Please see my website for more information on James Compton

https://earlycomptonfamilyrussellcounty.weebly.com/

Revolutionary War Veteran James Compton is the forefather of all the Comptons who trace their lineage to Russell County in the early 1800's. He was born in Maryland around 1753, migrated to North Carolina around 1780 to join his father and uncle, then, a few years before he died, moved to Russell County, Virginia, where some of his children were living.

During the Revolutionary War, while James was living in Maryland, he enlisted in the 1st Maryland Regiment in Feb 1777 at Annapolis, Maryland. According to official Maryland records and his own testimony, James served in Captain Nathaniel Ewing's unit. James stated in his pension application that he was put on furlough in late 1779. Shortly thereafter, he headed south to join his father, also named James, and uncle Aquilla Compton, who both had moved to the Lynches Creek area of present-day Caswell County, North Carolina, before the Revolutionary War.

James married Frances Herndon in Caswell County, NC in approximately 1781 at Stone's Meeting House which was later called Lynch's Creek Primitive Baptist Church. Frances's father, David Herndon, was a prominent member of the early church where James and Frances were married.

In 1784, James was apprenticed to Robert McReynolds to learn the tailor trade. When completed, he moved his young family to Russell County, Virginia, for a few years, then back to Caswell County.

James filed for a Revolutionary Pension in 1818, which he received while living in North Carolina. Unfortunately, he never listed all of his children. He did state his family was large, that he was a tailor by trade, that he was poor and they moved around a lot.

James lived in the Guilford/Orange/Caswell North Carolina area until the late 1820's when he migrated to Russell County, VA. Three sons of James had moved to Russell County, VA in the early 1800's.

James died on 10 March 1832 and is most likely buried in the Claypool Cemetery which was in view of where James was living with his son David. Therefore it is likely Frances would have been buried alongside James in the Claypool cemetery, although no stones exist.

His widow Frances, filed for a widow's pension first on March 4th, 1836 in Russell County, and much information was provided in this document although not all of their children were named. Frances was last paid for the pension in March 1847 and she died before November 1847.

At the estate sale of James Compton, David, Thomas and Jeremiah Compton all spent the most money.