DESCENDANTS
of
JOHN TARPLEY, Sr.
(1627 - 1663/64)

IMPRS: I bequeath my Soul to God who Gave it and my body to be Buryed as my Executors hereafter mentioned Shall think fitt.

ITEM - I give and bequeath to my two Sons Thomas and Charles TARPLEY two hundred and Sixty acres of Land Lying on the head of Farnham Creek to them and their heirs for ever Equally to be divided.

ITEM - I give unto my Son James TARPLEY ten Shillings and his heirs for Ever the land where I now live, he not molesting his Mother So long as She lives, but that he many have liberty to Seat on any part of the land, and to have one tobacco house and my Still &c. Only his brothers to Still their owne liquor in it.

ITEM - I give to my Son William TARPLEY ten Shillings to buy a Ring.

ITEM - I give to my Daughters Mary, Eliza: and Lucy each of them a Gold Ring.

ITEM - All the Rest of my Estate I Order to appraised in tobacco and to be Equally divided betweene my loving wife and all my Children, and each childs part to be paid him or her, meaning all my Sons att the age of eighteen, and my Daughters att ye age of Sixteene or Marriage.

ITEM - I do nominate and appoint my Loving wife, My Brothers John TARPLEY, William BARBER and Charles BARBER, my whole and Sole Executors: of this my Last Will, In Wits: Whereof I have hereunto Sett my Hand and Affixed my Seal this 12th day of December published in presence of us

James X TARPLEY (Seal)
his mark
Stephen S Gupton
mark
William Clarke
his mark
William W. Gupton mark

This Will was proved in Richmond County Court the 5th day of August 1713 by the oaths of Stepen Gupton William Clark and William Gupton Witnesses thereto and admitted to record

Teste: M. Beckwith, Cl: Cur:

"I don't know if story of the Bruton Church Bell is about the same James TARPLEY but he certainly was in the area and was the only one that appears to have the right age and the money to make such a major donation. These James TARPLEYs, who are very likely related, seems to have been deeply committed to the Williamsburg, Virginia community and, in the later part of his life, James TARPLEY, donated a bell, known as the Plantation Bell, to the Bruton Parish church in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Record of Bruton Parish Church, by Rev. William Archer Rutherfoord Goodwin, D.D. LL.D., p. 16, states:

"Additionally it may have also rung out the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766 and the adoption of the first complete act of sovereignty by any of the colonies, May 15, 1776, six weeks ahead of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. On October 19, 1781, it celebrated the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and later the peace with Great Britain.

"A plaque in the vestry room of the church states:

It is conceivable that Mary Oldham did marry a James Tarpley. However, the numbers of records verifying the marriage to Mary Camp or Mary Oldham are virtually non-existant.  Judge Price was basing her information on what were "good family sources" and Ms. Macdonald is basing it on census, tax records, and known wills.  She gives no real proof of a recorded marriage any more than Judge Price.  She is largely using naming patterns and a few existing records and is making some leaps of faith about the longevity of James Tarpley.  According to Russ Williams' construction of Judge Price's research, Ms. Macdonald seems to have skipped one generation of the Tarpley family and merged two different James Tarpley documents into one individual.  According to her, James Tarpley, Jr. is born 8 May 1692 and dies in 1781 in Brunswick County at the age of 89. The first birth date does belong to James Tarpley (born 8 May 1692 North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia), in my records; but he, according to other researchers, died about 1765, perhaps in or near Charlotte County, Virginia. There is no will or record to verify this. He is, according to Judge Price, the James Tarpley who married Mary Camp 5 January 1733/34 in King and Queen County, Virginia. They, in turn, have a son, James Tarpley Jr. (born 21 July 1743 in North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia) , who is about the right age to have married but we have no wife listed for him.

The death date Ms. Macdonald uses for James Tarpley may be more accurately placed on James Tarpley, the son of William Tarpley (born 16 March 1695) who, in turn, was the son of James Tarpley and Mary Biddlecomb.  William Tarpley's wife is Mary.  It is possible that William may have married an Oldham.  This son of William, James Tarpley, seems to have married a ------ Williams, daughter of John Williams (born ca. 1701, died 1751) whose wife is Mary. Other early Tarpley deeds suggest that this James Tarpley's wife is Tabitha.  Some researchers have listed Tabitha as an Oldham. James and his wife Tabitha made a sale on September 30, 1779, to Drury Matthews in fee simple, of 200 acres of land in the parish of St. Andrews in Brunswick County, before Thomas Edmunds, William Walker, and John Hawkins, because it was convenient for her to travel to the courthouse to renounce her dower. Two of the men were to make sure that she did so voluntarily.  John Hawkins and William Walker reported to the court on January 30, 1781, that she did so. These documents do not make any references to any Oldham family in any capacity, even as a witness, whereas, you do find Hugh Williams listed. He seems to be a possible brother of Tabitha. Although Ms. Macdonald states that Hugh is not the brother of Mary Tarpley, he could be the brother of Tabitha since Winifred Tarpley is listed as a niece in his will of 30 October 1780. 

The Will (of my records) gives the death of James Tarpley I who is not disputed by either Judge Price or Ms. Mcdonald.  If the James Tarpley of my records existed there is no will to base his death date on.  The only usable Tarpley will of the approximate time period is the one argued by Ms. Macdonald to fit her 89 year old ancestor. This is the last Will and testimony  of James Tarpley found in Brunswick County, Virginia (Order Book 2 , p. 167) as  follows: 

Will of James Tarpley

In the name of God Amen        I  James  Tarpley  of the parish of Saint Andrews and County of Brunswick being of perfect sense and memory to make and ordain this my last will &Testament in manner and form following Imprimis I give and bequeath to my son John Tarpley one feather bed & such furniture as can conveniently be made, and my blacksmith tools that he has now in possession. Item I give and beqeath to my Daughter Winifred Tarpley one feather bed & furniture one cow & calf, my mother less colt, and my woman's saddle at my wife's death, one pewter dish and bason & six pewter plates and my chest of drawers.  Item I give and bequeath to my son William Tarpley my two work steers cart & wheels, great bible, casks of all kinds, and all my tools of all kinds not already given, Item  I give and bequeath to my sons Thomas & James Tarpley  to each of them one shilling.  Item  all the rest of my estate I lend to my loving wife during her natural life and at her death to be equaly divided between my following children, viz:  John, Charles, William and Winifred Tarpley,  Sarah Elmore, and Elizabeth Alling.  Item  I make and ordain constitute & appoint my two sons John and William Tarpley my whole & sole Executors of this my last will and Testament  In witness whereof I here-unto set my hand and Seal this 22d day of July 1780.  Item my will  desire is that my Estate be not appraised.

Signed Sealed published & 
declared in presence of 
Hugh Williams
Charles Matthis
Drury Matthis

The Will above does not make a reference to any Oldham connections but the Williams connection is made with Hugh Williams as a witness.   So even if this James Tarpley is the same person it still does not give an Oldham family connection. It does not have the correct children listed according to the North Farnham Parish records. The James Tarpley of my record doesn't have a child named Charles or William, and he does have a Mary that is not listed. It seems that this Will is better suited for James Tarpley, son of William Tarpley below.  

The James Tarpley below (born ca. 1752,  died 1791 of Russ Williams's records) is listed in the Will of William Tarpley and is the one with the references to the Oldham family in Brunswick County .  This James made his Last Will and Testament on 2 November 1791. It was proved 6 February 1792. He lived in Charlotte County, Virginia and named one of his sons Oldham Tarpley who married, Mary, widow of William Brown.  The will of this James Tarpley is quoted by Ms Macdonald as proof of the marriage of James Tarpley (born 8 May 1692) to Mary Oldham. Certainly, Winifred Tarpley , James's sister,  marries Isaac Oldham. The family lineation that I have below comes from the records of Russ Williams.   

  William Tarpley family

 William Tarpley  (son of James Tarpley I and Mary Biddlecombe)
born: 16 March, 1695*          died ? married Mary ______________

Mary Tarpley born December 7, 1723*   married George Taylor  (son of Simon Taylor) had five children
John Tarpley born Sep. 29, 1729*  died after 1782  married  a Starling or Tillman
James Tarpley born December 8, 1731*   died St. Andrews Parish, Brunswick County, Virginia 1780-81 married ______ Williams (daughter of John and Mary Williams) 
Hannah Tarpley born January 6, 1735 North Farnham Parish, Virginia* 
         
*childrens' birthdates listed in North Farnham Parish records [McGhan p. 457] 
           [records of Russ Williams]

____________________________________________________

James Tarpley family

 James Tarpley (son of William Tarpley and Mary ___ )
born December 1731         died St. Andrews Parish, Bruswick County, Virginia 1780-81
married ______ Williams (daughter of John and Mary Williams)

John Tarpley    married  Agnes Moore 1 June 1775 Charlotte County, Virginia.
Winnifred Tarpley married Isaac Richard Oldham 29 December 1786 Brunswick County, Virginia

William Tarpley married Betty Almond, Jr. (daughter of John Almond) Jan. 1782 Charlotte County, Virginia
Thomas Tarpley married Milly Moore 16 October 1786 St. Andrews Parish, Brunswick County, Virginia (relative of Samuel Moore)
James Tarpley  born ca. 1752 died 1791 Cornwall County, Virginia married (?) possibly Mary Oldham
Charles Tarpley (resident of  Brunswick County, Virginia 1773) 
Sarah Tarpley married James Elmore died before 1804 , lived in Charlotte County, Virginia
Elizabeth Tarpley married _______ Alling
           [records of Russ Williams]

____________________________________________________

James Tarpley family

 James Tarpley (son of James Tarpley and ____ Williams )
born about 1752          died 1791 Cornwall Parish, Charlotte County, Virginia
married ______ unknown (?) possibly an Oldham 

Mary Tarpley       married John Eudailey 1 October 1787 by Rev. Thomas Johnston
Elizabeth "Betsey" Tarpley ca. before 1806       married David Michael Miller 15 September 1791 by Rev. Edward Almond
William Tarpley died in Charlotte County, 1794       married Mary Oliver (daughter of John Olliver) 29 May 1792 
Robert "Robbin" Thomas Tarpley       married Jancy Gears 5 April 1799 Prince Edward County, Virginia (daughter of Thomas Gears)
John Tarpley
Oldham Tarpley       married Mary (widow of William Brown) June 1810 
Peterson Tarpley 
Nancy "Ann" Tarpley born 2 July 1768 Brunswick County       married Carloss Featherston 28 August 1794 
           [records of Russ Williams]

The Oldham connection may have gone back much earlier in the Tarpley and Oldham family than any of these researchers indicate.  The Kentucky Family Records, vol. 1 p. 65, lists the Tarpley Oldham  Bible. It has Tarpley Oldham born on August 24, 1765; no place of birth is given but he is supposed to have married Polly (his first wife died October 1812) in Franklin County, Virginia in 1790.  He died May 21, 1837, probably in Kentucky.  They had ten children, one son named Tarpley Oldham born March 9, 1800 who died in 1810 and another son, James Tarpley Oldham born February 20, 1816 who died February 13, 1893. This Tarpley Oldham could not be the child of Isaac Oldham and Winnifred Tarpley, the sister to James Tarpley, because they didn't marry until 1786 according to my records. 

The connection of James Tarpley (of my records) to the Mary Camp family is no easier to make.  Judge Price does seem to be developing a family with little to no presently available documentation.  What records she may have had have been lost in subsequent years.  None of this precludes the fact that any of these James Tarpleys may have had a first or second marriage to a Mary Oldham or that James Tarpley actually married a widowed Mary Oldham who may actually have been originally of the Camp family.   Ms. Macdonald has used deductive reasoning to come to her conclusion that this is the only possible explanation based on her discovery of only three Mary Tarpleys in Virginia. She states that there is twenty years difference in the ages of James and Mary. She also claims that Mary Oldham was born 25 June 1712 in Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia, the daughter of John Oldham who lived in the same area as James Tarpley (son of James Tarpley and ____ Williams ). This means that our suspect James Tarpley was twenty years old when she was born. He could easily have been married and have raised other children before she was of marriagable age. It seems very reasonable to me, based on discoveries in my other families, that James could probably have had a second wife, or even a third wife, and a prior family within the twenty years difference, especially if he has the kind of virility and longevity Ms. Macdonald is projecting. Even Ms. Macdonald says "The younger James Tarpley seems not to have married before 1733." She seems to be using the marriage date that we have for Mary Camp, as the marriage date for Mary Oldham and all subsequent children, hers alone; and I have no earlier marriage date for James. The Will used to identify Mary Oldham as a Tarpley was not made until 29 January1765. 

Ms. Macdonald brings up an interesting series of coincidences and documents that do need to be fitted into the makeup of the Tarpley, Camp, and Oldham family history. But, based on present information in her records, conflicts over dates, and other researchers' best efforts, I am not convinced that we have all the facts or the correct individuals. The birth date of Mary, daughter of John and Sarah Oldham on June 25, 1712 comes from the North Farnham Parish records; but there is no marriage-record for either Mary Camp or Mary Oldham to a James Tarpley. The date of birth Ms. Macdonald uses is very troubling.  The elimination of this James Tarpley/Mary Camp marriage would drastically alter the ancestral line and elimnate the Tarpley/Brashear families. I need more proof, Bible records, marriage-records, or other Wills to nail this down. There are simply too many Tarpleys and Marys in the same region with the same names to make easy assumptions even if they are living on the same property.  Until such time as as firm documentation is found, I will maintain the Mary Camp marriage and family as listed.

1777, June 23 - James Tarpley (of Ms. Macdonald's records) is excused from paying further levies. No reason is given but it is theorized by Ms. Macdonald that it was due to his being eighty-five years of age. I have seen other examples for being excused, including being lame or injured. I would also have expected that he would have received this kind of excuse at an earlier age than eight-five since very few people survived to this ancient age at that time.   [Brunswick County, Virginia Order Book. 13, p. 156]

1779, March 6 - James Tarpley Sr.(of Ms. Macdonald's records), sold to William Tarpley all of Brunswick, 200 acres, for £100. James and Mary Tarpley were to have use of the plantation during their lifetimes. Thomas Tarpley was a witness.  [Brunswick Co., Virginia Deed Book. 13, p. 243]

Sources:

"After the fall of Charleston and the loss of Lincoln's Army, there were no Americans in arms in the state except a few small detached bodies of patriots, mostly old men and young boys. Men of the regular army had become prisoners of war or had escaped from the state. Rapacious plundering, outrages, and murders were the order of the day. Volunteer bands sprang up like mushrooms, many of whom are not mentioned in history, but it was these who played a large part in the salvation of the state.

"The Sullivan Scouts was organized among relatives, friends, and neighbors. It was a loose organization of some 100/150 men, with 4 co-captains, each of whom, in an emergency, would call together the men nearest him or whom he could reach and go at once into action, while the rest of the company was being assembled by signals or courier. Each of the captains was directly responsible for defending a certain territory. Sometime the farm bell, the cow-horn, or a woman on horseback sounded the alarm. The women were placed on alert and used their ingenuity to warn neighbors of impending trouble. Sometimes the call of a bird or a smoke signal was used . The men, working the fields or elsewhere, would at once drop everything, gather their arms, mount fleet horses, and rush to the assembling place. Many of the Tories were caught and hanged. The site is a ford on Reedy River, to the rear of the Prospect Baptist Church (colored) where baptisms took place in the river. This place was near an old tan yard and about two miles from the old Lebanon Methodist Church of today. There is a list of men who were hanged here and some their families are very prominent today."

"Granny Susan ["Susannah ("Susan") D. CAMP (née WAGGONER)], while feeding her cows, heard the firing of guns at the Battle of King's Mountain. Her husband, Thomas CAMP, was in the battle and was wounded by a bullet passing across his forehead just beneath the skin. In the aftermath, he was called 'Scary Tom.'"

W. G. VINSON purchases - 1 negro woman, "Cloe," for $625 and 1 boy, "Bob," for $427
Willam T. WATTS, purchases 1 negro man, "George" for $420
Drury GRAYDON purchases 1 saddle for $100, 1 sorrel mare for $100, 1 negro man, "Jacob," for $706, 1 negro boy, "Joshua," for $520
Charles TERRY purchases- 1 heiffer for $6.25
John TERRY purchases - several small items, and negro boy, "Adam," for $913
Asbury TERRY purchases - several small items, and negro boy, "Washington," for $757
Moses MYERS purchases - 1 steer for $6.50
Nimrod NEIGHBORS purchases - several small items, and negro boy, "Dick," for $919
Zacheriah GRAY purchases - 16 bushels of refined corn for $6.40
Leroy MADISON purchases - 1 bay horse for $69.50
William NIZBITT purchases - 20 dozen oats for $2.40
There are other smaller sales.