Thomas Whitlock (abt. 1745 – 1830) of Louisa and Wythe Counties, Virginia, and Cumberland County, Kentucky: The Case of Jonathan Jennings

Botetourt County, Virginia, Deed Bk. 1, pp. 310-2

Or, Subtitled: When the name you ignore in a document turns out to be the key to the problem you’re trying to solve

In my penultimate posting, I told you that, having recounted Thomas Whitlock’s (abt. 1745 – 1830) story up to the point that he and wife Hannah Phillips Whitlock sold their land in Wythe County, Virginia, and moved to Kentucky in 1805, I’d proceed with a chronicle of their life in Cumberland County, Kentucky. Before I do that, however, I’d like to share some important information I’ve now unearthed about Jonathan Jennings.

Thomas Whitlock (abt. 1745 – 1830) of Louisa and Wythe Counties, Virginia, and Cumberland County, Kentucky: Montgomery County, Virginia, Records, 1780s

Virginia Land Office Survey Bk. 4, pp. 654-5

Or, Subtitled: In which I share information strongly supporting the conclusion that the Thomas Whitlock of the 7th Virginia Regiment is, indeed, this Thomas — see discussion of Capt. Robert Sayers below.

In this posting, I’m continuing my chronicle of the life of Thomas Whitlock (abt. 1745 – 1830) in Montgomery County, Virginia, insofar as I’ve found documents there for him. Previous postings have tracked him from the time he appears in Montgomery County in March 1776 witnessing a deed of Jonathan Jennings to Charles Lynch (and here and here). The last link I’ve just provided points to a posting that ends with a discussion of Thomas’s appearance on a 6 April 1781 list of men serving in Jeremiah Pearce/Pierce’s battalion in Montgomery County.

Thomas Whitlock (abt. 1745 – 1830) of Louisa and Wythe Counties, Virginia, and Cumberland County, Kentucky: Montgomery County, Virginia, Records, 1777 – 1781

Mary B. Kegley, Early Adventurers on the Western Waters, vol. 3 (Wytheville: Kegley Books, 1995), pp. 334-5

As the previous posting told you, I’ll now begin sharing the information I have about Thomas Whitlock’s years in Montgomery and Wythe Counties, Virginia, from 1776 to 1805, when he and wife Hannah moved to Cumberland County, Kentucky, from Wythe County, Virginia. Wythe was formed from Montgomery in 1790, and Thomas’s land fell into Wythe County at that point.