Person:James Warden (6)

Early Land Acquisition in Fairfax County, VA

• Proven 16 Nov 1756 -- Thomas Wodward of Fairfax Co., Va. attorney for Joseph & William Kirkland OF South Carolina sells to James Warden of Charles Co., Maryland, for 15 lbs. current money 250 A in Fairfax Co. on branches of Popeshead & Bull Run, being part of a larger tract gt. William Kirkland, now deceased, father of sd. Joseph & William Kirkland, & James Smith by patent from the proprietors of the Northern Neck bearing date 2 Sept 1741 and by sd. William Kirkland devised to his sons Joseph and William Kirkland parties to these presents as by his last will & testament recorded among records of the Co., Court of ... corner to the land of Rev. Alexander Scott & Hanclck Lee, gent., dec'd., (torn..) to the dividing line between James Smith & William Kirkland.... to the line of James Warden... in witness hereof the sd. Thomas Woodward hath hereunto set his hands affixed the seals of sd. Joseph & William Kirkland. [Source: 16 Nov 1756 - Liber D #1, Part 1, p. 358, Va. State Lib. & Archives].

Will of James Warden

In The Name Of God Amen. I James Warden of the parish of Truro and County of Fairfax being sensible of the uncertainty of human life and being of sound and disposing mind and memory do make this my last Will and Testament.

In the first place I order that all my just debts be paid as soon as possible after my death by my executor.

In the second place I give unto my son Elisha One Thousand Pounds of Crop Tobacco and cash or value thereof in the household furniture as he and my executor may agree upon having heretofore given to my son Nathan the like value in furniture. I also give unto my son Elisha the bar of iron which I purchased for a wagon.

ITEM I give my son Nathan two cows of the common size as an equivalent for the bar of iron above mentioned.

ITEM I give to my much beloved wife Sarah all the rest and residue of my estate real and personal to be disposed of by her as she thinks fit with full power to sell and convey the land whereon I now live and to execute deeds for the same if she chooses to do so but in case my said wife should not sell the land, then it is my will that immediately upon her death the land shall be sold by my executor and the money or tobacco arising from the sale thereof be equally divided between my said sons Nathan and Elisha or their heirs.

Lastly I appoint my said son Nathan Warden executor of this my Last Willand Testament. In witness thereof I have here unto set my hand and seal first ordering my executor to pay the small debt I owe to W. Carr of Dumfries in money or country produce at old rates. This Thirteenth Day of April 1780.

(signed) James Warden

Signed Sealed and Delivered by the Testator to be his Last Will and Testament in presence of us who subscribe the same in the presence of him and each other.

(signed) Sarah Henderson and Alexander Henderson.

Information on James Warden

Our first record of James Warden is in the Charles County Land Record Book with his lease agreement with Aaron Nalley During the Fall of 1756, James Warden purchased from Joseph and William Kirkland, a tract of 250 acres of land located in Fairfax County,Virginia on the branches of Popes Head and Bull Run Creeks. These streams join at the south western county line about twenty miles from Washington D.C. While it is not known just how long this land was first held by James, the records show that in 1792 he purchased the same land from Thomas Hitch. In the summer of 1762, James had acquired another parcel of land farther east on the Potomac River and just south of Powell Creek. This is just accross the county line in Prince William County. This one hundred acres was purchased from George Mason of Gunston Hall. [Source: http://www.familyinquiry.com/getperson.php?personID=I1839&tree=Walden].