Person:Matthew Laffoon (1)

Matthew and Nathaniel Laffoon arrived in Lunenburg County together by 1759 when they secured a patent to 400 acres on the upper fork of Great Creek 10 Aug. 1759. This Ancestral Family Topic is devoted to these Lunenburg County Laffoon brothers who may have originated in James City County where John Laffoon paid quit rents on 75 acres in 1704. Although the records from that county are now missing, Blisland Parish served James City and its vestry book reveals that an indigent John Laffoon lived there in 1725-28, Mary Laffoon was under the care of the vestry in 1748, and Sarah Laffoon cared for and buried Sarah Taylor in 1758 and kept Mary McCormick in 1770. Sarah Laffoon, possibly the same one, was under the care of the St. Peter’s Parish in 1779.

Matthew Sr must have remarried after Mary died because the last 5 children were born after Mary died in 1765

Title Laffoon, Matthew. Publication 10 August 1759. Other Format Available on microfilm. Virginia State Land Office. Patents 1-42, reels 1-41. Note Location: Lunenburg County.

  Grantee(s): Laffoon, Matthew and Laffoon, Nathaniel.
  Description: 400 acres on the west or upper side of Great Cree
  Source: Land Office Patents No. 34, 1756-1765, p. 440 (Reel 33-34
  Part of the index to the recorded copies of patents for land issued by the Secretary of the Colony serving as the colonial Land Office. The collection is housed in the Archives at the Library of Virginia.

Subject - Personal Laffoon, Matthew. grantee.

  Laffoon, Nathaniel.

Subject - Topical Land titles -- Registration and transfer -- Virginia -- Lunenburg County Subject -Geographic Lunenburg County (Va.) -- History -- 18th centu Genre/Form Land grants -- Virginia -- Lunenburg County. Added Entry Virginia. Colonial Land Office. Patents, 1623-1774.

  Library of Virginia. Archives.

System Number 000782375

Will of Matthew Laffoon (Born about 1727 - Died 1789, Brunswick Co., Virginia)

IN PRIMUS: son, Dennis Laffoon - one cow and calf, one sow and pigs.

ITEM: My following children: Elizabeth Laffoon, Simon Laffoon, Daniel Laffoon, Lucretia Laffoon and Celah Hill Laffoon - each of them are to draw out of my estate as they come of age - One horse or eight pounds, one cow & calf and one sow & pigs. I desire my wife keep possession of my estate to raise my children upon & give each of them their legacy when they come of age. I desire that when my daughter Celah Hill Laffoon, comes to age of Twenty one and received her legacy, that the balance of my estate be sold and equally divided amongst all my children - my wife takes a child's part.

ITEM: I give to my son, Matthew Laffoon, the tract of land where he now lives.

ITEM: I give to my wife, Mary Laffoon, the plantation whereon she now lives. I desire that the residue of my lands be rented out until my daughter, Celah, comes to age of twenty one and then sold and the money to be equally divided between my wife and all my children. I desire that my half of the Mill be sold as soon as my Executors may direct with the land that I own then, and as Nathaniel Lucas joined me in building of the said Mill and we were making a settlement that if I should be behind on the expense, that it be paid out of the money arising from the sale of the Mill.

ITEM: I give the other half of the Mill to Mister Nathaniel Lucas. I appoint Col. Sterling Edmonds, William Ogburn and Nathaniel Lucas my Executors, this 25 March 1789.

                                                                     Matthew Laffoon

(Signed)

Witnessed by: William Boswell

                       John (X) Dany
                       Benjamin (X) Moore

Brunswick Co., Virginia, WILL BOOK 5, Page 291. Dated 25 March 1789. Proved in court 27 April 1789, by witness William Boswell and John Dany

Ancestral Family Topic 254

254   Matthew Laffoon (-1789)

Matthew Laffoon, in his own words If he could speak to us today, Matthew Laffoon might describe his life as follows.

My ancestors were from France where the name was LaFon. We were likely Huguenot—French Protestants.

A little background on that might help. Protestant-Catholic differences ultimately incited the French Catholic majority to murder thousands of Protestants in just a few days in August 1572. Henry III issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598 allowing us to worship peacefully in 75 cities where Calvinism predominated. Expecting renewed bloodshed after Louis XIV repealed the Edict in 1685, many fled the country. Although other men named Laffoon were in the Colony, none appear to be the father of me and my brother Nathaniel who secured a patent with me to 400 acres on the upper fork of Great Creek in Lunenburg County 10 August 1759. My plantation was right near Brunswick County, about 3 miles south of present-day Dundas. I was the father of 11 children, 7 of whom I named in my 1789 will in Brunswick County. The older children belonged to a first wife and the others were the children of Mary who died in 1810 in Halifax County. Three children were later in Kentucky and others went to South Carolina, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio.

Who was Mary Laffoon? We have been unable to identify Mary who was likely the mother of Simon, Daniel, Lucretia, and Selah Hill Laffoon. She may have been the daughter of a neighboring landowner. Processioning returns of 1768 place one of Matthew’s farms near William Butler, Nathaniel Owen, John Weaver, James Moore, Robert Moore, Cary Wells Daniel, John Moore, John Ussery, John Forrest, Henry Moore, James Waller, James Buckner, and Gerald Burrow. Four years later Daniel Epperson, James Thompson, and William Gallimore were present to procession Laffoon’s land. One Selah Hill married Herbert George in Lunenburg County 21 Dec. (bond) 1785. Thomas Taylor was surety.

Land activity Two years after acquiring their 400 acres, Nathaniel conveyed his interest to Matthew for £20. Thus by 1764 Lunenburg County was taxing Matthew on his 400 acres, himself, and his overseer William Hammond Jr. Matthew was a constable in 1770 and 1772. His son William was in his household in 1774, but on his own by 1776. Matthew sold about 200 acres on Great Creek to Daniel Epperson 21 Jan. 1772 and the remaining 200 acres to William Hammond 21 Jan. 1778. They were living in Brunswick County when Mary relinquished her dower right in latter tract. Yet Matthew bought the Hammond tract back 21 May 1779. No wife relinquished dower when Matthew deeded about 50 acres on Great Creek to Samuel Ruder 14 Oct. 1779, although together they sold 40 acres to William Matthews 9 March 1780 and 100 acres to Daniel Epperson 9 Dec. 1784. Matthew bought 201 acres on Shining Creek in Brunswick County from Peter Hawthorne in 1777 that he sold in 1779, and he sold 34 acres in Brunswick County to John Ingram in Jan. 1784 and bought 62 acres on Shining Creek near Owen Strange in Nov. 1784. Matthew was still a resident of Brunswick County when he bought about 100 acres on Great Creek from John Mayton 9 Feb. 1785. When Isaac Hicks sold about 250 acres to Matthew Laffoon of Brunswick County in 1786, Matthew Laffoon Jr. was among the witnesses. Matthew paid taxes on one poll in Brunswick County in 1782.

Will and probate “Very sick and weak,” Matthew Laffoon Sr. made his will in Brunswick County 25 March 1789, and was dead by 27 April 1789.

Will of Matthew Laffoon Sr. 25 March 1789 Imprimis: To my son Dennis, one cow & calf, one sow & pigs. Item: My following children: Elizabeth Laffoon, Simon Laffoon, Daniel Laffoon, Lucretia Laffoon, and Selah Hill Laffoon — each of them to draw out of my estate as they come of age — one horse of eight pounds, one cow & calf and one sow & pigs. I desire my Wife keep possession of my estate to raise my children upon & to give each their legacy as they come of age. I desire that when my daughter Selah Hill Laffoon comes to age of twenty-one and receive her legacy, that the balance of my estate to be sold and equally divided amongst all my children & my wife to take a child’s part. Item: I give to my son Matthew Laffoon, the tract of land where he now lives. Item: To my wife Mary Laffoon, the plantation whereon she now lives. I desire that the residue of my lands to be rented out until my daughter Selah is age twenty-one & then to be sold & the money divided equally between my wife and all my children. I desire that my half of the Mill to be sold as soon as my Executors direct, with the land I own there, and as Nathaniel Lucas joined me in building the said Mill and we were making a settlement that if I should be behind on the expense, that it be paid out of the money arising from the sale of the Mill. Item: I give the other half of the Mill to Mister Nathaniel Lucas. I appoint Col. Sterling Edmunds, William Ogburn, and Nathaniel Lucas executors. Matthew Laffoon Witness: William Boswell John (x) Danny Benjamin (x) Moore

A lawsuit styled “Laffoon & others vs. Lafoon Infants” 24 March 1794 included plaintiffs Mary, widow and relict of Matthew Laffoon, Cornelius and Mary Keith, William and Rebecca Hawks, Benjamin and Elizabeth Moore, William Laffoon, Matthew Laffoon, James Laffoon, and Stephen Dennis Laffoon and defendants Simon, Lucretia, and Selah Hill Laffoon. The court ordered the estate of Matthew Laffoon divided. The same parties were back in court 23 Aug. 1796 to make the division of the estate. Matthew’s personal property was valued for £97.6 and the sale of his land at Bears Element brought £39.12, the Stiles tract, £40.6, and Hicks, £24.6. Mary gave her son Simon 60 acres 24 April 1799, and was paying taxes in Brunswick County in 1800. In 1800 Daniel, Selah, James, Lucretia, and Simon, “heirs of Laffoon,” deeded 100 acres in Lunenburg County to their brother Matthew for £50.

Descendants of Matthew Laffoon Information about the children of Matthew Laffoon, their descendants, and allied families previously found at Virginians.com is now available as Southside Virginia Genealogies. Learn more Names found in this topic include the following.

 William Laffoon (c.1758-1822),
Susanna (—) Laffoon,  Thomas Burris,
 Mary (Laffoon) Keith (c.1750-1846),
Cornelius Keith,
 Rebecca (Laffoon) Hawks,
William Hawks,
 James Laffoon (-1852),
Jane Samford,
Elizabeth R. Burks,  Margaret (—) Baxter,  Jesse Baxter,
 Matthew Laffoon (-1815),
Mary (—) Laffoon,
Jane Laffoon,  David Parrish,
Susanna Laffoon,  John Potts,
Winifred Laffoon,  Matthew Parrish,
Mary Laffoon,
Rebecca Laffoon,  Mabry Daniel,
Faith Laffoon,  James Brintle,
Henrietta Laffoon,  Joel Parrish,
 Stephen Dennis Laffoon (c.1765-1844),
Elizabeth (—) Laffoon,  Matthew Sims,
Wilson Laffoon,
 Elizabeth (Laffoon) Moore,
Benjamin Moore,
Patsy Moody,  Polly Vaughan,
 Simon Laffoon,
Mildred Wiltshire,
Joseph Henry Laffoon,
Susan Jane Laffoon,  William B. Samford,
William Berkeley Samford,
Harriet Anna Paulina Samford,  Leonidas Parks Laffoon,
Susan F. Samford,
Urban Stanfield Samford,  Lelia Susan Thomas,  Williamson C. Thoma
George L. Laffoon,
Elizabeth Laffoon,  John M. Arnold,
Peyton Laffoon,
 Daniel Laffoon (c.1780-1865),
William Ogburn,  Catherine Russell,
 Lucretia (Laffoon) Russell (c.1781-),
Henry Russell,
 Selah Hill (Laffoon) Ivey (c.1782-),
James Ivey,

Notables This family topic includes the following notable individuals.

Soldiers of colonial and American wars James Laffoon - Revolutionary War Joseph Henry Laffoon - Civil War William Berkeley Samford - Civil War

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 1775 MATTHEW LAFFOON, SR SIGNED THE PETITION AT MARTINS BOROUGH.  IT APPEARS HE WAS A DELEGATE AT THE GATHERING AS CO-SIGNER NAMES DO NOT APPEAR ON DOCUMENTATION WHO WERE RELATED TO MATTHEW LAFFOON, SR. INDICATING THE OTHER COSIGNERS WERE NOT CLOSE NEIGHBORS.  THE PETITION, HAVING SOME LANGUAGE SIMILAR TO THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IS SOLID EVIDENCE OF THE APPROACHING REBELLION BY THE COLONISTS.