The Gaines family in
Virginia and the South
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EARLY HISTORY OF THE GAINES FAMILY IN VIRGINIA
The following early grants to members of the Gaines Family are recorded in the Virginia Land Grant Register. Thomas Gaines 1030 acres in old Rappahannock County in 1656; Daniel Gaines, Nicholas Willard, (sic), 1376 acres in Freshes of Rappahannock for transporting 28 persons, January 24, 1665; Thomas Gaines, 28 acres in old Rappahannock, April 20, 1685; William Gaines, 240 acres in Lunenberg County, both sides of Hounds Creek, September 10, 1755; Francis Gaines, 318 acres in Culpeper County, November 12 1756; William Gaines, 261 acres in Culpeper County, January 12, 1757; Hieram Gaines, 339 Acres in Albemarle County, February 16, 1771.
In Goode's Virginia Cousins , page 470, he states that the Gaines immigrants settled probably in New Kent County , but from the history of the early land grants it would indicate that they settled higher up in the mainland. To more or less substantiate this, on page 290 of Goode's book, `John Collier married Miss Gaines of a family early seated in King and Queen County .' To date there has been no satisfactory documented evidence uncovered of the relationship and the early descendants of these members of the Gaines Family in Virginia .
Many sources of data, however, indicate that all of the early Gaines in Virginia descended from Sir John Gaines (1559-1606), who was the great grandson of Morgan, son of Sir David Gam of Brecon, Wales . The children of Sir John Gaines were Catherine, Elizabeth, William, Thomas, Walter, and John. (See Dwnn's Visitation of Wales, 76 states that a "Thomas Gaines (son of Sir John (1559-1606) came from Count Vol. II, page 26). The Compendium of American Genealogy by Virkus, Vol. VI, page 7y Brecon, Wales , ante 1650, settled in Va. "
Also there was a gunner named Thomas Gaines on the `Ark and Dove' that sailed to Maryland in 1634 (see Raskobs and Greene Record Book, page 95, Congressional Library, No.C571.r225, Washington, D.C.) The relationship, if any, of the gunner named Thomas Gaines to any of the Virginia Gaines Families is not known. It is known that Thomas Gaines, son of Sir John Gaines, was the father of Robert, Thomas, James, and Daniel Gaines. From Tennessee Cousins, page 263, "Daniel Gaines died 8/18/1682 , leaving a will in old Rappahannock County , Virginia , witnessed by Wm. Morrow, John Catlett, and Wm. Browne."
The James Gaines, son of Thomas, grandson of Sir John Gaines, is claimed to have been the father of Richard Gaines of Culpeper County , Virginia , who died in 1755-56. Documentary proof of all the claimants to the children of this Richard Gaines is not conclusive. In a letter to Mrs. Sam Maddox, Oklahoma from Dr. John A. Kelly, dated 8/9/1955 , he stated "I have not a complete list of the children of Richard Gaines who died about 1755. Recently, evidence was found to include a son Thomas, and a son Robert in addition to those already placed." Documentary evidence exists to prove that those `already placed' were Francis, William, and James. (See William Gaines whose wife was Isabella Pendleton).
Dr. Kelly also stated that there was strong evidence that Richard Gaines, wife Mildred Hollinger, was also a son of Richard Gaines who died about 1755 in Culpeper County , Virginia . Those who have been listed as children of said Richard Gaines are Thomas, Francis, Richard, James, William, John, Roger, Henry, and Robert. Two of these brothers married Pendleton sisters, William Gaines married Isabella Pendleton and James Gaines married Mary Pendleton. Each of these two families had a son named Henry that led to much confusion with regard to their issue by early genealogists. Two sons of William and Isabella Gaines, namely James and Thomas, married the Strother sisters, which also added to the confusion. The sons named Robert were mixed up as the son of William and Isabella Gaines named Robert, the early genealogists had Robert, wife Elizabeth Long, instead of the correct son Robert, wife Mildred Bohannon