Sarah "Sally" Grigsby was the daughter of John Grigsby and Rosanna Etchison. She was born in Culpeper County, Virginia (established in 1749). In about 1775, she married Thomas Welch in Culpeper Co., VA.

They had known Welch children (from my old copy of Henrietta Hamilton McCormick's Genealogies and Reminiscences, signed by her husband to our family):

Mildred, 1 Jan 1776 (Alexr. McCorkle), below

Nancy, 1780 (Wm McCorkle), below

Rosa, abt 1780 (m 1801 Wm Cunningham)*

Rachel, abt 1789 (m 1810 Thomas Wilson)

Elizabeth Betsy, 1790 (Benj. Darst), below

Benjamin, 19 Feb 1792 (Charlotte Pitzer), below

Thomas, III, 4 Apr 1794 - 9 Jul 1853 (Eliz Porter Grigsby)

Jane, ? (m 1806, Benjamin Holmes)

She died in ABOUT 1821.

Their "Fancy Hill" home was built for Thomas Welch and Sarah Grigsby Welch in Rockbridge County. It was one of the "Seven Hills of Rockbridge" belonging to the Grigsbys. In 1997, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The original 5 bay (window) home was completed around the time that Sarah died in about 1821. Three more bays were added 10 years later. "The two-story brick house has been used for several different functions, serving as a dwelling, a stagecoach stop and tavern and, after the Civil War, as a boarding house for boys." In about 1936, then owners, Elmer Knick (died 1985) and Eva Hartbarger Knick, were going to tear it down due to its condition. They were persuaded to renovate it instead, which took several years to do. The registry has a lot of detailed data on their home, VDHR #81-15.

"The third of these historic habitations located only a mile or two distant, is "Fancy Hill"—now known in this section as "Old Fancy Hill," to distinguish from another spot in the county. This was the home of Sally Grigsby, -oldest daughter of John—it may be mentioned/ he had a sizeable family of 14 children—she having become the wife of Thomas Welch. It is a commodious edifice, and through the unfolding years it has been put to more than one sort of usefulness. During the ownership of Benjamin Welch, son of Thomas it was made a stagecoach stopping place, and known as "Welch's Tavern." At a later day it became a dormitory for a boys' prepatory school conducted by David E. Laird, "Fancy Hill Academy." It was recently sold at public auction and purchased by a native of Rockbridge lately returned from several years spent in South America." Part of a long article published in the Rockbridge County News (Virginia), Vol 52, #11, dated 9 Jan 1936, p 6, written by Dr. Edmund Pendleton Thompkins called The Seven Hills of Rockbridge about the homes of the Grigsby families (see photo).

I suspect she could also buried at Falling Spring Presbyterian Church Cemetery, like her husband but it appears to be undocumented.

An obit was not located in the newspapers at the Library of Congress or the Library of Virginia. Perhaps locally, 1821 newspapers may have something.

CSO kindly shared a 2020 photo of the current home with the caption: ""Fancy Hill" home was built for Thomas and Sarah. It was one of the "Seven Hills of Rockbridge" belonging to the Grigsbys. In 1997, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Owners, Elmer and Eva H Knick, were going to tear it down b."

The National Grigsby Foundation has a good article on "The Grigsby Homes in Rockbridge County, Virginia" by Matthew Beard. It includes Fruit Hill, Rose Hill, Fancy Hill, Hickory Hill, Clover Hill, Liberty Hille and Cherry Hill in Natural Bridge and 7 others in Rockbridge County: Tuscan Villa, Glen Maury, Holly Hill, Cress Hill, Locust Hill, William McNutt House and William Paxton House. It includes maps, photos, sketches with some history and a pedigress of their houses. From the Grigsby Foundation, Grigsby Gazette, p 4-12, and 15. Also from the National Grigsby Family Society Grigsby Gazette, Vol 23, #2, June 2005, Texas.

*Could William Cunninghan be the one buried at Hebron Cemetery (died 1840)?

Bio researched and written by LSP