The exact location and birth year of John Counts has yet to be determined. The biggest clues to his approximate birth year are based on his acquisition of land, approximate marriage year and the approximate birth of his first child Eve. All three of these major life events occurred in the 1749-1753 range. Most men of the time were married and had their first child between the ages of 21 and 25. It can then be estimated that John was born between 1724 and 1729.
When Elihu J. Sutherland uncovered the cemetery for John Counts and his wife Mary Magdalena in 1931 at Glade Hollow, he noted that one crude stone was barely legible and it appeared to be for Mary Magdalena and a birth year of 1728 was noted. This corroborates the birth of John to be in the mid-1720s. Remember though, many elderly folks of the time period had forgotten their age and whoever created the stone could have merely guessed at a birth year.
John Counts' name first appeared in public record on the reverse side of a land warrant issued to John Baumgardner Sr. in January of 1749. This land grant was for the 270 acres at the mouth of the Hawksbill Creek that John would later officially purchase in 1765 from John Baumgardner Jr. The note was scribbled out and reads "by the request of John Baumgardner the deed is to be placed in the name of John Counts." The deed was not placed in his name although he began living on the 270 acres at this point.
In March of 1750, a deed of warrant was issued to John Counts just south of the Hawksbill but he denied it because he was already on the Hawksbill farm. A neighbor, John Rhodes, accepted this warrant and unfortunately in 1764, the Rhodes family was massacred by Indians while on this very land that our John Counts luckily denied.
In September 1755, John Counts was fined 10 shillings for not appearing at a muster of local militia in Frederick County. Also on this list was his neighbor on the Hawksbill Carl Kyser.
In March 1759, John Counts is found in Frederick County Court records receiving a promissory note from Simon Stacy. These court proceedings with the Stacy family would continue through the 1760's.
In the early 1760's, John Counts was involved in several suits with John Stacy in Frederick County and also other neighbors such as John Combs and Matthias Rhinehart. Eventually, John Stacy migrated to Russell County and had dealings there with John Counts.
In August 1765, John Counts officially purchased the 270 acres from John Baumgardner Jr. for 20 shillings which was a small amount of money for that much land. The fact the original grant in 1749 was intended to be given to John Counts and since he paid such a small amount for the land in 1765 likely implies a familial connection to the Baumgardner family.
In August 1773, in Dunmore County, VA (broken off from Frederick County) a baptismal record is found which states "Christina 5 month old daughter of John Countz and wife Magdalen was baptized" This is the first record we can find with mention of John's wife Mary Magdeline.
In 1775, a large petition of religious dissenters circulated to nearly every part of Virginia. This petition became known as The Ten Thousand Name Petition and included men who dissented from the Church of England. Of course this was taking place on the brink of the Revolutionary War and the men who signed their name supported independence. On page 23 of this petition, the signature of a John Kounze can be found. All evidence support this is our John Counts of Glade Hollow as the other men on this page were known neighbors to our John Counts including John Stacy, Edward Kelley, Spencer Breeding and other men who eventually migrated to Russell County, Virginia.
In 1782, Virginia started enumerating and taxing residents who owned personal property. At this time, John Counts' Hawksbill farm was located in the newly formed Shenandoah County. John Counts is found on the personal property tax lists of Shenandoah County from 1782 through 1789.
In March of 1783, John Counts sold 2 acres of his Hawksbill farm to Christian Baumgardner.
The migration of the neighbors and friends of John Counts in the Shenandoah Valley to Russell County began in the early to mid 1780's. Edward Kelly and Joseph Kiser were the first and probably motivated by religious reasons to help establish the Reeds Valley Baptist Church in Russell County. John Counts Jr., his sister Eve Counts Maddox, and his sister Mary Counts Rasnake all migrated to Russell County in 1787.
In September 1789, in an account book with merchant Derrick Penneybacker John is purchasing one small oven and tea kettles. Later Penneybacker sued John for not paying for some items before he left the Shenandoah Valley.
In October 1789, John Counts sold 240 acres of the original Hawksbill farm to Sinnet Young for 230 pounds of Virginia money.
By March 1790, John Counts is found on the personal property tax lists of Russell County, Virginia. John migrated to Russell County between October 1789 and March 1790 to several of his children who migrated in 1787.
In April 1791, now in Russell County, Virginia, John Counts is transferred 50 acres of land in Glade Hollow by John Stacey. This is the same John Stacey who had many dealing with John in the 1760's while in the Shenandoah Valley.
In July 1792 in Russell County, Virginia, John Counts is exempted from paying taxes due to old age and bodily infirmities.
A few various records for John Counts are found during the 1790's in Russell County Court records. Sometimes these records don't distinguish between John Counts of Glade Hollow and his son John Counts of Cleveland.
In August 1799, John Counts adds 36 more acres to his Glade Hollow farm.
The Will of John Counts is dated April 3rd, 1802. Click Here to read his will.
In July 1802, John Counts and Magdeline appear before the court in Russell County to acknowledge a deed to their son Phillip Counts who is still in the Shenandoah Valley on a small acreage of the original Hawksbill farm.
On April 27th, 1803, the will of John Counts was presented before the court of Russell County and proven. Therefore, John died somewhere between the time frame of April 1802 when his will was written, and April 1803 when it was proven.