Maynard has organized a gold mine of material over the years including his time line studies. Without these materials, none of these "life stories" would ever have been attempted. After working with Maynard on this material for over two years, it seems more likely now that we can piece together more of the life stories of almost all of the first four generations. Problems still exist on some of the men with the same given name. Lou's study of Anne Poythress Wall gives those of us with female Poythress ancestors inspiration in establishing our ties. The Poythress women that married into the Claiborne, Hall and Pace lines come to mind as well as possibly Poythress women that married into the Vaughn and Boisseau families. The Third Generation: Mr. Joshua Poythress, Merchant, of Flowerdew Hundred, Prince George County R. Bolling Batte on Joshua Poythress [21 Joshua Poythress (-1740), m. ______. The name of the wife of this Joshua has never been proved. The fact that one of his sons was named "Littlebury" suggests that she may have been an Eppes or a Hardyman. In 1725, John Hardyman, whose mother had been Mary Eppes 124, and whose grandmother had been Elizabeth Littlebury, conveyed to "Joseph" Poythress 300 acres, part of the Flowerdew Hundred Tract in Prince George. The consideration expressed was 5 shillings, which means that it was a deed of gift. John Hardyman had actually paid 600 pounds lawful money of England for 150 of the same 300 acres he was now giving away. The "Joseph" named as grantee in the deed was certainly an error in transliteration. Joshua was intended, not "Joseph." This will be clear later when Joshua's grandson William (211 2) sells the same land to Peachy 65 years later. Why should John Hardyman give valuable land away to Joshua Poythress? A most likely answer would be that a Joshua Poythress had married a close relative of John Hardyman, a daughter or a sister. By 1725, John and Henrietta Maria Hardyman would hardly have a daughter old enough to marry. He had sisters, however. Their names do not appear in any known record but their existence is established by the 1726 will of Littlebury Hardeman, brother of John, which leaves one shilling "to each and every one of my brothers and sisters." These circumstances, plus the existence of a Hardyman Poythress in Prince George, bolster a growing suspicion that the wife of Joshua Poythress was a daughter of John Hardyman, Sr. and Mary Eppes, his wife, and thus a granddaughter of Francis and Elizabeth (Littlebury-Worsham) Epes. Hardyman Poythress, as yet unidentified, in 1809, may have been a grandson of Joshua Poythress. Joshua left a will dated January 17, 1739 (o.s.) in which he leaves property to his wife (but inconsiderately fails to name her), and to three sons, three daughters, brothers William, Robert, and others. The original will is now in the archives of the Virginia State Library (Accession 23849). 212 Littlebury Poythress d. w/o issue. Mentioned in his father's 1739/1740 will with an inference that he was incapacitated, either physically or mentally. No further record of him. 213 William Poythress 214 Ann Poythress m. John Wall. Numerous descendants are given in the trial chart of the Eppes Society. 215 Elizabeth Poythress (1725 - 1795). She was married three times; (1) to Walter Boyd, who died in the town of Blandford in 1779; (2) to James Mills (1718 -1782) of Middlesex County; and (3) to Thomas Griffin Peachy (1734 - 1810) of Williamsburg, but then the Clerk of the Court in Amelia County. Elizabeth had no children by any of her three husbands. She died in Petersburg leaving a will on record there. In it she named as beneficiaries her husband, nephews, nieces, and others. The will has been very helpful in establishing with certainty a number of relationships within this branch of the Poythress family. Elizabeth (Poythress-Boyd-Mills) Peachy was buried by her second husband in the churchyard of Christ Church, Middlesex. Thomas G. Peachy died 6 March 1810 in Williamsburg and was buried in the garden of his home where all three of his children by his first marriage, and whom he had outlived, had been buried. In 1911, expansion of Eastern State Hospital necessitated the removal of the remains in the former Peachy garden to nearby Cedar Grove Cemetery. A single large, granite block was then erected as a monument on the lot. It bears ten names, one below the other, with associated years. The first three lines read: "Col. Thomas G. Peachy 1734-1810/Elizabeth Gilliam Peachy 1741-1781/Elizabeth Beverley Peachy - 1795." The second line, of course, refers to TGP's first wife. The third line apparently was intended to refer to his second wife who is not even buried there. While the year of death shown is correct for Elizabeth Poythress, the second wife, the name "Beverley" is an error. The great-grandchildren of TGP who caused the monument to be erected more than 100 years after his death probably had very scant information as to the second wife. They had her confused with the first wife of James Mills who was Elizabeth Beverley. After all, TGP's second wife was only a step-grandmother to these 20th century Peachys. The late John McGill, in his very excellent "The Beverley Family of Virginia" was also confused as to the respective marriages of James Mills and Thomas G. Peachy. On page 616, he has Elizabeth Beverley married in 1743 to James Mills, which is correct. Then he shows her as marrying (2) in 1783 to Thomas Griffin Peachy. Actually Elizabeth (Beverley) Mills, who died in 1770, was married but once. It was her husband who married twice as is clearly shown in The Virginia Gazette for Sept. 4, 1771. It was this second wife of James Mills; i.e., his widow, Elizabeth (Poythress) Mills, who married Thomas G. Peachy in 1783, thirteen years after Elizabeth (Beverley) Mills had been buried. 216 Mary Poythress m. Peter Epes (1730 - 1807), son of Francis and Sarah (Hamlin) Epes of "Causons," Prince George County. They lived at "High Peak" in Pr. Geo. and for this reason he was known as "Peter Epes of High Peak." She died there 25 Jan 1792. Numerous descendants are listed on the Epes chart. [13. Joshua Poythress (John Poythress2, Mary ______1) was born BEF 1689 in VA of "Flower de Hundred" [(P_1) BA] Also of "High Peaks", and died 1739 in Prince George County VA. He married Mary Hardyman, daughter of John Hardyman and Mary Epes. She was born ABT 1700 in Mr. Batte is unsure of this lady. See source note.. Children of Joshua Poythress and Mary Hardyman are: + 38 i. Joshua Poythress was born 1720 in VA [(P_1) BAA], and died BEF 1782 in Prince George Co. VA. 39 ii. Littlebury Poythress was born in VA [(P_1) BAB] died without issue. 40 iii. Ann Poythress was born ABT 1718 in VA [(P_1) BAD]. She married John Wall. He was born ABT 1722. 41 iv. William Poythress was born AFT 1718 in VA [(P_1) BAC] no issue, and died AFT 1779. 42 v. Elizabeth Poythress was born 1725 in VA [(P_1) BAE] [no issue], and died 3 OCT 1795 in Petersburg, Virginia. She married Walter Boyd. He was born in VA, and died 18 NOV 1770 in Blandford, Virginia. She married James Mills SEP 1771, son of ______ ______. He was born 4 APR 1718 in VA of Urbanna, Middlesex, earlier of Rappahannock, and died BEF 28 JAN 1782 in Middlesex County. She married Thomas G. Peachy 22 SEP 1783, son of Samuel Peachy and Winifred Griffin. He was born 13 DEC 1734, and died in Williamsburg, VA. + 43 vi. Mary Poythress was born in VA [(P_1) BAF], and died 25 JAN 1792 in "High Peak" Prince George County, VA.] Family Joshua Poythress was born about 1688, in Charles City County, the son of John Poythress and Christian Peebles. He possibly married a Hardyman, and was married by 1720. Their children were: (1) Joshua (c. 1720-1782), who married Mary Short, the daughter of William and Mary Short; (2) Littlebury, who never married and died without heirs; (3) William (aft. 1720-); (4) Anne (c. 1721-), who probably married John Wall, the son of John Wall and Mary Urvine Brown; (5) Elizabeth (c. 1725-), who married (1) Walter Boyd, (2) James Mills and (3) Thomas Griffin Peachy, the son of Samuel Peachy and Winifred Griffin; and (6) Mary (c. 1730-1/25/1792), who married Peter Epes, son of Francis Epes and Sarah Hamlin. Joshua died before April 8, 1741. Anne Poythress, the Daughter, and John Wall From the Poythress website and JLP: It has been theorized that John Wall married Ann Poythress about 1740. In Robert Hicks' Brunswick County Will, dated in early 1739, Ann Poythress was named as a witness. Robert Hicks had been the commander of Christanna Fort, and was a Brunswick County neighbor of the Wall family. From Hicks' document and the Will of her presumed father, Joshua Poythress, we know that Ann was both an adult and single in 1739. No other records have been found that name her, indicating that she probably married soon afterwards. The land record of John Wall, dated 1747, definitely proves that John Wall had married an Ann by 1747. Narrowing the date down further, John Wall bought and sold a tract of land in 1742 and no wife was named with a right of dower. To have a right of dower, the wife had to have been married when the land was acquired. John Wall would have been married to Ann Poythress about 1742 or 1743. In the correspondence between Walter Ashe Wall, in 1953, and Mr. Richard Dunn, of Richmond, Virginia, Mr. Dunn wrote that from 1725 to 1949, Joshua Poythress, and his descendants, owned the Flower de Hundred plantation in Prince George County, Virginia. On July 18, 1952, Mr. Dunn gave to the Archives Division, Virginia State Library, a copy of the Will, dated January 17, 1739, of Joshua Poythress, of Flower de Hundred, which he had found among the papers of his late father, Dr. William Wilcox Dunn (1870-1952), who was the last descendant of Joshua Poythress to own Flower de Hundred. The interesting thing about the copy of the Will of Joshua Poythress was that it was introduced as evidence in the suit of Wall against Poythress as was clearly shown by the following wording which was inscribed on the back of the Will, "Will (copy) of Joshua Poythress, Wall vs. Poythress." Also, the following excerpt from the Will of Joshua Poythress establishes the fact that as of January 17, 1739, he had an unmarried daughter named Ann Poythress; "the remainder of my estate I give and devise to my loving wife and to my sons, Joshua Poythress and William Poythress, and to my daughters, Ann Poythress, Elizabeth Poythress and Mary Poythress, to be equally divided between them when my son, Joshua Poythress, shall come to age." From the above, it would seem that Ann Poythress, daughter of Joshua Poythress, of Flower de Hundred, married John Wall after the death of her father and being dissatisfied with the division of her father's estate brought suit against his executors." Inheritance On December 11, 1712, the Will of Joshua's father, John Poythress, Sr., of Prince George County, was proved by John Winningham, Peter Leeth and William Stainback. John Poythress, Sr., had appointed his half-brothers, Thomas Wynne and Joshua Wynne, and his friend, William Stainback, to divide his estate. He appointed Joshua's mother, Christian, and Joshua's oldest brother, John Poythress, to be executors of his Will. He gave his son, Joshua, 300 acres of land at Monkasoneck, two negroes, Peter and Beck, and an equal share of his moveable estate. Civic Activities On November 11, 1719, in Prince George County, to Joshua Poythress, among others, for killing 1 wolf, he received 100 pounds tobacco. On April 14, 1719, in Prince George County, Joshua Poythress, Robert Poythress, John Fitzgerald and Edward Mitchell, were nominated and appointed to appraise the estate of Thomas Harwell, deceased, and were to make a report of their proceedings to the next court when Henry Batte, the administrator, thereof was ordered to return the inventory. On January 11, 1721, Joshua received 400 pounds tobacco for killing four wolves; John Gilliam, Sr., 200 pounds tobacco for killing two wolves; Robert Poythress, John Poythress, John Gilliam, Jr., and Richard Pace received 100 pounds each for killing one wolf respectively. On May 9, 1738, in Prince George County, William Poythress, Gentleman, swore a Grand Jury composed of William Batte, Joshua Poythress, Robert Poythress, Edward Wyatts, Joseph Thomas, John Holloway, Charles Anderson, William Cureton, John Jones, William Bonner, William Martin, Drury Oliver, Daniel Jackson, Peter Leath, Richard Simpson, John Womack, Thomas Farreld, James Baugh, Bernard Lyke and John Livesay. On August 15, 1739, in Prince George County, in the action of trespass for assault and battery brought by Robert Hudson against James Moody, Richard Taylor, Joshua Poythress, Robert Poythress, Thomas Poythress, Charles Poythress, John Sturdivant, Joseph Simmons, A. Graham Toney, Joshua Wynne, William Parsons, Timothy Lamar, and William Batte were jurymen. On April 8, 1739, in Prince George County, the Will of Daniel Eelbank, deceased, was exhibited in court. Joshua Poythress, among others, was to appraise the estate. Court Cases In May, 1738, in Prince George County, in the petition of Joshua Poythress and Francis Poythress against Hannah Poythress, executrix of the estate of Francis Poythress, the petitioners failing to prosecute, was dismissed. On September 13, 1738, in Prince George County, in the suit in Chancery brought by Francis Haddon against Joshua Poythress the respondent by his attorney appeared and on his motion time was granted him until the next court to answer the Complainant's Bills. On October 19, 1738, January 10, 1739, and, March 13, 1739, in the suit in Chancery brought by Francis Haddon against Joshua Poythress, on the motion of respondent's attorney, the case was continued until the next court and on the respondent's cost. Property: Personal Property and Land October 13, 1719, in Prince George County, Prince, a negro boy, belonging to Joshua Poythress, was judged to be five years old. July 12, 1725, in Prince George County, John Hardyman and Henrietta Maria, his wife, sold to Joseph/Joshua Poythress, 1 negro man slave, Frank Mingo, and 1 negro girl slave, Tabbe. The witnesses were Thomas Eldridge and William Poythress. Joshua inherited two slaves from his father in 1712 but had added at least one by 1719 and two more by 1725. On May 12, 1713, Thomas Vincent and Sarah, his mother, sold to Joseph/Joshua Poythress, 100 acres, in Prince George County, on the line of John Ellis and Queen's land, a deed of lease. On February 10, 1718, James Parham, of Prince George County, sold to Joshua Poythress, of Prince George County, 200 acres, in Prince George County, on Bailey's Creek known as "High Peak." The witness was James Cocke. On June 22, 1722, Joshua Poythress, was granted 333 acres of new land, in Prince George County, on the north side of Moccosoneck Creeke, adjoining Williams Jones, Jr. On July 10, 1725, a deed of lease for 20 years, between John Hardyman, of Martin's Brandon parish, in Prince George County, and Henrietta, his wife, to Joseph/Joshua Poythress, of the same parish and county, 300 acres, in Prince George County, called Flowerdew Hundred, bounded on the north by the James River, on the east by the land of Robert Wilkins, and on the south by the land called Dutchy Hills and on the west by the land of Elizabeth Duke, it being part of the said Flower de Hundred tract of land which contained 1,000 acres, or thereabouts; 150 of the said 300 acres were devised to the said Henrietta Maria, wife of the said John Hardyman, by the last Will and testament of her father John Taylor, late of said county, deceased, dated April 5, 1700, and the other 150 acres were devised by the said Will unto Sarah, now wife of Francis Hardeman, and one of the daughters of the said John Taylor, and his heirs. On July 12, 1725, a deed of lease, Joshua Poythress, of Prince George County, to William Poythress, of Prince George County, 100 acres, in Bristol parish, in Prince George County, bounded as mentioned in a deed of sale. The witnesses were James Thweat and John Fitzgerald, at a court at Merchant's Hope. On March 11, 1728, John Fitzgerald, of Prince George County, sold to Joshua Poythress, of the same, 200 acres, in Prince George County, on the south side of White Oak Creek, being the upper half or moiety of 400 acres taken up and patented by John Fitzgerald. The witnesses were John Lewis, William Poythress and Francis Epes. On October 9, 1732, Elizabeth Duke, of the County of Prince George, Widow, sold to Joshua Poythress, Merchant, of Prince George County, the plantation commonly known by the name of Flower de Hundred, 250 acres, in Martin's Brandon parish, in Prince George County, beginning on the line of the land of Joshua Poythress. On February 27, 1734, Joshua Poythress, of Prince George County, Gentleman, was granted 382 acres, in Prince George County, on the south side of Tommahitton Swamp, adjoining his brother, William Poythress, near Batts' path. At Joshua Poythress' death, he had bought or was granted 1,470 acres; 200 acres called "High Peak," 200 acres on White Oak Creek, 250 acres called "Flowerdew Hundred," and 382 acres on Tommaheton Swamp adjoining his brother, William Poythress. He sold 100 acres to his brother, William Poythress. His father left him 300 acres on Monkasoneck Creek. This would be a total of 1,770 acres. Five slaves were mentioned in the possession of Joshua. Adjoining Property On April 11, 1721, Thomas Vinson, of North Carolina, to William Poythress, of the Colony of Virginia, a three year lease, 100 acres, bounding Joshua Poythress in Bristol parish, precisely described. The witnesses were John Banister and Abraham Cocke. On June 6, 1727, Charles Leath, 400 acres of new land, in Surry County, on the north side of the Nottoway River, on the north side of the Gum Swamp, adjoining Joshua Poythress. On September 28, 1730, Abraham Parham, 150 acres of new land, in Surry County, on the south side of the Nottoway River, by Mockerson Neck Creek, on the northeast side of William Parham, by the Cross Branch, adjoining Joshua Poythress. On January 2, 1738, William Cryer was granted 700 acres in the counties of Prince George and Amelia, on both sides of Tommahitton Swamp adjoining Joseph Poythress, upon the head of a small branch on the south side of the swamp, adjoining John Yorke, and crossing the Forke of Batts's Branch. On March 26, 1739, Charles Leath, 263 acres, in Surry County, on the east side of Mockerson Creek, adjoining Mr. Joshua Poythress, Mr. Poythress' cornfield, James Parham and Anthony Rackleigh. On October 15, 1741, John Jackson, 4,440 acres, in Prince George and Amelia Counties, on both sides of the Burchen Swamp, 1,740 acres were granted John Jackson by a patent June 5, 1736, and the residue thereof never before granted; on the north side of the open Beaverpond of Burchen Swamp, on the upper side of the Rambling branch, up the Rocky branch, adjoining Joseph Poythress, William Cryer, fork of Batts's Branch of Tommahitton, adjoining Thomas Snipes, on the Main Burchen Swamp, the mouth of Buckhorn Branch on the south side of the Swamp, to Jackson's Branch, adjoining Wood Jones, line of the upper Hurricane Survey, in the fork of the Hurricane Swamp, on the Main Hurricane Swamp, in the head of a fork of the Rocky branch. As Witness On July 12, 1725, John Hardyman to John Poythress, 2 acres of land, with a mill, in Prince George County, on Ward's Run bounded by Sarah Wall and John Wilkins. John Hardyman obliged himself to the title on the penalty of £80. The witnesses, Joshua Poythress and William Poythress at a court at Merchant's Hope. Family Estates Joshua Poythress' sister, Elizabeth Poythress, married Thomas Epes as her second husband, after the death of her first husband, John Fitzgerald. Their son, Thomas Epes, named Joshua Poythress II's son, William Poythress, as one of the executors of his 1779 Will and left him two slaves, his plantation and all of his land. Joshua Poythress' daughter, Mary Poythress, married Peter Epes. Peter Epes was named as an executor of Thomas Epes' 1779 Will also. If William Poythress was to die without an heir, then Peter's son, Richard Epes, was to inherit Thomas Epes' plantation and all of his land. Peter Epes, the son of Peter Epes and Mary Poythress, was born in 1767, in Lunenburg County, and died in August, 1826. Mary (c. 1730-1792) was the daughter of Joshua Poythress and (Hardyman). Joshua Poythress' Will In Prince George County, the Will of Joshua Poythress, of Martin's Brandon parish, Prince George County, dated January 17, 1740, and probated April 8, 1741. The land I live on, bought from Mrs. Elizabeth Duke and Captain John Hardyman, to my sons, Joshua and William, to be equally divided. All of the land on the Nottaway River, in Surry County, likewise to be equally divided. To my granddaughter, Harwood, £50. To my son, Littlebury, 20 shillings, and my other sons are to keep him during his lifetime. All of the rest of the estate to be equally divided between my wife and my five children: Joshua, William, Ann Poythress, Elizabeth Poythress and Mary Poythress. My brothers, William and Robert Poythress, and my friends and relations Richard Bland, Thomas Poythress and John Woodlief, to divide the estate. The executors to be my brother, Robert Poythress, and my cousin, Thomas Poythress. The witnesses were Ann Bland, Christian Poythress, and Richard Bland. On April 8, 1741, in the Prince George County court, the last Will and testament of Joshua Poythress, deceased was exhibited into court by Robert Poythress and Thomas Poythress, his executors, who made oath thereto and it being proved by the oath of Richard Bland, gentleman, and, Ann Bland, two of the witnesses thereto who also made oath that they saw Christian Poythress subscribe the said Will a witness was ordered to be recorded and on the motion of the said Robert Poythress and their giving Bond and Security according to law, certificate was granted them for obtaining a probate of the said Will in due form. Robert Poythress and Thomas Poythress, executors, of the last Will and testament of Joshua Poythress, deceased, with Richard Bland and William Poythress, Gentlemen, their Securities entered into Bond in the sum of £5,000 current money payable to Robert Bolling with condition for their faithful executorship and thereby acknowledge the same in court. It was ordered that Robert Poythress and Thomas Poythress, executors, of the last Will and testament of Joshua Poythress, deceased, present the said deed and its estate to the next court. Elizabeth Duke, the daughter of John Taylor (1662-1707), was married to Henry Duke (-1718). John Hardyman (1686-1738) was married to Henrietta Maria Taylor, daughter of John Taylor. She and Elizabeth were sisters. Joshua Poythress' grandson, William, named one of his sons Thomas Epes Poythress (1785-1847). Joshua's brothers, William and Robert Poythress, were the appraisers of his estate, and Robert Poythress was an executor. Joshua's nephew, Thomas Poythress, was an executor as was Joshua's brother-in-law, John Woodlief (1673-aft. 1741). According to Dorman, cousin and nephew were interchangeable during this period. Richard Bland (1710-1776) was married to Joshua's niece, Anne Poythress (1712-1758), daughter of Peter Poythress and Anne Jones. Richard Bland was an appraiser and a witness, and his wife, Ann, was a witness. Christian Poythress was either Joshua's mother or his sister. In William Byrd's diary, on July 26, 1741, Byrd noted that the weather was warm and cloudy and that the wind was from the north. Byrd did not go to church but put his things in order and wrote several letters. After church, John Stith and his wife came by and dined. After dinner, John Ravenscroft came by, as did Mr. Miller and his wife and Mrs. Poythress. In Charles City, July 1741, there was a suit by Robert Poythress and Robert and Thomas Poythress, executors of Joshua Poythress versus Benjamin Harrison. Joshua Poythress had been quite wealthy, for his administrators gave bond at £5,000 current money when his Will was presented in court.

Just found among material I am trying to organize, the following notes which amplify info that Michael provided in the two quotations (at the bottom here) from his 12/12/2005 message captioned "Mr. Joshua Poythress, Merchant, of Flowerdew Hundred, Prince George County, 3rd Generation." This material not only provides more info re the Hardiman name in the context of Flower dew Hundred, but also clarifies the relationship of the people from whom Joshua (also referred to as Joseph in the deeds) acquired the property. The Captain John Taylor who was father of the 3 daughters mentioned was of course a much earlier Taylor than Rebecca B. Taylor who married Lewis Poythress in April 1802. We don't know the names of Rebecca's parents, but it is interesting to consider the possibility that her line may have included this Captain John Taylor. I made these first notes years ago at the Newberry Library in Chicago, copied from the very old book "The Cradle of the Republic: Jamestown and James River," by Lyon Gardiner Tyler, LL D, President of the College of William & Mary; published by The Hermitage Press, Inc., Richmond, VA 1906: p.211 Flower dew Hundred: "At the close of the century [Bpn note: around 1700] it was owned by Captain John Taylor, of Prince George County, who devised it to his daughters, Henrietta Maria, and Sarah, who married respectively John and Francis Hardiman. They sold it to Joseph Poythress..." [Bpn note: this is the 1725 transaction Michael Tutor refers to, below] I also find more clarifying info in a sheet provided by Flower de Hundred when I visited there in the mid-1990s, which sheet was info prepared by John Frederick Dorman and which traced the ownership of Flower dew Hundred. Its first paragraph also refers to Captain Taylor and clarifies more re his daughters: "The Flower de Hundred tract was acquired by Joshua Poythress from two of the daughters of Capt. John Taylor, the previous owner. He bought 300 acres on 9-10 July 1725 for 300 pounds from John Hardyman (who married Henrietta Maria Taylor, and had previously bought 150 acres of this from Francis Hardyman and whife Sarah, another Taylor daughter) and an additional 250 acres on 6 Oct 1732 from Mrs. Elizabeth Duke, the third Taylor daughter." 12/12/2005 Michael Tutor wrote: > ... > The Third Generation: Mr. Joshua Poythress, Merchant, of Flowerdew > Hundred, Prince George County > R. Bolling Batte on Joshua Poythress > [21 Joshua Poythress (-1740), m. ______. The name of the wife of this > Joshua has never been proved. The fact that one of his sons was named > "Littlebury" suggests that she may have been an Eppes or a Hardyman. In > 1725, John Hardyman, whose mother had been Mary Eppes 124, and whose > grandmother had been Elizabeth Littlebury, conveyed to "Joseph" > Poythress 300 acres, part of the Flowerdew Hundred Tract in Prince > George. The consideration expressed was 5 shillings, which means that it > was a deed of gift. John Hardyman had actually paid 600 pounds lawful > money of England for 150 of the same 300 acres he was now giving away. > The "Joseph" named as grantee in the deed was certainly an error in > transliteration. Joshua was intended, not "Joseph." This will be clear > later when Joshua's grandson William (211 2) sells the same land to > Peachy 65 years later. Why should John Hardyman give valuable land away > to Joshua Poythress? A most likely answer would be that a Joshua > Poythress had married a close relative of John Hardyman, a daughter or a > sister. By 1725, John and Henrietta Maria Hardyman would hardly have a > daughter old enough to marry. He had sisters, however. Their names do > not appear in any known record but their existence is established by the > 1726 will of Littlebury Hardeman, brother of John, which leaves one > shilling "to each and every one of my brothers and sisters." These > circumstances, plus the existence of a Hardyman Poythress in Prince > George, bolster a growing suspicion that the wife of Joshua Poythress > was a daughter of John Hardyman, Sr. and Mary Eppes, his wife, and thus > a granddaughter of Francis and Elizabeth (Littlebury-Worsham) Epes. > Hardyman Poythress, as yet unidentified, in 1809, may have been a > grandson of Joshua Poythress. Joshua left a will dated January 17, 1739 > (o.s.) in which he leaves property to his wife (but inconsiderately > fails to name her), and to three sons, three daughters, brothers > William, Robert, and others. The original will is now in the archives of > the Virginia State Library (Accession 23849). > ... > On October 9, 1732, Elizabeth Duke, of the County of Prince George, > Widow, sold to Joshua Poythress, Merchant, of Prince George County, > the plantation commonly known by the name of Flower de Hundred, 250 > acres, in Martin's Brandon parish, in Prince George County, > beginning on the line of the land of Joshua Poythress. > ...