Andrew “Andy” Gaulding, the son of William T. Gaulding and Margaret Lane
- Catherine Gauldin
- Jun 20
- 12 min read
Andrew Gaulding was born about 1780, probably in Bedford County and he died June 20, 1842 (1) in Pittsylvania County, Virginia in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He is named as one of the heirs of the estate of his father William and he got a 1/8th share. His parents were married in about 1779 and Andrew was probably born the following year, but since there is no birth record, that date is a guess. The 1830 Census states only that he was at that time between the ages of 40 and 49 while his wife Unity was considerably younger, with the only FWF being 20-29. Because Andy Gaulding died before 1850 when ages were recorded on the census, it is difficult to state whether he was born before or after Nancy.
The Virginia, Compiled Marriages, 1740-1850 register gives the date of the marriage between Andy Golden and Unity Bray as having taken place on 30 November 1821 in Henry County, Virginia. (2) She was born about 1800 and died about 1845. (1) Unity was the daughter of Ambrose II Bray (1760-1860) and Mary Crouch (1769-1830). (3)
The Census Records
His neighbors in the 1830 census were Jonathan Elliot, William Tarpley, Joel Matherly, James Elliott (Nancy's husband), John Woodall, David W. Breedlove, William Gauldin (Andy's brother), N.H. Taliafina, John McCune, James Beck, Richard Breedlove and others. (4)
The 1840 census (5) records a man who is between 50 and 59 years of age and his wife is 30-39 years old. There are eight people in this household, 3 sons and 3 daughters. All are free and there are no slaves. This is a tight cluster of brothers living in very close proximity together in Pittsylvania County. The neighbors begin with their father William T. Gaulding who was living with his second wife Dicey and two children Mary and Jabez. William T. Gaulding was approaching the end of his life and had only one more year to live. Between William T. and Andy Gaulding his son are Stephen Midkiff and David W. Breedlove, then Andy "Galding" is shown with a household of 8, Thomas Galding with a household of 7 and Moses Galding with a household of 5 people. John Boaz lived next to Moses Gaulding and then came Lindley Breedlove and Luke P. Tarpley.
Narrative Summary of the Estate and Financial Collapse of Andrew J. Gaulding (d. 1842)[i]
When Andrew J. Gaulding, eldest son of William T. Gaulding, reached adulthood, he attempted to establish himself as an independent landowner in Pittsylvania County. In November 1841, he purchased 180 acres from Jabez L. and Elizabeth Dallas for $462, a substantial sum for a small farmer. The land lay along the North Carolina Road and bordered the properties of Francis T. Wells, Richard Breedlove, John Fowldes, and the estate of Andrew’s own father, William T. Gaulding. To finance this purchase, Andrew immediately mortgaged both the land and his future inheritance from his father’s estate. This was a risky move, but common among young men who lacked ready cash. (1)
Mounting Debt and the Deed of Trust
By May 1842, Andrew was already struggling to meet his obligations. He executed a deed of trust to Dr. A. Herndon for $120, again using his interest in the estate of his father, and 100 acres of the land where he lived as collateral. This meant that if he failed to pay, both his land and his inheritance could be seized. (1)
At the same time, he was also indebted to Jabez L. Dallas for the original $462 purchase price. To secure that debt, Andrew executed another deed of trust on November 24, 1841, appointing William Payne as trustee. If Andrew failed to pay Dallas by November 18, 1842, Payne was authorized to sell Andrew’s entire interest in his father’s estate.
Andrew’s Untimely Death and the Collapse of His Estate
Andrew died suddenly in 1842, before any of these debts could be paid. His death triggered immediate foreclosure. In January 1843, Trustee Benjamin F. Williams sold the 180‑acre tract at public auction to William Dickinson and William A. Thomas, the highest bidders. Trustee William Payne also sold Andrew’s inheritance rights from the estate of William T. Gaulding. These rights were purchased by Thomas S. Jones for $600 on January 16, 1843. (1)
In short, Andrew’s land and his entire inheritance were lost to creditors.
Unity Bray Gaulding Forced Off the Land
Andrew’s widow, Unity Bray, was left in a precarious position. She had no legal claim to the land except her dower right, which was only a life interest. In 1843, she sold her dower rights to Dickinson and Thomas for $34, a token amount that reflects her lack of bargaining power. This sale confirms that she was forced to vacate the property.
Inventory of a Poor Man’s Estate
The court ordered an appraisal of Andrew’s estate in June 1842, and the inventory returned in January 1843 paints a stark picture of poverty:
5 chairs
1 table
3 hoes
1 plow and gear
1 sorrel horse
2 beds and furniture
1 oven and pot
This was the entire estate of a man who had once held 180 acres and a share of a large family inheritance. His debts had consumed everything.
Administration and Final Settlement
After Andrew J. Gaulding died unexpectedly in 1842, his already‑fragile financial situation collapsed completely. The court appointed Dr. A. Herndon as administrator of his estate, and Herndon managed what little remained for several years. His final account, settled in 1847, shows that nearly all estate funds went toward basic obligations—store accounts, legal fees, clerk’s costs, and the auctioneer who handled the forced sale of Andrew’s property. There was no meaningful estate to distribute.
More than a decade after Andrew’s death, in 1853, the court appointed Jesse Royall as administrator de bonis non to finish the remnants of the estate. Royall was also named guardian of Andrew’s two surviving children, Nancy Ann Gauldin and Andrew J. Gauldin Jr., confirming that both were minors when their father died and had no financial support from his estate. Jesse Royall was a Pittsylvania County resident active in the mid‑19th century, frequently appearing in court records as a trustee, bondsman, and guardian. He was not a relative of the Gauldings but rather a trusted local administrator appointed by the court when estates or guardianships needed oversight. In 1853, more than a decade after Andrew’s death, Royall was appointed:
· Administrator de bonis non of Andrew’s estate — meaning he was responsible for finishing the settlement after Dr. A. Herndon’s earlier administration.
· Guardian of Nancy Ann Gauldin and Andrew J. Gauldin Jr., Andrew’s minor children.
Royall’s appointment indicates that the estate still had unresolved matters — likely small debts or uncollected funds — and that the children were still underage and required legal protection for any inheritance or remaining property rights.
Andrew’s financial downfall had begun before his death. He purchased land he could not afford and mortgaged both the property and his future inheritance from his father, William T. Gaulding. When he died in 1842, every debt came due at once. Trustees immediately foreclosed, selling his land, his inheritance rights and all of his personal property. His widow, Unity, was forced to sell her dower rights for a token sum and leave the land entirely. The inventory of Andrew’s estate—just a few chairs, a plow, a horse, two beds, and basic household items—shows that he died with almost nothing.
Andrew’s insolvency also complicated the larger Gaulding family chancery litigation (1841–1852). Because he had mortgaged his share of his father’s estate, his portion had to be sold to satisfy creditors, adding another layer of legal entanglement to an already complex estate division.
In the end, Andrew died penniless, his property lost, his inheritance sold, and his children left as wards of the court. His early death and financial collapse reverberated through the Gaulding family for years, shaping both the settlement of his father’s estate and the lives of his own children.
Both Unity Bray Gauldin and her husband Andrew Jackson "Andy" Gauldin are buried in the Bray Family Cemetery in Henry County, but the exact location is not given on Find a Grave. (6)
What happened to the orphan children of Andrew “Andy” Gaulding?
The court record (Order Book 48:74) confirms that Nancy Ann and Andrew J. Jr. were legally declared orphans of Andrew J. Gauldin, deceased. Their mother, Unity Bray Gaulding, had already sold her dower rights and lost the family land, leaving her with no property to support them. Under Virginia law at the time, when a father died insolvent and the mother had no estate, the children were placed under a court‑appointed guardian to manage any small inheritance or protect their interests until adulthood.
No later guardianship accounts survive in the Pittsylvania records, but the pattern suggests:
The children likely remained with their mother Unity or nearby relatives.
Royall’s role was financial, not custodial — he managed any remaining estate funds or claims.
By the late 1850s, both children would have reached adulthood, and the guardianship would have ended automatically.
Despite the instability of their early years, both children survived through the support of their extended Gaulding and Dunn kin network.
Nancy Ann Gaulding (ca. 1834 – before 1870)
By 1850, Nancy Ann—recorded as “Nancy Ann Goldinge,” age 15—was living in the household of her older sister Mildred Gaulding Dunn and brother‑in‑law Matthew Dunn in Pittsylvania County. The Dunn household was large and multigenerational, including Mildred’s children Jackson, James H., Abora, and Isaiah. This arrangement reflects the common practice of widowed or impoverished mothers placing children with married siblings for stability.
Around 1850–1851, Nancy married Walter Alexander Dunn (1827–1865), likely a relative of her brother‑in‑law. Their children were:
Isaiah Ferdinand Dunn (1851–1917)
Mary A. “Mollie” Dunn (1863–1899)
Walter died in 1865, leaving Nancy a young widow with children. She disappears from census records after 1860, and the absence of later documentation suggests she died before 1870, leaving her children to be raised within the Dunn family.
Andrew J. “Jackson” Gaulding Jr. (1837–1893)
Nancy’s younger brother, Andrew Jr., also appears in the 1850 household of Mildred and Matthew Dunn, age 12. Like his sister, he grew up within the extended family after the collapse of his father’s estate. As an adult, Andrew Jr. married Lucinda Umstead (1845–1909) and established a stable household in Pittsylvania County. Together they had four children:
William Richardson Gaulding (1866–1936)
Eugene D. Gaulding (1868–1935) - Eugene died on May 3, 1935 according to his death certificate. He was living in Guilford, North Carolina at the time of his death. (8)
Annie Gaulding (b. 1869)
James Walter Gaulding (1874–1935)
His Military Service
Andrew served as a soldier of the Confederacy and was wounded at Second Manassas. In the spring of 1861, as North Carolina mobilized for war, Andrew J. Golden, a 24‑year‑old farmer born about 1837, enlisted in the Confederate Army. On 23 May 1861, he mustered into Company E, 22nd North Carolina Infantry at Guilford County as a Private, joining one of the earliest regiments raised in the state.
Andrew Gaulding, Jr. served through the first year of the war without recorded incident, but his regiment soon entered some of the most intense fighting in the Eastern Theater. On 28 August 1862, during the opening day of the Second Battle of Manassas (Second Bull Run) in Virginia, he was wounded in the right leg. The 22nd North Carolina suffered heavy casualties in this engagement, and Andrew’s injury was severe enough to remove him from active duty for a time.
A second notation in his service record shows that by 15 October 1862, he was absent sick, likely still recovering from his Manassas wound. He eventually returned to duty, but his health never fully stabilized. After more than two years of service, he was discharged on 15 December 1863, having survived both battle and illness. (9)
Andrew Jr. lived until 5 September 1893, rebuilding the family’s standing after the financial ruin of the 1840s. His descendants continued the Gaulding name in Pittsylvania and Halifax Counties well into the 20th century.
A Family Rebuilt Through Kinship
Though orphaned young and left without property, Nancy Ann and Andrew Jr. survived because of the strength of their kin network—particularly their sister Mildred and the Dunn family. Their lives illustrate how extended families in rural Virginia absorbed the children of insolvent or deceased relatives, providing stability when legal guardianship offered only financial oversight.
There were several other children of Andrew Gaulding and Unity Bray and they were:
William A. Gauldin 1822–1900 (?) Uncertain
Mildred "Millard J." Gaulding 1825–1906 – Nancy and her brother Andrew “Jackson” are shown living in her household in 1850, eight years after the death of their father.
Mary Gaulding 1826– (?)
Elizabeth Delia "Betty" Gaulding 1830–1869 (?) Uncertain
Works Cited
1. Gauldin, Catherine L. The Gaulding Family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. [Online] http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/g/a/u/Catherine-L-Gauldin/GENE4-0006.html .
2. Virginia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1740-1850. ancestry.com. [Online] "Andy Golden married Unity Bray 30 Nov. 1821 Henry, Virginia, USA". https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3723/records/8036?tid=163174124&pid=422121228114&ssrc=pt.
3. Unity Bray. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84452090/unity-gauldin.
4. 1830 United States Federal Census. ancestry.com. [Online] Virginia, Pittsylvania. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8058/images/4411349_00737?pId=956146.
5. 1840 United States Federal Census. ancestry.com. [Online] Virginia, Pittsylvania. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8057/images/4410827_00246?pId=1913684.
6. "Bray Cemetery". Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2376302/val=bray-cemetery&length=13.
7. 1850 United States Federal Census. ancestry.com. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8054/images/4206390_00160?pId=15427145.
8. North Carolina, U.S., Death Certificates, 1909-1976. ancestry.com. [Online] Guilford, 1935, May. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1121/images/S123_1130-1842?pId=601201178.
9. U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 . ancestry.com. [Online] Andrew J. Golden. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1555/records/355600?tid=163174124&pid=422121228115&ssrc=pt.
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Endnotes
[i] From The Gaulding Family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia (1) by Catherine L. Gauldin, 2000.
1. "Land: An untimely death was the cause of Andrew defaulting on the payments for his tract of land. Unity was forced off the land by the sale of the tract and the sale of his interest in William T. Gaulding's estate: 1841 Nov 24 Pittsylvania County—
2. Jabez L. and Elizabeth Dallas to Andrew Gaulding for $462, 180 acres on BS of North Carolina Road adjacent to Francis T. Wells, Richard Breedlove, dec'd, John Fowldes, William T. Gaulden, dec'd and said Jabez L. Dallas that he received from the estate of George S. Wells, dec'd (DB 46:142)
3. On May 14, 1842 Andrew executed a deed of trust to Doctor A. Herndon for $120 which was secured by the 'interest in the estate of my father William T. Gauldin, dec'd except a certain indenture heretofore given by me for the benefit of Jabez L. Dallas, and by 100 acres..where Andrew now resides. (DB 46:195)
4. Benjamin F. Williams was the trustee and sold the tract to William Dickinson and William A. Thomas as highest bidders on Jan. 28, 1843, said Gauldin having died in the time. Doctor A. Herndon also was paid (DB 47:213)
5. In 1843, widow Unity sold to William A. Dickinson and William A. Thomas for $34 all her dower rights in the 180 acres on which she now resides that adj. George House and others (DB 47:396)
6. 1841 Nov 24 Pittsylvania Deed of Trus, Andrew Gaulding justly indebted to Jabez L. Dallas for $462..sold to William Payne 'interest in the estate of my father William T. Gauldin, dec'd' if note not paid by Nov. 18, 1842 (DB 46:193). William Payne, being trustee, sold this interest to the highest bidder, Thomas S. Jones, for $600 on Jan. 16, 1843 (DB 47:219)."
7. “This Indenture made and entered into this the 16th day of Jane Jones 1843 , between William Payne of the first part and Thomas one of the second part both of the County of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia Witnesseth that whereas Andrew Gaulding late of the said county and State did convey by deed of Trust bearing date the 24th day of November 1841 , and duly admitted to record in the Clerks office of the county Court of said County to William Payne as trustee for Jabez L Dallas for certain purposes therein expressed his whole and sole interest and claim the estate of his father William Gaulding deed , upon Condition however that if the said Goulding failed to comply with the stipulation therein expressed by the 18th day of November 1842 , it should be lawful for the said Payne after giving at least fifteen days notice thereof at some publick places proceed to sell to the highest bidder the interest aforesaid or so much thereof as would pay and satisfy the purposes foresaid and whereas the said Andrew Goulding having failed to comply with the provisions aforesaid and whereas the said William Layne at the request of the said Jabeg L Dallas having previously advertised the time and place of sale for fifteen days ) did on Friday the of December 1842 expose to sale at public auction the interest aforesaid and the said Thomas S Jones became the purchaser , he being the highest bidder thereof , at the price of six hundred dollars this Indenture witnesseth that for and in consideration of the premises aforesaid and also for the further consideration of the sum Six hundred dollars in hand paid by the said Thomas S to the said William Payne at and before the ensealing and delivery of these presents the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged , hath granted bargained and sold and by these ents doth bargain and sell unto the said Thomas Jones is heirs and assigns forever , the aforesaid right title interest and from Payne..”
8. June 20, 1842-Court ordered Robert Pritchard, Joshua Pritchard, Samuel Payne Sr and John M. Inge or any three to appraise the estate of Andrew Gaulding, dec'd (OB 37:30). The inventory was returned in Jan. 1843: 5 chairs, 1 table, 3 hoes, 1 plow and gear, 1 sorrel horse, 1 bed and furniture, 1 ditto, 1 oven and pot (acct current 14:79). Doctor A. Herndon was the administrator of the estate. Jesse Royall was made the administrator in 1853, with John D. Hall his security.
9. Royall was appointed guardian of Nancy Ann Gauldin and Andrew J. Gauldin, orphans of Andrew J. Gauldin, dec'd. (OB 48:74)
10. Acct Current 14-79 Andy Gaulding Inventory - taken Jan 28, 1843-5 chairs, 1 table, 3 hoes, 1 plow & gear, 1 sorrel, horse, 1 bed & furniture, 1 ditto, 1 oven & pot From an order of June Court 1842 to appraise estate of Andy Gaulding dec'd. Returned 20 Jan 1843.
11. Acct Current 15-468 Account current with Doctor A. Herndon Admr. of estate of Andy Gaulding dec'd. Amt pd to J. Smith & Co., to John J. R. Shumate, to 2 clerk tickets, lawyer's fee, to Cole Blair auctioneer. Agreeable to order of Feb Court 1845 to adjust the account with D A Herndon. Signed 19 April 1847 (From the will of William T. Gaulden) SURNAME GAULDEN: children, #1-7 by Margaret, #8-9 by Malessa (Pitts. records, heirs from Accts. Current 17:108): *1. Andrew J. b. ca 1786 d. 1842 Pitts. ()B 37:40) m. 11-30-1821 Henry Co., VA, Unity Bray
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