Author: J. L.

Andrew Heron: Rockbridge Co. Virginia

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I found this publication called, The People and the Churches of the Collierstown & Kerr’s Creek Area, by Cole Dawson Anthropology 377 Dr. McDaniel; May 27, 1982.

It briefly talks about the early settlers of the Collierstown and Kerr’s Creek area. We have land records and a map that tells us the VESS/VEST family settled in this area in the early 1800’s.

This is an interesting read, because it talks about the religion and cultural practices of these early settlers who were pretty much cut off from the rest of world. Interestingly, it states that the son’s of the families in this area stayed with their parents until they were 21 years old.

This publication also mentions Reverend Andrew Heron. This is interesting, because I recently found a website that says Andrew Heron to be the father of Elizabeth Heron (Patrick County, VA marriage record 1792), wife of Jonathan Vess of the Republic of Texas. Could Reverend Andrew Heron in Rockbridge be Elizabeth Heron’s father?

Probably not.
According to an Abstract article for the book, Building A Nation: 1776-1828, by William E. Van Vugt, Reverend Andrew Heron of Rockbridge County, VA arrived to America in 1807. Therefore, likely not the same Andrew Heron supposedly listed as “Dad” on the 1792 marriage record for Jonathan Vess and Elizabeth Heron.

Sometimes I feel like Thomas Edison, who once said something like this: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10000 ways that won’t work.”

In genealogy…I haven’t failed making connections; I’ve just found 10,000 connections that don’t work. One day, a light bulb will turn on and a connection will be found! 🙂

Mysterious Richard Vest: Franklin County, VA

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In 1786, Franklin County, Virginia was formed from parts of Bedford and Henry Counties. Samuel Vess/Vest has been in the Henry county area since the early 1780’s and when Franklin County was formed, he still remained in Henry county, an area that would later become Patrick County. The formation of Franklin County, separated him from his close neighbors the Hodge family who are seen on a Franklin County map (Chestnut Mt.) on the county border.

While I was researching the Hodge family in Franklin County, VA, I discovered a RICHARD VEST. He is listed on a tax record dated 1788.


I am not sure who this Richard VEST is, for that he does not seem to be on any VEST family trees. However, it is known that the VEST family were in Bedford County; however, they do not appear in Franklin County, VA until 1810.

This Richard Vest of Franklin County, VA is clearly in between two different VEST families- the Chesterfield VEST family in Bedford County, VA and the Samuel, Peter, and William VESS/VEST family of Patrick County, VA. Determining which one he belongs to is going to require some more research.

If you have any information about Richard VEST of Franklin County, Virginia (1788) that you can share, please feel free to comment below or email vessgenealogy@gmail.com. Thanks! 🙂

Vess Family DNA Project Update: 2022

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An update to YFULL has been posted to version 10.00.00 with revised age calculations.

According to Mike Travers, who is still analyzing the data, the Vess branch (shown below) is estimated to have formed somewhere between 375 and 1000 years ago.


This is not an estimated date as to when our family took the VESS name, but an estimated date as to when our particular family line (R-FT19517) branched off with a new mutation.

The Travers and Vess families are still closely related and it still appears to included the Travers families from Ireland and England.

To learn more about our ancestral origins, we need more Y-testers from the TRAVERS, TRAVIS, and VESS families. Even a basic Y-37 test is helpful!



If you are a male descendant with the VESS, TRAVERS, or TRAVIS name, please consider joining our family DNA project. If you have any questions on how to get started, please email vessgenealogy@gmail.com or contact the project co-Admins.

Thomas Vose: A Possible Jarvis Willis Connection

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A Voss family connection with the Vess family has never been seriously considered, mostly because there is absolutely no evidence to suggest any kind of connection; or at least not one with the North Carolina/Virginia Voss-Vass family mentioned in the publication, The Vaulx Family of England, Virginia, and Maryland, by Michael L. Marshall. But, could there be a connection with another Voss family, perhaps an unidentified Voss family, hiding under the radar in Stokes County, North Carolina next to Jarvis Willis?

Yeah, remember Jarvis Willis?
According to the The Maryland Group Blog, Jarvis Willis is the grandfather of John Lewis Willis, who married Mary Jane Vess, daughter of Willis Vess in Franklin County, Alabama. The article states that “Jarvis is in the 1790s tax records of Stokes, along with several males of the Vess family,” suggesting this is probably where the two families first met each other.

This “Vess” family is William Tunwell Vest and DNA research suggests the VEST and VESS families are not related; however, DNA data involves family trees which may be inaccurate, so I decided to see if I could find out just how geographically close Jarvis Willis and William Tunwell Vest were to each other, by doing my favorite thing- breaking out the maps!

Although Jarvis Willis and William Tunwell Vest seem close together on paper they actually resided in different districts (communities). After thorough investigation (using land, census, tax, and family records), I discovered that the VEST family resided in the Yadkin District whereas Jarvis Willis resided in the Deep River District. If they did know each other, it was probably through a local church, as they were neighboring districts, but they certainly were not close neighbors.


Further research reveals that Reverend Thomas Voss/Vass of Granville County, North Carolina (mentioned in research by Micheal L. Marshall and other online sources), briefly resided in the same district (Deep River District) as Jarvis Willis between 1805-1808; however, by the time Thomas Vass and his sons arrived, Jarvis Willis had already migrated to Tennessee. BUT, early tax records reveal an earlier Thomas Voss/Vose family who resided in the same area at the same time as Jarvis Willis, while Reverend Thomas Voss/Vass was still in Granville County, North Carolina.

Very little is known about this Thomas Voss, however, online sources suggest that he came from Delaware, whereas Reverend Thomas Voss/Vass of Granville County, North Carolina came from Virginia.

Several online sources regarding the Deep River District, state it’s residents comprised of many families from Maryland and Delaware. This is super intriguing, because Jarvis Willis, Sparks, Rose, and Gosnell families are also from Maryland- so is our distantly related Travers family. But, that doesn’t mean there is a connection though, because the VEST family of Patrick County, Virginia still seems to make more sense. But, if you think about it, their origins have yet to be determined too and William Vess in Patrick County has records in the VESS/VOSS name. Even our Peter Vess, has a “Voss” record, and we have a family oral tradition that our name used to be pronounced as “VOSS.”

I have not been able to find any information about the earlier origins of this Thomas Vose in Stokes County, North Carolina, but family trees on Ancestry.com state his name is Edward Thomas Voss and that he was born in 1769 in Delaware, suggesting a new VOSS family, but family trees have him listed as the son of Joseph Voss and Rebecca Middleton (Virginia/North Carolina Voss-Vass family).

I have not found any records yet to support a connection with Joseph Voss and Rebecca Middleton. According to online sources, family trees, and other research, Joseph Voss and Rebecca Middleton come from Orange / Casewell County area and they eventually settled in South Carolina, with their sons William and John Voss briefly residing in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina before settling in Lawerence County, Tennessee. Nowhere have I found any mention about Delaware.

I plan to look further into Thomas Voss, as I have made some other interesting discoveries in that area that I am currently researching on, discoveries that may support a possible connection with John Beas in Spartanburg Co. SC.

1) There is a Hester family who settled in Franklin County, Alabama not too far from Willis Vess. Although HESTER is a name known to be connected to the Granville County Voss-Vass family, they are also connected to the Voss family in the Deep River District (Stokes County). Although sources claim the HESTER connection in Stokes County is with VOSS-VASS families, there is an earlier Hester family in the area with Thomas VOSE (not Vass) that doesn’t seem to have been identified yet by other VASS / HESTER researchers.

2) The census above for the Deep River District reveals a Green family. Research (so far) suggests a connection between them and Amos Green in Rutherford County, North Carolina (member of Bill’s Creek Baptist Church with Peter Vess) and Elizabeth Green, mother of Talitha Whitlock (Willis Vess). Note: The Whitlock family is all over Surry, Stokes, and Wilkes County North Carolina (one even having had land in Patrick County, VA).

3) Between 1800-1820, many residents of the Surry, Stokes, and Wilkes County area were on the move. Some migrated to Tennessee whereas other migrated to the Carolinas. According to the history of Wilkes County, NC, many early residents lost their land due to politics, forcing them to either move westward or further down south.

4) According to family history, William Sparks, an early resident of Franklin County, North Carolina near the Hester family (not too far from Willis Vess), made a stop in South Carolina before making their way to Alabama in 1818. William Sparks can be found on the 1810 Spartanburg County, SC census where we find John Beas, Henry Pettit, Bellew and Gosnell, Pennington, Poole, Willis, Hester, and many other familiar families, including some families from the Stokes County, North Carolina Deep River District.

5) John Beas is listed on the 1810 Spartanburg Co. NC census next to a CANTRELL family. There is a land record for a John Bess joining land with the Cantrell family. The Cantrell family interests me, because autosomal DNA shows a long list of CANTRELL members, all descendants of an ISAAC CANTRELL, who specifically match with my VESS family members.

John Beas is listed next to Reubin Cantrell, who is the son of Isaac, and according to FindAGrave.com, Isaac is originally from Delaware and his children were born in Guilford County, NC. Stokes County, Deep River District is on the border between Stokes and Guilford County. Stokes and Surry County land records for those listed around Jarvis Willis in 1790 indicate they were on parts of the Deep River; however the Deep River is in Guilford. Maps reveal that there is a small portion of the Deep River (West Fork) that slightly crosses into Stokes County, so it may be possible that Isaac was close to the Deep River District (but not in the Deep River District).

Furthermore, Thomas Hodge in Wilkes County, North Carolina listed next to William Vest, married a CANTRELL. I have not been able to find any information about her family yet, but I do find it intriguing. The problem is that Thomas Hodge and William Vest were no where near the Deep River District, they were further north in Wilkes County, NC (now Watauga County, NC) somewhere along NEW RIVER (Stony Fork), near the Pennington families. Note: Whitlock and Pennington families supposedly traveled to Alabama together. However, it is less than 100 miles between Stony Fork and Deep River.

What I also find interesting about the Deep River District, is that it includes Bellews Creek. I can’t help but wonder if there is a connection with Bellews Creek and the prominent Bellew family of Greenville, SC (Clarinda Bellew, wife of Nathan Vess)??


There is still much to research, but I do feel confident that we are on the right track!



























Peter Vess of Rutherford County, NC: Deed Record

/ J. L. / 2 Comments

I attended the North Carolina Genealogical Society Webinar yesterday about DEEDS hosted by David M. McCorkle who created nclandgrants.com. It was a very insightful Webinar that I wish was longer, because I learned so much!

After the Webinar, it took me less than 5 minutes to unearth a new record for Peter Vess!
Below is an 1846 Deed Record that is forcing to me re-write Peter’s timeline.

The Deed record has Peter and Josiah Vess as the Grantors and Joseph Souther as the Grantee.


Familysearch.org Deed Book 45

I will transcribe as best as I can…

“This the 21st of December 1846
State of North Carolina Rutherford County

Know all men by [illegible] presents that whereas Joseph Souther stands Peter Vests [illegible] for the prosecution of a suit in the Superior Court of our County [cut off] [illegible] Thomas Young deceased Executor or administrator William Young [cut off] [illegible] And Now Know Ye that in order to save harmless the said Souther [illegible] in said Suit and to secure said dee and for the further consideration of the [cut off] [illegible] dollars to us Peter Vess and Joseph Vess in hand paid by Joseph Souther [cut off] [illegible]and payment whereof we do hereby acknowledge have bargained sold [cut off] [illegible] conveyed and confirmed and by these presents do bargain [illegible] alien convey and [illegible] unto the said Joseph Souther his heirs and [illegible] forever the following [cut off[ [illegible] parcel of land situated lying and being in the county and state [cut off] [illegible] including the place on which the said Peter Vest now resides on the waters [cut off] [illegible] creek begining on a Red oak on the North rock of [Fills Creek] thru 18 [cut off] [illegible] a Red oak thru North 20 poles to a Black oak in a hollow thru West 154 poles to a stake on a line of a 25 acre [illegible] [illegible][illegible] it South 15 [cut off] 30 poles to [illegible] on the side of a hill corner of the 25 acres [illegible] [cut off] out to west 22 poles to a stake on the top of a ridge then South to [illegible] Whiteoak then 168 poles to a white oak on the line of the [illegible] to the beginning [illegible] one hundred and nine acres to be the [illegible] [cut off] less together with all and singular the rights members [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] and appurtenances to the said [illegible’ belonging or in any [cut off] [illegible] appertaining to have and to hold with appurtenances unto the said Joseph his heirs and [illegible] forever And we the said Peter Vest and Josiah vest [cut off] [illegible] [illegible] herby [illegible][illegible]our heirs Executor administrators to warrant [cut off] [illegible] defend the aforesaid land and tenements unto the said Joseph Souther [cut off] heirs and [illegible] forever provided always nevertheless and ur us the [cut off] [illegible] and meaning of these presents that if the said Peter Vest shall and [cut off] [illegible] and [illegible] have harmless the said Joseph Souther as his security in said [cut off] [illegible] and that [illegible] am [illegible] pay the said fifty dollars to the said Jospeh Souther in that ease this deed shall [illegible’ determine and become absolutely null and [cut off] [illegible] otherwise to remain in full [illegible] and effect. in Testimony whereof [cut off] [illegible] unto [illegible] hands [illegible] seals this the 14th day of November 1846.

The [illegible] after signing
John Vess

his X mark
Josiah Vests
Peter Vests

State of North Carolina
Rutherford County

Fall Court 1846
No 11 Josiah Vess and Peter Vess acknowledge in open court the Execution of the above deed it is therefore records and ordered to be registered.

G. E. Logan“

Familysearch.org Deed Book 45
Minutes, Pleas, and Quarter Sessions
Familysearch.org

This changes my timeline for Peter Vess. Previously, he was nowhere to be found after 1840 with Catherine Vess rejoining Bill’s Creek Baptist Church in 1844 without him, as if he had passed away. But, here he is on a deed record that states this is land in which Peter Vess “now resides,” which I am assuming means he is still alive in 1846.

It appears that he owed a debt that he could not pay and gave his land to Joseph Souther to clear his debt. It is interesting to note that his sons, John, Josiah, Andrew, and Alfred joined Bill’s Creek Baptist Church at this time. But, if Peter is still alive, what happened to him? Why did he not return to Bill’s Creek Baptist Church with Catherine and his sons?

Also, I do not know who Joseph Souther is, except that him and his family were dismissed from Bill’s Creek Baptist Church prior to 1830. I wonder if there is any relation to Joshua Souther who later married the wife of John Vess (Elizabeth Taylor)?

Very interesting!







Hodges and Samuel Vest: Tennesse and Virginia

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Updated Sept. 8, 2024

I wonder if there is a connection between the Abner Hodge family and Vest/Vess family in White County, TN? I have traced Abner’s line to Robert Hodge of Franklin County, Virginia living near Chestnut Mountain.

On the 1820 census for White County, Tennessee, we see Peter VEST next to Abner Hodge and Ephraim Hodge (brothers) living on Caney Fork.

I decided to review the family tree for Abner and Ephriam Hodge, which states their father is Josiah Hodges (son of Robert Hodge). According to online sources, Josiah Hodges was born in 1740 in Henry County, Virginia. The problem is, Henry County was not established until 1777.

He was likely born in Pittsylvania County, which parts later became Henry County. With that said, it wasn’t until 1785 that parts of Henry County (and a portion of Bedford Co) later became Franklin County, VA.

The Chestnut Mountain area was once part of Henry County. Chestnut Mountain is also less than 30 miles away from where we find Samuel, William, and Peter Vess in Patrick County, VA (formed in 1791) on Koger Creek and North Mayo River (border of Patrick Co and Henry Co).

Samuel Vess has tax records as early as 1782 in Henry County, VA, so I decided to check to see if there are any Hodges nearby AND there is!

Josiah Hodges is listed on the page prior, and Samuel Vest and Abemingo (Josiah’s brother) are listed on the same page (or same slide).

I do not know if families listed on tax lists are neighbors of a specific community; however, this does show that the Hodges and Vest families were in the same county at the same time.

If the families listed above are neighbors, then Samuel Vest at the time had not obtained land yet from Abraham Penn, for that the names of families in the Koger/North Mayo River (1791 deed list), including Abraham Penn, are listed a couple-several pages back on this 1782 tax list.

The Hodges family, including Robert Hodges (likely Robert Hodges Jr., brother of Abner Hodge) is listed on the 1783 tax list; however, the 1783 tax list and moving forward are in alphabetical order.

If they knew each other in Henry County, VA; perhaps it was through a local church or they lived close to each other, but were later separated by the formation of a county line (Franklin Co.); as Chestnut Mountain is very close to the Henry County border.

Also, I discovered a Richard Vest in Franklin County, Virginia on the 1788 tax list. He is the only VEST family listed. However, there is also a VEST family in Bedford County, VA, but from what I can tell, none of the VEST family trees seem to have this particular Richard Vest.

Richard Vest and the Hodges family (Abner Hodge) appear on the Franklin Co. VA tax lists until 1794. The 1793 tax list is the last time Richard Vest appears and the 1794 tax list is the last time Abner Hodge appears. In 1795, there are no Hodges or Vest families listed.

In fact, they disappear around the same time as Peter and William Vest!

Is there a connection? Who is Richard Vest? And could Samuel, Peter, and William Vest actually be part of our VESS family – Haplogroup R1a1??

Also, it is interesting to note that Robert Hodges is supposedly from the Isle of Wight, VA (1704). Not too far from there is the Travers family of Jamestown Island who have connections with both England and Ireland (post about later).

But of course, that is probably stretching it a bit too thin…










Vess Family Research Site: 2020 Goals

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Happy New Year!

I am excited to announce that Vess Genealogy has expanded to a Vess Family Research Site. Of course, it is still a work in progress as I continue to improve the website with new features and more information.

Vess genealogy is challenging to research, because of its unique name in which DNA has interestingly revealed is a name shared by several different unrelated families. I would like to expand the Vess Genealogy website to help other VESS families sort out their lineages and uncover their origins.

This is a monumental task in which will require the help other researchers who are also interested in the VESS name.

While my research blog will continue, I am still working on adding new pages that will provide researchers with current information that can be found in one spot rather than having to collect information from numerous blog posts.

I am still working on creating PDF files for specific lineages and I would like to add family charts.

Further posts will have an open comment section and I am looking into creating an active Discussion Forum (that part will take time to create though) to encourage further collaboration among researchers.

The Vess Family DNA Project is still active and we continue to encourage male descendants to participate in Y-DNA testing.

Furthermore, I am currently working on a VESS Genealogy E-book for the Peter and Willis Vess lines.

I absoultely look forward to working with you to help uncover the mysteries of the VESS family!









Cold Gloomy Day: Researching Vest Families

/ J. L.

It’s a cold gloomy day and my free-trial with Fold3 is about to expire, so I am browsing through as many records as I can and the following are just thoughts…

Nathan Vest

I know there is an earlier Nathan Vest in Virginia, but records of his existence outside military records is pretty scarce. Nathan Vest is rarely listed on VEST family tree’s, so perhaps he is a VICE.

His military record is interesting. The 8th Virginia Regiment recruited men from the same area as Samuel Vest (Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania area), but this regiment did not go west; instead, Nathan Vest went south to Charleston, South Carolina. However, according to his military records, he died May 24, 1778.

John Vest

The VEST name is much more extensive than I thought. Here, I stumbled up on a 1779 record for a John Vest in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This Vest family can be found in Hilltown, Bucks County, PA, with records from 1779-1833 (possibly more). Although records are consistent in separating him from a John West family, he could still be a WEST. I don’t know.

Now, I am just browsing…but Bucks County is greatly associated with William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, who according to the Daughters of the American Revolution, is distant cousins with Colonial Abraham Penn (Henry County, VA).

Interesting history, but not enough information to make any conclusions about any families; however, I will admit that the discovery of a VEST family in Pennsylvania is intriguing.




Samuel Vess Family Patrick County, VA: Timeline

/ J. L. / 1 Comment

● 1782: Personal Property Tax List Henry County, VA
Samuel Vest with John Whitt, Turner family, William Heard, and Richard Reynolds

● 1783: Personal Property Tax List Henry County, VA
William Vest and Samuel Vess

● 1784: Personal Property Tax List Henry County, VA
Samuel Vess

● 1785: Personal Property Tax List Henry County, VA
Samuel Vest

● Marriage Record Henry County, VA
Peter Vess and Pugnance

● 1786: Personal Property Tax List Henry County, VA
NO VESS/VEST LISTED

● 1787: Personal Property Tax List Henry County, VA
Peter Vess – under age 21. (estimate birth between 1766-1771)
Samuel Vess- over age 21

Notes: Probably estimate Peter’s birth between 1766-1771. Samuel is likely Peter’s father.

● 1788: Personal Property Tax List Henry County, VA
Peter Vess
Sarah Vess
Sam Vess (Samuel Vess)

● 1789: Personal Property Tax List Henry County, VA
Peter Vess
Samuel Vess

● 1790: Personal Property Tax List Henry County, VA
Peter Vess
William Vess
Samuel Vess

Notes: Land records not dated. But Samuel Vess was granted 13 acres part of Abraham Penn’s 1,000 acre grant in 1783 and references Peter Vest’s corner (probably sometime after 1785). William’s land record for 175 acres states surveyor Dickenson which was a surveyor between 1779-1780.

1791: Patrick County, VA was created from Henry County

● 1791: Personal Property Tax List Patrick County, VA
Samuel Vess
Peter Vess

● 1791-1792: Patrick County Land Tax
Samuel Vess transfers 50 acres of land to Peter Vess

● 1792: Personal Property Tax List Patrick County, VA
Samuel Vess
Peter Vess
William Vess

● 1792: Marriage Record Patrick County, VA
Jonathan Vess and Elizabeth Heron

● 1793: Personal Property Tax List Patrick County, VA
Samuel Vess

● 1793: Land Dispute Peter Vess and Fletcher Family with Copely Family
Notes: Tax records show a George and Benjamin Fletcher but no COPELY


● 1793: Patrick County Land Deed List 1791-1801 (FHL film 33,337)
Peter and wife Margaret and John Duncan and wife Janey, 100 acres on Mays River, Dodson line to John Spencer.

● 1794: Personal Property Tax List Patrick County, VA
Samuel Vess

● 1795: Personal Property Tax List Patrick County, VA
Samuel Vess
Peter Vess
Jonathan Vess

● 1796: Personal Property Tax List Patrick County, VA
Peter Vess

Notes: Did Samuel Vess pass away?

● 1797: Personal Property Tax List Patrick County, VA
Peter Vess

● 1798: NO VESS FAMILIES LISTED

Samuel Vess Revolutionary War Records

/ J. L. / 2 Comments

The earliest record of the VESS name in America appears on Revolutionary War records for Samuel, Peter, and William Vess. A vast number of records with the VESS name are for Samuel Vess dated 1777-1779 under the command of Captain Machen Boswell of the 2nd Virginia State Regiment.

We also have an earlier Revolutionary War record for Samuel and William Vess dated 1775 for Dunmore County, VA under the command of Captain Joseph Bowman.

Further research strongly suggests that the Samuel Vess named in all these records are likely the same person.

A Look At Dunmore County, VA records: Samuel and William Vess

The records above are dated 1775. Samuel and William Vess are teenagers and are listed as privates living in the lower district of Dunmore County, VA (modern Warren County, VA area) serving under Captain Joseph Bowman’s command.

Captain Joseph Bowman’s militia was called to serve during Dunmore’s War (likely the Battle of Point Pleasant) in 1774 which took place in West Virginia regarding conflict in an area which included parts of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania (Ohio River territory).

Looking At the LONG LIST of Revolutionary War Records: Samuel Vess

All these records for Samuel Vess (1777-1779) are under the command of Captain Machen Boswell of the 2nd Virginia State Regiment.

According to Familysearch.org, the 2nd Virginia State Regiment replaced the 13th Virginia Regiment. The 13th Virginia Regiment was formed in 1777 from Fort Pitt, which is located in Pennsylvania and recruited men who were living in the area which was affected by Dunmore’s War.

Trying To Work Out A Timeline

In 1774, Captain Jospeh Bowman’s militia (Dunmore County) fought in Dunmore’s War.

In 1775, census was taken and Samuel and William Vess appear to be teenagers and listed as Privates for the Revolutionary War. This would have been the start of the Revolutionary War.

In 1776, Captain Joseph Bowman and “other colonists” ventured west. Samuel Vess could have been one of them, because…

In 1777, we have Samuel Vess serving under Captain Machen Boswell’s command (who replaced Captain John Lewis) who took over the 13th Regiment and recruited men from the West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvannia area.

SO, the question remains…is this Samuel Vess of Henry County, Virginia in 1782?? Did he try following the Great Wagon Road south, but just ended up settling on the North Mayo River??

Note: Abraham Penn of Patrick County, VA is said to have been born in Carolina County, VA and raised in Amherst County, VA. He served in Dunmore’s War (Battle of Point Pleasant) 1774. He owned Popular Grove Plantation in Patrick County, VA. Samuel Vess was given 13 acres of his land (1,000 acres 1783). Is there a connection?

Evidence This Is Not Samuel Vest, Son of William Tunwell Vest

One known Samuel Vess/Vest who had a brother named William Vess/Vest and served in the Revolutionary War, is the son of William Tunwell Vest. His pension records state he entered service in Bedford County, VA in 1779 and was under the command of Captain James Adams. The records continue listing other officers he served under and places he had served; none of them reference Dunmore County, County or Machen Boswell. So, this is certainly not the same Samuel Vess/Vest in the above Revolutionary War records.

Frederick County, Virginia – Vice Family

Maybe Samuel and William Vess of Dunmore County are part of the VICE family?? Dunmore County was created from Frederick County, VA in 1772. It is said that the VICE family (Kentucky and South Carolina) can be traced back to Frederick County, VA via John Vessey; unfortunately, I have not found any records of him yet. However, I did find a 1791 tax record for Frederick County, VA with Nathaniel, Robert, and William VICE – so we did have a VICE family in Frederick County, VA, but not sure how long they were there prior to 1790.

Corporal Peter Vess Revolutionary War Record

This is an interesting record. Bauman’s company was authorized on 28 October 1775 and recruited in New York (2nd Continental Artillery Regiment), later becoming known as Lamb’s Continental Artillery Regiment. I wonder if this supposed to be Peter VAN NESS, rather than Peter VESS??

Samuel, William, and Peter Vess of Patrick County, VA: Still A Mystery

In short, Samuel, William, and Peter Vess of Henry/Patrick County, VA still remain a mystery. I have yet to find any evidence to suggest where they came from prior to 1782. Although the VEST family is nearby in Bedford County, VA, there is no evidence to suggest a connection with them either.

The VESS family of Patrick County, VA appear out of nowhere like Peter, Willis, and Nathaniel Vess!