Thomas William Gaines

1738-1811

THOMAS WILLIAM GAINES was born 1738 in Orange Co., VA, and died Jan 30, 1811 in Stokes Co., NC. He married SUSANNAH STROTHER 1768 in Culpeper Co., VA, daughter of FRANCIS STROTHER and SUZANNE DABNEY. She was born 1740 in Hanover Co., VA, and died Feb 6, 1811 in Stokes Co., VA.

Children of THOMAS GAINES and SUSANNAH STROTHER are:

  i.   J AMES STROTHER GAINES , b. 1770, Culpeper Co., VA; d. Oct 20, 1823, Dallas Co., AL; m.

JUDITH EASLEY , Dec 7, 1790, Stokes Co., NC.

  ii.   ELIZABETH STROTHER GAINES , b. 1772, Culpeper Co., VA; d. Sullivan Co., TN(?); m. PHILEMON

BOHANNON , Dec 7, 1790, Stokes Co., NC.

  iii.   WILLIAM DABNEY GAINES , b. Feb 28, 1774, Culpeper Co., VA; d. Oct 25, 1858, Jackson Co., AL; m. (1) MARTHA SMITH ; m. (2) NANCY CLOUD .

  iv.   RICHARD THOMAS GAINES , b. Nov 14, 1776, Culpeper Co., VA; d. Nov 12, 1856, Oakland, CA; m. (1) KATHERINE VINCENT ; m. (2) SUSANNAH NORRIS ; m. (3) ISABELLA CHRISTIAN , 1798.

  v.   PHILLIP PENDLETON GAINES , b. 1777, Culpeper Co., VA; d. Sep 28, 1816, Knoxville, TN; m.

MaRY MC GAVOCK , Feb 3, 1798, Wythe Co., VA.

  vi.   HENRY PENDLETON GAINES , b. Mar 30, 1779 , Stokes Co., NC; d. Jan 1, 1865 , Walker Co., AL; m. Nancy Shipp, Mar 27, 1811 Stokes Co., NC.

  vii.   FRANCES GAINES , b. 1783, Surry Co., NC; d. Webster Co., MO(?); m. JOHN WILTSHIRE

CARDWELL , Nov 28, 1801, Stokes Co., NC.

  viii.   SUSANNAH DABNEY GAINES , b. Jan 12, 1785, Surry Co., NC; d. Feb 24, 1860, Stokes Co., NC; m. MuNFORD S MITH , Feb 5, 1807.

  ix.   GEORGE WASHINGTON GAINES , b. 1787, Surry Co., NC; d. 1862; m. SARAH JANE JOYCE , Feb 3, 1811, Patrick Co., VA.

  x.   FRANCIS THORNTON GAINES , b. Nov 1, 1789, Stokes Co., NC; d. 1837, Prob TX; m. WINIFRED

BOYKIN CADE , Apr 24, 1820, Marengo Co., AL.

Thomas Gaines immigrated to North Carolina from Virginia where he and his wife appear in the records of Wilkes, Surry and Stokes Counties for the period 1779 to 1811.

“Gwathmey’s Virginians in the Revolution,” list Thomas Gaines as a Corporal in the 7th , 11th and 15th Virginia Regiments of the Continental Line. War Department records list Thomas Gaines as enlisting on June 23, 1776 at Camp Boundbrook , New York as a private under Lieut Philip Slaughter and Capt Gabriel S. Long, in the Riflemen, 7th Virginia Regiment, commanded by Col Daniel Morgan. He enlisted for three years in the same regiment and was later a corporal under Capt Porterfield in the regiment commanded by Col Morgan. He was discharged August 25, 1779 .

There is no pension record for Thomas W. Gaines, but there are records of 32 muster rolls and pay rolls so that his location and battle records can be traced.

Whether he was at the Battle of Saratoga is now known, although there are muster rolls for both September and October 1777 and the two battles were fought on September 19 and October 7, 1777 . Both Capt Long and Col Morgan were there, but Thomas Gaines’ muster rolls unfortunately give only the dates with the places omitted.

Thomas Gaines was at Valley Forge , as the March 1778 muster roll shows that he was with a detachment of Capt Long’s Company with the 11 th Virginia Regiment.

Thomas was paid 36 pounds on May 12, 1783 and 55 pounds, 14 shillings and 2 pence on November 19, 17--. Both payments were made by French Strother, a relative of Thomas Gaines’ wife.

Thomas was given a grant of 100 acres of land for the three years service as a private in the Continental Line of February 19, 1784 . In the margin a note reads “Original voucher says Corporal Continental Line for three years. The warrant for ----- 200 acres as a corporal.”

Thomas Gaines’ will can be found in Stokes County , North Carolina , Will Vol II, line 120-121, probated in the March term of 1811.

In the name of God Amen,

I, Thomas Gaines, of Stokes County said State of North Carolina, being in a low state of health but of sound mind and memory, do this day, being the eighth day of January and in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eleven, do make, ordain and constitute this to be my last will and testament in form and substance as follows:

To wit:

And first I recommend my soul unto God, who gave it through Jesus Christ Amen,

And second, I do leave my worldly estate in the following manner, viz: ---

I give to my beloved wife, Susannah Gaines (in case she survives me), the whole of my estate, real and personal, during her natural life, or so much thereof as she shall chose for her support, if she shall make choice of the former mode, my desire is that my Executors, immediately upon her death, proceed to appoint three fit men in order to allot of my estate as I shall hereafter describe, otherwise if she shall make choice of the latter mode, that is, only a part of my Estate, my desire is that my Executors proceed without delay.

As soon as such choice shall be made, to make the necessary arrangements agreeable to the mode already pointed out for dividing the balance of my estate in the following manner and first my will and desire is that my son Phillip Gaines have no part of my estate for the following reasons, I wish it understood that I have as much real love and affection for him as any of the rest of my children, but having at his first setting out, done more for him than the other and as he has since told me that he was satisfied, without having anymore. I have thought myself justifiable in leaving him no part of my estate either real or personal.

As it has been a long time since I have seen my son Richard Gaines, and as I know not whether he is dead or alive, my will and desire is that he shall have no part of my Estate, either real or personal, but I give and bequeath to his daughter, Louisa Gaines, one horse, bridle and saddle worth eighty dollars, and two hundred dollars in money.

The balance of my estate I desire to be equally divided between my following children, to wit:

JAMES S. GAINES, ELIZABETH BOHANNON, WILLIAM D. GAINES, HENRY P. GAINES, FANNY CARDWELL, SUSANNAH SMITH, GEORGE W. GAINES and FRANCIS T. GAINES… except two hundred and fifty dollars which I wish to be deducted out of Elizabeth Bohannons part on account of a bargain which I gave Philemon Bohannon in a tract of land I sold him on Reedy Creek, and except one hundred dollars to be deducted out of Susannah Smith’s figure.

And further, my will and desire is that such of my children as have been mentioned which have not be fixed off with a bed and some other necessaries for house keeping shall be made up equal with the rest. Whenever my estate shall be laid off, into lots I wish my Executors to choose some person to draw in behalf of the legatees.

My desire is that John Martin and Johnson Clements be my Executors to this my Last Will and Testament, to see the same executed according to its true intent and meaning.

Signed:

Thomas W. Gaines (seal)