The Migration Pattern of the family of Samuel Gaulding and Elizabeth Turner

The migration pattern of Samuel Gaulding and his wife Elizabeth Turner can be reconstructed with unusual clarity because the birthplaces and documented life events of their children trace the family’s steady westward movement across colonial Virginia. This analysis is based solely on the children named in Samuel’s 1785 will—Anne, Martha “Patty,” Kesiah, Lucy, Archibald, and William—along with Elizabeth, whose birth is recorded in The Douglas Register but who died young and therefore does not appear in the will. Together, these children’s birth dates, marriage locations, and later residences reveal a family that began in King William County, moved into Goochland County by the mid‑1760s, and then settled permanently in Campbell County by the late 1760s, from which the next generation later dispersed into Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and eastern Tennessee. Their movements reflect the broader westward push of Virginia families seeking new land and opportunity in the decades surrounding the American Revolution.

The Gaulding family followed a classic westward Virginia migration corridor: King William → Goochland → Campbell → (next generation) Pittsylvania & Tennessee

Annotated List of the sons of Samuel Gaulding and Elizabeth Turner

1. William T. Gaulding

Born: 1752, King William County, Virginia (1)

Died: 9 September 1841, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

William T. Gaulding was the eldest known son of Samuel Gaulding and Elizabeth Turner and is explicitly named in Samuel’s 1785 will, which states: “I give and bequeath to my beloved son William Gaulden ten pounds to be paid him at the death of my said wife.” William served as a Private in the Revolutionary War, enlisting in Bedford County, Virginia. His pension application (S*W7509) confirms that he served under Captain James Adams in the regiment commanded by Colonel Charles Lynch, completing a two‑year term of service. He participated in the Race to the Dan in early 1781 and fought at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on 15 March 1781. (2)

Around 1779, William married Margaret “Peggy” Lane. Researcher Ronnie Walker noted that Peggy’s mother may have been named Mary, though no primary source has been located to confirm this. William and Peggy had the following children: Andrew Jackson Gaulding, Thomas D. Gaulding, William Turner Gaulding, Moses Gaulding, Samuel B. Gaulding, and Elizabeth Gaulding. Peggy also had an illegitimate daughter, Nancy early in the marriage. William owned land in Campbell County before relocating to Pittsylvania County, where he spent the remainder of his life.

After Peggy’s death (assumed), William married Melissa “Dicey” Burnett, (3) with whom he had two additional children: Mary Ann Gauldin (1835–1900) and Jabez Sidney Gauldin, who later died in the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. William died at his home in Pittsylvania County on 9 September 1841, leaving a well‑documented military and family legacy.

2. Archibald Gaulding

Born: ca. 1754 (estimated from age at death)

Died: 1841, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

Archibald Gaulding is also named in the 1785 will of his father Samuel. (4) Unlike his brother William, Archibald’s Revolutionary War service is documented through military muster rolls rather than a pension file. In 1777, he served in the 5th Virginia Regiment under Colonel William Campbell. (5) The muster roll dated 11 October 1777 lists him as “wounded and absent,” indicating he sustained an injury during active service. In 1778, he appears on the payroll of Captain William Fowler’s Company, also in the 5th Virginia Regiment of Foot. (5)

Archibald lived a long life, dying in 1841 in Pittsylvania County at approximately 87 years of age. Despite extensive searching, no evidence has been found that he ever married, and no children are attributed to him in any surviving record. His long life, military service, and presence in Pittsylvania County place him firmly within the same migration and settlement pattern as his brother William.

Annotated list of the Daughters of Samuel Gaulding and Elizabeth Turner

1. Anne (Ann) Gaulding

Born: 26 December 1764, St. James Northam Parish, Goochland County, Virginia (7)

Died: 7 June 1855, Campbell County, Virginia (7)

Burial: Charlotte County, Virginia

Anne is named in the 1785 will of her father, Samuel Gaulding. Her birth is recorded in The Douglas Register, and her marriage to John Stewart on 16 November 1795 in Campbell County (8) is documented in the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. VI. "Steward, John and Anne Gauldin, bond 16 November 1795.  William Bosher certifies she is of age.  William Bosher (b) and Henry Stewart (b), M.R. __ November 1795 by Charles Cobb" Although the marriage appears in a Quaker source, neither Anne nor John were Quakers; the entry reflects the compiler’s inclusion of local civil records. William Bosher served as surety. (9)

By 1850, Anne and John were living in Campbell County. Her 1855 death record identifies her parents as “E. and S. Gaulding,” confirming her placement in this family. Anne and John Stewart had the following children: Mary “Polly,” Mackey, Martha, Elizabeth, Samuel, Ann “Nancy,” and Larkin Stewart.

2. Martha “Patty” Gaulding

Born: 1765, King William County, Virginia

Died: 1850, Jefferson (Cocke County), Tennessee

Burial: Talley Cemetery, Cocke County, Tennessee

Martha—called “Patty” in Samuel’s 1785 will—was born in King William County before the family moved westward. She married Benoni Carter Talley on 17 December 1788 in Campbell County, Virginia. (10) By 1830, Martha and Benoni had migrated to Jefferson, Cocke County, Tennessee, (12) where she died in 1850. She is buried in the Talley Cemetery. Her appearance in Samuel’s will confirms she survived to adulthood and was living in 1785.  According to Find a Grave, their children were John M. "Fod" Talley 1790–1872, William Benoni Talley 1792–1864, James Carter Talley 1796–1877, Lucinda Gaulding "Lucy" Talley Jones 1797–1873, Pernelope Talley Fox 1797–1872, Bradley W Talley 1804–1877, Benoni Carter Talley 1807–1879, Beverly Burl Talley 1812–1879 and Armstead Carter Talley 1813 – unknown. (10)

3. Kesiah Gaulding

Born: 13 December 1766, St. James Northam Parish, Goochland County, Virginia  (15)

Died: After 20 December 1786 (exact date unknown)

Kesiah’s birth is documented in The Douglas Register, identifying her as the daughter of Samuel Galden and Elizabeth Turner. (14) She married Thomas McCown on 20 December 1786 in Campbell County, Virginia. (16) No further records have been located, but her marriage confirms she reached adulthood. Her absence from later records suggests she may have died relatively young, but the exact date is unknown.

4. Elizabeth Gaulding

Born: 28 December 1764, St. James Northam Parish, Goochland County, Virginia (17)

Died: Likely before 1785

Elizabeth is recorded in The Douglas Register as a daughter of Samuel Gaulding and Elizabeth Turner. However, she is not named in Samuel’s 1785 will, and no marriage, death, or guardianship record has been found. Claims that she married Robert Smith are unsupported by any primary evidence. Because she is omitted from the will—where all living daughters were named—the most historically sound conclusion is that Elizabeth died very young, likely before the family left Goochland County. She is not the same person as her sister Anne, who married John Stewart.

5. Lucy Gaulding

Born: 1768, likely in Campbell County, Virginia

Died: After 1800, Tennessee

Lucy appears in Samuel’s 1785 will, confirming she survived to adulthood. She married (18) George Webb, Sr. (1760–1834), (18)and they had at least one known child, Woodson Webb (1794–1859). Lucy later migrated to Tennessee, where she died sometime after 1800. Her absence from the Douglas Register suggests she was born after the family left Goochland County.

Likely Migration Pattern of Samuel Gaulding and Elizabeth Turner (with Dates)

The birthplaces of Samuel and Elizabeth Gaulding’s children reveal a westward migration pattern typical of mid‑18th‑century Virginia families moving from the Tidewater into the Piedmont and then into the foothills of the Blue Ridge. Their movements can be reconstructed with surprising clarity:

1. King William County → Goochland County (before 1764)

The couple’s earliest known child, William T. Gaulding, was born in 1752 in King William County, placing the young family in the Tidewater region during the early years of their marriage. By 1764, however, the births of Anne (1764), Elizabeth (1764), and Kesiah (1766) are all recorded in St. James Northam Parish, Goochland County, proving that Samuel and Elizabeth had moved westward into the Goochland area by the mid‑1760s.

2. Goochland County → Campbell County (between 1766 and 1768)

The next daughter, Lucy (born 1768), is believed to have been born in Campbell County, indicating that the family left Goochland between late 1766 and 1768. This timing aligns with the broader migration of Goochland families into the newly formed counties of Bedford and Campbell as tobacco lands opened and settlement pushed west.

3. Campbell County as the Long‑Term Home Base (1768–1785)

By the time Samuel wrote his will in 1785, the family was firmly established in Campbell County. All four daughters named in the will—Anne, Patty, Lucy, and Kesiah—married in Campbell County between 1786 and 1795, confirming that the family remained there throughout the 1770s and 1780s.

4. Children Begin Their Own Migrations (Post‑1785)

After Samuel’s death, his children followed different paths:

• Patty (Martha) and her husband Benoni Talley migrated to Jefferson/Cocke County, Tennessee by 1830, part of the larger movement of Virginia families into East Tennessee.

• Lucy and her husband George Webb, Sr. also migrated to Tennessee, where she died after 1800.

• Anne remained in Campbell County until her death in 1855.

• William T. moved from Campbell to Pittsylvania County, where he died in 1841.

• Archibald also died in Pittsylvania County in 1841.

Gaulding Family Migration Chart (Based on Documented Children)

Time Period	Location	Evidence From Children	Interpretation of Family Migration
1752	King William County, VA	Birth of William T. Gaulding	Samuel and Elizabeth begin their family in the Tidewater region.
1764–1766	St. James Northam Parish, Goochland County, VA	Births of Anne (1764), Elizabeth (1764), and Kesiah (1766), all recorded in The Douglas Register	Family moves west into the Goochland area by mid‑1760s.
1768	Campbell County, VA	Birth of Lucy Gaulding (1768, not in Douglas Register)	Family relocates again, leaving Goochland for the newly settled Piedmont frontier.
1768–1785	Campbell County, VA	All children named in Samuel’s 1785 will—Anne, Patty, Kesiah, Lucy, Archibald, William—are living here; marriages of Anne (1795), Patty (1788), and Kesiah (1786) occur in Campbell County	Campbell County becomes the long‑term home base of the Gaulding family.
Post‑1785 (Next Generation)	Pittsylvania County, VA	Adult residences of William T. and Archibald	Sons move south into Pittsylvania County as land opens up.[i]
Post‑1800 (Next Generation)	Cocke County, TN	Migration of Patty Gaulding Talley and Lucy Gaulding Webb	Daughters follow the major Virginia‑to‑Tennessee migration route of the early 19th century.

Summary of Migration Pattern (Chronological)

• 1752 — Family in King William County (birth of William T.)

• 1764–1766 — Family in Goochland County, St. James Northam Parish (births of Anne, Elizabeth, Kesiah)

• 1768 — Family in Campbell County (birth of Lucy)

• 1768–1785 — Family remains in Campbell County (marriages of daughters; Samuel’s will)

• Post‑1785 — Children disperse:

  • William T. → Pittsylvania County, VA

  • Archibald → Pittsylvania County, VA

  • Patty → Cocke County, TN

  • Lucy → Tennessee

  • Anne → remains in Campbell County, VA

Interpretation

The Gaulding family followed a classic westward Virginia migration corridor:

King William → Goochland → Campbell → (next generation) Pittsylvania & Tennessee

This pattern is consistent with:

• Tobacco exhaustion in Tidewater counties

• Opening of new lands in the Piedmont

• Formation of Bedford (1753) and Campbell (1782) counties

• Post‑Revolution migration into Tennessee

The children’s birthplaces and marriages align perfectly with this broader historical movement.

Works Cited

1. Gauldin, Catherine L. The Descendants of John Gaulding. ancestry.com. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62282/images/62282_b1106290-00156?treeid=163174124&personid=422121228619&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=4380110643.

2. U.S., Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1801-1815, 1818-1872. ancestry.com. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1116/images/T718_14-0264?pId=81003.

3. Virginia, Compiled Marriages, 1740-1850. ancestry.com. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3723/records/152465?tid=163174124&pid=422121228619&ssrc=pt.

4. Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900. ancestry.com. [Online] Campbell, General Index to Will Books, 1782-1947; Will Books, Archibald is named in his father's 1785 will. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62347/images/007644402_00358?pId=2252276.

5. Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution. ancestry.com. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48423/images/RegisterVARev-003518-301?pId=338522.

6. U.S., Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records, 1775-1783. ancestry.com. [Online] Virginia, 5th Regt. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1309/images/MIUSA1775C_116538-00484?pId=132097.

7. Vestry Book of St. Peter's Parish, p 746. ancestry.com. [Online] "Gaulding (Gawling), Martha, 431". https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7469/images/StPeters-VA-0745?pId=1584.

8. Virginia, Deaths and Burials Index, 1853-1917. ancestry.com. [Online] "Ann Stewart died 7 June 1855 in Charlotte County, Virginia, dau of E. and S. Goulding". https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/163174124/person/422121229363/facts.

9. Marriages of Campbell County, Virginia, 1782-1810. ancestry.com. [Online] "Steward, John and Anne Gauldin, bond 16 November 1795. William Bosher certifies she is of age. William Bosher (b) and Henry Stewart (b), M.R. __ November 1795 by Charles Cobb". https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49243/images/FLHG_MarriagesofCampbellCountyVA-0105?pId=65904.

10. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Vol. VI: (Virginia). ancestry.com. [Online] Campbell County Marriage Bonds, "1795, 11, 16. John & Anne Gaulden. William Bosher, Surety". https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48135/images/QuakerGenVolVI-006500-857?pId=216272.

11. U.S., Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol I–VI, 1607-1943. ancestry.com. [Online] "Tally, 1788, 12, 7. Carter & Patty Gauldin". https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/3753/images/quakergenvolvi-006500?pId=340238.

12. U.S., Southern Baptist Church Records, 1750-1899. ancestry.com. [Online] Friendship Baptist, Nolachucky Assoc. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62267/images/i1592312-00033?pId=47432.

13. Martha “Patty; Patsy” Gaulding/Gouldin Talley. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44267142/martha-talley.

14. The Douglas Register, Births and Baptisms. ancestry.com. [Online] Samuel Galden & Elizabeth Turner a Daughter named Kesiah born Dec. 13, 1766. Baptized Feb. 8, 1767, p. 102". https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/25436/images/dvm_LocHist010582-00105-0?pId=199.

15. Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 . ancestry.com. [Online] Campbell, General Index to Will Books, 1782-1947; Will Books, "The Will of Samuel Gaulding". https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62347/images/007644402_00358?pId=2252272.

16. Marriages of Campbell County, Virginia, 1782-1810. ancestry.com. [Online] "McCown, Thomas (bachelor) and Keziah Galden (spinster), bond 20 December 1786. Consent by Lizbath Galding, mother of the bride., James Vest (b) and Thomas McCown (b), James Vest" (w). "https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49243/images/FLHG_MarriagesofCampbellCountyVA-0076?pId=65875.

17. The Douglas register, Births and Baptisms. ancestry.com. [Online] "Samuel Galden & Elizabeth Turner a Daughter named Elizabeth born Dec. 28, 1764. Baptized April 7, 1765. p. 70", p 198. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/25436/images/dvm_LocHist010582-00105-0?pId=199.

18. Marriages of Campbell County, Virginia, 1782-1810. ancestry.com. [Online] "Webb, George and Lucy Gaulding, bond 2 November 1789", "M.R. 3 November 1789 by James Hurt" "Consent by Elizabeth Gaulding, mother of the bride. George Webb (b) and Benoni Carter Talley (b).". https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49243/images/FLHG_MarriagesofCampbellCountyVA-0116?pId=65915.

19. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Vol. VI: (Virginia). Campbell County Marriage Bonds. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48135/images/QuakerGenVolVI-006506-863?pId=216278.

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[i] It is unlikely that William T. or Archibald Gaulding moved to Pittsylvania County because of receiving bounty land for their Revolutionary War service. Virginia did not issue bounty land inside Virginia; all Virginia military bounty lands were located in Kentucky and later Ohio, within the Virginia Military District. Neither William nor Archibald left any record of receiving a bounty land warrant, and William’s service as a militiaman did not qualify for bounty land under Virginia law. Although Archibald briefly served in the 5th Virginia Regiment, no warrant was ever issued in his name, and no evidence links him to Kentucky or Ohio land claims. Their relocation from Campbell County into Pittsylvania County instead follows the well‑documented post‑Revolution pattern of Virginia families moving south and west in search of affordable farmland and new opportunities, rather than a military land grant.