John Nelson (1791 -1856) is the earliest documented Nelson ancestor in the Nelson line. He and his wife Patsy had 8 Children.
For a family like ours, the historical record thins to almost nothing before 1870, and finding the earliest documents is a real struggle. It takes looking through property rolls or court papers just to find a trace. But sometimes, you find a miracle—like the 1850 Virginia census that named my great-great-grandfather among the “Free People of Color,” or a service record proving he wore a Union uniform in 1864 and 1865. I’ve tried to include only what the records actually say, not what I wish they said.
I’m starting with John and Patsy Nelson, and their descendants.
If you know something I don’t, or you think I’ve gotten a detail wrong,
The founding generation
Children of John Nelson and Patsy Nelson, born 1820 to 1840.