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Nancy Gaulding, the daughter of Margaret Lane

In 1841 Court of Pittsylvania County ruled on a petition filed by James Elliott on behalf of his wife Nancy, who was the daughter of Margaret Lane, the first wife of William T. Gaulding of Pittsylvania County, Virginia but was not his natural daughter.  The Court did not rule in their favor.

 

Gauldin

vs

Woodall

In chancery

 

This day this cause came on again to be heard upon the papers formerly read, the report of the Commissioners under the order of the 18th day of October 1841, the petition of James Elliott and Nancy his wife, the report of Thos. S. Jones Deputy for Nathl Wilson Sheriff of Pittsylvania, the exhibits & deportation of witnesses was assigned by Counsel on consideration where of the Court doth confirm the said reports of the Commissioners to which there are no exceptions & of the said Thomas S. Jones and doth ad judge order & decree that Decia Gauldin the widow of Wm T. Gauldin Decd do hold the sid 129 1/2 acres of land allotted to her as her dower by sd commssrs in the lands in the bill mentioned whereof the said Wm. T Gaulding Decd ser-ed & that she do likewise hold the salves Essex, Rose & her two children Nat & Ben, Becca, America, Lucy & Docia as her distributive share of the slaves of her Decd husband Wm. T. Gauldin during her life.

 

And the Court being of opinion that the Deff Nancy Elliott wife of James Elliott is not a child of the said Wm T. Gauldin Dec'd nor in any manner entitled to share in his estate & being for the satisfyed (sic) that the slaves of the said Wm T Gauldin cannot be divided in kind doth therefore adjudge order & decree that Thos S Jones who is hereby appointed a Commissioner for that purpose do proceed after advertising the time & place of sale at the most publick (sic0 place in the neighborhood for four weeks to sell at publick (sic) auction at Pittsylvania Court House on some Court day on a credit of six months all the remaining slaves belonging to the estate of the said Wm T Gauldin taking from the purchasers bond with undoubted security payable to himself as Commissioner & make report of his proceeding herein to this Court in order that a final decree may be made.

 

Nancy Gaulding was born about 1782, most likely in Bedford County, Virginia, during the early years of her mother Margaret Lane’s marriage to William T. Gauldin, which took place around 1779. Although Margaret and William were married at the time, Nancy was not William’s biological daughter. This was later confirmed in the 1853 Pittsylvania County chancery suit, where Margaret testified that Nancy was her child but was not the natural child of William T. Gauldin. This deposition is the only surviving primary evidence identifying Nancy’s true parentage.  Her father’s name was revealed in the same testimony to have been Jonathan Davidson. 

 

Because Nancy appears only sporadically in early records, her exact birth year is uncertain. However, when she married James Elliott on 30 June 1810, (1) her brother Andy Gaulding served as surety on the marriage bond and swore before the deputy clerk that Nancy was over the age of twenty‑one. This places her birth no later than 1789, and Margaret Lane’s testimony suggests an even earlier date—consistent with a birth around 1782.  Nancy and James Elliott lived among the extended Elliott and Gaulding families in Pittsylvania County for decades. They appear in the 1820 and 1830 census neighborhood clusters, surrounded by relatives such as Jonathan Elliott, William Elliott Sr., Andy Gaulden, and William T. Gauldin. Their placement among these households reflects a long‑standing community network of kinship, shared labor, and intermarriage.

 

By 1850, neither Nancy nor James appears in the Pittsylvania County census. The Elliott households listed that year include a younger woman named Nancy Elliott, age 44, who cannot be the same person. Their absence suggests that Nancy and James were no longer living in Pittsylvania County at that time.  A decade later, the 1860 Pittsylvania County census records a Nancy Elliott, age 78, heading a household that includes Nancy S. Elliott (44), Margaret Elliott (42), and several younger individuals. A woman named Barsheba, age 36, lived on the adjacent property—consistent with the extended Elliott–Gaulding neighborhood. If this Nancy was indeed 78 in 1860, she would have been born about 1782, aligning with both the marriage‑bond affidavit and Margaret Lane’s chancery testimony. No man of James Elliott’s age appears in the area, indicating that James had died before 1860 or was no longer living in Pittsylvania County. 

 

The 1860 Pittsylvania County census may provide an important clue about the later life of Nancy (Gaulding) Elliott, who appears that year as a 78‑year‑old widow heading a multigenerational household. Living with her were two adult women—Nancy S. Elliott, age 44, and Margaret Elliott, age 42—along with several younger children. On the adjacent property lived Barsheba (Elliott) Mills, age 36, the wife of Berryman B. Mills.  Taken together, these households form a continuation of the long‑standing Elliott–Gaulding neighborhood cluster documented in the 1820 and 1830 Pittsylvania censuses. Their proximity, ages, and naming patterns strongly indicate that Nancy S., Margaret, and Barsheba were daughters of James Elliott and Nancy (Gaulding) Elliott. 

 

James Elliott’s 1830 household contained more than two individuals, and by 1860, Nancy was living with adult women whose ages align perfectly with children born during her childbearing years (ca. 1811–1830). The presence of Barsheba, living immediately next door after her marriage, further supports her identification as a daughter who married but remained close to her mother’s home.

 

Thus, the most consistent interpretation of the available evidence is that Margaret Elliott (b. ca. 1816–1818), Nancy S. Elliott (b. ca. 1816), and Barsheba Elliott (b. ca. 1824) were unmarried or newly married daughters of James Elliott (1782–1850) and Nancy (Gaulding) Elliott (1782–after 1860). Their appearance in the 1860 census reflects a typical mid‑nineteenth‑century pattern in which widowed mothers lived with adult daughters, while married daughters settled nearby.  These people are in the records.  Barsheba filed an application for pension as the widow of a Confederate soldier on 11 May 1900 in Pittsylvania County.  She stated she was the widow of Berryman B. Mills and that they were married on 27 August 1850 in Pittsylvania County.  He died in 1896 of disease.  (2)  Margaret was born about 1818 in Pittsylvania County, the daughter of William and Nancy and she died on 10 August 1885 in Pittsylvania County at the age of 67.  She never married. (3)  Margaret likewise probably never married. 

 

This interpretation also aligns with the broader Gaulding–Elliott kinship network, reinforced by Margaret Lane’s 1853 chancery testimony (4), which tied Nancy to the Gauldin estate and confirmed her place within the extended family. The 1860 census thus captures the final phase of Nancy’s life, surrounded by her daughters and grandchildren in the same Pittsylvania community where she had lived for decades.

 

Nancy’s appearance in Pittsylvania County Order Book 36, page 289, during the settlement of the Gauldin estate, further ties her to her mother’s family. Her inclusion as an heir reflects the court’s acceptance of Margaret Lane’s testimony regarding her parentage. (5)  Taken together, the surviving records suggest that Nancy (Gaulding) Elliott lived from about 1782 to sometime after 1860, but that is not known for certain because there is no death record. 

 

Who was Jonathan Davidson, Nancy’s biological father?

One clue that might reveal his identity is the will of Samuel Davidson filed in 1851 in Bedford County. (6) "In the name of God, Amen.  I Samuel Davidson of the County of Bedford & state of Virginia being of sound mind do make this my last will & testament in manner & form following that is to say.."  In this will Samuel Davidson names the following people:

Edward - son.  Received $5.00

Meridith - son. Received $5.00

Robert - son.  Received $5.00

Thomas - son.  Received $100. 

JONATHAN - son.  Received $50.

"All of the above gifts are to be raised out of the proceeds of the sale of my real & personal estate after my decease, first paying my funeral expenses.  Then the residue remaining out of the proceeds of the sale of my real & personal estate I desire to be equally divided between my five remaining children viz. Thomas Davidson, Jonathan Davidson, George Davidson, Lucinda Davidson & Nancy Davidson.  I hereby appoint my son Thomas Davidson & Jonathan Davidson my true & lawful executors of this my last will & testament.."

 

Jonathan Davidson married Jane Cochran, as is evidenced by a marriage record (7) 

 

There were a number of Davidsons listed in the 1850 Census, Northern Division of Bedford County, Virginia. (8) 


Samuel Davidson died the following year, and in 1850 he had many of his grown children living on the farm with him.  They were Thomas, Jonathan age 49, Lucy, George and Nancy.  Samuel was born in Pennsylvania. 
Samuel Davidson died the following year, and in 1850 he had many of his grown children living on the farm with him.  They were Thomas, Jonathan age 49, Lucy, George and Nancy.  Samuel was born in Pennsylvania. 

In the 1820 Census of the Northern District of Bedford County, Virginia are listed the following people, along with the total number of people living in each household: (9)

Samuel Davidson - 5

John Elliott - 5

William Elliott - 2

James Elliott - 15

 

Conversely, in 1820 there is only two men named Elliot in the Pittsylvania County census (10) and they are Jonathan Elliott and William Elliott, Sr.  Beyond that it is impossible to speculate.  James Elliott could be, but is not proven to be the person living in Bedford County with a household of 15.  All of this suggests to me that James Elliott and his wife Nancy may have moved frequently between the two counties. 

 

The 1830 Neighborhood Cluster

Before William T. Gaulding died in 1842 we see the people who will feature prominently in the distribution of his estate and the later Court actions involving James Elliot, his wife Nancy and the heirs of William T.  The 1830 Pittsylvania County census reveals a tightly knit rural neighborhood where the Elliott, Gaulding, Woodall, Breedlove, Fowlkes, and related families lived side‑by‑side. This cluster was not random—it reflects a long‑standing community network built on kinship, marriage ties, shared labor, and proximity of farms.


At the center of this cluster is James Elliott, whose household appears directly among several Gaulding households, including Andy Gaulden and William T. Gauldin. The placement of these families in consecutive census entries indicates that they lived within walking distance of one another, likely along the same road or adjoining parcels. The presence of Jonathan Elliott nearby reinforces the idea that the Elliotts formed a small family group within a larger neighborhood of interconnected households.
At the center of this cluster is James Elliott, whose household appears directly among several Gaulding households, including Andy Gaulden and William T. Gauldin. The placement of these families in consecutive census entries indicates that they lived within walking distance of one another, likely along the same road or adjoining parcels. The presence of Jonathan Elliott nearby reinforces the idea that the Elliotts formed a small family group within a larger neighborhood of interconnected households.

The Gauldings were especially prominent in this area. Andy Gaulden, who served as surety for his sister Nancy Gaulding’s 1810 marriage to James Elliott, appears in the same 1830 cluster, confirming that the Elliotts remained physically close to Nancy’s family after the marriage. William T. Gauldin, another key Gaulding figure, also appears in the same sequence, further demonstrating the density of Gaulding relatives in this part of Pittsylvania.

 

Surrounding these core families were others who frequently appear in Pittsylvania legal records, land transactions, and community networks—families such as Woodall, Boulden, Breedlove, Fowlkes, Herndon, and Watkins. Their presence in the same census grouping suggests a stable, interdependent rural neighborhood where families shared boundaries, traded labor, and often intermarried.

 

This 1830 cluster is important because it shows that the Elliott–Gaulding connection was not just a marriage—it was a shared community life. The families lived in the same neighborhood for decades, appearing together in census records, court documents, and later chancery suits. The cluster demonstrates how geography, kinship, and social networks shaped the daily lives of early‑19th‑century Pittsylvania residents.

 

Narrative Summary of Margaret Lane’s 1853 Testimony About Her Daughter Nancy

In the 1853 Pittsylvania County chancery suit involving the estate of William T. Gauldin, the court required clear identification of all legitimate heirs. During this process, Margaret Lane gave sworn testimony stating that her daughter, Nancy Gaulding (wife of James Elliott), was her biological child. This declaration was crucial because earlier assumptions—based on proximity, naming patterns, and Nancy’s long association with the Gauldin family—had led some to believe that Nancy was a natural daughter of William T. Gauldin.

 

Margaret’s testimony corrected this misunderstanding. She affirmed that Nancy was not William T. Gauldin’s daughter, but instead her own. This testimony also confirmed Nancy’s sibling relationship to Andy Gaulding, who had previously served as surety on her 1810 marriage bond and sworn that she was over the age of twenty‑one.

 

Because the chancery court relied on Margaret’s statement to determine the heirs entitled to distribution, Nancy appears in the estate records—specifically in Order Book 36, page 289—as one of the individuals with a legitimate claim. Margaret’s deposition is therefore the only surviving primary-source evidence identifying Nancy’s true parentage when Margaret revealed that her real father was Jonathan Davidson. 

 

Complete Citations

Marriage of James Elliott and Nancy Gaulding 

Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Marriage Register, p. 48: “30 June 1810, James Elliott and Nancy Gaulding; surety: Andy Gaulding; married 4 July by Rev. Thomas Boaz.”

Abstracted in:

Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1740–1850. Entry for James Elliott and Nancy Galding.

 

Marriage Bond Affidavit 

Affidavit of Andy Gaulding, brother of Nancy, swearing she was over age 21.

Endorsement on reverse of marriage bond, 30 June 1810.

Transcribed in:

Gauldin, Catherine L. The Gaulding Family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Self‑published, 2000.

 

Chancery Testimony of Margaret Lane (1853) 

Pittsylvania County Chancery Cause (1853), testimony of Margaret Lane, identifying Nancy as her daughter and not the natural daughter of William T. Gauldin.

Referenced in:

Gauldin, Catherine L. Notes on Nancy Gauldin, citing 1853 Chancery Suit.

Gauldin, Catherine L. The Gaulding Family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Self‑published, 2000.

Credit given to Ronnie Walker who found the file and published the location of it.

 

Order Book Reference 

Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Order Book 36:289, listing heirs in the Gauldin estate settlement, including Nancy (Gaulding) Elliott.  Microfilm: FamilySearch DGS 008395987 (restricted access).

 

Works Cited

1. Marriage of James Elliott & Nancy Gaulding . Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Marriage Register, p. 48:. [Online] “30 June 1810, James Elliott and Nancy Gaulding; surety: Andy Gaulding; married 4 July by Rev. Thomas Boaz.”, Transcribed in: Gauldin, Catherine L., The Gaulding Family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia (2000). Also abstracted in:, Affidavit on reverse of bond: Andy Gaulding swearing Nancy was over 21.

2. Alabama, Texas and Virginia, U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958 . ancestry.com. [Online] Virginia, Act of 1900 Pension Applications . https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1677/images/31867_B034286-00134?pId=503412.

4. 1853 Chancery Testimony (Parentage of Nancy Gaulding). Pittsylvania County Chancery Cause (1853), testimony of Margaret Lane, identifying Nancy as her daughter and not the natural daughter of William T. Gauldin. [Online] Summarized in:, Gauldin, Catherine L. The Gaulding Family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Self‑published, 2000.

5. Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Order Book 36:289. listing heirs in the Gauldin estate settlement. [Online] Microfilm: FamilySearch DGS 008395987 (restricted access).

6. Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900. ancestry.com. [Online] Will Books, Vol 14-15, 1851-1855. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62347/images/007643997_00033?pId=2176880.

7. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. VI, . [Online] p 902. "Davidson, 1779, 2, 6. James, Jr & Janet Cockrane, dt Samuel & Mary. James Davidson, Sr. Surety".

 

 
 
 

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