Source: Boddie, John Bennett, Historical Southern Families, Vol. XII, "Thornton of Virginia," With Related Families Ransdell, Cox, Atwell, Alford, Williams, Curtis, & Obert, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland.

Thornton of Richmond County, Virginia

with related families
James, Willis, Ransdell, Redman, Cox, Atwell, Alford, Williams, Curtis, & Obert

Compiled by John Bennett Boddie

There were five Thornton families resident in Richmond Co., Va. and the nearby counties of Gloucester and Lancaster in the latter part of the 17th Century. The first of these families stemmed from William Thornton of Gloucester Co., who first appears in the Virginia records in 1646 and left three sons, William of Gloucester Co. (b. 1649, d. 1727), Francis of Stafford Co. (b. 1651, d. 1726), and Rowland of Richmond Co. (d. 1701), whose descendants have been traced in various articles Virginia County Records, Vol. 5, p. 99, and a fairly full Thornton genealogy, WM (1), Vol. 4, p. 89 ff). The other four families were those of Luke, William and Henry Thornton of Richmond Co. and Dr. Thomas Thornton of Lancaster Co., which will be treated in this chapter. The Gloucester Co. Thorntons were prominent in the early history of Virginia and bore the arms of Thornton of Scarborough, Yorkshire: Argent a chevron sable between three hawthorn trees ppr; Crest: Out of a ducal coronet or, a lion's head ppr. There is no provable relationship among these five Thornton families, although there is a hint of a connection of the Gloucester family with the Luke Thornton family below. Two of the Gloucester Co. Thorntons resided in Richmond Co. The first was Rowland Thornton, son of the first William Thornton of Gloucester, who was given land in Richmond Co. by his father in 1675, married prior to 1691 Elizabeth, daughter of Capt. Alexander Fleming, and died there in 1701 (Richmond Co. D. Bk. 5, pp. 49 and 50; D. Bk. 2, p. 21; O. Bk. 3, p. 96). Elizabeth Thornton, his widow, married (2) John Jones prior to 1703 (O. Bk. 3, p. 256) and died before 1715, in which year John Jones was also dead. Rowland Thornton, her son by the first marriage, sued Mary Jones, the second wife and widow, and in 1716 became guardian of his half-brother and half-sister, John and Elizabeth Jones (O. Bk. 6, pp. 378, 443, and 449). Rowland Thornton, Jr. was probably born about 1694, as he was appointed constable in 1715 (his first appearance in the records, probably just 21 years old) and last appears in Richmond Co. Feb. 5, 1718/19 (W. Bk. 4, p. 71). Now Luke Thornton had a grandson named Rowland Thornton, indicating some connection between the two families; and John Jones, Jr. , half-brother of Rowland Thornton, Jr., married Sarah Mountjoy, Luke Thornton's granddaughter. Further, William Thornton, son of Francis Thornton and nephew of Rowland Thornton, Sr. of the Gloucester family, lived in Richmond Co. from about 1705 to 1720 and was burgess from that county about 1713. This William Thornton was a near neighbor of the Luke Thornton family, for on Aug. 7, 1717 he and two sons of Luke Thornton, Luke, Jr. and Thomas, were fined for not clearing the roads near their plantations (O Bk. 7, p. 187), and on Aug. 1, 1716 William Thornton was security to Luke Thornton, Jr. in a suit against the latter by Sir Marmaduke Beckwith (Ibid., p. 29). The above slight indications of relationship in Richmond Co. between the Luke Thornton family and the Gloucester Co. Thorntons are somewhat strengthened by the family names, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, all of which appear in Luke's family. There is in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, England, an ancient diary of a Mrs. Thornton of Yorkshire, England that goes back to the 16th Century, and is full of references to Thorntons in Yorkshire who bore the names of the four Evangelists. In view of the above considerations, there appears to have been some relationship between Luke Thornton and the Gloucester family. Luke may even have been a fourth son of the original William Thornton of Gloucester, though there is no proof of this.

The above account follows the tradition that Rowland Thornton who died in 1701 was the son of William Thornton of Gloucester Co. It is quite possible, however, that he was the eldest son of Luke Thornton of Richmond Co., for Luke certainly had a grandson named Rowland, and Rowland Thornton, Jr., son of Rowland who died in 1701, is the only man of that name in the Richmond Co. records. If Luke Thornton was the father of Rowland (d. 1701), though, Luke himself must have been older than inferred in the following section, born around 1640-45 rather than 1650-55, for the Rowland who died in 1701 could hardly have been born later than 1660-65, as shown by the records.

The Luke Thornton Family

Luke¹ Thornton of Richmond Co. was born about 1650-55 and died in Richmond Co., Va. between Jan. 29 and Mar. 2, 1725/6. His wife was named Anne, as shown by the Northfarnham Parish Register. She died between Oct. 5, 1725, when she is mentioned in a deed that Luke Thornton made to his heirs, and Jan. 29, 1725/6, when Luke wrote his will and makes no mention of his wife. Luke Thornton first appears in the records of Westmoreland Co., Va. Sept. 26, 1677 (O. Bk. 1675/6-1688/9, p. 341). However, he moved very soon thereafter to old Rappahannock (later Richmond) Co., where he was deeded land successively in 1679, 1681, and 1685 (Rappahannock D. & W. 1677-82, pp. 255 and 310; 1680-88, p. 169). He and his son, Luke Thornton, Jr., were deeded additional land in Westmoreland Co. May 29, 1700 by Randolph Kirk (Westmoreland O. B. 1698-1705, p. 81a). There was some dispute about the title to Luke Thornton, Jr.'s land, which resulted in several law-suits in Westmoreland Co. from 1701 to 1704. However, that of Luke Thornton, Sr. continued to be held by him and was passed on by him to his youngest son, Thomas. In a deed dated Oct. 5, 1725 (Richmond Co. D. B. 1720-23, pp. 294-5) and in his will, dated Jan. 29, 1725/6 and probated Mar. 2, 1725/6 (W. B. 5, p. 6), Luke Thornton mentions the same legatees with very slight changes in the bequests of land, but the deed mentions his wife as still living, while the will does not mention her, indicating her death in the interval. The bequests of the will were: son Thomas, land in Westmoreland; grandson William Thornton land "where his mother now lives"; daughter Ann Mountjoy and granddaughter Sarah Jones the rest of the land, and after their deaths to grandson Mark Thornton; "the land I now live on" to grandson Roland Thornton; son Matthew Thornton cattle and 20 s. for a mourning ring; daughter Elizabeth Nash 20 s. for a mourning ring; a negro to Ann Mountjoy and her daughter Sarah, after their deaths to go to grandson Roland Thornton; Ann and Sarah residuary legatees. The deed mentioned previously also mentions John Mountjoy, husband of the daughter Ann. The persons mentioned in the deed and will are easily identified with the exception of the grandson, Roland Thornton. Luke Thornton's sons, Luke, Jr. and Mark Thornton, had predeceased him. The grandson, William Thornton, was a proved son of Luke, Jr., and it is practically certain that Mark was a son of Mark. This leaves uncertainty as to the parentage of Roland. Since the will and deed seek to provide for each of the children, including the eldest sons of Luke, Jr. and Mark, it would seem that the grandson Roland was the son of another son who had predeceased his father. This son was probably a John Thornton, who was witness for his brother, Luke, in suits in Westmoreland Co. in 1704 (Westmoreland O. Bk. 1698-1705, pp. 225a and 226), and was probably born about 1680. After the will, the grandson, Roland, disappears from the records, and probably died without issue. The following is known of the children of Luke¹ and Anne Thornton:

Luke² Thornton, Jr. was probably the eldest son, born about 1676. He first appears in the records of Richmond Co. in a suit June 17, 1699 (O. Bk. 2, p. 415), and died in Richmond Co. in 1718. Margaret Thornton gave bond as administratrix of Luke Thornton, Jr. , decd., April 2, 1718, Evan Thomas and Solomon Redman being her sureties (D. Bk. 7, p. 267). We have mentioned that Luke Thornton, Jr. and Luke Thornton, Sr. were both deeded land in Westmoreland Co. in 1700. A series of suits beginning May 29, 1701, (Westmoreland O. B. 1698-1705, p. 119a) and ending July 26, 1704 (ibid., p. 232) apparently resulted in ousting Thornton from the land on the ground that his title was not good. However, he was deeded land in Richmond Co. by Joseph Beale Feb. 13, 1704/5 (D. B. 3, p.177). The only clue to the maiden name of Margaret, wife of Luke Thornton, is that perhaps she was a daughter of Thomas James of Richmond Co., who on April 5, 1704 made a deed of gift of a cow and a yearling to William Thornton, son of Luke Thornton, Jr. (D. B. 3, p. 125). William Thornton may very well have been Thomas James' grandson, and the names of other probable sons of Luke, Jr. and Margaret Thornton, mentioned below, namely, James Thornton and Thomas Thornton, fit in with this hypothesis. In default of other evidence, and since there is brief mention of a Margaret James in 1696 in the Richmond Co. records (O. B. 2, p. 184), we are perhaps warranted in assuming that she was a daughter of Thomas James. This Thomas James was born about 1645-6, as he gave his age as 36 years in a deposition Mar. 1, 1681 (Sweeney "Wills of Rappahannock Co.", p. 85). There is notice of a Thomas James of Stepney Parish, Middlesex, England in the old Rappahannock records as early as 1662 (Book 1656-64, p. 230), who may have been father of the Thomas James who was born 1645-6. Thomas James was deeded land in old Rappahannock Co. Dec. 17, 1669 by William Lane and Anne his wife (Book 1668-72, p. 304); and as "Thomas James of Richmond Co., planter", he was deeded land by John Washington in Westmoreland Co. in 1696 (Westmoreland D. & W. No. 2, p. 65a). He married Mary, daughter of John Willis, Sr. of Westmoreland and Richmond Cos. John Willis appears quite early in the Virginia records in the Northern Neck. He and Anne Willis were claimed as headrights in 1653 by John Gillett in Lancaster Co. (Nugent: "Cavaliers and Pioneers," p. 282), and John Willis was claimed as an importee for several grants in Northumberland Co. in 1656 and 1663 (Ibid. ,pp. 336, 339, and 433). Anne Willis was probably his first wife. John Willis owned land in Northumberland Co. , mentioned in a grant to Peter Ransom in 1656 (Ibid., p. 336), and was deeded land in Westmoreland Co. by Andrew Read in 1668 (Westmoreland Co. Deeds and Wills No. 1, p. 330). He was freed from the levy in Westmoreland Co. because of his age Jan. 9, 1677/8 (Order Book No. l, p. 102). He later moved to Richmond Co. He must have been a hale and hearty old man, for he married (2) in Richmond Co. in 1693 Matilda Thacker, widow (D. Bk. 1, p.84). He died at a very advanced age in Richmond Co. in 1715, probably 85-90 years of age. The will of John Willis, Sr., dated June 7, 1715 and probated in Richmond Co. July 6, 1715, leaves a plantation to his son-in-law, Thomas James, and Mary his wife, to go after their deaths to their son, David James; leaves a bequest to Mary Cullins "who lives with me"; another bequest to his son Charles Willis and Matilda his wife, then to go the Charles¹ son, John Willis; mentions his late wife, Matilda; his son William; daughter Susannah; Mary Gradner; Isaac Arnold and William Willis guardians of Mary Cullins; John Willis and Isaac Arnold, exrs. (W. B. 1709-19, pp. 214ff). John Willis, the executor, was a son, as his father deeded him land by gift in 1694 (D. B. 2, p. 81). The son, William Willis, died in 1716, Sarah his wife being his administratrix (D. B. 7, p. 173). There is no will or administration of Thomas James in either Westmoreland or Richmond Counties, perhaps because the land left him by John Willis, Sr. was inherited automatically by the son David, and his other land by his eldest son, Thomas James, Jr. This Thomas James (Jr.) seems to be identical with a Thomas James who was bound out to Thomas Weedon in Westmoreland Co. and whose age is given as 13 years Dec. 31, 1701 (Westmoreland O.B. 1698-1705, p. 140), his birth date as 1688. Thomas James (Jr.) married Grace Kirkham, widow, in Richmond Co. in Dec., 1714 (list of marriages, end of D. B. 6, 1711-14). He died in Richmond Co. in 1727, his will, dated April 27, 1727 and probated July 5, 1727, mentioning his wife Grace, and three children, Thomas, Jane, and Honor James. (W. B. 5, p. 78). The above records indicate that in addition to Thomas, Jr. and David James, Thomas James, Sr. and Mary his wife had a daughter Margaret, who married Luke Thornton, Jr. Luke² Thornton, Jr. and Margaret his wife seem to have had four sons, William (b. ca. 1702), James (b. ca. 1704), Luke (b. ca. 1706), and Thomas (b. ca. 1710). Although William is the only proved son, evidence will be given later that the other three were also sons of this couple. They will be treated more fully in a later section.

John² Thornton, as indicated above, appears to have been the next eldest son of Luke¹ and Anne Thornton, who apparently predeceased his father and was probably the father of Luke's grandson, Roland Thornton.

Elizabeth² Thornton, daughter of Luke¹ and Anne Thornton, was born about 1678-80 and died in Westmoreland Co. , Va. in 1762. She married (1) about 1698-1700, Thomas Brown of Westmoreland Co., eldest son of George and Frances Brown. George Brown was born about 1624, as he gave his age as over 67 years in 1691 (Westmoreland O. B., 1690-98, p. 25). He and his wife Frances deeded land in 1670 to Andrew Read (D.&W. 1665-77, p. 60), and their children, Elizabeth and Thomas Brown, were mentioned in the will of William Overitt in Westmoreland Co. in 1674 (Ibid. ,pp. 204-5). George and Frances Brown had at least four children: (1) Elizabeth Brown above who married William Hardwick (d. 1718/19), son of James and Ann (Armsby) Hardwick, and died 1734; details of her family are given in the Asbury article, sections on Walker and Read; (2) Thomas Brown; (3) George Brown, who died unmarried in Westmoreland Co. in 1724, his will, dated May 18, 1724 and probated July 20, 1724, mentioning nephew John, son of brother William Brown, decd.; Thomas son of brother Thomas Brown; George son of George During; John Fryer; George son of William and Elizabeth Hardidge, "she being my sister"; Priscilla daughter of William Fryer "after the death of my wife Rose"; Daniel Jackson; William and Katherine, children of John Fryer; Frances and Rose, daughters of William Fryer; George and Elizabeth, children of Daniel Jackson (Fothergill, p. 81); and (4) William Brown, who m. Hester and d. 1714, leaving a son John mentioned in George Brown's will (Fothergill, p. 53). It is possible that Hannah Asbury, wife of Henry Asbury (see Asbury article), was a daughter of George and Frances Brown, as she is mentioned in the will of Elizabeth (Brown) Hardwick in 1734. Thomas Brown, son of George and Frances, who married Elizabeth Thornton, died in Westmoreland Co. in 1707. His will, dated Mar. 14, 1707 and probated April 30, 1707, mentions wife Elizabeth, daughter Frances Brown, sons George and Thomas Brown, and brothers George and William Brown, exrs. (Westmd, D. & W. No. 4, p. 15). Of the children of Thomas and Elizabeth (Thornton) Brown, George seems to have died young. Frances Brown, b. ca. 1700, married in 1719 Benjamin Asbury (see Asbury article). Thomas Brown, b. ca. 1704-5, married Elizabeth, daughter of Coleman Read of Westmoreland Co. (see section on the Read family in the Asbury article). Thomas and Elizabeth (Read) Brown moved to Loudoun Co., Va., where he died in 1793, a very old man. Thomas Brown's will, dated Oct. 16, 1791 and probated in Loudoun Co. at the Sept. Court, 1793, mentions sons Coleman and Joseph Brown, and daughters, Betty wife of William Lewis and Rebecca wife of Joseph Awbrey (King "Abstracts of Wills of Loudoun Co.," p. 62). After the death of her first husband in 1707, Elizabeth (Thornton) Brown married (2) Nathaniel Nash, son of Jeremiah and Bridget Nash, who appear in the Westmoreland Co. records in 1686 (O. B. 1675/6-1688/9, pp. 537 and 558). Bridget Nash married (2) Elias Morris, who died in Westmoreland Co. in 1727, his will, dated Aug. 10, 1726 and probated Feb. 22, 1726/7, mentioning wife Bridget, godchildren Jeremiah and Elizabeth Nash, James son of Jeremiah Nash, "countryman" David Williams, and Nathaniel Nash, whom he appoints exr. along with wife Bridget (D. & W. No.8, pp. 73-4). Bridget Morris was still living in 1732, when another son, besides Jeremiah and Nathaniel Nash above, namely, William Nash, petitioned to have her estate (O. B. 1731-39, p. 30a and 39). Nathaniel Nash, second husband of Elizabeth (Thornton) Brown, died in Westmoreland Co. in 1727, his widow, Elizabeth Nash, being granted administration of his estate May 31, 1727 (O. B. 1721-31, p. 147a). Elizabeth (Thornton) Brown Nash died in Westmoreland Co. in 1762. Her will, not dated but probated Mar. 30, 1762, apparently mentions all her surviving Brown and Nash children, namely, Ann Nash, John Nash, Thomas Brown, Nathaniel Nash, Elizabeth Bragg, William Nash, and Jeremiah Nash (Fothergill, p. 151). The daughter, Elizabeth Nash, was married to Joseph Bragg by Jan. 26, 1731/2, when they sued for her part of the estate of her father, Nathaniel Nash (O. B. 1731-9, p. 9a). The son, Jeremiah Nash, died in Westmoreland Co. about 1774, his will, dated Nov. 10, 1773 and probated about 1774, mentioning his son Solomon, and daughters Mary Ann McKenney, Lydia Nash, and Anne Jones, (Fothergill, p. 171).

Matthew² Thornton, son of Luke¹ and Anne Thornton, was probably born about 1682-4 and died in Richmond Co. in 1727. He married about 1704-5 Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Hopkins, and they received a deed of gift from Hopkins May 13,1706 (D.B. 4, p. 51; also, D. B. 7, pp. 421 and 422). The last reference cited above shows that Elizabeth (Hopkins) Thornton was still living June 29, 1719. She died some time after this, and Matthew Thornton married (2) Ellen or Eleanor Crask, by whom he had one daughter, Ellen or Eleanor, born before his death, and a son, Crask Thornton, born posthumously. John Crask and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of William Moss, appear in the records 1693-96 (D.B. l, p. 46; D.B. 2, p. l; D. B. 3, p. 162). John Crask died and his widow married (2) James Lockhart and died in Richmond Co. in 1710, her will, dated Mar. 26, 1709 and probated Dec. 6, 1710, mentioning her daughters Martha and Eleanor Crask. The daughter, Martha Crask, married James Wilson in Jan., 1712/13 (end of D. B. 6, list of marriages). A son, William Crask, was under guardianship in 1710 (D.B. 5, p. 288). Matthew Thornton's will, dated Nov. 30, 1726 and probated in Richmond Co. April 5, 1727, mentions sons Hopkins and Matthew Thornton (Matthew the younger); wife Ellen and daughter Ellen; and daughter, Rebecca Crask (W. B. 5, p. 57). The widow, Eleanor (Crask) Thornton was married (2) May 3, 1728 to Capt. Alvin Mountjoy (Northfarnham P R. ), son of Alvin Mountjoy, Sr. of Richmond Co. and his wife, Mary, daughter of William Land; Mrs. Mountjoy married (2) Joseph Belfield and her Mountjoy children are shown about 1715 as Thomas Mountjoy, Alvin Mountjoy, and Mary, wife of John Morton, Jr. (D. B. 7, p. 83). Alvin Mountjoy who married Mrs. Thornton was probably a nephew of John Mountjoy who married Ann² Thornton (Luke¹). Alvin was still under guardianship in 1717 (D. B. 7, p. 199); he was a Captain in the militia, a Justice, and Sheriff of Richmond Co. in 1738 (O. B. 1732-39, No. 10, p. 153, p. 604), He was born about 1700 and died in Richmond Co. in 1761, mention being made in his inventory of the widow, Eleanor Mountjoy, and her former husband, Matthew Thornton (W. B. 6, p. 264). Eleanor (Crask) Thornton Mountjoy died in Richmond Co. in 1777. Her will, dated Dec. 12, 1771 and probated in Dec. 1771, mentions grandson Joseph son of William Pierce; niece Martha wife of John Hart; grandson William Yeatman; and four granddaughters, Ellen and Mary Pierce, daughters of William Pierce, and Sibilla and Mary Yeatman, daughters of Thomas Yeatman, decd. (W. B. 7, p. 220). Matthew² Thornton's five children, the first three by the first wife, the last two by the second wife, were as follows:

Ann² Thornton, daughter of Luke¹ and Anne Thornton, was born about 1682-4, and married John Mountjoy, probably a brother of Alvin Mountjoy, Sr., and of Thomas Mountjoy and his brother Edward, who appear in the records of Westmoreland Co. They had an only daughter, Sarah Mountjoy, who married Nov. 30, 1725 John Jones (Northfarnham P.R.), son of John and Elizabeth (Fleming) Jones and half-brother of Rowland Thornton, mentioned in the introduction to this chapter. In 1729 Ann Mountjoy made a deed of gift of her property to her daughter and the latter's husband, which apparently she tried unsuccessfully to get back in 1740 (O. B. 8, p.500; O. B. 11, p. 103). This is her last appearance in the records, and it is uncertain whether John and Sarah (Mountjoy) Jones had issue.

Mark² Thornton, son of Luke¹ and Anne Thornton, was born Sept. 23, 1686, (Northfarnham P.R.) and died in Richmond Co. in 1721, the order for the inventory being handed in by the relict, Mary Thornton, Jan. 1, 1721/2 (W. B. 4, p. 199). The indications are that Mary, wife of Mark Thornton, was a daughter of Henry Bruce of Richmond Co., who in his will, dated Nov. 9, 1725 and probated June 7, 1727, mentions sons John, Andrew, Joseph, and Benjamin; daughters Mary and Elizabeth; wife Mary; and leaves his son John "the land where Mark Thornton formerly lived" (W. B. 5, p. 72). (There was another son, Henry Bruce, Jr. who predeceased his father - see section on Redman family under Jesse Thornton, later. Mary, daughter of Henry and Mary Bruce, was born April 13, 1692 (Northfarnham P. R.), which would have made her about the right age to marry Mark Thornton; and Andrew Bruce, son of Henry Bruce, was one of the sureties for Mary Thornton in administering Mark's estate (D. B. 8, p. 91), so it looks rather likely that Mary Thornton was born Mary Bruce. Mark Thornton, the grandson mentioned in Luke¹ Thornton's will, was born about 1712 and almost certainly the eldest son of Mark and Mary Thornton. Other sons were probably John and Thomas Thornton. These three men will be treated in a later section of this chapter.

Thomas² Thornton, youngest child of Luke¹ and Anne Thornton, was born April 5, 1688 (Northfarnham P.R.) and died in Richmond Co. in 1729. He married prior to April 2, 1711 Susannah, daughter of William and Elizabeth Smith (O. B. 6, p. 12; O. B. 8, p. 82; D. B. 8,p. 371). Susannah's mother, Elizabeth Smith, was daughter of Mrs. Mary Hughlett of Northumberland Co., who was a daughter of George Nichols (D. B. 6, p. 167). Thomas Thornton's will, dated June 28, 1729 and probated Oct. 1, 1729, mentions only his wife, Susannah (W. B. 5, p. 146). However, a deed in Richmond Co. Mar. 30, 1762 shows that Thomas and Susannah Thornton had three daughters, Rachel, Ann, and Ellen Thornton; that Rachel had married Francis Williams and was dead by 1762, leaving three daughters, Susannah wife of William Smith, Marina wife of George Beard, and Ann Williams, single; and that Susannah, widow of Thomas Thornton was only recently deceased (D. B. 12, p. 361).

Luke¹ Thornton's Grandsons

Sons of Luke² and Mark² Thornton

William³ Thornton, eldest son of Luke² and Margaret Thornton, was born about 1702 and died in Richmond Co. in 1741. He married in Richmond Co. Aug. 10, 1727 Elizabeth Talbot (Northfarnham P.R.), widow of Samuel Talbot, who died in Richmond Co. early in 1727; his will, dated Dec. 16, 1726 and probated Feb. 1, 1726/7, mentions his brother, Benjamin Talbot, and his wife, Elizabeth Talbot, whom he appoints exr. (W. B. 5, p. 32). Benjamin Talbot died about the same time as Samuel (W. B. 5, p. 30); the two brothers were sons of William and Katherine Talbot (D. B. 7, p. 432; D. B. 8, p. 181). Elizabeth Talbot Thornton was the daughter of Edward and Mary Ransdell of Westmoreland Co. and was married to her first husband, Samuel Talbot, at least as early as 1724, when her father's will was written. She was probably about the same age as William³ Thornton, b. ca. 1702. The Ransdell family seems to have originated in Maryland, for an Edward Ransdell is mentioned in St. Mary's Co., Md. in 1661 and 1666 (Archives of Maryland, Vol. 53, p. 631; Vol. 57, p. 283). Edward Ransdell of Westmoreland Co. , Va. was probably a son of this earlier Edward Ransdell. He first appears in the Westmoreland Co. records on Oct. 22, 1696, when he was deeded land (D. & W. No. 2, p. 83a), and his first wife, and mother of his children, was named Mary, as shown by a deed from them in Westmoreland Co. May 30, 1699 (same, p. 186). Mary Ransdell died about 1718-20, and Edward Ransdell married (2) prior to Jan. 24, 1720/21 Mrs. Amy Kelly, widow of Capt. John Kelly of Richmond Co. On the above date and in 1723, he and his wife Amy made deeds of gift to his sons, Wharton, Edward, and John by his first marriage (D. & W. No. 7, p. 87; No. 8, p. 7a). Edward Ransdell, Sr. died in Westmoreland Co. in 1724. His will, dated May 1, 1724 and probated June 24, 1724, mentions eldest son, Wharton; wife Amy and her deceased husband, Capt. John Kelly; Capt. Kelly's orphans; sons Edward and John, both under 21; Elizabeth Jeffries; daughter-in-law Mary Kelly; Nicholas Stephens; daughters Elizabeth Talbot and Millicent Longworth; and William Longworth (D. & W. No. 8, p. 23a and 24). Of the children of Edward and Mary Ransdell, the eldest son, Wharton, was born about 1696, as he was of age and on the Grand Jury in 1717 (O. B. 1705-21, p. 315a), He later became a Justice of Westmoreland Co. and died there in 1758. He married twice. His first wife was Mrs. Ursula (Presley) Neale, widow of Daniel Neale and daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Thompson) Presley of Northumberland Co., by whom he had 4 children, Elizabeth (d. young), Edward, Wharton, and William. He married (2) about 1732-3 Mrs. Sarah (Elliott) Sturman, widow of William Sturman and daughter of John and Sarah (Foxall) Elliott, by whom he had two children, Thomas (d. young) and Elizabeth Elliott Ransdell who m. Joseph Pierce (see VM 34, pp. 288-90; Vol. 35, p. 87; Brook Payne "The Paynes of Virginia", p. 231; VM 44, pp. 155 and 157; Fothergill, pp. 52, 95, 108, 143, 173, 187, and 201; Westmoreland D. & W. No. 8, p. 88). The next child of Edward and Mary Ransdell was probably Millicent Ransdell, who married (1) William Longworth and (2) Luke³ Thornton, brother of William³ Thornton (see section on Luke³). Millicent was probably born about 1700-2, Elizabeth about 1702-4. Edward and John Ransdell were under age at the time of their father's will, and probably born about 1706-10. Nothing further is known of Edward. John moved to Orange Co. with his brother-in-law, Luke Thornton. John Ransdell appears in Orange Co. with 2 tithables in his family in 1753, 1755, and 1758 (Brockman "Orange Co. Families", Vol. I, pp.142, 145, and 147). About 1760 his children were ordered to be bound out, since he was a poor man (Orange Co. O. B. 6, p. 512). The following men who appear in the tithables of Orange Co. 1782-99 probably belonged to his family: (1) John Ransdell, 1 tithable 1782-88, 2 tithables 1789-92, and 3 tithables 1793, this man as well as the following probably being a son; (2) Jesse Ransdell, 1 tithable 1782-85, died 1792, his inventory being dated Sept. 24, 1792 (Will Book 3, p. 266); (3) William Ransdell, with sons Wharton and William, Jr. in his family 1783-4, Wharton an independent tithable 1787-94, William and William, Jr. together 1785-7, William with 2 tithables 1788-92, and with 3 in 1793, after which he disappears; (4) Sanford Ransdell, independent tithable 1787-99, with 2 tithables in his family 1788-9, 2 again 1792-3, and 2 again 1798-99.

Some effort has been made to find the parentage of Mary, wife of Edward Ransdell, but without success. The name of her eldest son would indicate that she was a Wharton, but the scattered references to Whartons in Westmoreland, Richmond, and Northumberland Cos. offer no clue. In view of this, it is a fairly plausible hypothesis that Mary Ransdell may have been identical with a Mary Gorham, daughter of Miles and Susannah Gorham of Westmoreland Co., who was bound out by her mother to Henry Wharton April 12, 1687 until she could be 17 (O. B. 1675/6-1688/9, p. 561). Henry Wharton and his wife Elizabeth had no children, and it is possible that Mary Gorham was fond of them and named her first son for the family where she had passed her adolescent years. The father, Miles Gorham, although he owned land, seems to have been a somewhat erratic character, who absented himself from his home from time to time. He and his first wife, Alice Gorham, appear in the Northumberland Co. records as early as 1659 (Northumberland Record Book, 1658-66, pp. 35 and 39). They had one son, John Gorham, who had been bound out to serve Capt. John Rogers in Northumberland Co. during his father's absence, and was returned to his father April 19, 1676 (Northumberland O. B. 1666-78, p. 134). John Gorham died in Westmoreland Co. in 1699; he apparently married a daughter of Thomas Moore, who made a deed of gift to his son, John Gorham, in 1693 (O. B. 1690-98, p. 111; O. B. 1698-1705, p. 72a; D. & W. No. 8,p. 10a; D & W. No. 10, pp. 161-2). The last appearance of Miles Gorham's first wife, Alice, was on Aug. 30, 1671, when she and her husband deeded land in Westmoreland Co. (D. &. W. 1665-77, p. 70). Miles Gorham was married by July 2, 1675 to his second wife, Susannah (same, p. 240). He left the county again about 1686, and his wife Susannah Gorham bound out her children, Michael and Susannah Gorham to Robert King (O. B. 1675/6-1688/ 9, p. 528), and her daughter Mary to Henry Wharton in 1687, as above. Miles Gorham appears to have returned to Westmoreland Co. some time after this, for Henry Wharton sued him in 1690 (O. B. 1690-98, p. 36); his wife Susannah died somewhere about this time, and he married (3) Winifred . Miles died in 1693, his widow Winifred being appointed his administratrix, and Thomas Walker being her security (O. B. 1690-98, p. 105). There may have been some connection of the Gorhams with Thomas Walker (see section on Walker in the article on the Asbury family), for Thomas Walker was the trustee of the deed of gift from Thomas Moore to John Gorham, son of John, in 1693.

William³ Thornton, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward and Mary Ransdell, first appears in the Richmond Co. records in 1704, when Thomas James (probably his grandfather) made him a deed of gift, as mentioned in the section on his father, Luke² Thornton. He inherited the land of his father and his grandfather, and the Richmond Co. Order Books from 1732 to 1740 (Nos. 10 and 11) show long-drawn out suits against John Jones (who married his cousin, Sarah Mountjoy) regarding the Luke¹ land left him and the Joneses by Thornton, and against Evan Thomas, Sr. and Jr. regarding the boundaries of the land deeded his father by Joseph Beale in 1704. The suit against the Thomases was settled by a division of the land Sept. 2, 1740 (Account Book, 1724-83, p. 163). The dispute with John Jones seems never to have been settled. Jones later deeded the land to Sir Marmaduke Beckwith, and the unsettled dispute about this land left by Luke¹ Thornton to Ann Mountjoy and Sarah Jones on the one hand, and to William Thornton on the other, was to cause great trouble later to William³ Thornton's son, Jesse. William³ Thornton died in Richmond Co. in 1741, his inventory being ordered Aug. 3, 1741, and his widow, Elizabeth, being appointed administratrix (W. B. 5, p. 389; O.B. 11, p. 197). Elizabeth (Ransdell) Thornton died in 1742. Her will, dated April 6, 1742 and probated May 3, 1742, leaves all her estate to her son, Jesse Thornton, who is to be kept in school until 15, and appoints Richard Lawson his guardian (W. B. 5, p. 397). Jesse Thornton, only son of William and Elizabeth, will be treated later. He was born in 1735.

James³ Thornton was almost certainly a son of Luke² and Margaret Thornton, as the name James probably indicates his mother's family name, he moved to Orange Co. with Luke³ Thornton, who is even more certainly a son of Luke² and Margaret, and there was no other Thornton family in Richmond Co. who could have been his parents. He was probably the second son, born about 1704. He married Anne about 1724/5 and the Northfarnham Parish Registers shows the names of three of his children, (1) Mary Thornton, b. Mar. 13, 1725/6; (2) William Thornton b. Aug. 2, 1728; and (3) James Thornton b. Aug. 8, 1731. The last appearance of James Thornton in the records of Richmond Co. was on Mar. 5, 1733/4 (O. B. 10, p 159), and he moved to Orange Co. with his brother Luke in that year, being shown as a tithable there in 1734 (WM (1), 27, p. 10). He was deeded land by Alexander Spotswood in Orange Co. Mar. 26, 1729 (D. B. 6, p. 157), appears a number of times in the order books during the 1740's, and died in Orange Co. in 1749, Jeremiah Morton being his administrator Mar. 23, 1749 (O. B. 5, p. 238). The widow, Ann Thornton, appears with 2 tithables in her family in Orange Co. in 1752 and 1753, indicating two sons over 16, but disappears in 1755 and 1758, when James and Daniel Thornton appear as independent tithables (Brockman "Orange Co. Families," Vol. I, pp. 141, 142, 145, and 146). James and Daniel were proved brothers, as we shall see by James' will. That they were identical with James Thornton (b. 1731), son of Jame³ and Ann Thornton, and his brother Daniel, seems almost certain. That there is any doubt about the question at all is due to the fact that Daniel Thornton named one of his sons Luke, and that his brother James had a son named Ransdell Thornton, which looks as though they may have been sons of Luke³ Thornton, (brother of James³,) and his wife, Millicent Ransdell. However, we shall treat them here as sons of James³ and Ann Thornton. The last appearance of Ann Thornton in the Orange Co. records was in 1768, when she and Daniel Thornton were witnesses for Alexander Waugh (O. B. 7, pp. 503-4). If there is some doubt as to whether James and Daniel Thornton were sons of James³ or Luke³ Thornton, there is still more doubt about a William Thornton, who appears with James and Daniel in 1755 and 1758 as an independent tithable. This man could have been William Thornton, born 1728, son of James and Ann. However, Ann Thornton was charged with only two sons as tithables in 1753, not three. On the other hand, Luke³ Thornton was charged with two tithables in 1752, with three in 1753, and with four in 1755, showing that by 1755 he had three sons over 16 in his family. It looks as though this William Thornton might have been a son of Luke rather than of James. However, the matter is uncertain, and we shall treat William, James and Daniel Thornton here as sons of James³ and Ann Thornton. All three are shown in the Orange Co. Census of 1782, William with a family of 7, James with a family of 10, and Daniel with a family of 11. The following summarizes our information about each of them:

I. William⁴ Thornton of Orange Co., probably identical with William, b. 1728, son of James and Ann Thornton, but possibly a son of Luke and Millicent Thornton, first appears as an independent tithable in 1755 and had 7 whites in his family in 1782. On Mar. 22, 1781 he was excused from paying taxes (Minute Book 2, p. 150), and in accordance with this, in 1782 he appears with personal property, but no tithables. After 1782 he disappears from the tithables of Orange Co., and may have died. The tithables show only one son of William Thornton, namely, James Thornton, who appears for the first time as an independent tithable in 1788. To distinguish him from his uncle and cousin, James Thornton, Sr. and Jr., in 1788 he is called "James Thornton, Son", in 1789 "James Thornton son of William", in 1790 "James Thornton Weev (Weaver?)".

II. James⁴ Thornton, almost certainly son of James³ and Anne Thornton, was born in 1731 and died in Orange Co., Va. in 1791. He was deeded land by John Spotswood in 1767 (D. B. 14, p. 240), and on May 23, 1771, he and his wife Rosy deeded part of this land to his brother, Daniel Thornton (Deed Book 15, p. 355). James Thornton's will, dated June 13, 1789 and probated in Orange Co. Feb. 28, 1791 (W. B. 3, p. 226), mentions his 9 children, Frankie Bryant, James Thornton, Ransdell, John, Betty, Sally, Rose, Jennie, and Jeremiah Thornton; appoints his brother, Daniel Thornton, and son-in-law, Thomas Bryant, executors; test ,Francis Moore, Jr. , Daniel Thornton, Jr. , Caleb Thornton. Thomas Bryant and Frankie Thornton, daughter of James Thornton, were married in Orange Co. in 1775. In 1792 Sarah and Rose Thornton, orphans of James, chose Thomas Bryant as their guardian, with Sanford Ransdell as his security (Minute Book 3, p. 144). The fact that Sanford Ransdell was security here may indicate that he was an uncle, and that James Thornton's wife, Rose, was a daughter of John Ransdell, thus accounting for the name, Ransdell Thornton, given one of his sons. The lists of Orange Co. tithables from 1782 on show that James Thornton had two sons besides James, Jr., Ransdell, Jeremiah, and John mentioned in the will, namely, Mark Thornton and "Mutrail" Thornton (the name is poorly written and it is uncertain what this man's actual name was.) Both these sons seem to have died young. Mark Thornton appears as a tithable in James Thornton's family in 1784 and 1785, then disappears. "Mutrail" and Ransdell Thornton appear in the family in 1786, the only year in which the former is shown. James Thornton, Jr. appears first in 1785 as an independent tithable, head of a family. John Thornton appears first as an independent tithable in 1786.

III. Daniel⁴ Thornton, son of James³ and Anne Thornton, appears first as an independent tithable in Orange Co. in 1755. He was probably born about 1733/4, and died in Orange Co. in 1821. His wife was Sarah Sanford, as shown by his will. As mentioned, he was deeded land by his brother, James Thornton, in 1771, and again, was deeded land by Alexander Waugh in 1783 (Minute Book 2, p. 226). In April, 1782, he was paid for guiding the Marquis de Lafayette through Orange Co. during the Revolution (same, p. 192). Daniel Thornton's will, dated Aug. 31, 1815 and probated in Orange Co. Aug. 27, 1821 (Will Book 5, p. 396), mentions his wife, Sarah (Sanford) Thornton; sons Luke, Thomas, and Sanford Thornton; son Caleb Thornton's (decd.) children, John, Isabel, Kitty, Joseph, Nancy and Sarah Thornton; grandson William B. Thornton, son of son Jesse Thornton, decd.; and appoints his sons Luke and Thomas executors.

Daniel Thornton had two sons who served in the Revolution, namely, William Thornton, who died in service, and Jesse Thornton. Revolutionary Records in the State Library at Richmond show that on Nov. 22, 1813 in Orange Co., Joseph Thomas of Madison Co. , Daniel Thornton of Orange Co., and William White of Orange Co. all testified that Jesse Thornton, then deceased, enlisted in Capt. Joseph Spencer's Co. of the 7th Virginia Regiment in 1776 and served throughout the war, and that William B. Thornton was his only child. Daniel Thornton stated that Jesse was his son. William B. Thornton was issued a bounty warrant (No. 8026) for the services of his father, Jesse. However, he also claimed a warrant for the services of his uncle, William Thornton, who died in the war, Jesse being the elder brother of William and his heir, according to the old law of primogeniture. However, this claim was refused on the ground that here were several William Thorntons in the service and it was not proved which William was the one in question. In support of William B. Thornton's claim for his uncle William's land, his uncle Luke Thornton testified at the Culpeper Co. Court June 15, 1835, giving his age as 66 years. He stated that William Thornton of Orange Co. was his brother; that William enlisted in the Revolutionary Army a year or two after the war began; that he continued to hear from his brother occasionally for 2 or 3 years, until he heard that William had died in the High Hills of Santee; and that Jesse Thornton was elder brother of William, was heir to William's property under the old law, and that William Bohen Thornton of Culpeper was the sole heir of Jesse. Reuben George, aged 80, made a similar affidavit on the same date.

Jesse⁵ Thornton was, then, the eldest son of Daniel⁴ Thornton. He married Ann Bohen, daughter of Benjamin Bohen, in Orange Co. in 1784, and died prior to 1813, leaving an only child, William⁶ Bohen Thornton, who moved to Culpeper Co. William Bohen Thornton married (1) Appia Fushee, daughter of John Fushee and Sarah his wife of Culpeper Co. and granddaughter of John and Appia Fushee. Appia was living in 1817, when she and her husband deeded away their interest in the lands of John Fushee, decd., as well as in the estate of William B's uncle, Daniel Thornton, Jr. (Culpeper Co. D.B. G, P. 478). Appia was dead by 1837, when William B. Thornton's second wife was named Susan, and his children by the first marriage were listed as Sarah Ann, Jesse Andrew Jackson, John Fushee, Hugh William, Louisa Mayo, and Benjamin Robert Thornton (Culpeper Co. D.B. 3, p. 348). Appia (Fushee) Thornton's grandfather, John Fushee, Sr., may have married a Thornton, as his will in 1799 mentions a son, Thornton Fushee (Culpeper Co. W.B. "B", p. 303).

The tithables of Orange Co. show that in addition to William Thornton above, who died in Revolutionary service, Daniel⁴ Thornton had two other sons who apparently died before he made his will in 1815, namely, Daniel Thornton, Jr. and Elijah Thornton. These two sons are shown as tithables in Daniel⁴ Thornton's family 1784-6. 1787 shows only Daniel, Jr., indicating that Elijah was dead. Jesse⁵ Thornton is shown with no tithables in 1787, which may indicate that he died soon after marriage.

Caleb⁵ Thornton, son of Daniel⁴ Thornton, married Patsy Ford in Orange Co. in 1790, and seems to have continued to live in Orange Co. until his death, prior to 1814, when his family moved to Garrard Co., Ky. The will of Patsy Thornton, widow of Caleb Thornton of Virginia, was dated Feb. 22, 1814 and probated in Garrard Co. in April, 1814, and mentions her children, John, Isabelle, Catherine, Joseph, Nancy, and Sarah Thornton (Garrard Co. W.B. "B", p. 73).

Luke⁵ Thornton, son of Daniel⁴ Thornton, was born in 1769, according to his affidavit in 1835, and died in 1840 in Owen Co., Ky., having moved there some time after 1835. He married in Orange Co. June 24, 1799 Sarah Sleet (who d. Oct. 10, 1853), sister of Weedon Sleet. The will of Luke Thornton, dated Mar. 4, 1840, with a codicil July 12, 1840, was probated in Owen Co., Ky. At the December term, 1840. It mentions his wife, Sarah; sons Francis W. and Philip A.; four chn., John W., Lucy Jane, Sarah Frances, and William A. Thornton; "orphan grandchildren now with me", Eliza Jane, Stapleton Car, and Daniel J. Thornton; and his married children, James and Daniel Thornton, Elizabeth Ann Wilcher and Sidney Sleet. The orphaned grandchildren mentioned in the will were the children of his son, Daniel Thornton, who died in Orange Co., Va. In 1834 (Will Book, 7, p. 635). The daughter Elizabeth Ann Thornton married Banjamin Wiltshire in Orange Co., va. Nov. 30, 1833. A suit in Owen Co., Ky. Nov. 10, 1853 by Weedon Sleet (probably the husband of the daughter Sidney Sleet mentioned in the Will) against James Thornton and others (Owen Co. D.B. "L", p. 641), shows the heirs of Luke Thornton at that time as: James Thornton, Francis W. Thornton, Philip A. Thornton, John W. Thornton, Joseph Welch and Lucy Ann Welch (obviously the unmarried daughter, Lucy Ann, of the will), Benjamin Welcher (Wiltshire) and Elizabeth Ann Welcher, William Powers and Sarah Frances Powers (obviously the unmarried daughter, Sarah Frances, of the will); and the following (obviously the grandchildren of the will, children of Daniel Thornton), James Wigginton and Eliza Jane Wigginton, Stapleton Thornton and Daniel James Thornton. According to a Family Bible record of Luke Thornton and his son, Francis Whittaker Thornton, supplied by Mrs. Roberta Thornton Goetz, 230 Riverside Drive, Apt. 16 E, New York 25, N. Y., Luke⁵ Thornton (1769-1840) and his wife Sarah Sleet (married June 24, 1799, d. Oct. 10, 1853) had the following children: (1) James Thornton, b. April 9, 1800; (2) Daniel Thornton b. Jan. 25, 1802; (3) William Thornton b. Jan. 3, 1804; (4) Sidney Thornton b. Oct. 2, 1805, married Weedon Sleet; (5) Francis Whittaker Thornton b. Sept. 3, 1810; (6) Philip Alexander Thornton b. Aug. 10, 1812; (7) Elizabeth Ann Thornton, b. May 11, 1814, m. 1833 Benjamin Wiltshire; (8) John Weedon Thornton b. July 29, 1816; (9) Lucy Ann Thornton b. Dec. 14, 1818, m. Joseph Welch after 1840; (10) Sarah Frances Thornton, b. Dec. 24, 1822, m. William Powers after 1840; and (11) William D. Thornton b. Dec. 2w4, 1827.

Francis⁶ Whittaker Thornton, son of Luke⁵ Thornton, was born Sept. 10, 1810 and died July 13, 1852 in Owen Co., Ky. He married Oct. 10, 1837 Permelia Sneldson and had issue: (1) Sarah E. Thornton b. Aug. 9, 1838; (2) Mary P. Thornton b. Dec. 23, 1839; (3) Zerelda J. Thornton b. Oct. 21, 1840; (4) John J. Thornton b. Jan. 24, 1842; (5) Amanda Thornton b. April 14, 1844; (6) Daniel Whittaker Thornton, b. Jan. 24, 1846, d. Feb. 12, 1914, m. (1) July 23, 1864 M. T. Bond and had 5 children, m (2) Oct. 20, 1881 Elizabeth Carnes and had 10 children; (7) George B. Thornton b. Oct. 8, 1848; (8) William T. Thornton b.l Feb. 13, 1850. The Family Bible gives the children of Daniel⁶ Thornton, son of Luke⁵, as follows: (1) Eliza Jane Thornton b. Dec. 15, 1829?, M. Mar. 23, 1848 James Wigginton; (2) Stapleton C. Thornton b. Mar. 15, 1831; (3) Daniel J. Thornton b. Oct. 10, 1832.

If we are to judge by the records, apparently Daniel⁴ Thornton had no daughters. The Orange Co. marriage bonds show the marriages of Ann Thornton and Seth Spencer in 1791, and of Ann Thornton and Edward Eastham in 1798. One of these Ann Thorntons may have been a daughter of Daniel⁴ Thornton, the other of William⁴ Thornton, his brother (or cousin).

Luke³ Thornton seems to have been the third son of Luke² and Margaret Thornton, born about 1706. He married in Richmond Co. Jan. 2, 1727/8 Millicent Longworth (Northfarnham P.R.), widow of William Longworth of Westmoreland Co., daughter of Edward and Mary Ransdell, and sister of Elizabeth (Ransdell) Talbot who married Luke's brother, William³ Thornton. William Longworth died in Westmoreland Co., Va. In Sept. 1724, and his widow, Millicent, was appointed his administratrix Nov. 25, 1724 (Westmoreland O.B. 1721-1731, p. 76). William and Millicent Longworth were married about 1719-20, and had two children, William Longworth, b. 1721, d. Nov. 9. 1726 (Northfarnham P.R.) at the age of 5, and Jemima Longworth, b. Sept. 1724, the day after her father's death, who married about 1740/41 in Orange Co., John³ Thornton, her stepfather's cousin, son of Mark² Thornton (see section on John³ Thornton). The above facts are proved by testimony in a long drawn out suit in Orange Co. between John Thornton and Luke Thornton in 1741 and 1742, regarding the Longworth estate (O.B. 2, pp. 416, 442, 452, 455, and 460; O.B. 3, pp. 38, 81, 131, and 212). Luke³ Thornton moved to Orange Co., Va. In 1734, being a tithable there in that year (VM 27, p. 20), and was leased 200 acres of land there by Alexander Spotswood Nov. 30, 1734, mention being made in the deed of John Ransdell, Luke's brother-in-law (Spotsylvania Co. D.B. 3, p. 153). Luke Thornton was excused from paying taxes in Orange Co. in 1760, because of age and poverty (O.B. 6, p. 547), and last appears in the records there in 1771 (O.B. 8, pp. 113 and 121). He probably died soon after this date. Luke³ Thornton almost certainly had three sons, as the Orange co. lists show him with 2 tithables in his family in 1752, 3 tithables in 1753, and 4 tithables in 1755. One of these sons may have been William⁴ Thornton, whom we have placed in the preceding section as a son of Luke's brother, James Thornton. A second son of Luke was-almost certainly John Thornton, who appears in the records for the first time in 1760 (O. B. 6, p. 515) and died in Orange Co. in 1781, his inventory and appraisement showing Reuben, Richard, Benjamin and Lucy Thornton as his heirs (Orange Co. W. B. 3, p. 3). The third son of Luke³ Thornton was possibly Presley Thornton, who appears next to Luke in the tithables of 1758 (Luke Thornton 2 tithables, Presley Thornton 1). What makes this identification uncertain is that the name Presley Thornton is connected with the Gloucester Co. Thornton family in Northumberland and King George Cos., where there was intermarriage with the Presleys. However, this Presley Thornton of Orange Co., who later died in Pittsylvania Co., Va., does not seem to fit in too well with the Thorntons of the Gloucester family, and he may have been a son of Luke. Luke's brother-in-law, Wharton Ransdell of Westmoreland Co., married a Presley, so that it is possible that Luke and Millicent Thornton named a son Presley.

John⁴ Thornton, son of Luke³ and Millicent (Ransdell) Thornton, was probably the youngest son, born about 1738-40. Information about his descendants comes largely from Mrs. Roberta Thornton Goetz, a descendant, Apt. 16E, 230 Riverside Drive, New York 25, N.Y. As mentioned, John Thornton died in 1781, leaving 4 children, Reuben, Richard, Benjamin and Lucy Thornton. In the Orange Co. Census of 1782 John Thornton was listed with three whites in his family, probably his three younger children, he himself being dead. These children all moved to Culpeper Co., Va. There was a Luke Thornton who made purchases at John Thornton's sale in 1781. It is doubtful whether this could have been Luke³ Thornton, and may indicate that Luke³ had a son named Luke, brother of John. Information about the children of John⁴ Thornton comes largely from Mrs. Goetz. Reuben⁵ Thornton married Lydia, and they lived in Culpeper Co. until 1833, when they deeded away their land in Culpeper (D. B. "ZZ", p. 430), and probably moved with their sons, William, John, Richard and Elijah Thornton, to Ohio. William⁶ Thornton, son of Reuben and Lydia, served in the War of 1812, married Elizabeth Bridwell in Prince William Co., Va. Feb. 7, 1816, and moved to Ohio. John⁶ Thornton also served in the War of 1812, married Nancy Shannon in Culpeper Co. in Dec., 1822, and moved to Ohio. Richard⁶ Thornton moved to Ohio with his brothers. He was born about 1803 (1860 Census). By a first wife he had 4 children, Ambrose, Edward, Sarah Ann and Mary Ellen Thornton. By his second wife, Wilmouth McCann, he had two sons, John and Thomas Thornton. Elijah⁶ Thornton moved with his brothers to Ohio, where he married Mary Jane Cavanaugh, but moved to Ripley, W.Va., where he died Nov. 22, 1882, aged 79 years, 1 month and 12 days (so b. Oct. 10, 1803). His death record states that he was the son of "R and L. Thornton" (i.e., Reuben and Lydia). Richard⁵ Thornton, son of John⁴ Thornton lived in Culpeper Co. His wife was Sarah Williamson, as proved by a deed in Rappahannock Co., Va. in 1834 in which he mortgaged land that had been left to his wife, Sarah Williamson, by Charles Mozingo, decd. Sarah Thornton in 1848 deeded her property "for care and protection" to Margaret and Lucy Williamson, which looks as though Richard was dead and that this couple had no children. Benjamin S Thornton, son of John⁴ Thornton, married Ann Piner in Culpeper Co. in 1791. Lucy⁵ Thornton, daughter of John⁴ Thornton, married Lawson Wale in Culpeper Co. Nov. 24, 1791. Lawson Wale probably died before 1819, as on Dec. 24, 1819, Lucy Wale made a deed of trust to Martin Wale of all her property for the use of her daughter, Ann Lawson Wale (Culpeper Co. D. B. "LL", p. 403). Lucy (Thornton) Wale seems to have been dead before Feb. 2, 1834, for on that date there was a division of Lawson's land, the heirs being Martin Wale, the widow of George Wale, decd., Thomas Norman, John F. D. Wale, Juliet Wale, Lucy Wale, Matilda and Ann Lawson Wale (under guardianship still), and possibly John Wiltshire (Culpeper Co. Book "N", pp. 73 and 75).

Presley⁴ Thornton was, as mentioned, possibly a son of Luke³ and Millicent (Ransdell) Thornton. If so, he seems to have been born about 1735/6, and according to Mrs. Goetz, he died in 1815 in Pittsylvania Co., Va. leaving a will which mentions the following children: sons, Zachariah, Bolen, Moses, John, William, Presley, and Roland Thornton; daughters, Elizabeth Nance, Jane Wilson, Fanny Oakes, Barbara Jones, Susannah Walter, and Sarah Barnett. The son, Presley⁵ Thornton, was born in Orange Co., Va. Dec. 25, 1757 and died in Weakley Co., Tenn. Oct. 1, 1852 or 1853 (from his pension claim for services in the Revolution, now at the Department of Archives in Washington).

Thomas³ Thornton of Richmond Co. seems to have been the youngest son of Luke² and Margaret Thornton. He first appears in the records in 1732, indicating his birth as around 1710-11 (GB. 10, p. 9). He was associated with William³ Thornton as defendant in a suit Mar. 5, 1733/4 (O. B. 1732-39, p. 161), indicating a probable relationship; and there were no other Thorntons in Richmond Co. of an age to have been his parents except Luke and Margaret. Thomas³ Thornton married, probably about 1735-6, Elizabeth Davis, only daughter of Richard and Mary (Berrick) Davis, and granddaughter of William Davis of Richmond Co. Richard Davis and Mary Berrick were married in Feb., 1715-16 (list of marriages at end of D. B. 6), so that their daughter Elizabeth was probably born about 1717-18. Richard Davis died in 1719, his brother, Robert Davis, being his administrator (D. B. 7, p. 417), and his widow, Mary Berrick, was married (2) to Robert Thornton (see section on William Thornton family) by June 3, 1719 (W. B. 5, p. 116). Richard Davis' brother, Robert Davis, married Susannah, daughter of Angell Jacobus, and died in Richmond Co. early in 1736, leaving children, Jane wife of Thomas Randall, Robert, Elizabeth who m. John Hammond, and Winifred m. a Jarrett (D. B. 8, p. 498; D. B. 4, p. 154a; W. B. 5, p. 272; Acct. Bk. 1, p. 364; W. 13.5, p. 558). The widow, Susannah (Jacobus) Davis, married (2) by June 7, 1736 John Dozier (Acct. Bk. 1, p. 102), and she and her second husband were sued by Thomas Thornton and Elizabeth his wife in 1746 and 1749 to obtain Elizabeth Thornton's inheritance from her father, Richard Davis, and her grandfather, William Davis (Chancery Suit, May 6, 1746; O.B. 12, p. 173). Thomas³ Thornton died in 1763, Betty (Elizabeth) Thornton being appointed his administratrix, and her securities being Thomas Thornton (Jr.) and Benjamin Bramham (O. B. 15, p. 78). Elizabeth (Davis) Thornton died in Richmond Co. in 1793 or 1794. Her will, dated Mar. 23, 1783 and probated Jan. 6, 1794, mentions daughters Mary Alderson and Ann Reynolds; sons John and William Thornton; daughter Frances Thornton; and Betsy and Lucy Hammond, "Who are to have an equal share" (W. B. 8, p. 165). Nothing further is known of the sons, John and William Thornton. The eldest son, Thomas Thornton, Jr. was probably born about 1736-8, as he married Feb. 11, 1759 in Richmond Co. Rebecca Lawson. (There is some doubt as to whether her name was really Lawson, as both her husbands refer to her as Rebecca Sisson in their wills; Sisson was apparently her maiden name, though she may have been a young widow Lawson when she married Thomas Thornton.) Thomas Thornton, Jr. predeceased his mother and died in 1771. His will, dated Oct. 31, 1771 and probated in Richmond Co. Dec. 2, 1771, mentions wife, Rebecca Sisson Thornton, and two children, Frances Sisson Thornton and Elizabeth Thornton (W. B. 7, pp. 99). The widow, Rebecca Sisson Thornton married (2) Thomas Hammond and had by him the two daughters, Elizabeth and Lucy Hammond, mentioned in the will of their step-grandmother, Elizabeth (Davis) Thornton above. Thomas Hammond died in 1777, his will, dated Oct. 16, 1777 and probated Jan. 5, 1778, mentions his wife, Rebecca Sisson Hammond and his two daughters as above; wife and Daniel Lawson, Jr. exrs. (W. B. 7, p. 293). Thomas Hammond's will also mentions his wife's daughter, Frances Sisson Thornton. She married Daniel Dobyns in Richmond Co. Dec. 1, 1788.

Mark³ Thornton was almost certainly the eldest son of Mark² and Mary Thornton. He was born about 1712-13, as on Feb. 16, 1733/4, apparently when just 21, he deeded to Solomon Redman the 100 acres willed him by his grandfather, Luke Thornton, which he was to possess after the deaths of his aunt, Ann Mountjoy, and his cousin, Sarah Jones (D. B. 8, p. 689). One of the witnesses to the above deed was Leonard Dozier, his wife's brother, and he probably married about this time Elizabeth, daughter of Leonard Dozier, Sr. and his wife Elizabeth. Leonard Dozier, the father, died in 1733, his inventory being dated July 2, 1733 (W. B. 5, p. 207). His widow, Elizabeth Dozier, died in 1748. Her will, dated May 7, 1748 and probated July 4, 1748,mentions granddaughter Elizabeth Doggett, and children, John and Leonard Dozier, Mary Jones, Elizabeth Thornton, Sarah Jeter, Peggy Baker, Susannah Bragg, and James Dozier (W. B. 5, p. 588). Mark³ Thornton had moved to Orange Co. by 1739, when he is shown as a tithable there (WM (l) 27, p. 23), and Order Books 2 and 3 show his presence there through 1743 (O. B. 2, p. 455; 3, 485). Bell's "Sunlight on the Southside", shows that he had moved to Lunenburg Co., Va. by 1748, when he is shown as a tithable there (p. 61). In 1751, he is shown with 2 tithables, obviously his eldest son Mark being the other (p. 162). The tithables of 1764 shown him with two sons in his family, Thomas and John Thornton (p. 239), while his eldest son, Mark, was overseer for Sylvanus Walker (p. 215). On April 2, 1751 Mark Thornton was deeded 150 acres of land by his sister-in-law, Margaret (Peggy) Baker, relict of Samuel Baker, who had died in the same year (D. B. 2, p. 178; O. B. 2, p. 387). By 1752 Margaret Baker had married (2) John Wood (O. B. 2 1/2 A, p. 325); her son, Bartholomew Baker, chose Mark Thornton as his guardian in 1753 (O. B. 2 1/2 B, p. 438), and receipted Thornton for his property in 1758, showing his birth as 1737 (O. B. 5, p. 114). The last appearance of Mark³ Thornton in the records of Lunenburg Co. was Sept. 30, 1766 when he and his wife Elizabeth deeded Warren Beauford 230 acres (D. B. 10, p. 325). He and his family moved almost at once to Warren Co., N. C. where Mark Thornton was deeded land in 1768; Thomas Thornton was deeded land by his brother, Mark Thornton, Jr. in the same year, and was deeded additional land by John Wood in 1771; and Mark Thornton was grantee again in 1772, and both grantor and grantee in 1780 (Warren Co. D. B. 2, pp. 5 and 7; 3, p. 303; 4, p. 127; 7, pp. 19 and 405) Mark³ Thornton, Sr. probably died in Warren Co., N. C. about 1775-80. His sons, Mark and Thomas, moved to Wilkes Co., Ga., where both appear in the tax list of 1785, having both been granted land there (Davidson, "Early Records of Ga. -Wilkes Co", Vol. II, pp. 44 and 45; Smith "Story of Ga. and Ga. People", p. 639-40). Either Mark Thornton, Jr. or his son, married Sarah McAlpin, daughter of Alexander McAlpin and wife Mary, who were living in Abbeville District, S.C. in 1785, but Alexander died in 1790, and the records of Wilkes Co., Ga. show his heirs as Robert McAlpin, the widow Mary McAlpin, Sr., Charles Coleman and wife Mary McAlpin, Jr., James Kirkwood and wife Jennet, Mark Thornton and wife Sarah, and Patsy and Solomon McAlpin, who were still under guardianship in 1801 (Davidson, Vol. II, p. 256). From the fact that Mark Thornton, Jr. was born about 1735, and two of the McAlpin children were still under guardianship in 1801, it would appear that the Mark Thornton who married Sarah McAlpin was a younger Mark, his son or nephew. A peculiar problem with regard to Mark³ and Elizabeth (Dozier) Thornton is whether Rev. Dozier Thornton, a prominent pioneer Baptist minister and Revolutionary soldier, whose biography in Campbell's "Georgia Baptists-Historical and Biographical" states that he was born April 14, 1755 in Lunenburg Co., Va., the son of Mark Thornton and Susannah Dozier (his father having been an overseer at the time), married Miss Hill, and moved to Georgia, was a son or grandson of Mark³ Thornton. The statement that his father was an overseer and that his mother was named Susannah would indicate that he was the eldest son of Mark Thornton, Jr. However, the name "Dozier" may show that he was youngest son of Mark³ Thornton and Elizabeth Dozier, for there is no record of a Susannah Dozier who married a Mark Thornton. This Dozier Thornton deeded land in 1781 in Granville Co. , N. C. (adjacent to Warren Co. ) (D. B. ''O", p. 177), but was living in Wilkes Co., Ga. in 1785 and received land-grants there like Mark Thornton, Jr. and Thomas Thornton (Smith, op. cit., p. 604 and 639-40; Davidson, II, p. 44), proved sons of Mark³ Thornton. Rev. Dozier Thornton left a number of descendants in Georgia. The evidence indicates slightly that Dozier was youngest son of Mark³ Thornton and brother of Mark, Jr., John and Thomas Thornton.

John³ Thornton was probably the second son of Mark² and Mary Thornton, as he moved to Orange Co. at the same time as Mark³ Thornton and followed the latter to Lunenburg Co. within a year or two. He appears for the first and only time in the records of Richmond Co. on Feb. 6, 1738/39, when he was defendant in two suits, one of them by Benjamin Bruce (probably his uncle) (O. B. 1732-39, p. 692). He was probably born about 1715-17. He moved to Orange Co. , Va. almost at once after these suits, and married there about 1741 Jemima Longworth, b. Sept., 1724, daughter of William and Millicent (Ransdell) Longworth and stepdaughter of Luke Thornton. In 1741 and 1742 he and his wife Jemima sued Luke Thornton for her part of her father's estate (O. B. 2, pp. 452, 455; GB. 3, pp. 131, 212). The last positive appearance of John³ Thornton in the Orange Co. records is in 1746 (D. B. 9, p. 11), though he may be identical with a John Thornton who sued Benjamin Bramham in 1753 (O. B. 5, p. 420). However, Bell's "Sunlight on the Southside" shows that he was living in Lunenburg Co., Va. in 1752 near Mark³ Thornton (p. 181). The deeds and tithable lists of Lunenburg Co. show that John Thornton had at least four sons, Luke, William, Henry and Randolph (Ransdell?) Thornton. The eldest son, Luke Thornton, born about 1745, was living in his father's family in 1764 was deeded land by his father in 1769 and with his wife Martha deeded this land away in 1772 and left Lunenburg Co. (Bell, p. 239; D. B. 11, p. 268; D. B. 12, p. 204). The next son seems to have been William Thornton, born about 1745-50, who was a tithable in Lodwick Farmer's family in 1769, and an independent tithable near John Thornton and his other sons 1772-6 (Bell, pp. 284, 293, 314, 347, 383). Henry Thornton, the third son, appears as an independent tithable in 1772, was probably born about 1750, and appears in 1776 near John and William (Bell, pp. 301, 383). The youngest son was Randolph Thornton, who appears in his father's family as a tithable in 1776 (Bell, p. 383), but not in 1774 (the next extant tithable list preceding), so born 1759-60. John³ Thornton was deeded land in Lunenburg Co. in 1768, which he and his wife, Jemima, sold out in 1780 (D. B. 11, p. 267; D. B. 13, pp. 288 and 386). He and his son, Luke, were living in Henry Co., Va. 1782-7 and his son, Henry, in Washington Co., Va. during the same period (tax lists).

Thomas³ Thornton was probably a third son of Mark² and Mary Thornton, as he appears in Orange Co. during the 1740's, and followed Mark³ Thornton to Lunenburg Co., like John Thornton above. He was probably the youngest son, born about 1719-20, as he does not appear in the records of Richmond Co. at all. He was deeded land by Alexander Spotswood in Orange Co. in 1746 (D. B. 10, p. 394), and appears in suits there from 1747 to 1751 (O. B. 5, pp. 17 and 306, including several intervening references). He is shown as an independent tithable near Mark Thornton in Lunenburg Co. in 1751 and near Mark and John in 1752 (Bell, pp. 162 and 182). After this he disappears from the Lunenburg Co. records. He may be identical with a Thomas Thornton, Sr. who appears in the deeds of Sampson Co., N. C. from 1750, when he was granted land there, until 1796, when he deeded land to Benjamin Thornton (Bk. 2, p; 109; Bk. 10, p. 62). Deeds in Sampson Co. indicate his sons are Herod Thornton, Thomas Thornton, Jr., Nathaniel Thornton, John Thornton, and Benjamin Thornton, though John is the only one actually called "son" by Thomas, Sr. (Bk. 1, p. 78; Bk. 2, p. 109; Bk. 3, pp. 40 and 90; Bk. 4, p. 339; Bk. 5, pp. 28 and 229; Bk. 8, p. 223 and 212; Bk. 10, p. 62). The above deeds show that Herod Thornton appears first in 1765, indicating that he was the eldest son and born about 1742-4. He appears in Wilkes Co., Ga. with wife Feraby from 1785 to 1789, along with Ethelred Thornton (wife Rachel), Ely Thornton, Noel Thornton and Owen Thornton, who were probably sons, brothers or nephews (Smith "Story of Ga. and Ga. People", pp. 604, 605, 639, 640; Davidson "Early Rec. of Ga. - Wilkes Co.", Vol. I, pp. 254, 263, 265, 271;Vol. II, pp. 34, 99). Nathaniel Thornton's wife was named Selah (Celia), as shown by a deed in 1770 in Sampson Co., N.C. John Thornton (called "Sr.", indicating a son John), with wife Agnes, deeded land to Owen, Herod and Felix Thornton in Sampson Co. in 1807, these being probably his sons (Sampson Co. Bk. 14, pp. 308, 320, and 321). Benjamin Thornton, to whom Thomas Thornton, Sr. deeded land in 1796 in Sampson Co., probably married Sarah Kendrick, daughter of William and Sarah (Jones) Kendrick of Bute Co., N.C., and left a son, Benjamin Kendrick of Warren Co., N.C., who married Sarah --- -, and was mother of Rev. Benjamin Thornton, an early Baptist minister of Georgia, b. Aug. 15, 1801 (cf. Boddie "Hist. South. Fam.", Vol. I, p. 36).

Jesse⁴ Thornton, wife Hannah, and the Redman Family

Jesse⁴ Thornton, son of William³ and Elizabeth (Ransdell) Thornton, was born in Richmond Co., Va. in 1735, as he was still a minor Feb. 5, 1753, when he chose John Redman as his guardian (O. B. 13, p. 16), and apparently still under age May 6, 1755, when Richard Lawson, his mother's executor, brought suit in connection with the estate against Thomas James and Edmund Bulger (same, p. 238). However, he was appointed constable July 5, 1756, showing that he was 21 years of age, which makes 1735 about the right date for his birth. He and Samuel Eskridge were granted a license to keep an ordinary Dec. 6, 1762 (O. B. 15, p. 33), and he and William Bragg (son of Moore Bragg, mentioned below) petitioned to build a mill on their land July 4, 1770 (O. B. 17, p. 148). We have mentioned the unsettled dispute regarding the land left by Luke¹ Thornton in his will to Jesse's father, William³ Thornton, and the latter's aunt and cousin, Ann Mountjoy and her daughter Sarah Jones. Sarah Jones and her husband, John Jones, seem to have finally deeded their share of the old Luke Thornton land to Sir Marmaduke Beckwith, Bart., Clerk of Richmond Co. for many years, and in 1770 Beckwith revived the old land dispute and sued Jesse Thornton (O. B. 17, pp. 19, 21, 141, 160). In response to this suit, Jesse Thornton and Hannah his wife, sold the land inherited from his father and grand father to his friend, Moore Bragg, in 1769, exchanging it with Bragg for another piece of land (D. B. 13, p. 158, p. 228, and p. 231). In connection with this land dispute, we learn from the diary of Col. Landon Carter that Sir Marmaduke (who was a very old man at the time) had Jesse Thornton jailed, but that Jesse broke jail and went home, and that on April 26, 1770 the aged knight applied for a warrant against Moore Bragg, who had purchased the land (WM (1), 13, p. 48). Col. Carter indicates that he felt that Sir Marmaduke had little claim to the land ("Sir Marmaduke fancied it to be his"). Sir Marmaduke seems to have been persistent, however, for apparently the dispute was revived in 1775, when Jesse Thornton and Hannah, Moore Bragg and Sarah his wife, and Joseph Bragg (apparently a son of Moore Bragg) again exchanged the two pieces of land Vincent Redman, a relative of Hannah Thornton, being a witness (D. B. 14, pp. 346, 349, and 364). Jesse⁴ Thornton died in Richmond Co. in 1778 at the age of 43, his wife, Hannah, being appointed his administratrix Sept. 3, 1778, her securities being Vincent Redman and John Eskridge (O. B. 18, p. 53; W. B. 7, p. 333). She died in 1784. On Mar. 1, 1784, Moore Bragg and Sarah his wife deeded to Richard Asbury (Hannah Thornton's son-in-law) 133 1/2 acres that had formerly been owned by Jesse Thornton (D. B. 15, p. 102); and the Land Books show: "Aug., 1784, Hannah Thornton, decd., Credit for Moore Bragg's sale to Richard Asbury".

Jesse⁴ Thornton, b. 1735, d. 1778, m. ca. 1755-6 Hannah Redman, daughter of Vincent and Hannah (Atwell) Redman of Westmoreland Co., Va. and St. Mary's Co. Md. She was also born about 1735 and died in 1784. Their children were: (1) Winifred Thornton, b. ca. 1756-7, m. in Richmond Co. Aug. 28, 1772 John Cocke; (2) Vincent Thornton, b. ca. 1758-60, m. Priscilla moved about 1790 to St. Mary's Co., Md., where he died in 1810, his will, dated Sept. 4, 1810, mentioning wife Priscilla, children John, Hannah, Priscilla, Lucinda, Harriet, and Isabel Thornton, and heirs of deceased daughter, Elizabeth Tucker; (3) Elizabeth Thornton b. ca. 1760-62, m. Sept. 4, 1780 Richard Asbury (see article on the Asbury Family); (4) Hannah Thornton b. ca. 1762-4, m. Jan. 25, 1782 in Richmond Co. Richard Sisson; (5) Redman Thornton b. ca. 1765 (see later), owned land in St. Mary's Co., Md., moved to Georgia, where he died in 1826, leaving issue. In addition to the above five children, there was a Stuart W. Thornton who appears for several years in the tax-lists of Richmond Co. from 1803 on, who may have been the youngest son of Jesse and Hannah Thornton. However, this is quite uncertain, though Hannah (Redman) Thornton had a first cousin, Stuart Redman, for whom this man could have been named; and if he was not a son of Jesse and Hannah, it is not possible to place him elsewhere.

Since neither Jesse nor Hannah Thornton left wills, there is no direct proof regarding Hannah's parentage nor the names of the children given above. However, the following indirect evidences make it practically certain: (1) Elizabeth (Thornton) Asbury, Hannah (Thornton) Sisson, and Redman Thornton above are proved sisters and brothers, for Redman Thornton in his will in Greene Co. Ga. in 1826 mentions his sister Hannah Sisson and his niece, Winifred Murden (who was a daughter of Elizabeth Asbury). (2) The descendants of Elizabeth Asbury and Redman Thornton knew that they were brother and sister, and stated that their mother was a Redman. (3) Redman Thornton's second son was named Jesse; the names Jesse, Hannah, Winifred, Vincent and Redman all appear among the children of Elizabeth (Thornton) Asbury. (4) Winifred Thornton who married John Cocke above can not be placed in any other Thornton family in Richmond Co. except that of Jesse and Hannah; Redman Thornton can not be placed, either, except as a son of Jesse and Hannah, and appears in Richmond Co. in 1786 as witness to a number of deeds in which Richard Asbury's mother, Ann Asbury, deeded slaves to her children and grandchildren; and Vincent Thornton above, cited as the eldest son of Jesse and Hannah, was sued in Chancery by Moore Bragg in Richmond Co., Nov. 4, 1788, along with his brother-in-law, Richard Sisson. There were really two suits, Moore Bragg vs. Vincent Thornton, Benjamin Bruce and Henry Bruce, and Moore Bragg vs. Vincent Thornton, Thomas Sandy and RichardSisson (O.B. 20, p. 242), Vincent Thornton being the chief defendant in each of the suits. In view of the various transactions of Moore Bragg in connection with the land of Jesse Thornton, it is almost impossible to avoid the conclusion that the two suits were connected with an inheritance from Jesse Thornton, of whom Vincent was eldest son and heir. It is unfortunate that no further information is obtainable regarding these chancery suits, but they are strong evidence that Vincent Thornton was a son of Jesse and Hannah. (5) In the paragraph on Jesse Thornton's short career above, the Redmans were closely connected with him, indicating a relationship. (6) The above is good evidence that Hannah Thornton was a Redman and that her children were the ones named. That she was the daughter of Vincent Redman, who died in St. Mary's Co., Md. in 1740, leaving a wife Hannah (see Atwell), and a young daughter, Hannah, is indicated first of all by the fact that this Hannah Redman is the only one in the records of an age to have been the wife of Jesse Thornton. It is further confirmed by the fact that Hannah's son, Vincent Thornton, moved to St. Mary's Co., Md., owning land there which he probably inherited from Vincent Redman. It would appear that Hannah's second son, Redman Thornton, also owned land in St. Mary's Co. , for the tradition in his family is that he came to Georgia from Maryland, and the "Alienations and Transfers of St. Mary's Co.", unindexed and beginning in 1792, show that on Aug. 2, 1796 R. Thornton (no full first name given) deeded to Richard Walker part of a plantation called "Ford's Discovery". It is unfortunate that the records of St. Mary's Co. are so fragmentary that no more detailed information can be obtained, but the above is strong evidence that Hannah (Redman) Thornton was daughter of Vincent Redman of St. Mary's Co. She was probably either visiting her numerous Redman relatives in Richmond Co., when she met and married Jesse Thornton; or else had been under the guardianship of her uncle, Solomon Redman of Richmond Co., or one of his elder sons (see section on the Redmans later on).

John¹ Redman was the great-grandfather of Hannah who married Jesse⁴ Thornton. He first appears in the records of Westmoreland Co., Va. Oct. 1, 1655; when he was deeded land by Thomas Youell and George Day (D. & W. No. 1, p. 17). He was born 1620-23, as he gave his age in a deposition in Oct., 1655 as 32 (D. & W. 1653-9, p. 43), but in a later deposition Dec. 14, 1670 as 50 years old and upwards D. & W. 1665-77, p. 107b) He may have been a son of a John Reddman, aged 46, who came to Virginia in the "Globe" in 1635 (Hotten, p. 121), or of a John Redman, merchant of London, who, with John Neale, was granted an island in Accomack Bay called Smith's Island in 1637 (Nugent, p. 55). In addition to property in Westmoreland Co., Va., John¹ Redman also owned land in St. Mary's Co. , Md. , half a mill and 550 acres which was deeded him by William Browne of St. Mary's Co. Jan. 1, 1663/4 (Arch. of Md., Vol. 49, p. 572). He died in Westmoreland Co. in 1673. His will, dated Mar. 2, 1672/3 and probated June 25, 1673, leaves all his property to his wife, Mary, and his children (no names given) (D. & W. 1665-77, p. 151a). The wife, Mary Redman, was born in 1640, as she gave her age as 20 in a deposition Feb. 2, 1660-61 (D.& W. 1661-2, p. 34). John Redman had at least 3 sons, Peter, John and Solomon Redman. Peter was the eldest son, born about 1656-8, as his father made him a deed of gift July 30, 1659 (D. &-W. 1653-59, p. 139). He died unmarried in Westmoreland Co. early in 1685, his brothers Solomon and John Redman being appointed his administrators Feb. 25, 1684/5 (O. B. 1675/6-1688/9, p. 385). After his brother Peter's death, John Redman was the eldest son and heir. He was born in 1667 and will be treated later. Solomon Redman, the third son, was born about 1669-70, and was married by Sept. 27, 1693 to Ann , on which date he and his wife acknowledged a deed of gift to his brother, John Redman (probably some claim he had from his father's will to the Redman land) (O. B. 1690-98, pp. 104 and 111). Solomon Redman died in Westmoreland Co. in Westmoreland Co. in 1698, his widow Ann Redman being appointed his administratrix June 29, 1698 (O. B. 1698-1705, p. 8a). She was still a widow June 7, 1699 (Richmond Co. O. B. 2, p. 414), but married soon afterwards Thomas Simmons and was dead by Feb. 26, 1707/8, when Simmons was sued for the orphans, John, Solomon and Henry Redman, by their uncle and guardian, John Redman (O. B. 1705-21, pp. 80a, 103a, and 107). Of these three sons, John³ Redman seems to have moved to St. Mary's Co., Md. about 1720 with his uncle, John Redman, and to be identical with a John Redman who died there in 1736, his will, dated Sept. 6, 1736 and probated in St. Mary's Co. Oct. 4, 1736, mentioning son John, daughter Sarah, and daughter Pricilla Hoskins (probably wife of Aaron Hoskins, who is mentioned in connection with the estate) ("Maryland Calendar of Wills", Vol. VII, p. 191). So1omon Redman son of Solomon² Redman, died unmarried in Westmoreland Co. in 1719, John Redman, his next of kin (i.e., brother, one would suppose), being his administrator (O. B. 1705-21, p. 369a; D. & W. No. 6, pp. 502 and 602). Henry³ Redman on Feb.25, 1718/19 summoned John Redman (either his uncle or his brother) to answer his petition regarding his inheritance, apparently being just of age, so born 1697/8 (O. B. 1705-21, p. 361a). There is no further trace of him in the records.

Mary Redman, widow of John¹ Redman, was still a widow Sept. 26, 1673 (D. & W. 1665-77, p. 163a), but was married (2) to Edward Franklin by April 20, 1675. The will of John Harris, dated April 20 and probated June 30, 1675, makes Edward Franklin his executor, mentions his son John and Mary fforeside, "my late wife's daughter"; and in case of the son's death, half his property to Mary Franklin and her children, and half to Mary fforeside (same, p. 239). The son, John Harris did die, and Mrs. Franklin and Mary fforeside inherited the property, for which Mary fforeside signed a release to Edward Franklin Nov. 18, 1689; but soon after this she married John Spencer, who sued Franklin April 7, 1693 to get what he regarded as still due from the Harris inheritance (O. B. 1690-98, p. 93a). The above will may indicate that Mary Redman Franklin was a sister of John Harris, or possibly a sister of his wife and an aunt of Mary fforeside. There is the possibility, too, that she was connected with the Sturman family, for John Redman was deeded land by Thomas Youell (who married Anne, daughter of the immigrant Thomas Sturman) in 1655; John² Redman, her son, after a suit against his mother and her second husband Edward Franklin in 1685, chose Major Thomas Youell (Anne Sturman Youell's son) as guardian (O. B. 1675/6, p. 425-6); and John Sturman (b. 1650, grandson of Thomas Sturman) was one of the Trustees of Edward Franklin's will (O. B. 1698-1705, p. 24). Edward Franklin, second husband of Mary Redman, was a Justice of Westmoreland Co. from 1680 until his death in 1694 (O. B. 1675/6-1688/9, p. 183), was for some time keeper of Nominy ferry (p. 175 and 194), and was Sheriff of Westmoreland Co. in 1692 (O. B. 1690-98, p. 57a, p. 89). He was born in 1636 (Northumberland Rec. Bk., 1666-72, p. 17). He died in Westmoreland Co. early in 1694, leaving a will (now lost) of which Mrs. Mary Franklin, the widow, and Mrs. Frances Franklin, his daughter, was executors (O. B. 1690-98,p. 120, Feb. 28, 1693/4). Mrs. Mary Franklin requested a division of the estate between herself and her five children (some of them being of age) on Feb. 24, 1696/7, and the request was granted (same, p. 229). On Feb. 22, 1698/9 John Sturman, John Redman, and Joseph Hudson were asked whether they would accept their trusteeship under Edward Franklin's will, and the division of the estate was ordered May 30, 1699 (O. B. 1698-1705, pp. 24 and 36a). Four of the five Franklin children seem to have been: (1) Frances Franklin (certainly), the eldest daughter; (2) Philip Franklin, who appears briefly in 1699 (O. B. 1698-1705, pp. 40a and 55a); (3) Thomas Franklin, who married a daughter of William Stewart and whom we shall mention later in this section in connection with his brother-in-law, Solomon³ Redman, son of John² Redman, and (4) Mary Franklin, mentioned briefly in 1707 (O. B. 1705-21, p. 48). Mary Franklin, the widow, married (3) prior to Mar. 30, 1704, as his second wife, William Moxley, Sr., on which date they sued John² Redman for her dower in her first husband's land, and were granted it Sept. 27, 1704, since "the sd. Mary has enjoyed it nigh 25 years" (O. B. 1698-1705, pp. 224 and 244). It is uncertain whether a Mary Franklin who is mentioned Dec. 30, 1703 was the mother or the daughter (same, p. 212). At any rate, Mary Redman Franklin Moxley probably died soon after 1704 - certainly prior to Feb. 22, 1721/2, when William Moxley, Sr. (who must have been extremely old) made a deed to his son, Samuel, with no mention of a wife (D. & W. No. 7, p. 270).

John² Redman, eldest son of John¹ and Mary Redman, was born in Westmoreland Co., Va. in 1667 (44 years old, deposition Aug. 29, 1711, D. & W. No. 7, p. 243) and died in St. Mary's Co., Md. in Jan. or Feb. 1732. He was married twice, his first wife's name being unknown. His second wife, whom he married about 1699-1700, was Ann Cox, daughter of Vincent Cox of Westmoreland Co. She was born about 1680-85 and predeceased him, as she is not mentioned in his will. Vincent Cox was born in 1633 (aged 40, deposition Sept. 24, 1673, D. & W. 1665-77, p. 155), came to Northumberland Co., Va. in Oct. , 1649 in the ship "Honor" (Northumberland O. B. 2, pp. 20, 22, and 25; Record Bk. 14, p. 41), and died in Westmoreland Co. in 1698. He was granted considerable acreage in Northumberland and Westmoreland Cos. in 1661, 1662, and 1665, one of them jointly with Robert Bennett (Nugent, pp. 400, 468, 487). He apparently saw service in the Indian Wars 1675-82, for in Oct., 1679 the allotment to the soldiers at the Potomac fort was ordered to go to Mr. Vincent Cox's at Youcomoco (O. B. 1675/6-1688/9, p. l66); he was ordered to supply a horse as head of his "forty" Jan. 28, 1679/80 (same, p. 176); he was paid Nov. 10, 1682 by the Colonial Government for a horse lost at the Potomac Garrison (Journal, House of Burgesses, 1659/60-1693, pp. 173 and 182), and in 1691 he was the owner of a Nanzatiker Indian slave captured in the Indian Wars in 1675 (O. B. 1690-98, p. 32) The name of Vincent Cox's wife is not known, though one would guess that it may have been Carnock or Charnock, which was the name of their eldest son. It is interesting in this connection that the list of the original Maryland Colonists who came over in "The Ark" and "The Dove" contains the names of Christopher Carnot or Carnock, and right next to him, Mrs. Ann Cox (Boddie "Hist. Sou. Families", I, p. 4), but no connection can be proved. There was a Joane Cox in Northumberland Co. whose age was given as 18 on Jan. 17, 1671/2, so born 1653/4 (GB. 1666-78, p. 71), who would have been of about the right age to have just married Vincent Cox, but again, the matter is uncertain. Vincent Cox's will, dated July 5, 1698 and probated Oct. 26, 1698, mentions sons Carnock, Vincent and Thomas and daughters Martha, Ann, and Elizabeth (all unmarried and Elizabeth under 10 years of age) (D. & W. No. 2, p. 173a). The following is known of these children: (1) Charnock Cox, the eldest son, was of age in 1698, and probably born about 1675. He married Mary, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Thompson) Presley of Northumberland Co. (VM 34, 288-90; 35, 87) and died in Westmoreland Co. in 1751, leaving a will which mentions his surviving children Presley, George and William, and Elizabeth wife of Samuel Rust (D. & W. No. 11, p. 276). Two other sons, Charnock Cox, Jr. and Peter Cox, predeceased their father, the former leaving a will in 1744 and the latter in 1748 (D. & W. No. 10, p. 27; No. 11, p. 6). The son Presley died in Westmoreland Co. in 1766 (Fothergill, p. 157). These three sons all married and left children. Nothing further is known of the sons George and William. (2) Vincent Cox, the next eldest son of Vincent Cox, Sr. was also of age in 1698, and probably born about 1677. He married (1) Anne Payne, daughter of William Payne of Westmoreland Co., and by her had one daughter, Winifred Cox, who married in 1718 Matthew Rust. He married (2) Jane , and by her had two daughters, Anne Cox who m. Robert Boggess, and Jane Cox who m. Henry Boggess. Vincent Cox died in Westmoreland Co. in 1713 (cf. Brook Payne "The Paynes of Va.", pp. 226, 227; Fothergill, p. 49; D. & W. No. 6, p. 462; O. B. 1721-31, p. 298a; O. B. 1731-39, pp. 294 and 300). Vincent Cox's widow, Jane, married (2) Thomas Bennett (D. & W. No. 7, p. 196). (3) Thomas Cox, the third son of Vincent Cox, Sr., was under age as late as 1700, for on June 26, 1700 he chose as guardian John Redman "who had married his sister Ann Cox" (O. B. 1698-1705, p. 84). He was of age, however, Sept. 27, 1703, when he appointed George Eskridge his attorney (same, p. 201a). This shows he was born about 1682. (4) Ann Cox, apparently the eldest daughter of Vincent Cox, Sr., was probably born about 1680 and married John² Redman prior to 1700. (5) Martha Cox, probably the second daughter and born about 1685, according to McClain-Johnson "The Washington Ancestry" (Vol. I, p. 359 ff), married as his second wife John Wright, Gent. , of Westmoreland Co. , whose first wife had been Ann Washington. By him she had one son, Richard Wright, who died in Westmoreland Co. in 1741, leaving issue. After John Wright's death, Martha (Cox) Wright married (2) John Howell and had a daughter, Martha Howell who m. (1) William Davis and (2) Samuel Atwell (see Atwell family below; also, D. & W. No. 8, pp. 292-3, 244-5; D.&W. No. 10, p. 153; O. B. 1705-21, pp. 216 and 238; O. B. 1731-39, p. 179; Fothergill, p. 111). (6) Elizabeth Cox, youngest daughter of Vincent Cox, Sr., was under 10 in 1698 and probably born abort 1690. She married (1) William Lewis, who died in 1719, by whom she had a daughter, Elizabeth Lewis, and possibly Vincent Lewis, the eldest son, who was born about 1708, though Vincent may have been by a first marriage of his father (O. B. 1705-21, pp. 203 and 375, D. & W. No. 8, p. 186). Elizabeth (Cox) Lewis married (2) John Paine (see Atwell family later), who died in 1729, and by him had one daughter, Mary Paine (b. ca. 1720), who was married by 1739 to William Rice (O. B. 1721-31, pp. 71a, 269a, 397b, 346a, 398; D. & W. No. 9, p. 29). The question whether Vincent Lewis was a son of Elizabeth Cox is due to the will of Benjamin Garner (unmarried son of John Garner who d. 1703) in Westmoreland Co. in 1718. Benjamin Garner left a bequest to his "cousin" Vincent Lewis, son of William Lewis (Fothergill, p. 66). As "cousin" usually means "nephew", this would indicate that William Lewis married (1) one of Benjamin Garner’s sisters. However, it is possible that "cousin" was used in the modern sense; if so it would indicate a kinship between the Garners and the Coxes.

John² Redman, who married Ann Cox as his second wife, lived in Westmoreland Co. , until 1720. There were several suits by him against his step-father, Edward Franklin, from 1685 to 1688 with regard to his inheritance from his father and the property he and his brother, Solomon, had inherited from their eldest brother, Peter Redman(O. B. 1675/6-1688/9, pp. 425-6, 428, 432, 456, 460, 701). The disputes seem to have been settled amicably, however, for John Redman was one of the Trustees of Edward Franklin's will, as mentioned previously. John Redman was keeper of Nominy Ferry from 1702 to 1711, a position which his step-father had also held (O. B. 1698-1705, pp. 171a, 207, 249; O. B. 1705-21, pp. 4a, 40a, 77, 106a, 136, 151a, 176a). His eldest son, John Redman, Jr., seems in his youth to have been a somewhat turbulent character and was in some slight trouble with the Court in 1712 and 1714 (O. B. 1705-21, pp. 187a, 249, and 254). More serious trouble arose in 1720, when either John Redman or his son, John, Jr., was accused of having instigated Mrs. Rebecca Chilton's slaves to burn her boat (same, pp. 393a, 394, 396). The trouble was so serious that both John Redmans, Sr. and Jr., removed about that year to St. Mary's Co., Md., where apparently John, Sr. still owned the land bought by his father, John¹ Redman, in 1664. On Sept. 27, 1720, John² Redman deeded his land in Westmoreland Co. to his son, Thomas Redman, which in default of heirs, was to descend successively to his son Vincent, then to his daughter, Sarah, and finally to his daughter Elizabeth (D. & W. No. 7, p. 58). John Redman's will, dated Jan. 20, 1731/2 and probated in St. Mary’s Co., Md., Feb. 18, 1731/2, leaves his sons John and Solomon Redman and daughter Frances Fryer 1 shilling each; small bequests to the sons Thomas, Vincent, and Daniel; somewhat larger ones to his daughters, Anne Leake and Sarah Robinson; a still larger bequest to his son, Jeremiah; a small piece of land to his grandson, John Leake; and his plantation and most of his property to his daughter, Elizabeth Redman ("Mary land Calendar of Wills", Vol. VI, p. 210; W. B. 20, p. 321-4, Hall of Records, Annapolis). The will apparently names the children from eldest to youngest, so that through it and comparison with other records, one can get a fairly accurate idea of their ages and which were the children of each of John² Redman's marriages. The eldest son was John Redman, Jr. , who was son and heir, and first appears in the records of Westmoreland Co. in 1712 (O. B. 1705-21, p. 187a). He was probably born about 1688. The next son was Solomon Redman, who was married to Mary, daughter of William Stewart, by 1711 (Richmond Co. D. B. 5, p. 327), and was probably born about 1690. The daughter, Frances Fryer, who along with John and Solomon, was left only 1 shilling in the will, was probably the next child, born about 1692-3. She may have been the wife of William Fryer, to whose children, Priscilla, Frances, and Rose Fryer, George Brown left property in his will in 1724 in Westmoreland Co., Va. (Fothergill, pp. 80-81). Thomas Redman is said to have been 25 years of age when his father deeded him the Westmoreland Co. land in 1720 (O. B. 1731-39, p. 166), s0 he was born in 1695. These first four children were all obviously by the first marriage; the others mentioned in the will were all probably by the second wife, Ann Cox. The eldest of these was Vincent Redman, obviously named for his grandfather, Vincent Cox, who was sued in Westmoreland Co., in 1721, indicating that he was 21 years of age, so born about 1700 (O. B. 1705-21, p. 402; O. B. 1721-31, p. 2a). The son, Jeremiah Redman, seems to have been the next son, for he was apparently of age in 1723, when he appears in suits in Westmoreland Co. (same, p. 40 and 48), indicating his birth as about 1702. There is no particular clue as to the other children's ages. The daughter Sarah, mentioned in the 1720 deed, and called Sarah Robinson in her father's will in 1732, may have been the wife of Thomas Robinson (Robertson), who died in Westmoreland Co. in 1756, mentioning in his will a grandson, Thomas Redman Robertson (Fothergill, p. 140). The son, Thomas Redman, last appears in the Westmoreland Co. records in 1735, and nothing further in known of him and the other children, except for the sons, John, Solomon, and Vincent Redman, whose family records follow.

John³ Redman, son of John² Redman, was born about 1688, married Rebecca ----, and moved to St. Mary's Co., Md. in 1720 with his father. He died there in 1746. His will, dated Mar. 3, 1745/6 and probated Mar. 8, 1745/6, mentions wife Rebecca, and children: James, Jeremiah, John, Benjamin, and Martha Redman, Mary Lurty, Elizabeth Adams, Thomas Redman, and Eleanor Cox; Thomas Redman, his brother, was a witness.

Solomon³ Redman, second son of John² Redman by his first marriage, was born in Westmoreland Co. about 1690. He married about 1710-11 Mary Stewart, daughter of William Stewart of Westmoreland and Richmond Co., Va., who on May 2, 1711, made a deed of gift of land in Richmond Co. to his daughter Mary, wife of Solomon Redman (Richmond D. B. 5, p. 327). On the same date he made a similar deed of gift of land to his daughter Katherine, wife of Thomas Franklin (p. 329), and on Feb. 5, 1717/8 Jane Stewart, widow of William Stewart, made a similar deed of gift to William Stewart's daughter, Susannah, wife of Henry Bruce, Jr. (D. B. 7, p. 264), which was confirmed by Solomon Redman and Thomas Franklin Aug. 4, 1720 to their sister Susannah and her second husband, Michael Winder, (D. B. 8, p. 9). Thomas Franklin, husband of Katherine Stewart, was almost certainly a son of Mrs. Mary Franklin, widow of John¹ Redman, and her second husband, Edward Franklin. Joseph and Edward Franklin, who appear briefly in the records of Westmoreland Co. about 1750 (D. & W. No. 11, pp. 167, 170), and Thomas Franklin, who was living in Richmond Co. in 1788 and later years (W. B. 7, p. 333) were probably the sons of Thomas and Katherine Franklin. Thomas Franklin died in Richmond Co. in 1721, his inventory being ordered July 5, 1721 (D. B. 8, p. 54). Katherine Stewart Franklin married (2) Gabriel Packet, who died in 1741, Katherine being his administratrix (O. B. 11, p. 178). She had at least one son, William Stewart Packett, by this marriage, to whom she made a deed of gift Jan. 31, 1755, Edward Franklin being a witness to the deed. (D. B. 11, p. 354).

William Stewart, father-in-law of Solomon³ Redman, died in Richmond Co. in 1717 (W. B. 4, p. 7). He was born in Westmoreland Co. about 1665-70, the son of James and Katherine Stewart. James Stewart, - as an old man, was freed of levies in Westmoreland Co. April 12, 1676 (O. B. 1675/6-1688/9, p. 64), and was dead by July 30, 1679, when Katherine, his relict, was granted administration on his estate (same, p. 156). By Oct. 8; 1679 she had married (2) Morgan Williams (same, p. 164), and as Katherine Williams, widow of James Stewart, she gave up dower rights in land sold by their eldest son, John Stewart, in Rappahannock Co. in 1685 (Rappahannock Bk. 1680-88, p. 169) and in Westmoreland Co. in 1695 (O. B. 1690-98, p. 189). Morgan Williams died in Westmoreland Co. in 1698 and by June 1, 1699 Katherine had married (3) Richard White (Westmoreland O. B. 1698-1705, p. 39a). Richard White died in Richmond Co. in 1703, his widow, Katherine, surviving him and being mentioned in his will (Richmond Co. W. & D. No. 1, p. 60). James and Katherine Stewart had three children, John, Mary, and William. John Stewart lived for a while in Richmond Co., where he and his first wife, Judith, had a daughter Margaret, b. Aug. 20, 1685 (Northfarnham Psh. Reg.), and a son John; he married (2) in 1696 Elizabeth Sturman of Westmoreland Co. , by whom he had three children, Elizabeth, William and Ann (cf. Wm. and Mary Quarterly, 2nd Series, Vol. 16, p. 645 ff). Mary and William Stewart, the two younger children of James and Katherine Stewart were deeded property in 1679 by their stepfather, Morgan Williams (Westmoreland O. B. 1, p. 164). A deed in Richmond Co. dated Feb. 3, 1710/11 shows that William Stewart was the son of Katherine White, who was the widow of Morgan Williams (D. B. 5, p. 296). William Stewart's first wife, the mother of his three daughters, was probably the daughter of George Hardwick and his wife Mary Powell of Westmoreland Co., as George Hardwick left them property in his will. His second wife, Jane, who survived him, was the widow of John Nott of West-moreland Co., whom he married about 1702 (Westmoreland O. B. 1698-1705, p. 166a). George Hardwick of Westmoreland Co. married prior to Aug. 28, 1678 Mary Powell, daughter of John Powell and niece of Thomas Powell (Westmoreland O. B. 1, p. 132). He died in Westmoreland Co. early in 1705. His will, dated May 27, 1704 and probated Feb. 28, 1704/5, mentions his son Robert and the latter's son George; wife Mary; Mary, Katherine and Susannah Stewart, daughters of William Stewart; and Blanche Hopkins, daughter of Rice Hopkins, 'if my grandson died without issue' (Fothergill, p. 39). The will indicates that one of George Hardwick's daughters married William Stewart and another, perhaps, Rice Hopkins. On Oct.. 27, 1696 George Hardwick made a deed of gift of 100 acres of land to John Buller, Sarah his wife, and their son Robert Buller, all of Gloucester Co., Va. (D. & W. No. 2, p.88), indicating that a third daughter had married this John Buller.

Solomon³ Redman, who married Mary, daughter of William Stewart, died in Richmond Co., Va. in 1749. His will, dated June 11, 1740 and probated Nov. 7, 1749, mentions his daughter Winifred Redman and wife Mary, and states that "a11 my boys are to be of age at 18" (W. B. 5, p. 587). Solomon and Mary (Stewart) Redman had the following children:

The grandfather of Hannah (Atwell) Redman was Thomas Atwell, alias Collins, of Westmoreland Co. for whose importation to Virginia, along with his first wife (name not given), land was granted Edward Grimes in Northumberland Co. in 1650 (C. & P., p. 212; Northumberland Deeds & Orders, 1650-52, p. 46). Thomas At-well was deeded land in Northumberland Co. in 1662 by Walter English and Alice his wife (Record BK. 1658-66, p. 84), his and Walter English's children were legatees of Teague Olathman in Westmoreland Co. in 1669, along with Honora Sullivan and Daniel Occany (D. & W. 1665-77, p. 47), and his daughter Mary was a legatee of Henry Harpin in 1671, along with Walter English, Jr. (same, p. 104). Thomas Atwell alias Collins was granted 462 acres in Northumberland Co. June 29, 1666 (. & P., p. 560).Thomas Atwell's wife was named Honor or Honora. On May 27, 1685 Honor Atwell proved the will of William Hunt by the oaths of John Tanner and John Pye, and on the same date John Pye and Susan his wife proved the will of Thomas Watkins by the oaths of Thomas Atwell and Honor his wife (O. B. 1, pp. 409-10). Thomas Atwell died in 1692, probate being granted to Honor, his relict Sept. 28, 1692, (O.B.1690-98, p. 74a) Honora Atwell last appears in the records Mar. 25, 1696 (same, p. 199). There is some probability that Thomas Atwell's wife Honora was identical with Honora Sullivan mentioned above to whom Teage Olathman left land. If so, she was his third wife and not the mother of his children, for Honor Sullivan was still unmarried as late as April 26 1673 (D. & W. 1665-77, p. 145). Thomas Atwell had five children as follows:

Redman⁵ Thornton, son of Jesse⁴ and Hannah (Redman)

Thornton, and the Alford Family

Redman⁵ Thornton, younger son of Jesse⁴ and Hannah (Redman) Thornton, was born in Richmond Co., Va. about 1765-7, and died in Greene Co. , Ga. in 1826. The first and only appearance of Redman Thornton in the records of Richmond Co., Va. was in 1786, when he witnessed several deeds of gift from Ann (Read) Asbury to her children (including Richard Asbury, Redman's brother-in-law). He probably moved very shortly to St. Mary's Co., Md. with his brother Vincent Thornton, as the biography of his son, Rev. Vincent Redman Thornton, in Campbell's "Georgia Baptists Historical and Biographical", states that the father, Redman Thornton, came to Georgia from Maryland, and "R. Thornton" deeded land in St. Mary's Co. in 1796, as mentioned previously. However, he stayed in Maryland only a few years, and appears in Georgia as early as 1791. He appears in Wilkes Co., Ga. in 1793 (Blair "Early Tax Digests of Georgia"), and on April 15, 1794 he was paid for building a bridge over the north Fork of the Little River (Davidson "Early Records of Georgia-Wilks Co.", Vol. I, p. 128). He soon moved to Greene Co. , Ga. , however, where he was joined by his sister and brother-in-law, Elizabeth and Richard Asbury. Redman Thornton married around the year 1800 Sarah Alford, daughter of James and Lurana Alford of Hancock Co. , Ga. As indicated above, he seems to have been a contractor and builder of bridges, and acumulated a large fortune for his day. His large and handsome home near Union Point, Ga. has in recent years been moved to Atlanta, Ga. , where it is a show-place, representing old Georgia homes. Redman Thornton died in Greene Co., Ga. in 1826. His will, dated July 11, 1825 and probated Mar. 6, 1826, leaves a large estate and over 50 slaves to his heirs. The legatees were his wife, Sarah; sons James, Vincent and Jesse Thornton (the last named under age); the estate to be held in trust for his daughter Lurana Haughton and her heirs, and if she has none, to go to his sons; the son Jesse is to be educated, and the son Vincent is to have his medical education defrayed out of the estate; a negro is left to his wife's niece, Rowena Myrtis Kendal; $100 annually is to be paid to the testator's sister, Hannah Sisson; and a negro is left to Redman Murden, son of his niece Winifred Murden (who was daughter of his sister, Elizabeth Asbury)

The following is known of Redman Thornton's four children:

The Bible record contains the following names, but they were probably sons of the son, William, above: (1) Emmett Thornton b. May 21, 1845, d. 1874; (2) James Thornton b. April 5, 1848, d. 1854; (3) Homer Thornton b. Nov. 7, 1853, married Josephine Adams Butts and had 11 children.

II. Rev. Vincent⁶ Redman Thornton, a prominent Baptist minister, was born July 19, 1805 and died April 4, 1856. He married July 19, 1827 Pheriba Thornton Lyne (b. June 20, 1808, d. Feb. 17, 1881), daughter of Thomas and Betsy R. (Asbury) Lyne, and granddaughter of his aunt, Elizabeth (Thornton) Asbury (for her ancestry, see the article on the Asbury family). They had the following children (the dates taken from the Family Bible record);

III. Lurana⁶ Thornton, born probably about 1807, m. prior to 1825 James Haughton, and had two children, Sarah Haughton, who m. John Cox, and Jesse Haughton.

IV. Jesse⁶ M. Thornton, the youngest son, married April 27, 1847 Mary S. Holtzclaw, daughter of John Graham and Lucy Myrick (Newsom) Holtzclaw, granddaughter of Robert and Nancy (Asbury) Newsom, and great-granddaughter of her husband's aunt, Elizabeth (Thornton) Asbury. Their children and descendants are shown in the Holtzclaw genealogy. (See Cobb chapter.)

The great-great-grandfather of Sarah Alford, the wife of Redman Thornton, was John¹ Alford of New Kent Co., Va., who first appears in that county in 1682, when he was granted land (Patent Bk. 7, pp. 131 and 179), and died there Mar. 14, 1709/10 (St. Peter's Parish Register). He was almost certainly identical with a John Alford who in 1681 stated that he had the will of Richard Adams in his keeping (York Co. D. & W. 1675-84, p. 472), and may be the John Alford who was granted land in Warwick Co. in 1664 (Nugent "Cavaliers and Pioneers," p. 440). The father of John Alford may have been Lieut. Col. William Alford (probably of Warwick or Elizabeth City Cos., but it is uncertain, since the early records of these counties have been destroyed), who was murdered in 1674 and whose widow was married (2) to John Hurst by 1675 (Minutes of the Council and General Court, pp. 404 and 428). William Alford signed a power of attorney to Alexander Moore in 1671 in York Co., one of the witnesses being James Alford, probably another son (York Co. Book 5, 1671-94, p. 26), and as "Major William Alford" sued John Mackclanaham in 1674 (Minutes of Council, etc., p.380). He had probably just been appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the County when he was murdered. William Alford obtained an order against Marke Warkeman in Elizabeth City Co. in 1671 (Minutes of the Council, etc. p.274), which may indicate that he lived in that county. The name of the wife of John¹ Alford of New Kent Co. is unknown, though she appears in St. Peter's Parish Register as "Mrs. Alford" through 1715, being paid for maintaining an indigent woman and her child (p. 163). John Alford was paid for this service in 1717, indicating that his mother Mrs. Alford, had died about 1716 (p. 164). The children of John¹ Alford and his wife, as gathered from St Peter's Parish Register, were as follows:

James² Alford, son of John¹ Alford, was probably born about 1685-90, and died in New Kent Co. between 1721 (his last appearance in the records of St. Peter's Parish, p. 180), and 1735, when his sons Lodwick, Julius and Goodrich are shown as tithables, but he is not mentioned (St. Peter's P.R., p. 246). His wife's name is unknown, but St. Peter's Parish Register shows that he had the following children:

Lodwick³ Alford, son of James Alford, was born in New Kent Co., Va. about 1705-10, and died in Franklin Co., N. C. in 1794 or 1795. He moved to Edgecombe Co., N. C. about 1740 to a section which later fell into Granville Co., and later into Bute and Franklin Cos. Deeds show that he was a merchant and a rather prominent and wealthy man. He was appointed a Justice of Granville Co. in 1753, but refused to serve (N. C. Colonial and State Records, Vol. 5, p. 592). St. Peter's Parish Register shows that he was married twice and had three children born in New Kent Co., Va. By his first wife, Elizabeth (who died May 29, 1735), he had a son William, b. July 31, 1734. By his second wife, Susannah, he had Elizabeth (b. Dec. 22, 1736), and Jacob (b. Dec. 12, 1738). A deed for land that he owned in Johnston Co., N. C. in 1762 shows that by that time his second wife, Susannah, had died and that he was married to his third wife, Sarah (Johnston Co. Court Minutes, Oct. 1762). Lodwick Alford's will, dated June 21, 1792, with no date of probate, but probably about 1795, as Lodwick was still living April 7, 1794, when he made a deed of gift to his son, Goodrich (Franklin Co. D. B. 10, p. 207), mentions the following legatees: daughter Winny Rogers; daughter Mary Alford, later to her son Bailey Alford; daughter Susannah Hobbs and later to her eldest son, Wiley Alford; son Anseim; son Samuel; son Kinchin; small bequests to Lany Freeman, Susannah Freeman and Sarah Chloe; son Goodrich; the rest of the estate to be divided among Samuel, Kinchin and Mary Alford, Susannah Hobbs and Lany Freeman; Robert Melton and son Warren Alford, executors. In addition to the children mentioned in St. Peter's Parish Register and in the will, Lodwick Alford seems to have at least 4 other sons as follows: (1) James Alford, proved to be a son by the will of Lodwick's brother, Julius Alford, who appointed as his executors "my brother Lodwick Alford and his son James Alford"; (2) Lodwick Alford, Jr., who witnessed deeds made by his father (called Lodwick, Sr. in the deeds), moved to Wake Co., N. C. was a Major of Militia there in 1778, and represented Wake Co. in the General Assembly;(3) Drury Alford and (4) Isham Alford, both of whom witnessed deeds made by Lodwick Alford, Sr. and Jr. as early as 1774.

James⁴ Alford, son of Lodwick³ Alford and probably of his second wife, Susannah, was born about 1739/40, as he was granted land in Granville Co., N. C. as early as July 24, 1761. He was a Justice of Bute Co., N. C. from 1767 through 1770, and probably in later years, and was still living in Franklin Co., N. C. in the Census of 1790. His wife was named Lurana. James Alford moved to Hancock Co., Ga., probably soon after 1790, and died there in 1814. His will, dated July 29, 1812 and probated Feb. 7, 1814 (Hancock Co. W. B. "H", p. 57), mentions his wife Lurana; daughter Phereba; sons Collen, Kinchen, Allen and William Alford; and sons-in-law, Redman Thornton, Solomon Locket, John Bush and Collen Wooten. James⁴ Alford's daughter, Sarah, as mentioned, married Redman⁵ Thornton.

Julius³ Alford, son of James² Alford and brother of Lodwick³ Alford, was born in New Kent Co., Va. in Sept., 1717, moved to North Carolina about 1740 with his brothers Lodwick and Goodrich, and died in Bute Co., N. C. in 1771. His wife, Lucy, survived him, and was still living in Franklin Co., N. C. in 1790. The will of Julius Alford, dated July 14, 176-(torn) and probated at the November Court, 1771, in Bute Co. , mentions his wife, Lucy, sons, John, Isaac, Goodrich, Jacob and Job, and daughters Patty and Sarah; his brother Lodwick Alford and the latter's son James being the executors.

John⁴ Alford, eldest son of Julius³ and Lucy Alford, is shown as a tithable in his father's family in Bute Co. N. C. in 1771, indicating his birth as prior to 1755 (probably about 1750), and seems to have died in Greene Co., Ala. after 1830 (he is apparently the aged man, aged 70-80, shown in the family of his son, Abraham Alford, in Greene Co., Ala. in the Census of 1830). John Alford and Chloe his wife deeded land in Bute Co., N. C. April 12, 1775 (Bute Co. D. B. 5, p. 285), and he was paid for Revolutionary services in North Carolina (Certificate, and Canceled Voucher No. 5230). His wife, Chloe, was the daughter of John Pope (b. ca. 1720, d. 1785-90 in Franklin Co., N. C.), Captain of Militia in Granville Co. in 1763 and a Justice of the County 1760-76. John Pope's will, dated Aug. 13, 1785 in Franklin Co., N. C. leaves his property to his sons, William and Charles Pope, his daughter Ann Smith, makes his son-in-law, John Alford, his residuary legatee, and appoints John Alford and Richard Smith executors. Other sons of John Pope were John Pope, Jr., Crafford Pope, and Osborne Pope (mentioned in deeds), and possibly Joel, Thomas, and Samuel Pope, who witnessed several of John Pope's deeds. This Capt. John Pope of Granville, Bute and Franklin Cos., N. C., was the son of Major John Pope of Edgecombe Co. , who was a member of the General Assembly of North Carolina from Edgecombe Co. 1743-45, and his wife, Mourning MacKinne, daughter of Col. Barnaby MacKinne of Edgecombe Co., who was also a member of the General Assembly and held many public offices (for a complete account of the Pope and MacKinne ancestry, see the William and Mary College Quarterly, First Series, Vol. 27, pp. 57-64 and 104-112). The wife of Capt. John Pope of Franklin Co. was named Elizabeth, as shown by a Bute Co. deed in 1771 (Book I, p. 200). John⁴ Alford had at least one son, Abraham Alford, to whom he deeded land in Franklin Co. in 1820 (D. B. 20, p. 75), and to whose children, Fenner, Kelly, Rebecca, Henderson, Hilliard and John H. Alford, John Alford, Sr. acknowledged deeds of gift at the Franklin Co. Court in March, 1821. The last appearance of John and Abraham Alford in Franklin Co., N. C. was in 1826 when Abraham Alford gave a power of attorney to Hardy W. Tharpe to secure a slave who had escaped from John Alford, Sr. (Franklin Co. D. B. 25, p. 119). John and Abraham Alford must have moved almost at once to Greene Co., Ala., where Abraham was deeded land in 1827, and John was apparently living in Abraham's family, aged 70-80, in 1830. Other sons of John⁴ Alford were apparently John Alford, Jr., Jacob Alford, and Thomas Alford, who appear near John and Abraham in the tax lists of Franklin Co. 1798-1820. John Alford, Jr. seems to have moved to Wake Co., N. C. Jacob Alford moved to Greene Co., Ala., and is shown there near his brother, Abraham, in 1830. Thomas Alford seems to have moved to St. Clair Co., Ala., where he was Sheriff in 1840.

Abraham⁵ Alford, son of John⁴ Alford, was born in Franklin Co., N. C. in 1787 (from 1850 Census, Greene Co., Ala.) and died in Greene Co., Ala. 1850-55. His wife was Linny Williams (b. 1788, d. after 1855). Abraham Alford is shown in the Census of 1850, aged 63, with wife Linny, aged 62, and two unmarried daughters in his family, Eleanor, aged 19, and Minerva, aged 16. On Dec. 21, 1855, Lenor Alford (i.e. , Linny, the widow), James M. Alford, Eleanor C. Knighton, and Minerva L. Alford, of Choctaw Co., Ala., sold land in Greene Co. which was apparently their share of Abraham Alford's estate (Greene Co. D.B. 'T', p. 105).The children of Abraham and Linny Alford, as gathered from John⁴ Alford's deed to Abraham's children in 1821, and from deeds, marriage bonds, etc, in Greene Co., Ala. were as follows: (1) D. Fenner Alford, b. 1815 or 1816, m. Sept. 8, 1841 in Greene Co. Ala., Sarah A. G. Cherry, and moved to Choctaw Co., Ala. , where his family is shown in 1850 and 1860 along with the following children, Samuel T. C., b. 1844; Alice b. 1846-7, Alonza A. b. 1848, "S". (daughter), b. 1849-50, Sarah, b. 1851, "M" (daughter) b. 1858; (2) John H. Alford, who m. (1) July 25, 1839 Mary E. Barnes and (2) August 9, 1850 Margaret Williams, both marriages in Greene Co., Ala.; (3) Kelly Alford; (4) Hilliard Alford; (5) Henderson H. Alford, who m. Nov. 22, 1848 Catherine Whitehead in Greene Co., Ala.; (6) Rebecca E. Alford, b. 1820, a. 1855, m. in Greene Co., Ala. Feb. 20, 1838 Robert E. Coleman, son of Wiley and Martha (Cobb) Coleman (for their descendants and Robert E. Coleman's Cobb ancestry, see Cobb, Isle of Wight County, this Volume); (7) Adeline C. Alford, b. 1825, m. in Greene Co. Jan. 12, 1847 Joseph H. Bryant, and moved to Choctaw Co., Ala.; (8) James M. Alford, b. 1828, living in the family of his brother, Fenner D. Alford, in 1860; (9) Eleanor C. Alford, b. 1831, d. about 1876, m. Joseph Knighton (b. 1836), and had issue (from the 1860 Census of Choctaw Co. , Ala.), Joseph, b. 1856, Morzine and Eugene (twins), b. 1858, and Thomas, b. 1866; (10) Minerva L. Alford, b. 1834. Abraham Alford, Jr., who appears in Greene Co. in 1829, may have been the eldest son of Abraham⁵ Alford, but he may have been a son of Abraham, Sr.'s brother, Jacob. A J. B. Alford, b. 1832, with wife Sarah (b.1839), and a small daughter, b. 1860, who appears in Choctaw Co., Ala. in the 1860 Census near the other children of Abraham⁵ Alford, may have been another son.

Linny Williams, wife of Abraham ⁵ Alford, was the daughter of Simon Williams (b. about 1740 in Bertie Co., N. C., as he was of age and head of a family in 1764 in Bertie Co., and d. after 1820 in Franklin Co., N. C.), who served in the Revolution from North Carolina (Box X-100, 2; Canceled Voucher No. 10197; Book X-6-2; all from N. C. Revolutionary Accounts at Raleigh). Simon Williams' wife was named Elizabeth, as shown by a deed in 1791 for land in Nash Co. (Nash Co. D. B. 4, p.70). Simon Williams' will, dated Feb. 20, 1820 and probated in Franklin Co., N. C. (with no date of probate), leaves property to his son Henry, to daughter Sarah Cheves, to son-in-law James Bell and daughter Susannah Bell, his wife, and makes his residuary legatees Sarah Cheves, Linney Alford, Lydia Stallings, and Elizabeth Varser; the executors being Henry Williams, George Williams (probably another son), and Jesse Hammons. Benjamin Williams, to whom Simon Williams deeded land in Nash Co. in 1804, was perhaps another son.

Simon Williams above was the son of Richard Williams, who was born in Surry Co., Va. 1705-8, and died in Bertie Co. , N. C. in 1761. Richard Williams' wife was named Mary, and she was still living in 1764. The will of Richard Williams, dated Sept. 28, 1761 and probated in Bertie Co., N. C. at the Oct. Court, 1761, mentions sons Richard, Benjamin, George, Reuben and Simon Williams; daughter Christian Brazell; daughter Sarah Williams; wife Mary, and at her death to his 7 children Martha, Elizabeth, Richard, Mary, Reuben, Benjamin, and George Williams.

Richard Williams above was the son of George Williams (b. 1681-2 in Surry Co. , Va. , d. 1739 in Bertie Co., N. C.) and his wife Joanna, who died in Bertie Co., N. C. in 1748. Joanna, the wife of George Williams, was the granddaughter of Hezekiah Bunnill and his wife Joan of Surry Co., Va. The will of Hezekiah Bunnill, dated June 27, 1709 and probated in Surry Co. Nov. 1, 1709, mentions as legatees his grandson, Thomas Andrason; "two young grandsons, George and Richard Williams"; granddaughter Jean Williams; granddaughter Joanna Williams and her husband, George Williams, the land and the rest of the estate after the death of his wife (Surry Co. D. & W. 1693-1709, p. 432). One would judge from the will that the maiden name of Joanna Williams was Anderson. The "young grandsons", George and Richard Williams, and the "granddaughter", Jean Williams, were obviously great-grandchildren, the children of George and Joanna. George Williams, husband of Joanna, was the son of Roger Williams, who died in Surry Co., Va. in 1709, his will, dated Oct. 4, 1706 and probated Mar. 1, 1708/9, mentioning his wife Mary, and sons Roger, George, and Samuel (Surry Co. D. & W., 1693-1709, p. 410). George and Joanna Williams moved to Bertie Co. , N. C. soon after the deaths of his father and her grandfather. George Williams died in Bertie Co. in 1739. Joanna Williams died in Bertie Co. in 1748. Her will, dated Jan. 12, 1747/8 and probated Nov. 19, 1748, leaves her property to her grandchildren, Simon Williams, Arthur Brown, Mary Smith, Penelope Williams, Mary Harrell and Jesse Harrell; leaves a bequest to her daughter Elizabeth Smith; and makes her sons, Richard and Thomas Williams executors (N. C. Dept. of Archives, N. C. Wills, Vol. 34, p. 60). On the back of the will is a statement from the parents of the grandchildren, Richard Williams, Jean Brown, Thomas Williams and Mary Harrell, that they had received the legacies for their children and were content with the will. In addition to the children mentioned, George and Joanna Williams had two sons who predeceased them, namely, (1) George Williams, Jr. who died in 1735, leaving a will which mentions his wife, Margaret, his daughter Mary, his father George Williams, and his brother, Richard Williams (N. C. Hist. , and Gen. Reg. , Vol. I, p. 82); and (2) Samuel Williams, mentioned in the will of his uncle, Samuel Williams in 1736, along with his sister Elizabeth and his father George Williams, brother of Samuel, Sr.

PART TWO

Family of William Thornton of Rappahannock, later Richmond Co., Va.

William¹ Thornton of Old Rappahannock Co., Va., may have been a brother of Luke¹ Thornton, whose family has been treated at length in Part One. He was probably born about 1655 and died between 1679 and 1683, leaving an only son, Robert Thornton. On Oct. 22, 1678 William Thornton deeded 600 acres of land to John Waters, and on Nov. 4, 1679 he deeded a mare and a calf to his wife Elizabeth for her dower in this land (Old Rapphannock Book 1677-82, pp. 238 and 241). He was dead by Mar. 6, 1683/4, when Thomas Ryley was allowed by the Court to have all the male cattle from Robert Thornton's two heifers, until Robert should come of age (Book 1683-6, p. 8). On Jan. 1, 1695/6 it was ordered that Robert Thornton, son of William Thornton, decd. , be freed from the services of Robert Sisson, it appearing that the said Robert was bound by the Rappahannock Court to Elizabeth Thornton until he should arrive at the age of 18 (Richmond Co. Order Book 2, p. 113). From this last somewhat ambiguous reference, it seems probably that Robert had arrived at the age of 18 at the above date (so born 1677), and that possibly his mother, Elizabeth, had married (2) Robert Sisson. Robert's birth-date as ca. 1677 is also consistent with the fact that he was a witness Mar. 30, 1693/4, when he would have been around 16 or 17 (Richmond Co. D. B. 1, 1692-3, p. 97).

Robert² Thornton, son of William¹ Elizabeth Thornton, was, as mentioned, born about 1677, and died in Richmond Co., Va. in 1737. He seems to have remained a bachelor until he was over 40, but married in 1719 Mary (Berrick) Davis, the widow of Richard Davis. Mary Berrick married Richard Davis in Richmond Co. in Feb., 1715/16, and by him had one daughter, Elizabeth Davis, who married Thomas³ Thornton, son of Luke² Thornton and grandson of Luke¹ Thornton, of the Luke Thornton family. On May 6, 1719 Robert Thornton and Mary his wife were summoned to administer on Richard Davis's estate, and they qualified on June 3, 1719 (Richmond Co. O. B. 8, pp. 100 and 112). On April 4, 1722 Robert Thornton qualified as guardian of Elizabeth, orphan of Richard Davis, his securities being Benjamin Rust and David Berrick (O. B. 9, p. 39; D.B. 8, p. 127). Robert Thornton died in 1737, his widow, Mary, being appointed his executrix Jan. 2, 1737/8 (Richmond Co. O. B. 10, p. 566). Robert and Mary (Berrick) Thornton had three children recorded in the Northfarnham Parish Register as follows: Robert Thornton, b. Oct. 20, 1722; Bridget Thornton, b. May 28, 1724, d. Nov. 26, 1726; and John Thornton, b. April 9, 1727. There was probably a fourth child, David Thornton, who appears later in the records of Richmond Co., born about 1729/30 after Lunenburg Parish was formed from Northfarnham. This David Thornton's only son was named Robert, and it looks as though he got the name, David, from his uncle David Berrick; so the probability is that he was a son of Robert and Mary Thornton. Of the children above, Robert seems to have died young like his sister Bridget. John³ Thornton, married Ann (D. B. 14, p. 457), but seems to have died without issue in 1791 his will, dated Dec. 1 1790 and probated in Richmond Co. Sept 5, 1791 (W. B. 8, p. 130), leaving his property to John Thornton, Jr., his sister Betty Thornton, and her daughter Ann Reynolds (i.e., his half-sister, Elizabeth Davis Thornton, widow of Thomas Thornton, and her son John and daughter Ann - see section on Thomas³ Thornton, son of Luke², of the Luke Thornton family).

David³ Thornton, who as mentioned above was probably born about 1729/30, died in Richmond Co. in 1777. His will, dated Feb. 24, 1776 and probated Aug 4, 1777 (W. B. 7, p. 286), mentions his daughters, Mary Ann Moore and Betty Clarke, daughter Ezbell Thornton (unmarried), son Robert Thornton (under 21), and wife Betty Thornton. The wife, Betty Thornton, was perhaps a daughter of Burgess Longworth of Westmoreland Co., who in his will, dated Nov. 7, 1751 and probated Nov. 26, 1751, mentions his sons, John, William and Burgess Longworth; son-in-law Edward Pridham; and daughters, Ann Jordan, Betty Thornton, Frances Pridham, and Mary. Of the children of David and Betty Thornton, Isabel Thornton married in Richmond Co. Jan. 24, 1781 George Berrick. She was apparently born about 1761-2. Robert Thornton, the son, is shown as a tithable in his mother's family in 1784,1785, and 1786, and in 1785 is said to have been under 21, placing his birth as about 1765-6. He married April 5, 1787 Frances Dudley (with the consent of her parents, George and Winifred Sisson), and died in 1794 (W. B. 19, p. 20). The widow, Frances Thornton, is perhaps identical with Frances Thornton who married Henry Harford in Richmond Co. May 6, 1795. David and Charlotte Thornton, orphans of Robert, decd. , were placed under the guardianship of John Dudley in 1795 (Acct. Bk. 3, p. 91). The son David was born Mar.24, 1788 (Northfarnham Parish Reg.).

PART THREE

Family of Henry Thornton of Rappahannock and Richmond Cos., Va.

Henry¹ Thornton may have been a younger brother of Luke Thornton and William¹ Thornton, treated in Parts One and Two. He was probably born about 1660-65, as his son Roger was born in 1686, and died in Richmond Co. , Va. between 1695, when he was granted land in Richmond Co. (see D. B. 8, p. 375, deed of his son, Roger Thornton), and 1703, when his wife, Ann, was married (2) to James Debord, and mentioned as Ann Debord in her mother's will. Henry Thornton and his wife Anne had only one recorded child, Roger Thornton, who was born June 17, 1686 (Northfarnham Parish Reg.). The widow, Anne Thornton, married (2) James Debord, and in a deposition Oct. 5, 1727, as Ann Deboard wife of James Deboard", gave her age as 60 years, so born 1667 (Richmond Co. Acct. Bk. No. 1, p. 15). She was the daughter of Roger Williams and wife Joan of Rappahannock Co. Roger Williams died in Rappahannock Co. in 1677. His will, dated Feb.26, 1675/6 and probated June 6, 1677 (Sweeney "Wills of Rappahannock Co.", p. 52), mentions his sons Roger and Shadrack, his wife Joane, and his eldest daughter, Betty Williams. The widow, Joan Williams, married (2) Lewis Loyd, who died in Rappahannock Co. in 1690. The will of Lewis Loyd, dated April 24, 1687 and probated Nov. 5, 1690 (Sweeney, p. 137), leaves small bequests to his grandchild Ann Phillips, to "Henry Thornton's son Roger Thornton", and to Elizabeth Phillips; mentions his daughter-in-law, Ruth Williams; and leaves the bulk of his property to the widow, Joan. Joan Williams Loyd died in Richmond Co., Va. early in 1704. The will of Joan Loyd, dated Jan. 8, 1703/4, and probated Feb. 2, 1703/4, mentions her daughter Susannah Phillips, wife of William Phillips; son Shadrack Williams; daughter Ann Debord wife of James Debord; daughter Ruth Canterbury, wife of John Canterbury; granddaughter Elizabeth Thornhill; daughter-in-law Elizabeth Williams; son-in-law, George Thompson; granddaughter Susan Phillips; grandson John McDaniell; son-in-law William Phillips; sons-in-law John Canterbury and George Thompson (Richmond Co. Wills, 1699-1709). From the above wills, the children of Roger and Joan Williams were as follows: (1) Roger Williams, mentioned in his father's will, but apparently died young;

(2) Betty Williams, called eldest daughter in her father's will, married either a Thornhill or George Thompson; (3) Ann Williams, b. 1667, m. (1) Henry Thornton and (2) James Debord; (4) Susannah Williams m. William Phillips, and had daughters Ann, Elizabeth and Susan mentioned in the wills; (5) Ruth Williams m. John Canterbury; (6) Shadrack Williams, b. Feb. 1, 1673/4 (Northfarnham P.R.), m. Elizabeth Walker, daughter of Thomas Walker (see article on the Ashbury Family); and (7) Rebecca Williams, b. June 20, 1675 (Northfarnham P.R.), m. either a Thornhill or George Thompson.

Roger² Thornton, son of Henry and Anne (Williams) Thornton, was born in Rappahannock Co., Va. June 17, 1686 and died in Richmond Co., Va. in 1730. His wife was named Isabel. In 1723 and 1726 he deeded away most of the land that had been granted to his father in 1695 (D. B. 8, pp. 228, 229 and 375), and on May 6, 1730 Isabel Thornton was appointed administratrix of Roger Thornton, decd. (D. B. 8, p. 531; W. B. 5, p. 156). The children of Roger and Isabel Thornton, as recorded in the Northfarnham Parish Register, were as follows:

Henry³ Thornton, eldest son of Roger² and Isabel Thornton, was born in Richmond Co. , Va. Nov. 15, 1709 and died, probably in Granville Co., N. C. some time after 1754. He was living in Orange Co., Va. in 1738, when he was administrator of Richard Parsons, decd. (Orange Co. W.B.1, pp. 51-52), but moved soon after to Granville Co., North Carolina. His wife was the daughter of Abraham Bledsoe, formerly of Orange Co., Virginia, who died in Granville Co. N. C. in 1753. Abraham Bledsoe's will, dated Mar. 15, 1753 and probated in Granville Co. in May, 1753, mentions his wife Sarah, sons Isaac, Abraham, Thomas, Jacob, Moses, and Aaron Bledsoe, and his son-in-law, Henry Thornton (Brockman "Orange Co. Families", Vol. II, p. 11). Henry Thornton deeded 200 acres of land to Richard Pinion in Granville Co. Dec. 1, 1750 and on Dec. 2, 1750 was deeded 600 acres by his brother, Roger Thornton (Granville Co. D. B. "B", pp. 4 and 11). He was in Capt. Sugars Jones' Company of Granville Co. Militia Oct. 8, 1754 in the Great Muster for the French and Indian War (N. C. Colonial and State Records, Vol. 22, p. 377). After this he disappears from the records. He was probably the father of a James Thornton who married Elizabeth Jones Mar. 2, 1762 in Granville Co. Another son may have been Henry Thornton, a soldier from North Carolina in the Revolutionary War who died in service, according to depositions recorded in the Revolutionary Records at Raleigh. Abraham, David and Thomas Thornton, mentioned in Orange Co. , N. C. in 1768 in the trouble connected with the "Regulators" movement, may have been other sons (N. C. Colonial and State Records, Vol. 7, pp. 734 and 735).

Roger³ Thornton, third surviving son of Roger² and Isabel Thornton, was born in Richmond Co., Va. June 14, 1725, and died in Hancock Co., Ga. in 1800. His will, probated in Hancock Co., Ga. in 1800, mentions his wife, Catherine, children William, John, Linsey and Henry Thornton, and his grandson, Isom Thornton. From the fact that Roger Thornton had a son named Linsey, it is probable that his wife was the daughter of William Linsey, who died in Granville Co., N. C. in 1761 or 1762, his will (still preserved, but unrecorded) mentioning a daughter Catherine. Sarah Rush, who died in Franklin Co., N. C. in 1791 and whose will mentions a sister, Catherine Thornton, was probably another daughter of William Linsey. Roger Thornton deeded 600 acres of land to his brother Henry in Granville Co. in 1750, 200 acres to Dennis Linsey in 1760, he and his wife Catherine deeded 100 acres to Thomas Dickson in 1763, and he deeded land to William Fleming and to James Starke in 1783, and 1784 (Granville Co. D. B. ''B'', p. 11; ''C", p. 694; ''F", p. 323; ''O", pp. 335, 339, and 342). He was grantor and grantee for land in Warren Co., N. C. in 1765 and 1770, and received a land grant there in 1780 (Warren Co. D. B. "A", p. 130; D. B. 3, p. 47; and D. B. 7, p. 248). He was also paid for services in the Revolution, as shown by the Revolutionary Accounts at Raleigh. By 1785 he had moved to Wilkes Co., Ga., where he was in the tax-list of 1785, witnessed a deed in 1787, and his son Henry witnessed a deed in 1785 (Davidson "Early Records of Georgia-Wilkes Co.", Vol. I, p. 292; Vol. II, pp. 38 and 121). He soon moved from Wilkes Co. to Greene Co. , Ga., however, and his land fell into Hancock Co. on the organization of that county. Roger Thornton, like his brothers Henry and John, was in the Granville Co. Militia, Capt. Sugars Jones Co., Oct. 8, 1754, in the Great Muster (N. C. Colonial and State Records, Vol. 22, p. 377).

John³ Thornton, second son of Roger² and Isabel Thornton, was born in Richmond Co., Va. June 25, 1718, and died in Franklin Co., N. C. in 1787. He was Capt. Sugars Jones' Company of Granville Co., N. C. Militia Oct. 8, 1754, along with his brothers Henry and Roger (N. C. Colonial and State Records, Vol. 22, p. 376), and deeded land in Granville Co. in 1762 (Granville Co. D. B. "F", p. 157). He lived in Bute Co. (later Warren and Franklin Cos.), after Bute was organized from Granville in 1764, and appears in deeds as grantor there in 1768 and 1770 (Warren Co. D. B. 2, p. 160; D. B. 3, p. 42). The 1770 deed shows that his first wife was named Agatha and she relinquished her dower in the land sold by her husband, John Thornton, in Aug., 1770 (Bute Co. Court Minutes, Aug., 1770, p. 141). Since John and Agatha Thornton had a son named Yancey Thornton, it seems likely that Agatha's maiden name was Yancey, and that she was a sister of James Yancey of Granville Co.) N. C., who had a son named Thornton Yancey. This James Yancey died in 1779. His will, dated Dec. 20, 1777 and probated at the November Court, 1779, mentions his sons Bartlett, Philip, Thomas and Thornton Yancey, daughter Jenny Sanders and son-in-law Jesse Sanders, granddaughter Nancy Baynes, and makes his sons Philip and Lewis Yancey executors. John³ Thornton's second wife was named Elizabeth, as shown by his will. She seems to have been the mother only of the two youngest children, Wiley and Burwell Thornton. John³ Thornton's will, dated Oct. 5, 1787 and probated at the December Court, 1787 (Franklin Co. Wills, Inventories, etc. at Raleigh, Book 1, p. 22), leaves to his wife, Elizabeth, property which after her death is to go to the two youngest sons Wilie and Burrell; leaves bequests to the daughter Agga Thornton and two sons, Joshua and Yancey Thornton; and leaves the balance of the estate to be equally divided between his wife and "all my children", William Thornton, India Whatley, Samuel Thornton, Winifred Gant, Solomon Thornton, Joshua Thornton, Agga Thornton, Yancey Thornton, Wilie Thornton and Burrell Thornton; wife Elizabeth, Charles Gant, and Samuel Thorn-, exrs. All John³ Thornton's sons seem to have moved soon after his death to Georgia, and there are numerous references to them in Davidson's "Early Records of Georgia, Wilkes Co.", which will be cited below. The will of John Thornton seems to name the children from eldest to youngest. The daughter Winifred was apparently the wife of Charles Gant, who was one of the executors of the will. The daughter, Agga or Agatha, in correspondence years ago with Mrs. Ethel Peebles Buell of Tulsa, Okla., was stated by Mrs. Buell to have been born in 1766 and to have been her ancestress. Nothing further is known of Burwell Thornton, one of the young sons by the second marriage. The following is known of the other sons:

William⁴ Thornton, apparently the eldest child of John³ and Agatha Thornton, was a Revolutionary Soldier (Smith's "Story of Georgia and Georgia People", p.623), and settled in Wilkes Co. , Ga. prior to June 20, 1785, when he and his wife Sarah deeded land there (Davidson, Vol. I, p. 212). He was apparently living in Dobbs Co. N. C. in 1777, when as "William Thornton, Jr. of Dobbs Co." he deeded land in Bute Co., N. C. William⁴ Thornton died in Wilkes Co. , Ga. in 1800, his administrators being his brother Solomon Thornton, Sr. and his wife, Sally Thornton (Davidson, Vol.1, pp. 141, and 176). Petitions for dividing his property and deeding his land show that his heirs were Solomon Thornton, Jr. , John Thornton, Jr., William Thornton, Jr. , John Hammock, Sr., Thomas Lasley, and Benjamin, George, and Thomas Gresham (brothers and apparently grandsons) (Davidson, Vol. I, pp.147 and 176; Vol. 11, p.301). The land-lottery list of 1803 in Wilkes Co. shows Sarah Thornton, widow, and Solomon Thornton, Jr., each with 2 draws as heads of families, and John Thornton with only 1 draw, as a single man. This John Thornton seems to be the John Thornton who married Rebecca Carter, May 22, 1811 in Wilkes Co. (Davidson Vol.11, p. 357). In the Lottery of 1819, John Thornton and William Thornton are each shown with 2 draws, as married and heads of families, but Sarah Thornton and Solomon Thornton, Jr. have disappeared (Davidson, Vol. I, p. 332). Of the daughters of William⁴ and Sarah Thornton, the name of the deceased daughter who married a Gresham and was the mother of William Thornton's heirs, Benjamin, George and Thomas Gresham, is unknown. The daughter who married John Hammock, Sr. seems to have been named Sarah, as John Thornton was appointed administrator of Sarah Hammock Mar. 29, 1827 (Davidson Vol., I, p. 222). The daughter who married Thomas Lasley seems to have been named Catherine. Thomas Lasley died in Wilkes Co. in 1826, and Catherine Lasley and Richardson Booker were appointed administrators July 14, 1826 (Davidson, Vol. I, p. 218). The heirs mentioned in 1828 were David, Thomas Medium, Felix, and Mary Lasley (the last three under age and entrusted to Edward Lasley as guardian); by 1829 Catherine (Thornton) Lasley seems to have married (2) a Reed, and by 1830 the daughter Mary had married a Bell (Davidson, Vol. II, pp. 250-51).

Samuel⁴ Thornton, son of John³ and Agatha Thornton, was a soldier in the Revolution (Smith "Story of Ga. and the Ga. People", p. 623), was a resident of Wilkes Co., Ga in 1785 (Davidson, Vol. II, p. 30), and he and his wife, Elizabeth, appear in a deed in Wilkes Co. Mar. 4, 1787 (Davidson, Vol. I, p. 261). He was a Justice of Wilkes Co. in 1792 (Davidson, Vol. II, p. 86), but after that seems to have moved away.

Solomon⁴ Thornton, son of John³ Thornton and Agatha his wife, is said to have been born about 1745 and died in Wilkes Co., Ga. in 1809. Like his brothers, William and Samuel, he was a soldier in the Revolution (Smith "Story of Ga. and the Ga. People", p. 623). His wife was named Sarah Acree, and she was probably a daughter of Isaac Acree and a niece of William Acree, both of whom appear Oct. 8, 1754 in Capt. Richard Coleman's Co. of Granville Co., N. C. Militia in the Great Muster for the French and Indian War (N. C. Colonial and State Records, Vol. 22, pp. 372 and 373). William Acree moved to Wilkes Co. , Ga., where he died in 1796. His will, dated Feb. 21, 1796 and probated April 7, 1796, mentions sons William, Sherrin and John Acree, and daughters Elizabeth, Jinny Acree, Susannah Woodall, Sarah Smith, Frances Meadows, Nancy Dismukes, and Priscilla Acree (Davidson, Vol.1, p. 52). Solomon⁴ Thornton is probably identical with a Solomon Thornton, Sr. who is shown by the Sampson Co. N.C. taxlist of 1784 to have owned 15 acres there. He may be identical with a Solomon Thornton who deeded land in Granville Co., N. C. Feb. 25, 1791 (Granville Co. D. B. "N", p. 92), but it is more probable that this man was Solomon⁵ Thornton, Jr., eldest son of Solomon⁴ Thornton’s brother William. Solomon⁴ Thornton is shown in the 1785 tax-list of Wilkes Co., Ga. along with his brothers, William and Samuel (Davidson, Vol. II, p. 38), and was a Justice of Wilkes Co. in 1806 (same, p. 323). His will, dated Jan. 18, 1809 and probated in Wilkes Co. Mar. 6, 1809 (Davidson, Vol. I, p. 90), mentions his sons William, Martin and John; daughters Nancy, wife of John W. Cooper, and Judy, wife of Samuel L. Hunter; grandsons Philip and Martin Thornton, sons of son John, a slave "now in the possession of Rachel Thornton"; the residue of the estate to wife Sally, then to be divided among the following children, Joshua, Polly, Betsy, Aggy, Cathy, and Samuel Thornton; wife Sally executrix; test: Matthew Talbot, Thomas Lastly, and William Thornton, Jr. The wife, Sarah Thornton, seems to have died about 1813, as on Jan. 5, 1814 the residuary legatees petitioned that the slaves be divided among them, and at the same court the daughter, Catherine Thornton, chose Elisha Reed her guardian, and the son Samuel Thornton was put under the guardianship of Matthew Talbot (Davidson, Vol. I, p. 185). The following is known of the children of Solomon⁴ and Sarah Thornton:

Joshua⁴ Thornton, son of John³ and Agatha Thornton, owned land in Wilkes Co., Ga. and is shown there in the tax-list of 1793 (Blair "Early Tax Digests of Georgia"). He married Elizabeth, daughter of Frederick Williams of Wilkes Co., who died there in 1793 and of whose will Joshua Thornton was an executor (Davidson, Vol. I, p. 68; Vol. II, p. 310). Joshua Thornton's first appearance in Wilkes Co. was on Jan. 30, 1790, when he made a deed to Oman Whatley (perhaps his brother-in-law, husband of his sister, India Whatley), the deed being witnessed by his brother, Samuel Thornton (Davidson, Vol. II, p.99).

Yancey⁴ Thornton, son of John³ and Agatha Thornton, appears as a witness to deeds in Wilkes Co., Ga. in 1791 (Davidson Vol. II, pp. 104 and 123), but nothing further is known of him.

Wiley⁴ Thornton, son of John³ Thornton and his second wife, Elizabeth, was born in North Carolina in 1785 according to the Censuses of 1850 and 1860, and died in Pike Co., Ga. in 1864.

PART FOUR

Family of Dr. Thomas Thornton of Lancaster Co. Va.

Dr. Thomas Thornton of Lancaster Co., Va. was probably born about 1685, and died in Lancaster Co. in 1741. He married in Middlesex Co., Va. July 25, 1708 Agatha Curtis, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Obert) Curtis of Middlesex Co. (Christ Church Parish Register Middlesex Co., p.81). She was born in 1692 and christened July 25, 1692 (Same, p. 51). Agatha (Curtis) Thornton died in Prince William Co., Va. in 1755, her will being proved by Thomas Thornton, the executor, and by Henry Holtzclaw and John Brown, witnesses, on Sept. 22, 1755 (Prince William Co. Orders, 1754-5, p. 308). The will itself has unfortunately been lost. Thomas Thornton was her son, and Henry Holtzclaw may have been a son-in-law (see later). The compiler has found no evidence of the parentage of Dr. Thomas Thornton. Mrs. Fothergill, a genealogist in Richmond, told the compiler that she thought she had seen evidence that he was a grandson of William Thornton, Sr. of Gloucester, Co., but she was unable to find proof when she told him this. The will of Thomas Thornton, physician, was dated Oct. 9, 1737 and probated in Lancaster Co., Va. April 10, 1741 (Lancaster Co. Deeds, etc. No. 13, 1736-43, p. 198). It leaves to the wife, Agatha, daughters Elizabeth, Agatha and Ann, and son Thomas, all his land in Lancaster and Richmond Cos. , the interest of the daughters to cease on their marriage, and all to go to Thomas on the death of the wife; to sons Timothy and Thomas the lands purchased of Matthew Moss in Prince William Co.; to son John 100 acres out of 1475 acres in Prince William Co. (this had been granted him Aug.19, 1731, Northern Neck Grant Book "C", p. 222); the rest of the 1475 acres to the three daughters; and 1000 pounds of tobacco to be paid annually to the son John by the other heirs. The son John seems to have died before Sept. 10, 1742, when the division of Thomas Thornton's slaves and other personal property shows (apart from Thomas, the eldest son) only the widow, Timothy Thornton, Agatha Chinn, Elizabeth Thornton, and Ann Thornton (Lancaster Co. Deeds, etc. No. 13, p. 286ff). Major Thomas Curtis of Ware Parish, Gloucester Co., and his wife Averilla, were the grandparents of Agatha Curtis, wife of Dr. Thomas Thornton. Thomas Curtis first appears in the Virginia records July 20, 1633, when he was deeded 200 acres of land on New Poquoson Creek by John Davis of Kiskiack (Nugent, "Cavaliers and Pioneers", p. 82). He was granted 300 acres in York Co. in 1636, and 100 acres on Old Poquoson in 1639 (Nugent, pp. 45 and 108). Thomas Curtis and "Jon. Curtis" were claimed as importees by Daniel Gookins in 1637 for a large grant in Upper Norfolk Co. (p. 78), and Joane Curtis and Alice Curtis were claimed by Bartholomew Hoskins in 1645 for a grant in Lower Norfolk Co. (p. 179). It looks as though Joan or "Jon" Curtis may have been Thomas Curtis's first wife, and Alice perhaps a daughter. Thomas Curtis soon moved to Gloucester Co., where he had grants totaling over 4000 acres between 1642 and 1661 (Nugent, pp. 131, 132, 184, 261, 279, 337, 345, 417). He is called "Major Thomas Curtis" in grants in 1656, 1657 and 1661 (pp. 377, 345, and 417), and in 1662 is mentioned as a Justice of Gloucester Co. (William and Mary Coll. Quarterly, 1st Series, Vol. 2, p. 163). That Thomas Curtis’s wife (perhaps the second wife) was named Averilla is proved by a grant to Thomas Morris for 670 acres on Mobjack Bay Feb. 13, 1661, the land having been granted to Thomas Curtis Sept. 20, 1652, and by the said Curtis and Averilla his wife assigned to John Curtis, who assigned to Morris (Nugent, p. 398). The records in Nugent's "Cavaliers and Pioneers" look as though Major Curtis may have died about 1661 and his widow married Robert Bristow prior to 1665. On April 3, 1661, Mrs. Averilla Curtis was granted 410 acres in Gloucester Co., 350 acres having been granted to John Curtis Oct. 8, 1656 and assigned to the said Averilla (p. 407), and in a grant to Mr. Robert Bristow Oct. 25, 1665 for 398 acres on Mobjack Bay, 288 acres are said to have been a part of the grant to Mrs. Averilla Curtis in 1661, and assigned by her to the said Bristow as her husband (p. 536). There is an article in "The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography", Vol. 14, p. 92ff, however, which copies a very old and defaced manuscript about Thomas Curtis and his family, and this article states that Averilla Curtis who married Robert Bristow was a daughter of Thomas and Averilla Curtis, not the widow herself. We shall follow the lead of the manuscript and article here, which states that Major Thomas Curtis and Averilla his wife had 5 sons and 2 daughters, as follows: (1) Curtis (manuscript torn); (2) Giles Curtis who m. Mary, and had sons Rice and James and a daughter Jane; (3) Charles Curtis m. R. (manuscript torn) and had a son James and a daughter Averilla; (4) James Curtis m. Elizabeth, and had sons Thomas and James and a daughter Agatha; (5) Curtis m. (manuscript torn); (6) Averilla Curtis m. Ro---- Bri------ (manuscript torn, but obviously the name is Robert Bristow); (7) Sarah Curtis m. (1)-, and m. (2) Richard Perr-- (manuscript torn). From the Christ Church, Middlesex, Parish Register (alluded to later as P.R.), Nugents "Cavaliers and Pioneers", and the county records of Middlesex and Lancaster Cos., Va., we can give the somewhat fuller account of Major Thomas Curtis’s children as follows:

I. John Curtis was probably the eldest son, b. ca. 1635 at the latest, as he was granted land in Gloucester Co. as early as 1656 (Nugent, p. 339). He had a large number of grants, two on the Potomac River, one in Westmoreland Co. , but most of them in Lancaster Co. from 1656 to 1666 (Nugent, pp. 334, 371, 385, 465, 466, 499, and 567). In a deed Sept. 3, 1694 in Middlesex Co., he is called "John Curtis of Northumberland Co.", and apparently finally settled in Northumberland.

II. Giles Curtis was granted land in Lancaster Co., Va. Nov. 18, 1664, (Nugent, p. 440), and was probably the second son. The Virginia Magazine article states that he had sons Rice and James and a daughter Jane. Jane, daughter of Giles and Mary Curtis, was christened July 24, 1687 (P.R., p. 34). The son Rice is probably referred to in the following entry from the Parish Register: Rite, son of Rite and Elizabeth Curtis, was christened Sept. 3, 1704 (p. 62).

III. Charles Curtis lived in Middlesex Co. and had the following children mentioned in the Christ Church Parish Register: (1) Rose, daughter of Charles and Rose Curtis, christened Nov. 26, 1685; a daughter who died Sept. 18, 1687 was probably this Rose; (2) Averilla, daughter of Charles and Rose Curtis, was christened May 15, 1687. In addition, the article in the Virginia Magazine states that he had a son, James.

IV. James Curtis lived in Middlesex Co., where he died late in 1720. His will, dated Nov. 15, 1720 and probated Jan. 3, 1720/21 (Middlesex Co. W. B. "B", p. 154), mentions his daughter Agatha, grandson Chichester Dudley, son Chichester and Charles Curtis, and daughter Averilla Curtis. James Curtis had a son James who predeceased him, dying Nov. 4, 1720 (P.R., p. 177). The will of this James Curtis, Jr. dated Nov. 2, 1720 and probated Jan. 3, 1720/21 (Middlesex Co. W. B. "B", p. 152), mentions his son Christopher Curtis, brothers Chichester and Charles Curtis, and cousin John Robinson. This James Curtis, Jr. was son of James and Elizabeth Curtis, was christened April 12, 1687 (P. R.,p. 31). He married his cousin, Agatha Vaus, Dec. 27, 1708 (P.R. , p.81), and their son, Christopher, was born April 11, 1714, and christened April 19 (p. 88). Agatha (Vaus) Curtis died Oct. 22, 1716 (p. 172). She was born 1688/9 and christened Feb. 28, 1688/9 (p.39), the daughter of John Vause (half-brother of Elizabeth, wife of James Curtis) and his wife Elizabeth Walker, who married Jan. 19, 1687/8 (p. 36).

Of the other children of James and Elizabeth Curtis, we have mentioned that Agatha Curtis was christened July 25, 1692 (P.R., p. 51), and married Dr. Thomas Thornton July 25, 1708 (p. 81). The son, Chichester Curtis, seems to be identical with a Chichester Curtis who died Feb. 1, 1723/4 (P.R., p. 181). The son Charles is probably identical with a Charles Curtis, who with wife Johanna, had a daughter Elizabeth, b. June 30, 1730 and christened July 24, (p. 129). The daughter Averilla Curtis of James Curtis' will may be the Averilla Curtis who married John Curtis (probably a cousin) Jan. 16, 1706/7 (p.188), and d. Mar. 2, 1732/3 (p. 188). Elizabeth, daughter of James and Elizabeth Curtis, married Feb. 9, 1713/14 Robert Dudley (p. 83), and they had the following children: (1) Chichester, b. April 8, 1715, bap. May 8; (2) Elizabeth b. Dec. 27, 1716, bap. Jan. 7, 1716/17; (3) Robert b. Aug. 23, 1718, bap. Sept. 14, 1718; and (4) Ambrose b. Feb. 6, 1719/20, bap. Feb. 28, 1719/20 (P.R. pp. 91, 95, 100, and 104).

Elizabeth, wife of James Curtis, predeceased him, if we are able to trust his will, and is probably identical with Elizabeth Curtis, who died Jan. 20, 1715/16 (P.R.,p.85). She was born about 1659, the daughter of Bertram Obert (Hobert) and his second wife, Anne (a posthumous child). Bertram Obert was a foreigner, probably a Hollander, who was an intimate of Sir John Harvey, Governor of Virginia, and settled in Lancaster Co. on May 3, 1640 Sir John deeded a cow to him for his accompanying the governor to England, also servants, for the "relief of his (Obert's) wife, whom he leaves in much sorrow" (Lancaster Co. Record Book 2, 1654-66, p. 379). This first wife of Mr. Obert was named Sarah, as shown in a grant to "Bertram Hobert" Oct. 10, 1642 for 650 acres on the north side of Charles River (Nugent, p. 135). Other grants of considerable acreage were made to Bertram Obert on the South side of the Rappahannock River and in Lancaster Co. in 1649, 1650 and 1656 (Nugent, pp. 190, 204, and 329). He died in Lancaster Co. in 1659. The will of Bertram Obert, dated Nov. 30, 1658 and probated June 25, 1659, mentions his sons, Bertram and Chichester Obert, daughters Lettice and Agatha, "the child my wife now goeth with" (i.e., Elizabeth), and wife Anne (Lancaster Co. Record Book 2, 1654-66, p. 72). Anne was the second wife, as indicated previously. She married (2) John Vause about 1660-62. On Dec. 3, 1662, Bartram Obert deeded 200 acres to John Vause, the land having been left to Bartram by his father, but the latter was an alien, and it escheated and was granted to the son (Lancaster Record Book 2, 1654-66, p. 256). John and Anne Vause witnessed a deed Dec. 2, 1664 (same, p. 294), but Anne died prior to June 14, 1679, when John married (2) Elizabeth Calloway (Christ Church Middlesex P.R. p. 18). John Vause himself died Feb. 26, 1679/80, and was buried in Christopher Robinson’s (his stepson-in-law's) orchard. The will of John Vaus, dated Feb. 22, 1679/80 and probated Mar. 1, 1679/80, mentions his wife Elizabeth; leaves to his son John the land granted to the orphans of Bartram Obert, decd.; leaves bequests to his daughters Diana and Constance Vaus; and makes his friend Ralph Wormeley, Esq., and his brother, John Shepard, his executors (Middlesex Co. Deeds, etc., No. 2, p. 9). All three of the Vause children were by the first wife, Anne. The daughter Constance Vause married William Daniel, Jr. July 24, 1686 (Christ Church P. R. , p. 29). The daughter, Diana Vause, seems to have died. The son, John Vaus, as mentioned, married Elizabeth Walker Jan. 19, 1687/8; had a daughter Agatha b. 1789 who married her first cousin, James Curtis, Jr.; and died in 1691. John Vause's will, dated Sept. 8, 1691 and probated Oct. 5, 1691 (Middlesex Co. Deeds, etc. , No.2, p. 59), leaves his property to his daughter Agatha; wife Elizabeth; to William Daniel, son of sister Constance by William Daniel; to James, Averilla and Chicheley Curtis, children of his sister Elizabeth Curtis by James Curtis; and to his nephew, Christopher Robinson. Of the children of Bartram Obert, all died unmarried except Agatha and Elizabeth Obert, daughters by his second marriage to Anne. A deed dated Mar. 31, 1683/4 between Christopher Robinson, Gent. and Agatha his wife, of the one part, and James Curtis and Elizabeth his wife of the other, both women being the surviving orphans of Bertram Obert, divides Mr. Obert's land, the Robinsons to have the land patented by Obert In 1656, and the Curtises to have 300 acres given by Arthur Dunn to Chichester Obert, the only brother of Agatha and Elizabeth, now deceased (Middlesex Co. Deeds, etc. No. 2, p. 112).

V. Michael Curtis seems to have been the 5th son of Thomas Curtis. He lived in Middlesex Co., Va., married Mary, and the Christ Church Parish Register shows the births of four of their children as follows (p. 61); (1) Mary, b. Mar. 7, 1693/4; (2) Thomas, b. Dec. 27, 1695; (3) Michael b. Sept. 1,1698; and (4) Elizabeth b. Oct. 25, 1701.

VI. Averilla Curtis, who, as mentioned previously, was granted land in 1661 and married Robert Bristow before 1665, was the daughter of Major Thomas and Averilla Curtis, according to the article in the Virginia Magazine of Hisotry and Biography.

VII. Sarah Curtis, the younger daughter of Major Thomas and Averilla Curtis, was born Aug. 16, 1657. She married (1) William Halfhide and (2) Richard Perrott. The Christ Church Parish Register has a full account of the Perrotts as follows (pp. 41-2): Richard Perrott, son of Richard Perrott, decd., was born Feb. 24, 1650, the first man-child born of English parents on the Rappahannock River. Sarah Perrott was born in Ware Parish, Gloucester Co. , at 2 p.m. ,Aug. 16, 1657, the daughter of Major Thomas Curtis and Averilla his wife, and married Richard Perrott Feb. 11, 1672, being then the widow of Mr. William Halfhide. Their children were: (1) Henry Perrott b. Jan. 25, 1675; (2) Frank (daughter), b. Aug. 28, 1677; (3) Sarah b. Sept. 21, 1679; (4) Richard b. Oct. 5, 1681; (5) Averilla b. Aug. 3, 1683; (6) Robert. b. Oct. 25, 1685; (7) Curtis b. Aug. 19, 1688; and (8) Mary b. Jan. 19, 1690.

The children of Thomas and Agatha (Curtis) Thornton, most of whom moved to Prince William Co. , Va. with their mother, were as follows:

I. Thomas Thornton, the eldest son, moved to Prince William Co. , where he was a Justice of the county and died in 1767. His wife was named Lettice, and her maiden name may have been Peyton, as on Mar. 24, 1761 Thomas Thornton deeded to Richard Rixey 150 acres which was devised to Charles Thornton, his son, an infant, by the last will of Valentine Peyton (Prince William Co. D. B. "P", p. 19). On Dec. 7, 1767 Lettice Thornton, as executrix, provided Thomas Thornton's will (Prince William Co. Orders, 1766-69, p. 65). Lettice Thornton married (2) in 1770 Chichester Curtis of Prince William Co. , the marriage contract being dated Mar. 26, 1770 and witnessed by James Cullens, Charles Thornton, Thomas Thornton, and John Shirley, Jr. (Prince William Co. D. B. "R", p. 228). Chichester Curtis is probably identical with a Christopher Curtis who died in Prince William Co. in 1778 (Prince William Co. W. B. "G", p. 20), as the names Chichester and Christopher could easily be confused. James Cullens, who witnessed the marriage contract of Lettice Thornton and Chichester Curtis, may have married a daughter of Thomas and Lettice Thornton, for on Jan. 1, 1778 Thomas Thornton (a son of Thomas and Lettice) deeded to James Cullins land near Charles Thornton and others, the deed making specific mention of Sarah, the wife of James Cullins (Prince William Co. D. B. "I", p. 435). The sons of Thomas and Lettice Thornton were:

II. Timothy Thornton, second son of Thomas and Agatha (Curtis) Thornton, had two land grants in Prince William Co. in 1741, amounting in all to 664 acres (Northern Neck Grant Bk. "E", pp.335 and 336). In 1752 the Prince William Co. land tax list shows him as "Capt. Timothy Thornton", indicating that he was a Captain in the militia. Queerly enough, the list shows him with no acreage of land. He last appears in the Prince William Co. records in 1753, when he sued Charles Ewell (Prince William Co. Minute Bk., 1752-3, p. 138). Apparently he never married and died about this time.

III. John Thornton, son of Thomas and Agatha Thornton, as mentioned previously, apparently died before the distribution of his father's estate in 1742.

IV. Agatha Thornton, eldest daughter of Thomas and Agatha (Curtis) Thornton, married Christopher (Chichester?) Chinn in Lancaster Co. , Va. Oct. 26, 1739, her father, Thomas Thornton, and his father, Raleigh Chinn, giving their consents (Wm. and Mary Coll. Quarterly, 1st Series, Vol. 6, p.105). There seems to be some uncertainty about whether Agatha's husband was named Christopher or Chichester Chinn, as the Prince William Co. Rentals of 1752 and 1754 show "Christopher Chinn's heirs 1449 acres", while 1753 shows "Chichester Chinn's heirs" with the same acreage. At any rate he died prior to 1752 in Prince William Co. Agatha herself died after 1762 in Fauquier Co., Va. Their eldest son was Thomas Chinn, who gave bond Nov. 24, 1761 for his mother, Agatha Chinn's debts, by mortgaging slaves (Prince William Co. D. B. "P", p. 141). On June 17, 1762 Thomas Chinn and Jennet his wife, and Agatha Chinn, relict of Chichester Chinn, deeded to Henry Lee 300 acres, which had been purchased by Chichester Chinn of Catesby Cocke in 1743 (same, p.197). The other children of Chichester and Agatha (Thornton) Chinn were Raleigh and Agatha Chinn, orphans of Chichester Chinn, for whom Thomas Thornton relinquished his guardianship Nov. 24, 1761; Raleigh chose Thomas Chinn as his guardian. (Prince Wm. O. Bk. 1761-63, p.39). Ibid, p.1 Oct. 3, 1761: Henry Lee vs. Agatha and Thomas Chinn in Chancery, "Thomas Chinn, the heir, being of full age." That there were other children of Chichester and Agatha Chinn is indicated by the fact that on April 23, 1767 Thomas Chinn, as guardian of the orphans of Chichester Chinn, decd., receipted Thomas Thornton, their former guardian, for their estate (Fauquier Co. D. B. 3, p. 188). The names of these other children are uncertain, though. Thomas Chinn died between Feb. 3, 1773 and Sept. 17, 1773. On the former date, he and his wife Jane made a mortgage on land to James Lewis, and on the latter date, Jennet, widow of Thomas Chinn, released her interest in the lands sold to Lewis (Fauquier Co. D. B. 5, p. 522; 6, p. 162). The eldest son of Thomas and Jennet Chinn seems to have been Thomas Chinn, who married very early when he was in his 'teens, for on May 28, 1778 Thomas Chinn and Sarah his wife of Loudoun Co. deeded to James Winn 223 acres near Thomas Thornton and Burgess - the old Thornton land (Fauquier Co. D. B. 6, p. 489). Thomas also appears in a Fauquier Co. deed in 1790 (D. B. 10, p. 282). Another son of Thomas and Jennet Chinn was Chichester Chinn, who on July 20, 1790, along with his wife Susannah and his mother Jennet Chinn, deeded to John Robinson lands granted to Timothy Thornton (an error for Thomas Thornton) and devised by him to his daughter Agatha, whence it descended to Thomas Chinn and from him to Chichester Chinn (Fauquier Co. D. B. 10, p. 276).

V. Elizabeth Thornton, daughter of Thomas and Agatha (Curtis) Thornton, seems never to have married. The Prince William Co. Rent Rolls of 1752, 1753, 1754, 1760 and 1761 all show Elizabeth Thornton with 200 acres of land. She is not shown in the next Rent Roll (1767) and probably died between 1761 and 1767.

VI. Ann Thornton, daughter of Thomas and Agatha (Curtis) Thornton, does not appear in documents after 1742, when she shared in her father's estate in Lancaster Co. She may have died, but the writer has often wondered whether she did not marry Henry Holtzclaw (b. 1711, d. 1778), his ancestor. His reasons for this are as follows: (1) Henry Holtzclaw was living in the 1740's, 1750's and 1760's on land adjacent to the Thorntons, which he inherited in 1760 from his father, Jacob Holtzclaw. In 1745 Henry Holtzclaw and Timothy Thornton witnessed a deed from Robert Taylor to John Bohannon in Prince William Co. Henry Holtzclaw was a witness to Agatha Thornton's will in 1755. There was some illegality about the will of Jacob Holtzclaw, father of Henry, in 1760, as regards the land left to Henry (which he had lived on all his life), and on Oct. 14, 1760 his nephew Henry Holtzclaw (son of his eldest brother John) finally settled the matter and deeded the land to his uncle Henry in accordance with the intent of the will (Prince William Co. D. B. "P", p. 46). Thomas Thornton was a witness of this deed. In 1765 and 1766 Thomas Thornton and Henry Holtzclaw took up vacant land adjacent to their own land, and the new grants adjoined each other, Thomas 301 acres and Henry 100 acres (Northern Neck Grant Book "I", pp. 134, and 148). Henry Holtzclaw’s son, Jacob Holtzclaw, was paid from the estate of Charles Thornton, eldest son of Thomas, in 1785 (Prince William W. B. "G", p. 320). All this shows a pretty close connection between the two families. (2) Henry Holtzclaw's wife was named Ann (Nancy). The minutes of the Broad Run Baptist Church show that she was one of the earliest members, baptized in 1762. She died between 1769 and 1778. (3) The writer's great-great-grandfather, Timothy Holtzclaw, b. 1756, son of Henry and Nancy, may have very well been named for Timothy Thornton, as the name Timothy does not occur elsewhere among the early Holtzclaws.

Against the view that Nancy Holtzclaw was Ann Thornton, is the fact that Henry Holtzclaw's two eldest sons, Jacob and James Holtzclaw, named two of their sons Hardin Holtzclaw (Jacob's son was John Hardin Holtzclaw and James' son was Kelly Hardin Holtzclaw), that James Holtzclaw moved to Pennsylvania with the Hardins; and that one of Henry Holtzclaw's daughters, Winifred Holtzclaw married William Hardin, presumably a cousin. These facts argue rather strongly for the view that Henry Holtzclaw married a Hardin, probably a daughter of Mark and Mary Hardin of Prince William Co. Mark Hardin died in Prince William Co., Va. in 1735, His will, dated Mar. 16, 1734/35 and probated May 21, 1735, mentions his eldest son John, sons Martin, Mark and Henry, daughters Ann and Alice Hardin, daughters Elizabeth Hardin, Martha McDonhill, Abigail and Mary Hardin, and wife Mary (Prince William Co. W. B. "C", p. 36).

The solution to the problem may be the following. The writer's great-uncle, Jesse A. Holtzclaw, in a letter written to the writer's uncle in the 1890's, stated that his gr-gr-gr-grandfather, Henry Holtzclaw, was married three times and had 19 children by his three marriages, the first wife being a German girl whom he married young, the other two wives being unknown; and that his gr-gr-grandfather, Timothy (b. 1756), was a son of the second or third marriage. Family tradition is not always to be trusted too much, but this one seems to have come to the great-uncle through his father, John Graham Holtzclaw (b. 1804), son of Timothy and grandson of Henry Holtzclaw (1711-1778). The chief difficulty with the tradition is the statement that Henry Holtzclaw had 19 children. His will mentions only 7 children, Jacob, James, Duanna Cornwell, and Nancy Leach, and "my three youngest children, Timothy, Nathan and Dinah". The writer has found, however, that Henry almost certainly had two other children, a John Holtzclaw who was granted land in Kentucky near his brother, James, in 1784, and Winifred Holtzclaw, who married William Hardin (son of John Hardin and grandson of Mark who died in 1735). There were perhaps other children who died young. Henry Holtzclaw's will rather definitely puts his 7 children into two groups, the four elder ones, and the three younger ones. It is only in the families of the elder group of children that the name Hardin appears.

This is compatible with the view that two groups were children by different marriages. If this is the case, the four elder children were probably by a second(?) marriage to Miss Hardin, and the three younger children, Timothy, Nathan, and Dinah, may very well have been the children of Nancy, the wife living 1762-69, who may have been Nancy Thornton. As to the first wife, the "German girl" of the tradition, she probably left no surviving children.

Compiled by:

NOTE: The article on the Asbury family, referred to in this chapter, appeared in the "Virginia Historical Society Quarterly", July and Oct. 1967, and January 1968.

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