John Welborn Parsons was the youngest child of Robert Parsons and Anna Welburn Parsons. John was born June 9, 1818 in Grayson County, Virginia and died July 31, 1900 in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. John was a farmer and a miller.

John had two known liaisons, one with Narcissus Canzada Davis (one child) and with Rosamund Anderson (3 children) as well as the following wives: Catherine Cox (at least 15 children - possibly 17); Nancy Elizabeth Spencer (four children - maybe more); Mrs. Elizabeth E. Franklin; and Nancy Elizabeth DeBoard (two children). There are at least four children that the mother is unknown which makes the known number of children by him to be 35 or more.

Family tradition hands down the following information on John. As he was the youngest child, he was spoiled by his parents and as a child was very strong-willed. It has been told that he broke one of his sisters arms when he was still a youngster. Evidently he didn't like school and would skip it. As a result of this behavior, he would receive a spanking from his father each day that he skipped. He did not learn to read at school but again family tradition relates that his first wife, Catherine Cox, taught him to read after they were married.

John served as a legislator in Virginia's House of Delegates from 1865/66 and 1866/67. According to family tradition, he was known as "Black Johnny" - not for his many wives and children as this writer originally thought, but because when he was in the sun he evidently tanned to a very dark shade.

According to family understanding he was first married to Catherine Cox circa 1837 (no record of the marriage has been found). Catherine was born 7 January 1820 in Potato Creek, Grayson County and a daughter of John and Lucy Terrill Cox. Catherine died 29 January 1882 in Clark County. Two of Johns' sons by Catherine were law officers that died as a result of official business.

Isaac Cox Parsons, John's eldest son, was born January 9, 1838 at Mouth of Wilson and died September 1890 at Potato Creek, Grayson County, Virginia. The cause of Isaac's death was gangrene from a gunshot wound that transpired when Isaac arrested someone in the line of duty while he was serving as the sheriff of Grayson County. The doctors were unable to remove the bullet and Isaac died as a result of gangrene. He had married twice, first to Mary Esther Stansbury and then later to Rebecca Molinda "Evaline" Parks.

Another family story was told during this period while Isaac was Sheriff. Evidently John had kicked out Catherine from the home. Word came that her sons (probably the ones that had moved to Kentucky) were coming to kill John. The story goes that Isaac put John in jail for a few days, so that John & Catherine's son's could have time to "cool off".

John and Catherine's other son who also was a law enforcement officer was James Crittenden Alexander Parsons born August 2, 1847 at Grayson County, married Dorthulia Weiss in 1868, and died June 30, 1903 in Centralia, Washington. James was killed in a shoot out with a person he was trying to arrest when James was a Marshall in the state of Washington.

Catherine and John had at least fifteen children, possibly seventeen. They evidently divorced, though again, no record has been found. Catherine was found in the 1880 Ashe County, NC census living with her daughter, Lucy Ann, and son-in-law Riley Blevins.

One of the two women who John lived with but did not marry was Narcissus Canzada Davis. Narcissus was born at Mouth of Wilson on 23 October 1854 and died shortly after giving birth to her only child, Charles Thomas Parsons who was born 20 Dec 1872. Narcissus passed away 11 January 1873. She is the only woman known to be one of John's that is buried in the Parsons Cemetery, other than his mother. John's grave and tombstone is beside Narcissus'. Narcissus' parents were John Davis & Mary Weiss Davis.

A family story is told about this young woman and John. It was told to this writer that John went to her home and specifically asked that she come and work for him - keep house, probably. She didn't want to go so Narcissa hid. Her parents evidently foresaw no problem and told her brothers to find her, which they did. John evidently took advantage of her, but did not marry her. She died soon after the birth of her only child.

John next married Nancy Elizabeth Spencer, daughter of Isaac & Phoebe Anderson Spencer. Nancy was born in Grayson Co. 2 November 1837. She had probably four children. John and Nancy married 9 Jun 1874 in Grayson Co. Nancy died 10 March 1888. They may also have divorced as Nancy is found in the 1880 Ashe County, NC census with her parents and 3 daughters and says she is single. She was perhaps the mother of Jesse Parsons born about 1879 in Virginia. He was found in the 1880 Grayson County census with his father, age 61 and Elizabeth age 42, half brother Charles, age 7 while Jesse was listed as 1 year of age. (House # 61, page 12.)

The other woman that John did not marry but bore three children of John's was the writer's great-grandmother, Rosamund Alice Anderson. Rosamund was born 25 Feb 1866 in NC and died at Fries, Grayson Co. on 8 November 1959. The third child born of this relationship between John and Rosamund, was my grandmother, Myrtle Alma Parsons who married Jerome Isom Davis, a younger brother of Narcissus Davis.

John subsequently married (Mrs.) Elizabeth E. ( ) Franklin born in Smyth County, Virginia about 1836. Elizabeth and John married in Grayson County 23 Mar 1884. There were probably no children from this marriage as she was approximately 48 years of age when they married. Her parents have not yet been found nor when or where Elizabeth died. Evidently John and Elizabeth divorced or she had died by 1886 when his last wife appears on the scene.

Nancy Elizabeth DeBoard, born about 1851 in Chestnut Hill, Ashe Co., NC married John in Mouth of Wilson, August 7, 1886. Two children were born though only one survived to maturity. Nancy's parents were Reuben DeBoard and Elizabeth Groseclose DeBoard. Her fourth child was named Narcissa Candice - evidently named for Narcissa Davis who passed away approximately five years earlier. This child was born 18 June 1878 and died 2 November 1884 and is also buried in the Parsons family cemetery located at the Phipps farm at Mouth of Wilson, Virginia.

There are four children of John's that we are unsure of who the mother is. They are as follows: John Henry Parsons born 24 February 1865 and died 6 March 1865 at Mouth of Wilson. Robert Lee Parsons born 30 May 1871 and died 27 July 1871 at Mouth of Wilson. Twins: Monty and Munsey Parsons born and died 14 July 1885 at Grayson Co., Virginia.

I would love to hear from anyone with different information on any of

Sources: Grayson County Census of 1880, Ashe County Census of 1880 as well as family knowledge, family

Reprinted with permission from Bette Nelson, Georgetown, MA 01833
For additional information, contact Bette Nelson

Written 27 September 1999