I26860: EVA de BERMINGHAM of Offaly (ABT 1170

Notes

A Virginia Heritage by Eleanor Brown Merrill. This book was privately printed in 1968 and is in The National Genealogical Society Library. CS71.B88 1968 C.1 6417. Abstracted from pages 51 and 52: "Of Peter we record some facts principally because of the light they throw upon the time in which he lived. In 1711 he was sent to negotiate with the Tuscarora Indians, who had refused to join with other tribes in a widespread massacre, and who were urged to sign a peace treaty with the English in Virginia. His name appears in William Byrd's Secret Diary through a number of years, and it is surprising to see how much thought Byrd gave to food, in spite of what must have been a rather uninteresting diet! We read in his diary:

October 8, 1711...I said a short prayer and ate boiled milk for breakfast... It was agreed to send Peter Poythress (Indian trader and interpreter) to the Tuscaroras to treat them and to demand the Baron Graffenriedt who was prisoner among the Indians January 21, 1712... Peter Poythress came to our house and brought me a letter from my brother Custis... He stayed and dined and I ate roast mutton for dinner...March4, about twelve o'clock Mr. Poythress and Mrs. Ann B-k-r were married and about two we went to dinner and I ate some boiled tongue. We continued very grave till the evening and then we danced and were very merry...

March 11, in the evening Peter Poythress came with 14 of the Tuscorora Indians, whom he was going to conduct to the Governor... March 16, Peter Poythress came over and told me the Governor received the Tuscaroras very coldly and ordered them to go and help the people of Carolina cut off Hancock town, which they said they would...

May 16, 1720, Then came Mr. Poythress and dined (on boiled beef)...After dinner I settled some accounts with Mr. Poythress till 4 o'clock.. Sept. 19, 1720, about twelve o'clock came Mrs. Duke and her lawyer, Mr. Poythress, and dined with my brother and sister. Duke and I ate some pork collops. After dinner we sat and talked...In the evening we sat to drink several healths till 9 o'clock.

After some years the diary on July 26, 1741, notes that with others Mrs. Poythress came after dinner and stayed till the evening. Also in this month there was suit brought by Robert and Thomas Poythress, executors of their brother Joshua's estate, against Benjamin Harrison.

From the above we gather that Peter Poythress married Mrs. Ann Baker; they owned a water mill on Powell's Creek sold to them by John Hardyman, and had one daughter, Anne, who married Richard Bland of "Jordans"; he was the grandson of John Bland who in 1657 had acquired this tract of land from the first Benjamin Harrison's widow. A daughter, Christian Poythress, married John Fitzgerald and their daughter, Elizabeth, married Archibald Robertson; whence came the dual relationship of Susannah Peachy Poythress, whose aunt, Mrs. Richard Eppes of Appomattox Manor, is referred to later..."

From William B. Hall, "The Poythress Family," Genealogies of Virginia Families, v. 4, p. 182-183; Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1982: "We have not been able to place the first Joshua Poythress in his proper nitch in the Poythress family. He is known to have been given grants of land in Prince George County in 1722 and 1734. John Hardyman and his wife Henrietta Maria deeded to him in 1725 a place called "Flower de Hundred." This deed seems to have been the first possession in the Poythress family of Flowerdew Hundred. Attention is called to the Col. Peter Poythress the first as of "Flower de Hundred," but we are of the opinion that he never was in actual possession, otherwise it would most probably have passed into possession of his only daughter and heir Anne who married Richard Bland of "Jordans." Vide note on "Flowerdew Hundred" under study of the Peter Poythresses."

From same source (Hall), pp. 205-207: "The first mention of a Peter Poythress that we have is a notice in the Journal of the Executive Council where'Mr. Peter Poythress is sent to negotiate with the Tuscaroros Indians in October 1711, and he makes report in the following December. To have been so selected he must have been of mature age and dependable character. His parentage has not been clearly set forth. We have him mentioned in two genealogies of the Poythress family, and in the first is the following outlined: --- Major Francis Poythress married Rebecca and had issue: 1. John and 2. Francis who married. John married and had issue 1. Col. William, born 1695 and 2. Col. Peter of 'Flower de Hundred' (I) Prince George County. Later on Col. Peter Poythress of 'Flower de Hundred' had issue Anne (born Dec. 13, 1712 died April 9, 1758) only child and heir, married Richard Bland of Jordan's Point, Prince George County. In the second genealogy: -- Francis Poythress and wife --- had Robert born 1790, married and had Peter born 1715 and he had Peter born 1732. Both of the above are incorrect, but it is difficult to interpret the accurate sequence of parentage of a number of the early members of this family. On account of the statement given in the traditions of the Poythress family that both Robert and Peter Poythress were sons of a John Poythress but not of the John given in the above genealogy, we feel inclined to give credence to Peter being the son of a John. We would prefer to select the John Poythress, Sr., and not the John Poythress, Jr. of the will of 1724, undated but proved to be that year. This John Poyhtress, Sr., is definitely shown in the study of the John Poythresses and particularly referred to in the Deed of David Poythress to Robert Poythress in 1735 of 600 acres of land situated on the Nottaway River in Surry County, a part of it having come to him by the last will and testament of his father John Poythress. Note carefully the location of land in Surry County on the Nottaway River acquired by purchase of Peter Poythress from Henry Jones in 1725, and that David Poythress the son of John acquired by grant a part of the place he sold Robert Poythress in 1723. David and Peter had lands in the same location in Surry County, and whereas that does not prove that they were brothers, but taken with the stated fact David was the son of john and in the family genealogy that Peter was the son of John it might also be possible that this john Poythress, Sr. could have been another son of the first Francis Poythress, a brother of Major Francis, and uncle of the John Poythress, Jr. of the will of 1724. This is however pure speculation on our part, as we have no stated fact to prove its truth, and is simply an attempt to make tradition jibe with records. Again Robert Poythress, in a genealogical statement of one of his descendants who distnctly states that an old aunt of hers said that Robert was a grnadson of Francis1 of 1633. This of course undependable. On of the genealogies above give Peter to be the son of Francis3, and that may be true. At any rate Peter and Robert belong to the same time and were either first cousins or brothers. We are inclined to make special plea of the relationship being brothers. Bear in mind that Robert Poythress had only one son Peter Poythress born in 1732 and he with his wife Elizabeth Bland were executors of the will of his father Robert. Robert and Peter were in intimate relationship and what would have been more natural than for Robert tp name and what turned out to his only son Peter for his brother. We do not know the date of birth of Peter but his daughter Anne was born in 1712, and her daughter Elizabeth Bland married her cousin Peter Poythress and they were Robert's executors. Col. Peter Poythress lived during his life time through the changes which occurred in Charles City County and in reference to him is spoken of as of 'Flower de Hundred.' This brings up the question of 'Flowerdew Hundred' and when it came into possession of the Poythress family. (Vide note 1) We do not interpret that he owned 'Flowerdew Hundred' but he may have lived there. Certainly if he owned it, possession would have passed to his only daughter and heir Anne. It did come into possession of Joshua Poythress in 1725. We do not know how he acquired the title of Colonel, but he was a man of means, of acumen, and one in whom trust was imposed. The date of his birth and whom he married in not known. Attention here is called to the deed made to him by Henry Jones and Catherine his wife of Surry County of 250 acres on the south side of Nottaway River for 5 shillings. The price of 5 shillings is rather suggestive of some close family relationship between the Jones and Poythress families. Might not a daughter of Henry Jones have been the wife of Peter Poythress? It is seen that both owned property on the Nottaway River. The date of his death is not known but he died close about or before 1730 as he had an only daughter and heir Anne who had a son born in 1732. There is a possibility that the second name Peter Poythress of one of the genealogies born in 1715 as stated might have been his son instead of the son of Francis, but if so he died before his father."

My Southern Family

EVA de BERMINGHAM of Offaly

ABT 1170 - BEF 1226

ID Number: I26860

Sources

Bonnie BOOGERT

CARATACUS BRITAIN

0040 - 0054

ID Number: I55385

Sources

William BURNEY III

bet. 1761-1772 - ABT 1824

ID Number: I87443

Sources

Philip COMPTON

ABT 1790 - ____

ID Number: I90760

Notes

Sources

Arthur DUDLEY

ABT 1710 - ____

ID Number: I3704

Sources

Joe Bonham GREER

ABT 1903 - ____

ID Number: I16689

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Caroline MCCANTS

1821 - 1849

ID Number: I9395

Notes

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Narcissus Katherine MORTON

15 Jan 1872 - 8 Sep 1961

ID Number: I78160

Notes

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Mollie MOSS

ABT 1862 - ____

ID Number: I41010

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Peter POYTHRESS

ABT 1686 - ABT 1730

ID Number: I64668

Notes

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Bernieta URMEY

ABT 1840 - ____

ID Number: I39464

Sources

Kathleen WEAVER

AFT 1883 - ____

ID Number: I14319

Sources

John William WEBB

1649 - 1694

ID Number: I80589

Notes

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