The family came to this country from Yorkshire, England before 1689. The first recorded grant of land was in 1689 and it was located in the county that is now Essex. The homestead was located on Totopotomoi creek which is just outside of Richmond, Virginia. Thomas Tinsley 1755-1822 purchased this land from his mother-in-law, Ann Garland Thomson Sydnor. Totomoi was built about 1800.

There is a housing development in Richmond now called Totopotomoy just north and slightly east of the city limits. The original information on these pages came from an 11 page manuscript which was not signed but I am sure it was written by Jennie Gaines Tinsley 1863-1941, the sister of my grandmother, Harriet Bryan Tinsley with the help of Fannie Taliaferro Tinsley her sister. I remember many visits when I was very young by my Aunt 'Gee' and Aunt 'Fanny'. The latest date shown in the document is 1922, which is the same year my Grandfather James Brainerd Preston died. She makes references to the family bible. In recent years I found there were disagreements first by Joe Downing and more recently by Maria Rippe (2nd cousin once removed I think). Because of the apparent problems with the Thomas I, II, III, IV and V line, I have removed reference to all except Thomas Tinsley V, at least for the time being. Research is continuing in the Richmond area (2006/2007) and hopefully I will be able to show some lineage once again.

I have a story written in 1912 about the Civil War and how the Yankees took over the "Powhite" homestead (Gaines Mill) for an observation post in May of 1862. For more on this and a link to a picture of the Intrepid, go to the Harriet Bryan Tinsley page. The story was written by Mrs. Seaton Grantland Tinsley (Fannie William Gaines). My grandmother, Harriet Bryan Tinsley was there (at the Gaines homestead) at the time and was about 1 yr 3 months old.

Tinsley Coat of Arms:

Shield: ar. a chevron gules. between 3 wolves heads, erased.

Crest: A stork. ppr.

Motto: "Sine labe fides"

Translation: "Faith without dishonor"

* Designates my line.

Over a 30 year period, from 1715 to 1745, your ancestors could have held the same piece of land, but lived in four different counties: New Kent, Hanover, Louisa, and Albemarle. Please look at the two maps below showing Hanover County in 1738 and then in 1770 to see what territory it actually encompassed.

Maps of Hanover Co. and related text stolen from Hanover County web page.