The late Joan Horsley was the pre-eminent Wansley family genealogist of the early 21st Century. She astutely researched the Wansley family, evaluating texts and records. Her Wansley challenge was separating the fictitious, mythical, improbable, doubtful from the factual. Joan Horsley wrote Mildred ‘Milly’ Wife of John Wansley of Albemarle County, Virginia and Elbert County, Georgia [Previously Known as Amelia Barber] Fictions and Facts in Wansley Family Genealogies. Joan Horsley’s article summarizes her research and thoroughly reviews earlier genealogies and controversies.
Before Joan Horsley: Wansley Family Research
Before Joan Horsley’s research, John Wansley, Sr. was well-documented with his Revolutionary War pension application, one deed in Albemarle County, Virginia, one deed in Putnam County, Georgia and extensive estate records including will, inventory of the estate, sale of the estate and final return in Elbert County, Georgia. During my research I [Jim B. Evans] discovered 1881 LDS records from St. George Temple, Utah. These records include John Wansley, Sr., several other Wansley men, and “Millie Whittn” and “Millie Wansley.” The two Millie’s represent one individual, the wife of John Wansley, Sr.
The following children of John and Millie Wansley, Sr. are well documented: Thomas Wansley, Sarah Beck Wansley, Reuben Wansley, Nathaniel [Nathan] Wansley and Martha [Patsy] Wansley. Nancy Wansley Patterson Young, Elizabeth Wansley Elliott, Milly Wansley Jenkins, John Wansley, Jr., William Wansley and Larkin Wansley are not nearly as well documented. John and Millie Wansley’s daughter Polly Wansley is known from a solitary reference in Thomas Wansley, Sr. family record.
During my research I [Jim B. Evans] discovered several sworn statements in Louisa County, Virginia in February 1780. Walter Goldsmith swore that William Wansley had served two tours of duty in French and Indian War. Based on his service he was entitled to 100 acres of land. William Wansley had died and his heir-at-law was John Wansley.
Wansley Family Research – the Joan Horsley Era
Joan Horsley evaluated sources identifying the wife of John Wansley, Sr. Amelia Barber was said to be wife of John Wansley, Sr. However, she found no documentation for this marriage or even the existence of Amelia Barber. Joan Horsley concluded that John Wansley’s wife was Mildred [Milly, Millie] Whitten based on a deed in Putnam County, Georgia, record of Milly Wansley’s death as recorded in family record of Thomas Wansley, Sr., LDS records in St. George Temple, Washington County, Utah and Records of the Church of Christ at Vans Creek in Elbert Count, Georgia.
Joan Horsley’s discovered property tax records for Wansley men in Albemarle County, Virginia from 1782 to 1803. According to these tax records, John Wansley and several of his sons owned personal property consisting of livestock. None owned any real estate. John Wansley, Sr. was on the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum in Albemarle County.
Prior to Joan Horsley’s research we knew that Walter Goldsmith testified in 1780 in Louisa County, Virginia that William Wansley served two tours of duty during the French and Indian War. William Wansley had died and John Wansley was his heir-at-law.
Joan Horsley sought records concerning John Wansley, Sr. at Library of Virginia. She was also wanted to explore possible relationship between Walter Goldsmith and John Wansley, Sr. The Library of Virginia archives had two chancery court suits in Albemarle County: John Dowell vs. Walter Goldsmith and John Dowell heirs vs. Walter Goldsmith. [The two cases included nearly 200 pages of filings, claims, counter claims and depositions.] The focus of this suit was whether John Dowell sold Walter Goldsmith 200 acres of land in Albemarle County. The cases lasted more than twenty years; how this suit ended is unknown since documents have been lost.] The depositions include neighbors and friends of Walter Goldsmith and John Dowell and his children. John Wansley, Sr., Milly Wansley and their son William Wansley were deposed. The depositions detail life in Albemarle County as experienced by multiple deponents. Through the depositions we get a feel for the world of John and Mildred [Milly] Wansley with domestic details. These depositions provide the most personal connections to the John Wansley family we have. I invite you to read extracts from these depositions in chapters on John and Milly Wansley and Walter and Eliza Goldsmith in 2016 and 2017 editions of John and Mildred Whitten Wansley of Albemarle County, Virginia and Elbert County, Georgia and Their Children on this website.
The depositions clearly name Millie Wansley as wife of John Wansley and state William Wansley, also a deponent, was a previously unknown son of John Wansley, Sr. [This William Wansley was born ca 1768; William Wansley veteran of French and Indian War might have been Walter Goldsmith’s or John Wansley’s contemporary or an even older generation. It is estimated that William Wansley was born ca 1738 or earlier.]
Please read Joan Horsley’s Mildred ‘Milly’ Wife of John Wansley of Albemarle County, Virginia and Elbert County, Georgia [Previously Known as Amelia Barber] Fictions and Facts in Wansley Family Genealogies. Joan Horsley’s article thoroughly evaluates Wansley family histories as conceived by earlier generations. Joan Horsley’s paper provides her document-based updates and her interpretations of Wansley family genealogies.
Mildred ‘Milly’ Wife of John Wansley of Albemarle County, Virginia and Elbert County, Georgia . . . suggests focusing future research on the following: the family of Mildred [Millie] Whitten Wansley, family of William Wansley [veteran of French and Indian War], Wansleys in Virginia prior to William Wansley and possible familial relationship between Walter and Elizabeth Goldsmith and the Wansley family.
-Jim B. Evans