Fourth Generation

60. John CREEL^1,33,37,65 was born on 28 February 1732 in Richmond County, Virginia.⁶⁶ He died in 1788 at the age of 56 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.⁶²

Baptist Minister, organized Kentuck or Mill Church in 1770.
Will of his father-in-law, Thomas Dodson, gave the Baptists the use of the meeting house & three acres of land near John Creel's mill.

A HISTORY OF BROAD RUN BAPTIST CHURCH, Fauquier Co VA 1762-1987, John S. Moore, 1987
Chapter Two, p.13-15
....About 1765 over 20 Broad Run members moved to Halifax in the area which is now Pittsylvania County and were constituted as the Birch Creek Church. In 1771 John Creel, a member of Birch Creek Church, was ordained by David Thomas and became pastor. [Thomas was the first pastor at Broad Run Church.]

John Creel's first land entry in Halifax was on 10 Mar 1766.

There are two John Creels in Pittsylvania Co; both married to Dodson girls. The younger is the son of this couple.

Pittsylvania DB 3
p.361 22 Jun 1773 Thomas Dodson to John Creel. 50£. Tract on both sides Burch Creek, 200 acres. Crossing the mill pond. Signed: Thomas Dodson Senr
Wit: Jeffery Johnson, David Dodson, Caleb Dodson
23 Sep 1773 Proved by oaths of wit
p.362: 22 Jun 1773 John Creel bound for 1000 £ to provide a place for Thomas Dodson and wife to live during their lives which shall be the place whereon they now live or such place as shall content them. Signed: John Creel Wit: Jeffrey Johnson, David Dodson, Caleb Dodson Both deeds recorded on 23 Sep 1773.
p.362 22 Sep 1773 John Creel to John Henderson. 40£. Tract on both sides Irvin River on Smiths River. 150 acres. Signed: John Creel
Wit: Jeffrey Johnson, Thomas Hill, Caleb Dodson 23 Sep 1773. Proved by witnesses.

Pittsylvania Co VA DB 6
p.44 16 Sep 1780 Jacob Chaney to John Atkinson. 4000£. North birches creek. 150 acres. Begin sd Chaney's Mountain line, post oak in John Creels line, meanders of Birches Creek, Thomas _____ ?Rogers line. Signed: Jacob (x) Chaney. No wit. Proved 19 Sep 1780 by Chaney
p.54 17 Oct 1780 George Dodson to John Creel. 300£. Tract both sides Birches creek. 260 acres. Thomas Dodson corner, his line, with Grubb's line. Signed: George Dodson
Wit: Jesse Dodson, George (X) Dodson, James (X) ?Fears Ack 17 Oct 1780
p.193 5 Jan 1781 John Creel to Nathaniel Hughs 5000£ Tract of 100 acres on waters of Birches Creek. Sd John Creel's line, Grubbses line. Signed: John Creel Wit: George Dodson, John H. Hendrick, John Atkinson Ack 16 Oct 1781.

Pittsylvania Co Land Tax LIst, 1782: John Creel, 260 acres. A list of changes for 1784 shows John Creel with 480 acres instead of 260.

Pittsylvania DB 7
p.426 22 Nov 1784 John Creel to John Chilton. 50£ 100 acres. North side Birches Creek. Begin bank of creek, hence with sd Creels line, side of a mountain, near a road and near the edge of sd Creels old field, bank on S side of creek, down the meanders. Signed: John Creel. Wit: Thos. Hill, James (x) Donelson, Samuel Morris.
18 Apr 1785 Ack by John Creel

According to Rev. Elias Dodson, John Creel was raising a house when a log fell on him and killed him. Although the Dodson book states that he died in 1792, the land tax records show that Rosannah began paying tax on his land in 1789, so it's likely he died the prior year.

John CREEL and Rosannah DODSON were married in Virginia. Rosannah DODSON^1,64, daughter of Thomas DODSON and Elizabeth ROSE, was born (date unknown).

Rhoda and John Creel both joined Broad run Baptist church in Dec of 1762. They moved to Halifax/Pittsylvania along with her father and others.
Although she is usually in the Price records as Rhody, she is in a Pittsylvania deed as Rosana:
Db 1, p.432
29 Nov 1769 Jno CREEL to Benjamin Stinnet …Land both sides Irvin River ..150 A ..against mouth of Flat Creek Signed: John CREEL. Wit: Timothy STAMPS, Jno STAMPS, Thomas STAMPS. Rec. 23 Mar 1770. Rosana, wife of John, relinquished dower.

Pittsylvania Co VA DB 11
p.503 27 Nov 1798 Rosannah Creel Wilson, widow & relict of John Creel late of Pittsy. Rhoda Creel and _____ Creel, two of children & heirs of said John Creel of 2nd part and James Henry of Northunmberland, VA of 3rd part. John Creel dec'd was seized of tract of land & sundry tenements on Birches Crk in Pittsy with a water grist mill theron. 560a. Departed this life intestate in the year 1787 leaving Rosanna Creel his widow & the following children: Thomas, John, Micajah, William, Elijah, Mary, Alice & Rhoda. Said Thomas was desirous to remove to distant parts & accepted from the family a recompense in personal property & moved away. Said Rosanna & the other children have agreed to & made partition of the landed property. The water grist mill & 11 acres were allotted to said Rhoda & Elijah to be held by them jointly as their share. The said Rhoda Creel & Elijah for 280£ paid by said James. Rosanna the widow for consideration of $1 by said Henry. The said Rhoda & Elijah have sold and th said Rosanna hath relinquiahed her right of dower the said water grist mill and 11 acres of land both sides of Birches Creek including the Mill Houses, Dam, pond, etc. Unto James Henry. Signed: Rosanna (x) Creel, Rhoda Creel. Wit: Gardner Mays, John Creel, Davis (D) Dodson, Joseph Hill 15 Jul 1799 oath of witnesses

The above deed was not signed by Elijah. It was recorded again in DB 12
p.177 27 Nov 1798 Rosanna Creel, widow & relict of John Creel, Rhoda Creel & Elijah Creel, two of the children, to James Henry. Land & sundry tenements on Birches Creek, with water grist mill. 560 a. John Creel departed this life intestate in 1797 leaving Rosanna Creel his widow and the following children: Thomas, John, Micajah, William Elijah, Mary, Alice & Rhoda
[same deed as before. This time Elijah signed as well. 15 Sep 1800 - ordered recorded]

Pittsylvania Co DB 13
p.293 Rosanah Creel, Administratrix of Estate of John Creel, deceased, appoint Elijah Creel, a Legatee of said Creel Deceased, my lawful attorney in my name and to my use to ask demand recover or receive of any Debtor to the said Estate and to give Receipts for same and to settle with the Legatees of said Creel decd according to the agreement made among the Legatees. Signed: Rosanah (x) Creel. Wit: Thos. Shelton, Walker Goodwin, George Shelton. 20 Jun 1803 presented and proved by witnesses.
p.382 30 Jul 1803 Rosanah Creel, adminx of John Creel Dec'd, Micajah Creel, John Creel & Elijah Creel and Abel Wilson of Rockingham Co NC and Ransdal Petty of Halifax, all legatees of sd John Creel to John Shelton, a legatee of sd John Creel. 50£. Tract of 166 acres on waters of Birches Creek. Henrys Mill pond, old order line, near old Adams house, to the said Sheltons corner, Henry's mill, up the creek. Signed: Rosanah (x) Creel, Micajah (X) Creel, John Creel, Wm Creel, Elijah Creel, Ransdale Petty, Abel Wilson. Wit: Geo Dodson, James Shelton, John Shelton Junr, Walter Goodwin. 19 Sep 1803 proved by three witnesses
By 1803 apparently all three daughters were married. Rhoda married 7 Nov 1801 to Abiel Wilson. Mary & Alice married Petey or Shelton - I don't know which.

John CREEL and Rosannah DODSON had the following children: