JOHN OTEY 
(1735-1817)
by Mrs. Mary Eunice Williams (Mrs. Vyron ) Mitchell, Sr.



John Otey came to the County of Bedford, Virginia about the 
time of the Revolutionary War.  He served in the war with the 
rank of Captain.

Both his father and grandfather had the same name, although 
the grandfather, one of five brothers, who immigrated from 
Scotland (date unknown), spelled the name "Ottey".

Capt. Otey's grandparents had four children, John, Mary, Martha 
and William.  My lineal descent is through John, born in 1713, 
whose wife's first name was Sarah.   Their children were John, 
Elizabeth, and James.  It is this John who served as a Captain 
and the Commanding officer of the Bedford Company in the Virginia 
Militia during the Revolutionary War.

He was born July 19, 1735, in New Kent County, Virginia.  He married 
Mary Hopkins, daughter of William and Frances Hopkins, circa 1764.  
They both died in Liberty, Bedford County, Virginia, he in 1817 and 
she about two years previously.  Capt. Otey is buried in the Otey 
Cemetery at Bedford, and it is assumed, though no proven, that his 
wife is also buried there.

They had seven children, Isaac, born Oct 18 1765, who married Elizabeth
Matthews, John Hopkins, born circa 1767, who first married Elizabeth 
Buford and second, Mrs. Mary Gill Wainwright, Frazier, born about 1769 
who married first Mildred Leftwich and second, Mary Latham, Walter, born 
August 15, 1771, who married Mary Walton, Frances, born Oct. 5, 1772, who
married Rev. William Leftwich, James, May 4, 1774, wife unknown and 
Armistead, born May 1, 1777, whose first wife was Sara Gill, and the 
second Nancy Lumkin.

One source relates this incident during the Revolution relative to Capt.Otey

"Upon one occasion, when the British soldiers had sailed up the Pamunky River 
in a vessel for the purpose of robbing the citizens of their cattle, John Otey
assembled his company of riflemen and stationed them along the bank of the
river, fifty paces apart, and as the vessel was returned, he hailed it and
commanded it to come to shore.

"The British aboard were unused to the rifle, and muskets (which they supposed
the little band was armed with) shot so inaccurately that they supposed
themselves out of danger and began to taunt Otey's men and defy them.

"John Otey ordered is men to commence firing.  The second shot brought down a
man, the third did likewise.  The commander gave orders to land, which was done,
and the entire crew made prisoners.  Otey then gave orders that they were not 
to give any sign to their comrades, under pain of being shot down; and when
night came on, he marched them in single file very near the British lines 
of encampment, which he passed and landed safely in the American camp.  He 
then returned to the vessel, which he found to contain some valuable silver
plate."

Incidentally, traditions say that all persons in the Untied States with the 
name Otey are related to this family.

Members of the Jacob Flournoy Chapter DAR who are descended from Capt. John 
Otey are Mrs. Vyron Mitchell, Sr., Mrs. James Tomlin and Mrs. Joe Frank Brush.