Re: 1750 Will of Gilbert Campbell & his fam.

Carolyn,

I agree with you completely that Captain James Campbell who married Lettice Taylor, daughter of Issac Taylor, was not the son of Gilbert Campbell. However, I need to correct your statements regarding the will of James Campbell that you quote. The will you have is for James Campbell, the son of Capt James Campbell. Capt James Campbell died some years earlier than his son James who died in about 1799 as I recall.

Capt James Campbell had a son William Campbell who married Jane Dean, daughter of Adam Dean. This couple migrated to Cumberland Co, Kentucky, to the community of Creelsboro. Creelsboro was originally named Campbellsboro for William Campbell (with wife Jane Dean) who had large landholdings on the Cumberland River and operated a ferry across the Cumberland about three miles upriver from the natural bridge in that area. Members of that Campbell family have done marvelous research to pinpoint their lineage to Capt. James Campbell and wife Lettice. Issac Taylor, perhaps grandson of Issac Taylor, father of Lettice Taylor, wife of Capt James Campbell, relocated to Cumberland Co Kentucky with William Campbell (and wife Jane Dean) and was one of the early leading citizens of Burkesville, the county seat of Cumberland County.

Capt James Campbell also had a son Issac Campbell who was an officer in the Revolutionary War. Issac Campbell died unmarried in the 1790's while he was involved in a lawsuit with the famous William Whitley of Kentucky who had settled on Issac Campbell's 1000 acre land grant he had received in Kentucky as a result of his Revolutionary War service. William Whitley prevailed against Issac Campbell in the lawsuit because Whitley had "squatted" a sufficient time to convince the Kentucky authorities that he should have title to Issac Campbell's property by adverse possession. Issac died before the final decision of the Kentucky court was rendered. William Whitley built the first brick home in Kentucky on Issac Campbell's property, and the home and grounds are now a Kentucky State Park. William Whitley, the squatter, went on to become one of the best known early Kentucky politicians. He has a Kentucky county named for him. I think he may have been elected governor even. It is generally thought that William Whitley began the horse race on the former Issac Campbell property that would eventually become the Kentucky Derby.

Isabella Campbell who married Stephen Saunders (or Sanders) was indeed the daughter of Capt James Campbell, but there were two Isabella Campbells, one who married Stephen Sanders, and another Isabella who was her neice, the daughter of James Campbell, the son of Capt James Campbell.

I realize that several books have been published that identify the James Campbell will that you quoted as the will of Capt James Campbell. Among those books that erroneously report this is the otherwise wonderful work entitled "Sanders Saga". A little research will convince you of the error of the assertion in that book.

As to the possibility that Capt James Campbell was the son of Patrick Campbell, I have serious doubts that this is the case. One of the keys to Capt James Campbell's lineage may be the fact that he retreated to Goose Creek in Bedford County, Virginia during the Indian uprisings in about the 1750's. Goose Creek was also the place of residence of a Moses Campbell and a William Campbell. The will of William Campbell on Goose Creek is in the Bedford County records. His wife is said to have been Rebeccah Caldwell. This William Campbell is also in the records of Prince Edward County, Virginia. In those records he is associated with a Robert Campbell who is said to have married a Crockett. That Robert Campbell relocated to Rockbridge County, Virginia and later migrated to eastern Tennessee where he was an early prominent pioneer. William Campbell and wife Rebeccah had a son named William Campbell who married Elizabeth Crump (This marriage proven by the Rev War pension application of this William Campbell). This William Campbell migrated to Stokes Co NC, and later to Madison Co (Huntsville)Alabamain the early 1800's.

There may be a Quaker Religion connection with these Campbell families. Goose Creek was the site of an early Virginia Quaker Monthly Meeting. The Crump family was Quaker. The executor of William Campbell (with wife Rebeccah Caldwell)was a Quaker. The will of Issac Campbell, son of Capt James Campbell, was witnessed by a man who was, or once was, a Quaker, and is the same man who was the executor of William Campbell of Goose Creek who married Rebeccah Caldwell. Very interesting!

The marriage of the James Campbell who wed Jane Means appears to have been a Quaker marriage.

Keep in mind that many of the Campbells of early southwestern Virginia were Scotch Presbyterians, not Quakers or Baptists. It is noteworthy that Capt James Campbell with wife Lettice appear to have affiliated with the Baptist Church when they settled on Cripple Creek on New River in what is now Whyte Co Va.

A great many Quakers in SW Virginia converted to the Baptist religion as the Revolutionary War approached. These conversions to the Baptist faith were likely the result of the realization that the Quaker teachings would condemn participation by members in the war against the British. For several reasons, many former Quakers were more comfortable with Baptist Church practices and teachings as compared to Anglican and even Presbyterian teachings and practices.

I only surface the possible Quaker connection in the interest of researchers of these Campbell families. I hope someone has access to old SW Virginia Quaker records if they still exist. My efforts to find them have been mostly fruitless.


Some of the Caldwell family that was probably the family of Rebeccah Caldwell Campbell, wife of William Campbell of Goose Creek, would relocate from Prince Edward County Va to Mecklenburg Co NC and become associated with other Campbell families that might be related to the Bedford VaCampbells.

The Moses Campbell on Goose Creek also left a will in Bedford County records. He had a son Aaron Campbell who migrated to Logan Co Kentucky in the 1790's. Records on this Moses Campbell are also found in Amherst County, Virginia. The records of Moses Campbell mingle with the families of early Campbells in Amherst Co.

My original intent was only to point out the problem with the James Campbell will, but it has obviously grown. I welcome anyone's comments. I would love to solve these Campbell lineages as I believe I also am connected to the Goose Creek Campbells.

Regards, Lewis A Campbell