THURMAN FAMILY-VA-1817-70

IDENTIFIED

Earl P. Basher, Nokesville, VA, recently reported the existence of a family graveyard behind the Glen-Gery Brick plant, 9905 Godwin Drive, Manassas. It is located at the end of an access road which runs behind the plant, and is about 300 feet southeast of the adjacent railroad tracks. Mr. Basher says the cemetery, which is on company property, has been fenced in but that the firm is doing grading in the area. He reports finding at least seven gravestones on the site, only three of which could be read They are:

Robert THURMAN / Died 19 Oct. 1817 / Age 64
Margaret FEWELL / Died 27 Sep 1825? / Age 43
Thomas THURMAN / Died 22 July 1826? / Age 2_?

The will of Robert THURMAN is found in Prince William County Will Book L. p. 90-91. Here is an abstract:

Robert Thurman of Prince William County, Va. Will dated 11 Oct. 1817.
... To my loving wife Elizabeth Thurman all my estate real and personal during her natural life, and after death to my children.
... To my son Edmond 400 dollars payable in twelve months after the decease of my wife.
... To my granddaughter Ann Francis, daughter of Wm. Thurman deceased 200 dollars.
... To my son Thomas a negro boy named Amos.
... To my son Sanford the following negroes: Barnett, Nat[?], and Daniel.
... To my son John a Negro man named Henson.
... To my daughter Catharine the following Negroes: Silvey and Jesse.
... To my daughter Peggy FEWELL the following Negroes: Ann and her child Sinah.
... To my son James the following: Nell and Isaac.
... To my grandchildren Elizabeth Fewell, William Fewell and Robert Thurman son of John a Negro girl by the name of Mariah.
... To my children Thomas, Sanford and Catharine each one feather bed and one cow and calf.
... To my son Sanford my lease called "Thomas's Lot."
... To my sons Thomas and John my lease called "Seales Lot."
... To my following children: Thomas, James, John Sanford, Peggy and Catharine the balance of my estate to be equally divided between them after the death of my wife.

I appoint my sons Thomas and Sanford sole executors. Signed: Robert Thurman.

Wit: Saml. Hancock, J.M. Wilkinson, Benjamin Johnson, William L. Wilkinson

Proved Nov. 3, 1817 by the oaths of John M. Wilkinson and Wm. L. Wilkinson. At a court held 2 Feb 1818, Thomas Thurman, one of the executors named, took oath as executor, certificate granted him for obtaining a probate. Test: Phil. D. Dawe, Cl. Cur.

At a court held for Pr.Wm.Co. Aug 1st 1826, Sanford Thurman and executor named in the will of Robert Thurman dec'd came into court and made oath as an executor, certificate is granted.

The above will confirms that Thomas Thurman died in 1826, and that he and Margaret ("Peggy") Fewell are Robert Thurman's children. The question that naturally arises is: Is the William Fewell named as a grandson in the will the same as William S. Fewell, who platted the town of Manassas in 1865? The answer is "yes."

The 1870 Virginia census index shows William S. FERREL (sic.) age 56, mw, at Manassas P.O., Prince William Co., p. 445.

William F. Fewell, age 46, a "trans. agent," was living in Alexandria, Va., in 1860 (p.934 [834?]), with wife Elizabeth 46, and children Sarah 18, Bittie 16, Lucian 15, Wm. 15, Margaret 9, Fanny 5. An Elizabeth Fewell died in Alexandria 20 Mar. 1868, according to an obituary that appeared in the Alexandria Gazette.

In 1850, William Fewell, aged 35, an engineer, b. Va, was living in Alexandria at a hotel managed by Silas J. Sanders (p. 707), There was also an entry for Wm. L. Fewell in Fairfax County (p. 194), perhaps his family home (entry not seen).

From the evidence of Prince William records it appears that William S. Fewell was born 1813/14, son of James Fewell. In the 1820 and 1830 census indexes, James Fewell is the only head of household with that surname in Prince William County. In the personal property tax list for 1821, James Fewell has one white male tithable over age 16 (himself). In 1830 there are two, listed as "James Fewell and son." In 1833, he has three tithables: "James Fewell and 2 sons;" likewise 1834. In 1835, William S. Fewell first appears under his own name (at age 21), while his father loses one tithable. The other son appears to be Thomas T. Fewell, who first appears by name in 1836. Thomas was probably aged 19 in 1836; he is first counted as a tithable in 1833; he was probably born shortly after his grandfather's will was made (Oct. 1817) since he is not mentioned there. Their sister Elizabeth was probably b. ca. 1811.

In 1842 I could not find Thomas in Pr.Wm.Co. (a Thomas F. Fewell is in Fairfax Co. 1850, p. 129), but William Fewell is still there, and "James Fewell and son" appears (another son?). I have not yet found a probate record for James Fewell. In the 1850 census of Pr.Wm. Co., p. 108, James Fewell, age 61, farmer, b. Va. is found. The only person in his household is Silas Burk, age 17, a laborer. The 1860 index for Va. shows James Fewell in Pr.Wm. Co. at Tudor Hall Post Office (p. 478).

Pr.Wm.Co. probate indexes show that Elizabeth Thurman died by 1833, John Thurman died by 1847, and Sanford Thurman died 1858. William S. Fewell inherited property form his uncle Sanford Thurman, believed to include the nucleus of the original plat of Manassas.

Source: http://www.rootsweb.com/~vapwcgs/thur0692.htm
from The Newsletter  Vol. 10, No. 12, June 1992

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