-----Original Message-----
From: RROCHE@InfoAve.Net [SMTP:RROCHE@InfoAve.Net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 7:18 PM
To: BGambrell@RaycomMedia.com
Subject: Article

Bud,

There are some people in the article below that appeared to disappear from
VA and NC in the mid 1700s. I have made some comments in capitals letters.

My line has been proven legally to John Gambrel who lived in KY; however, he
was born in NC in 1781. We strongly believe that he was the son of Thomas
Gambill/Gamble/Gambrell, etc. from Wilkes Co., NC whom we think is the
Thomas in Clay Co., KY in 1810. I have spelled Gambrell the same way to
enhance the reading of the material.

I do have an entire book on the Gambrells/Gambrills in Maryland. Out of
Henry and Mary Davenport's Family, we know lots about some of them; however,
I don't remember ever hearing from a desc. out of Thomas, James, or
Benjamin's lines. I do know that this Thomas applied for and received a
Rev. War Pension in Giles Co., TN in 1818 because I have a copy of that.
Giles Co., TN is below Nashville, TN. I also have a theory about Bradley
Gambill being connected to the Gambills in Wilkes Co. since I first found
the name Bradley Gambrel with the name of Gambrel, and found him as a
soldier in GA in the book, SOLDIERS IN THE SOUTH, during the 1760s, and then
with Henry Gambill in Davidson Co., NC during the Rev. War. WHY?

Since my Grandmother told me as a little girl that the Gambrells were from
Culpeper, VA, I grew up with that knowledge. The only Gambrells that I can
find around there are really Gambills; however, I saw Thomas and Ann's name
spelled as Gambrell in the early 1700s.

Let me know when you get all of this figured out!!! Why don't you write an
article on your line for Gambrella? I do mail it out to around 35 people
who are not on line; however, since it has gone world-wide, mailing out
individual copies to over 400 people became too expensive since the
newsletter is free of charge, and even became a chore on the net.

Hazel Roche'

GAMBRELLS

The Gambrell name has undergone various spelling changes over the years.
Mainly, it has gone from Gambill to Gambrel to Gambrell in this line.
However, it has been found spelled in around 25 different ways; such as
Gambill, Gamble, Gambrill, Gambell, Gambril, Gamball, Gambel, Gambriel,
Gambull, Gambret, Gamril, Gammel, Gambling, etc.

The early history of the Gambrell family is unclear at this time. Records
indicate that there were Gambrells arriving all along the Eastern Seaboard
of America as early as the 1630's. Common surnames, such as Robert,
William, John, Thomas, James, etc., were noted landing in both the New
England and Virginia areas - even into the 1700's. Therefore, various
theories exist pertaining to the early history of this line of the Gambrells.

In the 1600's, several members of this family arrived in America. Robert,
Jr., came in the William and Francis in 1632, with his wife, Elizabeth.
They settled in Roxbury, and had Elizabeth, Joseph (who died at 17 years of
age), Benjamin, and Mary. John Gambrell was transported to the Isle of
Wright in 1665; in fact, there was an entire family there. Some members of
this family probably later went to Anson County, North Carolina. In 1694, a
will was filed in North Carolina where Adam Gambrell of Glasgow, Scotland,
had left his brother, James, a part of this estate. A John Gambrell of
London, England, was also named in the will. Evidently, James had returned
to Maryland since he left a will in Prince George County, Maryland. Then,
there were William and Thomas who arrived in Baltimore in 1668. William's
descendants appear to be listed in the book, THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF MARYLAND
GAMBRILLS. James Gambrell also arrived in the Baltimore, Maryland Port in
1673. Then, on 4 Nov 1673, John Gammon received a 500-acre land patent from
Virginia, and James was one of ten people who traveled with him to Lower
Norfolk County, Virginia. Court records show that several Gambrells were
located in Middlesex County, Virginia between 1677 - 1710, including a
Thomas and Ann Gambrell.

The simplest explanations would be that a Thomas Gambrell arrived on the
coast of Virginia in 1701, then possibly worked for someone to pay his
passage for three years. Then in 1704, he rented 450 acres of land from
Major L in King and Queen County, Virginia. However, another Thomas
Gambrell was also transported on 24 Oct 1701, to New Kent County, Virginia,
by John Saxon who had received a Virginia Land Grant for 1,024 acres.
Furthermore, a William Gambrell was also transferred there in 1704, and a
Mary and Margaret Gambrell were cared for in the same area. Records indicate
that some members of all of these families may be connected through the use
of common family names, residing in the same counties during the same time
frames, similar occupations, etc. Hence, additional research needs to be
conducted in the early history of this Gambrell line. WHO WERE THIS WILLIAM
GAMBRELL'S CHILDREN?

Thomas and Ann Gambrell first appeared in the Middlesex County, Virginia
records in 1701. Then, they were in St. Margaret's Parrish in King William
County, Virginia by 1729, because court records show that they sold land in
Spotsylvania County, Virginia. A John Gambrell also appeared as a legal
witness in 1724, and in 1729, in the same county. If one analyzes land
records, Thomas and Ann owned land in Spotsylvania County, Virginia on the
north side of the North Anna River. Across the river in the same vicinity,
Martin Davenport own property in Hanover County, Virginia. Hence, some
believe that Thomas and Ann were the parents of Henry Gambrell. I FIRST
FOUND THE GAMBRELL NAME ON A SARAH GAMBRELL IN 1688 IN MIDDLESEX CO., VA. I
HAVE ALSO SEEN THIS THOMAS' NAME SPELLED AS GAMBRELL. I THINK THAT THIS
JOHN IS HENRY GAMBILL, SR.'S BROTHER. WHAT HAPPEN TO HIM?

Henry Gambrell (Ca 1700 - By 1768) married Mary Davenport around 1735.
Legal records indicate that Henry resided in Louisa, Spotsylvania,
Albemarle, Hanover, and Culpeper Counties in Virginia. He was a legal
witness for Martin Davenport, his wife's father, in Hanover County,
Virginia, in 1735, and purchased 175 acres of land on Little Rocky Creek in
Hanover County, Virginia during the same year. In 1753, Henry purchased 900
acres of land in Culpeper County from Thomas Kennerly of South Carolina.
John Minor of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, in his will executed in 1754,
even refers to "land lately bough of Henry Gambrell in Culpeper".

Henry and Mary had at least seven children - six sons and a daughter. Their
children were William, Benjamin, Henry, John, Thomas, Martin, and Sarah.
This family probably lived in an area known as Gambrell's Mountain in
Culpeper County, Virginia. Various court and service-connected records were
recorded for Gambrells in the Culpeper region during the 1750-1780's era.
Benjamin, Henry, John, and William are listed as witnesses in the 1764
Culpeper Court minutes, which was the only book preserved before 1798.
Henry and John, maybe Henry's brother, were sergeants in the Culpeper
Militia under Colonel Thomas Slaugher. This group organized in August 1755.
For their service of approximately one year, Henry and John were each paid
1,710 pounds of tobacco in April, 1756. All of Henry and Mary's sons
appeared to serve in the Revolutionary War. A David Gambrell also received
pay on 5 Oct 1775, for service under Lord Dunmore. A payment was made to
Thomas Gambrell, an infantry soldier, on 24 July 1786. James and William
were listed as Virginians in the Revolution. Matthew and Henry were noted
living adjacent to the Albemarle Barracks in 1781. In fact, there were
numerous Gambrells in Albemarle County, Virginia, in mid to late 1700's. I
THINK THAT THE JOHN IN THIS PARAGRAPH WAS HENRY GAMBILL'S YOUNGER BROTHER
WHO SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR! EVIDENTLY, THIS MATTHEW AND DAVID MAY HAVE
BELONGED TO THE JOHN GAMBRELL IN SC, OR WERE THEY HENRY GAMBILL, JR. TWO
OLDEST SONS? WHERE DID THEY GO AFTER THE WAR? WHY WERE THEY WITH THE OTHER
GAMBRELLS?

The Gambrells in the Albemarle County, Virginia area were even listed in the
historical aspect when the county was formed in 1745. Richard was a long
time Tobacco Inspector at the Henderson's Tobacco Warehouse. John was
listed as a member of the Orthodox Reformed Presbyterian Church Congregation
who hired Rev. Samuel Black on 29 March 1747. Henry (maybe Jr.) built the
second jail in the county around 1783, and was on the 1785 Virginia Taxpayer
List as a head of a family of 10. As late as 1796, Matthew Gambrell
received a land grant of 25,798 acres of land in Albemarle, Orange, and
Rockingham Counties. Hence, the Gambrells appeared to migrate to western
Virginia or to western Carolina during the late 1700's. THE JOHN IN THIS
PARAGRAPH DISAPPEARED! WAS THIS MATTHEW GAMBRELL FROM AUGUSTA CO., VA? I
WONDER IF RICHARD WAS ALSO A TOBACCO PERSON IN PRINCE GEORGE CO., MARYLAND,
AND IF THE JAMES THAT WAS NAMED IN ADAM GAMBRELL'S WILL IN SCOTLAND WAS HIS
FATHER? I READ THAT THIS JAMES LEFT A WILL IN PRINCE GEORGE CO., MARYLAND;
HOWEVER, I HAVEN'T SEEN A COPY.

I may just hired a certified genealogist to help answer some of the many
questions someday!!!!