Snyder Family 2016 - Person Sheet
NameRachel Davis 
Birthabt 1745, Loudoun Co., Virginia8
Birth MemoAnother source says b. Cardigan, Wales
Deathaft 8 Jun 1813, Allegheny Co., Maryland
FatherThomas Davis (~1678-1758)
MotherElizabeth Minor (~1682-)
Spouses
Birthabt 1740, King George, Stafford, or Prince William Co., Virginia8
Birth Memoanother source says b. 1730
Death1811, Allegheny Co., Maryland
OccupationSkilled as a Carpenter and a Mason [identified as a “joiner” or skilled carpenter]142
FatherChristopher Pritchard II (1714-<1776)
MotherSarah Gollathan (~1720->1765)
Marriageabt 1759, Loudoun Co., Virginia8
Notes for Rachel Davis
7The family of Rachel Davis (155), the wife of Thomas Pritchard Sr. and the mother of Nancy Pritchard, came from Pembrokeshire, Wales where they founded Cilfowyr Baptist Chapel in the beautiful parish of Manordeifi. The entire Davis family, together with another family named Phillips, left Wales on a small ship out of Cardigan Bay. They first landed in Pennsylvania, where they helped found the Church in the Great Valley at Tredyffrin Township in Chester County, on the original Welsh tract. Later they established a plantation in Fairfax County, later Loudoun County. The Davis family helped form the Short Hill Baptist meeting house along the South Fork of Catoctin Creek near the intersection of Short Hill Mountain Road (now Knollwood Road) and Short Hill Church Road (now Allder School Road).
Despite the Davis's religious background, Thomas Pritchard had to be called into court to cosign for Rachel's uncle John Davis in 1762, when the Baptist innkeeper was ordered to pay more than five pounds to the Anglican church for the poor of Cameron Parish after being convicted of allowing unlawful gambling in his inn, particularly cards and dice. In his will, John bequeathed "one hundred pounds of Virginia currency" to his beloved Cilfowyr Baptist Chapel in Wales. Rachel's aunt Sarah Davis left most of her possessions to Rachel, whom she named executrix of the will, "except some outstanding debts due from poor people who were drove by the Indians, so I remit it then."
143The family of Rachel Davis, the mother of Nancy Pritchard, came from Pembrokeshire, Wales where they founded Cilfowyr Baptist Chapel in secret in the beautiful parish of Manordeifi. They were forced out by the King's army who destroyed places of worship that were not Church of England, often jailing the offending worshipers. The entire Davis family, together with another family named Phillips, fled on a small ship out of Cardigan Bay. They first landed in Pennsylvania, where they helped found the Church in the Great Valley at Tredyffrin Township in Chester County, on the original Welsh tract. Later they established a plantation in Fairfax County, later Loudoun County. The Davis family helped form the Short Hill Baptist meeting house along the South Fork of Catoctin Creek near the intersection of Short Hill Mountain Road (now Knollwood Road) and Short Hill Church Road (now Allder School Road).
The Davis family came to America from Cardigan, Wales. Rachel's grandfather may have been Thomas Davis Sr. who died May 6, 1758 and was married to Margaret.
ABT 1745 in Cardigan, Wales
* Death: ABT 1813 in Allegany, MD
* Note:
http://resources.rootsweb.com/~guestbook/cgi-bin/p...=648&action=view
Emily Pritchard Cary < EmpCary >Date: 2003-03-21
Most interesting. I am descended from another Seventh Day Baptist Davis family from Pembrokeshire. With a family named Phillips, they founded Cilfowyr (Baptist) Chapel in the parish of Manordeifi there prior to 1700 and fled to the colonies just a few steps ahead of the King's men. After spending some time in the Welsh Colony (Philadelphia area), they moved to what is now Loudoun County, Virginia and established a plantation in the Short Hills. The church they founded there was also named the Short Hills Baptist Church. Rachel Davis, daughter of Thomas, granddaughter of David, married Thomas Pritchard in Leesburg, VA in 1760. In 1795, they and all but one of their children moved to Allegheny County, Maryland in the western portion now Garrett County. Thomas and Rachel both died there, but their children moved into Monongalia County, WV, later to Preston, Harrison, Doddridge, and Ritchie Counties. Most of my Pritchard ancestors were farmers and ministers. My Pritchard Family History, published by Heritage Press (an update will be out next year), includes quite a bit of information about my Davis line. I have also written articles about the Welsh Davis line appearing in British Heritage and Y Drych. Some of the children of Rachel Davis and Thomas Pritchard married into the Meredith line from Radnor, also Seventh Day Baptists.
Despite the Davis's religious background, Thomas Pritchard had to be called into court to cosign for Rachel's uncle John Davis in 1762, when the Baptist innkeeper was ordered to pay more than five pounds to the Anglican church for the poor of Cameron Parish after being convicted of allowing unlawful gambling in his inn, particularly cards and dice. In his will, John bequeathed "one hundred pounds of Virginia currency" to his beloved Cilfowyr Baptist Chapel in Wales. Rachel's aunt Sarah Davis left most of her possessions to Rachel, whom she named executrix of the will, "except some outstanding debts due from poor people who were drove by the Indians, so I remit it then."
143The family of Rachel Davis, the mother of Nancy Pritchard, came from Pembrokeshire, Wales where they founded Cilfowyr Baptist Chapel in secret in the beautiful parish of Manordeifi. They were forced out by the King's army who destroyed places of worship that were not Church of England, often jailing the offending worshipers. The entire Davis family, together with another family named Phillips, fled on a small ship out of Cardigan Bay. They first landed in Pennsylvania, where they helped found the Church in the Great Valley at Tredyffrin Township in Chester County, on the original Welsh tract. Later they established a plantation in Fairfax County, later Loudoun County. The Davis family helped form the Short Hill Baptist meeting house along the South Fork of Catoctin Creek near the intersection of Short Hill Mountain Road (now Knollwood Road) and Short Hill Church Road (now Allder School Road).
The Davis family came to America from Cardigan, Wales. Rachel's grandfather may have been Thomas Davis Sr. who died May 6, 1758 and was married to Margaret.
ABT 1745 in Cardigan, Wales
* Death: ABT 1813 in Allegany, MD
* Note:
http://resources.rootsweb.com/~guestbook/cgi-bin/p...=648&action=view
Emily Pritchard Cary < EmpCary >Date: 2003-03-21
Most interesting. I am descended from another Seventh Day Baptist Davis family from Pembrokeshire. With a family named Phillips, they founded Cilfowyr (Baptist) Chapel in the parish of Manordeifi there prior to 1700 and fled to the colonies just a few steps ahead of the King's men. After spending some time in the Welsh Colony (Philadelphia area), they moved to what is now Loudoun County, Virginia and established a plantation in the Short Hills. The church they founded there was also named the Short Hills Baptist Church. Rachel Davis, daughter of Thomas, granddaughter of David, married Thomas Pritchard in Leesburg, VA in 1760. In 1795, they and all but one of their children moved to Allegheny County, Maryland in the western portion now Garrett County. Thomas and Rachel both died there, but their children moved into Monongalia County, WV, later to Preston, Harrison, Doddridge, and Ritchie Counties. Most of my Pritchard ancestors were farmers and ministers. My Pritchard Family History, published by Heritage Press (an update will be out next year), includes quite a bit of information about my Davis line. I have also written articles about the Welsh Davis line appearing in British Heritage and Y Drych. Some of the children of Rachel Davis and Thomas Pritchard married into the Meredith line from Radnor, also Seventh Day Baptists.
Notes for Thomas (Spouse 1)
Thomas Pritchard, Sr.
144. . . By the way, if you ever get to northern Virginia, be sure to see the gorgeous stone house in Leesburg that Thomas Pritchard, Sr. built. It's now used as a law office. (The masonry is similar to that used by Thomas Pritchard, Jr. and Peter Pritchard on the stone wall surrounding the church at White Oaks.) Farther south, on the Northern Neck, you would enjoy seeing the area around the George Washington Birthplace in Westmoreland County. The Christopher Pritchard land is less than two miles from the Potomac waterfront and his father, Thomas Pritchard, was married to Jane Muse who lived adjacent to the GW visitor center. The original Muse farm is still operational and the entire surroundings are simply beautiful and untouched by much of civilization. . . .
7During the American Revolution, Christopher's son Thomas Pritchard Sr. was rumored to have been a spy for George Washington, whom he had met when they were both surveyors. Though he was often involved in lawsuits in Loudoun County, Virginia during his life, his name does not appear on the tax rolls during some of the war years. A pioneer born and bred, in 1778 he was charged with swearing a profane oath in the wilderness of Ohio and Yohogania Counties, where he may have gone west to speculate in real estate, if he was not serving in the Continental Army during this period. Before 1759, Thomas farmed land near near Difficult Run. Later, he moved to Leesburg, Virginia, where the skilled carpenter and mason constructed several homes. He transferred most of his father's Fairfax grant to George Vandivere on May 11, 1760, though he regained it in 1774. He was a wealthy man, whose tithe assessment in 1762 was 37 pounds, 12 shillings, 1-1/2 pence, plus 6,017 pounds of tobacco. The 1771 Loudoun Couty List of Tithables records that he owned three slaves, Hazzard, Dick and Will.
From the 1760s to the 1780s, Thomas continued to lose more lawsuits. He was given a contract to repair the prison, but he seems not to have finished it properly. The court ordered him to pay the costs for guarding two women for felony. He earned 16 pounds and 2,560 pounds of tobacco after he completed the job in October 1766. In 1769, he was threatened with a fifty pound fine, payable to King George III, if he would not "Peaceably and Orderly demean and behave himself toward all his said Majesty's Liege Subjects for one year." By 1794, under the weight of debts and legal judgements, Thomas sold the Lord Fairfax grant. His entire family but one married daughter headed west. Thomas first settled at Wills Creek near the current site of Cumberland, MD. Later he moved to The Glades in Allegheny County, now part of Garrett County, MD, by 1800. By 1811, Thomas was dead, leaving no will.
another source: Birth: 1730 in King George, Stafford or Pr. William, VA
144. . . By the way, if you ever get to northern Virginia, be sure to see the gorgeous stone house in Leesburg that Thomas Pritchard, Sr. built. It's now used as a law office. (The masonry is similar to that used by Thomas Pritchard, Jr. and Peter Pritchard on the stone wall surrounding the church at White Oaks.) Farther south, on the Northern Neck, you would enjoy seeing the area around the George Washington Birthplace in Westmoreland County. The Christopher Pritchard land is less than two miles from the Potomac waterfront and his father, Thomas Pritchard, was married to Jane Muse who lived adjacent to the GW visitor center. The original Muse farm is still operational and the entire surroundings are simply beautiful and untouched by much of civilization. . . .
7During the American Revolution, Christopher's son Thomas Pritchard Sr. was rumored to have been a spy for George Washington, whom he had met when they were both surveyors. Though he was often involved in lawsuits in Loudoun County, Virginia during his life, his name does not appear on the tax rolls during some of the war years. A pioneer born and bred, in 1778 he was charged with swearing a profane oath in the wilderness of Ohio and Yohogania Counties, where he may have gone west to speculate in real estate, if he was not serving in the Continental Army during this period. Before 1759, Thomas farmed land near near Difficult Run. Later, he moved to Leesburg, Virginia, where the skilled carpenter and mason constructed several homes. He transferred most of his father's Fairfax grant to George Vandivere on May 11, 1760, though he regained it in 1774. He was a wealthy man, whose tithe assessment in 1762 was 37 pounds, 12 shillings, 1-1/2 pence, plus 6,017 pounds of tobacco. The 1771 Loudoun Couty List of Tithables records that he owned three slaves, Hazzard, Dick and Will.
From the 1760s to the 1780s, Thomas continued to lose more lawsuits. He was given a contract to repair the prison, but he seems not to have finished it properly. The court ordered him to pay the costs for guarding two women for felony. He earned 16 pounds and 2,560 pounds of tobacco after he completed the job in October 1766. In 1769, he was threatened with a fifty pound fine, payable to King George III, if he would not "Peaceably and Orderly demean and behave himself toward all his said Majesty's Liege Subjects for one year." By 1794, under the weight of debts and legal judgements, Thomas sold the Lord Fairfax grant. His entire family but one married daughter headed west. Thomas first settled at Wills Creek near the current site of Cumberland, MD. Later he moved to The Glades in Allegheny County, now part of Garrett County, MD, by 1800. By 1811, Thomas was dead, leaving no will.
another source: Birth: 1730 in King George, Stafford or Pr. William, VA
Notes for Thomas (Spouse 1)
5
In studying the progress of the Pritchard Family from Virginia's Northern Neck (Westmoreland, Richmond, King George Counties), it is important to bear in mind the fluctuating county boundaries and formation of new counties from older ones. Old Rappahannock County, for instance, disappeared completely, absorbed by Richmond County in 1692. A small portion of the land owned by the first Christopher Pritchard was initially in Old Rappahannock County, then in Richmond County until 1720, then in King George County. This strip of land did not join Westmoreland County until 1778. However, part of his land was always in Westmoreland County. Thus, even though the counties changed, Christopher remained on the same property.
His grandson Christopher, father of Thomas Sr. of Leesburg, appears in records of King George, Stafford, and Prince William, while Thomas Sr. is found in Fairfax and Loudoun (as well as court proceedings in adjacent Fauquier County). Prince William County was formed in 1730 from Stafford and King George Counties. Fairfax County was formed in 1742 from Prince William County. Loudoun County was formed in 1757 from Fairfax County. Fauquier County was formed in 1759 from Prince William County. From 1757 until 1798, Difficult Run was the boundary between Loudoun and Fairfax Counties, so it is not surprising that Cameron Parish, which served Leesburg, was located at the present-day boundary of Loudoun and Fairfax Counties just beyond the town of Herndon. At the time it served the Pritchard family (births, deaths, baptisms, and marriages were recorded there regardless of a family's religious affiliation, in accordance with the Church of England laws), the parish church was but a mile or so from Dranesville Tavern, an important stop on Leesburg Pike, the present-day Route 7 which runs from Alexandria (the Fairfax County seat from 1752 until 1800) to Leesburg. Unfortunately, the Cameron Parish records have mysteriously disappeared. They are rumored to be in the possession of someone with connections to the Virginia Theological Seminary and it is hoped that they will one day be returned to the Virginia State Library in Richmond. Furthermore, the Cameron Parish property is now privately owned and visitors are not permitted on the premises.
Goose Creek Chapel, located on State Route 15 north of Leesburg, no longer exists, but a road sign notes its location: "Built by Truro Parish Vestry 1736." This may have been where the Pritchards worshipped before Cameron Parish was established. Today, Truro Parish covers Fairfax City and surrounding area of Fairfax County.
Thomas Pritchard Sr. settled in Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia by 1759 and married Rachel Davis prior to that date. Their oldest son, John, served in the Revolutionary War. It is possible that Thomas, too, was involved in the war, as he is missing from the tax rolls for some of that period. He was a carpenter and mason and built several homes in Leesburg. He also made the railings for the Loudoun County Court House.
In 1760, he purchased one lot or half acre No. 62 lying in Leesburg, Loudoun County Virginia from Nicholas Minor on January 23, 1760 for six pounds.
Thomas Pritchard of Loudoun County Virginia purchased a lot or half acre No. 10 lying in Leesburg and binding on Loudoun Street from Nicholas Minor on February 26, 1760 for seven pounds. Thomas was to build a house of brick, stone or wood, 20 x 16x 9.
Thomas Pritchard was married to Rachel Davis by March 7, 1760. At that time, his occupation was joiner (skilled carpenter). A deed was made to George Vandiveere of Prince Georges County, Maryland for 32 pounds for the 216 acres lying in Cameron Parish. The deed was probably given for a loan of money as Thomas and Rachel sell this same land in 1794. It is not known when Thomas Pritchard received this land (the Lord Fairfax grant) from his father.
On August 8, 1761, Thomas Pritchard and Rachel his wife of Leesburg in Loudoun County sold one lot or half acre no. 10 to Jacob Shilling.
The names of Thomas Pritchard and Negro Hazzard were found on the Loudoun County, Virginia 1771 Tithable List of Francis Peyton, Cameron Parish. The names of John Smarr and Richard Skinner are also on this list. John Pritchard married Anna Smarr and Sarah Pritchard married Cornelius Skinner. This is further proof tying the Loudoun County Pritchards to the Allegany County, Maryland Pritchards.
Hopkins, Margaret Lail comp. & ed., Index to the Tithables of Loudoun County Virginia and to Slaveholders and Slaves 1758-1786, Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1991: p. 63 Pritchard (Prichard) John 84 Cameron, Thomas 60-65, 68, 70, 71c-73c, 79-80c, 84c (C= Cameron Parish).
Slaveholders and Slaves of Loudoun County, Virginia 1758-1786 p. 133, Pritchard, Thomas: Dick, 84, Hazzard 71-72, 75, Will 75.
Did Thomas Pritchard, Sr. see service during the Revolutionary War? This question is raised by the existence of a State of Virginia list copied from original records by the Secretary of War, Aug. 10, 1790. A Thomas Pritchard, dragoon, appears on "A list of the Officers and Soldiers of the Virginia Line on Continental Establishment..." He is given 100 acres for being a member of Continental troops. He is on a Company payroll as a private of the 5th Troop, commanded by Captain John Hughes, in the 1st Regiment of Light Dragoons, with service of one month and a pay of 81/3 dollars. Thomas Pritchett also appears on a list in vol. 176, p. 240 under "A List of soldiers of the Virginia Line on Continental Establishment who have received Certificates for the balance of their full pay Agreeable to an Act of Assembly passed November Session 1781." He received from Jos. Wood 23 pounds, 18 shillings, 2 pence on January 25, 1785. On the same page, 240, he received the sum of 13 pounds, 0 shillings, 6 pence on February 25, 1785 from Jos. Wood. Another item retrieved by Ethel Taylor is a small slip of paper that reads: This is to certify that the bearer, Thomas Pritchett, a gunner in the State Artillery, having served three years the time for which he stood engaged is hereby discharged form the Service of the United States given under my hand at Prince Edward Court House this 2d day of April 1785 - John Majarett, Major.
Loudoun County, Virginia 56th & 57th Regiments Militia Records 1793-1809, Virginia State Library, Richmond, VA, Reel # 98: Sept. 13, 1794 -
p. 48, Roster of the Company Commanded by Lieut. Charles Duncan 2nd Battalion 57th Regt. VA, Class No. 1, George Smarr, John Pritchett (this, no doubt, is John Prichard, son of Thomas, Sr.).
p. 49, Class No. 5, Thomas Pritchard, Phineas Skinner. Class No. 8, Richard Skinner Jr. Class no. 9, Cornelius Skinner, son of Richd.
p. 61, Roster of the Company of Grenadiers Commanded by 1st Battn. 57th Regt. VA MA, Class N. (listed between No. 1 and 2 - no number given: Thomas Pritchard now on command.
According to British Mercantile Claims, 1775-1803, Thomas Pritchard of Fairfax owned 23 pounds, 199 1/2 shillings, due June 1774. A notation was made that he removed to Carolina about two years ago; able to pay. (Was he visiting relatives or exploring the region?)
Thomas Pritchard was in and out of Loudoun County Court House many times, both as Plaintiff and Defendant, mostly for judgments involving money owed by another or by him. One of the most interesting entries in Loudoun County, Virginia Order Book H. May 1783 to May 1785, Virginia State Library, Richmond, Reel # 73, is as follows:
April 10, 1787 - Thomas Pritchard exhibits an account upon oath against his servant man John Bryan for eighteen pounds thirteen shillings and ten pence and twenty two days runaway time. Ordered that the said John Bryan serve his said Master further time according to Law & the costs. Tobacco rated at twenty shillings per hundred & Ordered that the Sheriff take the said John Bryan to the publick Whipping post and give him twenty five lashes on his Bareback well laid on & the same is ordered accordingly.
September 8, 1788, p. 491, Ordered that Thomas Pritchard be summoned to appear here at the next court to answer the complaint of John Bryan for not paying him his freedom due another complaints.
Loudoun County Virginia Order Book L, Sept. 1788 to March 1790: p. 215, June 11, 1789, John Bryan plaintiff, upon petition for freedom due. Thomas Pritchard Complied.
On March 25, 1794, Thomas Pritchard, Loudoun County, Virginia and Rachel his wife sold the 216 acres which was granted to his father Christopher Pritchard, August 27, 1741. This land was sold to William Ellzey, Jr. for forty pounds.
When they left Loudoun County, Thomas Pritchard Sr. and his family probably followed the Potomac River to the new frontier in western Maryland, arriving at Wills Creek in Allegany County (near present-day Cumberland) shortly after selling their Loudoun County land.
A survey was made for Thomas Pritchard Jr. in Allegany County for land called Pritchard's Folly, August 10, 1795.
Thomas Pritchard and Nancy Tichnell were married January 6, 1796 in Allegany County, Maryland.
Thomas Pritchard Sr. of Allegany County purchased lots 96 and 97, containing fifty acres, from Michael Boyles and Francis his wife, on May 22, 1796. This land was westward from Fort Cumberland.
Thomas Pritchard was assessed with military lots 96 and 97, valuation 22 pounds, 2 shillings, 8 d, and with personal property including 16 cattle 110 pounds 3 shillings 4 d, he was one of eight living in what is now Garrett County who were assessed with silver plate.
In 1798, John Pritchard was assessed with a house and lot in the village of Selbyport and with a nearby military lot 3294.
Ann (Nancy) Pritchard married Davis Meredith on November 8, 1800 in Allegany County, Maryland. Nancy was his third wife, the other two having died.
In the Allegany County, Maryland 1800 census, Thomas Pritchard Sr. was living in the Glades. In his household were one male and one female over 45 and two males and two females between 16-26.
Mary L. Pritchard married John Parker on December 22, 1804 in Allegany County, Maryland.
William Pritchard married Hannah Meredith, daughter of Davis Meredith, on February 18, 1805 in Monongalia County, Virginia. Hannah was the step-daughter of Ann (Nancy) Pritchard.
Thomas Pritchard Jr., Richard Price, John Parker, George Furbay, and Davis Meredith were all living in Monongalia County, Virginia in the 1810 census.
Thomas Pritchard Sr. is not found in the Allegany County Maryland 1810 census. William Pritchard is found living in District 1. In his household are two females over 45. Thomas Pritchard Sr. may have died before the census was taken and his widow (Rachel) was living with William.
On ? 1811, William Pritchard, administrator of the estate of Thomas Pritchard, late of Allegany County deceased, made oath that this account is just and true. (Film 013312 Allegany County Maryland Probate Records 179201830, p. 135.)
On June 9, 1813, the second account of William Pritchard, administrator of the estate of Thomas Pritchard late of Allegany County deceased, was made. After the widow's third was made, money was paid to Davis Meredith, John Pritchard, George Furbay, and Thomas Pritchard. At the request of William Pritchard of Allegany County, Maryland acknowledgement of Thomas Pritchard and Mary his wife, Richard Price and Eleanor his wife, George Furbay and Elizabeth his wife, Davis Meredith and Anne (Nancy) his wife, John Parker and Mary his wife, was made for a certain deed of conveyance to be executed to William Pritchard of Allegany County, Maryland.
On December 3, 1814, William Pritchard paid Cornelius Skinner and his wife Sarah of Loudoun County Virginia $20 for their share of land being in the estate of Thomas Pritchard deceased lying and being in Allegany County Maryland and among the lots westward of Cumberland and distinguished by No. 96 and 97 containing 50 acres. This was one-ninth part of the estate of Thomas Pritchard.
From this deed, it is concluded that the estate of Thomas Pritchard Sr. was divided among his widow and his children.
The final account of the estate of Thomas Pritchard was made by William Pritchard, administrator, on October 12, 1815. It is quite possible that the widow of Thomas Pritchard died before the final settlement was made.
The foregoing notes were made by Ethel M. Taylor of Hays, Kansas, wife of a Pritchard descendant,. Her exhaustive research undertaken over many years has indeed verified the lineage and route of the first Pritchard settlers in Virginia to the West Virginia line.
Several DAR applications erroneously list William Pritchard, the youngest son of Thomas Pritchard, as the son of Thomas'ss brother, William Christopher Pritchard, who was killed in Maryland on June 18, 1777, while serving as a private in Colonel Daniel Morgan's 11th Virginia Regiment. These memberships were disproved (2003) and no more applications are being received on that line. Like his brother John, William Pritchard later dropped the 't' in his surname. William (with the 't' still intact, according to Allegany County, Maryland records) married Hannah Meredith on February 21, 1805. Upon the death of Thomas Pritchard Sr., William purchased all of the latter's land in Maryland, and also acted as the family representative in the absence of the two older sons, John in Scott county, Kentucky by that time, and Thomas Jr. in Monongalia County, Virginia (later West Virginia).
Despite the fact that Thomas Pritchard Sr. was a prosperous mason, carpenter, and landowner in Loudoun County, the lure of the wilderness was too great to ignore. Shortly after the war, when military lands in western Maryland became available to veterans, Thomas Sr. joined his son, John, and purchased lots there. Although Thomas Sr. has not yet been discovered to have been an official veteran of the war, family hearsay suggests that he was a friend of George Washington, perhaps having served with him as a surveyor many years earlier. It is also possible that he served the colonial army in a civilian capacity during the war, thereby becoming eligible for the lands.
As postwar pioneers, Thomas Pritchard Sr. and his family first sought their fortunes at Wills Creek, today's Cumberland, Maryland, later moving to lots just west of Westernport and Luke in Allegany County, today part of Garrett County, Maryland. Before leaving Loudoun County, John Pritchard married Annie Smarr and his sister, Sarah, married Annie's brother, John. (John later died, and Sarah remarried Cornelius Skinner. She is the only member of the immediate family who remained in Northern Virginia).
Eleanor Pritchard married Richard Price, Elizabeth married George Furbay, Nancy Anne married Davis Meredith, a widower and father of young Hannah (soon to become the wife of William Pritchard), and Mary married John Parker. Thomas Pritchard, Jr. married Nancy Titchenal, the member of a family arriving in western Maryland from Morris County, New Jersey, by way of Fairfax County, Virginia. Nancy's brother had served in the army with John Smarr and John Pritchard, and her father, Moses Titchenal (Tichnell, Titchnell, Tichnal and various other spellings), was a veteran of a New Jersey militia. Moses prospered on his homestead in Garrett County, while his sons became Methodist ministers with circuits that sent them preaching to settlers throughout western (West) Virginia.
In Loudoun and Fairfax counties, the Pritchards and Smarrs had grown wheat, vegetables, and fruits in their abundant gardens and orchards, along with the main crop of tobacco. They soon discovered, to their dismay, that the western portion of Maryland's Allegany County (later to become Garrett County) was the "icebox of Maryland." Snow came early in the fall and lasted until late spring. Blizzard conditions brought destruction to their livestock. No wonder Thomas Jr. named his Maryland property "Pritchard's Folly."
The sale of Pritchards Folly amended and lots 17, 18, and 19 of the lands lying westward of Fort Cumberland, etc. from Thomas Pritchard Jr. to Marcus Moore appears in Allegany County Maryland Book E, page 49. The purchase of this land by Thomas Pritchard from Samuel Beckwith is recorded on August 27, 1802 in Allegany County Maryland Book C, pp. 538-539. Thomas Pritchard Jr. purchased another 123 1/2 acres adjacent to "Pritchards Folly" from the State of Maryland, Western Shore Land Office on November 1, 1803 for 21 pds, 8 sh, 9 pence, recorded in Allegany County Maryland Patent Book IC #S, page 131. This land later became Garrett County. In 1804, he purchased another 108 1/2 acres. On November 18, 1813, Thomas Pritchard, Jr. (and wife Mary) sold his "child's portion" to William Pritchard. At the same time, land was conveyed to William Pritchard by Richard Price and Eleanor his wife, George Furbay and Elizabeth his wife, Davis Meredith and Anne (Nancy) his wife, and John Parker and Mary his wife. This land consisted of child's portion for each child of Thomas Pritchard Sr.
Other Pritchard families in Fairfax Counties which may be related to Thomas Pritchard Sr. (the following notes taken from card file in Fairfax County Historical Society located in the basement of the Court House adjacent to Chain Bridge Rd. and Little River Turnpike:
In Court Files: Pritchard 1788 - Sept. 22, 1789 - Schoolmaster listed between James Hickie and Richard Simpson on road from the County Line on Newgate Road to David Loofburrow's.
Philip Pritchard, Sept. 22, 1789, listed between John Gibson and William Buckley on Turnpike Road from County Line to Alexandria.
Philip Pritchard, July 18, 1791: tithables on his plantation in Truro Parish to work on the road from the county line on the Turnpike Road leading to Alexandria and to Ox Road. Listed between John Gibson and James Denneal, Jr.
Surveys p. 154 June 26, 1790: Philip Prichard, chain carrier on 383 acre survey for John Gibson of land near Bull Run.
Surveys p. 184, March 7, 1795 mention Traverse (Travis) Pritchard as chain carrier at Bull Run.
Lewis Pritchard, Feb. 19, 1798, Overseer of Old Courthouse Road from mouth of Popes Head Run to road leading to Newgate Road.
Sept. 23, 1801: William Pritchard chain carrier on 292 acres survey for heirs of Marmaduke Beckwith.
1807, p. 226: Travis Pritchartt (sic.) admr. of Lewis Pritchart (sic) dec'd.
Aug. 15, 1813: Travis Pritchard replaced by Benjamin Berkeley as surveyor of the road from the old county line along the Centreville Road to Francis Adams' blacksmith shop.
1816: Trustee and attorney in-fact for William Pritchard.
1822 p. 77 & p. 159: adm. of Sarah Pritchard, dec'd.
1824 p. 7: Adm. Rose Pritchartt dec'd, widow. adm. of Sarah Pritchard, dec. Aug. 20, 1822.
Travis Pritchardt dec'd March 21, 1825, estate inventory recorded; widow Rose's dower in slaves and personal estate set apart.
Lewis Pritchart (sic) June 20, 1837, p. 115, Licensed for ordinary until next May. With wife, deed to William Taller for all his interest in sundry lands.
Feb. 21, 1841 (or 1848) Within 30 days Rezin Williams(on?) must open street between his and S.M. Ball's lots known as North Street and in the rear of Pritchard's Stable, on North side of Courthouse.
In studying the progress of the Pritchard Family from Virginia's Northern Neck (Westmoreland, Richmond, King George Counties), it is important to bear in mind the fluctuating county boundaries and formation of new counties from older ones. Old Rappahannock County, for instance, disappeared completely, absorbed by Richmond County in 1692. A small portion of the land owned by the first Christopher Pritchard was initially in Old Rappahannock County, then in Richmond County until 1720, then in King George County. This strip of land did not join Westmoreland County until 1778. However, part of his land was always in Westmoreland County. Thus, even though the counties changed, Christopher remained on the same property.
His grandson Christopher, father of Thomas Sr. of Leesburg, appears in records of King George, Stafford, and Prince William, while Thomas Sr. is found in Fairfax and Loudoun (as well as court proceedings in adjacent Fauquier County). Prince William County was formed in 1730 from Stafford and King George Counties. Fairfax County was formed in 1742 from Prince William County. Loudoun County was formed in 1757 from Fairfax County. Fauquier County was formed in 1759 from Prince William County. From 1757 until 1798, Difficult Run was the boundary between Loudoun and Fairfax Counties, so it is not surprising that Cameron Parish, which served Leesburg, was located at the present-day boundary of Loudoun and Fairfax Counties just beyond the town of Herndon. At the time it served the Pritchard family (births, deaths, baptisms, and marriages were recorded there regardless of a family's religious affiliation, in accordance with the Church of England laws), the parish church was but a mile or so from Dranesville Tavern, an important stop on Leesburg Pike, the present-day Route 7 which runs from Alexandria (the Fairfax County seat from 1752 until 1800) to Leesburg. Unfortunately, the Cameron Parish records have mysteriously disappeared. They are rumored to be in the possession of someone with connections to the Virginia Theological Seminary and it is hoped that they will one day be returned to the Virginia State Library in Richmond. Furthermore, the Cameron Parish property is now privately owned and visitors are not permitted on the premises.
Goose Creek Chapel, located on State Route 15 north of Leesburg, no longer exists, but a road sign notes its location: "Built by Truro Parish Vestry 1736." This may have been where the Pritchards worshipped before Cameron Parish was established. Today, Truro Parish covers Fairfax City and surrounding area of Fairfax County.
Thomas Pritchard Sr. settled in Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia by 1759 and married Rachel Davis prior to that date. Their oldest son, John, served in the Revolutionary War. It is possible that Thomas, too, was involved in the war, as he is missing from the tax rolls for some of that period. He was a carpenter and mason and built several homes in Leesburg. He also made the railings for the Loudoun County Court House.
In 1760, he purchased one lot or half acre No. 62 lying in Leesburg, Loudoun County Virginia from Nicholas Minor on January 23, 1760 for six pounds.
Thomas Pritchard of Loudoun County Virginia purchased a lot or half acre No. 10 lying in Leesburg and binding on Loudoun Street from Nicholas Minor on February 26, 1760 for seven pounds. Thomas was to build a house of brick, stone or wood, 20 x 16x 9.
Thomas Pritchard was married to Rachel Davis by March 7, 1760. At that time, his occupation was joiner (skilled carpenter). A deed was made to George Vandiveere of Prince Georges County, Maryland for 32 pounds for the 216 acres lying in Cameron Parish. The deed was probably given for a loan of money as Thomas and Rachel sell this same land in 1794. It is not known when Thomas Pritchard received this land (the Lord Fairfax grant) from his father.
On August 8, 1761, Thomas Pritchard and Rachel his wife of Leesburg in Loudoun County sold one lot or half acre no. 10 to Jacob Shilling.
The names of Thomas Pritchard and Negro Hazzard were found on the Loudoun County, Virginia 1771 Tithable List of Francis Peyton, Cameron Parish. The names of John Smarr and Richard Skinner are also on this list. John Pritchard married Anna Smarr and Sarah Pritchard married Cornelius Skinner. This is further proof tying the Loudoun County Pritchards to the Allegany County, Maryland Pritchards.
Hopkins, Margaret Lail comp. & ed., Index to the Tithables of Loudoun County Virginia and to Slaveholders and Slaves 1758-1786, Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1991: p. 63 Pritchard (Prichard) John 84 Cameron, Thomas 60-65, 68, 70, 71c-73c, 79-80c, 84c (C= Cameron Parish).
Slaveholders and Slaves of Loudoun County, Virginia 1758-1786 p. 133, Pritchard, Thomas: Dick, 84, Hazzard 71-72, 75, Will 75.
Did Thomas Pritchard, Sr. see service during the Revolutionary War? This question is raised by the existence of a State of Virginia list copied from original records by the Secretary of War, Aug. 10, 1790. A Thomas Pritchard, dragoon, appears on "A list of the Officers and Soldiers of the Virginia Line on Continental Establishment..." He is given 100 acres for being a member of Continental troops. He is on a Company payroll as a private of the 5th Troop, commanded by Captain John Hughes, in the 1st Regiment of Light Dragoons, with service of one month and a pay of 81/3 dollars. Thomas Pritchett also appears on a list in vol. 176, p. 240 under "A List of soldiers of the Virginia Line on Continental Establishment who have received Certificates for the balance of their full pay Agreeable to an Act of Assembly passed November Session 1781." He received from Jos. Wood 23 pounds, 18 shillings, 2 pence on January 25, 1785. On the same page, 240, he received the sum of 13 pounds, 0 shillings, 6 pence on February 25, 1785 from Jos. Wood. Another item retrieved by Ethel Taylor is a small slip of paper that reads: This is to certify that the bearer, Thomas Pritchett, a gunner in the State Artillery, having served three years the time for which he stood engaged is hereby discharged form the Service of the United States given under my hand at Prince Edward Court House this 2d day of April 1785 - John Majarett, Major.
Loudoun County, Virginia 56th & 57th Regiments Militia Records 1793-1809, Virginia State Library, Richmond, VA, Reel # 98: Sept. 13, 1794 -
p. 48, Roster of the Company Commanded by Lieut. Charles Duncan 2nd Battalion 57th Regt. VA, Class No. 1, George Smarr, John Pritchett (this, no doubt, is John Prichard, son of Thomas, Sr.).
p. 49, Class No. 5, Thomas Pritchard, Phineas Skinner. Class No. 8, Richard Skinner Jr. Class no. 9, Cornelius Skinner, son of Richd.
p. 61, Roster of the Company of Grenadiers Commanded by 1st Battn. 57th Regt. VA MA, Class N. (listed between No. 1 and 2 - no number given: Thomas Pritchard now on command.
According to British Mercantile Claims, 1775-1803, Thomas Pritchard of Fairfax owned 23 pounds, 199 1/2 shillings, due June 1774. A notation was made that he removed to Carolina about two years ago; able to pay. (Was he visiting relatives or exploring the region?)
Thomas Pritchard was in and out of Loudoun County Court House many times, both as Plaintiff and Defendant, mostly for judgments involving money owed by another or by him. One of the most interesting entries in Loudoun County, Virginia Order Book H. May 1783 to May 1785, Virginia State Library, Richmond, Reel # 73, is as follows:
April 10, 1787 - Thomas Pritchard exhibits an account upon oath against his servant man John Bryan for eighteen pounds thirteen shillings and ten pence and twenty two days runaway time. Ordered that the said John Bryan serve his said Master further time according to Law & the costs. Tobacco rated at twenty shillings per hundred & Ordered that the Sheriff take the said John Bryan to the publick Whipping post and give him twenty five lashes on his Bareback well laid on & the same is ordered accordingly.
September 8, 1788, p. 491, Ordered that Thomas Pritchard be summoned to appear here at the next court to answer the complaint of John Bryan for not paying him his freedom due another complaints.
Loudoun County Virginia Order Book L, Sept. 1788 to March 1790: p. 215, June 11, 1789, John Bryan plaintiff, upon petition for freedom due. Thomas Pritchard Complied.
On March 25, 1794, Thomas Pritchard, Loudoun County, Virginia and Rachel his wife sold the 216 acres which was granted to his father Christopher Pritchard, August 27, 1741. This land was sold to William Ellzey, Jr. for forty pounds.
When they left Loudoun County, Thomas Pritchard Sr. and his family probably followed the Potomac River to the new frontier in western Maryland, arriving at Wills Creek in Allegany County (near present-day Cumberland) shortly after selling their Loudoun County land.
A survey was made for Thomas Pritchard Jr. in Allegany County for land called Pritchard's Folly, August 10, 1795.
Thomas Pritchard and Nancy Tichnell were married January 6, 1796 in Allegany County, Maryland.
Thomas Pritchard Sr. of Allegany County purchased lots 96 and 97, containing fifty acres, from Michael Boyles and Francis his wife, on May 22, 1796. This land was westward from Fort Cumberland.
Thomas Pritchard was assessed with military lots 96 and 97, valuation 22 pounds, 2 shillings, 8 d, and with personal property including 16 cattle 110 pounds 3 shillings 4 d, he was one of eight living in what is now Garrett County who were assessed with silver plate.
In 1798, John Pritchard was assessed with a house and lot in the village of Selbyport and with a nearby military lot 3294.
Ann (Nancy) Pritchard married Davis Meredith on November 8, 1800 in Allegany County, Maryland. Nancy was his third wife, the other two having died.
In the Allegany County, Maryland 1800 census, Thomas Pritchard Sr. was living in the Glades. In his household were one male and one female over 45 and two males and two females between 16-26.
Mary L. Pritchard married John Parker on December 22, 1804 in Allegany County, Maryland.
William Pritchard married Hannah Meredith, daughter of Davis Meredith, on February 18, 1805 in Monongalia County, Virginia. Hannah was the step-daughter of Ann (Nancy) Pritchard.
Thomas Pritchard Jr., Richard Price, John Parker, George Furbay, and Davis Meredith were all living in Monongalia County, Virginia in the 1810 census.
Thomas Pritchard Sr. is not found in the Allegany County Maryland 1810 census. William Pritchard is found living in District 1. In his household are two females over 45. Thomas Pritchard Sr. may have died before the census was taken and his widow (Rachel) was living with William.
On ? 1811, William Pritchard, administrator of the estate of Thomas Pritchard, late of Allegany County deceased, made oath that this account is just and true. (Film 013312 Allegany County Maryland Probate Records 179201830, p. 135.)
On June 9, 1813, the second account of William Pritchard, administrator of the estate of Thomas Pritchard late of Allegany County deceased, was made. After the widow's third was made, money was paid to Davis Meredith, John Pritchard, George Furbay, and Thomas Pritchard. At the request of William Pritchard of Allegany County, Maryland acknowledgement of Thomas Pritchard and Mary his wife, Richard Price and Eleanor his wife, George Furbay and Elizabeth his wife, Davis Meredith and Anne (Nancy) his wife, John Parker and Mary his wife, was made for a certain deed of conveyance to be executed to William Pritchard of Allegany County, Maryland.
On December 3, 1814, William Pritchard paid Cornelius Skinner and his wife Sarah of Loudoun County Virginia $20 for their share of land being in the estate of Thomas Pritchard deceased lying and being in Allegany County Maryland and among the lots westward of Cumberland and distinguished by No. 96 and 97 containing 50 acres. This was one-ninth part of the estate of Thomas Pritchard.
From this deed, it is concluded that the estate of Thomas Pritchard Sr. was divided among his widow and his children.
The final account of the estate of Thomas Pritchard was made by William Pritchard, administrator, on October 12, 1815. It is quite possible that the widow of Thomas Pritchard died before the final settlement was made.
The foregoing notes were made by Ethel M. Taylor of Hays, Kansas, wife of a Pritchard descendant,. Her exhaustive research undertaken over many years has indeed verified the lineage and route of the first Pritchard settlers in Virginia to the West Virginia line.
Several DAR applications erroneously list William Pritchard, the youngest son of Thomas Pritchard, as the son of Thomas'ss brother, William Christopher Pritchard, who was killed in Maryland on June 18, 1777, while serving as a private in Colonel Daniel Morgan's 11th Virginia Regiment. These memberships were disproved (2003) and no more applications are being received on that line. Like his brother John, William Pritchard later dropped the 't' in his surname. William (with the 't' still intact, according to Allegany County, Maryland records) married Hannah Meredith on February 21, 1805. Upon the death of Thomas Pritchard Sr., William purchased all of the latter's land in Maryland, and also acted as the family representative in the absence of the two older sons, John in Scott county, Kentucky by that time, and Thomas Jr. in Monongalia County, Virginia (later West Virginia).
Despite the fact that Thomas Pritchard Sr. was a prosperous mason, carpenter, and landowner in Loudoun County, the lure of the wilderness was too great to ignore. Shortly after the war, when military lands in western Maryland became available to veterans, Thomas Sr. joined his son, John, and purchased lots there. Although Thomas Sr. has not yet been discovered to have been an official veteran of the war, family hearsay suggests that he was a friend of George Washington, perhaps having served with him as a surveyor many years earlier. It is also possible that he served the colonial army in a civilian capacity during the war, thereby becoming eligible for the lands.
As postwar pioneers, Thomas Pritchard Sr. and his family first sought their fortunes at Wills Creek, today's Cumberland, Maryland, later moving to lots just west of Westernport and Luke in Allegany County, today part of Garrett County, Maryland. Before leaving Loudoun County, John Pritchard married Annie Smarr and his sister, Sarah, married Annie's brother, John. (John later died, and Sarah remarried Cornelius Skinner. She is the only member of the immediate family who remained in Northern Virginia).
Eleanor Pritchard married Richard Price, Elizabeth married George Furbay, Nancy Anne married Davis Meredith, a widower and father of young Hannah (soon to become the wife of William Pritchard), and Mary married John Parker. Thomas Pritchard, Jr. married Nancy Titchenal, the member of a family arriving in western Maryland from Morris County, New Jersey, by way of Fairfax County, Virginia. Nancy's brother had served in the army with John Smarr and John Pritchard, and her father, Moses Titchenal (Tichnell, Titchnell, Tichnal and various other spellings), was a veteran of a New Jersey militia. Moses prospered on his homestead in Garrett County, while his sons became Methodist ministers with circuits that sent them preaching to settlers throughout western (West) Virginia.
In Loudoun and Fairfax counties, the Pritchards and Smarrs had grown wheat, vegetables, and fruits in their abundant gardens and orchards, along with the main crop of tobacco. They soon discovered, to their dismay, that the western portion of Maryland's Allegany County (later to become Garrett County) was the "icebox of Maryland." Snow came early in the fall and lasted until late spring. Blizzard conditions brought destruction to their livestock. No wonder Thomas Jr. named his Maryland property "Pritchard's Folly."
The sale of Pritchards Folly amended and lots 17, 18, and 19 of the lands lying westward of Fort Cumberland, etc. from Thomas Pritchard Jr. to Marcus Moore appears in Allegany County Maryland Book E, page 49. The purchase of this land by Thomas Pritchard from Samuel Beckwith is recorded on August 27, 1802 in Allegany County Maryland Book C, pp. 538-539. Thomas Pritchard Jr. purchased another 123 1/2 acres adjacent to "Pritchards Folly" from the State of Maryland, Western Shore Land Office on November 1, 1803 for 21 pds, 8 sh, 9 pence, recorded in Allegany County Maryland Patent Book IC #S, page 131. This land later became Garrett County. In 1804, he purchased another 108 1/2 acres. On November 18, 1813, Thomas Pritchard, Jr. (and wife Mary) sold his "child's portion" to William Pritchard. At the same time, land was conveyed to William Pritchard by Richard Price and Eleanor his wife, George Furbay and Elizabeth his wife, Davis Meredith and Anne (Nancy) his wife, and John Parker and Mary his wife. This land consisted of child's portion for each child of Thomas Pritchard Sr.
Other Pritchard families in Fairfax Counties which may be related to Thomas Pritchard Sr. (the following notes taken from card file in Fairfax County Historical Society located in the basement of the Court House adjacent to Chain Bridge Rd. and Little River Turnpike:
In Court Files: Pritchard 1788 - Sept. 22, 1789 - Schoolmaster listed between James Hickie and Richard Simpson on road from the County Line on Newgate Road to David Loofburrow's.
Philip Pritchard, Sept. 22, 1789, listed between John Gibson and William Buckley on Turnpike Road from County Line to Alexandria.
Philip Pritchard, July 18, 1791: tithables on his plantation in Truro Parish to work on the road from the county line on the Turnpike Road leading to Alexandria and to Ox Road. Listed between John Gibson and James Denneal, Jr.
Surveys p. 154 June 26, 1790: Philip Prichard, chain carrier on 383 acre survey for John Gibson of land near Bull Run.
Surveys p. 184, March 7, 1795 mention Traverse (Travis) Pritchard as chain carrier at Bull Run.
Lewis Pritchard, Feb. 19, 1798, Overseer of Old Courthouse Road from mouth of Popes Head Run to road leading to Newgate Road.
Sept. 23, 1801: William Pritchard chain carrier on 292 acres survey for heirs of Marmaduke Beckwith.
1807, p. 226: Travis Pritchartt (sic.) admr. of Lewis Pritchart (sic) dec'd.
Aug. 15, 1813: Travis Pritchard replaced by Benjamin Berkeley as surveyor of the road from the old county line along the Centreville Road to Francis Adams' blacksmith shop.
1816: Trustee and attorney in-fact for William Pritchard.
1822 p. 77 & p. 159: adm. of Sarah Pritchard, dec'd.
1824 p. 7: Adm. Rose Pritchartt dec'd, widow. adm. of Sarah Pritchard, dec. Aug. 20, 1822.
Travis Pritchardt dec'd March 21, 1825, estate inventory recorded; widow Rose's dower in slaves and personal estate set apart.
Lewis Pritchart (sic) June 20, 1837, p. 115, Licensed for ordinary until next May. With wife, deed to William Taller for all his interest in sundry lands.
Feb. 21, 1841 (or 1848) Within 30 days Rezin Williams(on?) must open street between his and S.M. Ball's lots known as North Street and in the rear of Pritchard's Stable, on North side of Courthouse.