John [Overall] Sr. (1701) of Westmoreland Co. moved to Prince William in 1723 with his wife Mary Elliot (sometimes appears as Ellis). He fathered William (1727) and John Jr. (1735).
William took advantage of a land grab scheme in the Shenandoah Valley in 1749/50 when he was member of the militia. There, many Palatinate Germans and Scots-Irish moved, as they were unwanted by the established Anglo folk in New York, Jew Jersey, and Pennsylvania. So the immigrants followed the so-called Great Wagon Trail south. Two enterprising Palatinate men received permission for the 1,000,000 acre land grant from the Virginia House of Burgesses. The land was owned by Lord Fairfax (though still inhabited by the Indian natives), but was sold off by the enterprise regardless. Fairfax fought them in court, even after the United States won the War of Independence. Eventually, the Americans won the access and ownership the land. There is even a deed granted to John Froman by Lord Fairfax himself in 1795.
William did his affairs with many of the Palatinate and Scots-Irish co-settlers. I figure that is how met his future wife, Maria Christina Froman. They had four sons - Capt. William, John Froman, Nathaniel, and Robert. I'm descended from Nathaniel. ...
