Tom's Brook is at the extreme north end of the Shenandoah Valley, near Pennsylvaniaon the west side of the river. Just across the river from Tom's Brook is the town of Front Royal, Virginia
A group of affiliated families from Tom's Brook resettled in what became Tennessee.
Frederick County, Virginiawas formed in 1743 from Orange County. Old Frederick County included all or part of four counties in present-day Virginia: Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, and Frederick, as well as five in present-day West Virginia: Hardy, Hampshire, Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan.
In the 1730s families were attracted to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia by land grants.
1755, September 2d.
Officers present, viz: Fairfax, County
Lieutenant;
Fairfax, , Colonel;
T. B. Martin, Lieutenant-Colonel;
Meredith Helm, Major;
Richard Morgan, Captain;
John Funk, Jr., Captain;
Jeremiah Smith, Captain; Samuel Odell, Captain;
Jacob Funk, Captain;
William Bethel, Captain;
Isaac Parkins, Captain;
Edward Rodgers, Captain;
John Hardin, Captain;
John Lindsay, Captain;
Cornelius Ruddell, Captain;
William Vance, Captain;
Lewis Stephen, Captain; John Denton, Captain; Thomas Swearingen, Captain.
Shenandoah County, Virginia was established in 1772. It was originally Dunmore County.
Tennessee was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796. It was initially part of North Carolina.
from A History of the Valley of Virginia by Samuel Kercheval, Charles James Faulkner, John Jeremiah Jacob
At a council of war, held for regulating the militia of Frederick county, in order to take such steps as shall be thought most expedient in the present critical conjuncture, the 14th day of April, 1756, present,
the Rt. Hon. the Lord Fairfax, county lieutenant; John Hite, major;
John Lindsey,
Isaac Parkins,
Richard Morgan, Samuel Odell,
Edward Rogers,
Jeremiah Smith,
Thomas Caton,
Paul Long, captains.
from Legends of the Skyline Drive and the Great Valley of Virginia by Carrie (Hunter) Willis, Etta Belle Walker
In one of the old deed books of Frederick County are some memoranda of a court martial held at Winchester on Tuesday, September 2, 1755; and following is a list of the officers present:
The Right Honorable Thomas Lord Fairfax, County Lieutenant;
George William Fairfax, Colonel;
Thomas Bryan Martin, Lt.-Colonel;
Merideth Helm, Major;
Richard Morgin,
John Funk, Jr.,
Jeremiah Smith, Samuel Odell,
Jacob Funk,
William Bethel,
Isaac Parkin,
Edward Rodgers,
John Hardin,
John Linsey,
Cornelius Ruddell,
William Vance,
Lewis Stephen, and John Denton, Captains.
from Settlers by the Long Grey Trail
The Indian road as laid out "to begin at Tom's Brook at Frederick County line" joined there a continuation of the trail ordered opened through Frederick county in 1743. The county having established its court November 11, 1743, had jurisdiction of the settlements north of Tom's Brook at the time of the Orange court order; hence the beginning at this line.
