Person:James Rutledge (10)

James Rutledge acquired a tract of 500 acres of land in early Virginia in an area known as "South Branch", adjacent to "South Branch Manor". This land was apparently located then in Hampshire County, near the Frederick County line, according to the following reference in Hampshire County records:(source: "Men and Manors in the South Branch Valley")

AC, 22, 25 May 1750. - Peter Thorn and Lambert Pooper are hereby Appointed to lay of and be Surveyors of a Road from Coburns Mill to the County Line [Frederick County line] and that James Rutledge gent lay of the tithebles to clear the same. (source: Colonial Hampshire County Road Orders, http://www.wvgenweb.org/hardy/tgart7.htm)

Acquisition of Land from Chalkley's:

Book 1, page 480-481 Mary Rutledge to James Rutledge 150 acres being part of a land granted to Mary Rutledge by Patent. 30 July 1742. Land in county of Amelia and in the fork between the Bush and Sandy rivers where Mary and James Rutledge now live. Dated 14 June 1743. Witnessed: GBeorge Walker, Charles Cottrell, Edward Robertson.

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Information on James Rutledge

James Rutledge came to America prior to 1741 with his family and settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Records show that both James and his brother John were engaged as "Indian Traders" in early Pennsylvania:

James Rutledge was a resident of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, November 5, 1741, As a trader (Indian) , on February 28, 1744, he was still in Lancaster. On the date first mentioned, he executed his deed to Robert Dunning, of Pennsborough, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and to Samuel Blunston, of Hempfield, of the same county. He died in Augusta County, Virginia prior to November, 1750.

On April 11, 1743, Thomas Story and John Rutledge were traders (Indian) in Chester County, Pa, and on that date executed their bond to William Blythe, of Lancaster County, Pa. Both Thomas Story and John Rutledge removed to Augusta County, Va., prior to 1750. John Patton was a witness to the bond. Blyth vs. Story etc. Court papers 390.

Source: Items of local iterest from the Pennsylvania Gazette from 1734 to 1775, by David Francis Magee, David M. Landis, Eleanor Jane Fulton.

Sometime in the mid 1740's, James Rutledge migrated to the "South Branch Valley" area of Virginia. He is listed in the following reference:

Perhaps the best information about the very earliest settlements in the South Branch Valley comes from Kercheval's "History of the Valley of Virginia" (first published in 1833), which relates details of several events recounted to the author by contemporaries. According to Kercheval, the first settlers in the South Branch Valley were James Coburn, James Rutledge, John Howard, and James Walker, who arrived sometime around 1735. (Source: John Varvel - South Branch Valley, http://genforum.genealogy.com/varvel/messages/63.html)

Sometime during the late 1740's, James apparently had business dealings that didn't turn out well, as he was listed in several records that record his unfortunate situation, some after his death in abt. 1750:

From Chalkley's:

AUGUST, 1750 (C). Page 304. James Rutledge vs. John Storey (Thos. Storey, administrator of John).-- Debt on account dated 1740. To 7 large steers sold John Storey in Carolina. Writ dated 20th April, 1747.

Order Book No 111. June 11, 1751 - August 27, 1751 James Rutledge in list of persons re: reorg of court. pending cases ? p 45-46

August 1752 Purvaiance Vs Strother, administrator of Rutledge. William Purvaiance, of the township of Paxton, County of Lancaster, Province of Pennsylvania. Bond to him by James Rutledge.

AUGUST, 1752. Dunning vs. Strother, administrator of Rutledge.--James Rutledge, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Robert Dunning, of Ponsborough, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Bond to Samuel Blanton, 1741.

Grub vs. Parker, administrator of Rutledge.--Benjamin Grub and Hannah, his wife (late Hannah Humphreys).

NOVEMBER, 1758 (A). Stevenson vs. Shirkey.--On 25th February, 1743-4, John Stevenson and Patrick Shirkey became surety on a bond for James Rutledge. Rutledge died insolvent, and Stevenson sues Shirkey for one-half what he had to pay.

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