I had mistakenly concluded that our Thomas was the man in Fairfax County, VA who was listed in the 1787 tax list substitute for the lost 1790 Virginia census. This was based on the makeup of that man's personal property, which most closely matched the personal property of our Thomas in Kentucky tax lists. Based on subsequent analysis of Virginia and Kentucky tax lists and other records, it seems more likely that our Thomas was already in Kentucky by 1787 or en route there, and was not enumerated in 1787 Virginia tax lists. Though Thomas Daniel of Fairfax County, VA cannot be positively linked to other Daniel families in that county at the time of the tax list, the Y DNA from descendants of some of these other Daniel families does not match the Y DNA of our line.

    Since my  genealogy of Thomas Daniel and his descendants was published, I discovered that Thomas was born later than I had deduced and lived longer than I believed. My early assumptions were based on the fact that Thomas disappeared from Montgomery County, KY tax records in 1806 and his suspected sons moved to live distantly from one another, one staying in Kentucky, two moving to Ohio and one moving to Alabama. My conclusion was that Thomas had died in 1806, but in fact he and at least three children moved to what is now the southern tip of Illinois, then Randolph County, Indiana Territory. This was initially suggested by the use of the name Estridge/Eastridge in the Daniel family that moved to Illinois, along with the names and ages of Thomas and William and the period of time that they appeared in records there. This identification was later confirmed using Y DNA testing.

    Thomas was married by 1772 but the mother of his children died after 1790 and he next married a woman named Delila sometime between 1795 and 1810. Delila appears with Thomas in deed and census records in the Illinois Territory starting in 1814. Census records prove that she was much too young to be the mother of Thomas Daniel's older children (John, William, Thomas, Estridge, James, Elizabeth and Walker). Many researchers have mistakenly identified Delila as the mother of these children. It is possible that Thomas and Delila also had children, and census records provide some support for this, but none have been positively identified.

    Thomas and William Daniel appear on the 1807-8 Squatters Petition in Randolph County, Indiana Territory claiming adjoining 320 acre sections of land by right of settlement and improvement. This land was contained in the area of nine million acres of land ceded to the U.S. government by the Piankashaw and Illini Indian tribes in 1803. Thomas Daniel, in Claim #114 dated 22 December 1807, claimed Range 3 East Township 9 Section 31 SE SW quarters and William Daniel in Claim #388 dated 30 December 1807 claimed Range 3 East Township 9 Section 31 SE SW quarters (Note: This seems to be the same land, so perhaps a transcription error?). Thomas Daniel was one of the signers of the cover letter of the petition. This cover letter appears to have been separated from the petition and has not been preserved. An original copy of the body of the petition and signatures to it is in the care of the Indiana State Historical Society. Thomas' land description in the petition was:

"Situate on the Crab Orchard Fork of Big Muddy Creek about two miles and one half above the mouth of said branch adjoining William Daniels residence on the north."

    The 640 acres of land entered by Thomas and William Daniel in 1807 lies just south of present day Marion, Williamson County, IL, and is gently rolling land laced with small creeks. Thomas Daniel, in 1814, also claimed the NE 1/4 NW 1/4 SW 1/4 of Section 20 Township 5N Range 8 W, as witnessed by Martin Jones. Walker Daniel purchased land adjoining Thomas and William in 1814. The Daniel family's land was at various times in Randolph, Johnson, Gallatin, Franklin and Williamson Counties as new counties were created, and in the Indiana and Illinois Territories. By 1814 Thomas and Walker had moved slightly north to Madison County, IL where they purchased several hundred acres of land. I have not found a record of the sale of their more southern lands in Illinois, but suspect records of those sales can be found in the deed records of Johnson, Gallatin or Franklin counties. William remained in the extreme southern portion if Illinois and appears in records of Johnson and Alexander counties.
   
    The following record concerning elected militia officers in the Illinois Territory indicates that by July 1810, the Daniel family had a significant presence in the Illinois Territory, located at what was known as "Daniels Settlement":

Miscellanious War of 1812 files for the Illinois Territory. Letter of Isaac White to Ninian Edwards

 

U.S. Saline 28th July 1810.

 

"...Thomas Griffith Capt., Thomas Wells Lieut., Walker Dannel Ensign in Daniels Settlement, though I am told that Wells has absconded. It will be a great favour to these Gentlemen if you should commission them, to authorise the nearest Justice of the peace to swear them in...."

 

    Three Griffith families were listed adjacent to the Daniel families and Daniel Gilmore, but no Thomas Griffith, though there are several men in these households old enough to have served as militia officers. This seems to indicate that at least 6 or 7 families were residing at Daniels Settlement in 1810.

    The 1810 census of Grand Tower, Randolph County, Illinois Territory shows two Daniel families, W. Daniels with the oldest male in the household aged 26-45 and a second W. Daniels with the oldest male aged over 45 (born before 1765). Daniel Gilmore aged 26-45 was living next door to the Daniel families. The 1807 Squatters Petition showed that Thomas Daniel was leasing land from Daniel Gilmore and the 1810 census shows that Gilmore was residing on land leased to Thomas "Daniels", so there is possibly an error in the transcription and the older W. Daniels is actually Thomas or perhaps the household was being headed by Thomas' son, Walker. There was a Daniel Gilmore in the tax lists of Montgomery County, KY, at the same time Thomas Daniel was enumerated there. Thomas Daniel was the administrator of the estate of Daniel Gilmore in Madison County, Illinois Territory in 1815. Gilmore was possibly married to a daughter of Thomas Daniel.

    There are two males aged 16-26 in the home of the older W. Daniels, one of whom is likely Walker Daniel. There is one female in the household aged 16-26 who may be Delila Daniel as it is apparent from later censuses that Delila was much younger than Thomas Daniel and Walker Daniel did not marry until 1812. Thomas' daughter, Elizabeth, had married Daniel Vincent in 1809 in Randolph County and Daniel and "Mrs." Vincent made purchases at the estate sale of Daniel Gilmore. The home of the younger W. Daniels (William?) contained one male under 10, two males 10-16, one male 16-26 and one male 26-45, two females under 10, one female 16-26 and one 26-45. It seems possible that Daniel and Elizabeth Vincent were in the home of William Daniel (aged 16-26), since Daniel Vincent does not appear in the 1810 census. William Daniel and Daniel Vincent were involved in a suit against each other in November 1814 in Johnson County.

    The home of Daniel Gilmore consisted of one male aged 26 to 45 and one female aged 26-45. The estate records of Daniel Gilmore show that Thomas Daniel made claims against Gilmore's estate for care of a child, so either the Gilmores had a child after 1810 or the child was listed in one of the other households in "Daniels Settlement". Gilmore's wife survived him but her first name is not given in the estate records. Gilmore's estate records show that he was a Ranger in the company of Captain James Callaway of the Louisiana Territorial Militia and Thomas Daniel traveled to Camp Russell to pay a debt owed by Gilmore. Camp Russell, near present day Edwardsville, was a five gun (artillery) stockaded blockhouse and the headquarters and main supply depot for the Illinois Territorial Militia. Thomas Daniel also traveled to St. Charles County, Missouri Territory where he engaged David Bailey as his Power of Attorney to collect pay owed to Gilmore for his service in Capt. Callaway's company. David Bailey had been Callaway's lieutenant in the engagement where Callaway was killed on 7 March 1815 and Gilmore was a member of Callaway's company on that day. Gilmore died between that day and 15 March, so it seems likely that he died of wounds received in this engagement. Accounts of the engagement report the death of Callaway, three of his men and the wounding of several more.

    Thomas and Delila Daniel were in Madison County, Illinois Territory by September 1814 when Thomas sold some of his land there in S20 T5N R8W to Young Wood for $200. Thomas signed the deed and "Deliley" made her mark. Her name is also recorded as Delila several times in the deed. The deed was witnessed by Rufus Easton and David D. Aikman. On 10 September 1814 Thomas purchased six 160 tracts of Public Domain land in Madison County, IL. Between 1814 and 1821 Thomas and Delila Daniel sold this land to John Springer, James Herreford, John Finley, Young wood and Low Jackson. In 1821, while residents of Greene County, IL Thomas and Delila reaffirmed the sales of some of these lands in new deeds. In one instance this was probably because a deed from Thomas Daniel to James Herreford had not been recorded and a new deed was needed to confirm Thomas had sold it when it was later purchased by Low Jackson. Witnesses to these deeds included Walker Daniel and Young Wood. Thomas and Delila realized at least $900 from the sale of these lands, about $16,000 in 2014 dollars.

    The 1818 Illinois Territorial Census of Madison County shows Thomas and Walker Daniel living within a few households of one another. There was one male over 21 in Thomas' home and four other white inhabitants. There were two males over 21 in Walker's home and six other white inhabitants. Walker had married Martha "Patsy" Vincent in 1812 in Union County, Illinois Territory. The 1820 Federal Census of Madison County, IL shows Thomas and Walker Daniel living next to one another on Apple Creek. There was one male over 45 in Thomas' home, a female aged 16-26 and a female aged 26-45. In Walker's home there were two males under 10, one male aged 26-45, 3 females under 10 and one female 26-45.

    Thomas Daniel purchased four quarter sections of Public Domain land on 19 March 1819 in Madison County, IL. The land was the NW, NE and SW quarters of section 20 and NE quarter of section 30 TWP 5N Range 8W, which was the same land that he had purchased in 1814, so this may have been some reconciliation between the territorial and federal records, and not an actual land purchase.

    The History of Greene County, IL, 1879, mentions Thomas Daniels as an early settler in Greene County, settling there in 1816. This account is especially valuable, since a contributor to the county history was John Wilkinson Huitt Jr.,aged 86 in 1879. John Huitt was a neighbor of Thomas and Walker Daniel in the 1820 census of Greene County, IL. Huitt's account says:

"Thomas Daniels, of Georgia, built a cabin on the farm now owned by Freeman Means. The next year, 1817, Mr. Daniel's son, Walker Daniels, also came into the county, and chose for his home the land now owned by Rowland Huitt, a short distance east of the Allen improvements."

    The Huitts, led by John W. Huitt Sr., were in Illinois by 1804 and settled in Madison County, prior to moving to Greene County. The Huitts were originally from Franklin County, Georgia, which may account for Mr. Huitt's confusion about the origins of Thomas and Walker Daniel. That being said, a Thomas Daniel of Greene County, Georgia is mentioned in deed records in Montgomery County, KY, so there may indeed be some connection between our Daniels and the state of Georgia. Huitt's account is very valuable in that it is the only credible identification of a child of Thomas Daniel in records. Rowland B. Huitt was the son of John Wilkinson Huitt Jr. The Daniel and Huitt families were obviously well acquainted. Descendants of both families are buried in Kane Cemetery in the vicinity where they lived. The land Huitt was living on was shown in several county atlases and passed to his sons when he died in 1892. By the time the 1915 county atlas was published, all of the land once owned by Walker Daniel and Rowland B. Huitt was in the possession of Thomas S. Parker.

    This description is also valuable in that it locates the land that Walker Daniel was living on at the time of his death, and where Thomas Daniel was also probably living at the time of his death. Thomas had sold all of his land by the time he last appears in records. Walker Daniel's land in Sections 24 and 25 TWP 9N Range 12W lies just north west of Old Kane in present day Kane Township, Greene County. Old Kane is just a short distance west of the Kane Cemetery. This close proximity makes Kane Cemetery a good potential burial place for Thomas and Walker Daniel. The land where Thomas Daniel first built his cabin in 1816 appears to lie just south of Kane Township in northern Jersey County, which was cut from Greene County in 1839. Unfortunately, land records for Jersey County have not yet been digitized but Freeman Means was in the 1850-1880 censuses of Jersey County, IL.

   The last mention of Thomas Daniel in primary records is in November 1825 when there is a mention of a suit between Harrison Higgins and Thomas Daniels in Greene County, IL circuit court records. Various Higgins were neighbors to the Daniels in census records in Madison and Greene Counties and Walker Daniel and Harrison Higgins are mentioned together in some court records. It is worth noting that the Higgins family was from Caroline County, VA via Montgomery County, KY. Probate records seem fairly complete in Greene County, but there is no mention of a probate for Thomas. He would have been about 75 years old in 1825 with a much younger wife, possibly a young daughter and several thousand dollars in the bank, so it would seem likely that if he had died in Greene County, there would be some record of probate for him, whether he died testate or intestate. If Delila was Thomas' only heir, though, and he had no debt or significant estate, it could be that no probate was needed.

Other records for Thomas Daniel:

• Madison, Clark and Montgomery Counties, KY tax lists, 1789-1806.
• Madison County, IL 1815 Thomas Daniel administers estate of Daniel Gilmore
  
• Madison County, IL, 1816, Thomas Daniel appointed supervisor of public road
• Madison County, IL 1818, Thomas Daniel appears in census on Apple Creek
• Greene County, IL 1820, Thomas Daniel appears in census on Apple Creek
• Green County, IL 1825, Thomas Daniel and Harrison Higgins involved in law suit
  

• 1750 birth of Thomas Daniel (deduced)
• 1771 Thomas Daniel settles on land in western Virginia (Botetourt > Fincastle > Washington Counties)
  
• 1773 John Daniel, oldest known child of Thomas, born in Virginia, possibly Fincastle County.
• 1774 Thomas Daniel serves 90 days in Dunmore's War, donates supplies to militia.
• 1783 Thomas Daniel sells land in Washington County, Virginia and moves west.
  
• 1789-1793 Thomas Daniel appears in Madison County, KY tax lists
• 1794-1798 Thomas Daniel in Clark County, KY tax lists (in 1794 listed as moved from Madison County)
• 1799-1806 Thomas Daniel in Montgomery County, KY tax lists (Montgomery was created from Clark County)
  
• 1807 Thomas Daniel signs Squatters' Petition in Randolph County, Indiana Territory
• 1810 Thomas Daniel appears in Grand Tower, Randolph County, Indiana Territory census
• 1814-1818 Thomas Daniel appears in various records in Madison County, Illinois Territory
• 1818-1820 Thomas Daniel appears in various records in Madison County, State of Illinois
• 1821-1825 Thomas Daniel appears in various records in Greene County, Illinois
  

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    As noted previously, William accompanied his father and siblings to the Indiana Territory in 1807, where he was a participant in the 1808 Squatters Petition. Additionally, John and William Daniel are listed in the 1807 census of the Indiana Territory, so it is possible that the two oldest sons of Thomas Daniel preceded the rest of the Daniel family to Illinois to scout the area in advance of the arrival of their father and the other members of the family. John and Thomas Daniel Jr. moved to Fairfield County, OH about 1807 and later to Champaign County, OH where they spent the remainder of their lives.

    William is likely the W. Daniels who appears in the 1810 census of Grand Tower, Illinois Territory. He had a large household composed of one male under 10, two males 10-16, one male 16-26, one male 26-45, two females under 10, one 16-26 and one 26-45. I suspect that the male and female aged 16-26 are William's sister, Elizabeth, and brother-in-law, Daniel Vincent who married in Randolph County in 1809. This, then, would seem to indicate that William probably married between 1794 and 1799. Based on the size of his family in 1810, he is probably the William Daniel who appears in the 1818 census of Union County, Illinois. He was listed in the 1820 census of Alexander County, IL where it was reported his household contained seven males under 21, three over 21, two females under 21 and one over 21.

    William Daniel was taxed for 80 acres of land in Alexander County, West half of the Southwest Section 14, Township 15 South, Range 1 East. William sold this land to James Daniel in 1823, though the sale was not recorded until 1840. There are several court records for William and his likely sons in Alexander County:

Johnson County, IL

• July 12, 1813, William Daniels witnesses transfer of note by Nathan Hearn to John Venton
• July 12, 1814, William Daniels witnesses transfer of note by Henry Buckenstaff to Nathan Hern.
• November term 1814, William Daniel vs Daniel Vincent, trespass, John Spann and Charles Murphy securities. (Note: Daniel Vincent was married to William's sister, Elizabeth)
• 1814, William Daniel vs Daniel Vincent, Judgement against plaintiff for costs.
• 1814, William Daniel vs Daniel Vincent, continued.
• 1814, William Daniel, juror. Finding for defendant.
• 1814, William W. Daniel, juror, in case of Susannah Bosin vs Isaac D. Willcox. (Only time he appears as William W. Daniel. It could be that this was actually William "McDaniel", a common transcription error.)
  
• 1814, Daniel vs Vinson. "Replevin - continued at defendants cost but afterwards the parties came into court and the Plaintiff moved to withdraw his suit and pay costs, except three dollars chargeable as Defendants costs in case of a failure by Plaintiff to prosecute which the Deft. waves. It is considered by the court that the Defendant go hence without delay and recover against the Plaintiff his costs by him and his defense in this behalf expended - and that the Plaintiff maybe taken and & cn."
  

Alexander County, IL

• 1819, William Daniel, deed
  
• 1822, John Humphries vs William Daniel, trespass on case
• 1824, People vs Daniel Abbott, assault and battery of James Daniel
  
• 1824, People vs James Daniel, assault and battery of Daniel Abbott
• 1824 , 24 May, William Daniel of Johnson County, IL Public Domain Land, Section 14 W1/2S1/4, Township 15S Range 01E (Later in Pulaski)
  
• 1827, William Daniels vs Edmund Sutton, false warrant
• 1825, Grand jurors list, William Daniels
• 1825, Petit jurors list,  James Daniels
• 1826, Petit jurors list, James Daniels
• 1826, Grand jurors, William Daniels
• 1826, Grand jurors, John Daniels
• 1826, Tirey Daniel purchases Public Domain land, Section 15 E2SE, Township 15S, Range 01E 
• 1826, Solomon Daniel purchases Public Domain land, Section 14 W2NW, Township 15S, Range 01E
• 1827, 10 October, James Daniels marries Nancy Clanton (dau Charles Clanton)
• 1829, Sion Clanton vs Nancy Clanton.They were married "many" years ago." Sion claimed she had been living in adultery with William Daniels since December 1827.
• 1830 Alexander County, IL census (alphabetical), James Daniels, age 20-29.
• 1832, 1 March, Roderick McLeod m. Margaret Martin Daniels
• 1834, 2 April,Solomon Daniels marries Serena Powers
• 1837, James Daniel purchases Public Domain land, Section 3 SENW, Township 15S, Range 01E
• 1838,  December, William Micham marries Elizabeth Daniels
• 1840 Alexander County, IL census, James Daniels, age 30-39.
• 1840 Alexander County, IL census, William Daniels age 20-29.

    William probably married about 1794-1799 in Madison or Clarke County, KY, but there is nothing to indicate the name of his wife or wives. As he was "living in adultery" between 1827 and 1829, his wife was likely deceased before then. Since there is no probate of his estate, and it seems certain that he had a large family, the names of some of his children are arrived at by deduction based on primary records in Alexander County:

• Elizabeth Narcissa b. 1795 Kentucky d. 1870 Pope County, IL, m. 1813 to William Belford
  
• James ca 1800 -1838 Alexander Co., Il, m. Nancy Clanton (son named Estridge and other children)
• Nathan ca 1801-1836 m. Louisa Allen in 1823 in Greene County, IL
  
• John b. ca 1804
  
• Tirey b. ca 1806
  
• Solomon "Sol"  b. 1808 d. 23 December 1835 Alexander Co., IL  m. Serena Powers 24 April 1833 in Alexander Co., IL
  
• William Jr. b. 1811
  
• Margaret Martin m. Roderick McLeod (She may actually be the widow of John or Tirey)
  
• (Elizabeth m. William Micham/Meacham 3 December 1838 in Alexander County, IL. She may actually be a granddaughter of William, daughter of James and Nancy Clanton Daniel)
  

    Timeline for William Daniel

• 1775 - William Daniel born (deduced based on tax and census records)
  
• 1796 - William Daniel appears in 1796 Clark County, KY tax list.
  
• 1800 - William Daniel appears in 1800 Montgomery County, KY tax list.
• 1807 - William Daniel appears in 1807 Indiana Territorial census with brother John
  
• 1807 - William "Danniel" appears in Squatters' Petition in Randolph County, Indiana Territory.
• 1810 - W. Daniels appears in census of Grand Tower, Randolph County, Indiana Territory.
• 1813-4 William Daniel appears in various records in Union County, Illinois Territory
• 1818 - William Daniel appears in Illinois Territorial census
• 1819 - William Daniel makes a deed in Alexander County, Illinois.
  
• 1820 - William Daniel appears in Federal census of Alexander County, Illinois.
• 1820-1829 William Daniel appears in various records in Alexander County, Illinois.
• 1830 - William Daniel does not appear in the 1830 Alexander County, Illinois census and there is no probate for him there.
  

    Since William does not appear in the 1830 Illinois census and two of his potential sons, Tirey and John, also do not appear in census records in Alexander and later Pulaski counties and there is no probate for any of these men in the counties with which they are associated, they may have left the area. That being said, a search of census records has not revealed any potential candidates to be these men.

    William's sons James and Solomon remained in the area and their estates are probated in Alexander and Pulaski counties, though Solomon does not appear in the 1830 census either. James' widow, Nancy, and children, including a son name Estridge, were in the 1850 Pulaski County, IL census. Only one child of James and Nancy Clanton Daniel has been traced, largely due to records of his service in the Union army during the Civil War. Solomon Daniel's son, Solomon Jr. and his sister Mary Ann moved to Mississippi County, MO with Uriah Martin, their guardian, who married Serena Powers Daniel, widow of Solomon Daniel Sr. William Daniel Jr. appeared in the 1840 Alexander County, IL census, aged 20-29.

---

Elizabeth Daniel, daughter of Thomas, ca 1789-aft 1815

    Mentions of Elizabeth in records are sketchy. Elizabeth first appears in records when she married Daniel Vincent on 15 September 1809 in Randolph County, Indiana Territory. Her brother Walker married Martha Vincent in 1812, possibly a sister or other relative of Daniel. A Daniel "Vinson" appeared in tax lists in Montgomery County, KY at the same time as Thomas, so he may have accompanied the Daniel family to Illinois. Daniel Vincent does not appear in the 1810 Territorial census. I suspect he and Elizabeth may be one of the older males and females in the home of W. (William Daniels). Daniel Vincent and William Daniel were engaged in a lengthy suit in Johnson County, IL in 1814. It appears that William was suing Daniel Vincent for trespass. The charges were eventually dropped. Daniel and Elizabeth last appear in primary records when Thomas Daniel administered the estate of Daniel Gilmore in 1815 in Madison County, IL and Daniel Vincent, "Mrs. Vincent" and "Mrs. Daniel" made purchases at the estate sale. The Vincents were not in the 1818 or 1820 censuses. That is pretty much all that is known about her.

    There is no probate for Daniel Vincent in Madison or Greene County, IL. There was a Daniel Vincent in the 1830 census of Tazewell County, IL, but he is much too young to be the husband of Elizabeth, though could be her child. A "Madame Vincent" and Elizabeth Vincent appear in records in Gasconade County, MO in 1830 and 1840, but there is no record of a probate for Elizabeth's husband there. A Daniel Vincent purchased land in Callaway County, MO in 1825, but he appears to be much too old to be the Daniel Vincent who married Elizabeth Daniel.

---

Walker Daniel, son of Thomas, ca 1790-1828

Walker Daniel signature from Joseph King probate, Green County, IL 1826

    Walker Daniel first appears by name in records on 28 July 1810 when he was appointed an Ensign in the Third Regiment of  Militia of Randolph County, Illinois Territory. He served as a Lieutenant in the War of 1812 in Captain Owen Evans' Company of Illinois Rangers in 1813 and 1814. His widow submitted a request for bounty land warrant (BWT 83772 40-50) for Walker's service in 1851. In the request, she notes that her maiden name was Martha Vincent and that she and Walker Daniel were married on 3 July 1812 in Union County, Illinois. It also gives Walker's date of death as 5 February 1829 in Greene County, IL. Martha "Patsy" Vincent was born about 1795 in Tennessee, according to the 1850 Greene County, IL census.

    Walker purchased Public Domain land in what is now Williamson County, IL adjoining his father and brother 1814, and again between 1814-1821 purchased Public Domain land in Madison and Greene Counties, Illinois. A history of Jersey and Greene Counties, IL reported that Walker came to Greene County because his father, Thomas Daniel lived there, but records indicate that they migrated there together.

    Walker Daniel was very active in Greene County, IL and seemed on the way to becoming a prominent citizen there before his untimely death around the age of forty. The probate of his estate reported substantial property, including building materials, including a substantial quantity of brick (1,700 bricks), so he may have been in the process of building a brick home at the time of his death. Several descendants of Walker Daniel spell their name "Dannel". Nathan Daniel purchased land from Walker and Martha Daniel and was the co-administrator of Walker's estate in 1828, so Martha may have been mistaken in the year of Walker's death in the Bounty Land application. The inventory of Walker Daniel's estate was returned in March 1828, so he likely died 5 February 1828, not 1829. Patsy had remarried to William Larue by 1851, so seems to have fibbed about that in the application, when she claimed that she had not remarried. Her tombstone, does list her as "Martha Dannels wife of Walker Dannels", though.

The probate of Walker Daniel lists his children living at the time of his death:

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Nathan Daniel, son of William, ca 1801 - 1836

Thomas Daniel of Botetourt, Fincastle and Washington Counties, VA.

    I guess I'll  never learn to keep my guesses to myself! Based, though, on the fact that there are solid Y DNA matches between all of the Daniel men referred to below, except for Thomas Daniel who married Mary Rowzee, and primary records indicate that all of these men or their descendants in lived Virginia and Kentucky, I feel justified in putting forth a hypothesis about how they are related. This is only a hypothesis, based on the currently available information. That there are no confirmed DNA matches to Thomas Daniel who married Mary Rowzee is based on the fact that there is no primary record evidence to prove who his descendants are, except, possibly, for his son Thomas Jr. who had six daughters and no sons.

    A Thomas Daniel appeared in records of South West Virginia between 1771 and 1784 who may be our Thomas Daniel 1750-1825. Thomas Daniel was awarded 800 acres of land in 1781 in Washington County, VA for which the commissioners' certificate noted he had actually settled on in 1771. This land  was located on the Maiden Spring Fork of the Clinch River and fell in the Virginia counties of Botetourt County in 1771, Fincastle in 1772, Washington County in 1776 and later Russell County. Today it is in Tazewell County.

    Thomas Daniel was sued for non-payment of a debt to Abraham Bledsoe in 1772 in Fincastle County. Bledsoe was a well known Kentucky longhunter which may indicate that Thomas Daniel 1725-1750 was also a longhunter. Longhunters explored and hunted in the frontier regions of Tennessee and Kentucky in the 1750s through the 1770s. Bledsoe may also have been a money lender so this association should not be given undue weight.

    Thomas Daniel served as a private in the Fincastle County company of Captain William Russell for 99 days in 1774 during Dunmore's War and he appears on the muster roll for the company which fought at the Battle of Point Pleasant. He was paid 7 pounds 8 shillings and 6 pence for his service. He also made a claim for "sundry" supplies provided to the militia in the amount of 12 pounds 13 shillings and 16 pence. That is somewhere between 2-3,000 2017 U. S. dollars. William Bowen, son-in-law of William Russell, and whose land bounded that of Thomas Daniel, is also listed on the muster roll.

    It is likely that Thomas had Revolutionary War service, but soldiers who served in the militia in these remote frontier areas were often only credited for their service if they, or their spouse, lived long enough to submit a pension application for their service or were asked to serve as a witness to another soldier's service. Thomas likely died a few years before he was eligible to apply for a pension or to be asked to testify as a witness to another soldier's application. Militiamen from this area, including a close cousin (Spilsby Daniel), who lived near Thomas at the time, served at the Battle of Kings Mountain from Washington County, VA. The company of Capt. William Bowen of Washington County served at the Battle of Kings Mountain, commanded by Lt. Rees Bowen, brother of Capt. William Bowen, as William Bowen was ill with typhoid at the time of the battle. The land of Thomas Daniel was bounded by the land of William and Rees Bowen, so it seems likely that Thomas Daniel was a member of Bowen's company. Unfortunately, no roster of the men who were in Bowen's company has survived.

    Some soldiers' service consisted solely of actions against the various Indian tribes who supported the British and they never actually engaged the British. Some are only mentioned in family records. The only mention of the service of Edmund Daniel, a cousin, and the wounds he sustained at the Battle of Brandywine were relayed by family many years later in a county history in Texas. Most of Thomas' cousins who were old enough to serve in the Revolutionary War did so on the colonial side. None served on the British side.

    Thomas Daniel appears on the 1782 and 1783 tax lists of Washington County, VA taxed for 7 horses and 5 or 6 cattle. He is listed next to James (Sr) and Wyatt Daniel in 1782, their first appearance in records in the region. This suggests that Wyatt was born about 1761 which is supported by his age in the 1810-1840 censuses. Thomas Daniel 1750-1825 was taxed for around the same number of horses and cattle in Kentucky tax records.

    Thomas last appears in Virginia records when he sold his land in Washington County in 1784. He did not sign the petition for the creation of Russell County, VA in 1785. It appears that he had migrated out of the county by this time. James Daniel Sr., Wyatt and their close relations appear in Washington, Russell and later Tazewell County, VA until after 1800 when most of this family migrated to Kentucky.

    Spilsby Daniel also appears in Russell County, VA tax lists in 1788 and his Revolutionary War pension application indicates that he was living in Washington County by 1780 when, at about age 15, he joined the Virginia militia. He accompanied Wyatt Daniel to Kentucky and Tennessee.

    The Y DNA of the descendants of Thomas 1750-1825, James Sr., Wyatt, James Jr. and Spilsby all match. James Daniel Jr. is thought to have married Nancy Belcher and had three sons, Thomas, George and Isom. The given name Isom was used in the Belcher family. Estridge Daniel, the grandson of Thomas 1750-1825 named a son Isom, as well. Floyd County, KY where the sons of James Daniel Jr. settled, for a time bounded Montgomery County, KY where Estridge Daniel settled. The creation of Bath County in 1811 Montgomery and Floyd.

    James 1784-1862, son of Thomas 1750-1825 lists his birthplace in censuses as Virginia in 1850 and as Kentucky in 1860. This may indicate that he was so young when his family migrated from Virginia, that he was not certain which state he was born in and suggests that his family moved to Kentucky about the time that he was born. Of course, Kentucky was originally a county of Virginia, later divided into several counties and did not become a state until 1792, so there is much room for uncertainty in determining James' birthplace.

    This leaves a gap of about 5 years, however, when Thomas is unaccounted for. He may have been in present day Kentucky or Eastern Tennessee, both popular destinations for south western Virginia migrants. Thomas named a son Walker Daniel in the late 1780s and his cousin Walker Daniel 1750-1784 and at least some of Walker's siblings were in Kentucky as early as 1780.

    Some researchers list Thomas 1750-1825 as a son of James Daniel Sr. 1728-1799 of Washington County, VA, but I suspect that Thomas was the nephew of James Sr. and first cousin of Wyatt, James Daniel Jr and Spilsby Daniel. I believe that he was more likely a son of John Daniel 1730-?, brother of James Daniel Sr., both of whom were sons of Thomas Daniel Sr. 1708-1738 and Mary Rowzee of Essex and Caroline Counties, VA. James Daniel Sr. was the oldest son of Thomas Daniel and Mary Rowzee and John was next in the birth order. This may explain the use of the name Walker for a son by Thomas 1750-1825 as William Daniel Jr. 1705-1783, brother of Thomas 1708-1738, was appointed guardian of John 1730-17?? when his father died and he would have been raised along side William's 1705-1783 son John 1726-1798, who was the father of Walker Daniel 1750-1784, the first attorney general of Kentucky. This means that Thomas 1750-1825 and Walker 1750-1784 likely knew each other quite well, at least while growing up.

    I believe that Spilsby Daniel was the son of William Daniel 1732-17??, brother of James Sr. 1728-1799 and John.

    My reasoning is as follows:

• Thomas Daniel 1750-1825 named his first known child, a son, John in 1773. His son James was at least his 5th son and born in 1784. Thomas' second and third sons were William and Thomas. This may fit with the traditional naming pattern for sons during the colonial period:
  
• The first son was named after the father's father (John, b. 1773)
  
• The second son was named after the mother's father (William b. 1775)
  
• The third son was named after the father (Thomas Jr. b. 1777)
  
• The fourth son was named after the father's eldest brother (Estridge!? b. 1782). I suspect that Estridge may have been his middle name, possibly his mother or grandmother's surname? There is also a gap of 5 years between 1777 and 1782 when Thomas Jr. and Estridge were born, so it is possible one or two other children were born during this period.
  
• Thomas was born about 1750 and the first known child of James Sr. was born about 1761 which suggests that James did not marry until after Thomas was born.
• Thomas appears in records in Fincastle, Botetourt and Washington Counties at least ten years before James Sr. first appears in records there. It seems likely that if James Sr. was in the vicinity between 1771 and 1781 he would have appeared at least once or twice in Fincastle/Washington records, but he does not. He may have remained in Caroline County until after his brother Thomas Daniel 1735-1771 died there. Thomas Daniel 1735-1771 was the fourth son of Thomas Daniel 1708-1738 and Mary Rowzee.
  
• Spilsby Daniel was in the vicinity as early as 1780 and DNA testing has proved he is related to all of these Daniels. Spilsby stated in his Revolutionary War pension application that his parents died when he was young, which suggests another man besides James Sr. or Thomas 1750-1825  was his father. I suspect his father was William Daniel b. 1732 who was the third son of Thomas Daniel Sr. and Mary Rowzee. Spilsby was illiterate, which is very unusual for these Daniel families, but that could indicate that the death of his parents when he was young deprived him of an education. Spilsby indicated that he was born in Bedford County, VA in his pension application and a William Daniel appears in records there around that time. A William Daniel served for 63 days in Dunmore's War in 1774 from Fincastle County in the company of Captain John Floyd. This may have been Spilsby's father or a brother. He may have died during the war.
  
• The sons of James Daniel Jr.; Thomas, George and Isom Daniel moved to Floyd County, KY around 1810 and Thomas 1750-1825 had settled nearby in 1794 in what is now south eastern Montgomery County, KY. Thomas' son Estridge Daniel had remained there after his father and brothers moved on in 1806. Both the Floyd and Montgomery County Daniels had Bath/Morgan County connections. Bath and Morgan Counties were created between Montgomery and Floyd Counties, so it seems possible that the families associated with one another in Kentucky, hence the use of the name Isom in the family of Estridge Daniel. It is worth noting that this name was used only one time by the descendants of Thomas Daniel, by his son Estridge. This given name was never used in the line of Estridge Daniel's wife, Mary Samantha Fox.
  
• These facts suggest a family fractured by death of their parents (Thomas Daniel/Mary Rowzee) by August 1738 when the four sons (James, John, William and Thomas Jr.) were all very young, between the ages of three and ten. Their grandfather, William Daniel 1680-1765, was appointed the guardian of James, William and Thomas Jr. and William Daniel Jr. 1705-1783 was appointed the guardian of John. William Daniel and William Daniel Jr. were tasked with apprenticing the children to various trades. It was a common practice when the estate of a decedent was not sufficient to provide for the needs of his minor heirs, including paying for an education, to appoint a close family member their guardian and to apprentice the sons to learn a trade. William Daniel 1705-1783 was likely raising a young family of his own at the time that his brother died, so it is questionable how much time and resources he could devote to raising John. It is also possible that these children were divided and lived with various relatives in Caroline County and did not share a strong sibling bond.

    Again, this is just my take on the facts that are available and other interpretations of the facts are possible. Any comments or other theories are welcome.

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Speculations on the identity of the wife of Thomas Daniel

    Virtually nothing is known about the wife of Thomas Daniel , who was likely the mother of his children born between 1773 and 1790. The unusual given name of her son, Estridge, may be a clue to her maiden name. There were Estes/Estridge families in Caroline County, VA when the Daniels lived there, notably Abraham Estes/Estridge. Richard Estridge and an unnamed daughter are mentioned in records in Washington County, VA, around the time Thomas may have lived there. It is also worth noting that two grandsons of Thomas Daniel were named Shelby, though the Shelby family does not appear in records in Caroline County, but was quite prominent in southwestern Virginia in the 1770s and 1780s.
    The given names Elizabeth and Narcissa were widely used by her descendants and may have been named for her.
    Since her first child was born in 1773, she was probably born before 1757 and died before 1810, by which time Thomas had remarried to much younger woman named Delilah. The fact that her last known child was born about 1790 may indicate that she died well before 1810 as she would have been well within child bearing age for several years after 1790 but no children are attributed for her after that year.
    Sadly, we may never know more about her.

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