Mary Gilbert appears to be the mother of Dorothy Durham (and of Alice Chinn-Stretchley, and Tomazin Marshall). She may have been related to William Smoot, Sr. (or William Smute, the immigrant as he is called). Michelle Ule has suggested that Mary Gilbert, the widow, might be a sister of William Smute the immigrant. I am starting to like that possibility more than any other idea I've seen. Note that a William Smoot did witness the indenture that she made to Dorothy and Thomas Durham, her dau. & son-in-law. Dorothy Durham appears to be too old to be the daughter of William Smoot, Jr. (son of the immigrant), and it seems odd that in William Smoot Sr.'s will he does not mention any of the 3 sisters--Alice, Tomazin, and Dorothy. He does mention daughters in his will, but not these three. As recorded in: Supplement to the History of the Dodson-Dotson Family of Southwest Virginia. Compiled and edited by the Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas, Jr. N.p: the author, 1966., pp. 106-107: Richmond County, Virginia Deed Book 4, 1705-1708 "This Indenture made the six and twentieth day of Aprill anno Domini 1707 and in sixth yeare of the Reign of our Sovereigne Lady Anne by the Grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland Queene, Defender of the faith Between Mary Gilbert of the parish of North Farnham in the county of Richmond and Dominion of Virginia, Widdow of the one party, and Thomas Durham of North Ffarnham in the county of Richmond and Dominion aforesaid, Planter and Dorothy his wife of the other pary. Witnesseth that the said Mary GIlbert for good and valuable consideration in hand payed the receipt whereof the said Mary doth hereby acknowledge and of every part and parcel thereof doth requitt consrate and discharge the said Thomas Durham and Dorothy his wife and theire heires by these presents do give grant, bargaine sole alienate entaile and confirme unto the said Thomas Durham and Dorothy his wife theire heirs and assignes a certain plantation tract or parcele of land scituate lying and being in the parish of North Ffarnham in the county of Richmond and Dominion of Virginia upon a Branch of Ffarnham in the county of Richmond and Dominion of Virginia upon a Branch of Ffarnham Creeke called and knowne by the name of the Buory Swamp, containing by estimation fifty acres, now in the tanure and occupation of Walter Wright and bounded as followeth: (legal description is omitted in this abstract).... the said Mary Gilbert for her self, her heires, Exors. and Admns. doth covenant promise, grant and assign to the said Thomas Durham and Dorothy his wife and their heires and assignes In manner and form as followeth, That is to say, that the said Mary Gilbert att the time of the ensealing and delivery hereof hath true title, full power and lawful authority to grant and convey the said bargained land and premisses as aforesaid and allso from time to times and att all times hereafter ...... doth hereby grant unto the said Thomas Durham and Dorothy his wife and their heires and assignes with all the rights members and appurtanances thereunto belonging or appurtaining without.....and do Execute and acknowledge any other or further deed or deeds which shall be advised, devised or required by the said Thomas Durham, Dorothy his wife or theire Counsle learned in the law or theire heires or assignes for the better and more sure settlement of all and singular of the premisses hereto granted and every part and parcle of the said land unto the said Thomas Durham and Dorothy his wife and theire heires and assignes forever, In Witness whereof the said Mary Gilbert have hereunto put her hand and seal the day and month and year above written. Signed, sealde and Delivered in the presence of: William Smoot, Mil. Walters Mary M. Gilbert (seal) Recorded 15 May 1707, Teste: J. Sherlock" Also on page 107 of the Dodson book listed above, there is a copy of an indenture made the 10 December 1723 between Thomas Durham and Thomas Dodson, Sr. There is mention of land belonging to Thomas Durham and Mary his wife--this would be Thomas Durham, Jr. and wife Mary (Smoot) Durham I assume--gg. It says this is "a ceratin parcel of the land formerly belonging to Abraham Marshal bearing date ye 25th. of December 1692, the said land containing the just quanitity of one hundred acres lying and being in the county of Richmond...." They conveyed this land to Thomas Dodson, Sr.--I assume this is the Thomas Dodson (b. 1681) who married Mary Durham, sister of Thomas Durham, Jr.--gg. My thinking is that Abraham Marshal was the husband of Tomazin Marshall mentioned earlier and thus was a brother-in-law of Dorothy Durham and also the uncle of Thomas Durham, Jr. and of Mary Durham Dodson shown here.--gg Another deed is quoted with the date of 6 May 1724 which mentions Thomas and Mary Durham as signing the deed (but Rev. S. E. Lucas says this refers to Thomas Durham and wife Dorothy--I think he has confused the issue. We need to get the original deed to sort this particular one out--gg) and also refers to land being conveyed to Thomas Dodson, Sr. Also, the above book, on page 108, lists this reference to Mary Gilbert: Richmond County, Virginia, Wills & Inventories, 1709-1717. "In the name of God Amen, I, Thomas Durham of Northfarnham in the County of Richmond being sick in Body but of sound and perfect Memory. Praise be given unto God therefore calling to Mind His Mortallity of my body and that it is appointed for all Men once to Die, Do make and Ordain this my Last Will & Testament, That is to say-- Principally & first of all I Recommend my soul unto the hands of God that gave it and my Body to the Earth to be Buried in Christian and Decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors hereafter named; nothing Doubting but at the generall Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty Power of God; And as touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleased God to Bless me in this Life----- Item. I give and Bequeath unto my Dear & Loving wife Dorothy Durham the use of my Plantations, together with all my Lands & Tenements with all and Every of their Appurtenances--Proffits and Commoditys __________ Belonging or appertaining for & During the _____________ of her natural Life and after her Decease if my Son Thomas Durham and Mary his wife do by some sufficient Instrument in writing under their hands and seals and affording to due forme of Law Release and acquitt all and singular their Right, Title and Interest in and unto Fifty acres of Land being the same Tract & Plantation which we had conveyed us by Mary Gilbert unto my son John Durham and his heirs or pay him the said: John Durham Eight Thousand Pounds of Tobacco in Lieu of His said Land and also pay unto my Daughter Mary Dodson Fifteen hundred pounds of Tobacco that then and upon this consideration-------aforesaid: I do give and bequeath unto my said son Thomas Durham and his heirs Lawfully Begotten and for want of such issue unto my son John Durham and his heirs Lawfully Begotton and in _______ of such issue unto my GrandSon Thomas Dodson and his heirs, But if my said son Thomas Durham doth refuse and will not release the said fifty acres of Land nor pay the Tobacco aforesaid: I do will and Bequeath the said Plantation whereon I now dwell with all my Lands unto my son John Durham and his heirs--- Item. I give and Bequeath unto my Son John Durham Fifty acres of Land more or less being the Plantation with all the Tract and Parcell of Land that was Conveyed us by Mary Gilbert, to have and to hold the said Tract and Parcell of Land with the appurtainances unto my said son John Durham and his heirs Lawfully begotten and for want of such issue unto my GrandSon Thomas Dodson and his heirs--- Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son John Durham one Feather Bed and Furniture, one Cow and calf, one Mare and Iron Pott, Two ____ Dishes and half a dozen Plates ITEM I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Dodson Five Thousand Pounds of Tobacco; Fifteen hundred Pounds of the same to be paid by my son Thomas Durham within Nine months after the Decise of my wife and Five hundred the Rest of the said Tobacco to be paid by my Son John Durham at the Decease of my Wife---- Item. I give and Bequeath all the Residue of my Estate, Goods, Cattle and Chattells unto my wife Dorothy Durham for & During her widowhood, but if she doth Marry that _____ off my Personall Estate, Except what is herein given to John Durham shall be Equally Divided between my wife and my three Children, and I do make and Ordain my Dear & well beloved Wife Sole Executrix of this my Last Will & Testament---Rattifying and Confirming this & none other to be my Last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this Fourth Day of August in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eleven. Signed, Sealed & Published and Declared in the presence of us-- Joan O Searles her mark, Arthur Kay his mark, Miles Walters Thomas Durham his mark (seal) Att. at a Court held for RIchmond County ye ffirst Day of June 1715 This Will was approved in open Court by the oaths of Arthur Key & Joan Searles ______ of the Witness or tthereto be on admitted to Recored...Tests M: Beckewith C.C.O." It appears from the mention of Mary Gilbert in these deeds and that the land is passed on to the next generation, that this must be land passed down from an ancestor--Mary Gilbert. She must be the mother of Dorothy Durham.--gg. Glenn Gohr ggohr01@mail.orion.org