Excerpt from : http://members.tripod.com/~dickdfox/index-ransdell.html William was probably the eldest son of Wharton [I] (d.1755). He lived in Fauquier County, Virginia. His wife was Mary Chilton, daughter of Thomas Chilton and Jemimah Cooke. ===== Will of WILLIAM RANSDELL, SENIOR 3 July 1776 "Abstracts of Fauquier County, Virginia 1759-1800 Pages 289-290: ...beloved wife: use of my whole Estate during her natural life & after her death as follows: ...Wharton-my Mansion house and plantation thereunto belonging-1/3 of my whole Tract of Land ...Thomas and William - the remaining part of my Tract of Land - my desire that my Mill be kept for the use of my plantation and my three sons upon the Tract of land ...If my son Wharton should die that then the land and plantation divided to him shall devolve unto my son Thomas & the land devised unto him be equally divided between my two sons Edward & Chilton Ransdell ...If either of my two sons Thomas or William die the Land devised to them be equally divided between my two sons Edward and Chilton Ransdell ...All my Negroes, Stock, Household furniture to be equally divided between all my Children after the death of my wife according to Justice and Equity Executors: loving sons: Wharton, Thomas and William Signed:Will'm Ransdell, Sen'r. Witness: Benjamin Ashby, John Marshall, Ju., John Ritchie Proved: 29 October 1776, on o. of John Marshall, Ju., John Ritchie. Cert. to obtain probate granted to Thomas and William Ransdell ===== In his father's will, William received land in Prince William County on Cobbler's Mountain. This land may have fell in Culpeper County or on the Fauquier-Culpeper line. (Fauquier was formed from Prince William; Culpeper was formed from Orange). From Fauquier County, Virginia Deeds 1759-1778, p5 by Gott: "pages 78-82. 19 Nov 1759. Lease and release. Between Benjamin Ashby and Hannah his wife and Robert Ashby, Gent. ... in consideration of a certain tract of land in Culpeper County .. 50 acres near the Cobler Mountains and on the Branch of Goose Creek ... beginning .. by Main Road .. corner to land of Turner, dec'd. .. Tree of Mr. William Ransdell ===== >From Fauquier County, Virginia Deeds 1759-1778, p5 by Gott: "pages 62-65: 23-24 Mar 1760. Lease and release. Between William Ransdal and Mary his wife and Robert Ashby ..L70 ..200 acres, being part of a larger tract purchased by Wharton Ransdell from the Exors. of Mr. Burgess of Lancaster County, dec'd. Signed William Ransdell, Mary Ransdell. Rec:27 Mar 1760. Ack. by William and Mary, who was privily examined. ===== The Virginia Genealogist (The Chilton Families): On 23 Mar 1760, William Ransdell and Mary his wife of Hamilton Parish sold 200 acres to Robert Ashby. ... Mary Ransdell was charged with 350 acres on the Fauquier County land tax book of 1783. The next book showed her with only 82 acres and transferred 268 acres to Aquila Dyson. The deed affecting this sale was made on 27 Oct 1783 by Thomas Ransdell for L200 and did not describe the land as being part of the estate of William Ransdell deceased or of Mary Ransdell. Chilton Ransdell and Susannah his wife of Fauquier County relinquished all rights to 50 acres sold to Benjamin scott by his late brother Wharton Ransdell and 8 acres 28 square polws sold Scott by Thomas Adams and on 29 Sep 1807 they conveyed to Thomas Adamsfor $200 a tract of 157 acres formerly the property of William Ransdell deceased, which was conveyed by Wharton Ransdell to Thomas Adams, excepting 8 acres 28 poles. The Virginia Genealogist (The Chilton Families): Thomas Chilton died in 1765 ... He confirmed to his daughter Mary Ransdell five Negroes in her possession and also gave her another Negro for life with reversion to his grandson Chilton Ransdell. ===== These are the children of William Ransdell and Mary Chilton with comments from a letter by Bob Moore. (1) Thomas Ransdell. Probably the Thomas Ransdell who d. ca. Sept. 1796 with his estate administered by Chilton Ransdell with Orrick Chilton and William Ball Jr. as Chilton's securities (see Alcock's Fauquier Families). Difficult to distinguish him from his cousin Thomas, son of Wharton. He left orphans John and Maria, minors in 1809. He is probably the one who m. Mary (Morehead?) Ransdell 8 Nov. 1786. Thomas was named in his father's will. [From "The Virginia Genealogist", The Chilton Families: Thomas Ransdell was appointed an officer in the Virginia Continental line and served to the end of the war. He was recorded as entitled to land as a captain from Jul 1776 to 4 Mar 1783. In Sep 1796, Chilton Ransdell was granted administration on the estate of Thomas Ransdell and gave bond for $6000 with Orrick Chilton and William Ransdall as his securities. He was at the same time appointed guardians of Maria and John Randsdell, only heirs of Thomas.] (2) William Ransdell. He could be the one who d. ca. 1788, Fauquier Co. (See, p. 290, Fauquier Families, 1759-1799, where Turner Morehead was granted administration of that William's estate. William was named in his father's will. (3) Wharton Ransdell, living 1790, apparently died unm. See p. 290, Alcock's Fauquier Families, where there is mention in June 1792 of the selling of the estate of Wharton, son of William and Mary to pay debts. It is assumed that he was the Wharton whose heirs were involved in the 1809 court case against Wharton Ransdell's heirs. He was named in his father's will. Wharton sold 157 acres, part of the lot devised to him by his father William Ransdell on 25 Nov 1789. He conveyed another 50 acres to Benjamin Scott on 8 Apr 1790. I believe him to bethe bondsman for his sister Hannah's marriage in 1779. (4) Chilton Ransdell, d. 1808 Fauquier Co., Va. (see Fauquier Will Book 4, pp. 516-17), m. 13 Jan. 1792, Fauquier Co., Va., cousin Susanna Chilton, dau. of William Chilton (Mary Chilton Ransdell's brother) and Sarah Orrick. He was named in his father's will. On 24 Apr 1787 he purchased 423 acres from George Fowke. (Deed Book 17, pp 407-409, proven 24 Jul 1809; Wharton is also named as grantee.). He m. Jan 1792, Susanna Chilton. He died in 1808 leaving a will dated 21 Apr 1808 and proved 24 Oct 1808 in which he directed 200 acres of his plantation should be sold to pay his debts and give the remainder of his estate to all of his children, reserving 1/3 to his wife Susanna. He named his wife executrix and friends William Chilton and William Bower executors. (5) Edward Ransdell. Mentioned in 1773 will of uncle Edward and in his father's will. Not mentioned in the suit regarding his brother Wharton's heirs. (6) Stephen Ransdell. Resided in Fauquier. Probably unmarried. He was mentioned in the suit regarding Wharton's heirs. He was not named in his father's will but was named in the Mark Anthony Chilton letter ..... They (the children of William and Mary) were all very respectable with the exception of Stephen and Ursula. Stephen was a resident of Fauquier County and died leaving John Ransdell his only heir (Ransdell v. Hunton). (7) Mary Ransdell, apparently married, 5 Jan. 1789, Fauquier Co., Va., John Clarke. Neither she nor any of her sisters were mentioned in her father's will. She was named in the Mark Anthony Chilton letter as a daughter of William and Mary. (8) Ursula Ransdell. She was mentioned in letter from Mark A. Chilton to Robert H. Chilton ... They (the children of William and Mary) were all very respectable with the exception of Stephen and Ursula. Ursula was cited by Dorman in his Chilton family history and in the suit regarding heirs of brother Wharton. (9) Sally Ransdell, m. 26 Sept. 1786, Fauquier Co., Va., Nathaniel Gray and apparently died soon afterwards. Not named in the suit regarding heirs of brother Wharton. (10) Elizabeth (Betsy) Ransdell, m. 18 March 1789, Fauquier Co, Virginia, Nathaniel Gray. She was named in the 1809 court case. and was named in the Mark Anthony Chilton Letter. (11) Hannah Ransdell. She was not named in her father's will nor was she named in the 1843 letter by Mark Anthony Chilton. She was however named with other children of William and Mary in an 1809 court case in Fauquier, Catesby Graham vs. among others "representatives" of Wharton Ransdell, dec'd. Also named as reps were Wm. Moore & Hannah, his wife, Nathaniel Gray & Eliz. his wife; William Ball and Mary his wife; Chilton Ransdell, Stephen Ransdell, Ursula Ransdell; John & Maria (under 21), orphans of Thos Ransdell, dec'd, then listed last were John & Lucy his wife. [Being named first, she may have been the eldest child.] Hannah was born 22 Oct 1758 in Fauquier County and married William Moore, an officer in the Revolution, on 08 Jan 1779 in Fauquier County. Wharton Ransdell, probably her brother, was bondsman for the marriage. The Moores moved to Fayette County, Kentucky about 1790. Hannah died Oct 1810. In a 1783 Fauquier deed William Moore's lands adjoined those of Thomas Ransdell and Wharton Jr. (12) John Ransdell m. Nov. 1792, Lucy Chilton, b. 20 Dec. 1773. Moved to Henry Co., Ky. by 1809. He was not named in her father's will nor was she named in the 1843 letter by Mark Anthony Chilton. [Note: The MAC Letter says that there were six sons but then names only five.] He was however named with other children of William and Mary in a lawsuit (See Hannah above). ===== Excerpt from a letter written12 July 1843 by Mark AnthonyChilton to his cousin Lieutenant R.H. Chilton, U. S. Drgs. at Fort Gibson. "Dear Sirs: A few days ago I returned from a visit to Ohio and Western Virginia, to which places I was about setting out when your letter of the 13th of March, 1843, came to hand. Since reaching home I have been afflicted with a bad cold which has prevented me from answering you sooner. Before I proceed to relate to you such parts of our Family History which have come to my knowledge, I must premise that I am the youngest child of the youngest son of my grandfather, Thomas Chilton. When my father died, who was the last surviving son of my grandfather, I was about three years of age. Consequently, I could not have derived any invention from my uncles, neither have I at any time had access to the family records, as they, by the entail law, pertained to the eldest branch of the family. The only information which I have obtained has been from our Aunt Mary Ransdell a lady of estimable character, from my mother, and from my sisters, brothers and cousin ....... My aunt, Mary Chilton, married William Ransdall of Westmoreland County, Virginia and moved to Fauquier, where she died. She had six sons and three daughters, viz.: Thomas, William, Wharton, Chilton (who married your Aunt Susan), Stephen, Elizabeth, Mary and Ursula. They were all very respectable with the exception of Stephen and Ursula." [Note by D.Fox: Mary Ransdell is quoted as the source of this Ransdell history. She died aboaut 1789, 54 years before this letter was written. Mark Chilton, the author of the letter was11 years old when she died. Hannah Ransdell Moore left Virginia for Kentucky about 65 years before Mark's letter was written. In other words, it is highly feasible and highly probable that Hannah could have been forgotten when Mark Anthony Chilton wrote his genealogy.]