of the NC Land Grants

by Clarence McDaniel July 2013

In William,G, we have the most confused son of William,C. Because of the frequency with which this famous protestant name occurs in the Paschall lines we will always have some confusion. Most of the errors occurred during the 1920-1940 era when no civil documents were readily available. The passing of "stories" each being expanded in telling did it. This author uses documents.

William,G, was born about 1733 probably in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Our first record of William is the 1754 Militia List in which we have a listing of "William and son, William". fig 1

William was apparently unmarried at this time. We believe he married several years later, most likely to a daughter of Thomas Aspen.

There was executed in Granville a deed(DB C p521) of 1758 in which Thomas Aspen obtained land west of Nutbush Creek. fig 2

This deed was witnessed by William. He may have used an overlapping double "V" for his signature - this has yet to be verified. This would lead us to believe that this was the son rather than the father because the father could sign very well.

In any event the life of William,G, was from that point onward a part of the record of the Aspen family. The 1762 tax list of Granville County, Henderson District, lists William as living in the household of Thomas Aspen as overseer. This tends to support the idea that William had married into the Aspen family by this time. In Oct 1768, Orange County, there are 3 deeds, one from Wm Sargeant, Sr. to Wm for 163a. This same document shows that Wm witnessed two deeds to Thomas Aspen. fig 3

We have a deed record of Annanias Allen; Orange County, Aug 24, 1771. This deed was proven by William Paschall and Daniel Duncan in the court of January, 1772. Willian x'ed his signature. The next record we find is a petition to divide Orange County to create a new county in the northern part. fig 4

We do not have a copy of this petition to verify the form of signature but there is no doubt but this was our William,G. William had located with the Aspen family in what is today Person County near the county line. Thomas Aspen had received a grant of land in Orange County. A new county was formed in 1777 and was named Caswell. Thus without moving William appears on tax lists for this county in the St. Laurence District.

In 1789 Thomas Aspen (son of older Thomas) wrote his will. The will was probated in 1791. This was an unusual will in that Thomas did not name any children. He named his wife, Sarah, Jesse Duncan and Benjamin South. In 1780, on one of the old surviving marriage bonds of Caswell County we find the record of the marriage of Hannah Paschall to Jesse Duncan. There is reason to believe that Jesse was the son of Daniel Duncan. The will also named William Paschall and his son, Thomas, and indicated that William's wife was then alive. In the year 1789 Thomas Paschall married Nancy Price in Caswell County as recorded on bond.

In 1792 the eastern part of Caswell County became Person County.From this year on, William and son, Thomas, are recorded in Person County, St Laurence District. Also, in 1792, William signed as witness with a double "V" to the will(WB A p59) of Edmund Henley. fig 5 William was subsequently appointed administrator of Henley's estate. According to Thomas Aspen's will, William,G, was to obtain the 250 acre plantation in Orange County if he contributed to the support of Aspen's widow. This plantation was to go to Thomas on the death of William and wife. Note that the wife was included as a survivor.

In 1792 William,G, by deed in Orange County, transferred the 250 acres to son, Thomas. Since William's wife is not named we suspect she has died. Thomas sold this property by deed in 1794. Thomas moved to Russell County, VA, and appeared on the 1795 tax list.

By 1797, William,G, was also in Russell County along with Jesse Duncan and Benjamin South. The 1800 and 1810 censuses of Russell are lost. An 1811 tax list shows William with no poll and 1 black poll. We believe William himself was too old to tax and the 1801 court minute book of Russell has an entry excusing William from the tax.

Russell County was one of those unfortunate counties which have suffered the lost of their early records. There is a surviving index to a court minute book which has some references to William and Thomas. In 1818 William was declared a pauper by the court. William did not appear on the 1820 census. Indeed we have the misfortune that William never appeared on a census that has come down to us.

From the records it would appear William married a daughter of Thomas Aspen probably before 1761. He had two children of record. No other Paschalls appear on records in the home counties. William never received a grant of land from his father; he most likely received other things of value.

There is a solitary revolutionary voucher which named a Captain Paschall and the indications, though slim, are that this man was from Orange County. William is listed on the 1810 tax list(sus for 1810 census) with no poll and a slave. He applied to be excused as a pauper. fig 6

William and son were named in Russell Co court as a witness for the service of his son-in-law, Jesse Duncan, but was too feeble to appear but made a legal deposition. fig 7 This is his last record;he likely died 1818.

William,G, was not the father of William, George or Alexander for several reasons. These are detailed in the line of Isaiah,F.

Hannah,G1

We learn of Hannah only from her marriage bond to Jesse Duncan in 1780. The bondsman on this marriage being Daniel Duncan who was probably father or brother of Jesse. From then on we only have the records of Jesse. Jesse was given property in the Aspen will which ties Hannah to her father and brother. Also Jesse Duncan and William and Thomas along with Benjamin South appear to be closely related. Strangely, Thomas Aspen's (older one) wife was named Hannah, Jesse's mother was apparently named Hannah as was the wife of Annanias Allen (of the 1771 deed) so we assume Hannah was named for this close association of neighbors and relatives. Hannah was probably about 18 to 20 at the time of her marriage, so was born about 1760-1762. If she lived to c1818 there were 5 daughters. There apparently were children of this marriage as a David Duncan appears on the 1810 Tax List and the 1820 census of Russell County. It may be that William,G, lived with his son-in-law and daughter in his old age. Jesse Duncan was given a pension for revoluntionary service and many records name him in many residences.

Thomas,G2

We have three separate mentions of Thomas in the year 1789; the Aspen will, his marriage and the tax list of Caswell. These would indicate that Thomas came of age at about this time. Thomas received the Aspen legacy from his father in 1792 and sold this in December of 1794. It appears that Jesse Duncan moved to Russell County, VA, and Thomas followed about 1795. Thomas is found on the tax list of 1796. Thomas then moved, about 1805, to Pulaski County, KY, where he resided for the rest of his life. Thomas appears on the 1810-1850 censuses of Pulaski and in 1854 he wrote his will. fig 8 The 1850 census indicates that he was born in 1769. We find that Thomas signed two petitions in Russell County in October and November of 1796. His signature on these shows a good hand. He signed as Thos Pascal with the old fashioned "s" that looks like a reverse script "f". There are many records of Thomas and his family available in Pulaski County. There are no other known or suspected children of William at the time of this writing.

Source notes for William Paschall(not up to date)

1754 Gran/NC Militia list
1755 Gran TL has father/5 bros
1755 Gran/NC TL father/him and five brothers named
1758 Gran/NC DB C p521 Aspen deed has Wm as witness
1762 Gran/NC TL Henderson dist; Thos Aspin has Wm Paschal
1768 Oran/NC DB got 163a; witness to 2 deeds for Thomas Aspen
1771 Oran/NC William and D Duncan, witness to deed, A Allen; Wm x'ed it
1774 Bute/NC will of William; names William as 4th son
1777 Oran/NC Petition to divide county: also TL Caswell Co.
(NC is not able to find petition)
1784 Casw/NC TL St Laurence dist; also 1788 to 1791
1789 Oran/NC WB will of Thomas Aspen: Wm and son, Thomas named
1792 Pers/NC TL St Laurence dist; 100a; poll: also 1794/95
1792 Pers/NC signed as witness to Edmund Hendley will; made mark
1792 Pers/NC qualified as exec'r of Edmund Hendley
1797 Russ/VA TL Upper dist, personel property; also Thomas
1798 Russ/VA ditto; also 1799
1801 Russ/VA Ct Min index Bk; Wm excused from county tax
1802 Russ/VA TL Upper dist, personal property tax
1806 Russ/VA Pwr-of-atty to Edmund Hendley (nephew of former)
1810 Russ/VA TL 0-1-0; also Benj South/Jesse Duncan
1818 Russ/VA Ct Min index Bk; placed on pauper list
1818 Russ/VA Law Order bk 6, p31- Rev. pension papers of Jesse Duncan
names William and Thomas; says William was too infirm to come to court;
may have signed papers; May 5
1820 Russ/VA William not in census, likely died
Note: Mark was double V or inverted double V; confused with nephew,
William,D3, in Warren Co, NC.