There is a court record of Thomas' marriage to Elizabeth Graham in Botetourt County 18 May 1796. Subsequent to his marriage we have quite a bit of documentation on Thomas, including the names and spouses of his children, census records, land transactions, and his probate record. Prior to the record of his marriage we have only the 1779 Loudoun court record, " ... ordered that the church warden of Shelbourne Parish bind John Philips, Thomas Jewell, and Winfred Jewell to John McFarling according to law. " On 25 Sept.1780, a Martha Jewell of the same parish agreed to the binding out of her son, Zachariah, who was to be four years old in August 1782. Possibly this Martha was also Thomas' mother. Although this was during the Revolution, the court still depended on the Episcopal Church to handle these matters as it had traditionally done in Colonial times. Loudoun is one of Virginia's most northern counties and is today just commuting distance northwest of Washington DC. This information is taken from Jim Geary's web site on the Jewell family. Jim is a descendant of Thomas and Elizabeth Jewell.

In addition to this sparse documentation, there is considerable family tradition about how Thomas was orphaned. But let an experienced genealogist, Iva Jewel Geary, Thomas' great granddaughter and the author's mother, relate this tradition: "

The family story is that Thomas' father was killed as he returned from Norfolk where he had gone to collect money from property there. He was shot and killed as he was nearly home but the murderer was never known. The mother did not live much longer. Thomas's father was said to have stopped at the home of his brother John, who kept a tavern, and to have said that it was time he was getting home as he was paying for his dinner with the last of his money.
"There were several children; at least three boys and I am sure there was one girl. I went to Leesburg twice to search for information but found only that Thomas and Winfred Jewel had been bound to John McFarlene (sic). Winfred is a masculine name (as spelled) but I am sure this Winfred was Winifred, a sister of Thomas, for the reason that he named one of his daughters Winnie. The notation in Loudoun County records was dated 1779 and this was during the Revolutionary War. Life must have been generally very unsafe. This ancestor was too young to have been a soldier in that war. We do not know for certain what the name of Thomas' father was, but of course Thomas himself knew and others of the older generation. My generation simply did not ask until the older ones were gone. I did ask Aunt Lucy and she said 'I think it was William,' and as that was the name given Thomas's oldest son, I feel sure she was right.

"Iva described her impression of Thomas, based on what she had been told, as follows: " My father was five when his Jewel grandfather died, but he did not remember him very clearly. He [Thomas] was unorthodox in his religious beliefs, was a 'Universalist,' and a light-hearted and well liked man. At one time he had a tavern on what is now the Barger farm near Shawsville (Montgomery County, VA), but in a much earlier, simple building. [The farm is now traversed by a rerouted U.S. Route 11.] My father told me when passing that this tavern was the first painted house in the county and was called 'the white house.' My great grandfather's real home was several miles distant and he was not the owner of the Barger farm, which was on the main road then."

Thomas Jewell's name is listed in the census records from 1810-1850 in Montgomery Co., VA. There is a deed of sale dated 7 Oct 1800 from Asa Hall to Thomas Jewell in the Montgomery Co. deed book C. (Thomas' son John married Asa Hall's daughter Christina.) The land sold was 89 acres on the head of Keeneys run, a branch of North Fork of Roanoke River. Another deed shows Archibald and Lucinda Graham selling to Thomas and Elizabeth 20 acres on the North Fork Roanoke River adjacent to "Hall" property.

Thomas' death record shows him to be 89 year old and cause of death "cansor". Source of information was John Jewell.

• Married: 18 MAY 1796 in Botetout County, VA ²

1. Sarah JEWELL b: ABT. 1799
2. William JEWELL b: 25 JAN 1800
3. John JEWELL b: 1801 in Montgomery County,VA
4. Thomas JEWELL b: ABT. 1802
5. James T. JEWELL b: 1802
6. Mary JEWELL b: ABT. 1805
7. Martha Patsey JEWELL b: ABT. 1807
8. Winney JEWELL b: 1810
9. Elizabeth JEWELL b: 1813
10. Robert JEWELL b: 1814
11. Jane JEWELL b: 1816

1. Title: Montgomery Co., VA death records
   Page: pg. 2
2. Title: Marriage Records of Botetourt Co.