The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
Author: James Edward Mitchell
Isaac Tinsley (1737-1782) and Elizabeth Golding were James’ parents. His mother was a daughter of William Golding, schoolmaster in Culpeper Co., Virginia (VA) from a review of Dorothy Wulfect’s work, Culpeper County Virginia.
James was born in 1759 at Culpeper, ten years after Culpeper formed from Orange Co, VA. At age 16, with an older brother, Isaac Tinsley, James’ parents relocated to Newberry District (Ninety Six) South Carolina to farm. Ninety Six was a cross roads on the SC frontier in 1775. Ninety Six was distinguished then with a stone, two story jail and a courthouse, wrote Randell Jones copyright 2011, book entitled: Before They Were Heroes at Kings’ Mountain, pg 264.
Isaac’s father -Isaac (1708-76) a son of Thomas Tinsley, married Margaret Rucker, a dau. of Peter Rucker (The Planter -St. Marks Parish) and Elizabeth Fielding. Peter built Friendly Acres on Rippin’s Run, now a historic landmark at Ruckersville, Greene Co., Virginia. Various allied, collateral Tinsley families, [(John) Rucker, a son of Cornelius, married Mary (aka Polly) White, a granddaughter of (Daniel) White, of St. Mark’s Parish, Culpeper Co.,] (Tobias) Wilhoit, (Michael) Garr, and (William) Herndon are recorded April 1780 in the Sales of Estate of Christopher Dicken, dec’d., source: Culpeper County Virginia by Dorothy Ford Wulfeck copyright 1965 Will Books B and C, etc., pgs.4, 31-4, 54.
Now, age 19 James volunteered as a Private and a substitute for James Smith in Captain J. Hay(e)s Co.; Col James Williams & Gen Andrew Williamson’s SC (3rd) militia regt., source: National Archives (NARA) Pension File # S.31426.
James married first, Elizabeth Williams at SC. He served in the Southern Campaign fighting largely from Apr 1780 as the Southern Department of the American Continental Army after Charleston was placed under siege by British Gen Clinton. He was at the battle of Kings Mountain on 7 Oct 1780 with Col James Williams (SC) militia regt., at Bullock’s Creek. In 1782, James and his brother Isaac, a Whig militia officer was returning home at the end of a tour. They were ambushed by a band of Tories. Isaac was killed and James was wounded in the right shoulder but escaped. Later, James was promoted to the rank of Capt. after his service in the battle of Cowpens. He served actively until 1782-3 in Col Levi Casey’s SC regt.
From the end of the Revolution until 1837, Tinsley lived in SC. After his first wife’s death, James remarried Susannah Hooker and had several children. Together they left for the Republic of Texas to Montgomery District.
From the Republic of Texas at Washington County, James personally appeared on 7 Jul 1843 and gave under oath his word that he was a pensioner by virtue of a warrant paid to him by the U.S. Sec. of War. Tinsley advised the Chief Justice of the Court, John Hemphill that in 1837 he departed from his residence in Spartanburg District, SC, not wishing to be left behind as his children emigrated west to settle in the Republic of Texas.
He received a large tract of land at present day, Huntsville, the seat of Walker County, Texas, where he died in 1844 and was buried at his private family cemetery along Old Houston Road that is lost, southeast of present day Huntsville at Lat.: 30.689786 and Long.: -95.529535
Tinsley’s Headright # 1542 / 1641 certified within the Texas on 19 Jun 1850 appears recorded at Austin, within the General Land Office.
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Additional Information:
NSDAR cites Birth abt 1759
Brakebill cites
James Tinsley(1, 2) born c 1759 Culpeper Co., VA, died 22 Jul 1844 in Huntsville, Walker Co., TX and was buried on his farm located southeast of Huntsville, Texas.
Captain, Gens. Benjamin Lincoln, and Sumter
Battles of King's Mountain, and Cowpens
married Elizabeth Williams
1837 he came to TX with his second wife, Susannah Hooker