Thomas Midkiff, my seventh great-grandfather, is believed to have been born in what was to become Halifax County, Virginia, about 1720 [1]. According to the Find-a-Grave website, his wife’s first name was Agnes. I am not currently aware of any siblings he may have had, and little information is available about him.Although he would have been in his 50s, a Thomas Midcalf is listed on the Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783. This could be him or a son. On the Fold3 website, we find Thomas Midcalf listed as a private in the 9th Virginia Regiment [2], with pay records spanning from November 1776 to October 1777. He was discharged in March 1778. There were no pension documents listed. There are several other persons with this Midcalf spelling variation listed in this and other regiments, including John (below), William, Horris, and George.
The 9th Regiment was formed in February and March of 1776 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Companies recruited men from Accomack, Northampton, Goochland, Albemarle, and Augusta counties [3]. Field officers at Valley Forge were Colonel George Mathews, Lieutenant Colonel Burgess Ball, and Major John Fitzgerald. A payroll document for April 1777 lists Thomas under Captain Smith Snead’s company of Col. George Mathews. They both signed the paper. Thomas is listed as a private near the end of the second column. There are also similar documents for September and October 1777.
The first list of tithables for Pittsylvania County in 1767 does not list anyone named Midkiff or a similar spelling. The 1785 Census of Virginia does not list anyone by this last name, or any variation, in Pittsylvania County.
John Midkiff, my sixth great-grandfather, is believed to be Thomas's son. He was born on March 11, 1762, in Pittsylvania County, according to his pension affidavit. Note that this county was not established until 1767, when it was formed from Halifax County.
According to the Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution, John was living in Patrick County, apparently after he applied for his pension. He is also listed in the 1835 Roll of Pensioners, Vol. IV, p. 456.
Included in John’s pension application W3852, and records regarding Mary Midkiff, is a document from the early 1900s from the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, provided to Mrs. C. J. Conway of Chicago, Illinois, regarding John Midkiff. It lists his dates of enlistment as August 1780, Pvt under Captain Spencer Shelton in Va; Jan. 1781 to Mar 1781 under Captain Thomas Smith and Col. Henry Lee; Aug 1781 to Oct. 1781 under Captain. Charles Hudgins and Capt. William Dix and Col. Fields Meriweather. Battles engaged in: Whitsel's Mills [4], Siege of Yorktown. Residence at enlistment: Pittsylvania Co., Va. Date of application: Oct. 16, 1832. Residence at application (for Mary): Patrick Co., Va. Age at application: Born Mar. 11, 1762, in Pittsylvania Co., Va, died July 18, 1839. Mary, daughter of Joseph Parsons, Pittsylvania Co, Va, Sept 10, 1782. She was allowed a pension on an application executed May 13, 1841, while a resident of Patrick Co., Va, and 77 years old. No further family data. (Unable to read the last sentence.)
I have transcribed the text of John's sworn pension statement from the Patrick County Court in 1832. There is no reference to any family members in the document. In his pension application, John states that he was drafted under Captain Spencer Shelton for a three-month tour, which he believes was in August 1780, when he was a resident of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. In January 1781, he volunteered in a company of riflemen commanded by Captain Thomas Smith in Pittsylvania County. It concludes by saying, “He was born in the County of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia according to the register of his parish on the 11th day of March 1762 and raised in that County till April 1823 when he removed to the County of Patrick [5]. where he now lives.” His date of birth is clearly stated as the 11th of March 1762. Some others list his birth date as March 11, 1739. I'm not sure where they got their information.
John Midcalf is listed as an infantry soldier on the list of Virginia Revolutionary War Bounty Land Warrants. My records include a copy of the Virginia application cover sheet indicating number W3852 for John Midkiff or Medkiff and Mary. However, a search of Ancestry’s land grants shows nothing for John. John was married to Mary Agnes Parsons in Pittsylvania County on September 10, 1782, by John Bailey. John and Mary may have had as many as 14 children, according to several secondary sources. However, the census records do not reflect this number. Their presumed second-oldest daughter, Levinia Midkiff, was my fifth great-grandmother. She was the wife of Joseph Alan Polley (Pauley). Levinia was born Mar 11, 1762, in Halifax County (that was to become Pittsylvania County). And this presents a problem. This birth date is more consistent with her being John’s sister rather than his daughter; the current information is all from secondary sources.
Levinia married Joseph on June 13, 1785, in Pittsylvania County. This date is well-documented and consistent with the birth date above.
In about 1807, Joseph and Levinia moved to Kanawha County. Levinia died Apr 18, 1848, in Kanawha County, Virginia (now West Virginia).
On the Ancestry website, there are no earlier records for John, except for this one. John and his family are listed in the 1820 census for Pittsylvania County. It lists one male 16-25, one male 45 & up, two females under 10, two females 10-15, and one female 45 & up. It indicates that three people are engaged in agriculture.
John and his family are found in Patrick County, Virginia, at the 1830 federal census: 1 male 10-15, 1 male 60-70, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 60-70. There is a Matthew Midkiff on the same page. There is also a Nancy, a Spencer, and a William Midkiff listed in Pittsylvania County in 1830. There are also several Midkiffs in Kanawha County.
Interestingly, two individuals named John and James Metcalf are listed in the 1830 census for Halifax County. I’m not sure who they are or if they are related in some way.
According to Mary’s pension application, John died July 18, 1839, in Patrick County, Virginia. There are no Midkiffs by any spelling variation on the List of Revolutionary War Veterans with Reported Gravesite Locations in Virginia.
Mary is listed in the 1840 census for Patrick County, Virginia. There are no males listed. There are two female children, a female 30 to under 40, and a female 70 to under 80. This is consistent with the information in the 1850 census below, showing that Mary is living with daughter Sally (Sarah) and Sally’s two daughters. Sally/Sarah married William H. Nelson on October 5, 1834, in Patrick County.
At the 1850 census for the North District of Patrick County, Virginia, Mary (87, and cannot read) is living with her daughter Sally Nelson (44), and Sally’s daughters Adaline (15) and Rhoda (12). There is no male listed. Sarah (55) and her two daughters are listed in the 1860 census, still in Patrick County, but this year the post office is listed as Elamsville. Today, this area is covered by the Stuart post office.
According to the record of her final pension payment (in the file), Mary died on March 17, 1851. The location is not listed.
NOTES:[1] Prince George County was formed in 1703, Brunswick County in 1732, and Halifax County in 1752.[2] https://revolutionarywar.us/continental-army/virginia/ This website provides a good description of the Virginia regiments. [3] https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/9th_Virginia_Regiment_(Revolutionary_War)#Brief_History [4] https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_weitzells_mill.html This page gives a good explanation of this battle, which occurred in the county where I now live. It lists several Virginia regiments. The Battle of Whitesell's Mill on the Haw River in northeastern Guilford County, NC, took place on March 6, 1781.[5] Patrick County was formed in 1791, when Patrick Henry County was divided into Patrick County and Henry County. Patrick Henry County was named for Patrick Henry and was formed in 1777.[6] Elamsville Road runs between VA-57 and VA-8 in present-day northern Patrick County.
Updated December 28, 2025