History of the William Priestley, Sr. "Plantation" - Augusta/Rockbridge Co. VA 115 ACRES ON TODD'S SPRING, in Augusta/ Rockbridge Co.,VA Compiled by M. L. Green (1999) I. JULY 15, 1760 - WILLIAM HALL'S VIRGINIA LAND PATENT (No. 34, 1756-62, p. 575) AUGUSTA CO., VA William Hall's Land Patent: "GEORGE THE SECOND..." 115 ACRES "at a place called TODD'S SPRING in the FORK OF JAMES (RIVER)... " ... for 15 SHILLINGS .." paid to our Receiver General of our Revenues in this our Colony and Dominion of Virginia..." : FROM ROCKBRIDGE CO., VA GENWEB SITE: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/rockbridge/deeds/outbor.txt Early Patents Outside Borden Tract from: A History of Rockbridge County, by Oren F. Morton; published in 1920 "The following is a list of patents on the waters of the upper James River between the Blue Ridge and the North Mountain, and is carried forward to the year when Botetourt County was organized. No attempt has been made to eliminate those lying within the present border of Augusta or within the present limits of Botetourt. With occasional abbreviation the descriptions are those of the records in The Virginia Land Office. "Forks" is a shortened expression for "Forks of the James," the district between the North River and the main stream. The acreage is followed by the date of the patent." Name of Individual: Acres--Date of Patent--Location: Hall, William (1) 115--1760--Todd's Spring in Forks; Hall, William (2) 390--1765--branches of James; Hall, William (3) 500--1765--Cedar Creek -------------------------------------------------------------------------- II. APRIL 12, 1779- ROCKBRIDGE CO., VA DEED between William Priestley, Sr. and George Hall and Andrew Berry, Executors of William Hall's estate for 115 acres at Todd's Spring, in ROCKBRIDGE CO.,VA - William Priestley, Sr., purchased these 115 acres, in 1779, for what we think is twenty-two pounds (it was very hard to read the first part, but the "-two" is clear). (Rockbridge Co., VA, Deed Bk. A, pp. 137 & 138). It appears that this portion of land in Augusta County became Rockbridge County in 1778. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- III. WILL OF WILLIAM PRIESTLEY, SR. In his Will, William Priestley, Sr. passed this land down to his son William Priestley, Jr., and after William Jr.'s death, to William Jr.'s two sons, William III and Samuel Priestley. The Will was written on Feb. 6, 1793, and was produced in court by John Wilson (one of the Executors), on April 1, 1800. It was probated on September 22, 1800. (Rockbridge Co., VA Will Bk. No. 2, pp. 252 & 253). : Here is the portion of the Will that relates to the land: "I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Mary Pressly, the house we now live in with all the house hold furniture I now possess with the young mare and two of the best cows all to be fed and supported from what is raised on the plantation during her life, the foresaid property to be hers forever at her disposal as she sees cause and also sufficient maintenance from the profits of the plantation during her natural life. Likewise, I give unto my son Wm Pressly the plantation I now live on containing one hundred and fifteen acres to be his during his natural life with my bay horse and plows and all gears thereunto belonging and all my wearing apperril. The above land I bequeath to my two grandsons William and Sam'l Pressly, sons of my above named son William Pressly to be equally divided between both at their fathers deceas to be theirs and their heirs forever." : William Priestley, Sr., died sometime before April 1, 1800. Two witnesses of the will, John McKee and William McKee, had moved to Kentucky, and gave their sworn testimonies to two Justices of the Peace for Rockbridge County, on September 22, 1800. On February 2, 1802, final disposition was made - the will was returned with the certificates of proof annexed and was ordered to be recorded. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IV. APRIL 4, 1809 and MAY 17, 1809 - ROCKBRIDGE CO., VA, DEEDS 1) Between William Skeen and (sellers) William Jr. and Sarah Priestley & son William Priestley III; and 2) Between William Skeen and Samuel Priestley. On April 4, 1809, about nine years after William Priestley, Sr.'s death, his son William Jr., wife Sarah, and grandson William Priestley III, sold their rights to the land at Todd Springs Run, on Buffalo Creek, Forks of James River, to WILLIAM SKEEN, husband of his sister, Elizabeth, "Betsy" Priestley (Rockbridge Co., VA Deed Bk. F, pp. 443 & 444). A separate but identical deed for Samuel Priestley's rights to his share of the land was made to William Skeen, recorded in Rockbridge County, on May 17, 1809. Samuel had moved in 1809 to Kanawha County, (West) Virginia. In the 1809 Deed to William Skeen, the land was 196 acres, which included the original 115 acres inherited by William Priestley, Jr., in 1800, and land from two later grants he had by virtue of Land Office Treasury Warrants. Both were "on the waters of Buffaloe, adjoining the lands of William Skeen, Lewis, McCraw, and his own land." He was granted 45 acres on April 8, 1801 (Grant 47, pp. 605 & 606) and 31 acres, on July 11, 1801 (Grant 49, pp. 343 & 344). After 1809, it appears that William Jr., Sarah, William III, and Mary, widow of William Priestley, Sr., left Rockbridge County. ------------------------------------------------------------------- V. APRIL 4, 1809 TO THE PRESENT WILLIAM SR. & ELIZABETH "BETSY" (PRIESTLEY) SKEEN FAMILY The Todd Springs land was probably kept in William and Betsy Skeen's family, at least for a while, since they had eight children. Further research is needed to see who it belongs to now. William Sr. and Betsy Skeen remained in Rockbridge County until their deaths, from what I have at this time. Their eight children were these: 1) Robert (m. Mary Polly Hart); 2)Jonathan; 3) Joseph; 4) James; 5) Samuel; 6) Rhoda; 7) Martha (m. Samuel Mateer); and 8) William Skeen, Jr. Submitted by M. L. 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