|
~175512 |
Esther
(Berry) McCord
Family Record
Birth of Elizabeth Berry in Augusta County, Virginia |
|
~177412 |
Esther McCord
Family Bible
Elizabeth Berry married James Harris in Washington, County, Virginia
Estimate of marriage date presumes Mary to have been age 20 at the time. |
|
21 May 177856 |
Annals of
Southwest Virginia, 1769 – 1800
At a Court continue and held for Washington County
Nicholas Brabstone against James Harris, The Case Non Assumpsit |
|
20 Nov. 177856 |
Annals of
Southwest Virginia, 1769 – 1800
At a Court continued and held for Washington County
A Jury sworn to by the issue joined between James Bryan Plantiff and
Jacob Young defendant Viz. George Maxwell, William Edmondson, John
Craig, William Bates, Joseph Bates, Francis Dove, James Harris,
Jeramiah Abel, Roger Topp, John Shelby, William Ingram & James McCain
returned verdict for the Plaintiff and assess the damage at fifty pounds
which is ordered to be recorded. |
|
20 Nov. 177856 |
Annals of
Southwest Virginia, 1769 – 1800
At a Court continued and held for Washington County
Martin vs Hadden, James Harris 3 days attendance, James McFerren
4 days attendance, Samuel McChesney 1 days attendance as witnesses. |
|
19 May 177956 |
Annals of
Southwest Virginia, 1769 – 1800
At a Court continued and held for Washington County
William Cotter appearing to his recognizance and a Jury sworn Viz. James
Craig, Joseph Gray, James Harris, Daniel Reamy, Charles Campbell,
Alex Breckinridge, Thomas Trimble, David Beatie, Arthur Galbreath,
Samuel Buchanan, Joseph Gamble, and Robert Trimble returned verdict for
the Commonwealth and asses the damage at fifteen pounds which is ordered
to be recorded. |
|
15 June 177956 |
Annals of
Southwest Virginia, 1769 – 1800
At a Court continued and held for Washington County
A Jury sworn to try the suit now depending between John Ickis Plantiff
and Joseph Bated defendant Viz. James Fulkison, Robert Edmondson, Robert
Reaugh, John Blackburn, Samuel Buchanan, James Berry, David Dryden,
David Craig, James Herris, Wm. Lowry, Samuel Evans & William
Montgomery returned a verdict for defendant which is ordered to be
recorded. |
|
18 Aug. 177956 |
Annals of
Southwest Virginia, 1769 – 1800
At a Court continued and held for Washington County
Nicholad Brabstone Plt against James Harris Defendant in Case.
This Day came the parties by their Attorneys and thereupon came also a
Jury to wit John Blackmore, David Looney, James Fulkison, James Berry,
John Anderson, John Kinkead, Abraham McClelan and Westley White who
being elected tried and Sworn the truth to spake upon the Issue found
upon their Oath do say that the Defendant is not guilty in manour and
form as the Plantiff against him hath complained therefore it is
concedered by the Court that the Plantiff take nothing by his Bill but
for his false Clamour be in Mercy & C. and the said Defendant go hence
without pay and recover against the plantiff for his Costs by him about
his Defence in this behalf Expended. |
|
30 Aug. 1781169 |
Washington
County, Virginia Survey Book, page 219
Colin Crilly, assignee of James Harris, assignee of Samuel
McChesney, assignee of William McCutchion...300 ac...on the waters of
the Middle & South Forks of Holstein, includes improvements, actual
settlement made in 1772...August 30, 1781. |
|
1782491 |
Washington
County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists
Capt. James Montgomery’s Precinct
James Herris
1 White Tithable James
1 Horse |
|
16 Dec. 1798120 |
Washington
County, Virginia Will Book 2, pages 209-210
In the name of god amen, the sixteenth of December one thousand seven
hundred and ninety eight. I, Thomas Berry, of the County of Washington
and State of Virginia, being weak in body but sound in mind and knowing
that all flesh must yield to death when it shall please god to call, I
do hereby make constitute and ordain and declare this to be my last Will
and Testament in manner and form following revolking and anuling by
these present all and every testement or testaments will or wills
heretofore by me made and declare either by word or writing and this to
be taken only for my last will and testament and none other and now for
the settling my temperate estate and such goods and chattals and debts
as it pleased god for above my deserts to bestow on me. I do order, give
and dispose the same in manner and form following, And first I do will
that all my just debts be paid within convenient time after my decease
by my executors hereafter named and seconded, I do give and bequeath to
my well beloved wife Esther the third part of all the moveable Estate
except the negros as I have left her the third part of the price of my
land already. I do leave to my son George a negro named Adam and all my
wearing apparel and George is to give to my daughter Rebeckah fifty
dollars. I do also leave to my daughter Esther a negro girl named Phili
to her and her heirs and if the girl has any children they are to go to
Esther and her heirs, also my negro woman named Tawney I do allow her to
be free and I leave her a milch cow. I also leave to my son John, four
dollars. I also leave the rest of my estate to my children hereafter
named, son James, son Thomas, my daughter in law Mary Berry, wife to son
William deceased, my daughter Mary, my daughter Barbara, daughter
Rebeckah, my daughter Elizabeth, my daughter Susannah, my son
Francis to be equally divided among them. I also leave to my grandson
Thomas Dryden my best saddle. I also will that David Dryden and Samuel
McChesney and David Lowry shall be my Executors given under my hand and
seal this sixteenth of December 1798.
Thomas Berry LS
Witnesses present
Jonathan Dryden
William Palmer |
| Elizabeth (Betsy) Berry was born
about 1755 in Augusta County, Virginia. While her birth date is not
known with certainty, a firm approximation can be made based on
estimates of the birth dates of her three oldest siblings, a well
documented birth date for her next youngest sibling (George Berry) and
clear definition of her place in the birth order sequence from a family
history record that was ultimately derived from her youngest sister,
Esther (Berry) McCord. Elizabeth’s parents were Thomas Berry Sr. and his
second wife Esther Ward. From the time they got married, it appears that
Thomas Berry and his first wife had children at regular intervals,
almost on an annual basis. If they continued this regular succession of
births after their first three children, then their next child, Mollie,
would have been born about 1742 or 1743 and William would have been born
in 1743 or 1744. Sometime after William’s birth, however, Thomas Berry’s
first wife passed away, and he eventually remarried. All of his
remaining children were products of his second marriage, and Elizabeth
was the first child of that union. The second child from her father’s
second marriage was George Berry, and family records from his
descendants document his birth as occurring on 28 June 1756. Likewise,
family records from the descendants of Susanna Berry, the next child
after George Berry, indicate that she was born in 1757, which clearly
demonstrates that the birth intervals of children from the second
marriage followed the same general pattern of occurrence as in the first
marriage. If that birth pattern is applied to the first child of the
second marriage, Betsy Berry, then she must have been born between 1754
and mid 1755. Consequently, using the estimated birth date of the last
child from his first marriage (1743 or 1744) and the estimated date of
Elizabeth, the first child of his second marriage (1754 or 1755), an
approximation of the date of the death of his first wife and of the date
of his marriage to Elizabeth’s mother, Esther Ward, can be made.12,545,685,1177 |
