In the Henry County Court records I come across another avenue or level of jurisdiction in early Virginia that I don't really understand. A man who had served on the county court of both Pittsylvania and Henry County and then served as the second sheriff of Henry County for two years. Upon his leaving the sheriff's office in February of 1782 he was administered the "the oath of a Justice of Peace, the oath of Justice in Chancery and Oath of a Justice of Oyer and Terminer." Yet within the records I have looked at only occasionally it there mention of even the Justice of the Peace doing things like making a tithable list. I haven't send even seen a hint of a Court of Chancery or anything except the title for the Oyer and Terminer. Were these functioning positions or just empty holdovers from the English. The county court system was also a hold over, but it was a working entity and continued for many years. Larry

On August 27, 1779 the Henry Count court recommeded to the Governor that Patrick Henry, Abraham Penn, Archelaus Hughes, Robert Hairston and others to serve on the "Commission of the Peace." In 1782 another reference was made in the Henry County records in connection with one of the above men indicating it was somewhat a honor to be name to this commission. What was the motivation for and function of this commission? Was it strictly a move on the part of Virginia to make peace with Great Britain, or were there counterparts in the other former colonies? Or am I placing the wrong interpretation on what this commission was set up for. Help me understand. Larry

I apologize for the cross-posting, but we want to get this announcement to as many people as we can. Linda Efforts are now under way to launch DNA Y-chromosone tests within the Traylor family. We especially need volunteers who can trace their lineage back to 18th century sons of William and Edward Traylor in Henrico and Chesterfield Counties, VA. Only Traylor males who are direct line descendants can be tested for the Y-chromosone. We are also trying to contact English Traylors to see if we can set up links between them and our American Traylor family. The name is variously spelled Trayler, Trailer, or Trailor. If you have Traylor roots and are interested in this project, please contact the coordinator at nellab@cox-internet.com. For more information on DNA Y-chromosone testing for genealogical purposes, visit these websites: www.FamilyTreeDNA.com or, for one family's experience http://www.mumma.org/DNA.htm Linda Sparks Starr http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~lksstarr

I have recently received proof of my paternal ancestry. Now, I know who belonged to whom, but I'm now wondering what all the numbers mean beside the names... Can anyone give me the key to Southampton County, VA Personal Property Tax Records for 1812, 1813 and 1814? I have the actual names, but I need the headings for the tops of the pages.

Mary Jane....Ancestry's AIS Census Index - pre/1790 shows the following: John Mason - Prince Edward Co. VA 1783 pg 059 Tax List also the same for John Mason Jr. mary margaret selig-trahan mmst@classicnet.net ----- Original Message ----- From: <Bebenjohn@aol.com> To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 6:39 AM Subject: Re: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] Mason Family.Prince George Co. > > In a message dated 6/29/01 1:29:31 PM, images@ix.netcom.com writes: > > << To the Southside List: > > Please, can someone help with this? > > Does anyone have information on John Mason, who was on a Prince George Jury > List in the 1730s? Does anyone know who he was, where he lived, or any other > information about him or any other Mason family living in Prince George Co. > at that time? > > Thank you for your help. > > Mary Jane Phillips-Matz > > > >> > > Hello Mary Jane, > > I have an unassigned John Mason who appeared in one of North Carolina's > Virginia border counties, Granville in the period of 1795; he married my > ancestress, Priscilla Wells(Wills) in Granville; then they moved to Caswell > County and Person County, NC to settle close to Priscilla's father, Miles > Wells(Wills). John and Priscilla Wells Mason named their only son, James, > which I imagine to be the name of John's father, as Priscilla's father was > Miles. I did locate a James Mason who was in Granville briefly; given that, > if James Mason were the father of John, he may have named his son after his > father, another John Mason. > > You have dated the John Mason you are seeking as being on a jury in 1730, > which would have made him at least 21 at the time. From 1730 to 1790 allows > for at least two more generations of Masons to be born. > > Priscilla and John's other children were named Nancy, Prudence, and > Elizabeth. If any of these names seem to have been in your John Mason's > family, we may have a connection. > > Best regards, > > John Fox > Winston-Salem, NC > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > USGenWeb Archives Census Project > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/census/ > > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog >

In a message dated 6/29/01 1:29:31 PM, images@ix.netcom.com writes: << To the Southside List: Please, can someone help with this? Does anyone have information on John Mason, who was on a Prince George Jury List in the 1730s? Does anyone know who he was, where he lived, or any other information about him or any other Mason family living in Prince George Co. at that time? Thank you for your help. Mary Jane Phillips-Matz >> Hello Mary Jane, I have an unassigned John Mason who appeared in one of North Carolina's Virginia border counties, Granville in the period of 1795; he married my ancestress, Priscilla Wells(Wills) in Granville; then they moved to Caswell County and Person County, NC to settle close to Priscilla's father, Miles Wells(Wills). John and Priscilla Wells Mason named their only son, James, which I imagine to be the name of John's father, as Priscilla's father was Miles. I did locate a James Mason who was in Granville briefly; given that, if James Mason were the father of John, he may have named his son after his father, another John Mason. You have dated the John Mason you are seeking as being on a jury in 1730, which would have made him at least 21 at the time. From 1730 to 1790 allows for at least two more generations of Masons to be born. Priscilla and John's other children were named Nancy, Prudence, and Elizabeth. If any of these names seem to have been in your John Mason's family, we may have a connection. Best regards, John Fox Winston-Salem, NC

No Calls here, but this remoinds me: If anyone is searching for a Fleming /Flemming/Flemmons born in NC very near 1782, let me know. I know of an Elizabeth Fleming of Edgecombe Co., NC who gave birth that year, sex unknown. I know who the father was; they did not marry. Paul ----- Original Message ----- From: <WVGENOCONN@aol.com> To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 2:19 PM Subject: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] Fwd: Flemming CALL > > --part1_4f.dd6d7c8.28722324_boundary > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > In a message dated 7/2/01 3:14:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, WVGENOCONN writes: > > << > Flemming Call moved to west virginia in 1850. His death certific said he was > born in Virginia. Father Reuban Rush CALL. Need information on both his > parents. If he had siblings and information on them. Married Elizabeth > ___??____ in Virginia and had at least 3 of his children born there. > > I have info on Flemming CALL and his decendants after 1850. > > Shirley e-mail: wvgenoconn@aol.com >> > > > --part1_4f.dd6d7c8.28722324_boundary > Content-Type: message/rfc822 > Content-Disposition: inline > > Return-path: <WVGENOCONN@aol.com> > From: WVGENOCONN@aol.com > Full-name: WVGENOCONN > Message-ID: <12.ef7fa23.28722207@aol.com> > Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 15:14:15 EDT > Subject: Flemming CALL > To: SHENANDOAH-L@rootsweb.com > MIME-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Windows sub 138 > > Flemming Call moved to west virginia in 1850. His death certific said he was > born in Virginia. Father Reuban Rush CALL. Need information on both his > parents. If he had siblings and information on them. Married Elizabeth > ___??____ in Virginia and had at least 3 of his children born there. > > I have info on Flemming CALL and his decendants after 1850. > > Shirley e-mail: wvgenoconn@aol.com > > --part1_4f.dd6d7c8.28722324_boundary-- > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > USGenWeb Archives Census Project > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/census/ > > > ============================== > Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp >

--part1_4f.dd6d7c8.28722324_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 7/2/01 3:14:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, WVGENOCONN writes: << Flemming Call moved to west virginia in 1850. His death certific said he was born in Virginia. Father Reuban Rush CALL. Need information on both his parents. If he had siblings and information on them. Married Elizabeth ___??____ in Virginia and had at least 3 of his children born there. I have info on Flemming CALL and his decendants after 1850. Shirley e-mail: wvgenoconn@aol.com >> --part1_4f.dd6d7c8.28722324_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: <WVGENOCONN@aol.com> From: WVGENOCONN@aol.com Full-name: WVGENOCONN Message-ID: <12.ef7fa23.28722207@aol.com> Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 15:14:15 EDT Subject: Flemming CALL To: SHENANDOAH-L@rootsweb.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Windows sub 138 Flemming Call moved to west virginia in 1850. His death certific said he was born in Virginia. Father Reuban Rush CALL. Need information on both his parents. If he had siblings and information on them. Married Elizabeth ___??____ in Virginia and had at least 3 of his children born there. I have info on Flemming CALL and his decendants after 1850. Shirley e-mail: wvgenoconn@aol.com --part1_4f.dd6d7c8.28722324_boundary--

Thanks, always, to Paul for his excellent knowledge and help. I am learning a lot even though the problem does not apply to my family line, which is the Benjamin Hall family of Halifax Co., Va. He is my brick wall. Help!

Lord, Paul, you sure do conjure up one heck of a scenario! You are probably right in the bargain. Mickey Mildred "Mickey" Fournier PO Box 1967, Lake City, FL 32056 mailto:MFournier@atlantic.net

Ms. Marietta: Ignore the recording dates for the moment: Smith conveys by deed to Brown in Oct., 1801. Brown then conveys back by deed, and though supposedly the new deed was signed on the same Oct. day, it was NOT witnessed - hence could not be "delivered" back under the law (as was required, then and now) until after witnessed in Jan., 1802 - some 3 months later. So it was that since by that date recording was necessary to prevent Smith from selling it to another party, Brown "owned" the land for that 3 months. Then some legal activity took place about which you have not told us - likely an agreement or threatened litigation or a father raising h---. I suggest one of 3 answers: Smith was a minor, transferred the land to Brown; Brown knew about that minority, as witnessed by the undelivered deed back the same day, and said, "Hey Smith, though you are not of age, I do want the land when you turn 21"; in January 1802, some other factor came into play, like discovery of the purported sale that, while not illegal, was voidable by Smith when he came of age, and so Brown recorded the Oct . reconveyance deed; 3 years later, by reason of SOME relationship, the parties again entered into a similar deal, with 160.00 being some portion of the new purchase price. I would bet that they were kin, neighbors or friends, and that the old reconveyance was simply to be "legal" and above reproach in all their dealings. The 2nd possibility is that all knew Smith was underage; Brown said, "That's OK, I want the land and a voidable deed is better than none, and such will tie you down to our deal; came Jan., somebody (a parent? a wife? a court?) said "No way, boys, this can't be done this way"; then Smith promised Brown the land when he turned 21 and lived up to his word when that birthday came. The men thought that for some reason, Smith could legally xfer the land at the age of 18; Brown said, "Just in case you can't legally sign it, I will sign a deed back right now and when we know the answer, I will record the deed back:; Come Jan., it was determined that the deed was invalid, tyhe reconveyance was witnessed and recorded, and they made a tentative hand-shake deal for when the boy turned 21. I would like to know HOW - through what legal device - the boy "owned" the land in the 1st place. The deed "annexed" to the new deal or to some acknowledged document was the old voidable deed, and someone wanted the whole deal explained for the sake of the slight cloud on the title caused by the old recordings of deeds to and from a minor. Am I guessing; SURE! :) Paul

I need help in understanding this deed transaction : On p 21-23 Oct. 12, 1801 , my ancestor (Brown )bought 199 acres for $300 from Smith. It was witnessed on the same day , and recorded Dec 10,1801 (book H ) Then on p 62-62 Oct. 12 , 1801 , for $300 ( Brown )deeds back the same 199 acres bought "lately", to the man from whom he bought it. It is witnessed Jan.4, 1802 , and records Jan 12 , 1802.(book H ) There are no more deed records for him until Jan.10 , 1804 (book I ) p 435-436 , which says : " Smith (the original owner ) receives payment of $160 , Oct. 12 , 1801 from Brown ; Smith is one of the parties to "annexed" deed as grantee (deed not annexed ) ". It is witnessed Oct. 8, 1804 and recorded the same day. Would the fact that Brown was only 18 years old in 1801 have anything to do with the reversal ? Note that all records mention the same date , Oct. 12, 1801 . What could be the logical reason for the intervals ? Thanks for your answers, Marietta Sexton

Greetings, Looking for info on Adolphus Chandler of Halifax Co. Virginia. Adolphus died Dec. 15, 1872 from pneumonia. His mother was Elizabeth Chandler Larry

To Albru, Your attachment was corrupted and I couldn't bring it up. Irene

To the Southside List: Please, can someone help with this? Does anyone have information on John Mason, who was on a Prince George Jury List in the 1730s? Does anyone know who he was, where he lived, or any other information about him or any other Mason family living in Prince George Co. at that time? Thank you for your help. Mary Jane Phillips-Matz

To all: You may print out a copy of the County Evolution Chart from this website. www.sound.net/~hmiller/counties.html G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va.

To All: Concerning dates of county formation dates, in some instances counties were formed several years before the county government was begun.. This leads to discreptcancies in published dates of formation.. Frederick and Augusta counties were formed at the same time but Augusta began keeping records about four years later than Frederick.. During that time records for Augusta were still kept in Orange County, Va..., the parent county of both.. G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va.

Larry, The Hornbook of Virginia History gives a third date. It says that Pittsylvania County was formed from Halifax Co. in 1766. Edith In a message dated 6/29/01 9:09:48 AM, BMacKie1@compuserve.com writes: << Larry, I have 1767 on my Virginia Counties Records Status. Heres how it goes: Note: All counties which have #1s designation were orignal Shires or Counties. Subsequent numbers derive from the the smaller. This is a great list compiled by G. Lee Hearl and copyrighted 1998 by G. Lee Hearl. 1. CHARLES CITY 1634 2....Prince George 1703 3.........Brunswick 1732 4..............Lunenburg 1746 5..................Halifax 1752 6........................Pittsylvania 1767 ----- Original Message ----- From: <LCandBC@aol.com> To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 8:56 AM Subject: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] What year was Pittsylvania County created? > > On both the Internet and two books have encountered in the last week I have > two different dates for the formation of Pittsylvania County out of > Halifax--the two different dates put forth are 1764 and 1767. Which is > correct? > Larry

According to the VA Genweb County Formation Page here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~vagenweb/county2.htm Pittsylvania was formed in 1766, however, on the time line at the county website it says it was cut off June 1, 1767. http://www.rootsweb.com/~vapittsy/time.htm The date difference may have something to do with when the decision was made to cut it out and when it actually happened. I don't think I've seen any records before 1767, however. Maybe there was a petition in 1764?? If you still have questions, the VA Genweb Coordinator Freddie Spradlin wil answer them promptly: fspradlin@earthlink.net Janet Hunter

http://www.rootsweb.com/~vagenweb/county2.htm This is, I believe, a wonderful page to have on had regarding county formations. It is on the VAGenWeb page. Having the year a county was formed....say Lunenburg...then it tells you from which county...then go to that county and there is the year that county was formed...then from which county...and so on and so on...it takes you to the original shires, but mainly it is so easy to follow. ie: Pittsylvania, 1766 from Halifax Halifax, 1752 from Lunenburg Lunenburg, 1746 from Brunswick Brunswick, 1720, Prince George, IoW, Surry Prince George 1703 from Charles City; IoW 1643 from Warrosquyoake County (1634-1637) ; Surry 1652 from James City etc.................................... and finally.....(West Virginia) has the former VA counties of: Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Logan, McDowell, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Mercer, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, Wyoming You can tell I think the USGenWeb pages are great. Margaret