Various Thomas Family groupings from Albemarle and Buckingham Counties.

Ensign John Thomas

of Albemarle County Virginia.

also called Captain.

 John Thomas, commonly called Jack was born April 8, 1757 in Amherst County, Virginia to Cornelius Thomas
and Miss Henderson. He moved from Amherst to Albemarle County around 1778. This move seems to have coincided
with his marriage to Frances 'Franky' Lewis, daughter of Col. Charles Lewis and Mary Randolph. He was married
by November 1, 1779 when he and his wife Frances sold the land on Pedlar known as Thomas Mill Creek to Thomas Waugh and to Roderick McCullough. 

 

In 1779 he was drafted for a tour of three months as an Ensign in the American Revolution under Capt John Martin and Lieut. Nathaniel Garland. He was drafted for a second tour in 1781. It was during this tour that he was given a command to gather cattle and deliver them to Yorktown by Col. Nicholas Lewis. He would be called Captain by his neighbors for the remainder of his life for this act. His brother-in-law, James Lewis of Franklin, Tennessee, who was the widower of his sister Lucy said that he had known John Thomas for upwards of fifty years and could attest to the correctness of the evidence given.
 

Around the turn of the century a researcher wrote that John Thomas was married twice. From careful examination of the records I have found this to be inaccurate. Sadly, almost every researcher has used this early researchers work without verifying the source.

Evidence shows that Jack Thomas and Franky Lewis were married by 1776 and already had at least two living children by 1782.
Later evidence shows that Franky Lewis Thomas was still alive in 1814 when her son Charles Lewis Thomas died and created
a trust with his brother John Lilburn Thomas to take care of his mother. Franky Lewis Thomas died in 1834. This would make her the mother of every child born to John Thomas.

Cornelius Thomas, father of Jack, died in 1775. One of his last official acts was to draw up a contract on May 29, 1775.
This was a deed of gift of 16 slaves, 6 featherbeds, and two-thirds of his stock to his children; John, Norborne, Cornelius,
Elizabeth, Lucy, & Sally. He retained a life interest. His first wife was already deceased so we don't have a record of her first name. and on June 1, 1775 he entered into a marriage contract with Hannah Scott. Also on June 1, 1775, Cornelius Thomas wrote his
will. His new wife got the use of the house, son John Thomas land above Pedlar when he reaches 21, sons; Norborne, Cornelius,
and three daughters when married get slaves due him on his mothers death (Lucy Thomas Childress). Executors; James Nevil, John Henderson Jr,  Joseph Cabell, & David Crawford.The will was recorded on October 2, 1775.

All the children of Cornelius are unmarried and under the age of 21 at his death. Elizabeth Thomas married John Wood in 1776. Lucy Thomas was still under 21 in 1777 when a guardian bond was filed. Sarah Thomas was under 21 when she married Thomas Powell in 1782 since both her guardians gave permission for her to marry. Norborne Thomas was still under 21 in 1788 when his guardian bond was filed. These records imply that John was likely the oldest child.

In 1782 John Henderson, father of Mrs Cornelius Thomas wrote his will. He left a monetary amount to his grandchildren. He does not name a "Mrs Thomas" only her children. The grandchildren listed were; John, Norborne, Cornelius, Sarah, Elizabeth Wood, and Lucy Lewis. You can see that Lucy and Elizabeth are now married.


He does mention a Francis Henderson, but this is obviously an unmarried daughter. We know from Cornelius Thomas's will that his wife was already deceased by 1775 so this is likely why her name was omitted from her father's will in 1782.

On April 29, 1782 Charles Lewis, Father of Frances Lewis Thomas, and father-in-law of John Thomas wrote his will and left Franky and Jack a life estate of 1000A on the branches of Ivy Creek in Albemarle. This land was to pass to their son Charles Lewis Thomas after their deaths. John Thomas sold this land during his lifetime to Robert Draffin, who was not informed that it was only a
"life estate". This dispute ended up in Chancery. He also left his other grandchild, Mary Howell Thomas, a slave from
his estate.

This is how we know that John Thomas was already married to Franky Lewis by 1776. First, John Thomas was clearly not old enough to have been married or to have had several children before the two that were listed in this will. Second, it would be seriously unlikely for Charles Lewis to claim grandchildren that were not born to his daughter.

The Library of Virginia has bible records for John Thomas and Charles Lewis on microfilm. I have not seen a copy of this personally but I'm going to assume that is where other researchers have gotten exact birth dates and in some cases death dates for the following children:

John 'Jack' Thomas born April 8, 1757 died June 8, 1847.

Frances 'Franky' Lewis born January 24, 1759 died December 28, 1834.

1. Mary Howell Thomas born June 27, 1777 died c1802.

supposedly married Robert Snelson, who wrote to Thomas Jefferson from NY in 1802 to say that he had recently lost his little family. I have not found any other records for them.

2. Sarah Thomas born February 17, 1779 died July 10, 1795.

She is not in the Lewis will, bible record??

3. Charles Lewis Thomas born November 21, 1780 died May 13, 1814. He married Margaret M. Lewis, daughter of Nicholas Lewis. 4. Willis Thomas born April 17, 1782 died January 24, 1786.

He is not in the Lewis will, bible record??

5. John Lilburn Thomas born January 22, 1785 died October 24, 1846.  He never married and died at his fathers house.

6. Norborne Kerr Thomas born August 21, 1786 died April 4, 1832.

He married Elizabeth Ann Burwell and they both died in Richmond.

7. Elizabeth Lewis Thomas born June 23, 1788.

Bible Record??? She supposedly married Fontaine Maury and may have moved to Mercer, Kentucky. Have not been able to find her in records. I have nothing further on her.

8. William Isham Thomas born November 7, 1790 died September 17, 1792. Bible record???

9. Warner Cornelius Thomas born March 5, 1793 died May 30, 1865. Moved to Baltimore Maryland, Married Mary M. Moore.

10. James Wilton Thomas born January 12, 1795 died October 4, 1845. Married Eliza Ann Johnson and moved to Jefferson County, Missouri with his wife's family.

11. Bennett Henderson Thomas born March 12, 1797.

Bible record?? Can't find anything else on him.

12. Virginia Ann Mildred Thomas born July 15, 1799 died August 6, 1837. Bible record?? Have no other info on her.

13. Margaret Meriwether Thomas born July 19, 1802.

Married Julius W. Clarkson in 1825 and Robert Cashmere in 1838. Cashmere is also spelled Cushmore in a chancery suit and may have been Cushman. I have found no other records for them.

There is a chancery suit in the Albemarle index for Warner C. Thomas vs John Thomas etc in 1847. The surnames listed are: Clarkson, Cushmore, Johnson, Thomas and Lewis. The originals aren't online so if someone out there takes a look, drop me a line if it adds to some of the children above.

According to the descendant's of James Wilton Thomas, "Captain" John Thomas joined an "anti-tea" drinking society after the Boston Tea Party and refused to drink tea even on his deathbed. Even when it was advised by his physician, Dr. Randolph.