Paxton book “Dr. Todd makes Sarah mother of all the Rockbridge family, and the widow of William. It is probable that he refers to Sarah, widow of Thomas of South River….”

Considered as SOUTH RIVER PAXTONS

“This term is applied to the descendants of Thomas Paxton who removed in 1742 from Lancaster Co PA to the Borden Grant in what is now Rockbridge Co VA. Thomas settled on South River while his nephews, the five sons of his brother John Paxton 1692, settled a few years later on the North River. The two families were distinguished by their localities, as South River and North River Paxtons, From the time of the organization of Rockbridge County, there was but little intercourse between the families, no intermarriages, and until the last ten years, they could not trace their relationship.” 184

Sarah survived him, children probably all born in Ireland. About 1725 they joined a family group to come to America: Patriarch Samuel was an old man of possibly had died in 1742: his son Thomas left PA for VA. Much of the information and placement of the family is settled by the deposition of Samuel Paxton, son of this Thomas, which was taken in Lexington VA on 5 Apr 1806.184

Much of the information and placement of the family is settled by the deposition of son Samuel Paxton which was taken in Lexington VA on 5 Apr 1806.184

Samuel Paxton, aged 73 and upwards, makes oath and says: that his father, Thomas Paxton, deceased, came into Borden's Grant and bought land. Sometime afterwards, say a year, he moved his family into the Grant and settled on South River. He owned the land where Robert Stuart, James Laird and Thomas McCullock now live. This deponent heard his father say that the spring, a year or 18 months before he came to the purchase, there had been a battle with the Indians ( 25 Dec 1742) in which John McDowell was killed. Deponent states that his father gave part of the land now owned by Robert Stuart to his son-in-law, Thomas Taylor, who married his daughter Elizabeth, four or five years after he moved his family. I think my father’s land was laid off a year before he moved his family."184

Thomas Paxton’s Will dated 25 May 1760 and probated 16 Nov 1762. Witnesses were Matthew Lyle and Alex Smiley. Mentioned are wife Sarah and son Samuel, son-in-law Matthew Robinson and this son John Robinson, a granddaughter Elizabeth Eakin. Remainder of estate to his son Thomas who seems to be eldest son, yet younger than his sisters. Sureities on executor’s bond were Andrew Hays and Matthew Lyle.

AFTER THE DEATH of Samuel in 1793, all his younger children seem to have moved to Rockbridge and to have settled on South River. They do not seem to have associated with their cousins on North River. About 1820, the South River Paxton’s with their kindred from Pennsylvania, removed west. Some went to Kanawha County West Virginia and sent their children to Cooper County Missouri. Others went to Knightstown in Crawfordsville Indiana. Another detachment removed to Anderson and Nicholas counties Kentucky, and to Preble County Ohio. The older children of Samuel Paxton Jr (1705-1793) went by several routes to Ohio. The North River Paxtons went to the southern states.