Another reason I believe that it is Robert Poythress is because of the 1713 court case of Robert furnishing ammo to the NDNs. There is already an established relationship between Robert and the trade. The following year in 1714 is the Porteus with the Fort. When you take into account the relationship between the Poythress and the Wall family and knowing that John Wall received land for movement of the Saponi to the fort. It's by no means definitive but it would make better sense to be a Poythress considering the associations that were with the other families involved with the trade where we've not run into hardly any if at all of the Porteus group. Just my thoughts. Crystal -----Original Message----- From: "John M. Poythress" <brerfox@bellsouth.net> Sent: Dec 1, 2005 1:10 PM To: POYTHRESS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Porteus, etc. Here is my email to the Porteus page on GenForum. It contains the "order." Barbara, despite the circumstantial evidence on behalf of Robert Poythress, you can check the Porteus/Porteous page on GenForum and discover that the colonial VA woods were full of these Porteus guys. Taking the semi-logical tack that a Congressional reporter might be expected to render a proper name a little more carefully and/or correctly than the average courthouse clerk...in addition to the known existence of Porteuses, I'm inclined to not try to lay claim to this one without more evidence. I wish one of those Porteus guys would answer me. BTW, Crystal thinks it's Robert Poythress and she's the resident expert on Ft. Christianna albeit I think she would also admit the evidence is both circumstantial and "in the face" of the court document. Anyway: This is an interesting document for the Porteus crowd...I'm interested in knowing if this is a known connection for you or if anyone has any suspicion that he might be something other than a Porteus; i. e. as in possibily being a Poythress. Thanks. Document 37 ERECTION OF FORT CHRISTANNA [Executive Journals, III, 375, 376] _______________________________ At a Council held at the Capitol the 15th day of October 1714 Present The Honorable Alexander Spotswood her Majesties Lieutenant Governor etc. James Blair Philip Ludwell John Smith John Lewis William Cocke and Robert Porteus Esquires * * * * * * * The Governor acquainted the Council that pursuant to the Trust reposed in him by the General Asembly he had for the better securing the Frontiers erected a Fort at Christanna on the South side of Maherine River, and laid out a Tract of land on that side for the habitation of the Saponie, Occoneechee, Stukanox and Tottero Indians, and on the opposite Side of the River another Tract for the Nottoways and Maherines who had represented to him the impossibility of their being able to Subsist on the Land intended for them in the fork of James River, by reason of its barrenness, of which he himself had been an eye witness during his late Progress: That for the Security of the Fort of Christanna (40) he had appointed a Captain and twelve men to reside there, who with a proportionable number of the Indians are to performe the Ranging Service between Roanoak River and Appomattox and that part of the Countrey which has been hitherto most exposed to the incursions of the Tuscaruro Indians intirely Secured. And that for the ease of the Country, he had disbanded the Rangers of Prince George's County and reduced the number of those other Rangers who are continued in pay in other parts of the Frontiers to the number of Six in each Troop. Crystal.... This would fit our Robert Poythress (Batte # 28) as he would be 24 at the time. At his death he wills (1743 will) considerable property to half dozen children. The land he wills looks to be in part inherited from his brother Peter (Batte # 27) so it's likely that by the time of this Executive Council order he would have been a man of property....and the "esquire" would imply also a man of education (even if not technically a lawyer which "esquire" often, but not always, meant). Both Robert and his brother Peter were constantly traders, translators and negotiators with most of the tribes that wound up in Ft. Christiana. Robert Poythress would have been a natural to have been sent by the council but it strikes me that OUR first preference in the genealogical matter should be to take the council at their word; i. e. the guy's name really was Porteus. Do you have any other "linkage" between this man and the Fort at Christianna? How would you make the odds on Robert Porteus being Robert Poythress? (You might want to slip over to GenForum and give it Porteus and/or Porteous....there seem to be quite a few of them, a couple from Gloucester County, VA that might be candidates with better credentials than ours to be this man..and they're actually named Porteus <g>. Maynard ==== POYTHRESS Mailing List ==== Poythress Genealogy Research Web www.poythress.net