John Vick, III

From Joseph Vick of Lower Parish, Isle of Wight, Virginia and His Descendants vol. 1.

pp. 151-155

42. JOHN4 VICK (John3-2, Joseph') was born on 14 September 1755 in Brunswick County, Virginia. He died after 9 November 1835, probably in Tennessee but possibly in Mississippi.

According to his pension application, John joined the Continental Line in 1777 or 1778 in a company commanded by Captain Peter Pelham. During the twelve months of this enlistment, he did not participate in any engagements. After being mustered out, he was drafted into the Virginia militia and served in a unit under the command of Captain Howell Harris/ Harries. His unit was marched to the James River to guard the coast and prevent a British invasion. Again his service was uneventful and he returned home. I

In 1779, John was inducted into the military a third time -- into a militia unit commanded by Captain John Watson, which was part of a regiment commanded by General Mumford. Some weeks later, his unit was marched to Great High Creek, a branch of the Roanoke River, where John became seriously ill. He hired a substitute named Aiken to complete his term and returned home. After he recovered he was drafted yet again and served under Captain Guttidge in a regiment commanded by Colonel David Mason. During this tour ofduty, he participated in the surrender ofGeneral Cornwallis. 2

John returned to Brunswick County, probably before the peace treaty was signed. About this time he married TABITHA [ ], about whom nothing more is known.

He witnessed a deed between his brother Howell and their father in 23 October 1780.3 Four years later, on 19 May 1784, he witnessed a another deed, this time between his brother and Littleberry Robinson.4 That same year he was appointed a constable.5 In 1789, still serving as a constable, he was exempted from paying levies.6

When his father died, John inherited his Meherrin Parish plantation. He also received a slave, a cross-cut saw and a still.7 A few years later, in 1792 he was listed on a poll ofvoters in Greensville Countyfor representative to the General Assembly. Still later, in 1794, he and his wife Tabitha sold 104 acres to Howell Harries, one ofhis former militia captains.8

When his brother died in 1795, John assumed the guardianship of Howell's minor children. According to estate records, as guardian he was involved in a legal dispute with the older heirs over the division of the estate.9 Col. Arthur reports that, in February 1795, John was granted a writ of Ad Quod Damnum "with reference to one acre of land belonging to his brother's estate, and in April, on his petition, a jury was called to consider the question of erecting a mill on Beaver Pond Creek on lands of his deceased brother. The jury recommended the payment often shillings into the estate as damages to one acre." 10

In 1798, John sold 100 acres in Greensville County to William Clements. l l It is possible that he was having fmancial difficulties, for Col. Arthur reports that in 1798 and 1799 he mortgaged land. 12 In May 1799, he and Tabitha were named in a mortgage release they received from William Stewart. 13 And, although he purchased 125 acres on the north side ofBeaver Pond Creek in 1800, later in the year he sold 360 acres to Littleberry Robinson. 14

John lived in Greensville County for another twenty years. By 1820 his older children had left home; nevertheless his household included a male 10-15, a male 16-25, a male (himself) over 45, a female 26-45, and a female over 45 (his wife).ls His son, Roland, had moved to Tennessee before 1808 when he was recorded on a jury list. 16 John followed his son to Tennessee and, in 1830, was recorded a final time as head of a household that included himself, aged 70-80, a female (probably a grandchild) 5-10, and two females 40-50. 17 His wife had evidently died in the decade between censuses.

Financial problems came to a head on 9 November 1835. Identified as "John T. Vick", he acknowledged indebtedness of $100 to the store of Vance & Dick, to West Jorden Ho for $10, to the estate ofHenry Mcfall for $20, and to Dr. John D. Marable for $30. Accordingly he sold Samuel S. Williams, trustee for the listed parties, a Negro boy, Ben, 75 barrels ofcom in the field, 3 stacks of _ _ , 40 hogs, I bureau, I table and chairs, bed and bedstead, set of chairs, and kitchen furniture. IS

Three years earlier, on 23 April 1832, declaring himselfto be 76 years old, John Vick appeared in court to make a formal application for a Revolutionary War pension.19 He died before the pension was confirmed. However, Ransom Vick, as "son and heir ofJohn Vick, deceased" revived the pension application almost twenty years later. He appointed L. Blanchard True as his attorney to obtain all federal monies formerly due his father "and now due me" on 27 January 1852 in Marshall County, Mississippi. He was awarded the pension.20

John died intestate and there is no known list of his children. Ransom is proved to be his son by the pension application; Ritta, Roland, and Wilson are named in their aunt, Sarah Vick's will. Nathan is not proved, but is highly probable. He, along with Ransom and John, was enumerated in Montgomery County, Tennessee in the 1830 federal census and in subsequent census records Nathan indicated he was born in Virginia. Also, Sam Vick, Sr., in his Vick history, indicated they were John's sons. Much of his information was obtained through correspondence with descendants.

Children, probably born in Greensville County, Virginia:

i. WILSON, b. 1789; m. (1) NANCY NORWOOD; m. (2) MARY POWELL.
ELIZABETH ROOK.

ii. RITTA, b. 1785; d. after 1850 in Montgomery County, Tennessee, unmarried. She was named in the will of her aunt, Sarah Vick, in 1795 in Greensville County, Virginia. She moved to Tennessee with her father. In 1850, aged 65, she was living in the household of Robert Jamison?l

iii. WILSON, b. 1789; m. (1) NANCY NORWOOD; m. (2) MARY POWELL.

iv. (JAMES) RANSOM, b. 1793; m. ELIZABETH CLARK.

v. [?]NA THAN, b. ca. 1795; d. after 1832 in Montgomery County, Tennessee. He served in the Warof1812. On 28 February 1820, Nathan purchased lot 41 in the town of New York in Mont- gomery County. On 1 January 1822, he, with John Long, bought a tract, lot #66, in the town of Cumberland containing 1 acre. In 1830, his household included a male 26-45, a male over 45, a female under 10, and a female 26-45. Ransom Vick was enu- merated in the next household. On 8 March 1832, to satisfy a debt of $70, he sold his house and lot "on the side of a hill" in Clarksville.22

Notes

• I John Vick file, no. S6312, War Department Collection ofRevolutionary War Records, National Archives, Washington, D.C. (Photocopy of complete file.)
• 2 Ibid.
• 3 Brunswick Co. Deed Book 4:57-58, County Clerk's Office, Lawrenceville, VA.
• 4 Ibid., 417-418.
• 5 Gay Neale, Brunswick County, Virginia, 1720-1975 [Lawrenceville, VA, 1976], 399.
• 6 Robert Arthur, Vick, [New Orleans: Typescript, 1959], 19.
• 7 John Vick will (1789), Greensville Co. Will Book 1:149, County Clerk's Office, Emporia, VA.
• 8 Greensville Co. Deed Book 2:118, County Clerk's Office, Emporia, VA.
• 9 Howell Vick estate records (1795), Greensville Co. Will Book 2:325.
• 10 Arthur, as cited above.
• 11 Greensville Co. Deed Book 2:555.
• 12 Arthur, as cited above.
• 13 Greensville Co. Deed Book 2:555.
• 14 Ibid.3:3.
• 15 John Vick household, 1820 U.S. Census, Greensville County, VA, page 58, line 25, National Archives micropublication M-33, roll 140.
• 16 Edythe Rucker Whitely, Red River Settlers [Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1980], 131.
• 17 John Vick household, 1830 U.S. Census, Montgomery County, TN, page 55, line 5, National Archives micropublication M-19, roll 179.
• 18 Montgomery Co. Deed Book 0:411-412, County Clerk's Office, Clarksville, TN.
• 19 Montgomery Co. Court Minutes, Book 2:206, County Clerk's Office, Clarksville, TN. 20 John Vick pension application cited above.
• 21 Sarah Vick will (1795), Greensville Co. Will Book I:275; Robert Jamison household, 1850 U.S. Census, Montgomery County, TN, page 320, dwelling 382, family 382, National Archives micropublication M-432, roll 891.
• 22 Virgil D. White, Index to Volunteer Soldiers in Indian Wars andDisturbances 1815-1858, 2 volumes [Waynesboro, TN, 1994] 11:1459; Montgomery Co. Deed Book K:239, 186, M:588-589; Nathan Vick household, 1830 U.S. Census, Montgomery Co., TN, page 4, line 16, National Archives micropublication M-19, roll 179.