Hello, I'm planning a trip to Virginia in the May timeframe and I need your help. My goal is to find the ancestral estates and burial sites of my ancestors below. I would appreciate any inputs you might have....thank you, malinda jones > Col John Mottrom (and Capt Richard Wright) were both at Coan Hall. > According to Anne Reed Ritchie's book , " Major Francis Wright and Anne > Washington with Allied Families" , both men are buried on that land....but no > one has found the grave markers (yet). > > On page 17, Ritchie state that ," The original Richard Wright estate consisted > of 2,300 acres pf land on Nomini Bay, Machodoc River and fronting on the > Potomac River, became the seat of several choice private estates. The > "Great House" built by Major Francis Wright has long since been demolished > and no trace of it remains. We were at Great House Point in 1967. Nothing > remains to tell us any story of the lives of our ancestors [ Of course, Anne > Reed Ritchie was not trained in archeology, so she's really not qualified to > make such a statement...mj]. Wakefield, the Washington House, burned but > has been re-constructed; Chantilly, the home of Richard E. Lee has become > a wilderness......Great House Point also called Cabin Point on the Potomac, > was owned successively by Col John Mottrom, Capt Richard Wright (son-in- > law), Major Francis Wright and John Wright who sold it to Henry Lee. It later > became the residence of Col Robert Washington, then Rev Bishop Newton > of Virginia and later W. H. Calhoun of New York City who owned it in 1923. > When we visited Cabin Point in 1967 there was a lovely old home there but > not the original of course. The estate was owned by Mr and Mrs Robert > McFadden and their family. The property was sold in 1969 for over 3 million > dollars." > > On page 20...." Major Francis Wright was born about 1659 or 1660 on the > estate of his grandfather, Captain (Colonel) John Mottrom, at Coan (Chicacoan) > Northumberland Co Virginia. Francis Wright died between 28 May and 24 June > 1713 about 53 years of age, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was buried > on his Manor Plantation, Machodoc Peninsula, Great House Point. A deed > made by his eldest son and heir, John Wright when the land was sold to Henry > Lee, reserved one-half acre of land ' being the graveyard of the manor plantation > where his father is buryed' perpetually for the Wright descendants. (Ref: TYLER'S > QUARTERLY Vol IV, No 3 p.183--Jan 1923 and Westmoreland County Deeds > and Wills No 7 p. 292). Francis Wright lived upon his inherited estate of 1400 > acres fronting on the Potomac and flanked by Nomini Bay and the Lower > Machodoc River. > > " After the death of their father, Richard Wright, his three children, Francis, Ann > and Mottrom Wright were under the supervison and the guardianship of their > uncle and aunt, Mr [also Col and Deputy Governor...mj] and Mrs Nicholas > Spencer ( Frances Mottrom). The Spencers lived in the region of Cople Parish > at Nomini Hall and it is assumed the three Wright children received a very fine > eduation either in England [ Appleby Grammar School, Westmorland Co , > England which was also attended by George Washington's older half brothers. > It is speculated (by Appleby's) that George Washington would also have > attended there if his father had not died so young and his mother could not > bear to part with him...mj] or by private tutors under the supervision of Nicholas > Spencer. Francis Wright may not have been the first child of Richard Wright and > Ann Mottrom but he was evidently the first son since he received the largest and > most valuable part of their real estate . Pages 153 to 186 TYLER'S QUARTERLY > Vol IV No 3 Jan 1923, show the details of Francis Wright's political and > religious life. He contributed land and money to the bulding of Yeocomico > Episcoplian Church in 1680 and rebuilt in 1706, Westmoreland County. He was > an Elder and Vestryman in the Church. It is still in use today. > > " Francis Wright married two times. First to Ann Washington, daughter of > Colonel John Washington and Ann Pope. (See the Washington Story p. 254). > The Washington home plantation was about 20 miles from Great House Point, > at Bridges Creek. Ann Washington was born about 1660 in Westmoreland > county and died at Great Houe Point before March 1698." > > On page 37.... Anne R. Ritchie states, " The Westmoreland Plantation where > John Wright I was born was at the head of King Copsico Ppond on the broad > peninsula between the Lower Machodoc River and Nomini Bay. In 1723 John > Wright sold the plantation to Henry Lee who gave him in exchange the 1,000 > acre estate located between Powells Run and Neapsco Creek near the > Potomac River. Hamilton Parish was in Stafford County at the time but is now > in Prince William County. In addition to the estate Henry Lee also gave John > Wright '200 pounds sterling money of Great Britain, 10,000 pounds of tobacco > and five negro or mulatto slaves.' (TYLER'S QUARTELY, p 201). The > Westmoreland land had been patented 13 Aug 1650 by John Mottrom, grand > father of John Wright I. The document transferring the estate is on file at the > Westmoreland County Courthouse, Montrose, Virginia. VIRGINIA DEEDS > AND WILLS No 7 p.292. It reads in part '.....it is the plantacon where he now > lives, excepting one half acre of the said landland being the grave yard on the > manour plantacon where Major Francis Wright, father of the said John is buryed > also one other part of said dividend of land known by the name of Time Neck > which John Wright hath already given to his brother (half- brother) Richard Wright > by deed bearing date 22 September 1714. > > " The Wright Estate in Prince William County (formerly Stafford) was located > above Chappawansick Creek and included Freestone Point on the Potomac > River, near the present site of the US Marine Station at Quantico, Virginia. > Both John and Dorothy Wright are buried on the estate." > > It's the same story with John Wright II and Elizabeth Bronaugh Darnall....Ritchie > indicates the tract of land John II bought (after his brother Francis II sold the > family > estate to Henry Lee, who re-named it "Leesylvania") was a tract of land "originally > called German Town. It is about nine miles south of the present Fauquier County > Seat called Warrentown. The new estate of John Wright's was called 'Pine View'. > There were 236 acres in this tract. On 8 November 1847, it was sold to Samuel > Robinson by the great-great grandchildren of John and Elizabeth Wright. They > were descendants of James Wright who had inherited the estate from his father. : > Granville J Kelly and his wife Harriet E ; Elizabeth Taliaferro; John P. Kelly in > behalf of Margaret J. Blackwell; Jane Kelly > ( Fauquier Co Deed Book No 4 p. 258). One quarter acre being reserved for > a family graveyard which was fenced. In 1918 Charles A. Hoppin,Genealogist > and Author, was denied permission by the owner at the time, to make an > attempt to find the graveyard and would not give any information as to > whether the graveyard was still distinguishable. By Virginia law a cemetery > belongs to descendants and graves cannot be moved or plowed over. The > owner of the surrounding land is not obligated to maintain graves or allow > trespass. John Wright, his wife Elizabeth, two of their daughters and at least > one son , James, are buried in this family cemetery. " .....page 40. > > Doesn't sound good for the home team.....I don't know if any attempts have > been made since then...or who owns the land now. > > John Wright I and Dorothy Awbrey were buried at then Wright Manor, later > Leesylvania, in Prince William Co VA. Per Anne Reed Ritchie again(page 38) > Dorothy Awbrey was the grand daughter of Henry Awbrey who " secured on > 9 April 1664, from Sir William Berkley, a grant of 1,000 acres of land in > Rappahannock County on the south side Haskins Creek, now the County of > Essex. He was granted much more land later. He had 15,000 acres of land > in Old Rappahannock County eventually and was the original proprietor. He > was a prominent Colonizer and a member of the House of Burgesses in 1682. > He had a brother , Francis Awbrey, who lived near John Wright I , in > Westmoreland County. The lands of John Awbrey, Francis Awbrey and Thomas > Sorrell adjoined each other on the western side of Lower Machotic (now called > Machodoc) on the eastern side of the neck not far from its junction with the > Potomac. The estate of John Wright I lay across that two mile wide neck on its > western side and extended toward and quite near to the land of the Awbreys. > The birth and death dates of Henry Awbrey and his wife are not known. They > had a son , Richard of Essex County whose wife was Dorothy (???). These > are the parents of Dorothy Aubrey who married John Wright I about 1707/8.... > Dorothy Aubrey Wright died , probably before her husband, at home on the > estate at Powell's Run." > > Now ...I've undoubtedly told you more that you ever wanted to know about > the Wright real estate.....do you have any suggestions about how I might go > about finding the gravesites ? > > There's a NC connection.....John Wright III (s/o John Wright II & Elizabeth of > Pine View estate, Fauquier Co VA) married Ann Williams d/o Jonas Williams > of a neighboring estate and removed to then Surry, now Yadkin County NC in > 1774. My New Kent co Martin line...Ens Benjamin Martin married Diana > Harrison (d/o Capt (not Col)Benjamin Harrison & unknown 1st wife, of > Goochland/Fluvanna Co VA) and removed to now Wilkes Co NC in 1781/2 > timeframe. I'm looking for their gravesites too. > > >