B. John Berry {B.}
John Berry {B.} (~1690 - 1770/1771) was born and married at an unknown date and place, probably in either Scotland or northern Ireland, but there is no supporting documentation at the present time verifying anything other than a short period of his life in Augusta County, Virginia. Due to the repetitive use of the given name, John, by this family, in this report, this individual is referred to as the elder John Berry. As noted above, in this report, the elder John Berry is considered to be the father of the males he names in his will.211 There is an undocumented birth date of 1716 for John Berry's son, James Berry (who died in 1749), which, if true, would place a broad limit on the elder John Berry's birth date. If the elder John Berry was at least 21 years old when James was born, then his birth date calculates to 1695.321 Since no other birth dates are available from primary sources for the rest of his children, the next best source of data, which is, clearly, quite indirect in nature, comes from the birth date of one of his daughters in law. William Berry, one of the elder John Berry's sons, married Jane MaGill, a daughter of William MaGill.117,169 MaGill researchers have placed Jane's birth date as being about 1723.117,169 If William married a woman about his own age (and there is no guarantee that this is true), then his birth date can be approximated as occurring around 1723. This makes him about the same age as Thomas Berry (1718 - 1798),7,56,96,99 who is believed to be a son of the elder James Berry.7,56,96,99 If William's father (the elder John Berry) was at least twenty one years old when William was born, the elder John Berry must have been born, at least, by 1702, which is quite close to the estimated birth date of the elder James Berry. Neither James Berry's (the one that died in 1749) nor Jane MaGill's birth dates are firmly documented, but they both point to the late 1600's and early 1700's as a probable birth date for the elder John Berry. If both are considered at face value, then the elder John Berry was probably born at least by 1695, and possibly earlier. Additionally, if Thomas and William Berry are about the same age, but had different fathers, the birth date of the fathers are probably not far apart. While this analysis does not provide a solid date for the birth of the elder John Berry, it does provide an acceptable rough time frame. |
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Timeline of John Berry
21 March 175321 |
Augusta
County, Virginia Order Book 3, page 414
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Augusta
County, Virginia Deed Book 10, page 243
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Augusta
County, Virginia Deed Book 11, page 714
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20 Nov 1764256 |
Augusta County,
Virginia Deed Book No. 11, page 715
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08 Oct. 1765304 |
Augusta County,
Virginia Deed Book 12, pages 288-291
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15 Oct. 1765304 |
Augusta County,
Virginia Deed Book 12, pages 288-291
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Augusta County,
Virginia Deed Book 16, page 336
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28 Sept. 1770273 |
Rockbridge County,
Virginia Plat Record Book 1, pages 120
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10 Oct. 1770221 |
Augusta
County, Virginia Will Book 4, page 404
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22 Mar. 1771211 |
At
a Court Continued and held for Augusta County
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09 Aug 1771211 |
Augusta County,
Virginia Will Book No. 4, page 446
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13 Aug. 1771211 |
Augusta
County, Virginia Will Book 4, page 411
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16 May 178121 |
Augusta
County, Virginia Will Book 6, page 173
Pursuant to an order of the court March 1781 We have examined the within
account as it stands stated & find the amount thereof to be £242.19
and the
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Aug. 1799273 |
Rockbridge County,
Virginia Plat Record Book 1, pages 120 - 123
Endorsed We assign over all our right and tittel of the within bond
unto John Robinson & desiring and empowering him to crave (?) sew &
receive the within conditions as if we were personally present. Given under
our hands this twenty seventh day of September in the year one thousand
seven hundred and seventy three.
We Hugh & Francis McClung promise to pay unto John Robinson or his
assigns the full sum of eight five pounds current money of Virginia upon
the second day of November first after the hereof to be pay.d unto him
his heirs or assigns to the which payment need and truly to be made we
bind ourselves our heirs Executors administrators and assigns formly by
these presents sealed with our seals and dated this 27th day of September
1773.
And now at this day to wit, In the County Court of Rockbridge on the
10th day of August 1799 first aforesaid
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Analysis of the Timeline
The elder John Berry can be identified from a number of Augusta County, Virginia court records, and can be traced from 1753 to his death in late 1770 or early 1771. Since his estate was not completely settled for another ten years, his name continues to appear in court records as late as 1781. The earliest record comes from a 1753 Augusta County court document, which orders what appear to be property owners to maintain a new road. Two major questions arise at this point. Is this, indeed, the elder John Berry? If so, then this is the earliest documentation of him. Does this list represent landowners? If that is true, then John Berry must own land somewhere in this area. |
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20th May, 1765. John ( ) Edmiston and Margret ( ) to John
Stewart, £50, 132 acres in Borden's tract; corner John Stewart; corner
Wm. Edmiston. Teste: Samuel Buchanan, Wm. and Samuel Edmiston.
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Known
Mary Neizbitt |
daughter (married Samuel Nesbitt) |
Samuel Neizbitt |
son in law of the elder John Berry and husband of Mary Berry (daughter of the elder John Berry) |
William Berry |
son |
Charles Berry |
son |
Francis and Elizabeth Berry |
son and daughter in law |
Elizabeth Henry |
granddaughter from son Charles |
Elizabeth Berry |
married Samuel Henry |
Andrew McCampbell
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probable great grandson
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Questionable
George Berry |
grandson ? |
James Berry |
grandson ? |
Mary Johnson |
possibly married daughter of William Berry ? |
Elizabeth Bell |
possibly married daughter of Charles or William Berry ? |
John Berry, shoemaker |
grandson |
Rebecca Buchanan |
daughter ? |
Rebecca Gilaspy/Gillesy |
daughter ? |
Unknown
Margaret Kirkpatrick, Robert Kilpatrick, Anthony Kelly, Rebecca Kelly, Capt. John Gilmore, William Gilmore, William Moody, Gabril (?) Fortec (?), James Wallace, John McCrossory, Andrew Buchanan, Alexander McIlroy, Samuel Lyle, William Gilmore, Capt. John Gilmore, Robert Fanies (?), George Gibson |
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Last Revised:02/26/2009