My Ancestors in the American Revolutionary War: 1st Lieutenant THOMAS MILLER, of Goochland County Virginia

LaVallee Plantation, Goochland County, Virginia

THOMAS MILLER  was born 20 March 1754 in Goochland County, Virginia.  He was the son of WILLIAM MILLER and MARY HEATH, who were wed 16 January 1741 in Northumberland County, Virginia, at her parents' home, and settled in Goochland County.  WILLIAM MILLER was appointed sheriff of Goochland in 1741.

THOMAS would follow in his father's footsteps; he also became deputy sheriff, then sheriff of Goochland County. Eventually he became an attorney, and also was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He was a very wealthy and well-educated man. By the end of his life he owned numerous plantations in Goochland, Spotsylvania, and King William County.  The Library of Virginia holds a large collection of THOMAS MILLER's papers.

During the Revolutionary War, at age 23, THOMAS MILLER served in the 1st Division of the Virginia Militia, Goochland County,  from 1777 until 1781, with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. I was unable to find out whether he ever saw battle. 

After the war-- and likely after receiving his education--THOMAS MILLER married CONSTANCE MASSIE on 28 December 1786 in Goochland. She was the daughter of Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE and ELIZABETH "BETSEY" WATKINS (see previous post). THOMAS and CONSTANCE settled on a plantation in Goochland and called it "LaVallee".   He was frequently referred to as "Mr THOMAS MILLER" or "THOMAS MILLER, gentleman" in records.  By the end of his life he owned numerous plantations besides LaVallee, according to his estate inventory: Woodville,  Slab City (?) and Byrd, all in Goochland; Wormley House and Manskin Lodge in King William County, and Prospect Hill in Spotsylvania County. 

In 2010, when I finally found a way to enlarge all the pages of his estate inventory so that I could read them, I was shocked to find that at the end of his life, THOMAS MILLER owned 159 slaves, all listed by name in the inventory, along with the plantations that they lived upon--which  I transcribed  in  a blog post. You can read their names here. 

THOMAS MILLER wrote his will on the 23 of April 1819.  In it, he states that all of his plantations should be sold, with the exception of Woodville and LaVallee. No slaves were mentioned in the will, but were named in the estate inventory.

THOMAS MILLER, gentleman, died 7 May 1819, at LaVallee Plantation, and was buried there. His wife CONSTANCE was alive and enumerated in the 1820 census.  While I do not have her exact death date, she likely is buried at LaVallee.

1st Lieutenant THOMAS MILLER is in the lineage of my maternal grandfather RB MARTINE.

Sources:

-DAR Patriot Index + website

-The Douglas Register

-Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War by Joseph Thomas McAllister

-Library of Virginia

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas 2026

My Ancestors in the American Revolutionary War: Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr of Goochland County, Virginia

Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr was born 02 August 1727 in New Kent County, Virginia.  He was the son of CHARLES MASSIE and ANN MACON of New Kent County.  While I have not yet ascertained exactly when he moved to Goochland County, it was likely shortly after 1756, when he married his first wife, whose name is unknown.  His parents remained in New Kent County. 

NATHANIEL was living in Goochland County when he married as his 2nd wife ELIZABETH "BETSY" WATKINS on 2 January 1772, as per The Douglas Register marriage records.  She died before August 1776, when NATHANIEL married his 3rd wife, ANN CLARK, on 24 August 1776.  He had children with all three of his wives.

During the Revolutionary War NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr served in the 1st Division,Virginia Militia, Goochland County, from  18 Dec 1776 until 22 Sept 1777, with a rank of Captain, as per a pay voucher.  Some sources show him with a rank of Major, but DAR website only lists the above mentioned period of service, and rank of Captain. I could not find any evidence that he ever saw any type of battle during his time with the 1st Division of the Virginia Militia. After the war, he received a Revolutionary War Land Bounty Grant, and acquired lands in Kentucky, which he bequeathed to his sons THOMAS and NATHANIEL Jr. 

Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr's eldest son NATHANIEL MASSIE Jr also fought in the Revolutionary war; he was sent at age 17 to serve as a substitute for either his father or another family member,  likely in the 1st Virginia Militia, with rank of Private.  NATHANIEL MASSIE Jr later settled in Kentucky, on the  lands his father had bequeathed to him, and went from there to Ohio, where he founded the settlement of Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio. In some sources he is listed as "General" NATHANIEL MASSIE Jr--although I could not find any records at all to explain this rank!  It was certainly not bestowed upon him during his service in the Revolutionary War. 

Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr wrote his will on 16 December 1801 in Goochland County, Virginia.  In it he names his sons NATHANIEL & THOMAS " all my lands in Kentucky"; daughters MARY ROBARDS,  ELIZABETH MASSIE, CONSTANCE MILLER; son GIDEON; with bequests to his six youngest daughters "I had by my last wife": REBECKY, NANCY, SARAH, PATSY, CHARLOTTE and GINNEY MASSIE. 

Unfortunately I don't have an actual copy of the will.  NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr was a very wealthy plantation owner, and likely owned many slaves.  Their names are not included in the abstracted version of the will. 

Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr died before  19 July 1802, when his will was proved in court.

I have not been able to find his gravesite or the name of his plantation in Goochland.

Capt NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr is in the lineage of my maternal grandfather R B MARTINE

Sources:

-DAR Patriot Index + website

-A Massie Family History by Evelyn Hepworth Massie

-A Catalog of the Descendants of Thomas Watkins of Chickohomony VA by Francis Nathaniel Watkins

-St Peter's Parish Register, New Kent County Virgina

-The Douglas Register (Goochland County)

-Virginia Militia in The Revolutionary War by Joseph Thompson McAllister

-Biographical Sketches of  "General" Nathaniel Massie Jr by John McDonald

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas 2026