West Virginia Pioneers
Charles PARSONS
1745 - 1823 (78 years)-
Name Charles PARSONS Born 4 Nov 1745 [1] Gender Male Died 4 Nov 1823 Mason County, now Jackson County, (West ) Virginia, USA 
[2] Buried Jackson County, West Virginia, USA Notes
Was he born in Queen Annes Co, MD? Brother Joseph was. His parents may be William Parsons and Martha Hughes.
Sims Index: Charles Parsons, Sr, 100 A Big Mill Creek, 1819, Bk 1, Pg347
History of Harrison County:
Land Patent Certificates issued 1781:
John Ratliff, assignee to Charles Parsons, 1000 acres on Elk Creek to include his settlement made in 1773.
Randolph Co. Va. pg 190 Court Notes of a Century.
Court records for July 1787, contain this item: "Ordered, that Charles Parsons be exempted from paying taxes on three head of horse creatures that have been taken from him by the Indians since the 9th. of March of last past."
Death date from Anna Sleeth Parsons' pension application (Clark Blake)
Buried on the farm at the present Baptist Grove Cemetery. His is said to be the first grave there.
Charles Parsons Sr 1745-1823
In his brother, Joseph's, Revolutionary War Pension Declaration, there are affidavits from Elias and William, sons of Charles, who state they are nephews of Joseph.
Elias stated on 12/27/1834 that his father, Charles was ten years older than his uncle.
Capt. William, aged 65 yrs, on 12/28/1834, stated he was a nephew of Joseph and they lived together at Fort Buckhannon.
Joseph stated he was born in 1755 in Queen Ann County, MD.
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Book 7 page 272-
Charles Parsons
To deed
Elias Parsons
Whereas Charles Parsons during his lifetime entered into a contract in the day of in the year of A.D. by which he bound himself to ------ to his two sons Elias Parsons and Charles Parsons a certain tract of land lying in the left hand fork of Big Mill Creek and more particularly situated ----- ---- --- also the said Charles Parsons departed this life with out conveying the legal title to the said tract of land and whereas also the said Charles Parsons having left numerous children and grandchildren living at his death on whom the legal title of said land descended ---- and whereas the said Elias and Charles Parsons have this day by contract divided said tract of land. Therefore this indenture made this 4th day of January, eighteen hundred and forty nine between Mary Carney, George Parsons & Mary his wife, John Board and Nancy his wife, William Casto and Martha his wife, James Cunningham and Sarah his wife, John Parsons and Mary his wife, Joseph Beeby and Margaret his wife, Elizabeth Smith, Charles Parsons and Rebecca his wife, Henry Parsons, William Parsons, Charles Parsons, John F. Parsons and Ruhamy his wife, Travis Parsons, Isaac Rollings and Mary his wife, Ann Sheppard, George Parsons and Mary E. Parsons his wife, Joseph Miller and Caroline his wife, Isaac Casto and Elizabeth his wife, Jordan Tolley and Jerra his wife, Jable Rollins and Margaret J. his wife, Lafayette Parsons and Francis Perry and Martha his wife, Nancy Parsons children grandchildren and heirs of the said Charles Parsons parties of the first part and Elias Parsons (son of Charles) party of the second part. Witnesseth that the said parties of the first part, in consideration of the sum of five dollars to them in hand paid by the said Elias Parsons party of the second part the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged have granted, bargained and sold by these presents do grant bargain and sell their release and confirm unto the said Elias Parsons party of the second part his heirs and assigns forever all the right title interest drawn or demanded of in to or out of all that tract or parcel of lands lying in Jackson County on the left hand fork of Mill Creek it being the land in which the said Elias Parsons now lives and bounded as follows. Beginning at a sugar tree in an original line of said tract of land & ----- at the division between Charles Parsons ---
said Elias Thence with sundry lines of said original survey S 80°E, 60 poles to an ash, S 49° W, 84 poles to two Beeches, S 31° W, 74 poles to a small creek, N 85° W, 86 poles to a small Beech at the point of a ridge, S 42° W, 34 poles to an Elm at the foot of a hill, and thence N 20° W, 46 poles to two Beeches the beginning corner to said original survey and to said Charles Parsons portion of the same whence either the ----- of two lines of said Charles division S 50 1/2 E & 20 poles crossing the mouth of a run and said ---- to a large Elm N 163° E, 84 poles (crossing said fork at two poles) to the beginning supposed to contain fifty acres be the same more or less of the tract patented to said Elias Parsons's
father by patent bearing date 10th of February A.D. 1819. Together with all the appurtenances in any wise belonging thereto unto him the said Elias Parsons his heirs and assigns forever and the said parties of the first for themselves their heirs Executors and administrators and for and on behalf of their said wives and their heirs doth covenant and agree to and with the said Elias Parsons his heirs and assigns by these presents in manner and form following to wit that they the said parties of the first part and their heirs the said lot or parcel of land and premises hereby granted or intended sold in with the appurtenances unto the said Elias Parsons his heirs and assigns against them the said parties of the first and their heirs and against none others whatsoever will by these presents forever warrant and defend - in testimony whereof the parties hereto set their hands and afford their seals this day of A.D. 1849
his
John F. Parsons
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her
Ruhamy Parsons
Mark
Francis Perry
her
Martha Perry
Mark
Issac Rollings
Mary Rollings
Geo. W. Parsons
her
Mary E. Parsons
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his
Charles Parsons
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her
Rebecca Parsons
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Book 7 page 273
her
Ann Sheppard
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her
Mary Carney
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George Parsons
her
Mary Parsons
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her
Nancy Board
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Henry Parsons
M. D. L. Parsons
his
Isaac Casto
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Francis Parsons
his
Joseph Beeby
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her
Margaret Beeby
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her
Margaret J. Rollins
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her
Elizabeth Casto
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James Cunningham
her
Sarah Cunningham
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his
William Casto
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her
Marthy Casto
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Jordan Tolly
her
Jerry Tolley
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her
Nancy Parsons
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his
John Parsons
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her
Mary Parsons
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her
Elizabeth Smith
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Virginia Jackson County
We Jesse Carney and G. W. Smith justices of the peace in and for the County aforesaid do hereby certify that John F. Parsons Francis Perry Isaac Rollins George W. Parsons Charles Parsons George Parsons parties to a certain deed bearing date on the 9th day of January 1849 and hereto annexed personally appeared before us in our county aforesaid and acknowledged the same to be their act and deed and desired us to certify the said acknowledgement to the clerk of the court of said county in order that the said deed may be recorded - also certify that Ruhamy Parsons wife of John F. Parsons, Martha Perry wife of Francis Perry Mary Rollins wife of Isaac Rollins Mary E. Parsons, wife of George W. Parsons Rebecca Parsons wife of Charles Parsons Mary Carney Ann Sheppard Mary Parsons wife of George Parsons and Nancy Board wife of John Board parties to a certain deed bearing date on the 4th day of January 1849 & hereto annexed personally appeared before us in our county aforesaid and being examined by us privately and apart from their husbands and the deed aforesaid fully explained to them they said parties above acknowledged the same to be their act and deed and decided that they had willingly signed sealed and delivered the same and that they wished not to retract it.
Given under our hands and seals this 6th day of January 1849
Jesse Carney
George W. Smith
Virginia Jackson County
We Jesse Carney and George W. Smith justices of the peace & for the county aforesaid do hereby certify that Henry Parsons M. D. L. Parsons Isaac Casto Travis Parsons Joseph Beeby parties to a certain deed bearing date on the 4th day of January 1849 and having annexed personally before us in our county aforesaid and acknowledged the dame to be their act and deed and assured us to certify the said ………………………………………………………………….
Book 7 page 274
We also certify that Margaret Beeby wife of Joseph Beeby party to a ……….
……………………………………………………………this January 9th of 1849.
Jesse Carney
George W. Smith
Virginia Jackson County to wit
We Jesse Carney & George W. Smith justices of the peace in ………. Do hereby certify that James Cunningham William Casto Jordan Tolley and John Parsons parties ………
We also certify that Margaret J. Rollins wife of Jable Rollins, Elizabeth Casto wife of Isaac Casto, Sarah Cunningham wife of James Cunningham Marthey Casto wife of William Casto Nancy Parsons wife of Capt. Wm. Parsons, dec.d Jerry Tolly wife of Jordan Tolley mary parsons wife of John Parsons, parties to a ……………………………this 13th day of January 1849
Jesse Carney
George W. Smith
Virginia Jackson County to wit
We Ephraim S. Evans and Andrew Flesher justices of the peace in and ………..
…do hereby certify that Elizabeth Smith (daughter of Charles Parsons and party to a certain……
…………………………………………………………….this 24th day of January 1849
Ephraim S. Evans
Andrew Flesher
Virginia Jackson County Court Clerk;s Office, January 26th 1849
This day the foregoing deed and the various certificates of Acknowledgement and privy examination articles annexed were received in same office and duly submitted to record therein.
Test
A. Waugh Clerk
Person ID I1710 WVPioneers Last Modified 15 Sep 2016
Father William PARSONS, b. 1725, d. 1778 (Age 53 years) Mother Martha HUGHES, b. Abt 1724, d. Northampton, PA or MD. Married 5 Dec 1744 Philadelphia, Lancaster County, PA [3] Notes
There is no proof that these are the correct parents for Charles and Joseph but I don't want to lose the info 'just in case'.
Family ID F1570 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family 1 Elizabeth CHESTNUT, d. 1790, Harrison County, West Virginia, USA Married Between 1764 and 1768 Notes
Probably married 1764-1768, possibly in Maryland, probably in Virginia.
HEADS OF FAMILIES--- VIRGINIA,1782
FIRST CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES (1790)
Monongalia County, Virginia
Parsons, Charles 07
Parsons, George 06
Parsons, Charles 06
Parsons, George 06
Parsons, Joseph 04
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Harrison Co PP tax list
1785 - 1 tithable, 4 horses, 6 cattle
1786 - 1-3-5
1795 - 1-1 (horse)
1796 - 1-1
1800 - 2-3
1803 - 1-3
1804 1-4
1805 - 2-6
Kanawha Co tax list 1802, 1 white male over 21
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Mason Co tax list
Charles Pasons Sr 1805-06-07-09-10-11-12-13-14
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Buried in the Baptist Grove Cemetery, formerly known as the Parsons Graveyard, on farm owned by Elias Parsons
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"Jackson County in the Wars"
Revolutionary Soldiers
Charles Parsons Sr. Son of William Parsons, who came to the Eastern Shore of Maryland from Prussia about 1725. Charles was born about 1745 in Queen's Anne's County, Maryland. He entered service as a private in the Hampshire County Militia in the Company of Captain John Harness' VA Rangers in 1775, and also served as a scout in Harrison county in 1792. He came to then Kanawha County about 1802 and settled on Sycamore Creek, near Ripley. Later, he moved to present Frozen Camp in Washington District, where he died November 4, 1823, and is interred in the Frozen Camp Cemetery. A Marker in his memory was placed at his grave in the cemetery by the Ravenswood Chapter of the DAR in 1970. Children of Charles Parsons by his first marriage to Elizabeth Chestnut, in Maryland, 1764, were: William L; George; John; Elias; Margaret 'Peggy', who married Joseph Bibbee; Mary 'Polly', married Thomas Carney; Elizabeth. Children by his second marriage to Mrs Nancy Ann (Flesher) Sleeth, a daughter of Henry Flesher, in Harrison County, May 3, 1797, were: Martha 'Patsy', married William Casto; Nancy, married (1) John Casto and (2) John Board; Charles; Sarah 'Sallie', married James Cunningham, of Tug Fork. Charles Parsons' widow, who was also the widow of John Sleeth, made application for a pension on the service of her first husband.
Indian Wars
The following were scouts in the Indian Wars following the Revolution:
Charles Parsons, Randolph County. March 15, 1792 to Dec 1, 1792.
Source: Virginia State Papers, Vol 7, page 469
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"The Parsons Family book" by Augustine Chapman Parsons.
"In 1779, Charles Parsons "Choiles Parsones" and Joseph Parsons were among the signers of a petition dated May 25, as inhabitants of the West Fork of the Monongalia County (Chalkey, 1989). In 1782, Charles was listed in the tax roll of Monongalia County with seven white souls. Also listed here are Joseph with five and a George Parsons with six. In 1785, a census of all white inhabitants of Randolph county was taken and Charles Parsons was listed in H. Delay's District from Petty's Ford to Joseph Crouch (Bosworth, 1916). He also appears this year in the tax rolls of Harrison Coiunty which had just been formed from Monongalia. These were used to reconstruct the 1790 cnsus which had been destroyed.
Charles is listed with 8 whites, Joseph with 6 and George with 7. Also present is a William Parsons and a James Parsons who were almost certainly descendants of Thomas Parsons, Sr. (see McCabe, 1913.). George Parsons is also probably from this family however, both Charles and Joseph named a son George, and so it is possible that George is their brother. There is further confusion here because Charles, Joseph and George are listed twice in the 1782 tax rolls, however, they have different numbers of children in each listing and it looks like an earlier (1781) tax roll was inadvertently included."
John House "Pioneers of Jackson Co"
pg 44 -
His (William Lowther Parsons) father, Charles Parsons, moved on Sycamore, just above town (Ripley) probably not far from the bridge and it is not unlikey on the same farm (as WL)
pg 54-
As far as we are able to trace the records back, the founder of the Parsons family in Jackson county was a hardy pioneer who had seen active service during the Indian Wars of the last half of the 18th century and bore a full part in opening the country west of the Allegheny Mountains.
His first wife was a Miss Chestnut. After this he migrated to the banks of the South Branch of the Potomac River, and about 1786, as the record goes, to the Fort on the Buckhannon River. The actual date may likely have been earlier, as the Bush Fort which it probably was, was destroyed by the Indians in 1782.
There is a tradition that the Parsons and Carney families were in the fort when it was taken.
It is commonly the belief handed down by word of mouth that they lived on the Buckhannon River and I have no doubt it is correct.
The next recorded move was about 1796 or 1797 to Warth's Bottom. Whether he came with his son or later is not known, but they probably moved at the same time.
He lived afterward on Sycamore, above the bridge, probably he came there about the same time William located on the present site of Ripley. He had moved to the farm owned by John Duke at Frozen Camp, before March 1816. I take this date from parent to HF Knopp, land which calls for line of lnad owned by Charles Parsons, but does not say he lived on it. Date of patent, 1818.
pg 56-
. . .He married, probably in Maryland, and raised seven children. His wife dying, he married again, it is almost certain, after moving to Warth's Bottom, and raised five children more.
House goes on to list the names and spouses of the children and includes, for Elizabeth Chestnut, a daughter Betsy who married John Smith. Chapman Parsons does not include her in his book. The Parsons discussion group has named another daughter, Mary, b 1/1/1769.
Betsy, a daughter of Charles Parsons, Sr., married John Smith, of Lewis County. Their children were:
George Smith, who lives in Roane County, and was three times married, the third wife's name being Smith.
Elias Smith, went to Illinois, was married. His children were Calvin and David.
Dolly Smith, married Jonah Woodruff, brother of David Woodruff. He was drowned, and she later married John Law, who, it is said, was also drowned. One child by the first marriage, John Woodruff, is mentioned.
Children 1. William [Lowther?] Parsons, b. 24 Jul 1769, Queen Anne Parish, Prince George Co., MD , d. 10 Oct 1839, Frozen Camp, Jackson Co., WV (Age 70 years)2. Mary PARSONS, b. 1 Jan 1773, Buchannon Settlement, Harrison County, (West) Virginia , USA , d. 4 Dec 1863, Jackson County, West Virginia, USA (Age 90 years)3. John Parsons, Sr, b. Between 1777 and 1778, Buchannon Settlement, Harrison County, (West) Virginia , USA , d. 18 Jun 1859, Jackson County, West Virginia, USA (Age ~ 82 years)4. George Parsons, b. 1780, d. Jan 1850, Jackson County, West Virginia, USA (Age 70 years)5. Hannah Parsons, b. 1784, d. 1820 (Age 36 years) 6. Elizabeth Parsons, b. Abt 1785, d. Yes, date unknown 7. Margaret Parsons, b. 1788, Virginia, USA , d. 10 Jan 1871, Jackson County, West Virginia, USA (Age 83 years)Family ID F601 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family 2 Anna "Nancy" Flesher, b. 1761, d. Abt 1859 (Age 98 years) Married 3 May 1797 Harrison County, West Virginia, USA [4] Notes
Marriage to Nancy Flesher Sleeth found in History of Upshur County, Harrison County Marriage Records.
Harrison Co Marriages, 1785-1894:
Charles Parsons & Nancy Sleeth, 5/3/1797
"Marriages of Virginia, Early to 1800":
Parsons, Charles to Nancy Sleeth, 30 Aug 1796, Harrison VA
Parsons, Chas to Nancy Sleeth, 3 May 1797, Harrison VA
Clark Blake:
The 30 Aug. 1796 marriage date was recorded by John Loofboro in Harrison Co. The later date, May 3, 1797, was recorded by Joseph Cheuvront, a famous Baptist minister. [Marriage bond and marriage dates]
Children 1. Elias Parsons, b. Abt 1797, d. 29 Dec 1849 (Age ~ 52 years) 2. Martha 'Patsy' Parsons, b. 20 Apr 1799, Harrison County, West Virginia, USA , d. 1878, Jackson County, West Virginia, USA (Age 78 years)3. Nancy 'Ann' Parsons, b. 10 Dec 1802, Kanawha County, West Virginia, USA , d. 2 Apr 1865 (Age 62 years)4. Charles Asbury Parsons, b. 8 Jun 1805, Mason, Mason County, West Virginia , d. 7 Dec 1875, Jackson County, West Virginia, USA (Age 70 years)5. Sarah Parsons, b. 6 Jun 1807, Mason, Mason County, West Virginia , d. 1 Aug 1862 (Age 55 years)Family ID F880 Group Sheet | Family Chart
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Sources