PLEASE NOTE:
BIRTH LOCATION:
FIND A GRAVE ADDED AUGUSTA CO VA AS THE PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THOMAS RAMSEY, THE ELDER. TO DATE, IT IS NOT KNOWN WHERE THOMAS RAMSEY AND HIS BROTHER JOHN WERE BORN. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THEY CAME FROM PA AS THE LEGEND CIRCULATING TOUTS; NOR IS THERE EVIDENCE OF THEM BEING IN AUGUSTA CO VA. FURTHER, THERE IS NO AUGUSTA CO PA—ONLY AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP, NORTHUMBERLAND CO PA, EST 1772 [THOMAS RAMSEY WAS BORN BY 1727, WELL BEFORE AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP WAS FOUNDED.]. THERE WAS A MAN IN AUGUSTA CO VA NAMED JOHN RAMSEY WHO WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE BROTHER OF THOMAS— ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE WERE TWO BROTHERS WHO ARRIVED IN FRANKLIN AND HENRY COS IN VA ABOUT THE SAME TIME JOHN RAMSEY LEFT AUGUSTA CO VA. THE LEGEND SEEMS TO HAVE SPREAD FROM AN ENTRY IN Chalkley¹s Chronicles, DATED 17 FEB 1748:

(86) Wm Elliott intends to leave the Colony; John Ramsey intends to leave the Colony; Philip Walker intends to leave the Colony; Thos Thompson intends to . . .

THERE IS ONE PROBLEM WITH THIS. JOHN RAMSEY OF AUGUSTA CO VA DIED THERE AND LEFT A WILL IN AUGUSTA CO VA AND THOMAS' BROTHER DIED IN HENRY CO VA AND LEFT A WILL THERE [See JOHN RAMSEY, Memorial # 169738540 [brother].].

NAME/MIDDLE AND SUFFIX:
FIND A GRAVE CHANGED THOMAS RAMSEY'S NAME [THOMAS RAMSEY, THE ELDER] FROM THOMAS RAMSEY TO THOMAS FRANCIS RAMSEY SR. IN 40 YEARS OF RESEARCH, NO LEGAL DOCUMENT HAS SURFACED WITH THOMAS RAMSEY'S SIGNATURE ANY WAY OTHER THAN THOMAS RAMSEY/RAMBSE. AS WELL, THIS APPLIES TO THOMAS, THE YOUNGER, HIS SON. BOTH MEN WENT BY THOMAS RAMSEY.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS A GROUP OF SERIOUS RESEARCHERS OF THOMAS AND FRANCES RAMSEY. THESE RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN DIGGING THROUGH AND ANALYZING MATERIAL FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. WE WELCOME ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS; HOWEVER, PLEASE SUBMIT PROOF. GENEALOGY WITHOUT PROOF IS MYTHOLOGY.

NOTE from researcher and descendant Dorothy Cundiff:
Thomas Ramsey (Ramsbe/Ramsay) died in 1790 on land near Rock Creek. I believe he is buried on the hill overlooking this land.

See JOHN RAMSEY, Memorial # 169738540 [brother].

THOMAS RAMSEY [UPDATED APR 2015]

Written by Rebecca Reuben Dyer, 5th great grand daughter of Thomas and Frances Ramsey:

The exact date and place of birth of Thomas Ramsey is yet unknown, as is the surname of his wife Frances and the date and place of their marriage. By 1748 he had applied for 400 acres of land on the North fork of Goblintown Creek in Patrick County, VA
[At the time this would have been Lunenburg County, VA; Patrick was formed from Lunenburg in 1791.], and, by 1763, he had purchased 200 acres of land in Halifax County, VA, on Poplar Branch, near Snow Creek and Pigg River, for 10 pounds current money, from a John Richardson. On this land, he built a stone fort for his family, which, by then, included three little boys, George, Thomas Jr., and Woodson. Eventually there would be ten more siblings known to us: Charity, Susanna, Isaac, John, LaVinia, Noten, Anney, Sally, William Newman, and Betsey. This 200-acre plot of land became absorbed into what is now Pittsylvania County, VA. By 1771, he had added another 328 acres of land to his estate. He was to live out his life on this land.

Most researchers believe Thomas Ramsey came to VA from PA, but I believe he migrated from Tidewater VA. This is based on the premise that Thomas Ramsey was close to the Hugh Noten, Peter Field Jefferson, and Dyer families of Caroline County, VA, the Adkinson family of Goochland County, VA, as well as the Woodson and Witcher families, who were also from Tidewater.

In 1777, Thomas Ramsey took the Oath of Allegiance, appearing on the list of Captain William Witcher. As well, on 18 April 1783 at the Pittsylvania County, VA, courthouse Thomas Ramsey presented a claim for the 250 pounds of beef that he had provided for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. These two actions demonstrate that he supported the cause and they qualify descendants for the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution.

Some time prior to 16 August 1790, Thomas Ramsey died in Pittsylvania County, VA. His estate inventory (appraised by William Witcher and Peyton Smith) included: thirty head hogs, three head sheep, black horse, bay horse, bay mare, thirteen cows and calves, three beds and furniture, twelve lb. nice feathers, twelve puter [pewter] plates, six puter basons, three puter dishes, five tin cups, pepper box, two horn tumblers, twelve puter spoons, three pad locks, box iron, candle stick, old iron, seven knives & twelve forks. One peasses [welding implement??], three saddles, eight bells, pott and hooks, pott, oven, two skillets, three axes, hatchet, two iron wedges, curry comb, hammer, hand saw, draw knife, auger, chisel, grouch, three reep hooks, four hoes, mattock, pr. hames, iron chain, two plows, colter, two clevis's, two rifle guns & moles, four books, loom, slay and harness, two linen wheels, two cotton wheels, slay, jugs, bottle, two bed stands, two chests, two pair cotton cards, three casks, five water vessels, churn, three casks, grind stone, hhd., washing tub, meel sifter, three bee hives. From the inventory, as well as from his associates, we can assume he was a man of some position in the community.

He is believed to have been buried near the stone house that he built for his family. At the time of his death, he left his wife, Frances, and thirteen children, all identified in his Last Will and Testament exhibited in court (Pittsylvania County, VA) 16 August 1790. At a minimum he would have been 63 years of age. Frances continued living on at least another 18 years beyond the death of her husband. This is evidenced by her consent on 03 February 1806 for Betsey, her youngest daughter, to marry Jesse Martin. Further information about Frances' birth and death is unknown at this point in time. Known childbirth years in the Ramsey household were from c1754 until c1787, some 30 plus years. Considering the high frequency of loosing the mother in childbirth, it is certainly a possibility that Frances could have been a second wife.

*PLEASE NOTE: FRANCES, WIFE OF THOS RAMSEY BORN 1727, IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS FRANCES YOUNG. THIS IS INCORRECT AS FRANCES YOUNG WAS MARRIED TO THOMAS BORN ABOUT 1760, SON OF THOMAS BORN 1727.

*If Thomas Ramsey were of age (21) when he entered for land in 1748, he would have been born in 1727.

SOURCE: NSDAR
RAMSAY, THOMAS Ancestor #: A093844
Service: VIRGINIA Rank: PATRIOTIC SERVICE
Birth: (ANTE) 1734 VIRGINIA
Death: (ANTE) 8-16-1790 PITTSYLVANIA CO VIRGINIA
Service Source: ABERCROMBIE & SLATTEN, VA REV PUB CLAIMS, VOL 3, P 771; MAG OF VA GEN, VOL 23, FEB 1985, NO 1, P 11
Service Description: 1) FURNISHED PROVISIONS FOR ARMY
2) OATH OF ALLEGIANCE, PITTSYLVANIA CO

Some sources claim Thomas was born in Scotland others claim in Augusta County, Virginia. The cabin in which he was supposedly born in was located in Augusta County, Virginia in what is today Augusta County, Pennsylvania. Thomas received a patent for 328 acres of land on Chestnut Creek in Pittsylvania County on 3 August 1771. The property his home stood on for 140 years, from about 1763 to around 1900 was purchased from John Richardson, a blacksmith, 15 July 1763. It was located on Popular Branch or Popular Creek near Stone Creek and the Pigg River. He died in 1790. On 26 April 1790 he made his will and an inventory of his estate was made 29 October 1790.∼m. Frances ?

Children:

George M. Ramsey (1754-1851)
Woodson Ramsey (1760-1849)
Thomas Francis Ramsey (1760-1844)
Charity Ramsey (1765- )
Susanna Ramsey (1766-1804)
John Ramsey (1772- )
Noten Ramsey (1776-1852)
Lavinia Ramsey (1780- )
Anna Ramsey (1782- )
William Newman Ramsey (1783-1843)
Betsy Ramsey (1787- )
Sally Ramsey (1789- )