| 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.
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West Virginia Pioneers
1784 - 1820 (36 years)
(Age 78 years)