Thomas Pasley

Thomas (William? Clopton?) Pasley was born January 29, 1762 in Buckingham County, Virginia to Thomas Pasley and Margaret Clopton. He married Winifred Frances Adcock on November 5, 1785 in Buckingham County, Virginia. They had twelve children:

1. William Pasley, b. Jan 19, 1798 in Bourbon Co., KY, m. Polly Collin May 14, 1812, d. Jul 22, 1833.

2. Elizabeth "Betsy" Pasley, b. Oct 27, 1790 in Owen Co., KY, m. John McGinnis Jun 5, 1809

3. Elkanah Pasley, b. Oct 11, 1792 in Owen Co., KY, m. Polly Manery Apr 21, 1812

4. John H. Pasley, b. Mar 26, 1795 in Owen Co., KY, m. Elizabeth Tinder Nov 14, 1822, d. Jul 10, 1833.

5. James B."Joseph" Pasley, b. Apr 17, 1797 in Owen Co., KY, m. Betsy Blunt Aug 22, 1819

6. Anderson "Andrew" Pasley, b. Oct 18, 1799 in Owen Co., KY, m. Jane Scott Jul 3, 1821

7. Angelina Pasley, b. Oct 5, 1800 in Owen Co., KY, m. William Scott Apr 4, 1819

8. Daniel Burgess Pasley, b. 16 Nov 1803 in Owen Co., KY

9. Stephen Pasley, b. May 21, 1806 in Owen Co., KY (of "unsound mind) according to 1830 pension document). Died c. 1846 (ref: AFN NUMBER MQD2-5J)

10. Thomas Clopton Pasley, b. Jun 6, 1808 in Owen Co., KY, m. Susanne Carter Dec 12, 1832

11. Polly Jarrard or Gerrard Pasley, b. Apr 27, 1812 in Owen Co., KY, m. John Adcock Dec 26, 1833

12. Pamelia Audrey Pasley, b. Dec 24, 1814 in Owen Co., KY ("unhealthy" according to 1830 pension document), m. John Carter, d. Aug 9, 1837.

Source for all children, birth dates and marriages come from copies of Bible records attached to Revolutionary War Pension Records. File is attached.

Thomas served in the Revolutionary War as a Private in the "Virginia Line" on Feb 18, 1779 in Buckingham Co, VA for a term of a year and a half. He would have only been seventeen years old. He was in Capt. Ben Taliaferro's Company, Colonel Richard Parker's Regimine, and General Scott's Brigade (Whitley, 68). He was captured in May 1780 after the Siege of Charleston (the largest American surrender of the war). According to his pension records he was taken prisoner for four years, held in the West Indies before being returned in 1784. Considering that over 45% of the American prisoners of war died in captivity, and that those prisoners sent to the West Indies endured "hard labor, crowded conditions, starvation and disease," Thomas's survival is a testament to the strength and character he must have possessed as a young man.

Revolutionary War application #W-8506; Pasley applied for pension on September 5, 1826 at the age of 65 in Owen Co., KY (Whitley, 68).

REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION – THOMAS PASLAY Contributed by: Ken Adcock <kadcock@adcockconsulting.com> Owen Co. KY --- next to Henry Co. Adcock, John m. Polly Pasley 26 Dec. 1833 Adcock, Drucilla m. Thomas Pasley 10 Jan. 1838 George Adcock Sr. I do hereby certify that I enlisted Thomas Paslay in Buckingham county Virginia in the regular service of the United States of America and to the best of my recollection it was in the fore part of the year 1779. I was then legally authorized to recruit for the army and the said Paslay was sworn in as a regular soldier by Colonel John Cavel of said county and marched from thence to Fredericksburgh and shortly afterward he was marched to the south and was taken prisoner at the siege of Charlestown in South Carolina and I think it was five years or nearly so before he was released and returned home. Given under my hand this 1st day of September 1826 his George X Adcock mark Shelby county [initials] I do hereby certify that the above certificate was sworn to and subscribed before me.given under my hand as a Justice of the Peace in and for the county of Shelby this 1st day of September 1826 Geo. Bergen [I can't make out the initials here or next to Shelby county, above] In his application for a pension, Thomas Pasley says that he was taken to the West Indies. Also included in the papers is the following statement. Shelby County [initials illegible] I George Bergen do certify that George Adcock Sen'r(?) is a very old man by(?) his appearance and the best information I have he is [there is a blemish in the microfilm covering the word by, above, and the age, here, but I believe it says ninety] years old or upwards he appears to be a man of truth and veracity and there is no doubt but he was a recruiting official in the revolutionary war given under my hand this 24th day of November 1826 Geo Bergen [initials illegible] Also, I can't be sure about the word after George Adcock, above, but I think it is Sen'r Buckingham co., Virginia, 17 November 1785. Marriage of Thomas PASLAY and Winney ADCOCK (of Age). Surety: James BRISTOW. Marriages Of Buckingham County, Virginia, Virginia Historical Society (from photocopy, exact source unknown)

A page from the Pasley Family Bible:

Thomas died April 13, 1844 in Owen County, Kentucky.

From Ancestry.com note:

Thomas enlisted in the Revolutionary War in 1779 at Buckingham County, Virginia. He was 17 years old when he joined the Virginia Militia. He was in the sieges of

Savannah and Charleston, and at 18 was taken prisoner at Charleston. Transported to the West Indies, he was held over four years, until the war was over.

War pension certificate # 20105. Application for pension September 5, 1826. From Owen County, Kentucky. He returned from Service in 1784. He married Winifred

Adcock in 1785. Thomas signed an indenture in Bourbon County, Kentucky in 1824. He performed marriages in Owen, County, Kentucky in 1819. He bought land in Owen County, Kentucky in 1825, 1832, 1839. He made a will in 1837. He was a farmer and a minister.

Sources:

Whitley, E. (1984). Genealogical Records of Buckingham County, Virginia. Genealogical Publishing Com.