Thomas Taylor Castleman

When Thomas Taylor Castleman was born on 22 October 1781, in Frederick, Virginia, United States, his father, Johann David Castleman, was 47 and his mother, Margaret Johnson, was 44. He married Hannah Bushrod Frost 1790-1827 on 24 February 1807, in Frederick, Virginia, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 2 daughters. He died on 11 February 1833, in Frederick, Virginia, United States, at the age of 51. Captain in Virginia Militia in 1809. He was Johann David's youngest son, with 6 older brothers, two older sisters and only one sibling younger, a sister.

Oldest brother William Albert becomes a judge in Frederick county and a state delegate 1801-02, 1808-09, 1809-10, 1810-11 and dies 7 Mar 1832. In February of 1828 William Jr. is nominated for the Virginia House of Delegates, wins and is re-elected the following two years.  Political divisions were intensifying as wealthy large farmers protected what they had and small farmers unified for commercial development and suffrage and representation issues. Large farmers favored a canal project for transporting their valuable wheat and flour, the other side wanted a Railroad from Winchester to Harpers Ferry.  Both sides had effective arguments which lead to a constitutional convention and a modestly updated constitution ratified in 1831. William Jr. is elected again in 1838 for Clarke and Warren counties.

Brothers John Stephen 1766-1840, marries a Shepherd, David 1776-1831 professional soldier? and Thomas Taylor 1781-1833 marries Hannah all stay in Virginia, while Stephen 1771-1797, James Daniel 1775-1840 and Benjamin 1778-1838 move to Kentucky in early 1800's. Sister Sarah Martha 1758-1790 marries a Shepherd and stays in Virginia, Mary Polly 1768-1854 marries war veteran Abraham O'dell and moves to Tennessee and the youngest sister Mary Elizabeth 1784-1858 married Jacob Shively and they stay with Johann David Sr. in Virginia. 

Thomas Taylor and Hannah children:

Charles William Castleman, Male 1811–1881

Rev. Thomas Taylor Castleman Jr., Male 1813–1861. Authored Plain Sermons for Servants in 1850, dies in Louisiana.

David Frost Castleman, Male 1815–1884 (My 2nd Great Grandfather). David would have been 18 years old when his dad died, in Berryville.

Seioci Bushrod Castleman Female 1817–

Lewis Bushrod Castleman Male 1822–1905

Hannah Elizabeth Castleman Female 1826–

On 7 January 1828 Thomas Sr. married Martha Taylor Stubblefield, 11 February 1833 Thomas Sr. dies in Virginia.

August 22, 1831 Nat Turner and about 60 other black men killed 55 white men, women and children. The incident sparked intense debate in the Virginia House of Delegates and the Castleman family was prominent in the Frederick/Clarke/Warren community. We again see a divide has been forming with 3 brothers relocating to Kentucky while 4 stay in Virginia spawning large families, except for David Jr. who seems to have married the military going from a private in 1794 to a Major in 1813 and reportedly was running the ferry service at Snickers gap when he died in 1831. 

"For awhile he was the Sheriff of Frederick County, Virginia. Military service, 1813, Major in the Virginia Militia. Purchased and built 'North Hill' in partnership with Charles McCormick, 749 acres including a bridge and ferry, but resided at 'Cool Springs'."
Posted by "allenevans1" on FamilySearch.

It is an interesting coincidence at the death of Major David Castleman, brother of Thomas, on 12 October, 1831 and the capture of Nat Turner, his trial and execution in late October to early November leads me to speculate that the military activities following the August 21-22  insurrection seem a possible cause of David's death at age 55 and his brother Thomas 15 months later on 11 February 1833 at age 51. We believe Thomas was a Captain and David was a Major in the Virginia militia. Recall that William Jr. is in the House of Delegates 1828, 29 and 30, during heated debates regarding slavery, states rights, funding "internal Improvements" and what those improvements would be, canal or railroad.

By 1841 David is in Louisiana and married to his first wife, Stephen son of John Stephen is in Mississippi and later his brother Rev. Thomas Taylor makes the move to the area, just across the river in Mississippi about 60 miles from David. There would have been regular steamboat service on the rivers. Descendants of Andreas are now found in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Mississippi. The Johann Wilhelm branch stayed in the NY region and mostly sided with the British and later the Federalists.

My next direct ancestor David Frost Castleman