Person:William Estill (3)

William Christian Estill was born as the illegitimate child of Rebecca Christian, wife of 1st, John Estil and 2nd, Zachariah F. Estill. The following proves this:

http://community-2.webtv.net/mikebrowder/estill/page4.html

Did John Estill have a son named William?

My interest in William Estill, thought to be a son of John Estill and his wife, Rebecca Christian, came about as a result of my research into my ancestor, Priscilla Gold Estill. Many online sources (gedcoms, genealogy forums, etc.) as well as several bookss, indicated that John and Rebecca had a son named William. I had originally accepted this information at face value, but after researching this family myself, I began to doubt not only that John and Rebecca Christian Estill had a son named William, but that they had any children at all (at least none who lived to adulthood).

The book, A Family History by One of the Family by J. H. Estill (1908) includes a chapter entitled "Family Record of Rev. Reverdy Estill of Louisville, KY" which begins:

I am descended from Wallace Estill and Mary Boude, his wife, through his third son, John, who was born June 5th, 1741. He married Rebecca Christian, daughter of William, son of Gilbert Christian and Margaret Richardson of Augusta County, Virginia. They left one son, William Christian Estill. Rebecca Christian Estill afterwards married Hezekiah Estill, of another branch of the family. They had one daughter. William Christian, son of John and Rebecca Estill, was born May 10, 1783 and married his first cousin, Mary Christian, daughter of Col. Robert Christian, on April 2d, 1807. They both died, 1818, on the same day and were buried in the same grave.

Rev. Reverdy Estill was the son of Davis Hudson Estill and a grandson of William Christian Estill. He indicates that his grandfather, William Christian Estill, was born May 10, 1783. If this date is correct, there is no way William Christian Estill could have been the son of John Estill who died in 1780. Since the record of Rev. Estill does not give the date of John Estill's death, he may not have been aware of the discrepency between that date and the date of his grandfather's birth. A letter received from Estill family researcher Dale Lynn Harmon dated 8 Sept 2002, gives further evidence for this date of birth:

"William C. Estill's birth is reported to be 10 May 1783 in the Ruth History. This date is also found in copies of a Bible record belonging to some of the descendants of William C. Estill. The Bible was published in 1891 so the information would have been written well after the event. William C. Estill and his wife are buried in Charleston, West Virginia in a cemetery on the parking lot for the Telephone building. This same birthdate is shown on the tombstone. If this date is correct, then William C. could not be the son of John Estill since William was born three years after the death of John. Rebecca did not marry Zachariah Estill until 1785 so it is not clear who is the father of William C. Estill."

There is a court record in Augusta County dated 21 May 1784 that may shed some light on the mystery surrounding William C. Estill:

The Comonwealth against Mary Bale, On Presentment for having a base born child. The defendant being again solemnly called and not appearing on the motion of the Deputy Attorney it is considered by the court that she make her fine with the Comonwealth by the payment of ____ & costs."

The same against Rebecca Estill, On the same Presentment, the same judgement as above for the sum of ____ & costs." [1]

Apparently, Rebecca Estill had a child born out of wedlock sometime around 1783/84. The date is well after John Estill had died (1780) and before Rebecca remarried to Zach Estill (1785). It is also consistent with the birthdate (1783) given by Rev. Reverdy Estill and attributed to Ruth Estill Kavanaugh in "The Ruth History".

It's important to keep in mind that if William C. Estill had been the son of John Estill, he would have been John's lawful heir, and would have inherited all of John's undevised land upon John's death. Instead, John's oldest brother, Boud Estill, inherited these lands. The title to land (devised or undevied) passed to the heir automatically upon the death of the testator (or intestate) and required no involvement of the courts or probate process. The only way to dispose of inherited land was by deed (only personal property could be renounced). There is no record of a William Estill disposing of any of the lands formerly owned by John Estill in Augusta, Botetourt, Greenbrier or Monroe Counties.

There were two William Estills in Kanawha County, (West) Virginia in the early 1800's. Marriage records for that county include a William C. Estill & Peggy Christian (2 April 1807) [2] and a William L. Estill & Betsey Besley (11 June 1805) [3]. The names William C. Estill and William L. Estill both appear on the 1806 Kanawha County tax list. William L. Estill also appears in early Cabell County, (West) Virginia records selling livestock to Edmund Morris on 14 Jan 1811 [4]. Edmund Morris patented land with William C. Estill in Kanawha County, and married Sally Estill, a daughter of Zachariah Estill, in Kanawha on 10 Jan 1804 [5].

It is assumed that William C. Estill moved to Kanawha County in 1802, along with his mother, Rebecca, and her second husband, Zachariah F. Estill. Zach Estill first appears on the Kanawha tax lists in 1802, along with Thomas Ray who married Priscilla Gold Estill. Kanawha tax lists for 1803 - 1805 were not available, so it is not known what year William C. Estill first appeared on the lists, but his name is on the 1806 list. The fact that he was not on the 1802 list is another point against the 1773 birthdate sometimes attributed to him. William continues to be listed on the tax lists through 1818.

1. Augusta Co, VA Order Book 18:251.

2. Kanawha County Marriages Jan 1, 1792 - Dec 31, 1869, Marriage returns of John Lee, Esq.

3. ibid. Marriage returns of William Williams.

4. Cabell Co, WV Deed Book 1:184

5. Kanawha County Marriages Jan 1, 1792 - Dec 31, 1869, Marriage returns of Jonh Mason.