Person:William Strother (10)

Acquisition of Land in Orange County, VA

Acquisition of Land from Northern Neck Warrants & Surveys:

• William Strother, son of Francis Strother, 2 Oct. 1747 - 27 Oct. 1747; 400 acres on North fork of Rush River; adj. Capt. Robert Green, Francis Strother. Chain Carriers - Francis Jacobus & Alexander Monroe. Surv. James Genn. [Abstracts of Virginia's Northern Neck Warrants & Surveys, Orange & Augusta Counties, with Tithables, Delinquents, Petitioners, 1730-1754, Volume One, Peggy Smomo Joyner, pg. 14]. (Note: apparently survey for land grant listed below)

Acquisition of Land from Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants 1742-1775, Vol. 2:

• G-177: William Strother, son of Francis Strother of Orange County, 400 acres in Orange County. Surv. Mr. James Genn. In the Fork of Rush River, adj. John Strother, Francis Strother. 11 June 1749. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, pg. 31].

Records in Virginia

Page 522. Will of Moses Hawkins of Orange County, dated 16 April 1777.

All my estate to my loving wife Susannah during her widow-hood for the support of her and our four children till they come to age or at her death all to be equally divided between my children.

My loving wife Susannah and Mr. William Strother her father executors.

(signed) Moses Hawkins

Wit: James Hawkins, Sarah Hawkins, Benjamin Hawkins.

27 Aug. 1778. Presented into Court by Susannah Hawkins. Proved by Benjamin Hawkins and James Hawkins. Executrix with William Strother and Francis Moore Junr. her securities entered into bond for £100 current money.

[Orange County Virginia Will Book 2, 144-1778, Dorman, pg. 113].

Biography of William Strother

From "The History of Woodford County, Kentucky", by William E. Railey, pub. 1938, pg. 144-48: (Note: partial transcript, additional information is contained in this source).

William Strother of "Orange" was born about 1720, in Orange County, Virginia, and lived in that county until he came to Kentucky. He was twice married, both events occurring in Virginia. His first marriage was to Sarah (Bailey) Pannill, in 1751. She the widow of William Pannill; second to Anna Kavanaugh, widow of Philemon Kavanaugh.* There was no issue from the second marriage. By the first marriage was Susanna Strother, who married first Captain Moses Hawkins, second Thomas Coleman; William Dabney Strother, who was killed at the battle at Guilford Court House while an officer of a company in the regiment of Col. Richard Taylor, his brother-in-law; and he and Sarah Strother, who became the wife of Col. Richard Taylor, were the parents of General Zachary Taylor, who was commander of our armies in the Mexican War, and afterwards elected President.

William Strother was a large land holder in both Orange and Culpeper counties, Va., as various documents of record in these counties disclose, and copies of these records ar in possession of Henry Strother, of Ft. Smith, Ark., who has made many trips to Virginia in research work. In Culpeper County one deed, among others, reveals property deeded by William Strother in 1758 to his daughter Susanna, and his son William Dabney Strother. On August 1st, 1727, Margaret (Thornton) Strother conveyed to her son, Francis Strother, certain slaves, by name, with reversion at his death to his son, William Strother, of "Orange", and these slaves were delivered to William, at the death of his father, Francis, in 1752. When William Strother arrived at the age of maturity he had an uncle in Stafford County whose name was confused with his in business affairs so the one was ever afterward known as William of "Orange", and the other as William of "Stafford", in business and social affairs.

1. ↑ Roberts, Gary Boyd. Ancestors of American Presidents. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009).

   Ancestor of Zachary Taylor: Grandfather William Strother, prob. Hanover Co., Va., c. 1725-Woodford Co., KY. c. 1808, [m] ante 20 Feb 1752 Sarah Bayly. Parents Francis Strother, Susanah Dabney.