Person:John Peterson (45)

John Peterson, second of the name, only surviving issue of John Peterson and his wife, Elizabeth Soane appears on the Charles City Jury list in 1694 and hence was born at least prior to 1673. He died in Isle of Wight co. in 1731. The name of his wife (or wives) is not known. Since he had a son named Batte, it has long been assumed that he married a member of the Batte family, however, this connection cannot be authenticated by existing records. The will of Henry Batte has been destroyed and it is possible that he had an older daughter, not mentioned in the will of Henry Batte Jr. who could have married John Peterson. It seems probable that John Peterson named son Batte out of gratitude to Capt. Henry Batte who became his guardian and saved his estate from ruin. It would appear from John Peterson's will, that he married (1) or (2) a widow named Brown, the mother of Jeremiah and Burrell Brown, mentioned in his will. John Peterson was a Justice of the County Court for Prince George County (1714-1720).On Jan 10, 1723, John Peterson Sr. of Isle of Wight Co. deeded to his son, John Peterson Jr., of Prince George Co., two tracts of land, 100 acres at the head of Froghole Millpond, Bristol Parish, and a tract on west run. John Peterson Sr. built another mill on Bailey's Creek and this property continued in possession of his descendants until about 1870.On Nov. 12, 1723, John Peterson of Bristol Parish sold to John Fitzgerald the water grist mill and mill called Froghole mill on Bailey's Creek in Prince George Co., three tracts of land (1) 118 acres as by deed dated Jan. 26, 1677 from Francis Whittington to John Peterson, the feoffer, as heir at law to sd. John Peterson dec'd; (2) 60 acres, as by deed dated Oct 11, 1703 from Henry Batte to John Peterson, the feoffer, which said land descended to sd. Henry Batte, as heir at law to his father, Henry Batte; and (3) 95 acres purchased by John Peterson, the feoffer, by deed dated May 12, 1703. This was the mill built by the first John Peterson. Fitzgerald's on Froghole Millpond was the site of Prince George Co. courthouse for many years.From 1715 until his death in 1731, John Peterson acquired, by purchase and patent, several thousand acres of land in Isle of Wight Co., later Brunswick, on both sides of the Meherrin River and moved to that section to live about 1723. He seems to have resided in what is now Greensville Co. His will, dated Mar 1, 1731, probated Jan 24, 1731-1732, Isle of Wight (Book 3, page 292) mentions sons, John and Batte; daughters Mary Spain, Judith Thweatt and Ann Thweatt; grandson John Eppes; Jeremiah Brown, Burrell Brown, John Smith and Matthew Parham. The last four persons were devised tracts of land in the will but their relationship to John Peterson, is not confirmed. John Epps, grandson of John Peterson, may have been the son of a daughter who predeceased her father; or issue by a previous marriage, of one of the three daughters mentioned above.