Sally Phillips Pattillo My Third Great Grandmother on my Father's Side

Mecklenburg County Courthouse in Boydton built in 1842
during Sally's lifetime

Sally Phillips was the daughter of Pettus Phillips and Rebecca Coleman. She was born circa 1789 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. On some records her middle initial is “E” and on others “C”. I prefer “C” guessing that it is for “Coleman” her mother’s maiden name. The Phillips family was from Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Pettus and his father Martin both lived in Mecklenburg County, as did Rebecca’s family. I know that Sally had at least one brother John Phillips and a sister Nancy because both were named in their father’s will.

In 1808, on December 15^th Sally married Samuel H. Pattillo. He was 28 and she was 19. They were married in Mecklenburg County by Rev. James Meacham. Two and a half years later her sister Nancy married Marshall Mosely. Three years after that Sally gave birth to James Henry Pattillo, my second great grandfather. It seems unusual that her first child wasn’t born until six years after she was married which suggests that possibly other children were born earlier but did not survive.

Close up of young tobacco plants grown by Sally's family.

The births of three additional sons followed – Edward M. in 1816, Charles Madison in 1918, and Robert Alexander in about 1820.  Each of her sons lived to maturity, married and had successful careers. James was appointed Superintendent of the Poorhouse and Housing Stewart at Randolph-Macon College, Edward was a Justice of the Peace, and Charles was a Constable for Mecklenburg County.

When Sally’s father, Pettus Phillips died in 1821 she was 32. He left her a Negro man named Ben and $400 that was actually given to her husband Samuel W. Pattillo. A few years later in 1828 Sally gave birth to a daughter, Ann who married John W. Pearcy on February 13, 1873 and moved to Dinwiddie County, Virginia. That same year in December Sally’s mother Rebecca died.

Marriage Record for Ann R. Pattillo and John Pearcy.
Saml' Pattillo and Sally Phillips are listed as Wife's Parents

Sally’s husband Samuel died about 1840 when Sally was 51, so he was not there to witness the marriages of their children. Each of their children married between 1845 and 1873.

I have not found a record of when Sally died or where she is buried.

Sources: Melba Crosse book on the Pattillos; 1820, 1830 and 1840 censuses; Ancestry website; Marriages of Mecklenburg Co. book; will of Pettus Phillips; marriage document for Ann R.Pattillo.