Samuel Pounds's origins are a mystery. For many years it was thought that he was the son of William Pound, a Revolutionary War Soldier who died in Chatham County NC in 1814 and that his mother was Elizabeth Tune (William's known wife). However, if one accepts the marker dates on this grave, this traditional attribution has to be abandoned. Samuel Pounds's mother was not Elizabeth Tune and William Pound was not his father but an uncle or cousin who provided for him. His biological father was either (1) one of William's three brothers, Solomon, Thomas, or John, who remained in Halifax County VA after William's departure and left descendants, some of whom still live there; or (2) the Samuel Pound, born 1730 in Orange Co. VA, who died at Valley Forge 11 Jan. 1778.
For decades the birth and death years of Samuel Pounds were based on Alexander Cooper's 1941 essay "The Pound Family," where they are given as 1778-1878. In November 2014, however, the cemetery book for Mount Zion was found. For Samuel Pound, it states "Age 101 y 6 m 24 d." The stone was cleaned at about the same time, and new photos were posted here by Michael Curry. The inscription, faintly legible, says "Age 101 y 6 m 24 d."
The error stems from Alexander Cooper, who said that Samuel Pounds was born in 1778. Cooper couldn't read the year in the old family Bible shown here. He found the birth year on the 1850 census for Guernsey Co. OH and then added 100 to it to arrive at the death year 1878. He also said that Samuel Pounds was buried in Hancock Co. IL. That notion too was completely wrong.
Another hint emerges from the 1855 Illinois census for Samuel's daughter Naomi, which shows the presence of a white male 80 to 90 years old. Beside the mark for this person, the enumerator wrote 87 and circled it.
The children in this cemetery are those of Benjamin Pounds, son of Samuel Pounds. They are Samuel's grandchildren. So is Rachel Pounds Wallace, also buried here.
Samuel had two wives: first Elizabeth Hite of Pennsylvania and secondly Susannah Williams of Virginia. There were several children by both wives.
The data doesn't fit together perfectly. If you have helpful ideas, please let me know.
Updated 25 Apr 2020
For decades the birth and death years of Samuel Pounds were based on Alexander Cooper's 1941 essay "The Pound Family," where they are given as 1778-1878. In November 2014, however, the cemetery book for Mount Zion was found. For Samuel Pound, it states "Age 101 y 6 m 24 d." The stone was cleaned at about the same time, and new photos were posted here by Michael Curry. The inscription, faintly legible, says "Age 101 y 6 m 24 d."
The error stems from Alexander Cooper, who said that Samuel Pounds was born in 1778. Cooper couldn't read the year in the old family Bible shown here. He found the birth year on the 1850 census for Guernsey Co. OH and then added 100 to it to arrive at the death year 1878. He also said that Samuel Pounds was buried in Hancock Co. IL. That notion too was completely wrong.
Another hint emerges from the 1855 Illinois census for Samuel's daughter Naomi, which shows the presence of a white male 80 to 90 years old. Beside the mark for this person, the enumerator wrote 87 and circled it.
The children in this cemetery are those of Benjamin Pounds, son of Samuel Pounds. They are Samuel's grandchildren. So is Rachel Pounds Wallace, also buried here.
Samuel had two wives: first Elizabeth Hite of Pennsylvania and secondly Susannah Williams of Virginia. There were several children by both wives.
The data doesn't fit together perfectly. If you have helpful ideas, please let me know.
Updated 25 Apr 2020
Samuel Pounds's origins are a mystery. For many years it was thought that he was the son of William Pound, a Revolutionary War Soldier who died in Chatham County NC in 1814 and that his mother was Elizabeth Tune (William's known wife). However, if one accepts the marker dates on this grave, this traditional attribution has to be abandoned. Samuel Pounds's mother was not Elizabeth Tune and William Pound was not his father but an uncle or cousin who provided for him. His biological father was either (1) one of William's three brothers, Solomon, Thomas, or John, who remained in Halifax County VA after William's departure and left descendants, some of whom still live there; or (2) the Samuel Pound, born 1730 in Orange Co. VA, who died at Valley Forge 11 Jan. 1778.
For decades the birth and death years of Samuel Pounds were based on Alexander Cooper's 1941 essay "The Pound Family," where they are given as 1778-1878. In November 2014, however, the cemetery book for Mount Zion was found. For Samuel Pound, it states "Age 101 y 6 m 24 d." The stone was cleaned at about the same time, and new photos were posted here by Michael Curry. The inscription, faintly legible, says "Age 101 y 6 m 24 d."
The error stems from Alexander Cooper, who said that Samuel Pounds was born in 1778. Cooper couldn't read the year in the old family Bible shown here. He found the birth year on the 1850 census for Guernsey Co. OH and then added 100 to it to arrive at the death year 1878. He also said that Samuel Pounds was buried in Hancock Co. IL. That notion too was completely wrong.
Another hint emerges from the 1855 Illinois census for Samuel's daughter Naomi, which shows the presence of a white male 80 to 90 years old. Beside the mark for this person, the enumerator wrote 87 and circled it.
The children in this cemetery are those of Benjamin Pounds, son of Samuel Pounds. They are Samuel's grandchildren. So is Rachel Pounds Wallace, also buried here.
Samuel had two wives: first Elizabeth Hite of Pennsylvania and secondly Susannah Williams of Virginia. There were several children by both wives.
The data doesn't fit together perfectly. If you have helpful ideas, please let me know.
Updated 25 Apr 2020
For decades the birth and death years of Samuel Pounds were based on Alexander Cooper's 1941 essay "The Pound Family," where they are given as 1778-1878. In November 2014, however, the cemetery book for Mount Zion was found. For Samuel Pound, it states "Age 101 y 6 m 24 d." The stone was cleaned at about the same time, and new photos were posted here by Michael Curry. The inscription, faintly legible, says "Age 101 y 6 m 24 d."
The error stems from Alexander Cooper, who said that Samuel Pounds was born in 1778. Cooper couldn't read the year in the old family Bible shown here. He found the birth year on the 1850 census for Guernsey Co. OH and then added 100 to it to arrive at the death year 1878. He also said that Samuel Pounds was buried in Hancock Co. IL. That notion too was completely wrong.
Another hint emerges from the 1855 Illinois census for Samuel's daughter Naomi, which shows the presence of a white male 80 to 90 years old. Beside the mark for this person, the enumerator wrote 87 and circled it.
The children in this cemetery are those of Benjamin Pounds, son of Samuel Pounds. They are Samuel's grandchildren. So is Rachel Pounds Wallace, also buried here.
Samuel had two wives: first Elizabeth Hite of Pennsylvania and secondly Susannah Williams of Virginia. There were several children by both wives.
The data doesn't fit together perfectly. If you have helpful ideas, please let me know.
Updated 25 Apr 2020
Inscription
Front: Samuel Pounds
Back: "ae 101 y 6 m 24 d"
Gravesite Details
Click on the stone for a better view of the inscription.
