CJ (3) : In The Freshes

The third document found on the life of Cadwallader Jones is recorded in the Virginia patent book, no. 6, p. 492. It is transcribed by Nell Marion Nugent in her monumental work titled : Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, Vol. II, p.139. It is as follows:

"CADWILL. (Cadwallader ?) JONES (JO-1) 1443 acs.(acres), on S. side & in the freshes of Rappa. Riv., adj. (adjacent, adjoining) Warwick Camocke (Cammock) (CA-1); 5 Nov. 1673. P. 492. 625 acs. Granted Symon Miller (MI-1), who sould to sd. Jones (JO-1); 818 acs. For trans. (transportation) Of 17 pers. (persons) : Abra. Vintner (VI-1), Sarah Cooke (COO-1), Wm. Sanders (SAN-1), Tho. Page (PA-1), Curby Clerke (CL-1), James Heart (HE-1), James Scott (SC-1), Eliz. Giles (GI-1), Mary James (JA-1), Marg. Jenkins (JE-1), Anth. Hanford (HA-1), John Whitehead (WH-1), Wm. Rider (RI-1), James Nevett (NE-1), Elia. Byant (BY-1), James Phillips (PH-1), James Williams (WI-2)."

[Please note that the brackets ( ) are mine. They are intended to define the abbreviations used in the text quoted above. However, not all abbreviations are defined. The abbreviation "adj", I have listed as adjacent or adjoining.]

By 5 November 1673, Cadwallader (JO-1) had settled 1433 acres of land along the "freshes" of Rappahannock River. The term "freshes" is discussed in my blog "The Jones Genealogist". To understand this term please see:

http://thejonesgenealogist.blogspot.com/2011/04/in-freshes.html

Remember that one square mile is 640 acres. Thus, the 1443 acres would be around 2.25 miles in some rectangular configuration. We know from the last document CJ(2), that Simon Miller's (MI-1) land was along "Penmansind" Creek. Thus, this land would be in the same area.

The works of Nell Marion Nugent are discussed in the post:

http://thejonesgenealogist.blogspot.com/2010/12/pioneers-to-cavaliers.html

Please review to get an idea of the contribution that this series of texts had made to the field of genealogy!

CJ(2): Land Ho...

The first land transaction that Cadwallader Jones (JO-1) participated is given as item #2. It is dated the 2nd of July 1673. The document is recorded in (Old) Rappahannock Deed Book 1672-1673, PART I, pp. 62-63. It reads:

" July 73 TO ALL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE to whom these presents shall come I SIMON MILLER (ML-1) of Sittingbourne Parish in the County of Rappa Boatwright send Greeting. Now know yee that I the said SIMON MILLER (ML-1) for the sume of forty pounds sterling and a Man Servant in hand paid and delivered unto me by CADWALADER JONES (JO-1) Gent of the County and Parish aforesaid of every part and parcell thereof I do hereby discharge him have granted and confirmed unto CADWALADER JONES (JO-1) aforesaid his heirs or assignes forever six hundred and five acre of land lying and being in the County and Parish aforesaid and upon the main run of PENMANSIND beginning at a marked Beech in a branch and a corner tree of the Uppper end of Mr. CAMMOCK'S (CA-1) land and runing from thence South to a corner marked Poplar of Mr. CAMMOCK'S (CA-1) line from thence West to a Pocickery in Branch at the dividing of the Swamp and from thence East to the first mentioned Beech To have and hold all the aforesaide demized premises with all privileges thereunto in as ample manner as was granted by our Sovereigne Lord the King by Pattent to the First Proprietors without the molestation of the said SIMON MILLER(ML-1) or any person claiming under him & futher the aforesaid SIMON MILLER (ML-1) doth hereby agree that he and his Wife will upon reasonable request or their attornies for them make acknowledgement of this Sale in the County Court of Rappa that it may be recored according the usual forme in the like cases Witness my hand and seale this second of July 1673 in presence of us"

ANTHONY SAVAGE (SA-1) SIMON MILLER(ML-1)

JOHN MOTT (MO-1) GEORGE MOTT (MO-2)

Recognitr in Cum Com Rappa 2d die July 1673

Reference: Old Rappahannock County Deed Abstracts 1672-1676 (Part I). Ruth and Sam Sparacio (eds.), The Ancient Press, McLean, VA, 1989.

The first land recorded is 605 acres along "Penmansind" creek. It gives a great deal of information and detail regarding the location along the "main run". It would seem that Cadwallader (JO-1) would be the second owner of this property since Simon Miller(ML-1) seems to indicate that he was the first owner. Simon(ML-1) identifies himself as a "Boatwright" which was certainly needed along the highways (water). A number of additional individuals are listed which in time all play a role in the life of Cadwallader Jones (JO-1). Land ho...!

CJ(1) [Part III]: Old Rappahannock County

Old Rappahannock County Virginia was formed out of Lancaster County in 1656. [Hening Statues, i. p. 427 and Hening Statutes iii.p. 104] It contained the present Virginia counties of Essex (formed 1692) and Richmond (formed 1692), and parts of Westmoreland (formed 1653), King George (formed 1721), Stafford (formed 1664), Caroline (formed 1728), and Spotsylvania (formed 1721) Counties. It had lands on both sides of the Rappahannock River, and was considered the Upper Parish of Lancaster County in 1656. It became Sittingbourne Parish in 1661, and it is by this name that it is referred to in many of the primary documents of this period. Old Rappahannock ceased to exist in 1692. The present Rappahannock County Virginia was created in 1833, and must be distinguished from the "Old".

From the above comments, the great difficulty for the genealogist doing early Virginia history is presented. The settlement pattern varied, often from year to year, with counties and their parishes changing names frequently. It is important to make these distinctions when trying to short out the family tree. Two important and helpful references are:

Hening, William Waller. Comp. The Statutes At Large: Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia From the First Session of the Legislature in the Year 1619. Richmond, 1810-1823, 13 Vols.

Robinson, Morgan P., Virginia Counties: Those Resulting from Virginia Legislation, originally published as Bulletin of the Virginia State Library, Volume 9 (January, April and July 1916), Richmond, Virginia. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1992.

For a history of Old Rappahannock County see:

Warner, Thomas Hoskins : History of Old Rappahannock County Virgina 1656-1692, Tappahannock, VA, 1965.

CJ(1): For Satisfaction (Part II)

According to Bishop Meade, Henry Corbin (Corbyn) (CO-1) was a leading vestry man in the parish of Middlesex. [See: Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia, Vol.II, pp. 145-146, J.B. Lippincott & Co., first published 1857.] His home was known as Buckingham Farm, which was originally part of Lancaster County. He became active in land patents (beginning 1658) and acquired a large amount of land over the years. In 1667, Henry Corbin (CO-1) patented 5776 acres, beginning at the mouth of Weire Creek [See: Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, Vol. II (1665-1695), p. 128, by Nell Nugent.] This land was to be adjacent to the land of Robert Tallaferro, Sr. (TA-2) and Charles Grimes (GR-1). This area was near the land that later became known as "Solomon's Garden", which is next to the creek that our Cadwallader Jones (JO-1) was to settle in 1673. Most intriguing is the fact that Henry Corbin (CO-1), Richard Lee (LE-1), and Samuell Griffin (GR-1), were all attorneys for two of the most influential London merchants, who had activity in Virginia. These London merchants were John Jefferys (JE-1) and Thomas Cohlough (COH-1) who were to play a role in Cadwallader's life. Along with being called attorneys, these three men were titled "Merchants", and were given a wide range of powers to act as agents in Virginia. [See: (Old) Rappahannock Deed Book 1656-1664, Part I, pp. 106-107.] {My Jones family and the Jefferys family share a common descent in Wales during the 1500's!}

As will be seen in multiple future documents, the TALIAFERRO family has a great deal to do with the Cadwallader Jones (JO-1) family. At this point, it is possible that Cadwallader Jones (JO-1) was serving as the attorney for Robert Taliaferro (TA-1). However, other interpretations have been given, which will be discussed as the documents present themselves to us.

CJ(1): For Satisfaction

The first primary document that I could uncover on Cadwallader Jones (JO-1) is found in the records of Old Rappahannock County, Virginia. This primary document is copied from (Old) Rappahannock County Deed Book 1672-1676. Part II, p.42, transcribed by Ruth and Sam Sparacio, The Ancient Press, 1990. The numbering system begins here, and the (brackets) are not in the original documents. It reads:

"Whereas HENRY CORBIN Esqr. (CO-1) My Husband did by Deed bearing date September 21st 1672 or thereabouts sell and convey to Mr. ROBERT TALIAFERRO (TA-1) and to his heirs forever a certain parcell of land as is recited in Rappa County Court but noe acknowledgement or Release of my Right of Dower Now Know yee that for satisfaction received of Mr. CADWALADER JONES (JO-1) I doe by these presents freely voluntarily and willingly constitute and appoint Mr. WILLIAM TRAVERS (TR-1) my lawful attorney to acknowledge in Court my free consent to the sale of the said Land and that I doe acquit and release all my right of Dower in the said land forever as witness my hand and seale this 6th day of January 1672."

Witness HUGH WILLIAMS (WI-1) ALICE CORBIN (CO-2)
SAM SMITH (SM-1) JOHN BAKER (BA-1)

Recognitr in Cu Comr Rappa 4 die 9bris 1674

[Please note that not all the words are spelled the same as we do today. I have tried to copy the document as close to the original as recorded by those who initially wrote the document. Also note that in the context of this document, the date 6th day of January 1672 would be in the "old calendar" system and thus makes the date actually 6th of January 1673. A discussion of the calendar year is presented in Foundations of Colonial America, A Documentary History, Vol. I, Part I, viii, Northeastern Colonies. ed. Keith Kavenagh, Chelsia House, NY, 1983]

This begins our story of Cadwallader Jones (JO-1). He is found in Old Rappahannock County records involved in giving "satisfaction" to the wife of Henry Corbin (CO-1). In legal terms, giving "satisfaction" meant compensating the person for whom the action is recorded. This record does not give the actual "satisfaction" conveyed, but it could have been tobacco (the most common form of barter or exchange), money, property (in many cases slaves), or other items. This action involved the sale of land from Henry Corbin (CO-1) to Robert Taliaferro (TA-1) during the year 1672. The land would have been part of the estate of the wife Alice Corbin (CO-2) since she is documenting that she would make no claim to this land by right of her Dower. [A dower is the part or interest of a deceased man's real estate allotted by law to his widow for her lifetime.] This claim would be against Robert Taliaferro (TA-1), if the wife were to proceed against the new owner of the land for her dower, as given under Virginia law. However, it is Cadwallader Jones (JO-1) who provides the appropriate interchange with Alice Corbin (CO-2).

The story begins....

[I have labeled this post CJ(1) to identify the first item/document. Future post will give historical or social factors that are associated with this document, and will be tagged as CJ(1) or CJ(#). As a new item is presented, it will be labeled CJ (2)...CJ(3)...etc.]

A Numbering System

It will now be necessary to describe the numbering system that will be used in the posts. I have struggled, over the years, with finding or utilizing a helpful numbering system which can be used in genealogical research. This is necessary, in my case, since there are so many different individuals involved in the life of Cadwallader Jones, with many having the same or similar family names. In order to carefully document each individual referenced in each post, I have chosen the following method. As a person is identified in an item (document), he/she will be assigned a number. This number will be written by taking the first two (2) letters of the last name and adding a number, beginning with the number one (1). If the person being identified already has his matching first two letters of the alphabet with someone already listed, then the next letter of that person's name will be added. For example, say there has been a John Jones who appears as a witness on one deed. If this is the first John Jones to be recorded, he would be assigned the number JO-1. Now lets say that on the next deed, there is a John Johnson. Since the first two letters of the last name are the same JO, it well be necessary to separate these two individuals. Thus, John Johnson would be given the number JOH-1. The second John Jones encountered would be given the number JO-2, etc. [If you can not clearly show that this is the first John Jones.] Hopefully, this numbering method will provide the reader and future researcher a way by which to separate these folks, and to keep track of their movement and relationship during the life span of Cadwallader Jones, my heart's blood.

My Heart's Blood

To tell the life story of any individual is a difficult task. To tell the life story of an individual who has lived more than 360 years ago is quite a challenge. I come to this task after many, many years of genealogical research. (More than 51 years, to be exact.) It would seem that I have collected almost every historical document pertaining to my Cadwallader Jones. I am sure this is not the case, and that there are other documents which I have not uncovered. However, I have decided to stop digging around and start writing about what I have found. The plan of my blog will be to let the historical documents speak for themselves. These documents will be presented in chronological order, and as written in the language of the day. There are certain cases where some translation into modern English was necessary, but these will be identified. I will then try to place these documents into the historical context which surrounds them. Weaving these items into a coherent thread will be one of my tasks, but I like to tell stories. I will try to draw, from these records, the life story of one Cadwallader Jones.

At this point, it will be necessary to outline some of the methods and approaches that I have taken. I will use the following definitions for the terms and abbreviations that will be used throughout the posts.

First, call a "Primary Document" any historical document written during the life time of the person under research. I further define a "Primary Document" into three classes:

Class A- is an civil, legal, or governmental document recorded during the life span of the individual being researched. Examples are deeds, wills, court orders and records, birth certificates, death certificates, census data, military records, etc.

Class B- is any family, personal, religious, social, historical document written during the life span of the individual. This would include such items as Bible Records, personal letters, diary, business, or other items which involve communications or reference to the person being research.

Class C- is any document written during the life of the individual from any other source such as letters, newspaper, diary, which are written by others regarding the individual under research.

Secondly, call a "Secondary Document" any item which is written about the individual after the life span of the person under research, but does not represent any of the primary documentation classes outlined above. This would represent the published materials such as books, articles, biographies, etc., written about or pertaining to the person under research. I would further define these "Secondary Documents" as follows:

Class A- is any report, article, or book, which carefully records and references sources that are used in writing these documents. This would include genealogical work or historical texts which have clear references documented, and this documentation can be verified by an independent researcher.

Class B- is any item or document which presents information pertaining to the person of research, but does not present clear documentation. This would include family stories (legends), oral histories and accounts, newspaper articles, etc.

Class C- is any genealogical information recorded pertaining to the individual under research without references or documentation. This would included many of the Internet sites which present genealogical information without the source of documentation!

Whew, enough already. I will try and use the above classifications for each item(s) presented when telling the story of Cadwallader Jones. This will provide a way for the reader to judge the historical "strength" of each document, and to have a means to check the source for themselves.

Wow, let's begin...my heart's blood.