Rachael or Rachel Grigsby, born in Culpeper County, Virginia, was the daughter of John Grigsby and Elizabeth Porter. Rev. Samuel Houston married her to Alexander McNutt on 7 Jan 1790 at her Fruithill Home, in Rockbridge Co., VA.

They had 13 known McNutt Children:

John, 28 Sep 1790-23 Jul 1817 in LA, single/intestate

Margaret, 8 Jul 1792 (Elisha Paxton), below

Elizabeth, 23 Mar 1794 - 6 Apr 1871 (Jno Hamilton), below

Anderson, 24 Mar 1796-1860 in LA, below

Martha*, 11 Jan 1798 - 1865 (John Glasgow), below

Rebecca, 14 Nov 1799 (Hugh A Hickman), below

Gov. Alexander Gallatin, 3 Jan 1802, below

Catherine Anderson (single), 19 Apr 1804 -1874

Janetta G., 19 Apr 1804-1843 (Wm Jenkins), below

Frances Ann, 6 Sep 1806 (James McChesney) below

Joseph Porter, 27 Sep 1808 - 27 Jun 1833 of MS, below

Benjamin Franklin, M.D., 6 Aug 1810 - 1835 of MS, unmarried/intestate, below

Sarah Alexander, 15 Jun 1812 (Ferdinand Sims), below

(Susannah, Mrs. Jno G. Stewart is NOT a child, per the 1841 suit below, p 12, 28, & 29 says Rachel had 13 children and 1/13 share, etc.)

Her husband Alexander died on 29 Mar 1812, leaving her with an unborn daughter born in June and several young children.

All these children above, are mentioned in an 1841 Rockbridge Co., VA Chancery case (108 pages), Jas. McChesney & wife vs heirs of Benj McNutt, etc.

The Rev. "...Samuel Brown accepted the pastorate of New Providence Church June 6, 1796. During his pastorate there he taught a classical school in his own home. Among his pupils were Gov. James McDowell, GOV. McNUTT of Mississippi, Samuel McD. Moore and Dr. Wilson of the Union Seminary..." Published in the Lexington Gazette (Virginia), Vol 139, #19, dated 8 May 1941, p 8-9

See Henrietta Hamilton McCormick's book Genealogies and Reminiscences, Chicago, 1897, p 51-52. Is gives a personal account of her. She was 5' 8" tall with gray eyes and flaxen hair. She attended Falling Spring church, where her parents are buried. She died from an accidental fall. See source for more data.

The grave monument is about 6' tall in the shape of an obelisk. Carl Weaver kindly photographed it in September 2011. It survived their recent 5.8 earthquake on 23 Aug 2011.

I note other sources give her death date as 7 Jan 1841 and 7 Jan 1842 as well, but the photo and my enlargement of it clearly show it is 1840.

Attached see photos of all 3 pages of "Rachel" McNutts' 15 Dec 1834, Last Will & Testament, plus codicil, recorded in Rockbridge Co., VA. This is in the registrar's hand, so not her signature. Court House could have original. She mentions her husband's land and her inherited land from her family. She leaves the vast property to daughter Catherine and the "residue of her estate both real and personal not herein before disposed of" to daughter Sarah. Sarah inherits all the real estate if Catherine has no children. (Note: the single Catherine McNutt, age 70 is listed as deaf and dumb on the 1870 Natural Bridge, Rockbridge Co., VA census. She resided with a large family headed by Wm G Campbell.

*Daughter Martha "Patsy" McNutt married her first cousin John Glasgow, the son of Arthur Glasgow, of Green Forest and Rebecca A (McNutt) McCorkle, (the widow of Ensign John McCorkle).

Side of marker says:

A tribute by

Sarah Sims of Vicksburg

Miss. to the memory of

her mother

RACHAEL McNUTT,

who died

Jan. 7, 1840:

aged 69 years.

Bio researched and written by LSP