The Migration of the eight children of John “Matthew” Gaulding
- Catherine Gauldin
- Jun 4
- 11 min read
Elizabeth "Nancy" Gaulding, the daughter of Matthew "John II" Gaulding and Elizabeth his wife was born about 1747 in Prince Edward County, Virginia and she died about 1789 in Prince Edward County. In 1766 she married Francis Spaulding (1743-1772). (1) John Gaulding, Jr. was her brother. John Jr. sold the 100 acres he acquired from his father to Nancy's husband when he left for South Carolina. (2) Francis Spaulding was the son of Thomas, but there was also a John Spalding who was involved in a court cast against John Gaulding of Prince Edward County. They must have all been related.
John Spalding vs John Gaulding of Prince Edward County
In the August Court of 1758, Prince Edward County recorded a brief civil entry stating that John Spaulding, the plaintiff, had brought a petition suit against John Gaulding, the defendant, and that the matter was continued by agreement of both parties. (1) In eighteenth‑century Virginia, a case brought “on a petition” referred to a streamlined civil process used for small debts, unpaid accounts, minor contractual disputes, or failure to deliver goods or services. These suits did not require a jury and were designed to move quickly through the court. The continuation “by consent of parties” simply means that Spaulding and Gaulding mutually agreed to postpone the hearing—often to negotiate, gather evidence, or settle privately.
Although the record is brief, it is significant for Gaulding research. It confirms that a John Gaulding was living in Prince Edward County in 1757–1758, a period with very few surviving documents naming members of the family. The timing strongly suggests that the man involved was John “Matthew” Gaulding, the father, rather than his son who appears later in county records. The entry also shows that the Gauldings were economically active in the community, participating in the ordinary exchange of tobacco, livestock, tools, or labor that typically generated petition suits.
Just as importantly, the case places the Gauldings in direct interaction with the Spaulding/Spalding family, who lived in the same Sailor’s Creek–Bush River neighborhood and appear repeatedly alongside the Gauldings’ known associates—families such as Sheart, Stewart, Barksdale, Scott, and Anderson. This supports the broader FAN‑club reconstruction of the Gaulding family’s social and economic network in mid‑eighteenth‑century Prince Edward County. (2)
Primary Parcel | Adjacent Landholders (1750s) | Source Record Type | Connection Type |
Gaulding (Alexander / John) | Sheart, Stewart, Barksdale, Scott | Deed Book 2 (1759–1761) pp. 47–49 | Guardianship / Neighbor |
Sheart (John / James) | Gaulding, Anderson, Stewart | Order Book 1 (1754–1758) pp. 115–158 | Surety / Tithable District |
Stewart (James) | Sheart, Barksdale, Anderson | Patent Book 33 (1756–1758) pp. 412–413 | Land Patent Adjacency |
Barksdale (Henry) | Gaulding, Stewart, Scott | Road Orders (1754–1765) | Road Crew / District |
Scott (Thomas) | Gaulding, Barksdale, Spaulding | Order Book 1 pp. 158–204 | Guardianship / Petition Neighbor |
Spaulding (John) | Gaulding, Scott | Order Book 1 p. 204 | Civil Petition Neighbor |
The Spauldings of Prince Edward County appear only sporadically in surviving mid‑eighteenth‑century records, yet the available evidence allows a coherent reconstruction of their family structure. Thomas Spaulding emerges as the patriarch of the line, documented as an adult male in the Sailor’s Creek–Bush River neighborhood during the 1740s–1760s. His son, Francis Spaulding (1743–1772), married Elizabeth “Nancy” Gaulding in 1766 and later purchased the 100 acres that Nancy’s brother, John Gaulding Jr., sold when he left for South Carolina. Francis’s age, marriage, and land transactions all align with Thomas being his father. (6)
A third man, John Spaulding, appears in the county’s 1758 court records as a litigant in a civil petition suit (7) against John Gaulding. Because Francis was only about fifteen at the time, this adult John must belong to the older generation. His presence in the same neighborhood and his appearance in records during the same years as Thomas strongly suggest that he was Thomas’s brother, not his son. No surviving document identifies John as Francis’s father, and the generational timing makes a sibling relationship between John and Thomas the most plausible interpretation.
Taken together, the records indicate that Thomas and John Spaulding were brothers, and Francis was Thomas’s son. Their repeated appearance alongside the Gauldings, Shearts, Stewarts, Barksdales, Scotts, and Andersons reinforces their place within the same Prince Edward County FAN‑club network.
What Happened to Francis and Nancy Gaulding Spaulding?
When John Gaulding Jr. sold his inherited 100 acres to his brother‑in‑law Francis Spaulding, he left Prince Edward County for South Carolina. Francis and his wife Nancy (Elizabeth) Gaulding Spaulding, however, did not follow him south, instead, the surviving records show that they eventually relocated eastward into Cumberland County, Virginia, where Francis wrote and signed his will on 20 January 1772. (Microfilm, Library of Virginia, Richmond)
“As to my worldly affairs I well and positively order that all my debts paid. First I leave my whole affairs to my dear and well-beloved wife Elizabeth Spaulding during her life and after her decease then my estate to be equally divided among all my children, John Spaulding, Judith Spaulding, Bailey Spaulding, Polly Spaulding and Thomson Spaulding.." Later in the will he specifies the following: " but if in case my wife should die before my son Thompson Spaulding should come of age my desire is that my estate should be kept together till he does or till the youngest child comes of age, but if in the case my wife should not die before the youngest child comes of age my desire is that it should be kept together till it does and do constitute and appoint Thomas Spaulding, JACOB GAULDING and my wife and my son John Spaulding executors of this my last will and testament and trustees for my wife and children." Will was signed the 20th January 1772, signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of John Paine, Thomas Davenport and James Basham.”
The presence of Jacob Gaulding (Nancy’s brother) as an executor confirms the close Gaulding–Spaulding family network and shows that the family remained within the same regional kinship orbit even after moving counties.
Full Citation of the 1772 Will
Cumberland County, Virginia, Will Book (1770–1779), Will of Francis Spaulding (8), dated 20 January 1772, proved 1772.
Mentions wife Elizabeth, children John, Judith, Bailey, Polly, Thomson, and appoints Thomas Spaulding, Jacob Gaulding, and wife Elizabeth as executors. Witnessed by John Paine, Thomas Davenport, James Basham.
The will also demonstrates that Francis died in Cumberland County and that Nancy was still living there at the time of probate. There is no evidence that she ever left Cumberland County after his death. Her approximate death date of c.1789 is consistent with her remaining near her Spaulding and Gaulding kin in the region.
Francis appears in Prince Edward County tax lists, land records, and estate references through the early 1770s. The Spauldings disappear from the record in Prince Edward County in the 1780’s. (9)
John Gaulding and His Land, 1740–1774
John “Matthew/John II” Gaulding first appears as a substantial landholder in 1740 and 1743, when he owned 800 acres in Amelia County—a tract that later became part of Prince Edward County when the new county was formed in 1754. This 800‑acre holding became the core Gaulding family estate and was eventually divided among his eight children.
By 1757, the Prince Edward County tithables list shows John Gaulding Sr. with four adult males in his household—John, William, Alexander, and Jacob Gaulding—and 600 acres under taxation. This confirms that several of his sons were already of age and living on or near the family land.
In 1768, John Gaulding conveyed 90 acres of his land to his son William Gaulding. The deed identifies nearby neighbors including Francis Spaulding, who had married John’s daughter Nancy (Elizabeth) Gaulding, and shows the Gauldings embedded in the Sailor’s Creek–Bush River neighborhood network.
John Gaulding Sr. died in 1773, leaving his widow Elizabeth and eight children. The 1774 tithables list reflects the immediate dispersal of the family:
The entry reads “Estate of John Gaulding and Elizabeth Gaulding—no tithes,” indicating Elizabeth’s widowhood.
Jesse Gaulding and Joseph Gaulding appear as separate tithables.
John Jr. had already migrated to South Carolina.
Jacob Gaulding had moved to Cumberland County, where he later served as executor of Francis Spaulding’s 1772 will.
William was likely in Bedford County, and Alexander was absent from the list, living elsewhere in Virginia.
These records collectively trace the arc of John Gaulding’s landholding from its Amelia County origins through its Prince Edward County tenure and finally through the dispersal of his heirs after his death. (See Summary of Sources[i] in Endnotes)
Which Gaulding Heirs Stayed and Which Left
When the 800‑acre tract of John “Matthew/John II” Gaulding was divided among his eight children, most of the heirs eventually sold their 100‑acre shares and left Prince Edward County. But Nancy (Elizabeth) Gaulding, who married Francis Spaulding, did not leave. She remained in Prince Edward County until her death around 1789.
William Gaulding of Topeka, Kansas wrote in regards to the distribution of land between the children of John Gaulding, Sr. This 800 acre tract of land in Prince Edward County was at one time known as "Gauldentown". Mr. Gaulding wrote in an email to me in 2000 "…the order of the children of John and Elizabeth (GEERS) GAULDING of Prince Edward County, Va. Elizabeth "Nancy", John Jr., Alexander, William, Jacob, Jesse, Josiah and Judith and that was the order in which the land was given."
The Eight Children of John “Matthew” Gaulding
1. Alexander Gaulding
Stayed in Prince Edward County
Only heir who remained on or near the original Gaulding land base
Appears consistently in Prince Edward tax and deed records
2. Judith Gaulding
She married Henry Roberts. She was born about 1740. (?) No information about Judith.
3. William Gaulding
Sold his 100 acres
Later appears in Campbell County (formed from Bedford in 1782)
Followed the same westward corridor as Samuel
4. John Gaulding Jr.
Sold his 100 acres to Francis Spaulding
Migrated to South Carolina
Part of the Great Wagon Road movement into the Carolina backcountry
5. Jacob Gaulding
Executor of Francis Spaulding’s 1772 Cumberland County will
Moved to Cumberland County
Appears in the same records as Nancy and Francis
Confirms a Gaulding sibling cluster in Cumberland
6. Jesse Gaulding
Appears in Prince Edward and Cumberland County records
Moved to Cumberland County, joining Jacob and Nancy
His presence confirms that the Cumberland branch included three siblings
7. Nancy (Elizabeth) Gaulding Spaulding
Married Francis Spaulding in 1766
Husband purchased John Jr.’s 100 acres
Moved to Cumberland County, where Francis wrote his will in 1772
Remained there after his death
8. Joseph “Joshia” Gaulding
Appears in Prince Edward County tithables (1774)
Listed separately from the “Estate of John Gaulding & Elizabeth Gaulding”
His presence as an adult tithe confirms he was one of the eight heirs
Likely migrated out of Prince Edward County after 1774 (destination not yet identified)
Summary Table
Alexander Stayed in Prince Edward Only heir who remained
Judith (?) Married Henry Roberts
William Campbell County Sold his share
John Jr. South Carolina Sold to Francis Spaulding, his sister’s husband
Jacob Cumberland County Executor in 1772
Jesse Cumberland County Migrated with Jacob & Nancy
Nancy (Elizabeth) Cumberland County Wife of Francis Spaulding
Joseph “Josiah” Unknown (left PE) Adult tithe in 1774
The move to South Carolina, Bedford County and Campbell County
During the mid‑eighteenth century, families in Prince Edward County—including the Gauldings, Spauldings, Stewarts, Andersons, Barksdales, and Sheards—were part of a broad regional migration driven by the search for new land, lower taxes, and better economic prospects. Three destinations in particular drew these families: South Carolina, Bedford County, and later Campbell County.
South Carolina attracted young men like John Gaulding Jr. because the colony offered large tracts of cheap or free land, especially after the Cherokee land cessions of the 1750s–1760s. (10) The backcountry districts (Camden, Ninety‑Six) promoted settlement aggressively, promising fertile river bottoms, low taxes, and easy access via the Great Wagon Road, which carried Virginians directly into the Carolina frontier. For a man who inherited only 100 acres in Prince Edward County, South Carolina offered the chance to acquire far more land and economic independence. (11)
Bedford County, created in 1753, drew families who wanted new land but preferred to remain in Virginia. Bedford offered freshly surveyed acreage, rich soils along the Staunton River, and a less crowded environment than Prince Edward. (12) It also lay directly along the westward migration corridor. This is why heirs such as Samuel Gaulding and William Gaulding appear in the Bedford region after selling their inherited shares.
Campbell County, formed from Bedford in 1782, became the next stage of this movement. It offered newly opened lands, a thriving post‑Revolutionary tobacco economy, and the rise of Lynchburg as a commercial center. Many Bedford migrants simply continued into Campbell as land became available. (13)
Cumberland County attracted people in the 1760–1780 period because it offered affordable new land, a major transportation corridor, a strong legal and commercial center, and a dense kinship network of families already connected to the Gauldings. It was close enough to Prince Edward to maintain ties but prosperous enough to offer real opportunity for younger sons and newly married couples. This is why Nancy, Jacob, and Jesse Gaulding all ended up there.
Together, these destinations reflect the economic logic of the era: Prince Edward County could not support multiple adult sons on subdivided tracts, so most heirs sold their 100 acres and moved toward regions where land was more plentiful. Only Alexander Gaulding remained in Prince Edward County (14), while the others followed the broader migration patterns of their neighborhood network.
Works Cited
1. Prince Edward County Marriage Bonds and Minister Returns (1766). Library of Virginia. [Online] Documents the marriage of Francis Spaulding and Elizabeth “Nancy” Gaulding.
2. Land and Tax Records. Prince Edward County, Virginia, Deed Books (1760s). [Online] Library of Virginia, Records the sale of 100 acres from John Gaulding Jr. to Francis Spaulding.
3. Prince Edward County, Virginia, Order Book 1 (1754–1759), p. 204, August Court 1758 (Image 204 of 744). Family Search. [Online] Library of Virginia, Richmond, Records the petition suit of John Spaulding v. John Gaulding.
4. Prince Edward County, Order Book 1 (1754-1759). Family Search. [Online] Film # 007897268, page 204 of 744. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4N-SVK1?lang=en&i=203.
5. Family Search . [Online] https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4N-.
6. Prince Edward County, Virginia, Tithable Lists (1750s–1770s). microfilm, Library of Virginia. [Online] Establishes the presence and generational placement of Thomas and Francis Spaulding.
7. Hening, William Waller. The Statutes at Large; Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia, vols. 5–7. [Online] Richmond: 1819–1823, Explains the nature of petition suits and summary civil procedure in colonial Virginia.
8. Prince Edward County, Virginia. Tithable Lists, 1760s–1770s. Microfilm, Library of Virginia. [Online] Show Francis Spaulding as a resident until his death.
9. Prince Edward County, Virginia. Probate and Estate Records (fragmentary). Library of Virginia. [Online] Indirect evidence of Francis’s death and Nancy’s continued presence in the county.
10. Edgar, Walter B. South Carolina: A History. s.l. : Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1998. Discusses backcountry settlement incentives and Cherokee land cessions.
11. Crane, Verner W. The Southern Frontier, 1670–1732. s.l. : Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1956. Background on settlement patterns and land availability.
12. Mitchell, Robert L. The Formation of Counties in Virginia. s.l. : Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1959. Explains the creation of Bedford (1753) and Campbell (1782).
13. Library of Virginia. Richmond, VA : s.n., Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants. Documents land availability and settlement patterns in Bedford and Campbell.
14. Prince Edward County, Virginia. Library of Virginia, Richmond : s.n., Tithables, Deeds, and Order Books, 1750s–1780s. Establishes the presence and departure of Gaulding heirs.
[i] Primary Sources for John Gaulding
1. Amelia County Land Records (Pre‑1754) - These confirm the 800 acres owned by John Gaulding before Prince Edward County was formed.
Amelia County Deed Book 2 (1740–1743) — Contains entries showing John Gaulding holding land later absorbed into Prince Edward County. (Library of Virginia microfilm)
Amelia County Tax Lists (1740s) — Show Gaulding landholdings consistent with the later Prince Edward acreage.
2. Prince Edward County Tithables (1754–1774) These independently verify the 1757 tithables and the 1774 tithables Anderson cited.
Prince Edward County Tithables, 1757 — Lists: John Gaulding, William Gaulding, Alexander Gaulding, Jacob Gaulding — Shows 4 tithes and 600 acres. (Library of Virginia, Prince Edward County Microfilm Reel 98)
Prince Edward County Tithables, 1774
— Lists: Estate of John Gaulding & Elizabeth Gaulding (no tithes)
— Also lists Jesse Gaulding and Joseph Gaulding.
(Library of Virginia, Reel 100)
3. Prince Edward County Deed Books These confirm the 1768 deed from John to William.
Prince Edward County Deed Book 3, p. 269 (28 Nov 1768; rec. 16 Jan 1769)
— John Gaulding to William Gaulding, 90 acres
— Boundaries reference Francis Spaulding, Jacob Williamson, Barron Lick Branch.
(Library of Virginia microfilm)
4. Prince Edward County Order Books & Probate These confirm John Gaulding’s death in 1773.
Prince Edward County Order Book 6 (1771–1776) — Contains entries referring to the Estate of John Gaulding beginning in 1773.
(Library of Virginia microfilm)
Prince Edward County Probate Index — Lists estate administration beginning 1773–1774.
These records independently confirm his death year.
5. Cumberland County Records (for Jacob, Jesse, and Nancy) These confirm the Cumberland County migration of several Gaulding siblings.
Cumberland County Will Book (1770–1779)
— Will of Francis Spaulding, 20 Jan 1772
— Names Jacob Gaulding as executor
— Proves Jacob was living in Cumberland County by 1772.
Cumberland County Tithables (1770s)
— Include Jesse Gaulding and Jacob Gaulding.
6. Land Plat Books & Surveys These confirm the location and continuity of the 800‑acre tract.
Prince Edward County Surveyor’s Plat Book (1754–1780)
— Contains plats referencing the Gaulding tract on Buffalo/Briery Rivers.
🌿 Secondary Sources
These historians and genealogists also document the Gaulding land and family structure:
Lynchburg Historical Society Papers (Gaulding–Barksdale–Anderson families)
Southside Virginia Families, John Bennett Boddie
Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Beverly Fleet
The Old Free State, Landon Bell (Prince Edward County history)
Virginia Land Office Patents & Grants (Library of Virginia)
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