general area

Moses McSpadden came to SW VA in 1774, as attested to by this records

Moses McSpedon...200 ac...commissioners certificate...on the south east side of Holston River...Beginning on a bank of a creek called Laurel fork running into Holston - Moses McSpaddin, assignee of Ebenezer Alexander, assignee of James Gilliban, assignee of John Walker...300 ac...on the south side of Holston River opposite John Berrys, includes improvements, actual settlement made in 1774...August 29, 1781

Note that his property was at the junction of Laurel Fork, and the South Fork of the Holston. ("On a bank of a creek called Laurel fork running into Holston"). Alvarado, where James McSpadden was living in 1896, is about two miles from the mouth of Laurel Fork. Moses' property might well be the property where James McSpadden was living in 1896. ^[1]Perhaps James inherited from Moses, from one of his children.

Q 20:28, 6 April 2009 (EDT)