Person:Daniel Coleman (4)

New Kent Co. 1688 deed (Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol II, 1666-1695, p 320

Unfortunately, we've never been able to determine the first name of Grizzell's husband. Grizzell was in King William Co. long before the 1750's. I believe she was widowed by 1751, because she sold the King William Co. land she lived on, and moved to Goochland. I'm beginning to suspect her husband may have been the John Whitlock who was granted or purchased land in King William Co. very early on. We've always assumed John Whitlock was a contemporary of Daniel Coleman (Grizzell's father), because both men patented land in that county about the same time. But, since John Whitlock is the only man mentioned in existing records, I don't think he should be discounted as Grizzell's husband. Sometimes women married men quite a bit older than themselves. This is a puzzle that may never be solved, due to the many destroyed records of King William Co.-

on 23 Apr 1703, Daniel Coleman and Samuel Williams (as joint tenants) acquired 600 acres of land on Herring Creek in King William Co. "for the transportation of 12 persons into this Colony". (Cavaliers & Pioneers, Vol. III, p. 74, Pat. Bk. 9, p. 549) These 600 acres were part of Indian Lease Land. As far back as June 1669, the British government basically voided any treaty with the Rappahannock Indians and opened the Indian land for white settlement (Pamunkey Neck). John Whitlock received 150 acres of those Indian Lease Lands. I'm not sure of the year, but it was apparently at the same time Daniel Coleman and Samuel Williams acquired their 600 acres. According to Virginia law, in 1703 John Whitlock would have been at least 21 yrs. old in order to acquire the 150 acres in King William Co. Grizzell Coleman's birth year has been estimated as 1705, but it's only a guess. It's still possible that she married this John Whitlock. Grizzell was widowed by 21 May 1751 because she purchased 250 acres of Goochland Co. land on that date and moved there. If John Whitlock was born by 1682 (making him 21 yrs. old in 1703), and died ca. 1750, he would have been 68 yrs. old at the time of his death. This is not an unreasonable age for those times, if a person survived disease and Indian attacks. If Grizzell was widowed by May of 1751, her husband probably died in 1750 because Virginia law required a period of 9 months to pass before a person's estate could be settled. I think this was intended to accommodate the birth of a posthumous child, since posthumous children were accorded the same rights as their siblings. The name "John Whitlock" is the only Whitlock name to survive in any records from those early years. A few years ago, I dismissed John as the possible husband of Grizzell because he seemed to be of the same generation as her father, Daniel Coleman. However, Daniel was born ca. 1662 and could be a generation older than John Whitlock. Sherry Nichol <finchums@usinternet.com>

1. ↑ Nugent, Nell Marion (Main Author), and Dennis Ray Hudgins (Added Author). Cavaliers and pioneers: abstracts of Virginia land patents and grants [8 Volumes covering 1623-1782]. (Richmond [Virginia]: Vol 1 originally published (1934) by The Dietz Press. Subsequently published by Library of Virginia (Vols 1-3) and Virginia Genealogical Society (Vols 4-8), 1934-present)
   2:320.

   New Kent Co. 1688 deed 1666-1695