Lilly - Reade Problem
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Lilly - Moulson - Reade Problems


        We know little about Edward Moulson. He was in Virginia by 1635. His 1660 depositon states that he was aged 70 so born ca. 1590.
Later secondary sources say that Mallson was a cooper, but he was a sawyer according to the deed records.  He paid for some land with sawn boards and is referred to as a sawyer.
Deed. 20 Nov 1635. John Utie of Utimaria Esqr sells Edward Moulson, Sawyer, 100 acres between the land of Francis Morgan and Mr William Pryor. Payment being 1000 ft ‘Sawen Boards’ already received and 800 ft more to be paid between this and 1st of March.

He was also the father in law of John Lilly I.

Please note DNA Test Results.  We have a match between a Lilly descendant and a person who claims descent from Mary Lilly and Robert Reade. This is important because of the confusion surrounding this deed. It is not absolutely clear what the connection is.  This is pretty far back for a DNA connection but possible.  

        The following record seems to say that the wife of John Lilly I, i.e., the mother of John Lilly II, was the heiress of Edward Moulson/Malson. Unfortunately, the wording of following patent is not clear.  There are several errors in the land descriptions  which do not match other earlier records.  What is clear is that the land is in York Parish, York County, near the area where John Lilly was inspecting tobacco in 1639. There have been arguments between genealogists as to what is going on.  
Because it is not clear, we looked at the actual patent.  Nugent is normally absolutely reliable, but in this case, we felt that we needed to know for sure what it said. Unfortunately, the actual patent says pretty much what Nugent's abstract says.  The errors are in the patent itself, not in the transcription. There are enough of these descrepancies in the actual patent that we are not sure we can depend on the rest of the patent's details.  


Nell Marion Nugent, Cavalier and Pioneers II, 1666-1695, page 328:
Patent Book 7: dated 20 October 1688. 
        Mr. Robert Read, in right of his wife, Mary, dau. to Mr. Jno. Lilly; 305 of acs. in York Co., & Par.; beg. on S. side of the Back Cr., on W. side of Gwin’s Cr; to br. of Cheesman’s Cr., parting this & land of Mrs. Joane Wordley; along Thomas Wooton, to land of Argall Blackstone, dec’d; 20 Oct 1688.  100 acs. granted Jno. Congdon, 17 Dec 1640, & assigned to Edward Mallson, 1 Feb 1643, & due sd. John Lilly as marrying with the heiress of sd. Mallson; 125 acs. granted Robert Lendall & George Pennerell, 29 Oct 1651 & by sd. Lendall sent over to sd. Malson, with consent of sd. Pennerell, 17 Dec 1656; 120 acs. now taken, due for trans. of 3 Negroes.

Thanks to Lou Poole for the following copies of the original patents, and for converting them into .jpg files for me. 

http://www.lva.virginia.gov/   Scans of the actual patents are available on the Library of Virginia website. This only includes the parts with comments on the people.  You can download the scans from this site.  They are in .tiff format which is a little more legible than these .jpg files.  Unfortunately, I can't use .tiff files with my html program.  

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        This patent raises some basic questions. Who is Edward Mallson's heiress and which John Lilly did she marry and which John is Mary's father? There are three John Lilly's in the 1600s prior to 1688 in York County, Virginia.

        John Lilly III was born ca. 1669 when he was baptized in the Charles Parish Church. He would have been only about 19 when the above patent was written in 1688 so this John Lilly III could not have married and had a daughter old enough to marry in 1688 no matter how you stretch it with early marriages and late baptisms. 

        John Lilly II was born between 1637 to 1646 so he would have been old enough to marry the heiress.  But he married Dorothy Wade, the daughter of Armiger Wade. We know this because "My daughter, Dorothy Lilly, and my son, John Lilly," are named in the 1677 will of her father, Armiger Wade. It has been assumed for many years that Dorothy Wade, the wife of Armiger Wade, was actually Dorothy Maulson.  However, a recent discovery of the 1639 marriage of Amirger Wade to Dorothy Halsby/Halsey in London has pretty much eliminated this as a theory.  We have these two marrying a mile or two from the church where Armiger Wade junior in baptized.  It is too much of a coincidence to say there are two Dorothy's marrying two Armiger Wades and both had a son, Armiger junior, the same age. For more on this group, see Wade Family.


        That leaves us with John Lilly I. He is the only John Lilly to whom the patent could refer.  We are not sure at this time exactly how this worked. Edward Malson was living in York in 1660. He left no estate records in York although he had land in York. But he might have moved to Gloucester, to be near John Lilly and his family.  Whatever records he left did not survive.  We don't know if the land went to Mary Chisman who left it to her granddaughter or if Edward left it to his son in law, John Lilly, who left it to his daughter, in a will which did not survive.  Remember that the Gloucester County records did not survive. It is clear that, however the land was inherited, the only John Lilly who could have married Edward Moulson's daughter was John Lilly I.  

        Edward Malson was born ca. 1590 according to his depositon in 1660 when he was aged 70.  If he had a daughter when he was aged 25-30, she would have been born ca. 1615-20. John Lilly I was born ca. 1607 and he married before he came to Virginia ca., 1637, and had a son between that date and the 1646 guardianship record.  So the timing of all of these known facts fits together.   

        Just to make sure of our legal position, not being experts in the Law of Primogeniture or Colonial Law, Lou Poole talked to an expert in the field.  This expert said that Mary (Lilly) Reade had no legal right to the land that Robert Reade was claiming unless she had obtained it as a deed of gift, or through someone’s will. That is to say, she only had a legal claim on the land through some transference instrument like a deed of gift or a will.  Whoever gave it to her, it is very clear that we’re missing a key record or records– the deed of gift, the will, or both ??  I believe that the person who left the land died in Gloucester and the records of the estate did not survive. It was not necessary for the record to be registered in York County, even if the land was in York County.   See the following:
 "Tips for Genealogists", Jo White Linn, CG, Rowan County Register, Volume 1, no. 2, May 1986, 78.
 If a man died in County A, for example, devising land which then fell into county B, there will not be a grantee deed in county B to show the transmittal of that property, and the will was not required to be filed in the county where the land lay.

        So it is possible that we are missing a conveyance via deed or will which was originally from Gloucester County with its burned records. However, perhaps we are not missing a conveyance.
If Mary (Moulson) (Lilly) Chisman, got it from her father via law of primogeniture and if John got it via law of primogeniture from his mother, there would have been no record of conveyance.  It is hard to get my mind wrapped around the idea that land and estates were transferred with no record.  None of this would have been required to be registered in the court. Only transactions which were NOT according to the law of primogeniture were required to be registered. 
        We don't know if the land was given to John or Mary who gave it to John. However, there is one clue to the timing.  In the many records left by John Lilly II, he is referred to as a landlord of York County land in a 1670 court record. Edward Malson seems to have disappeared from the records after 1660 when he was aged 70 and probably died.  If so, and John Lilly inherited the land either directly from Edward or by a gift from his mother or father in law, it would explain how he came to own land in 1670.  This could very well refer to part of the land which is referred to in the 1688 patent.  

Courtesy of Lou Poole:
Note this is the first [and only] mention of John Lilly owning land in York County in addition to his patent. Gloucester was formed in 1651, and his land was there, so it it could not be referring to a part of his patent. He obviously owned this land by 1670. It is just possible that John was holding this land in trust for his daughter at this point.
Weisiger, Benjamin B. III, York County, Virginia, Records, 1665-1672, p. 220.
John Lilly appeared in three York County court records dated December 1670 and January 1671:
  Page 220: Mr. Edward Palmer, Mr. Edward Mosse, Mr. Nicholas Clarke and Mr. John Lawson are to view tobacco
and sider [sic] tendered by Charles Camell for rent for use of Mr. John Lilly, his landlord, to see if it is according
to lease.
  Page 225: Upon report of Mr. Edward Palmer, Nicholas Clarke, Edward Mosse and John Lawson, appointed to view
the sider and tobacco tendered by Charles Camell for rent to Mr. John Lilly, they find it is not according to
the lease, and it is ordered said Camell pay Lilly 1000 lbs tob. for 2 years rent, and he is to continue on the
plantation this year, but one default, and he is to leave.
  Page 230: Dec. 1671. We, appointed to view tobacco and cyder ordered by Charles Camell to his landlord Mr. Lilly,
find the syder not to be according to the lease, neither is it the worst that we have drunk, and for tobacco, we
saw none. Signed: Edward (mark) Palmer, Nicholas Clarke, Edward Mosse, John (mark) Lawson.

    In the end how this happened is not so important. We know  John Lilly I is the only John Lilly who could have married the daughter of Edward Malson.     
    The third question is who is the father of Mary (Lilly) Reade? She is referred to as the daughter of John Lilly. Again John Lilly III is only 19 at this date so too young to be her father.  If she was a daughter of John Lilly I, she would have had to have been born by 1646 and probably earlier, but at least by 1646 when her father was deceased. This would have made her aged 44-48 in 1688.  The wills of Mary and Robert Reade, her husband, mention minor children when they died much later.  If she was the daughter of John Lilly I, she had minor children when she died at the age of about 70.  This is not possible.  [See Reade will below.] We are left this time with John Lilly II as the only John Lilly who could have been the father of Mary (Lilly) Reade.  
 
        If Mary was the daughter of John Lilly II, and, as we have seen elsewhere, he also had a daughter, Elizabeth, why did Mary end up with all of Malson's land?  An examination of the land records below show that all but 50 acres of Malson's land is in the 1688 patent.  Elizabeth married much later so may have been quite a bit younger.  I think it is odd that John Lilly II would have left all of this land to one daughter and nothing to the second daughter.  This is not something that can be easily explained. However, it is clear from the 1703 record that Elizabeth had property in some form. The most common form of property in Colonial Virginia was land and/or slaves.  

Louise Pacquet du Bellet,
Some Prominent Virginia Families, Vol. IV, p. 9. (1907)
“Robert Reade, Justice of York Co., lived near Yorktown; married Mary, daughter of John Lily,[1] whose wife was heiress of Edward Mallion*, a cooper.  (Deed dated Jan 1693…
*  Note – Edward Mallion was born 1590 and his wife, Margaret, in 1603.  Robert Reade’s daughter, Margaret, who married Thomas Nelson, was supposedly named after her.

        I am speculating here because we simply do not have the records to prove who gave what to whom.  At this point, I do not think the needed records survived.  Du Bellet refers to a deed in 1693.  The only Lilly deed in this time frame is the following. Note that is says nothing about Malson or John Lilly. 

P. 314” – Dorman, John Frederick, York County, Virginia Deeds, Orders, Wills, Etc., No. 9, 1691-1694, Part Two, p. 89.
“Mr. Robert Read and Mary his wife their deed of settlement of 305 acres of land upon their children &c 8 Jan 1693 [1694] was acknowledged by them both.”

William and Mary Quarterly, Series 1, Volume 2, October 1892.
        This article repeats some of the same information again calling Edward a cooper.  

        You will note from his earliest deed in 1635 that Edward was a sawyer.  He might also have been a cooper, because barrels were made of wood, but I have found no contemporary statement in a record that he was a cooper. This has been added in secondary sources.   

Will of Robert Reade, husband of Mary Lilly, 1712

        The 1712 will of Robert Reade suggests that he is older than his wife and that they only married shortly before the 1686 patent. In the will he makes it clear that only one of his sons, John, was an adult, that only one of his two daughters was married, and at least two (and possibly three) of his sons were still minors.

“York County Records No. 14, 1709/1716 Part 1, pp. 241-3,” Currier-Briggs, Noel, Virginia Settlers and English Adventurers, p. 417.
Robert Reade of Yorkhampton Parish in York County. To my son Thos: Reade my three half acres of lots of land in York Town; also a parcel of land joining thereto by estimation 5 acres which land I bought of my brother Thomas Reade. If Thomas dies in his minority or without lawful heirs, then my daughter Mildred Reade shall have the sd lands and premises. My land with I lately bought of my son John Reade in St. Stephens Parish in King & Queen County containing 744 acres to be equally divided between my three sons George, Samuel and Francis Reade. I empower and earnestly request my friends Mr. Jno. Bayles, Mr. Tho: Nelson, Capt. Lawrence Smith & my brothers Benjamin and Thomas Reade and my son Jno Reade or any three of them as soon as my son George shall come of age, to divide the afsd land into three parts, and my son George to have the first choice, my son Samuel to have the second choice and my son Francis to have the third choice. My loving wife Mary Reade two negro men named Grinig and Jeffery, two negro women named Jeney & B___, and one mulatto man named Harry. To my daughter Margaret Nelson, one negro woman named Hannah, one negro girl named Grace with their increase. To my son Jno Reade 20/-. To my son Thomas Reade on mulatto man named Dick Brookes, one negro woman named Beck, and one negro man named Nemeno with their increase. To my daughter Mildred one negro man named Peter, one servant boy named James Hanson bound by the churchwardens to serve to the age of 31 years, and £10; also one negro boy named Tony, one negro man named Roy Will and one negro girl named Betty with her increase. To my son Samuel Reade one negro boy named Ned, one negro boy named Pemey and one negro girl named Jone with her increase. To my son Francis Reade one servant boy named Richard Hanson bound by the churchwardens to serve till the age of 31, one negro boy named Rinig, one negro boy, Frank, & one negro girl, Sue, with her increase. All my goods, cattle, chattels, and estate etc, to be divided into 23 parts; 5 parts to my loving wife Mary, & the other 18 parts to be equally divided between my six children, Margaret, Thomas, Mildred, George, Samuel and Francis or the survivors of them. My wife Mary, exix. My brother Mr. Thomas Reade, friend Capt. Lawrence Smith, son-in-law Mr. Thomas Nelson, Overseers. Witnesses: Thomas Webster, Basil Wagstaff, William Allin

        The will of Mary Read was proved 20 Nov 1722.  A complete transcript (at least what can be read) is available in the following: 
Kathleen Carrow Ingram, York County, Virginia Deeds, Orders, Wills, Etc, 1720-1722, 2005, page 177-178: Reference from pages 165-166
Read's Will:
    Silver Tankard to my loving son.....and bequeath my small silver tankard and ......loving on Samuel Read. Item I give Silver Porringer one silver tumbler and .....son Francis Read item I give and bequeath any..... and 20 shillings to buy a ring to my loving daughter....item I give and bequeath one Mullatto boy to my loving son Samuel Read item I give......negro boy named Will & one negro boy named Phil ......James Read to him and his heirs item I give a ..... granddaughter Mary Nelson one negro man named .....one negro woman named ...bina to her and her heirs in case she dies without heirs........ is that her brother John and his heirs have ye said and bequeath to my grandson Wm Nelseon one.....after my just debts and funeral expenses part of my estate which is not already given and bequeathed...divided among my three sons Vizt John......but in either of them died without heirs ...dying to be equally divided among ye survivors item I nominate.....appoint my loving son John Read my whole.....sole excr of the ....and testament revoking all other wills, appoint and desire we Benj Read &c Mr. Thomas .... will in whiness whereof I have set my hand, Mary Read. 



Maulson/Malson Records

`    There are not all that many records with the Moulson name in Virginia in this time frame.  I have put all of them here in one place for you so you can make up your own mind.  There are a number of differnt spellings.  Fortunately for us, the provenance of the two tracts of land having to do with Edward Malson were recorded in York County records. The third part is a new patent so is not important in tracing Edward Moulson.  Great thanks are due Lou Poole for locating these, transcribing them and sending them to me.   The first two records are the basis for the 1688 patent.  If you examine it closely you will see enough errors to give you pause.  It makes me wonder how much we can rely on the other details of the patent.  

The three deeds which refer to the land from the 1688 patent.  

“P. 80” – Weisiger, Benjamin B., York County, Virginia Records 1659-1662, p. 31.
The first, 100-acre tract, was owned in succession by: 
62 acres purchased See 1688 patent in York County.
24 May 1660 …. We, Guy Knight and Mary Knight, my now wife, daughter of John Congdon, dec’d, sell to Edward Malson, 62 acres on Back Creek, being plantation said Malson now lives on, which lands formerly belonged to said John Congdon, and we have received valuable consideration from
Malson, 29 March 1660. Guy Knight, Mary (M) Knight
Wit: James Goodwin, John Aduston
Mr. Ballard: Our respects presented. It is our desire that bill of sale to Edward Malson of 62 acres be recorded. 24 March 1660. Guy Knight, Mary (M) Knight Wit: James Goodwin, John Aduston Recorded 24 May 1660

32 acres purchased See 1688 Patent in York County.
Deed, 10 Jan 1650, John Tayloe and Sarah his wife, late wife and relict of William Tyman, to Edward Malson, for valuable consideration, plantation where they now live, 38 acres in Charles River Co., York Parish, between lnd of Thomas Isles and said Malson, which is part of 100 acres formerly granted to John Congdon from Sir Francis Wyatt, Knt., late Gov., by patent 17 Dec 1640, and said land formerly sold by Congdon to Edward Percivall, and from him to Richard Heyward and from him to said Tyman.

Signed: John (IT) Tayloe, Sarah (S) Tayloe  
Wit: Lawr. Hulet, William (V) Leachie, John Lawson.”
Bond (first part in Latin) of John Taylor to Edward Malson, that he will sell property formerly William Tyman’s, dec’d. 10 Jan 1650.
John (IT) Tayloe, Sarah (S) Tayloe    Wit: Lawr. Hulett, William (B) Leache, John Lawson Recorded 24 May 1660


“No. 1, pp. 328, 329” – Fleet, Beverley, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. XXIV, York County, 1633-1646, p. 70; “No. 1, pp. 328, 329” – Fleet, Beverley, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Volume III, p. 132.
 Purchase of 125 acres see 1688 patent.
Patent. 29 Oct 1651. Sir Wm Berkeley, Governor, etc., to Robt Lyndall and George Pevorell 125 acres in York Co, abutting N upon the Back Creek, E upon the land of Edward Malson, S on the main woods and W towards the land of Edward Palmer. The land due by assignment of 3 persons from Wm Burnett (or Burnell, the last two letters not crossed). Signed Wm Berkeley
17th day of ___ 1656. Robert Lyndall sells above land to Edward Maltson.
Wit: Signed his mark
Laurence Hulett Robt x Lendall
Edwd: Wentworth
    Deed. 17 Dec 1656. Robt Lendall sells Edwd Maltson the above 125 acres. Signature and witnesses as above.”
    22 Dec 1656. George Peverell of Peankatanck in the Co of Lancaster confirms the foregoing sale.
Wit: signed George Peverell
Tho: Penryse his mark
Robt Young Junior
Allex: Cookes Cler
Recognit in Cur 20 Jan 1656/7 by George Peverell. Examined and rec by Tho Ballard Cl Cur
 
“No. 1, p. 50” – Fleet, Beverley, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. XXIV, York County, 1633-1646, p. 16; “No. 1, p. 50” – Fleet, Beverley, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Volume III, p. 9.

100 acres purchased See 1688 Patent
Deed. 20 Nov 1635. John Utie of Utimaria Esqr sells Edward Moulson, Sawyer, 100 acres between the land of Francis Morgan and Mr William Pryor. Payment being 1000 ft ‘Sawen Boards’ already received and 800 ft more to be paid between this and 1st of March.

Wit: Signed John Utie
Edward Major Edward Moulson
James Besouth
“Moulson assigns his interest in above 100 acres to Francis Morgan. Dated the last day of October 1637.
Wit: Richard Benmimge Signed Edward Moulsome


Additional Records from the York County Records:

“No. 1, p. 35” – Fleet, Beverley, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. XXIV, York County, 1633-1646, pp. 11-12. We don't know what was in this estate, but there is no Adam Lynsey or Lyndsey in the patent book so he probably did not own land.  
In nomine domine Amen…
I Adam Lynsey being sick in bodey but perfect in minde and memory praysed be god doe make and ordaine this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following
Imprs: I give and bequeath my Soule to God my Maker and Redeemer and my body to the earth and as concerning my worldly Estate as followeth
Imprs: I give and bequeath to Ann the wife of John Jackson Two hundred pounds of Tobacco Moreover I bequeath to Christian Owin of – perquoson Fower hundred pounds of Tobacco and what remaineth of my Estate I bequeath unto my good friend Edward Mollson whom I make and ordaine my Executor to see this my will performed and my Legacyes payd.
In wittness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Seale this 30th of July 1636.
Sealed signed and delivered the mark of
in the presence of Adam x Lynsay
Wm Hockaday
Allexander Gregory

“Patent Book No. 1 – Part II, p. 830” – Nugent, Nell Marion, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, p. 136.        
[patent] [in name of] Richard Bennett, 100 acs., 13 Oct 1642. Upon the second cr. of Milford Haven, adj. Abraham English. Due unto him the said Edward Maulson, for trans. of 2 pers: John Hales & John Binsteed. (Note: This land was evidently assigned by Edward Maulson [to Richard Bennett].)”

“No. 2, p. 103” – Fleet, Beverley, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. XXIV, York County, 1633-1646, p. 72.
“A Court ‘March the 25th 1646’ (1645/6) … Order that Edward Moleson be sworn Constable in place of Edward Palmer, Mr John Chew to admr oath from which time Palmer to be clear from service.”

“Patent Book No. 4, p. 132 (194)” – Nugent, Nell Marion, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, p. 355.
50 acres purchased in York. 1657
[patent] “Edward Moalson, 50 acs. in County & Parish of Yorke, 25 Nov 1657. Adj. land of Wm. Hawkins & Samuell Tucker. Trans. of 1 per.* Renewed 18 Mar 1662.”


“P. 63” – Weisiger, Benjamin B., York County, Virginia Records 1659-1662, p. 5.
“24 Aug 1659 … I, Edward Moulson of Parish of York, testify that about 16 years ago, John Claxon gave to John Claxon, Jr., one plantation lying on south side of York River, which was sold for 1 cow, 1 heifer, 1 calfe, with their increase, for use of John Claxon, Jr.
Dated 1 June 1659 Edward Moulson”

“Patent Book No. 5, p. 233 (149)” – Nugent, Nell Marion, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, p. 470.
[patent] “Tho. Robinson & Edward Lewis, 1140 acs., Rappa. Co., 20 Feb 1662[/3]. Beg. on a long point of land extending itself E. into Totoskey Cr., on N. side of Rappa. Riv. in Farnham Parish. Trans. of 23 pers: Edw. Moulson, Wm. Jarvis, Jno. Sea, Mary Frith, Tho. Warlett, Mary Marlow, Ed. Faulkner, Jane Smart, Ben Broad, Lawrence Fowke, Mary Calvert, Jacob Jenman, Samll. Cranz (?), Wm. Lever, Tho. Power, Sarah Salmon, Tho. Makerland, Emll. Martin, Thomas Truloe, James Falow, Tho. Spann, Fra. Chowning, Wm. Glover.” [Warrants for Patents were often used much later.]

“Patent Book No. 4, p. 100 (594)” – Nugent, Nell Marion, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, p. 428.
[patent] “Mrs. Mary Fortson, 2000 acs. on W. side of Paspetanke River, beg. at the mouth of a swamp &c, N.E. by land of Thomas Keele &c. 25 Sep 1663. Trans. of 20 pers: Wm. Welldon, Hen. Benns, Wm. Carne, Jno. Robinson, Ed. Hawley, Geo. Warter, Tho. Roberts, Amosse Damsy, Jno. Wright, Tho. Steward, Tho. Mountfort, Ben. Perey, Susan Johnson, Roger Stroake, Mary Adams, Robt. Melclaugh, Stephen Brewer, Edward Barrett, Mary Young, John Peeters, Tho. Starpe, Wm. Frizell, Tho. Marmaid, Thomas Hawley, Edward Moulson, Sarah Samwayes, Wm. Howard, Fra. Chalke, Tho. Baxton, twice, & his two wives, Tho. Harper, Jane Allen, No Brer (?), James Percy, Eliz. Steel, Abiather Flarrell, Mary Thurloe, & Eliz. Newcomb.”

“P. 88” – Weisiger, Benjamin B. III, York County, Virginia, Records, 1672-1676, p. 93.
“10 Sep 1672 … Plat of 80 acres in York Co. on northwest branch of Chisman Creek, surveyed for Edward Moulson per me, Johaen Catlett, 2 June 1650. (Plat shows land to be bounded by William Hawkins and Samuell Tucker).”

Benjamin B. Weisinger III, York County, Virginia Records, 1659-1662, (Athens, Georgia: Iberian Publishing Company, 1993), 43.
Deposition of Edward Malson, age 70, says that he, the said Edward Moulson, living in the house with John Jackson about 25 years past, heard Jackson call Hugh Allin, dec'd, "cousin", and after Jackson's decease, Hugh Allen made love to his widow, but she said they were too near kin to marry; and said Jackson took charge in his lifetime of Charles Allin, son of Hugh Allin, and gave him education as his kinsman. 7 September 1660. Sworn by James Goodwin.

Deposition of Margaret Malson, aged 57, says that John Jackson, Sr, married Ellen, sister to the wife of Hugh Allin, deceased, which John Jackson was father to the John Jackson who lived on Chisman's Creek, whose widow William Burtenwood married.  The said Burtenwood dying, John Humphreys married the widow and said Ellen served her master years, and that widow Jackson owned that Charles Allin, son of Hugh Allin, dec'd, for her kinsman. 7 September 1660. Sword my James Goodwin.  
It is all kind of confusing. But it seems to put our suspects in the right place at the right time.
Chisman's Creek is on the first map on this page. This is where John Lilly was inspecting the tobacco fields in 1639. 
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cullember/otherfam/lilygloucester.html

Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Vol. VI: (Virginia). This is one of a set of Quaker records compiled by William Wade Hinshaw.  These records are available on a Google search.  They are also available on Ancestry.com [paid site.]  They are also available at any LDS Family History Center on microfiche.  If Mary Chisham was a Quaker, her parents may also have been. If so, they left no records.  Virginia Quaker Records are widely available but I don't think that any survived from the right area. There are no Malson or Moulson or Chisham entries in this book.

William and Mary College Quarterly, Volume XIV, Series 1
, page 117-125, "The Reade Family" Mary Lilly appears to have been the daughter of John Lilly II.  There is much more on all of the Reade family in this long article.
Page 119: Robert Reade (son of George Reade and Elizabeth Martian) was justice & of York County, lived near Yorktown and married Mary, daughter of John Lilly, whose wife was the heiress of Edward Mallson, a cooper of said county (deed dated 1693). Note this states that Edward Mallson was 70 years old in 1660 and his wife Margaret, was 57.  Robert Reade named a daughter Margaret, who married "Scotch Tom Nelson", founder of the Nelson family. [This says that Mallson was a Cooper, but he was actually a sawyer according to the deed records.  He paid for some land with cut timber and is referred to as a sawyer.] 

Genealogies of Virginia Families (From Tyler’s Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine), Volume I, p. 653.
“‘Scotch Tom’ [Nelson] was born 20 Feb 1677; died 7 Oct 1745; came to Virginia about 1700; he married first, Margaret Reade.  She was daughter of Robert Reade and Mary Lilly, who was the daughter of John Lilly and granddaughter of John Lilly and his wife, Dorothy Wade (daughter of Arminger Wade and his wife, the heiress of Edward Moulson of York County, Va…”

John Frederick Dorman,
Adventurers of Purse and Person, 1607-1624/5, Volume 2, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2007), 508.

        Robert Reade (Elizabeth Martiau, Nicholas), named by his father as heir to half the 850 acre plantation at and near present Yorktown, served as justice of York, 1692 and later, owned 750 acres in York County, 1704. He married Mary Lilly, daughter of John Lily ( York County Deeds, Orders, Wills, Etc, Volume 1, 1633-1694, transcript, pages 241-3) His will 30 December 1712-16 March 1712/3, (York County Deeds, Orders, Wills Etc, 14, 1709-1716, pages 241-2.)and his wife's will, proved 20 November 1722, (Ibid, 16, 1720-29, page 165) named their children. 


Possible English Records

        I have searched the English records on FamilySearch.org and on the Ancestry database on English baptisms and marriages.  The only record I have found which might possibly apply to our Edward Malson is this one. And Margaret seems to have been born too early.  However, Edward might have been older. And the Margaret in the 1660 Deposition is not necessarily his first wife, or even his wife. I am watching these two major sources to see if any new records appear because both are adding records all the time.

Ancestry.com England and Wales Christening Records 1530 to 1906
19 January 1610  Margaret Malson, daughter of Edward Malson, Christened at Colston-Bassett, Nottinghamshire, England


Malson-Wade Error

        There are probably 10,000 references on the internet and in books to the marriage of Armiger Wade to Dorothy Malson.  We know that is untrue because we have his marriage to Dorothy Halsey/Halsby.  However, I am sure that there are some people who will be reluctant to give up this theory.  The Halsey family was rich and important and in Burke's peerage so we know a lot about them. We know almost nothing about the Malson situation.  The reason that the wife of Armiger Wade could have not been the Malson heiress has to do with the Law of Primogeniture.
        Lou Poole sent me this to help those who are clinging to the Wade-Malson Error:

Curtesy [Definition] :
        Curtesy (an old spelling of courtesy) was the male version of dower, but only if the husband and wife had a child. It was relatively unusual for women to own land, since a wife could not buy land of her own while married. She could purchase land as a single woman and later bring it into a marriage. More commonly, she could inherit land either before or during her marriage. Her husband could not inherit his wife’s land, but he could claim a life interest in it, thus delaying possession by his wife’s heir.
        Since a husband and wife were not heirs of one another, her land would descend at her death to her child or children subject to the laws of inheritance, but also subject to her husband’s curtesy interest.
        Dorothy could have inherited land from a father, and passed it on after her death to her children, without a will.  Of course her heirs would have had to wait until Armiger Wade died to take possession of it.
        But there is a catch. In such a case it would go to her children subject to the laws of inheritance.  That means that it would have first gone to her son Armiger Jr., and if he died without issue, then it would have gone to her two daughters equally. 

        We know Dorothy Wade did not leave a will because she was living in York County where the records actually did survive.  This eliminates Dorothy Wade as a Malson even if we had not already found the marriage of Armiger Wade to Dorothy Halsby/Halsey! 


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This webpage is dedicated to Gordon Lilly who sent me so many of these tidbits.  
He was determined to find an ancestry for Edmund Lilly.  


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