Person:Richard Gregory (3)

Will Abstract

Two Partial Abstracts:

The Will of Richard Gregory of Essex County, dated Feb. 17, proved May 10, 1700/01.

Legatees: sons Richard and John, sons-in-law (probably step-sons), Thos and Wm. Bowin [Bourne], daughter Elizabeth, and wife Katherine.

speaks of his land in King and Queen County.

[Source: "The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography", Volume 5, pg. 163].

RICHARD GRIGORY will, of Farnham Parish in Essex Co VA: to eldest son Richard - land; to dau Eliz'a Grigory land adj that of Robt. Halsey, etc.

To son John Grigory 300 acres, being part of 1000 acres formerly patented by Thomas Gaines.

To dau Sarah Grigory 700 acres lying upon the head of Matapony River adj land of Capt. James Taylor and Mr. Jonathan Fisher.

To "my two sons in Law Thomas and William Borne" each 150 acres at upper end of land given daughter Sarah.

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[Note: Thomas and William Bourne listed in the will of Richard Gregory were the step-sons of Richard. They were sons of Richard's wife Katherine from her 1st marriage to Thomas Bourne, Sr.]

Will Transcript:

IN THE NAME OF GOD Amen the 17th day of Feb: in the yeare of or: Lord God 1700/1 I RICHARD GRIGORY of Farnham Parish in the County of Essex being weake in body but of perfect settee & memory and knowing the uncertainty of this life on Earth & being desirous to settle my worldly Estate which God in his great Mercy bath endowed me with in order doe make & ordain. this my last Will & Testamt. in manner and forme following

Imp: I recommend my Soule into the hands of God Almighty my Creator assuredly believing that I shall receive full pardon & remission of all my sins & be saved by the merritts & pretious death of my blessed Saviour & Redeemer Jesus Christ & my body to the Earth from whence it was taken to be buryed in decent & Christian like manner as by Elm hereafte named shall see convenient, Alsoe I revoke and make void an former Wills by me made and declare & appoint this my last Will and Testament

Item I will that all these debts & duties that in right or conscience I doe lawfully owe or stand indebted to any manner of person whatsoever shall be well & truely paid in some lawful! time after my decease by my Executrx.

Item I give to my Oldest Son, RICHD, GRIGORY, all my land from the mouth of a branch called KINGS SWAMP runing to a land formerly marked at a Swamp commonly knowne by the name of the TAN YARD BRANCH to him & his heires lawfully begotten forever Item I give unto my Daughter, ELIZ: GRIGORY, Two hundred acres of land more or less begining at the South side of KINGS SWAMP & soe runing through the woods & joyning upon the land of Mr. ROBERT HALSEY & to a Great Swamp known by the name of GATEWOODs SWAMP to her & her heires for ever

Item I give unto my Son, JNO: GRIGORY, Three hundred acres of land lying in the FOREST of PASCATAWAY CREEKE being part of a Thousand acres of land formerly granted to THOMAS GAINES by Patent, the same to him & his heires for ever

Item I give to my Daughter, SARAH GRIGORY, Seaven hundred acres of land lying upon the head of MATAPONEY RIVER joyning upon Capt. JAMES TAYLOR & mr. JONAT. FISHER the same to her and her heires for ever

Item I give unto my Son in Law, THOMAS & WM. BOURN, each of them one hundred & fifty acres of land part of ye Seaven hundred acres att the upper end wch: I gave to my Daughter, SARAH to ym: & ye heires of ym,

Item I will that if eyther THOMAS or WILLIAM BOURN should dye or sell ye sd 150 acres of land that he shall dispose of it to the other & if both shall dye without issue then it shall returne to the Doner

Item I will that three cowes and calves be putt this ensueing Spring upon yeland that I have bequeathed to my Son, JOHN GRIGORY, there to remains & stand for the good of my said Son, JOHN

Item I give to my Son, RICHARD GRIGORY, a Table that is in KING & QUEENE County & my Coins my pistoll and a Sword & a pair. of Iron doggs and one feather bed & furniture

Item I will that my Son, RICHARD, shall be of age att the age of eighteen yeares

Item I give my Son, JOHN GRIGORY, another table which is in KING & QUEENE County & one large iron putt which is in KING &QUEENE and putt hookas & a Sword & Cuppboard and that he be of age at Eighteene

Item I give to my two Daughters, ELIZA: & SARAH GRIGORY, both them an Iron Pott and putt hooks and two pewter dishes to each of them

Item I lend to my well beloved Wife, KATHERINE GRIGORY, all the rest of my p:sonall Estate dureing her life & after her decease the same to be equally divided amongst her Children and that my Wife give my two Sons, RICHD. & JOHN. soe much learning as that they may write & reade and cypher to doe any Country business two Daughters to reade in the Bible.

Lastly, I mate & ordaine my well beloved Wife whole & sole Executrix of this my last Will & Testament.

In Witness whereof I the said RICHARD GRIGORY have hereunto sett my hand & fixed my seale

(Signed) Richard Grigory

Signed sealed in the pr:sence of

ANNE MORTON

RICHARD GRIGORY

JOHN CRICHARDS

JA: CLERKE

Prnv'd in Essex County Court the 10th day of May 1701 by the Oathes of ANN MORTON & JNO: RICHARDS & truely recorded

Test FRANCIS MERIWETHER, Cl Cur

{1701-1704 Essex Co VA Order Book; Antient Press: (Page 79)]

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Ancestry.com - OneWorldTree (discontinued in 2013): - extremely unreliable source
   Database online.

   Record for John Gregory

2.   Torrence, Clayton. Winston of Virginia and allied families. (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927).

   [Page 241]
   RICHARD2 GREGORY (son of John Gregory) was born circa 1650; died 1701. He lived in Rappahannock and Essex Counties. On February 11, 1679, Richard Gregory, of Rappahannock County, planter, sold to William Stone, or Gloucester County, planter, 250 acres on south side Hoskins Creek, Rappahannock County, adjoining lands of John Meador, John Gatewood, Thomas Wheeler and Mary Gregory. On October 7, 1680, Richard Gregory of Rappahannock County, planter, brother and heir at law of John Gregory, late of the same county, planter, conveyed to Thomas Wheeler 250 acres in Rappahannock County, which said John Gregory had by deed June 20, 1677, conveyed to his sister, Elizabeth, wife of said Thomas Wheeler; the said land having been granted by patent, with other lands, to John Gregory, father of said John and Richard Gregory.
   [Page 252]
   Richard Gregory resided at Old Rappahannock Co, Va., until at least 1684/85, when he was listed as constable. The will of Ambrose Cleare (dated 28 May 1686) of the parish of Stratton Major of New Kent Co, Va., requested that Mr. Richard Gregory (clearly then a resident of New Kent County) assist him in the administration of his estate. The patent of 40 acres in 1691 establishes that at that time Richard Gregory was a resident of King and Queen County (newly created from New Kent Co., Va.) and per court records he was still a resident of King and Queen County in Aug. 1692. From 1696 to 1700 there are numerous court records for Richard Gregory in Essex Co., Va., so he was probably a resident of that county.
   
   Richard Grigory of Farnham Parish died testate in Essex Co., Va (will dated 17 Feb. 1700/1, proved 10 May 1701). At the time of his death, Richard Gregory's estate should have included about 2750 acres (1750 acres by patent, 1250 acres as heir-at-law of his brother, minus the 250-acres sold to William Stone). Legacies in Richard Gregory's will included unspecified acreage to son Richard (a minor, less than 18) near King's Swamp in Essex County, 200 acres to his daughter Elizabeth in Essex County, 300 acres to his son John (a minor, less than 18), part of the Thomas Games [s/b Gaines] patent sold to John Gregory, Sr., in Essex County, 700 acres to his daughter Sarah in King and Queen County, 300 acres (150 acres each) to his step-sons Thomas and William Bourne, in King and Queen County, and the rest of his personal estate to his wife Katherine (widow of Thomas Bourne). Thus, the will specifically accounted for 1500 acres, with the acreage to son Richard and the land due his wife unspecified. The widow's dower should have been about 900 acres.
   
   The will of Richard Gregory also made provisions for the education of his children. According to James B. Slaughter: "The 1701 will of Essex gentleman Richard Gregory notes the basic goals of colonial education, including the goal of women's education. The relavant passage states:
   :that my wife give unto my two Sons Richard & John soo much Learning as that they may write & reade and Cypher to doo any Country business & two daughters to Reade the Bible...
   
   All four of Richard Gregory's children were minors when his will was written and John and Sarah were still minors in Dec. 1712 when William Bourne was named their guardian.
   
   Richard Gregory's widow, Katherine, subsequently married Thomas Snead. After her death, prior to March 1710/11, there was an interesting chancery suit between Thomas Snead and Richard Gregory's sister Mary and her family regarding the mismanagement by Thomas Snead of the estate due the orphans of Katherine from her first husband, Thomas Bourne.

3. ↑ Website of the Virginia Heritage Project (Library of Virginia) -http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/published/lva/vivadoc.pl?file=vi00017.xml
   Gregory Family Papers, 1764-1857. Accession 25325, 25326, 25327. Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
   
   BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL INFORMATION
   
   The Gregory family was prominent in early Virginia history, dating back to the 1620s. "Elsing Green", in King William County, was the home of the Gregory's for more than a century, until 1935. Richard Gregory, a justice in King and Queen County, was the father of Roger and Richard. Roger (ca. 1690-1732) married Mildred Washington, daughter of Lawrence Washington, and deeded the Mount Vernon estate to Augustine Washington, George Washington's father. Richard married a Miss West and they had several children including Roger (b. 1729) married to Mary Cole Claiborne (d. 1771) and Fanny Lowry.
   
   William Gregory (1767-1840), son of Roger (b. 1729) was married to Anne Sutherland. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates, 1798-1807, and 1815-1816. His son, Roger (1795-1850), married Maria Ellett, and they had three sons: Junius C. and Deucalion, who became doctors, and Roger (b. 1833). Roger was married to Elizabeth Frances Allen, daughter of William C. Allen and Alleville Slaughter. He served as a Liuetenant Colonel in the 87th Regiment Virginia Militia, was a judge of the County Court, member of the House of Delegates 1879-1880, represented King William and Hanover Counties at the Constitutional Convention of 1901- 1902, and was professor of law at Richmond College (now University of Richmond).