Person:Christian Winfrey (1)

Valentine Winfrey
b.Est 1718
d.Bet Jul 1795 and Sep 1795 Chesterfield, Virginia, United States
m.
  1. Mary Ann WinfreeAbt 1740 - 1802
  2. _____ WinfreeEst 1742 - Bef 1795
  3. Henry WinfreeEst 1745 -
  4. James WinfreeEst 1748 -
  5. Reuben WinfreeEst 1750 - Bef 1803
  6. William WinfreeEst 1752 - Bef 1795
  7. John Free WinfreeEst 1755 - 1830
  8. Major WinfreeEst 1758 -
  9. Valentine Winfree1762 - 1824
Facts and Events
Name Valentine Winfrey
Gender Male
Birth[3] Est 1718
Marriage to Martha Johnson
Death[1] Bet Jul 1795 and Sep 1795 Chesterfield, Virginia, United States
References
  1. Chesterfield Will Books, Vol 4, 1785-1795, in Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900
    pp. 465-69.

    Will of Valentine Winfree of the County of Chesterfield, written 21 Jul 1795 and proved 14 Sep 1795 (see page 469).

    He mentions his wife Martha, to whom he leaves 200 acres of land on which they live, as well as the means to make a living (use of tools, water grist, mill, etc.).

    He makes several bequests to children and grandchildren.

    On page 467, he makes a reference to having put enslaved persons in the possession of his children sometime in the past, naming "my Eight children Maryann Olliver, Henry Winfree, James Winfree, Rubin Winfree, William Winfree now Deceased, John Winfree, Major Winfree and Valentine Winfree". Presumably there was one more daughter - the mother of Thomas Graves - who likely died prior to that event.

    The will makes bequests to the following, whom he identifies as his grandchildren:
    Christopher, Valentine, and Nelson, the last identified as the son of Valentine Winfree, and the first two assumed to also be his sons.
    Valentine, son of Henry Winfree.
    Thomas Graves, son of an unnamed daughter.
    unnamed children of his deceased son William Winfree.

  2.   Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. (New York, New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co., c1915)
    p. 463.

    'Valentine Winfree, who died July 22, 1796, was a resident of Chesterfield county, Virginia, where he was a planter and landholder. He married Martha Johnson, who bore him four sons: Valentine, Reuben, Major, James.'

    Note: The source of information is not identified, so it is unclear how much was known and how much was conjecture. The information is presented as background for the article about their great grandson Major Christopher Valentine Winfree, and presumably came, at least to some extent, from "family records". Note that only 4 sons are mentioned, whereas Valentine named 7 sons in his will. (The order they are listed in the will doesn't suggest that he had 2 wives with Martha being the mother of only the younger sons, although that could have been the case.) Their son Valentine named a daughter Martha Johnson Winfree, assumed to be after her grandmother, so the maiden name of Valentine Sr.'s wife rings true.

    Valentine's death date of 22 July 1796 is clearly incorrect, assuming that the penciled in probate date of Sep 14, 1795 is correct. However, it might have been a simple error, and it is possible that he died 22 July 1795, the day after writing his will.

  3. Birth year estimated based on the birth years of his children Mary Ann and Valentine, and on the estimated birth year of his wife.