The Parsons Family Came to America from England. The farthest back I can trace is to William Parsons and his wife Martha Hughes. Their son Charles and his first wife Elizabeth Chestnut founded the Parsons family in Jackson County West Virginia to which I trace my lineage.Curiously, I trace both my Paternal grandfather AND grandmother to the exact line until it diverges at the fourth generation.In addition to those already named, there follows John Parsons and his wife Mary Greathouse, and it is here that the line diverges.From this point, My grandfather's line is Barbara Ellen Parsons married to George Shamblin; Harriet Shamblin married Jackson Garnes; Robert Harlow Garnes(my grandfather) married Ica Dora Randolph (my grandmother)From the line of divergence, my grandmother's line continues:Charles Todd Parsons married Lucy Ann Truman; Phoebe Ann Parsons married George Alexander Randolph; Ica Dora Randolph married Robert Harlow Garnes.

Charles Parsons was a hardy pioneer who saw active service in the Indian Wars of the last half of the eighteenth century. According to author John House, an authority on Jackson County history, Parsons had a significant role in opening up the country west of the Allegheny Mountains. He had twelve children by two wives, and was a prominent figure in the county.Indians were not the only danger in the land at that time. Parsons was known to have confrontations with bears and had several prized bear dogs.

Parsons owned one hundred Acres of land on the Upper Mill Creek Bottoms and probably more in other locations. Although he served the state of Virginia for several years as an Indian scout, his only renumeration was a black silk handkerchief. He died sometime between 1820 and 1830 and is buried on the farm at Baptist Grove Cemetery.