Mildred Mayfield's Page

Do you suppose it is worthwhile making a Thornhill group?

You have mail.
I think they knew their family was from Virginia. I have seen this before on census rather than their birth place.
The name Thornhill has many written variations. Thornal was a common one.
I don't know how these people manage to disappear for years and then show up again. I have accidentally found a few Thornhill with mutilated names on census!

I think I forgot to put Leonard, son of William Sr. Thornhill, in the list I sent you. The Leonard in my line is the son of James. I have never found (the older)Leonard's line, partly because there are men with the name Leonard in other Thornhill lines
I think Ezekiel went to Barren Co., KY, and then maybe to Illinois. I think he said his name was Zeke. If it is him, his name was butchered.
William Thornhill, Jr is easy to find when researching.

The Folden vrs Hancock document involves more than just the listing of William Thornhill, Sr.'s children. I can't go into this in a small comment box. It has been a couple of years since I was researching on this so I need to refresh my memory, and review it. Look for mail.

I have a copy of the Folden Document. It is one of the very few that mentions Armstead.

Correction - Rachel Thornhill, daughter of William, Sr., married Zachariah Candler, not Chandler. There is still a Candler's Mountain near Lynchburg, VA. Zachariah Candler owned part of what is now the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC.

I found some of what I have on Armstead Thornhill.

ARMSTEAD/ARMISTEAD THORNHILL, b. VA; d.(maybe Greene Co., MO, after 1840); married Oct. 1,1800, Knox, TN, to RACHEL JOHNSON, b.<1784>; d. (note: not sure of this information, more research is necessary)
children (not in birth order)
(1850 Census Barry Co., MO, 1860 census McDonald Co., MO has Rachel Thornhill of the appropriate age listed.)
(1840 census Greene Co., MO has an A. Thornhill listed)
(marriage records Knox, TN)
1. MAHALA THORNHILL, b. <1806, N.C.> ;married JOEL K.SANDERS

2. ELIZA JANE THORNHILL, b. Mar. 24, 1824; d. Mar 18, 1898, Purdy, Barry Co., MO, buried Bullington Cemetery there; married TILLMAN EDWARDS (need more research to verify this information)
1. URSULA KATHARINE EDWARDS
2. JAMES K. POLK EDWARDS
3. AMANDA ELIZABETH EDWARDS
4. MARY ISABELLE EDWARDS
5. GEORGE WESTWOOD EDWARDS
6. HESTER ANN RACHEL EDWARDS
7. SARAH ANN EDWARDS
8. MINERVA ANN EDWARDS

I do not know if Eliza was a daughter or granddaughter.
There was a John Thornhill in the area also.

McDonald County was made from Barry County, Missouri. My g.g.grandmother, Julia's brother also lived in McDonald County and Benton County, Arkansas, James H. Thornhill, who married Julia's husband's sister. This is why I became interested in the other Thornhill in southwest Missouri.

In 1758, there is a mention of William Thornhill in Culpeper County, Virginia at:
http://www.vagenweb.org/hening/vol07-10.htm#page_214
He had children by an unnamed first wife, and a second wife named Sara in Bedford Co., Virginia. He may have been a soldier of the Revolution, but there were several men with the same name, and lost records. William died 1789, while on a trip to Hawkins County, North Carolina, which is now in Tennessee. He left a Will.

There is a Thornhill listed in the 1678 Tax List in Maryland, thought to be Williams's family. I have not done a great deal of research on William's ancestors, as I worked on his descendants.
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/md/statewide/taxlists/1678-tax-list.txt

Thornhill is a very old name, going back to Yorkshire, England.

I think Rachel, wife of A. Thornhill, might be Rachel Johnson Thornhill. Are you aware the counties changed boundaries. I know this area rather well, as relatives lived in that area, and I live a few counties away, but I don't know where Rachel is buried. I have noted Armstead Thornhill was over the age of 21 in 1795. Sorry, but I do not remember my source. It is possible Rachel Johnson's family came from Bedford, VA also.

My friend, who lives in Texas, descends from Mahala, daughter of Armstead Thornhill. She has never totally proved Armstead was a son of William Thornhill, Sr., but there is circumstancial proof.

William Thornhill, Sr.'s children (not in birth order):

William Thornhill, Jr. - b. c1757 Culpeper, VA; d. aft 1850, Breckenridge, KY; married 1789, Bedford, VA, to Susannah Barton, dau. of Burr Barton. He was a Revolutionary War soldier.

Ezekiel Thornhill, - married 1789 in Bedford, VA to Nancy Barrett, dau. of George and Sarah Barrett.

John Thornhill - born Culpeper, VA. Son of William's first wife.

Rachel Thornhill - married 1791, in Bedford, VA, to Zachariah Chandler. They moved to Buncombe Co., NC, where it appears Rachel died young.

Reuben Thornhill - married Mary "Polly" Gray. Resident of Missouri in 1809.

Barnabas Thornhill - married Dorcas Gray. He resided St. Charles, Missouri, Upper Cuiver twp. in 1817.

Bryant Thornhill - married Jane Gray. He resided St. Charles, MO, Upper Cuiver twp in 1817.

Armstead Thornhill - over 21 in 1795. He married Rachel Johnson in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sally Thornhill

Edna Thornhill - married 1802, in Bedford, VA to Henry Deardoff. They moved to Greene Co., Ohio. Her son, and son-in-law died 1836, at the Alamo in Texas.

James Thornhill - son of William and Sara, b. c1781, Bedford, VA, d. before 1844, married 1813, Bedford, VA to Mary "Polly" Corley/Finley, dau. of Sally Corley/Finley and unknown.

I have much more information, but it needs to be posted in another manner.

You have better proof than others on the Armstead Thornhill line. Armstead's lineage is particularly difficult to prove. I did have a web site that had the descendants of William Thornhill, Sr., but it was on AOL Homepages, and was deleted by them last year. I have the information saved, but I have to get it out. I had been trying to reach descendants of William Thornhill of Bedford, VA, and construct a family tree, because each branch has their own information to add. It is an interesting family.

Do you suppose we need a Thornhill group?

Do you mind if I share your information with another person who descends from Armstead? I have to ask her if I can share her information. Every little bit helps.