Johann David Castleman

National Intelligencer -
Vol. XXVII - No. 3873 -
Washington, Tuesday, February 28, 1826 ..

Died. In the neighborhood of Snickers' Ferry, Virginia, on the 13th inst., David Castleman, aged 92 years, for nearly seventy of which he rersided in the county of Frederick. He raised a numerous and respectable family of children, and his descendants, consisting of children, grand children, great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild, it is estimated amount to 240 persons.

Clarke County Historical Association #7/1956-#8

Johann David Castleman 1734-1826 is one of at least 5 sons, maybe 10 sons and 3 daughters of Andreas Ludwig. Records show that in 1760 David and Jacob bought Lots 28 and 29 that Andreas had bought from Lord Fairfax 1749. In 1758 Jacob and William are listed in Washington's VA Militia. By 1785 Jacob has sold all of his Virginia property and relocated to Tennessee. William also bought a lot about the same time.

1757 23 year old David married 20 year old Margaret Johnson 1737-1808 who births 7 sons and 3 daughters before she dies on 30 November, 1808 at the age of 71. 

Davids Brothers:
William Henry 1719-1808 marries in 1740 in Virginia then loses his wife Anna Margaretha SALSMAN in 1753 seemingly during or after the birth of Henry, and never remarries. William dies in Washington Pennsylvania in 1808 at age 89. This would put at least one Castleman in Virginia in 1740 birthing William Henry 2nd 10 Feb 1746, Jacob in 1748 and Henry in 1753. There are 2 daughters born in 1741 in NY, one year after she is married in VA? Seems unlikely! The first birth may have been a son William Henry 2nd in1746, in VA, then Jacob in 1748 and Henry in 1753, which is also the year she dies, in Stone Arabia? How did she come to be married in Virginia, then back in NY to birth 2 girls then back in VA to birth 3 boys, then back in NY to die the same year as the last boy?  In 1757 We see Wm. Castleman paying 73 lbs and Lodo. Castleman 25 lbs of tobacco tax. In 1758 Ladowick Castleman pay 220 lbs tobacco tax.

Johann Wilhem Casselman 1722-1783 dies in Pennsylvania? 

Lewis Casselman 1722-1828 dies in Woodford Ky? Are these twins? Possibly assigned to the wrong line, minimal records!

Johannes Dietrich Casselman 1724 - marries Margriet Snyder 10 Jan 1748 in Bucks County PA. Only connection to Ludwig seems to be the 1744 church record.

Conrad 1726-1744 was 18 years old when he died in Hardin, New York

Jacob A.I. Sr. 1730-1803 married Rhoda Patience Robertson 1730-1778 about 1750. Rhoda was born in Virginia and they had 13 children, 4 that died in the first year. May 15, 1753 land grants from Fairfax. 1758 with William in Virginia Militia.  9 Aug 1762 buys 119 acres in Hampshire from David for £50, 1766 receives grant from Fairfax for 106 acres adjoining lot #28. 1778 sells his 1/2 acre in Winchester for £70. 15 May 1780 Jacob, Jacob Jr and Benjamin Casselman signed (original signatures) a petition by inhabitants of Kentucky Co. & Illinois Co., VA asking for a separate new state. (Papers of the Continental Congress at National Archives, Washington, D.C.: (Microfilm) Series M247 Roll 62 Item 48 Page 237.)  1782 Tax list of Hampshire Co., VA: Jacob Castleman with 8 Whites & no Blacks. Fall of 1782 Jacob & family came to the Fort which would become Nashville, TN as his son Andrew told historian Lyman C. Draper. In August of 1785 returns to Hampshire County to sell all of his land to William Smith (106 acres) and William Fox (419 acres) by November for a total of £350. In 1787 Jacob, Benjamin, Andrew and John [nephew of Jacob] Casselman were on the first Tax list of Davidson Co., NC[TN] of white males over 21. Each as 1 taxable male.

Johannes Lewis 1744-1828 married Jemima Margaret Pearsall 1750-1844 in 1765, in Frederick, Virginia, British Colonial America. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 4 daughters. Johann dies in Woodford, Kentucky in 1828 at the age of 84. We see many of his children born in Kentucky possibly beginning in 1776. Father of Brig. Gen Jacob Castleman 1777-1837 who is the father of Dr. Alfred Lewis Castleman, surgeon of the 5th Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers, author of "The Army of the Potomac, Behind the scenes, a diary of unwritten history

1750 Abraham Castleman - no records

1752 Benjamin Casselman no records

Now we see most of the brothers and even Andreas leave Virginia by around 1776. Only David and wife Margaret remain. Perhaps there was a division over Independence, there were Casselmans loyal to the British and possibly the slavery issue was dividing these brothers with only David taking the rebel independent side since Kentucky was a "border state" and Pennsylvania began abolition in 1780. For now our attention will be focused on David as this is my direct ancestor, father to Thomas Taylor Sr.

In the years leading up to the revolutionary war, aka our "first civil war", families were divided between those loyal to the crown "loyalists" and those in favor of Independence, "rebels". George Washington was a British military officer and his earliest service was during the French and Indian war as a British Officer. Washington was 17 when he accompanied James Genn and helped survey the land that the brothers bought from Fairfax in 1753, 1758 and 1760. George Washington's first military command was of the Virginia militia with his headquarters in Winchester. George Washington owned hundreds of slaves and became one of the wealthiest plantation owners in Virginia.

This generation of Castlemans were still British subjects very much focused on acquiring land and growing their families at this time. Farming in that period was labor intensive and blacks equaled or even outnumbered the land holding population. Among the blacks there were classes: Free citizens, House workers, Skilled craftsmen/artisans , Field hands and of course children. All blacks except the Free citizens were considered "property" by law and were treated as such by land holders. In addition to the work benefit they received from slaves, the owners had responsibility for their housing, medical care and sustenance. It was profitable to care for their property, poor whites (In large part Irish & Scot immigrants) developed a negative view of slaves because they were healthier, sheltered and used to do the work the whites would have been paid to do. States that had minimal slaves offered the best prospect for whites because of this often overlooked anomaly. Still, there was already significant controversy around the slavery issue with open rebellion routinely springing up. Slave owners lived in constant fear of uprisings and hired overseers to monitor and discipline malcontents. Rebel leaders would be the ones that received lashes and were "sent south" to work in the cane fields as punishment and to set an example. House workers lived very different lives than field hands and craftspeople and usually had a corresponding loyalty to their masters. Often the masters children were raised by black "mammy's" and their husbands. The wealthiest children even had slaves their own age assigned to them as playmates and servants. Relations between whites and blacks were very different at this time!

And so we find Johann David and wife Margaret Johnson in possession of a town lot in Winchester, a ferry business crossing the Shenandoah river and a plantation on the south fork of the Potomac river by 1760. He soon sells 275 acres of the South Potomac land and leases the rest to his brother Jacob. In May of 1762 he buys 550 acres south of Bullskin run which is later sold to John McCormack (41 acres) and the rest to John Throckmorton. In April of 1772 he acquires 116 acres that he keeps until April 1811 and this is where he and his wife's graves are to this day, on the farm recently known as Glen Owen. This farm may have been called Rose Hill of Wickliffe during the 39 years he owned it. Near the entrance was Wickliffe Episcopal Church on land he had donated for it in 1790. David stayed at Rose Hill with his daughter Mary Elizabeth and her husband Jacob Shively until his death at age 91 on 13 February, 1826.

Their first child is Sarah Martha 1758-1790 who at 21 years of age marries 38 year old Thomas Shepard 1741-1805 in 1779. They have 7 children, 3 that survive to adulthood. The last child born also dies in 1790. Joseph Henry 1780-1856, Rebecca 1782-1841 and Nancy Ann 1787-1859 survive.

Their first son is William Albert 1762-1832 who at age 22 marries 29 year old Massey G. Osburn (Ferguson) 1755-1823 on 1 January 1784. This was Massey's second marriage and the widow brings 8 year old Samuel and 2 year old Amos from her first marriage of ten years to Hugh Ferguson. Massey births 6 children with William. The first, Abner, only lives 1 year but the rest live to adulthood: William Albert Jr. 1787-1842, John J. 1788-1845, Margaret 1790-1824, David 1793-1814 and Alfred 1795-1880. A year after Massey dies, in 1824 at age 62 he marries 40 year old Juliet Beaty. They have no children and by this time his youngest, Alfred is 29 years old. William and other Castlemans will become members of the Virginia House from 1802 through 1865 and are Jacksonian democrats strongly in favor of States Rights and preservation of the Confederacy. William would have been 14 when the Declaration of Independence was signed and probably served in George Washington's militia. 

The second son is John Stephen 1766-1840 who at age 19 marries 19 year old Sarah Shepherd in 1785 who births 10 children 9 of which survive to adulthood. 

George Castleman 1786–1872, Mary Castleman 1787–1862, Catherine Castleman 1793–1857 Joseph Castleman 1797–(Petition to raise rates on the ferry in 1853 by Col. Joseph), Sarah Castleman 1798–1885, Edward Castleman 1801–1857, Stephen Castleman 1802–1866, Isabella Castleman 1804–1840, Bayless Castleman 1806–1889 and Lucinder "Lucy" Castleman 1808–1890. John dies in Virginia in 1840 at 55 years of age.


Mary Polly 1768-1859 was 20 years old when she married 28 year old Sgt Abraham Odell 1760-1829 in 1788. Abraham had served in Revolutionary war in Virginia militia. Died in Tennessee. They birthed 9 children, 6 that survived to adulthood.

Margaret Odell 1789–1828, Conney O'Dell 1791–, James John Odell 1791–, Rebecca Odell 1792–1871, David Odell 1793–, Jeremiah O'Dell 1798–1884, Samuel Castleman Odell 1806–1891 and John C. Odell 1809–1849


Stephen 1771-1797 was 23 years old when he married 16 year old Mary Carroll 1778-1832 in 1794. They had just two children before Stephen died at age 26 in Kentucky.

James William Castleman 1795–1854, dies at Castleman's ferry in Virginia, and Elizabeth Castleman 1798–1839. James William fathers Stephen Douglas who plays a key role in obtaining pardons for family and friends as he lives in Washington DC from before 1860 until his death in 1889. 


James Daniel 1775-1840 was 25 years old when he married 23 year old Nancy Earhart 1777-1808 on 7 January 1800 in Virginia and then 23 year old Elizabeth Waters 1785-1860 in 1808 in Hardin, Kentucky. Nancy birthed 5 children Lewis Castleman 1800–1842, Stephen Castleman 1802–1866, Matilda Castleman 1804–1889,
Maria Castleman 1806–1867 and Nancy Castleman 1808–1891 that he brought to the marriage with Elizabeth who birthed 9 more. Mary Castleman 1809–1850, David Castleman 1810–, Conrad Castleman 1811–,  James Castleman 1813–1875, Grace Ann Castleman 1815–, John Castleman 1816–1876, Amos Castleman 1819–1840, William Castleman 1821–1902 and Sarah Castleman 1824–1858. It appears James Daniel and wife Nancy relocated to Kentucky by 1804 and left a large number of descendants in Kentucky.


David Jr. 1776-1831 was never married and seems to have been a private in the US Army in 1794 in Ohio though he is buried in Virginia and was a Major when he died at age 55.


Benjamin Thomas 1778-1838 was 23 years old when he married 23 year old Elizabeth Goff 1778-1818 in 1801. They had 4 daughters. Eliza Castleman 1803–1865, Margaret Ann Castleman 1810–1882,  Mary Evaline Castleman 1812–1895 and Elvira Castleman 1816–1880. This family seems to be in Kentucky by 1816.


Thomas Taylor 1781-1833 was 26 years old when he married 17 year old Hannah Bushrod Frost 1790-1827 in 1807. In 1828 he marries Martha P. Stubblefield 1784-1850 and they have just one child that does not survive. Hannah births Charles William Castleman 1811–1881, Rev. Thomas Taylor Castleman Jr. 1813–1861, David Frost Castleman 1815–1884, Seioci Bushrod Castleman 1817–, Lewis Bushrod Castleman 1822–1905 and Hannah Elizabeth Castleman 1826–. Thomas was a Captain in the Virginia militia in 1809 and dies in Virginia in 1833 at age 57. Sons Rev. Thomas Taylor Jr. and David Frost migrate to Louisiana between 1851 and 1855. Charles and Lewis relocate to Kentucky. 


The last child born to David and Margaret is Mary Elizabeth 1784-1858 who is 26 years old when she marries 38 year old Jacob Shively 1772-1842. They birth 3 children Margaret Ann Shively 1815–,  Mary Catherine Shively 1818–1904 and Harriett Elizabeth Shively 1822–1889.


The First United States Census of 1790 shows 3,893,635 people as follows:

Free White Male 16 and up; 807,094, under 16, 791,850

Free white females 1,541,263

All other free persons 59,150

Slaves 694,280


In Virginia 747,610 as follows:

Free white male 16 and up; 110,936, under 16, 116,135

Free white female 215,046

All other free persons 12,866

Slaves 292,627


In Frederick 19,681 (Clarke and Warren were not counties yet)

Free white male 16 and up 3,835, under 16, 4,170

Free white female 7,310

All other free persons 116

Slaves 4,250


Town of Winchester

Free white male 16 and up 464, under 16, 341

Free white female 664

All other free 12

Slaves 170


David Castleman is a Head of Family with 10 whites and 5 blacks on the list by George Noble, page 21 in Frederick.


Hampshire County 7,346

Free white male 16 and up 1,662, under 1956

Free white female 3,261

All other free 13

Slaves 454


In Hampshire County on the list of Abrm Johnson we find Jacob Casselman with 8 whites and no blacks on page 26 and Lewis Casselman head of family with 9 whites and no blacks on page 27. In 1784 on page 70 Lewis Castleman is shown with 8 white souls, 1 dwelling and 4 other buildings in Hampshire county.


In 1808 a David (probably Jr.) is a Deputy Sheriff to Cornelius Baldwin in Frederick County. William is a County Judge at this time. 

In 1828 a David Castleman is a Judge in Frederick County.