Hello, I need your help.I am trying to do as much advance work as possible in preparation for a trip to Virginia where I would like to find ancestral lands and gravesites. Below is a summary of the information I have to work with. If anyone has any suggestions or additional information , I would love to hear from you. And warm thanks for those of you who have already shared so generously with me 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 Pond 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." Thank you for reading ...that which is manna from heaven to me, might not be as special for you.....<grin>