(6) SPILSBY DANIEL

(Son of 1)

 

 

            Spilsby Daniel was an enigmatic character. He has often been identified as a son of William Daniel Jr. of Caroline County, Virginia. However, his date of birth c1765, and birth place in Bedford County, Virginia seems to dispute this accepted fact. The work of Charles Heinemann and Worth Ray credits William Daniel Jr. as the father of Spilsby only because of his given name. William Daniel Jr. married first an Elizabeth Coleman and the name Spilsby was very prominent in her family. This seems to be very flimsy evidence.

            However, James Daniel Senior, who I believe to be the father of Spilsby also had son Wyatt. Both Wyatt and Spilsby Coleman are very prominent names in the Essex/Caroline County Coleman family. Since James Sr. was born c1732, he is a more likely candidate to be related to William Daniel Jr. or perhaps a son of William Jr.’s brother, Thomas, who left his children in the care of William Jr. after his death. James Daniel Sr. also had a son named Thomas. All of this is pure conjecture.

 According to his Revolutionary War pension file, Spilsby was a poor man most of his life. He was never recorded as owning any land in Russell or Tazewell County, Virginia. He was uneducated and did not know his birth date , only that he was born in Bedford County, Virginia. He served under Captain William Bowen out of Bowen’s Fort on the Maiden Spring Fork in present Tazewell County, Virginia. He began his service at the age of 15 in 1780. In 1806 he was exempted from paying levies and poor tax due to his infirmaties. Spilsby applied for a pension from Fentress County, Virginia in 1834.

In 1858, his wife Sally Asbury applied for his pension as his widow. She stated that although he was awarded a pension certificate no actual money had been drawn. She also related that she grew up 3-4 miles from her husband in Wythe County, Virginia. This last remark surely was a mistake. I find no Asbury's living in Wythe at that time. All property taxes place Spilsby in the Maiden Spring area of Russell and then Tazewell County. Sally said that her husband had past away six years earlier, placing his death date at 1852. The tax list for Clinton County, Kentucky show a Spilsby Daniel being taxed as late as 1854 which would indicate that the taxes are showing a son named Spilsby.

It is interesting to note that Spilsby named a son Thomas just as James Daniel Jr. had done. Spilsby said that both of his parents had died when he was young. Some have interpreted this statement to mean that he was a child. If this is true, then James Daniel Sr. would not have been his father. Instead it raises the possibility  that Thomas Daniel, son of James Sr. may have been Spilsby’s father.

Another possibility lies in Spilsby’s reference to his birthplace. Early Bedford County, Virginia records reveal a William Daniel living there as early as 1754. Perhaps this William was Spilsby’s father and he and his wife passed away after moving into the Maiden Spring area when it was part of Fincastle County. There was a William Daniel that lived by Spilsby in both Wayne County, Kentucky and Overton County, Tennessee. This may have been a brother and the same William Daniel living on Powells River in Russell County, Virginia in the 1780’s. However, I have listed Spilsby as a son of James Daniel Sr. until further proof can be presented