Person:William Craford (1)

About Col. William Craford

From wikipedia page of Portsmouth, Virginia:

Portsmouth is located on the western side of the Elizabeth River directly across from the City of Norfolk. In 1620, the future site of Portsmouth was recognized as suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a shipbuilder, who petitioned King James I of England for a land grant. The surrounding area was soon settled as a plantation community.[4]

Portsmouth was founded by Colonel William Crawford, a wealthy merchant and ship owner, who dedicated the four corners of High and Court streets for a church, a market, a courthouse, and a jail. It was established as a town in 1752 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly and was named for Portsmouth, England.

Will of William Craford

In the name of God, Amen, I, William Craford of Portsmouth Parish, County of Norfolk and Colony of Virginia, at this time (tho' sickly in Body) thanks to God for the blessings of a sound memory, and in my ordinary judgement and understanding to hereby make my Last Will and Testament - first commending my soul to God the Father for Mercy and in hopes of salvation and a joyful resurrection, through the sacrifice and intercession of Jesus Christ my Savior and Redeemer.

1st. It is my will that all my just debts shall be paid as soon as possible.

2ly. I give and bequeath unto my sister Abigail Conner three hundred pounds current money of Virginia out of my bonds and mortgages and six lots of land in Portsmouth, three of them to be chosen by her or heirs, and three of them to be assigned by Thos. Veale hereafter mentioned, and unto her heirs. I likewise acquit and release her, and her heirs forever from all debts, claims and demands whatsoever.

3ly. I give and bequeath unto Danl. Dale the plantation he now lives on (not exceeding one hundred acres) during his natural life and the negro fellow he has now in possession named Jemmy and after his decease unto William Dale his son and unto his heirs forever. I likewise give unto the said Danl. Dale the lott he built a Brick House on in Portsmouth and unto his heirs, he first paying me or my Executors twentynine pounds Virginia currency for the same.

4ly. I give and bequeath unto Abigail Veale, otherwise Etheredge, and unto Amos her husband the House and lot I now live in and upon in Portsmouth during their natural lives, and after their decease equally between the issue of her body and their heirs. I give unto the said Amos Etheredge the lot of land in Portsmouth he lately built on adjoining to George Har11ess's and to his heirs forever, I likewise give unto the said Abigail Veale, otherwise Etheredge, the following negroes viz: Anthony, Pompey, together with Dinah, Joan, Patience and Betty with all the issue they now have or in the future may have, and to her heirs forever. I likewise give her all my household furniture, my Plate, money, and Books excepted.

I give unto Thos. Bustin in Princess Anne County all my negroes that he has now of mine in possession and unto his heirs forever, I give and bequeath unto each of Lemuel Veale's (deceased) children one lott of land in Portsmouth and to their heirs forever.

I give unto my friend and nephew William Conner, my gun, my watch and acquit him of all debts and claims.

I give unto the children of Eliza Veale otherwise Herbert (deceased) my negress Nancy and all her present and future issue and to their heirs and for the regard I bear to the memory of Mary Veale my former House Keeper, as well as the natural love I bear to her children, it is my express Will, that George and Thomas Veale her children shall have and hold and enjoy the undermentioned legacies and estate to them and their heirs forever, I therefore give and bequeath unto George Veale the son of the said Mary the whole Plantation he lives on and in his occupation, Beginning Easterly at the Rice Branch and running to a Creek Southerly, then running on the South side of the Western Branch Road and then as the Line trees were last possessioned to the neighbor's lands, I mean from the Rice Branch to the School House Branch and as far as it extends upon the Southward back of the Road. I give unto him also half of the lott (and # Copper Kettle) in Portsmouth whereon he lately uilt a slaughtering house and one half of all my lands in Princess Anne County together with one half of all my negroes and their future increase unto him the said George Veale and his heirs forever, I give and bequeath unto Thomas Veale the son of the aforesaid Mary Veale the whole and all my lands in Portsmouth Town and adjacent to it as far as the Rice Branch Westerly and in general all my lands in Norfolk County whatsoever not already given away, and one half of all my lands in Princess Anne County together with one half of all my negroes not already given away with all their future increase until him the said Thomas Veale and his heirs forever.

I give all my stock of cattle, etc., equally between George Veale, Thomas Veale and Abigail Veale afsd., and my Plate and everything else, I have not given away.

I equally give it to the said Thomas and George Veale.

I constitute and appoint the aforesaid George and Thomas Veale Executors of this my Last Will, written on the two preceding and this Page of this sheet of paper at Portsmouth Town in Norfolk County this 27th day of January 1762.

(Signed) Wm. Craford [Seal]

Test:

Thos. Scott

John Ray

Charles Smith

April Court 1762.

The above will proved as per order Book.

Test Saml. Boush, Clk.

1.   Stewart, William H. History of Norfolk County, Virginia, and representative citizens. (Tucson, Arizona: W.C. Cox Co., 1974)
   pg. 370=71.
2.   .

   William Craford was the founder of Portsmouth. Little is known about his personal life, but in 1716 he patented more than 1,100 acres of land in Norfolk County across the Elizabeth River from the port of Norfolk. He co-owned a mill and constructed a wharf in the county, where he was appointed a sheriff in 1725 and commander of the militia in 1748. Craford sat as a member of the House of Burgesses for more than thirty years, beginning 1712. Early in the 1750s he hired a surveyor to lay off the land that he had acquired in 1716 into streets and lots. Probably at his request, in the spring of 1752 the General Assembly established the town of Portsmouth there, and in the summer of that year he began selling lots. Craford had died, probably in Portsmouth, by April 15, 1762, when his will was proved in the Norfolk County Court.
   
   Craford was the son of George Craford and Abigail Mason Craford. Contemporaries sometimes spelled the family name Crawford, but several extant autograph signatures and many transcriptions of it in Norfolk County records indicate that he consistently used the spelling Craford. The place and date of his birth are not known for certain, but probably he was born in Virginia in the 1680s and was orphaned early in childhood. Craford and his sister were both younger than eighteen when in September 1699 their immigrant grandfather, who owned land in Norfolk and Princess Anne Counties and also in North Carolina, wrote his will and made them his principal heirs.
   
   Little is known about Craford's personal life. There is no evidence that he ever married, but during the 1710s he cared for his paternal grandmother during her second widowhood. In the spring of 1711 he patented 173 acres of land in Nansemond County, and on October 31, 1716, he patented 1,129 acres in Norfolk County across the Elizabeth River from the port of Norfolk, land that had once belonged to William Carver, who had been executed in 1676 for his part in Bacon's Rebellion (1676–1677). Craford was a partner in erecting and operating a mill in Norfolk County, constructed a wharf for the county, and probably planted tobacco and engaged in trade. He recorded at least one deed of sale for an enslaved woman and her children, but it is not certain whether he regularly traded in laborers, either free or enslaved. Craford was almost certainly a member of the county court for several years before the governor appointed him sheriff of the county on May 4, 1725. He had become a colonel of militia by 1742 and was county lieutenant, or commander of the county's militia, in 1748.
   
   First elected to the House of Burgesses representing Norfolk County in 1712, Craford served with one interruption for more than thirty years. He gave up his seat in the summer of 1734 after becoming county sheriff for the second time in a decade but was reelected to the House the following year. His name appears in the journals of the session that met early in 1746, but it is not clear whether he took part in the summer session of that year or the session of the following spring, as he was eligible to do. Craford sat on the Committee of Claims in 1723 and again in 1744 and 1746, and twice he served on the committee that drafted the reply of the House to the governor's message. He did not become a powerful legislative leader during his many years as a burgess, however. One of the last responsibilities that he shouldered as a member of the assembly was as a manager of a £600 fund that the legislature set aside early in 1746 to support British soldiers whose ship had blown into Virginia waters while en route to Cape Breton.
   
   Early in the 1750s Craford hired a surveyor to lay off the land that he had acquired in 1716 into streets and lots. Probably at his request, in the spring of 1752 the General Assembly established the town of Portsmouth there, and in the summer of that year he began selling lots. Craford prepared to erect a market and a new courthouse for the county in Portsmouth, but during his lifetime the courthouse remained in the borough of Norfolk. He was in poor health when he wrote his will on January 27, 1762. He bequeathed part of his property to his sister and portions to members of the Dale and Veale families; he singled out the children of his late housekeeper, Mary Veale, for special favors. Craford died, probably in Portsmouth, sometime before April 15, 1762, when his will was proved in the Norfolk County Court. The place of his burial is not known.
   
   http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Craford_William_d_by_April_15_1762