Key Facts

Snapshot:	lived in colonial Virginia through the Revolutionary War; owned slaves
Parents:	976Thomas Garner 977Mary Bushnell
Born:	sometime between circa 1717 and 15 April 1726 location uncertain
Died:	between 29 August 1796 and 28 February 1798 presumably Fauquier County, Virginia
Buried:	unknown

488Charles Garner was born circa 1717 or later1 but before 15 April 1726.2 His parents are 976Thomas Garner3 and (as explained below) 977Mary Bushnell.

976Thomas died when 488Charles was still young, so 488Charles' brother John was appointed as his guardian.1

26 February 1738: 488Charles is described as a minor orphan of 976Thomas Garner. Since 488Charles was still a minor, he could've been born circa 1717 at the earliest. Full page.1

Problem: Resolved Who was 488Charles' mother? 488Charles' father 976Thomas died in 1726 and was married to 977Mary (maiden name Bushnell) at the time of his death.4 As noted above, 488Charles himself was born not long before, circa 1717 at the earliest.1 Admittedly, there are no records that explicitly state that 977Mary was 488Charles' mother. However, the relatively short gap between 488Charles' birth and his father's death makes it quite unlikely that any other woman except 977Mary could've born 488Charles. (976Thomas would've had to [a] have another, earlier, hypothetical wife who could've born 488Charles; and [b] this first wife would've had to die; and then [c] 976Thomas would've had to have quickly remarry 977Mary.) Since such a scenario is unlikely, and since there's no evidence that 488Charles had any other wife but 977Mary Bushnell, it's reasonable to conclude that 977Mary was 488Charles' mother.

From his father's will 488Charles obtained 400 acres along and west of Licking Run in what is now Fauquier County, Virginia.5 488Charles very well may have lived his whole life in this area, since his own will mentions some land on nearby Tinpot Run.6

488Charles had married Ann Darnell by 22 July 1748,7 when the couple sold 60 acres that Ann had inherited from her father Waugh Darnell.7,8

Two excerpts from a deed that—in tandem with Waugh Darnell's will8—prove that 488Charles had married Ann Darnell by 22 July 1748. Full page.7

488Charles is listed as a Fauquier County taxpayer in 1782 (He owned 2 horses and 13 cattle.9) and 1787 (4 horses, 9 cattle).10

Starting in 1774, 488Charles, his brothers, and other parties were involved in a tangled web of lawsuits to determine the rightful owner(s) of the descendants of a slave named Judith, previously owned by their father 976Thomas. You can review the full court case files if you'd like: 1774, 1793.11,12

488Charles wrote a will dated 29 August 1796, but it is no longer extant. As noted previously, we know that his will mentioned that 488Charles lived on land along Tinpot Run in Fauquier County.6

This court record proves where 488Charles lived. Full page.6

An inventory of 488Charles' estate was made on 28 February 1798. It names four slaves (a woman named Lucie and girls named Rachel, Bett, and Cereny), various farm animals, a stack of wheat, two axes, a plough and other farming tools, some kitchen tools including a tea kettle and "old tea ware", a flax wheel, a wool wheel, a coffee mill, a large Bible, a looking glass (i.e., mirror), a beehive, a grindstone, a raw hide, and other items. You can see the inventory for yourself here.

Sources Cited:

1: Prince William County, Virginia. Wills book C (1734-1744), page 169. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9PX-FQLH?i=94&cat=379047>, accessed 22 August 2021.

2: Library of Virginia / Chancery Records Index / Fauquier County, index number 1793-012, Thomas Garner etc. vs. executors of Thomas Harrison etc. / image 74 of 91. <https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=061-1793-012>, accessed 21 August 2021. 488Charles is mentioned in his father's will, dated 15 April 1726. Due to the manner in which the Library of Virginia presents these images on the website, you must navigate to image #74 on your own; I can't link to it directly.

3: ibid., images 5 and 74 of 91.

4: ibid., images 71-77 of 91. 977Mary is mentioned at the bottom of image 75.

5: Stafford County, Virginia. Deeds book for the years 1722-1728, page 333. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9PF-ZQQ9?i=176&cat=366578>, accessed 21 August 2021.

6: Fauquier County, Virginia. Deeds book 14 (1798-1801), page 1083. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKJ-9NVS?i=572&cat=406496>, accessed 22 August 2021.

7: Prince William County, Virginia. Deeds book L (1748-1749), pages 44-50. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4N-H953-T?i=167&cat=369642>, accessed 22 August 2021. On pages 44-45 we find, "[...] Charles Garner & Anne his Wife of the County of Prince William [...] have sold [...] part of a tract of land [...] granted to Waugh Darnall deced [...] the division line between the two Daughters of Waugh Darnal [...]."

8: King George County, Virginia. Wills book A-1 (1721-1752), pages 55 and 56. Copied from the Library of Virginia, King George County microfilm 62. The will mentions "a Tract of Land lying on Ceader Run may be divided between my daughters Anne Darnall and Margaret Darnall and their heirs forever" and thus helps confirm that Ann's father was Waugh Darnell.

9: Fauquier County, Virginia. Personal property tax list for the year 1782, page 14, entry for Charles Garner. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQ2-Q3TM-5?i=19&cat=775969>, accessed 22 August 2021.

10: Fauquier County, Virginia. Personal property tax list for the year 1787, page 9, entry for Charles Garner. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQ2-Q3RL-N?i=127&cat=775969>, accessed 22 August 2021.

11: Library of Virginia / Chancery Records Index / Fauquier County, index number 1774-003, devisees of Thomas Garner vs. Thomas Harrison. <https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=061-1774-003>, accessed 21 August 2021.

12: Library of Virginia / Chancery Records Index / Fauquier County, index number 1793-012, Thomas Garner etc. vs. executors of Thomas Harrison etc. <https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=061-1793-012>, accessed 21 August 2021.

13: Fauquier County, Virginia. Wills book 3 with inventories and accounts (1796-1804), pages 125-126. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TC-X3MT-K?i=72&cat=417735>, accessed 22 August 2021.