CHAPTER TWO
THOMAS STRONG OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA
THOMAS STRONG (a2d) the son of William Strong (a2), born December 16, 1739 in
Hanover County, Virginia according to the Prayer Book of William Strong (a2).1 Thomas
Strong's father,
William Strong (a2), resided in the eastern half of Hanover County, Virginia,
near Richmond.2 Hanover County was formed from part of New Kent County, Virginia around
1720. This part of Hanover County was in St. Paul's Parish and later the western part of
Hanover County was created into St. Martin's Parish.3 The only surviving records of
William
Strong (a2) and his children are that of his Prayer book. Unfortunately during the Civil War the
City of Richmond was burned and most records were destroyed by the fires and the vital
records of St. Paul's Parish were not preserved.
The southern migration route of
William Strong (a2) and his family starts in Hanover County,
Virginia and appears to follow what was called "The Upper Road" into the Virginian Counties of
Amelia and Pittsylvania and eventually further south into North Carolina. The "Upper Road"
was an old Indian foot path that was turned into a highway around the 1740's. The road started
near Fredericksburg, near "The King's Highway", and proceeded south into Virginia and North
Carolina.4 This roadway was west of present day Interstate 85 in central and southern Virginia
but follows the same path as I-85 into North and South Carolina.5 The "Upper Road" was
between the "Great Valley Road" and the "Line Road."6
Thomas Strong (a2d) and his brother,
William Strong (a2c), appear to have left Hanover
County, Virginia around 1755 and spent a year in Amelia County, Virginia and probably
traveled the "Upper Road" to Halifax (now Pittsylvania) County, Virginia.7
William Strong (a2c)
appears have returned to Hanover County at some time prior to 1770.8 James Rolff speculates
that
Thomas Strong (a2d),
William Strong (a2c) and their brother,
John Strong (a2b), were
already in Halifax County (Pittsylvania County, Virginia) by 1756.
1756 Tax List of Amelia County, Virginia:
Charles Irby's List. Lower part of Nottaway Parish, Amelia County.
Thomas Strong
William Strong
Note: The 1756 Tax List of Amelia County, Virginia lists
William Strong (a2) and
Thomas
Strong (a2d) in the Nottaway Parish. Nottoway County was formed from the lower half of
Amelia County in 1788.9
In 1754 when the Strong family was preparing to make their move from Hanover County,
Virginia to Amelia County, Virginia one must remember that this part of Virginia was considered
a frontier wilderness and it was also the beginning of the French and Indian War. 23
Halifax County, Virginia. February, 1767 Term Court Orders:10
In the February of 1767 Term, Halifax County, Virginia Court Orders George Rassell is
appointed Surveyor of the road from Cascade Creek to the Old Road, and is ordered that he
with Isaiah Watkins and his male tithables, Peter Perkins and his, John Paine, David Paine,
Joseph Cotton, John Lankforh, Robert Hookes, Thomas Strong, Richard Adams, Valentine
Gibson, Edward Sweeting, William Hooks, Jeremiah Walker, Nicholas Perkins and his male
tithables, John Chadwell and his, John Herdeman, Samuel Goff, and his, Gideon Marr and his,
Henry Stone and his, and Patrick Still, do forthwith clear and keep the said road in repair,
according to law.
"Pittsylvania County was not formed from Halifax County until later in 1767. This is the earliest of any Strong records in this area. Probably our Strongs were there from at
least the previous fall."11
1767 Pittsylvania County Tithable List:12
Taken by Peter Perkins
James Strong
Benjamin Croley, negro Peter, Land
Thomas Strong
Charles Oates, tithe
Benjamin Croley, 1 tithe, Land
John Strong, Joseph Martin
Note: In the Peter Perkins List,
Benjamin Croley is believed to be
Benjamin Crowley, husband
of
Sarah Strong (a2e) and the second
Benjamin Croley listed is believed to be a mistake and is
actually Samuel Crowley, the husband of
Elizabeth Strong (a2f).13 And it should also be noted
that Joseph Martin is listed with
John Strong (a2b) on Peter Perkins Tithable List in 1767. This
would indicate that
Joseph Martin was either living with
John Strong (a2b) or working for him at
that time.
Joseph Martin became a Major General in the Revolutionary War and the town of
Martinsville in Henry County, Virginia (next to Pittsylvania County) was named in honor of
Joseph Martin.
Looking at the "List of Tithables taken by Peter Perkins in 1767" we see that
James Strong
(a2g),
Thomas Strong (a2d),
John Strong (a2b),
Benjamin Crowley and
Samuel Crowley were
all living in very close proximity to one another. It appears that Samuel Crowley, husband of
Elizabeth Strong (a2f), owned 210 acres of land near the Sandy River in Pittsylvania County,
Virginia.14 It has been suggested by James Rollf and Jack Grantham that
Thomas Strong (a2d)
lived on a portion of the land owned by his brother-in-law,
Samuel Crowley, on the Sandy
River. However by 1770
Samuel Crowley,
James Strong and other associated families moved
from Sandy River to the Smith River area in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. This portion of
Pittsylvania County became part of Henry County after 1777. Jack Grantham believes that the
Crowleys and Strongs chose to move further west from the Sandy River to the Smith River area
of Pittsylvania County (now Henry County, Virginia) to gain a day closer to the hunting areas.
However, although this was closer to the hunting areas, this closeness to the frontier and Indians
also made the land more affordable for these families.
"Pittsylvania County, Virginia: August 26, 1769, Isiah Watkins, plaintiff, against ,b>Thomas
Strong, defendant, On a petition in ________, This petition is dismissed and it is considered by
the Court that the plaintiff pay upon the defendant his costs by him in this behalf appended."15
"Pittsylvania County, Virginia: July 28, 1770, John Rowland, plaintiff, against
Thomas
Strong, defendant, On a petition. The Sheriff having returned the said defendant duly
summoned and he not appearing (although solemnly called) and the plaintiff producing the said
defendant's Note of hand for three pounds eighteen shillings, Judgment is granted him against the
said defendant for the same with costs."16
Note: James Roland was said to have had a store (tavern) on Smith River, near where our
Strong's lived, in Pittsylvania County and it is now located in present day Henry County,
Virginia.17 Later James R. Rolff found that James Roland had filed nearly 100 law suits from
1767 to 1780 and that he had applied for an Ordinary License in 1768 which may have been
for the operation of a tavern. 25
1770 Pittsylvania County Tax (Tithable) List18
James Strong paid, 1 tithe, tithable list taken by Robert Chandler.
John Strong 1 tithe, tithable list taken by John Wilson.
Thomas Strong 1 tithe, 5 scalps.
Note: "The November 1769 Act required that each Tithable person kill five crows or squirrels
and keep the scalps of the kills and to display them to the one preparing the next (1770)
Tithable list. This was a matter of pest control and an attempt to reduce the damage done to
corn crops."19
1773 Pittsylvania County Tax (Tithable) List20
James Strong 1 tithe, tithable list taken by Robert Chandler.
John Strong and Samuel Jones, 2 tithables, tithable list taken by Robert Chandler.
Thomas Strong 1 tithe, tithable list taken by John Owen.
"Pittsylvania County, Virginia: May 28, 1773, Alexander Burns, plaintiff against
Thomas
Strong, defendant, On a petition. The defendant being summoned and not appearing (although
solemnly called), plaintiff proved his account for two pounds fifteen shillings and eleven pence.
Judgment."21
1774 Pittsylvania County Tax (Tithable) List22
James Strong 1 tithe, tithable list taken by Robert Chandler.
John Strong 1 tithe, tithable list taken by John Wilson.
1775 Pittsylvania County Tax (Tithable) List23
John Strong 1 tithe, tithable list taken by Archibald Gordon.
Thomas Strong 1 tithe, tithable list taken by Peter Perkins.
1776 Pittsylvania County Tax (Tithable) List24
No Strongs listed
1777 Pittsylvania County Tax (Tithable) List25
John Strong and Sneed Strong 2 tithes, 100 acres.
Although we may never know for sure what the occupation of Thomas Strong (a2d) was or
how he made his living, it had been speculated that he was a "Long Hunter". These "Long
Hunters" were a group of men that were by trade, hunters and trappers in the 1700's. These
men would leave the safety of their homes and settlements in the fall of the year and travel into
the western frontiers of Virginia, and eastern Kentucky and Tennessee until the following spring.
And some of these hunters were known to stay away on these hunts for as long as two years.
These frontier areas were considered "Indian Lands" and were beyond the demarcation line that
was established by the "Treaty of 1763" or "The King's Proclamation of 1763". This treaty between the British and the Indians
was designed to keep the colonist from settling in the Indian Lands on the western frontier, west
of the mountains.
Reasons why
Thomas Strong (a2d) may have been a
LONG HUNTER.
In 1775
Thomas Strong (a2d) appears to have moved from Pittsylvania County, Virginia to
Guilford County (Rockingham County), North Carolina.39 And although no records have been
found of
Thomas Strong (a2d) in North Carolina our proof comes from the birth of
Thomas
Strong, Jr. (a2d4) in North Carolina.40 Rockingham County, North Carolina was formed from
that part of Guilford County where the Strong's lived after 1775. Although the reasons may
never be known why the Strong's moved from Virginia to North Carolina it may have been
partially due to the Revolutionary War.
In a letter from James Rolff, he mentioned that during the beginning of the Revolutionary War,
it has been estimated that approximately 1/3 of the colonists were in support for the war,
another third was against the war and the remaining 1/3 did not much care either way. Support
for the war varied for place to place and on the western frontier they were more worried about
the Indian raids than the British, as was mentioned by Grantham, in his writings, on the "Long
Hunters" and "The battle of Point Pleasant". And although the Strong family was very much in
favor and supportive of the Revolution, the family had also sacrificed a lot.
Proof of that support is documented in the service records and vouchers of John Strong
(a2b) who was a Lieutenant in the Pittsylvania County, Virginia Militia and by the service of
Samuel Sneed Strong (a2b2) who also served in the Virginia Militia.41 And Samuel
Crowley, the husband of Elizabeth Strong (a2f), who was killed at the Battle of Point Pleasant
in 1774.
Another point of interest is the fact that our Strong family seemed to split themselves off from
the Anglican Church after leaving Hanover County, Virginia, with some family members
appearing to have become Baptists. Thomas Strong (a2d) may have been a member of the
Matrimony Primitive Baptist Church in Rockingham County, North Carolina.42 Baptists
seemed, as a whole, to be more supportive of the war. "Practically all settlers in southwestern
Virginia, western North Carolina, the Pennsylvania boarder, and east Tennessee, though often
of English origin belonged to religious minorities. It was thought the practice of their religions-
Baptist, Presbytes, Methodists-that the first steps toward self-government were taken. No tax
money built there churches, no officials chose their ministers, no government prescribed prayers, or rules for worship, or told them what
to believe."43
Mr. Rolff presented the idea that because what we have learned about the "Long Hunters",
which Thomas Strong (a2d) is believed to have been, it required Thomas Strong (a2d) to be
gone from October until April. This may have interfered with his Militia duties more in Virginia
than North Carolina. Another important point of fact showing Thomas Strong's (a2d) possible
involvement in the American Revolution after moving to North Carolina comes from the
biography of Doctor Hiram F. Strong, a descendant of Thomas Strong, Sr. (a2d). Dr. H.F.
Strong alleges that his grandfather died in a battle in North Carolina. The biography of Dr.
Hiram F. Strong will be discussed later in this chapter.
Guilford County, North Carolina Militia. Officers List:44
Colonel: James Martin (brother of Governor Alexander Martin).
Captains: Valentine Allen, William Bethel, Thomas Blear, Asa Brashear, Thomas Cook, John
Davis, Jonas Frost, James Frost, Josiah Gates, James Holderness, Alexander Hunter, John
Hunter, John Leak, John Mary.
Lieutenants: John Cook, James Delay, Isham Hanock, Mark Harden William (Langston)
Lewis, Alexander Nelson, Robert Small, Joshua Young.
Ensigns: Turbyfield Barns, John Blear, Benjamin Cook, Smith Moore, John Morgan, John
Nelson, Peter O'neal, George Pearce, George Peay, Abraham Phillips, Samuel sharp, Richard
Vernon (married the daughter of William Langston Lewis), Nathaniel Williams, Thomas
Croley (Crowley), Simon Frost, Joseph Gibson, Richard Stubblefield.
Guilford County, North Carolina Militia List commanded by Captain John Leake:45
,br>
Captain John Leake
Lieutenant James Holderness
Ensign Joseph Gibson
Thomas Hill, pension
George Peay
Nathaniel Scales, pension
Richard Vernon, pension
John Lemons
William Langston Lewis
Thomas Cook, pension
Note: This is only a partial list of known members of the Guilford County, North Carolina
Militia.
The above names that are in bold print are important and will be seen many times in this
chapter. All these men served in the Militia from 1775-1777, at a time when
Thomas Strong
(a2d) would have also served in the militia.
William Langston Lewis was believed to be the
possible brother of
Elizabeth Lewis-Strong.
Richard Vernon married a daughter of
William Langston Lewis.
Ensign Joseph Gibson was the
father-in-law of
John Fields.
John Fields was the father-in-law of
Thomas Strong, Jr.
(a2d4). James Holderness, brother-in-law of
Elizabeth Lewis-Strong, witnessed most of
the deeds of
Elizabeth Lewis-Strong, the mistress of
Alexander Martin, and who is
believed to be the wife of
Thomas Strong (a2d).
Nathaniel Scales is believed to be related to
Elizabeth Scales.
Elizabeth Scales married
Joseph Gibson, who was the father-in-law of
John Fields.
The Guilford County Militia was formed in 1774 and was mustered into action many times
during the war. It was commanded by
Colonel James Martin and engaged in The Battle of
Moore's Bridge, the Cherokee Campaign of 1776, and the Battle at the Guilford County
Courthouse. It is very probable that
Thomas Strong died while serving in the militia between
1776 and 1778 with the most likely being during the Cherokee Campaign.46
In a Revolutionary War Pension Deposition given by
Colonel James Martin in 1832, at the
age of 90, he told of the Cherokee Campaign in 1776 which may give us some insight as to the
death of
Thomas Strong (a2d) in the Revolution around 1776-1778.
Another related Revolutionary War Pension Application was that of a Thomas Cook. In his
application Thomas Cook stated, "I entered the service of the Revolutionary War as a volunteer
in the year 1776 in July under Captain John Leek in Guilford County, North Carolina, first
Lieutenant in said company John Davis of said company belongs to Col. Martin's Regiment of
said county and state. We joined to main army under General Rutherford in Rowan County,
State of North Carolina and from said county marched to the Cherokee Nation where we burnt
and destroyed 16 towns and villages together with as many of the Indians as we could get hold
of. I then returned home which was on the (about) first of November in the said year of
1776."48
Was
Thomas Strong (a2d) a militia scout with the Guilford County, North Carolina Militia?
The circumstantial evidence amassed by Mr. Rolff and others seems to suggest that
Thomas
Strong (a2d) may indeed have been a militiaman in North Carolina.
The first point made for this argument is from the biography of
Dr. H.F. Strong who states
that his grandfather was killed in battle in North Carolina during the Revolutionary War. And
although there are some obvious mistakes in this biography some truth may be held in this
reported fact.
Another point of circumstantial evidence suggested by Rolff is the fact that Thomas Strong
seemed to disappear around 1776. The last known record of
Thomas Strong (a2d) was
recorded in the 1775 Pittsylvania County, Virginia Tithable List taken by Peter Perkins. No
other known records of Thomas Strong have been found later than 1775 in either Virginia or
North Carolina.
A third point is the fact that Thomas Strong's brother,
John Strong (a2b), was involved in
militia as well as other family members and friends of
Thomas Strong (a2d).
John Strong and
Sneed Strong were both members of the Virginia Militia.
John Strong (a2b) was even promoted
to the rank of Lieutenant in the Pittsylvania County Militia. The Crowley and Martin families also
served in the militia in Virginia and North Carolina during the American Revolution.
And one of the last reasons for believing that
Thomas Strong (a2d) was a Revolutionary War
Soldier or Scout is mentioned in a letter from James Rolff, who states that one of the most over
looked reasons to believe that
Thomas Strong (a2d) died during the 1776 Cherokee Campaign
is that following English Common Law, his widowed wife, Elizabeth Strong, does not purchase
her first tract of land until 1783, seven years after her husbands disappearance or death. After
being missing for 7 years
Thomas Strong (a2d) may have been considered legally dead and
Elizabeth Strong would now be legally viewed as a widow and able to make legal contracts
such as land purchases. This is all speculative without much research in North Carolina's Civil
Laws and based on the assumption that Elizabeth was the wife of
Thomas Strong (a2d) rather
than
Mary Webster.
However at this time competing opinions exist as to who was the wife of Thomas Strong
(a2d). James Rolff had originally listed Mary Webster as the wife of Thomas Strong (a2d).49 In
his book,
Mr. Rolff listed the following reasons for
Mary Webster as the wife of
Thomas
Strong (a2d), and were mostly based on the biography of
Dr. H.F. Strong.
Dr. H.F. Strong
was the son of
Thomas Strong, Jr. (a2d4) and
Annie Fields and grandson of
Thomas Strong
(a2d).
One of the points listed in Mr. Rolff's book as why he thought Mary Webster was the wife
of
Thomas Strong (a2d) is that the only Strong widow to appear in the Rockingham County,
North Carolina Census is a Mary Strong.
1790 Census of Rockingham County, North Carolina.
Mary Strong: Males 4 0/16, 1 over 16
Females 6
Slaves 0
1800 Census of Rockingham County, North Carolina.
Mary Strong: Males 1 0/10, 2 10/16, 1 26/44
Females 1 10/16, 1 16/26, 1 26/44, 1 over 44
Another related point is that in the 1790 Census of Rockingham County, North, Carolina, the
Mary Strong listed above lived only 3 households from
John Strong (a2b). Mr. Rolff stated that
this household in 1790 could easily fit the family of
Thomas Strong (a2d). The male over 16
years of age could be
William Strong (a2d1), who was born in 1768. The 4 other males listed
could be
James Strong (a2d2),
John Strong (a2d3),
Thomas Strong, Jr. (a2d4) and
Samuel Strong (a2d5). The 6 females could be Mary and 5 unknown daughters.
But looking at the household of Mary Strong in 1800, it at first doesn't appear that it would
reflect just the children of Thomas and Mary Strong. Mr. Rolff states that William Strong
(a2d1), Thomas Strong (a2d4) and Samuel Strong (a2d5) had already moved out of the
household and that the smaller children could possibly belong to one or more of Thomas and
Mary Strong's other children that were living in the household.
And one of the last reasons that Mr. Rolff gives for stating that Mary Webster was the wife
of Thomas Strong (a2d) is that Dr. H.F. Strong said that his grandmother was a Mary Webster
in his biography. And although Hiram F. Strong incorrectly states that his grandfather was
William Strong and not Thomas Strong, Mr. Rolff believes that Hiram Strong was confused
between his grandfather,
Thomas Strong (a2d), and his great grandfather,
William Strong (a2).
However many other problems exist in the
Dr. Hiram Strong's biography that must be
examined.
Dr. H.F. Strong's biography states that he was born May 28, 1819 in Scott County,
Virginia and was the son of
Thomas Strong and
Annie Fields, natives of North Carolina. It
states that
Thomas Strong (a2d4) moved to Scott County, Virginia in 1800, where he was a
farmer and magistrate. It then states that his grandfather was a
William Strong, not
Thomas
Strong (a2d), and that his grandfather came to America on the
Mayflower with his brother,
Phillip, and that Phillip held office under the King. He includes that his grandfather Strong was a
farmer and was killed in battle in North Carolina during the war.
He further states that his grandmother was
Mary Webster Strong, a sister of
Daniel Webster.
Dr. Strong then advises that his maternal grandparents were
John and Mary (Scales) Fields.
John Fields was a native of North Carolina and
Mary Scales of Massachusetts.
John Fields was
a farmer in North Carolina and was wounded at the Battle of Guilford County Courthouse
during the Revolutionary War in North Carolina.
Dr. H.F. Strong states that he was educated at the University of Virginia and graduated in
1840. He the studied medicine at Estillville, Virginia, under a Doctor Thorn, and began
practicing medicine there in 1841. He then married
Phoebe Godsey. In 1947 he and his wife
moved to Johnson County, Kentucky where he owned and farmed 300 acres. After his wife's
death in 1868 he was remarried to Nancy Preston. Dr. H.F. Strong stated that he was a
Democrat and member of the Masonic Fraternity.50
In the information from Dr. H.F Strong, it is easy to see a few problems and mistakes, which
often happen in these biographies and interviews, with his recollection of his family history.
However in the same token these interviews or biographies hold a lot of good information that
can be used with further research into the subject matter.
First, looking at the problems with Dr. H.F. Strong's biography, he states that his father,
Thomas Strong, Jr. (a2d4) and mother,
Annie Fields, both natives of North Carolina moved to
Scott County, Virginia in 1800. Although this is good information for us indicating that
Thomas
Strong, Jr. (a2d4) and
Annie Fields came from North Carolina, as we had suspected, the
problem exists in the fact that
Dr. Hiram Strong's father,
Thomas Strong, Jr. (a2d4), could not
have move to Scott County, Virginia in 1800. Scott County, Virginia was not formed until 1814
from a portion of Russell County, Virginia, where we know that
William Strong (a2d1),
Thomas
Strong (a2d4) and
Samuel Strong (a2d5) had resided. William Strong appears to have arrived in that portion of Russell County,
Virginia, that is now Scott County, in 1793,
Samuel Strong (a2d5) in 1796 and
Thomas Strong
(a2d4) in 1806.
Next we see that
Dr. H.F. Strong stated that his grandfather was
William Strong, instead of
Thomas Strong (a2d), who came to America on the
Mayflower. Since
Dr. Strong would have
never known his grandfather, who he states died in a battle in North Carolina, he must have
confused his grandfather,
Thomas Strong (a2d), with his great grandfather, William Strong (a2).
It would also be impossible for his grandfather William Strong to come to America on the
Mayflower. First, if his grandfather did come across on the Mayflower, it would have meant that
his alleged grandfather, William Strong, would have been well over 100 years old before
fathering his son, Thomas Strong (a2d4). Secondly, no Strongs are listed on the Mayflower and
in fact were already in America by the time the ship first landed in the new world on November
21, 1620. Mr. Rolff speculates that Dr. Strong confused the name of his grandfather and great
grandfather and that he could have been told as a boy that the first Strong's came to America in
1619, before the Mayflower.
Another problem is that no records exist nor is there any mention of a Phillip Strong, alleged
brother of William Strong. Mr. Rollf believes that Dr. H.F. Strong was referring to William and
Phillip Sherwood who held offices under the King. In Mr. Rollf's book he refers to the
Sherwood family as being intermarried with the early Strong Families.
A third mistake in Dr. Strong's biography is that his grandmother, Mary Webster, could not
have been the sister of the famous Daniel Webster, due to her age and that no sister of Daniel
Webster is known to have been named Mary. However this doesn't eliminate the possibility that
Dr. H.F. Strong was referring to another Daniel Webster.
Dr. Hiram Strong was correct that John and Mary Fields were his maternal grand- parents,
but his grandmother, Mary Fields, was a Gibson, not a Scales. And Mary Fields was not from
Massachusetts, but was from North Carolina.
Many Strong researchers today still believe that the Mary Strong of the 1790 and 1800
Rockingham County, North Carolina census records was either the wife of
Thomas Strong
(a2d) or his brother,
James Strong. In a letter from Mr. Robert T. Strong, Jr. he explained that
Mary Strong appears to have been widowed by 1790. He further states that James Strong died
between 1800 and 1805, when his estate was settled in Rockingham County, North Carolina.
Mr. Strong believes that this would support James R. Rolff's, 1982 conclusion, that Mary
Strong was in fact the widow of Thomas Strong (a2d).
Robert Strong, Jr. states that with the widow Mary Strong of Rockingham County, North
Carolina and the Elizabeth Strong of Rockingham County, North Carolina there appears to be
too many Strong wives and widows in Rockingham County, North Carolina. He suggests that
"other alternative explanations need to be explored with an open mind."
Footnotes and References
Click Here
Next Page
Click Here
Family Page
Click Here