Riley Marshall

Notes:

Riley is not one of the children who were specifically listed in the Will of his father, Thomas Marshall, or in any other Bedford County records. However, his relationship is well established by the testimony of his youngest son, Woodson.

Marilyn Childs sent Tom Marshall a copy of the account from Woodson's notebook, now in the hands of her aunt Jane Beard. His record says:

"It is traditional in our family that before the Revolutionary War, three brothers: John, Samuel and Thomas Marshall came from England and settled in the Colonies. The two former in Maryland, the latter in Virginia.

Thomas Marshall lived near Liberty in Bedford county, Virginia where my father Riley Marshall was born Sept. 15, 1797. His mother's maiden name was Oliver, and she belonged to a family of much respectability and for whom my oldest sister Harriet Oliver was named.

My father disliked slavery and on reaching his majority, emigrated to the new free state of Ohio. One of his brothers, Alexander moved to Kentucky and one, Samuel to Missouri. His only (sic) son, Silas N. Marshall, lived in Little Rock, Arkansas."

Some authorities claim that the father of Riley was Capt. Thomas Marshall, a brother of Chief Justice John Marshall. However, that Thomas married Frances Kennan and went to Mason County, Kentucky by 1790.

The slavery issue, mentioned by Woodson above, may have sparked some family disagreements and may have been at least a partial factor in the decision of Riley and the Van Pelt's to go to Ohio in 1817 and Alexander and Samuel to Kentucky in 1820. Kentucky was not a free state but census records never show Alexander with any slaves and Samuel with just one colored female under age 25 in 1830.

(Marshall, Ralph E. DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS MARSHALL BEDFORD CO., VA PLUS HIX-OWEN-NICHOLSON & RELATED FAMILES (Self Published, September 1986), p 14).

(Research):

Census Listings:

1830 Census
Indiana, Delaware County, Mississinaway Twp
Page 285
FREE WHITE MALES
under 5-one
ages 5 through 9-two
ages 30-39-one
FREE WHITE FEMALES
under 5-two
ages 10-14-one
ages 30-39-one
STATISTICS
Free White persons under 20-six
Free White persons 20 through 49-tow
Total Free White persons-eight
Total all persons, free and slaves-eight

1840 Census
Indiana, Grant County, Washington
Page 81 Image 168
FREE WHITE MALES
under 5-two
ages 5 through 9-one
ages 10 through 14-one
ages 15 through 19-two
ages 40 through 49-one
FREE WHITE FEMALES
ages 10 through 14-one
ages 15 through 19-one
ages 40 through 49-one
STATISTICS
Employed in agriculture-four
Free whites persons under age 20-eight
Free white persons 20 to 49-two
Total Free White persons-ten
Total all persons, free and slaves-ten

1850 Census
Indiana, Wabash County, LaGro Township
Enumerated 12 Aug 1850
98-101
Riley Marshall 52 M Merchant 875 Va
Elizabeth Marshall 50 F Pa
William Marshall 20 M Clerk in Store Ind
Samuel Marshall 16 M Ind
Ezra Marshall 13 M Ind
Woodson Marshall 11 M Ind
---/102
William Shively 22 M Taylor Va
Nancy Shively 22 F Ind
Lonson L Shively 4/12 M Ind

Riley married Elizabeth Cravens on 6 Aug 1818 in Highland County, Ohio. Elizabeth was born on 20 May 1799 in Dunkard Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania; died on 22 Feb 1870 in Indiana; was buried in Marshall Mausoleum, Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Harriett Oliver Marshall was born on 27 May 1819 in Ohio; died on 26 May 1899 in Indiana; was buried in Estates of Serenity, Marion, Grant County, Indiana.
2. Joseph Cravens Marshall was born about 1821 in Indiana; died about 1864.
3. Daniel Miller Marshall was born about 1823 in Indiana; died about 1892.
4. Mary Evans Marshall was born about 1825 in Indiana; died about 1904.
5. Nancy S. Marshall was born on 18 Mar 1827 in Indiana; died about 1875 in Kansas; was buried in Paola Cemetery, Paola, Miami County, Kansas.
6. William B. Marshall was born about 1829 in Indiana; and died.
7. Sally Marshall was born about 1831 in Indiana; died about 1832 in Indiana.
8. Samuel M. Marshall was born about 1833 in Indiana; and died.
9. Ezra Trask Marshall was born about 1836 in Indiana; died after 1870.
10. Woodson Shively Marshall was born about 1838 in Indiana; and died.

Notes:

Ralph E. Marshall is the author of the book, DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS MARSHALL BEDFORD CO., VA PLUS HIX-OWEN-NICHOLSON & RELATED FAMILES (Self Published, September 1986), a copy of which can be found in the Breckinridge County Public Library, Hardinsburg, Kentucky 40143. The author describes how he and several other Marshall descendants hired a professional researcher, Thomas E. Marshall (not related) to research land deeds, marriage records and wills related to the Marshalls of Bedford County, Virginia. The researcher issued a nearly 50 page report in January, 1985, which provided the basis for additional research of the Thomas and Nancy Marshall family.

Ralph Marshall also cites a biographical sketch of Junius Marshall, published in 1887, noting that his grandfather, Thomas Marshall was "A native of Wales, settling in Maryland, where he lived several years, afterward moving to Bedford County, Va."

Ralph Marshall further cites the book EMIGRANTS FROM ENGLAND, 1773-1776, which shows two possible candidates:

Thomas Marshall, age 15, Laborer, Bristol, England to Philadelphia, March 14, 1774 (Bristol is directly across the channel from Cardiff, Wales)

William Marshall, age 50, Mariner, wife and 10 (unnamed) children, London to Maryland on the ship "Nancy," January 16, 1774 (The family could well have had a son named Thomas, and may have lived in Wales and later moved to, or simply departed from, London)

Ralph notes that Thomas Marshall lived in Maryland from about 1774 to 1790. There was a Thomas Marshall in Bedford County, who served in the Militia in 1781, but research has shown that this is another Thomas Marshall. There is no current evidence as to whether our Thomas Marshall served in the Revolution.

Ralph Marshall cites the earliest land record as being in 1803 when Thomas Marshall purchased 250 acres from Joseph Wilson. One of his neighbors was a Thomas Welch. In 1808, Thomas Marshall purchased 67 acres from Thomas Welch which was described as being on the head branches of South Fork of Little Otter River. Thomas and Nancy probably did not live on this property as they sold it three years later to Joseph and Eleanor (Marshall) Van Pelt. In 1804, Thomas and Nancy sold 125 acres to Martin Wells on waters of Little Otter River. (Ralph Marshall, p 17).

Thomas Marshall's will, dated October 1819, reads as follows:

I, Thomas Marshall, do hereby make my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say.

First, I desire that all of my live stock (with the exception of two milch cows, and hogs enough for one years' use to my wife and two more hogs for the suceeding year, all of which are to be reserved to and for her use and are to be at her own and proper disposal) should be immediately sold, and such terms as the legatees may agree upon, and the proceeds as soon as realised, I desire to be equally divided amongst all my children, their heirs, Executors, Administrators or assigns, to be held and enjoyed by them forever....Except that a deduction shall be made from the share of my son ALEXANDER of Twenty five dollars...and also a deduction shall be made from the share of my daugher, ELEANOR VAN PELT of the same sum of Twenty five dollars...and if the share to each, of the above proceeds, should be less than twenty five dollars...it is my desire that the above deduction may be made from other divisions...which are hereinafter mentioned

Secondly, I desire that all of my demands whether in bond or account, may be immediately collected, and an equal division thereof made amongst all my children without any deduction from the share of any of them.

Thirdly, I give and bequeth to my youngest daughter BETSEY, one bed complete with bedstead and furniture and one milch cow, which cow is to be expected as further exception from the above sale.

Fourthly, I give to the use of my wife NANCY during her natural life all the rest of my estate, real and personal, to her own proper use for and during that time, without waste; and after her decease I desire that it may be sold on such terms as a majority of the legatees may agree upon, and for the purpose of making a right to my real estate at the time of the above mentioned sale, I do hereby constitute and appoint my son WILLIAM, or in case of his failure, removal, or death, then I constitute and appoint my son SAMUEL to make and execute such right to the purchaser of said real estate, to him, his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, to have and to hold forever. The proceeds of such sale, which is above mentioned, I desire to be equally divided amongst my children, or in case of the death of any of them then to their heirs, per stirpes, their executors, Administrators or assigns forever.

Fifthly, I having executed a title bond to CALEB FERGUSON, for and of land therein mentioned and described, and I having received for the said land due consideration, which consideration is hereby acknowledged to have been received, I do hereby declare it as my last will that my executor may forewith confirm a title to the said Ferguson, his heirs, executors, Administrators and assigns forever. Any thing in the within will to the contrary notwithstanding.

And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint my son SAMUEL, Executor of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all other and former wills or testaments by me heretofore made.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this nineteenth day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred and nineteen.

Signed, sealed, published and declared as and for the last will and testament of the above named Thomas Marshall, in presence of BENJAMIN CAMPBELL and CHRISTOPHER PRESTON. Signed, Thomas (x) Marshal (Transcribed by Ralph Marshall, p 20).

At a court held for Bedford County at the Courthouse the 25th day of October 1819, This Last Will and Testament of Thomas Marshal, dec'd. was exhibited in Court and proven by the oath of Benjamin Campbell and Christopher Preston, two subscribing witnesses, and ordered to be Recorded. And on the motion of Samuel Martin (Marshall), the executor therein named, who made oath and gave bond and security according to the law, Certificate is granted him for claiming a probate thereof in due form. (Will Book 5, page 120).

Two family trees posted on the RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project show a different ancestry for Thomas Marshall. They show him instead as a descendant of William MARSHALL Born: ABT 1650 in Lancashire, England Death: MAY 1686 in Cox's Choice, Calvert Co, Maryland and his wife Elizabeth COX b: ABT 1650. This is supposedly detailed in the book published by Friends of the Union Church "The Descendants of William Marshall (1650-1686) & Elizabeth Cox (1650-1717)." (One of the trees (mckinziemelanie) with this alternative lineage was submitted to WorldConnect by Melanie McKinzie (McKinzie@bluebon.net).

Thomas married Nancy Ann Oliver about 1777 in Maryland. Nancy was born about 1758 in Maryland; died on 26 May 1841 in Bedford County, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Said to be the daughter of William and Martha Oliver (Draper/Marshall of Botetourt and Bedford Counties, Virginia).

(Notes below transcribed by Sheila Schmutz from Heritage Online)
William Oliver MD File 87280
Series M805, Roll 622, Image 368
William Oliver of Bedford in VA
Company of Captain Claxton in the Regiment of Colonel Griffin n Maryland for 8 months
May 11, 1833 Bedford Co, VA
Affadavit by his sister Ann Marshall, about 74
Says they were born about 25 miles from Annapolis, MD
Says she was married and had 3 children before the war broke
That her brother moved to VA about 50 years ago and she moved about 2 yrs later
A clergyman William Seftavich and Thomas Phelps also testified that William Oliver was 76 and served in the Revolution as a soldier.

Others refer to her as Nancy Ann Oliver on RootsWeb.

Notes:

Married:
"Thomas was most likely born in the late 1750's and probably married in Maryland in the late 1770's. Son William appears to have been born by at least the early part of 1780. Nancy is named as wife of Thomas in his will and they are mentioned in an 1804 land transaction. However, no marriage record has been located yet for Thomas in either Maryland or Virginia to prove whether Nancy was the mother of all of his children. The fact that the first two known children of Thomas were named William and Nancy gives some credence to the idea that his father was named William and his wife was Nancy. Woodson Marshall (a grandson) state that the maiden name of Riley (his father's) mother was Oliver, and that his oldest sister, Harriet Oliver Marshall was named for her. It could be interpreted to mean that Riley's mother was actually named Harriet Oliver, in which case Thomas would have married Nancy after Riley's birth in 1797 but before 1804. Am inclined to think that Thomas only had one wife, and her name was Nancy Oliver.

Based on the bits of available information, would guess Nancy was born about 1759 and was at least 81 years old when she died in 1841. Although probably cared for most by the youngest daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and George Pollard, the 1840 census shows she COULD have been living with Nancy and Joseph Eubank. This Nancy was the daughter of William Marshall and probably the oldest grandchild of Thomas. If Nancy Marshall was living with the Eubank's then it woudl be another indication that she was the only wife of Thomas."

Marshall, Ralph E. DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS MARSHALL BEDFORD CO., VA PLUS HIX-OWEN-NICHOLSON & RELATED FAMILES (Self Published, September 1986), p 15.