Josiah Gauldin of Cumberland County, Virginia

Catherine Gauldin
3 days ago
16 min read

Josiah Gauldin's will is recorded in the Cumberland County Will Book, Volume 9-11 1832-1852, Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900, https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62347/images/007675922_00054?pId=2011602

Josiah Gauldin was the son of William Gaulding and the grandson of Matthew "John II" Gaulding.

The will is transcribed as follows:

"In the name of God, amen. I Josiah Gauldin of Cumberland county being weak in body and afflicted with sickness, but of perfect soundness of mind and memory and knowing the uncertainty of human life, and being desirous that after my decease there should be no difference of opinion among my legatees respecting the distribution of my property which it has pleased God to bestow upon me, nor litigation concerning the same I have hereby made my last will and testament and by this act entirely revoke all other wills and Testaments whether verbal or written by me heretofore made. In manner & form following to wit.

Item 1st. I will that as soon as practicable after my decease that all my just debts be paid and all money due me be collected by my Executor or Executors.

Item 2nd. I lend to my beloved wife SOPHIE during her widowhood or natural life if she remain my widow, all the land on which I now live, together with all stock, plantation utensils, house hold and kitchen furniture on the premises, as also the following slaves, to wit RACHEL, ARCHER, BILLY DEASON, DANIEL, STEPHEN, SARAH, PLEASANT and MOSES to be for my wife's use and entirely at her control during her widowhood, but if in case she should again marry, she is to be part to her thirds of the property named in this Item of my will, and the other two thirds to be equally divided among my following named children and grand children to wit.

To the children of MY SON WILLIAM and to sons WILLIS, JOSIAH, JOHN, my daughter ANN and sons BENJAMIN, JAMES and daughter MARY BARNETT each an equal portion. My daughter FRANCIS HENDRICK being provided for in another Item of my will is excluded from any benefit from this Item.,

Item 3rd. I give and bequeath to my daughter FRANCIS HENDRICK and through her to her children as her final portion of my estate both real and personal the following negroes namely CHINA & BETSEY now in her possession as also a suitable servant for her use to be purchased either my myself during my life or by my Executor or Executors after my death in the (room?) of LUCKEY and her young child who where formerly offered to her as a help but whom I sold previously to making this my will, the suitableness of the servant to be purchased to be discretionary in me or my Executors.

Item 4th. I give and bequeath to my daughter MARY BARNETT over and above her equal portion of my estate and through her to the heirs of her body, One negro girl named SALLY now about four years old with all her increase, the said girl to be put into the possession of my said daughter MARY BARNETT whenever she comes of age or marries.

Item 5th. I will that my beloved wife SOPHIA after my decease and during her widowhood shall (live) on the property which I have lent to her my said wife, comfortably support, take care of and maintain my daughter ANN and if my wife should marry I will that she shall before her marriage nominate to the court of the county a person whom she may deem most suitable to be the guardian and protector of my said daughter ANN and this nomination shall or may be made in writing to the clerk of the court, who shall repot the nomination to the court, who shall act upon the case as in other cased of Guardianship to prevent waste of property, and my said wife shall in case she remain a widow to her death, nominate to the court whom she may deem most suitable for a guardian to my said daughter Ann and the court shall act on such nomination accordingly and it is my will that whoever shall faithfully and finally act as the guardian of my said daughter Ann shall be the whole and sold and rightful heir of my said daughter.

Item 6th. It is my will that if my widow marry, the two thirds of my land shall be sold entire and the proceeds be divided equally among my children, and if she does not marry that the whole be sold entire and if she does not marry that the whole be sold entire and equally divided in both cases as follows __ to my sons WILLIAM'S children, One portion and equal portions to my sons WILLIS, JOSIAH, JOHN, daughter ANN, sons BENJAMIN and JAMES and daughter MARY BARNETT. My daughter HENDRICK, being exhibited by a former Item in this my Will.

Item 7th. I will to my young friend NANCY GUTHERY a good bed and furniture, and a good cow and calf.

Item 8th. It is my will that that portion of my estate which I have given to the children of my son William instead of giving him an equal portion, shall be preserved in the following manner, he help of my said son WILLIAM in raising his children and for his own comfort till his death in the following manner that is to sayd should my widow Marry and two thirds of my estate come into the hands of my Legatees, or if she die without Marrying and the whole come into the hands of my Legatees as aforementioned, in both cased the court shall take cognizance of the same and fo that portion coming to my son WILLIAM'S children the court shall appoint trustees whose duty shall be to see that the proceeds of the said property shall be used to help his family and for their comfort, and his own and of this the said trustees shall report annually to the court and so continue to do during the life of my aforesaid son WILLIAM and after his death the property shall be equally divided among his children.

Item 9th. and I hereby appoint my beloved wife Sophia with any other person whom she may chose or nominate, to act with her as my Executors and this my will I have affixed my seal and set my hand this eighteenth day of September in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred & twenty-two.

JOSIAH GAULDIN (seal)

Signed & seal in presence of

JAMES AIKEN

WILLIAM BELLEMY

JOHN C. BOSHER

The will of Josiah Gauldin of Cumberland County, Virginia 1822 was transcribed by Catherine L. Gauldin on 6-5-2026

1822 Will, Josiah Gauldin, son of William Gaulding, grandson of Matthew "John II" Gaulding. On 28 October 1833 the "last will and testament of Josiah Gauldin, decd. was presented in court and proved by the oath of William Bellemy one of the witnesses thereto and continued for further proof. And at court held for said county the 28th day of April 1834.."

People Named in the Will of Josiah Gauldin (1822)

(Each entry explains who the person was in relation to Josiah, based on the will’s language.)

Josiah Gauldin

Testator. He is the writer of the will, living in Cumberland County, Virginia, “weak in body” but of sound mind. His large estate includes land, enslaved people, livestock, household goods, and money.

Immediate Family

Sophia (Sophie) Gauldin

Wife and widow. Josiah repeatedly calls her “my beloved wife.” She receives:

A life estate in the home plantation
All stock, furniture, tools
Several enslaved people
Responsibility for daughter Ann’s care
Appointment as Executor

Children of Josiah Gauldin

The will names nine living children and one deceased or otherwise dependent child’s line.

1. William Gauldin

a. Son. His children, not William himself, inherit a share. This implies:

b. William is living but financially unstable, or

c. Josiah does not trust him with property. The will creates trustees to manage William’s children’s inheritance.

Both William S. Gauldin and Willis Gauldin his brother are shown in the 1830 census, Cumberland County, Virginia (1)

1. Willis Gauldin

a. Son. Receives an equal share of the estate.

2. Josiah Gauldin Jr.

a. Son. Receives an equal share.

Josiah Gauldin is shown in the 1830 U.S. Census, Cumberland County, Virginia. He was a large landowner with 11 slaves. (2)

1. John Gauldin

a. Son. Receives an equal share.

2. Ann Gauldin

a. Daughter. Unmarried and dependent. Josiah requires:

b. Sophia to support her

c. A guardian to be appointed if Sophia remarries

d. Whoever becomes her final guardian will inherit Ann’s entire estate This suggests Ann may have been disabled or otherwise unable to manage her own affairs.

3. Benjamin Gauldin

a. Son. Receives an equal share.

4. James Gauldin

a. Son. Receives an equal share.

5. Mary (Gauldin) Barnett

a. Daughter. Married to a Barnett. She receives:

b. An equal share

c. PLUS a specific bequest: a young enslaved girl named Sally and her future children

6. Frances (Gauldin) Hendrick

a. Daughter. Married to a Hendrick. She is excluded from the main distribution because she is “provided for” elsewhere. She receives:

b. Enslaved women China and Betsey

c. A replacement servant for one previously sold

Grandchildren

Children of William Gauldin are unnamed, but they receive:

Their father’s share
Property held in trust until William’s death. This implies William’s children were minors in 1822.

Non‑family Individuals

· 13. Nancy Guthery - Called “my young friend.” She receives:

A bed and furniture
A cow and calf This suggests:
She lived in the household, OR
She was a ward, neighbor, or orphan under Josiah’s informal care

Enslaved People Named in the Will

These individuals were legally considered property in 1822, but Josiah names them individually. Their inclusion helps reconstruct the household and estate.

· 14. Rachel, 15. Archer, 16. Billy Deason, 17. Daniel, 18. Stephen, 19. Sarah, 20. Pleasant and 21. Moses were all lent to Sophia for life or widowhood.

· 22. China and 23. Betsey - Given to daughter Frances Hendrick.

· 24. Luckey and Luckey’s unnamed young child were previously offered to Frances but were sold before the will was written.

· 26. Sally - A young enslaved girl (about age 4), given to daughter Mary Barnett.

Witnesses to the Will

These men were present when Josiah signed the will.

1. James Aiken

2. William Bellemy

3. John C. Bosher

Summary Table

Person	Identity	Relationship
Josiah Gauldin	Testator	—
Sophia	Wife	Widow, Executor
William	Son	His children inherit
Willis	Son	Heir
Josiah Jr.	Son	Heir
John	Son	Heir
Ann	Daughter	Dependent, special provisions
Benjamin	Son	Heir
James	Son	Heir
Mary Barnett	Daughter	Married, special bequest
Frances Hendrick	Daughter	Married, separate provision
William’s children	Grandchildren	Heirs via trust
Nancy Guthery	“Young friend”	Receives personal items
Enslaved individuals	Rachel, Archer, Billy Deason, Daniel, Stephen, Sarah, Pleasant, Moses, China, Betsey, Luckey, Luckey’s child, Sally	Assigned to wife or daughters
Witnesses	Aiken, Bellemy, Bosher	Legal witnesses

Spouse and children

Serviah "Sophia" Seay* 1776–1820 – His wife. They had nine children, and with the exception of the three daughters whose final destinations remain undetermined, they all went to Missouri.

1. Mary Gauldin*^ 1790– She married Unknown Barnett. The name of Unknown Barnett is not recorded, but he must have died before 1832. Mary is also probably the same woman who married Henry P. Scruggs. Virginia Compiled Marriages, "Mary B. Gauldin married Henry P. Scruggs, 14 February 1832, Cumberland County, Virginia". Her final destination is undetermined.

2. Frances Gauldin 1792– She married Matthew Hendrick (1792-1834) and (2) Alexander King Davis (1791-1856). Marriage to Alexander Davis, 10 Dec 1835, Cumberland County, Virginia, USA. I have a note: Alexander King Davis b abt 1791 in Cumberland, Virginia, USA died 16 Jun 1856 in Buckingham, Virginia, USA the son of Jessie Davis and Elizabeth Guthrie. Note: Eliza may have some connection to Nancy Guthrie “young friend” named in the will. No sources. She may have died in Buckingham County, but undetermined.

3. Willis Wilson Gauldin 1795–1848 - He went to Lafayette County, Missouri and left a 1848 will there. He married Martha Ann Hendrick.

4. William Gauldin 1800–1850 – William’s children are not called out by name in the will. William married Mary Frances Edwards (1800-1840). He went to Missouri.

5. Josiah W. Gauldin*^ 1802–1884 – He married Sarah Ann Brown (1809-1857) and they moved to Malta Bend, Saline, Missouri. They are buried in the Fairville Cemetery in Fairville. Record on Find a Grave list their children as Virginia Ann Gauldin Hendrick 1834–1921, John Weyth Gauldin 1836–1918, Thomas Gauldin 1839–1870, Elizabeth James Stith 1844–1926, Sarah J. "Susan" Gauldin Bacon 1846–1920, Mary Brown "Polly" Gauldin Price 1847–1940 and Helen B. Gauldin Trent 1852–1890. (4)

6. John Seldin Gauldin*^ 1804–1854 - He married Mary Ann Johnson (1818-1880) and like his brother Josiah, John and his wife also moved to Saline, Missouri because land became available in Lafayette County. Their children were James M Gauldin*^ 1838–1920, Thomas Jefferson Gauldin*^ 1839–1870, Edward Joseph Gauldin*^ 1842–1843, John Anderson Gauldin*^ 1844–1929, Martha J Gauldin*^ 1846–, Willis Wilson "Willie" Gauldin*^ 1850–1932, Richard Seldin Gauldin*^ 1852–1915

I’ve lost track of where these images came from. They of John Anderson Gauldin and his wife Annie Elizabeth “Annie” Pope.

This picture is of John Anderson Gauldin (left) and his brother Willis (right). They were both the sons of John Seldon Gauldin and Mary Ann Johnson. Neither John nor Willis would have known their grandparents, as Josiah and Sophia both died twenty years before either one of them was born. — This picture is of **John Anderson Gauldin** (left) and his brother **Willis** (right). They were both the sons of John Seldon Gauldin and Mary Ann Johnson. Neither John nor Willis would have known their grandparents, as Josiah and Sophia both died twenty years before either one of them was born.

7. Ann Gauldin b. 1806– Ann may have been disabled in some way or otherwise incapacitated because her father makes special provision for her in his 1822 will.

Ann’s birth is recorded in the Josiah Gauldin & Serriah Seay Family Bible, in the possession of Charles Alan Gauldin, Prairie Grove, Arkansas. (5) — Ann’s birth is recorded in the **Josiah Gauldin & Serriah Seay Family Bible**, in the possession of Charles Alan Gauldin, Prairie Grove, Arkansas. (5)

8. Benjamin Morris Gauldin^ 1808–1862 - He died in 1862 in Jefferson, Saline, Missouri. He married Frances Snoddy.

9. James S Gauldin* 1811–1854 - He died in 1854 in Saline, Missouri. He married Mary Johnston and they had a son named James.

U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015, Lafayette, Missouri (6) Record for James S. Gauldin.

U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015 for Josiah Gauldin, Missouri, Saline (7)

In Josiah Gauldin’s 1822 will, the names Aiken, Bellemy, and Bosher appear only at the very end, in the attestation clause. Their placement there—and the absence of any bequests to them—tells us exactly who they were and how they related to Josiah.

They were not family members, not heirs, and not executors. Instead, they were simply the three legal witnesses required to validate a Virginia will in 1822. Their role was to stand present when Josiah signed the document, affirm that he was of sound mind, and later testify to the will’s authenticity if needed.

James Aiken, William Bellemy, and John C. Bosher were therefore most likely neighbors, acquaintances, or respected community members in Cumberland County—men whom Josiah trusted enough to serve as witnesses but who had no familial or financial connection to his estate. Their signatures complete the legal formalities of the will, but they play no part in the distribution of Josiah’s property or the structure of his family.

There is one other primary source for this family and that is the Gauldin Family Bible record of births and deaths. (8)

Josiah Gauldin and Serriah Seay Family Bible

This document was shared on ancestry.com by Alan Gauldin in December 2014. He is a direct descendant through Josiah (1802-1884), the son of Josiah Gauldin (1770-1833) and Serriah Seay (1776-1820). The note reads "This sheet is contained in the Josiah Gauldin & Serriah Seay Family Bible, in the possession of Charles Alan Gauldin, Prairie Grove, Arkansas. Much of the Family Record in the bible is deteriorated and someone transcribed a lot of the information onto this sheet and included it in the bible probably around 1900."

Below is an exact transcription of the written text:

The Gauldin Family record (5)

Josiah Gauldin was born 21st Feby 1770

Serriah Gauldin was born the 5 of January 1776

John Bernard Gauldin was born Jan the 7, 1793

William S. Gauldin was born the 22nd of March 1794

Willis Gauldin was born 1796

Josiah Gauldin was born 1802

John S Gauldin was born Oct the 1st 1804

Ann Gauldin was born Nov the 11, 1806

Benjamin Morris Gauldin was born Dec the 20th 1808

James S Gauldin was born June the 14th 1811

John Seay was born Oct the 13, 1735

Serviah S Hendrick was born Sept the 27 1817

Josiah Hendrick was born Nov the 20th 1821

Mary Frances Scruggs was born Nov the 24th 1832

Robert James Hendrick was born July the 11, 1828

Martha Susan Hendrick was born Oct the 23, 1832

John Seay departed this life Oct the 25, 1805

Josiah Gauldin departed this life July the 11th 1833

John B Gauldin and Mary A Johnson was married Dec the 21st 1836

John S Gauldin departed this life Aug 1854

Mary A Gauldin departed this (life) the 2nd Apr 1882

Josiah Gauldin and Serviah Seah was married Dec the 22nd 1791

Mathew Hendrick and Frances Gauldin was married Nov the 28, 1816

Alexander Davis and Frances Hendrick was married Dec the 10th 1835

William S Gauldin and Mary F Edwards was married Feby the 20th 1820

Josiah Gauldin departed this life 1884

The Josiah Gauldin in the list above who was born 21st Feby 1770 is the Patriarch of this family, so who were his parents? The following gives evidence that he was the son of William Gaulding and the grandson of Matthew “John II” Gaulding and his wife Elizabeth.

See Gaulding Origins The Migration of the eight children of John “Matthew” Gaulding

Josiah Gauldin, born on 21 February 1770 in Prince Edward County, has often been mistakenly placed as a child of Matthew “John II” Gaulding and his wife Elizabeth. A closer look at the chronology, however, shows that this relationship is not possible. John “Matthew” and Elizabeth were already well into their sixties by 1770, long past childbearing years, and their known children were born between the early 1730s and the mid‑1740s. By the time Josiah was born, their household was already in its second generation, with adult sons appearing in tax lists and forming families of their own.

The Josiah born in 1770 does not fit into John “Matthew’s” generation but does into that of his grandchildren. The only configuration that aligns with the dates is that Josiah was the son of William Gauldin, one of John “Matthew’s” sons. This placement is supported by the fact that William was of the right age to have a child in 1770, and by later Cumberland County records that show Josiah living among the younger Gaulding generation that migrated out of Prince Edward.

Modern genealogical summaries (9) for Josiah, also identify him as the son of William Gauldin, not of John “Matthew.” These profiles note that some older, unsourced trees incorrectly list John “Matthew” and Elizabeth as his parents but point out that Elizabeth would have been about sixty years old at the time of Josiah’s birth—biologically impossible and historically unsupported. The WikiTree record still incorrectly records Mary Ann Hatcher as his wife.

Taken together, the generational spacing, the Prince Edward County records, and the documented ages of the family members all show that Josiah Gauldin (1770–1833) was not the son of Matthew “John II” Gaulding and Elizabeth, but rather their grandson through their son William.

Why Josiah (1770) Was Not the Son of Jacob or Jesse Gaulding — and Why William Is the Only Possible Father

When reconstructing the Gaulding family of Prince Edward and Cumberland Counties, it is tempting to assume that Josiah “Joseph” Gauldin, born 21 February 1770 in Prince Edward County, must have been the son of one of the Gaulding brothers who later settled in Cumberland County. After all, Jacob, Jesse, and their sister Nancy (Gaulding) Spaulding all appear in Cumberland records in the 1770s and 1780s, forming a clear sibling cluster. Josiah himself later lived in Cumberland County, married there in 1791, and raised a family.

But the chronology, migration patterns, and documentary evidence show that Josiah could not have been the son of either Jacob or Jesse. Instead, the only father whose age, location, and family structure align with Josiah’s birth is William Gaulding, another son of Matthew “John II” Gaulding and Elizabeth.

Jacob and Jesse Were Too Young to Be Josiah’s Father

Both Jacob and Jesse Gaulding were born in the 1740s, as shown by their first appearances as tithables in Prince Edward County (10) in the 1760s (Prince Edward County Tithables, 1765–1775, Library of Virginia microfilm). (11)

This means that in 1770, the year Josiah was born, Jacob and Jesse were only in their twenties. Neither appears with a wife or children in the 1760s or early 1770s and both appear as single men in Prince Edward tax lists during the period surrounding Josiah’s birth. There is no evidence that either man had a household or children by 1770.

Josiah Gauldin’s birthplace provides one of the clearest clues to his parentage. He was born in Prince Edward County in 1770, at a time when only one of Matthew “John II” Gaulding’s sons was still living there with an established household. William Gaulding remained in Prince Edward throughout the 1760s and early 1770s, appearing regularly in the county’s tithables and tax lists. His presence in the county at the exact moment of Josiah’s birth places him in the right location to be Josiah’s father.

By contrast, Jacob and Jesse Gaulding had already begun to appear in Cumberland County records by the late 1760s. Cumberland County Court Order Books from 1768 through 1775 show both men active there during the years immediately surrounding Josiah’s birth. Their relocation means that neither brother was living in Prince Edward County in 1770, making it highly unlikely that either could have fathered a child born there that year.

Thus, the geographic evidence aligns cleanly: Josiah’s Prince Edward County birth corresponds with William’s residence, not with Jacob’s or Jesse’s movements into Cumberland County.

The most authoritative proof is the Gauldin Family Bible

The identity of Josiah Gauldin, born 21 February 1770, becomes clear once the Gauldin Family Bible is brought into the analysis. This Bible, later carried by descendants who migrated to Saline County, Missouri, is a primary source that records the births and deaths of the Gauldin family. Among its earliest entries are two foundational statements:

“Josiah Gauldin was born 21st Feby 1770.”

“Serriah Gauldin was born the 5 of January 1776.”

(Gauldin Family Bible, Saline County, Missouri branch)

These entries not only confirm Josiah’s birthdate but also correct a long‑standing genealogical error: Josiah did not marry Mary Ann Hatcher. His wife was Sophia Seay, whose name appears in the same Bible record. This primary documentation supersedes all secondary assumptions and online trees.

The Bible also helps clarify Josiah’s place within the broader Gaulding family. Although several of Matthew “John II” Gaulding’s children—most notably Jacob, Jesse, and their sister Nancy (Gaulding) Spaulding—moved into Cumberland County, the evidence does not support the idea that Josiah was the son of either Jacob or Jesse. Both men were born in the 1740s, and the Cumberland County court records show them appearing there as young, unmarried men in the late 1760s and early 1770s. Neither had an established household or children at the time of Josiah’s birth.

In contrast, Josiah was born in Prince Edward County in 1770, and the only Gaulding son of the correct age and residence to father a child there at that time was William Gaulding, another son of Matthew “John II.” William appears consistently in Prince Edward County tithables between 1765 and 1775, indicating that he maintained a household in the county during the exact period when Josiah was born. Jacob and Jesse, by contrast, were already appearing in Cumberland County Court Order Books (1768–1775), placing them in a different county entirely.

Thus, the geographic and chronological evidence aligns perfectly: Josiah’s Prince Edward County birth matches William’s residence, not Jacob’s or Jesse’s. The Bible record, combined with county tax and court documents, confirms that Josiah “Joseph” Gauldin was the son of William Gaulding and the grandson of Matthew “John II” Gaulding and Elizabeth.