Family tradition says their, James Skaggs, Sr., was born aboard ship as his parents were coming to America. Some sources believe he was born in Virginia in about 1700. He may have lived in South Carolina at some time. By 1745, records find him in Botetourt County, Virginia, where he had an 800-acre land grant. In 1749, he served as an appraiser of an estate on Meadow Creek and Little River, in Augusta County. In 1769, he and his wife Rachel Morelock sold part of their lands to their sons Henry and James Skaggs, Jr. Other tracts were disposed of at the same time. By 1776, the Committee of Safety for Fincastle County recorded that Captain James Skaggs was unable to serve any longer because of his infirm state of health and another person was appointed to succeed him. There is no other record of him but, in 1781, Rachel Skaggs had a 150-acre tract of land surveyed for her based on a certificate from the Commissioners. Three years later, that tract was assigned to the son Henry Skaggs. The elder Skaggs may have died by that time or moved with their sons to Kentucky. James Sr. and Rachel's sons were Henry, James Jr., Charles, Moses, and Richard: their names are well known in early Kentucky history as "Long Hunters". Other children included Susanna, Jacob, John, Lydia, Elizabeth (Betsy), Nancy, Stephen, and Aaron.

       Charles Skaggs (c.1734- bef. 1816), married Lucinda B.(Lucy) Thompson in 1750. It is not known when they settled in Kentucky. Children mentioned in his will are Archibald, Frederick, Thomas, Moses, Rachel (Blevins), Nancy (Meredith), Polly (Gray), and Sally (Robertson).

       Thomas Skaggs (1770- c. 1852) , the son of the "Long Hunter" Charles Skaggs, married Nancy Vance in Nelson County, Kentucky on March 25, 1792. The bond was signed by William Skaggs and consent was given by her father Alexander Vance.

      No list of their children is now available, so we do not know if a Nancy was among them. But the dates and names are appropriate.  This we do know: a Nancy Skaggs, who was born in Kentucky about 1800, married William Curtis in Williamson County, Tennessee on November 10, 1815. Their first son was named Thomas.