Martha "Patty" Gaulding, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth

Catherine Gauldin
7 hours ago
8 min read

The Daughters of Samuel Gaulding and Elizabeth Turner

Samuel Gaulding and his wife Elizabeth Turner had two sons and five daughters. They were William Turner Gaulding 1752–1841, Archibald Gaulding 1754–1841, Anne Gaulding 1764–1855, Martha "Patty" Gaulding 1765–1850, Kesiah Gaulding 1766–1786, Elizabeth Gaulding 1766–1785, Lucy Gaulding 1768–1800.

MARTHA “Patty” GAULDING

Martha “Patty” Gaulding, the daughter of Samuel Gaulding and Elizabeth Turner was born in King William County, Virginia in 1765 and she died in 1850 in Jefferson, Cocke County, Tennessee in 1850. Samuel and Elizabeth Gaulding, her parents must have gone almost immediately after they were married and after Samuel had completed his apprenticeship in Goochland County to King William because that is where several of their earliest children were born. Martha's brother William Gaulding stated in his pension application, filled out when he was an old man and living in Pittsylvania County that he had been born in 1753 in King William County but had lost track of where his birth record was. He stated in was recorded in an old Bible once in the possession of his mother but he didn't know what happened to it. Martha's birth was undoubtedly recorded there as well but it seems to be lost to history. Patty Gaulding is named in her father’s will.

Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900, Samuel Gaulding (1)

On 17 December 1788 when she was 23 years old, Martha "Patty" Gaulding married Benoni Carter Talley. (2) Their marriage is also recorded in the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy Vol. VI, (3) but this does not mean they were Quakers. A person’s name appearing in Hinshaw’s Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy does not mean they were a Quaker, because Hinshaw indexed all names found in or near Quaker records, including non‑Quakers who appeared in civil marriage bonds, probate files, tax lists, mixed-faith marriages, disownment proceedings and certificates involving Quaker families. His goal was to create a comprehensive surname index, not a verified list of Quaker members. Carter Talley was the surety to Martha's sister Lucy's marriage to George Webb, Sr. (4)

Martha Gaulding Talley has a Memorial on Find a Grave and according to that resource the names of her children were: (5)

1. John M. "Fod" Talley 1790–1872 - He was born in 1790 and he died on 15 October 1872 in Cocke County, Tennessee. He is buried in the Talley Cemetery. He married Sarah Driskill (1814-1858). (6) Their children were Martha Talley Fox 1833–1921, Charles T.P. Talley 1836–1863, Joseph H. Talley 1839–1901, Jaley Carter Talley McNeal 1843–1933, James M Talley 1844 – unknown.

2. William Benoni Talley 1792–1864 - He was born on 26 December 1792 in Virginia and he died on 7 May 1864 in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. He married Sarah Ann Smith (1802-1874) and they had the following children: Benoni C. Talley 1824–1898, John A. Talley 1825–1879, William B Talley 1826–1893, David Talley 1828–1897, Armstead Talley 1830–1906, Joseph Henry Talley Sr 1832–1892, James Andrew Talley 1835–1899, Beverly Talley 1836–1893 and Jeston Talley Edgington 1841–1924. (7)

3. James Carter Talley 1796–1877 - He was born on 20 June 1796 and he died on 21 May 1877 at the age of 80. He is buried in the Talley Cemetery in Cocke County, Tennessee. He married Prudence Smith (1799-1883) and their children were Mary "Polly" Talley Turner 1823 – unknown, Pvt Charles Talley 1825–1864, Bradley W Talley 1826 – unknown, Martha Talley Inman 1827 – unknown, Thomas Jefferson Talley 1829–1878, Nancy Talley Boyer 1835–1907, James Carter Talley Jr 1838–1870 and Elizabeth Talley Thomas 1842 – unknown. (8) Their son Charles Talley Enlisted October 1, 1862 at Newfort, Tennessee as a Private in the 60th Tennessee Mounted Infantry, Company H at the age of 37. Captured at Big Black May 17, 1863. Arrived at Point Lookout on September 20, 1863. Died of disease as a POW.

4. Lucinda Gaulding "Lucy" Talley Jones 1797–1873 - She was born on 17 December 1797 in Tennessee and she died on 6 April 1873 in Sangamon County, Illinois. She is buried in the Martin Cemetery in Rochester, Sangamon, Illinois. She married Haskin Jones, Sr. (1792-1842) and their children were John, William, Martha "Patsy", Sarah, George, Elizabeth, James, David, Nancy, Mary, Carter, Lucy, Haskin and Priscilla. (9)

5. Pernelope Talley Fox 1797–1872 - She was born in 1797 in Tennessee and she died in Cocke County, Tennessee on 1 December 1872. She is buried in the Slate Creek Cemetery in Cocke County. She married Ransom Fox (1807-1862) and their children were Rufus Morgan Fox Sr 1826–1859, Lucinda Fox Smith 1828–1898, PVT Elijah Andrew "Cooney" Fox Sr 1829–1864, John McDuggal Fox 1831–1923, Elizabeth Talitha Fox Conway 1833–1881, Susannah Adaline "Susan" Fox Talley 1836–1900, Darcas Elizabeth Fox Holt, 1837–1903, Carter Benoni Fox 1839–1914 and Robert Martin Fox 1841–1890. (10) Elijah Fox and two brothers, B. Carter Fox, and Robert M. Fox enlisted Jan 1, 1863 and fought for the Union Army during the Civil War. Elijah, ‘mustered in' May 13, 1863, into Tennessee's Eight Infantry Regiment, Company C. Fighting under Maj. General William T. Sherman, he was wounded at Peachtree Creek, near Atlanta on July 21, 1864. He died of wounds on August 26, 1864. Source: "Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Tennessee of the Military Forces of the State from 1861 to 1866"

6. Bradley W Talley 1804–1877 - He was born in 1804 in Tennessee and died in 1877 in Cocke County, Tennessee. He is a possible son. He married twice. He was first married to Nancy Driskill November 27, 1828 and second to Sarah Buckner April 28, 1834. (11)

7. Benoni Carter Talley, Jr. 1807–1879 - He was born in 1807 in Cocke County, Tennessee and died before 1880 in Cocke County. He is buried in the Talley Cemetery. He married Nancy (1806-Unknown). (12)

8. Beverly Burl Talley 1812–1879 - He was born 22 February 1812 in Tennessee and he died August 1879 in Hamblen County, Tennessee. He married Dorcas McFarland (1818-1894) and their son was Robert Carter "R.C." Talley. (13)

Robert Carter "R.C." Talley and the Beverly Burl Talley Family

9. Armstead Carter Talley 1813 – unknown - He was born in 1813 in Tennessee and died (?) in White Pine, Jefferson County, Tennessee. Armstead Carter Talley son of Benoni Carter and Martha "Patty" (Gauldin) Talley married Jane Ona Campbell 21 Jan 1836. Father of six children Charles Wellington, Nancy Almina, John Frederic, Martha J., Joseph and Daniel. Armstead and Jane had a 7th child, Rev. Benjamin Hardin Talley. (14) Charles Wellington Talley was in Company D, 4th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Union Army.

Charles Wellington Talley and Nancy Almina Talley Moser

The move to Tennessee

Based on the dates of birth of the children, Martha and her husband moved with their family from Campbell County, Virginia to Tennessee between 1792 and 1797. John, William and perhaps James were born in Virginia and the rest were born in Cocke County, Tennessee. Their move fits a well‑documented migration pattern of Southside Virginia families seeking new opportunity in the early American frontier. Several major historical developments converged during these exact years, making East Tennessee an unusually attractive destination. (15)

Cocke County itself was newly formed in 1792, carved out of Jefferson County as part of the rapid reorganization of territory in the western frontier. Only a few years later, in 1796, Tennessee achieved statehood. Statehood brought legal stability, new land surveys, and the opening of large tracts of fertile land for settlement. For families in Virginia facing declining soil quality from generations of tobacco cultivation, the promise of inexpensive, productive land in Tennessee was a powerful incentive. (16)

Equally important was the end of the Cherokee–American Wars in 1794. Before this date, settlement in East Tennessee was dangerous and often discouraged. After the final defeat of the Cherokee military resistance, the region became dramatically safer. The French Broad River corridor—where Cocke County sits—quickly transformed into one of the most active migration routes for families leaving Virginia and the Carolinas. This corridor attracted many Southside families, including Gauldings, Talleys, Bouldins, Sheltons, and Clements, who often traveled together or followed familiar kin networks westward. (17)

Economic pressures in Virginia also played a role. By the 1790s, Campbell County and surrounding Southside counties were experiencing soil exhaustion from tobacco monoculture. Land prices were rising, inheritance parcels were shrinking, and younger families often found themselves with limited prospects. Tennessee, by contrast, offered fresh land, new communities, and the chance to build economic security. Finally, the Talley family itself was already participating in a broader westward movement. Members of the Bedford–Campbell Talley cluster appear in Tennessee records by the early 19th century, and Benoni and Patty’s relocation fits neatly into this family migration pattern.

Taken together, these factors—newly opened land, improved safety, statehood, economic opportunity, and kin‑based migration networks—explain why Patty Gaulding and Benoni Talley chose to leave Virginia and establish themselves in Cocke County during this transformative period.

In the mid‑1790s, Martha “Patty” Gaulding and her husband Benoni Carter Talley undertook a westward journey from Campbell County, Virginia, to Cocke County, Tennessee

Their move spanned roughly 400 to 450 miles when measured along the mountain roads and river valleys available at the time. Their migration followed the same well‑traveled routes used by thousands of Southside Virginia families seeking new land and opportunity on the Tennessee frontier.

How they got there

Leaving the rolling farmland of Campbell County, they likely traveled southwest through Bedford and Botetourt Counties, joining the Great Valley Road near Fincastle. This road was the main artery through the Shenandoah Valley, carrying settlers toward the frontier. From there, they would have followed the New River Valley, passing through Wythe and Washington Counties, where the terrain opened into fertile valleys dotted with way stations and small settlements. Continuing southwest, they probably crossed into Tennessee through the French Broad River corridor, rather than the more rugged Cumberland Gap, since Cocke County lies directly along the French Broad. This route was safer and more practical for families traveling with wagons, livestock, and household goods.

For Patty and Benoni, whose home county in Virginia was suffering from depleted tobacco soil and limited inheritance prospects, the promise of fertile land and a fresh start in Tennessee was compelling. Their journey placed them squarely within the great wave of Appalachian migration that reshaped the American frontier at the close of the eighteenth century.

Works Cited

1. Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900. ancestry.com. [Online] General Index to Will books, Campbell County. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62347/images/007644402_00358?pId=1782534.

2. Virginia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1660-1800 . ancestry.com. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3002/records/106082?tid=163174124&pid=422121230972&ssrc=pt.

3. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy Vol. VI. ancestry.com. [Online] Marriage Bonds of Campbell County, Virginia, p. 857. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/3753/images/quakergenvolvi-006500?pId=340238.

4. Marriages of Campbell County, Virginia, 1782-1810. ancestry.com. [Online] Webb, George and Lucy Gaulding, bond 2 Nov. 1789., George Webb (b) and Benoni Carter Talley (b). Consent by Elizabeth Gaulding, mother of the bride. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49243/images/FLHG_MarriagesofCampbellCountyVA-0116?pId=65915.

5. Martha "Patsy" Gaulding. Find a Grave . [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44267142/martha-talley.

6. John M. Fod Tally. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44267049/john_m-talley.

7. William Benoni Tally. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20842187/william_benoni-talley.

8. James Carter Talley. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43570721/james_carter-talley.

9. Lucinda Gaulding. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53769152/lucinda_gaulding-jones.

10. Pernelope Talley Fox. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18688710/pernelope-fox.

11. Bradley Talley. Find a Grave. [Online] He is a possible son, but this is not confirmed. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182782524/bradley_w-talley.

12. Benoni Carter Talley. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150176384/benoni_carter-talley.

13. Beverly Burl Talley. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183704556/beverly_burl-talley.

14. Armstead Carter Talley. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28463303/armstead_carter-talley.

15. U.S. Congress, Act of Admission of Tennessee, June 1, 1796.

16. Tennessee State Library & Archives, “Statehood and Early Government.”.

17. Williams, Samuel Cole. History of the Lost State of Franklin (1924).