Person talk:William Gambrill (1)

Prince William County VA - notes [28 January 2015]

In 1779 William Gambrell is sued by James Jamison, surviving partner of Messers John and James Jamison, merchants of Glasgow. Court records indicate that Gambrell is not present in the county. Given that this was during the middle of the Revolutionary War, there can be different interpretations of what this lawsuit means. 1. Was Gambrell a customer who owed money to the merchants? The revolution itself was in response to not only taxation, but exploitation by the merchants of the British Isles. 2. Was Gambrell a local agent of the Merchants, who owed them for goods he either could not, or did not sell? 3. Why was Gambrell gone from the county? 4. Where was he? Possibly North Carolina.

In 1787 William Gambril is in lower PW county with 2 titheables. He seems to have returned, but in what capacity? Tenant Farmer or Merchant?

In 1789 William Gambril is in upper PW county with 3 titheables. Has he moved, or have the tax district boundaries moved?

In 1791 William Gambrell has 2 titheables. Edward Gambrill (probably the oldest son of William) appears on the Loudoun County Tax list under the Household of Aron Grigg. It was about this time that Washington DC comes into existence, and stone quarries are working full force to provide marble and limestone for the federal buildings. Loudoun County may have had more quarries and better stone than PW county.

In 1801 John Gambril appears on the PW tax list with 3 titheables. Who is he? William had a son named John, but he would have been only 16 at this time, and not listed as a tax payer. This might have been a brother to William, who has come to PW county for economic reasons (quarry work, or commerce from an increased workforce). This could explain the existence of John Gambrel of Franklin County Indiana who fought there in the war of 1812, and who was a partner in the firm of Long and Gambrel, which was involved in the construction of the Whitewater Canal. (Somewhere, I recall seeing a record of a John Gambrill in Charles County MD in the mid to late 1700s. I need to find that again.)

Also in 1801 William Gambrill (var spellings) is absent from the tax list. Could it be that he turned 65 and was exempt? If so, he would have been born in 1735/6. It is more likely that he had died. Another plausible explanation of the appearance of John on the Tax list, is that he came to help his brother's family with the estate. Who are the other two titheables listed with John, his own sons or Williams? (Maybe William Jr, and John who just turned 16). There has been no record of a will. It might have taken 5 years to probate his estate.

In 1806 the name William Gambrell re-appears, and Ann Gambrell appears on the tax lists for the first time. This is most likely William Jr (who just turned 21), and his mother, who is now a widow with another son over the age of 16 (Travis b. 1789).

Also in 1806 Edward Gambrill bought land in Wood County (W)VA along with his Woodyard cousins. Soon Ann, and the rest of the family join him there.--PhilGambrel 16:04, 9 February 2014 (UTC)

Extended Family [31 January 2022]

I have had my DNA tested by both Ancestry DNA and Family Tree DNA. The DNA analysis matches me with several branches of the Gambrel Family. The Paper Trail has not been completed

The general theory by many researchers is that 2 or maybe 3 brothers arrived in Maryland about 1670. One, William, stayed in Maryland. Another, Thomas, went to Virginia. And a third, George, disappeared from the records.

Thomas, it is thought, had at least two sons in Virginia. Henry eventually Settled down in Culpeper County. His children migrated down into western North Carolina before the Revolutionary War. At least 3 brothers fought in that war for the cause of independence, John, Martin, and William. Their descendants went into Kentucky in the early to middle 1800s. John migrated down into old Anson County North Carolina on the Pee Dee River. From there his sons and grandsons migrated farther south in South Carolina. Later descendants would move west into Mississippi and Texas.

There were other "cousins" who may have come from "the old Country" at a later date.

To get the conversation started, I am going to "pencil in" the possibility that William was one of 3 brothers who show up later. Were they part of a later migration, or did they descend from George, or an unknown son of one of the other two (Thomas or William)?

I do not know who their father may have been, but based on the Names of their own sons, I am going to guess it was John.--PhilGambrel 20:47, 31 January 2022 (UTC)