This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/YZ5.2ACIB/1075 Message Board Post: "SOUTH RIVER PAXTONS. Thomas Paxton, Sr., died in 1762. His will was probated in Augusta county. He mentions his wife Sarah, his son Thomas, and his sons-in-law, Robinson and Eakin, and some grandchildren. We know he had other children. His son, Thomas Paxton, Jr., married Rebecca Robinson and left a large family. He was a large landowner, but I have been informed, held a very large amount of "Continental money" when the Revolution closed, and lost much of his property. I have a partial list of the descendant of Thomas Paxton, Sr., many of whom now live in this county. NORTH RIVER PAXTONS. As has been stated the "widow Paxton" who came from Lancaster county, Penn., to Virginia about 1746, had five sons. These were John, Thomas, Joseph, Samuel and William. I do not think they all came at the same time. It is probably that John and Thomas did not come prior to 1750. JOSEPH PAXTON purchased a tract of land on the south side of North river, which was conveyed to him by Robert Allison in 1748. Allison got a patent for it in 1746. It is described as lying on the river "opposite a place called the Narrows." He died in 1756, and devised the land to his brothers, Samuel and William, charged with the support of his mother, he leaves a legacy to the two children of his sister. He does not mention her name, but she was in Pennsylvania or Ireland, as he directs that the legacies be sent to them. SAMUEL married Mary Moore. He died in 1758, leaving half of Joseph's farm, and a tract of land known as"The Broad Spring," (afterwards owned by Mrs. Margaret Glasgow Edmondson) to his infant son Samuel. After his death his widow became the second wife of Major A. Stuart and was the ancestress of Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, C.S.A. I have not been able to trace the son Samuel, but he was living in Adair county, Kentucky in 1803. (Mary Moore Paxton, supra, was the aunt of Mary Moore, the "Captive of Abb's Valley.") JOHN PAXTON, the eldest son of the widow, was born in Ireland in 1715. There, or after he came to America, he married Mary Blair. He purchased lands on North River, and called his home place the "Green Tree." This consisted of 418 acres, and was devised by him to his son James, who sold it to James McDowell, who gave it to his daughter, Mrs. Taylor. One line ran from a tree in the rear of Mrs. Brawley's (1794) (note - the seven in 1794 is overwritten in ink with an 8 making it 1894) on Woods' creek, then up Preston's ally (sic), crossing Main street of Lexington, Va., at Rhodes' carriage shop to the rear of J. D. Anderson's house, thence towards the Fair Ground. It will be seen that a considerable portion of the town of Lexington is built on this farm. The present graveyard is on it. John Paxton died February 13th, 1787, and is buried in old Timber Ridge graveyard. He was frequently engaged in the Indian wars of his day, and is designated in the early records as "Captain John Paxton." His widow survived him many years, and died August 1821, aged over 96 years. From his will, which was probated in the Rockbridge County Court, it appears that he left a large estate, and a number of slaves. I can not give the names of his children in the order of their birth, but there are eight mentioned in his will. To all of his sons but James, to whom he left the home place, he gave lands and other property in his lifetime." transcribed from The Rockbridge Co., Va., Paxtons, pp. 3 & 4. written 1894 by W. P. Houston