It’s Family Time~The Thomas Parsons Family

Thomas Parsons was born 10 May 1823 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He was the fifth of six known children born to Abington Parsons and his wife Mary whose maiden name is unknown.

At age 3 his father died on 13 April 1826 leaving Mary with 6 young children ranging in age from age 8 to age 1.

At the time of Abington Parsons death he owned a “tract of land in said district on Westfield Creek containing three hundred acres more or less, bounded North by the State Line, West by Lewis Melton's land, South by Samuel White's land and East by Isham Wallace's land.

By 1843, when this equity suit took place we can see that three of their daughters had married.  

#6-Ratliff, William H. vs. Mary Parsons Adm. et al - Bill for account & c 1843
Abington Parsons departed this life on or about 13th day of April 1826. Heirs: Widow, Mary Parsons; children: Ann Parsons, born June 27th  1818, intermarried with Richmond White; Timney Parsons, born September 2, 1819, intermarried with Noah Sellers; Raymond Parsons, born December 5, 1820; Elizabeth Parsons, born March 9, 1822 intermarried with William Sellers; Thomas Parsons, born May 10, 1823; Mary M. Parsons, born April 10, 1825.

A January 1845 Newspaper clipping show that Mary Parsons, widow of Abington Parsons was still living but it is believed she died shortly after this newspaper posting. Maybe the stress of the situation was just too much for her.

1 Negro Woman named Fanny and child Sam, 1 Yoke of Oxen, 5 Head of Cattle, 10 Head of Hogs, 1 Clock, 1 Shot Gun, articles of Household and Kitchen Furniture, Farming Utensils, 1 Cart, &c.; levied on as the property of Mary Parsons at the suit of W. H. Ratliff and others vs. Mary Parsons.
* All except the Negroes will be sold on the second day of sale at Mary Parsons' house.

[Cheraw Gazette, Cheraw, South Carolina, 28 Jan 1845, Tue  •  Page 3, column 5]

Thomas Parsons sold land in Anson County in September 1846  to Roderick Shaw & Shaw to S. Ricketts and by 1850, he was in Madison County, Tennessee, a single man. At least one of his sister had already preceded him to the area with her husband, Noah Sellers.

On 5 Feb 1857,  Thomas Parsons married Lavina A. Parsons, age 13, daughter of Ervin S. Parsons and his wife Elizabeth “Betsy” Thornton.  

Thomas was a farmer and Lavina took care of the home and the children. Over the next 20 years they would raise 8 children; 2 sons and 6 daughters.

Thomas Parsons and Lavinia A. Parsons had the following children:

i. Mary A. Parsons was born about 1859.

ii. Martha Frances Parsons, born 21 Jan 1861, Carroll County, Tennessee; married John Clemons, 1881; married Houston Montgomery, bef 1918; died 30 Jul 1945, Hicksria, Clay, Arkansas.

iii. Sarah Catherine Parsons, born Aug 1861, Johnson, Greene, Arkansas; married John Merit Dodd, 1886.

iv. James E. Parsons was born about 1863 in Johnson, Greene, Arkansas.

v. Joseph T. Parsons was born about Oct 1869 in Johnson, Greene, Arkansas.

vi. Elmeda A. Parsons, born May 1873, Clay County, Arkansas.

vii. Margret Parsons was born about 1876 in Clay County, Arkansas.

viii. John W. Parsons was born about 1879 in Clay County, Arkansas.

Thomas Parsons died after 1870 and before 1880. Lavina Parsons died after 1900 and before 1910. No records of their deaths have been found.

Thomas Parsons is my 2nd Great Grand Uncle.

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1. 1830 U S Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 260; Line 3, Household of Mary Parsons; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2 January 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M19_Roll 172.

2. James C. Pigg, Cheraw/Chesterfield District Wills, 1750-1865 &: Abstracts from the Court of Common Pleas 1823-1869 (Tega Cay, South Carolina: self-Published, 1995), page 115.

3. Land Deed - Thomas Parsons to Roderick Shaw & Shaw to S. Ricketts; September 1846; Deed Book #13; Page(s) 465 & 466; Register of Deeds; Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina; 3 October 2021.

4. 1850 U. S. Census, Madison County, Tennessee, population schedule, District 9, Madison County, Tennessee, Page: 287B (stamped); Line 3, Dwelling 1, Family 1, Thos. PARSONS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 4 February 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 889.

5. 1860 U. S. Census, Carroll County, Tennessee, population schedule, District 13, Carroll County, Tennessee, Page: 115;(stamped) Line 25, Dwelling 1531, Family 1509, Household of Thomas PARSONS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 4 February 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1243.

6. 1870 U. S. Census, Greene County, Arkansas, population schedule, Johnson, Greene County, Arkansas, Page: 306A(penciled); Line 36, Dwelling 97, Family 97, Household of Thomas PARSONS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 4 February 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm M593 Roll 54.

7. "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 4 February 2023), Marriage: Thos. Parsons & Lavina Parsons, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/26037:1169; https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/24538:1169.

8. 1880 U. S. Census, Clay County, Arkansas, population schedule, Bradshaw, Clay, Arkansas, enumeration district (ED) 032, Page 62B(Stamped) Line 28, Dwelling 218, Family 222, Household of L. A. PARSONS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 4 February 2023); citing NARA publication Roll: T9-0041.

9. 1900 U. S. Census, Clay County, population schedule, Johnson, Clay, Arkansas, enumeration district (ED) 007, Page 15B/123B (Stamped), Line 84, Dwelling 290, Family 297, Household of John M. DODD; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 6 August 2021); citing NARA publication Roll: T623_.