Lightfoot Family; Wm. and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 2

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Lightfoot Family

   Lyon G. Tyler

   William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 2,

   (Oct., 1894), pp. 104-111.

                               LIGHTFOOT FAMILY.
                                  [Concluded]
                                 BY THE EDITOR

   The following notes regarding Philip1 Lightfot, the first of that name in Virginia, give all
we know of him:  Brother of Captain John Lightfoot, and resident of Gloucester county in
1671 (General Court Records); called "Mr." in 1677, lieutenant-colonel in 1680, captain in
1690, in which year he resigned his position as vestryman, and Captain John Smith succeeded
him (Petsworth Parish, Gloucester county, Vestry Book); lieutenant-colonel of militia of
Gloucester and justice of the peace in 1680 (Virginia magazine of History and Biography,
January, 1894); administrator of Captain Francis Leigh in 1684-'85; and with John Grice, 
Samuel Pond, and John Marrable, justice of James City in 1694 (York Records); justice of
James City in 1699, and

Page 105.

collector for the Upper District of James River (Virginia Magazine of History and Biography);
surveyor-general in 1676 (Conway Robinson's Council Journal Notes); his will dated in 1708

(Hening's Stats., V., p. 111); wife was Alice, daughter of Henry Corbin, of "Buckingham House",
Middlesex county.  His tomb at Sandy Point is without date, and bears as arms Lightfoot impaling
Corbin.  The crest, I am now satisfied, is a griffin's head.

   Philip1 Lightfoot had three tracts of land at Sandy Point, which was then in Wallingford
parish, James City county, but in 1720 the Chickahominy River became the boundary line of
James City, and Sandy Point fell in Westover parish.  This land he willed to his son Francis2,
but in case of Francis dying without issue, then to his son Philip2.  Francis was justice of
the peace of James City, and naval collector (Sainsbury MSS).  He died January 7, 1727, in the
forty-first year of his age.  His tombstone is at Sandy Point, and bears the Lightfoot arms.
He married Elizabeth ----- (she died December 31, 1727, in the thirty-fourth year of her age,
tombstone), and by her he had Francis3 Lightfoot, who died May 14, 1730, in the eighth year of
his age (tombstone), and a daughter, Elizabeth3, who married Beverley Randolph, eldest son of
William Randolph, of the Council.  Her fortune was announced to be L5,000(a).  It would seem
that Francis Lightfoot enlarged his plantation by purchase from "Thomas Lee, of Potomack, in
Virginia, gentleman", of land at Sandy Point, the property of Dame Mary Dolliffe, relict of
Sir James Dolliffe, knight, of London, but deceased(b), who had inherited the same from her
mother, Mrs. Mary Dunster (York Records).  Under the will of Philip1 Lightfoot, the land passed
to Elizabeth Randolph, but her father, Francis2, willed it to his brother Philip2, he paying
L2,500 to his said daughter in full compensation.  There were suits between Philip2 Lightfoot
and his niece Elizabeth about the property, which were finally settled by an act of the
Legislature in May, 1740.  Philip2 was confirmed in the possession of the Sandy Point estate
(Hening's Stts. and Barradall's Reports).


   PHILIP2 LIGHTFOOT. - He was born in 1689, and died May 30,
______________________________________________
   (a) Virginia Gazette, January 30, 1737.
   (b) In Le Neve's Knights occurs the following:  "James Dolliffe, of London, merchant, als
Do Olive, one of the directors of the South Sea Company.  See the grant of arms or confirmation
and assignment of crest vell grant, page 157: azure on a chevron or. bet. 3 crescents Arg. as
many olive branches ppr.  Crest: out of a castle Arg. an olive-fructed tree, pp. dated
22 Feb. 12 Annae, 1713-14.  Knighted at St. James, 4 Oct., 1714."

Page 106.

1748, and his tombstone at "Sandy Point",  which has the Lightfoot arms, describes him as
"descended from an ancient family in England, who came over to Virginia in a genteel and
honorable character".  "He rose to almost the highest honors of his country".  He was
appointed in 1707 clerk of York county, and served as such till 1733.  In 1715, he became agent
for the public store-house at Yorktown (York Records).  October 20, 1733, Philip Lightfoot and
Thomas Lee were sworn members of the Council (Barradall's Reports).  He had a handsome house
in Yorktown, where he and Thomas Nelson were the merchant princes.  He married Mary, daughter
of William and Anne Armistead, and widow of James Burwell, of King's Creek (anciently "Utimaria"),
and had issue,  I. William3, who married Mildred Howell(c).  II. Philip3 Lightfoot, who married
Susannah ------, and had Francis4.  Philip3 was dead before his father (1748); and as his
grandmother does not mention him i her will, Francis4 was probably dead before 1773.   III.
John3, who had died without issue before 1769 (Hening's Statutes, VIII., 457).  IV. Armistead3,
who died at his home in Yorktown about September 19, 1771 (Virginia Gazette).  Inventory of
his personal estate valued at L1340,18.6, and has 253 books and 23 pamphlets (York county
Records).  He married Anne, daughter of President Lewis Burwell (Keith), and had an only
child, Mary (Thomas Nelson her guardian in 1773), who married John Tayloe Griffin.  The widow,
Anne, married in 1774 Charles Grymes, of Gloucester (York county Records).

   The will of "Philip Lightfoot of the Town of York, Esq.," was presented in York court 20th
June, 1748, by William Lightfoot, one of the executors, and duly proved by Edmund Tabb
and John
___________________________________________________
   (c) In the Index to the cases in the General Court in 1724, is the case "John Brown and
Mildred his wife, Charles Lewis and Mary his wife, residuary legatees of John Howell, gent.,
deceased, vs. Gawiin Corbin and John Lewis, jun. gent."  It is known that Charles Lewis married
Mary Howell, and were not Mary Lewis and Mildred Brown daughters of John Howell?  In 1732,
Henry Willis, of Spotsylvania, gent., and Mildred his wife, late widow of John Brown, whose
will was dated 8th September, 1726, are mentioned in the York Records.  In Bruton parish
churchyard is piece of a stone to the memory of John Brown, with the date 1726 upon it.  
Another stone is to the memory of Margaret Brown, who died in 1720, wife of Dr. John Brown of
Williamsburg [perhaps a first wife], late of Cold Stream, North Britain.  See inscription in
Virginia Historical Collection, Vol. XI.  Conway says that Mildred, who subsequently married
clonel Henry Willis, was a Washington - a grand-aunt of George Washington; but Lawrence
Washington, George's grandfather, had no sister Mildred to my knowledge.

Page 107.

Amson, and thereupon certificate was granted William Lightfoot for obtaining a probate;
securities, William Nelson and John Lightfoot.  He mentions his wife; sons William, John,
Armistead, Philip deceased, grandson Francis, and his (Francis's) mother, Susannah.  Mentions
his plantations in York, Surry, Charles City, Brunswick, Goochland, New Kent and Hanover
counties; houses, store-houses and lots in Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Blandford; more than
180 slaves; large amount of plate; "four wheeled and two wheeled chairs", and "his coach and
six horses"; to each of his sons L2000 sterling, and other legacies to various persons.

   "I give unto the Parish of York-Hampton the sum of fifty Pounds Current Moneh to be laid out
int he purchase of a handsome Flaggon and Challace with my arms engraven thereon for the use
of York church, and the sum of forty Pounds Current in Goods to be paid by my Executors into
the hands of William Nelson, Esq., and son William Lightfoot, to be by them distributed amongst
the poor of York-Hampton Parish.  I give unto Elizabeth Burwell, the daughter of N. Burwell,
deceased, three hundred Pounds to be paid her when she shall arrive at the age of twenty-one
or marry with the approbation of her grandmother Lightfoot; but in case she dies before she is
entitled, then I will and direct it go with the residue of my estate, the legacy being void.
I give to the College of William and Mary the sum of five hundred Pounds Current, for a 
foundation for two poor scholars forever, to be brought up to the ministry of the Church of
England or such other public employment as shall be most suitable to their capacities, which
sum I desire my executors to pay to the President and Masters of the College within twelve
months after my decease, to be laid out for that purpose, and its my will and desire that my
son William Lightfoot have the nomination and preference of the first six scholars".

   The will of Mrs. "Mary Lightfoot, of the Town and County of York, widow", was dated 9 Nov.,
1771, and has two codicils dated respectively, 12 May, 1773, and 12 May, 1775.  The whole was
proved 21st Aug., 1775, and William Allen, Esq., one of the executors, acknowledged bond
security, Joseph Hornsby, for obtaining probate.  She mentions her daughter-in-law, Mildred
Lightfoot; grandson, James Burwell; Anne Burwell, daughter of my grandson James; granddaughter
Elizabeth Hewitt, wife of Rev. Richard Hewitt(d); daughter-in-law, Anne Lightfoot; grand-
daughters, Mary
_________________________________________________________

   (d) QUARTERLY, II., No. 4, p. 232, and Vol. III., No. 1, p. 40, need correction:  James3
Burwell (Lewis1, Lewis2) m. Mary Armistead (she md. 2n Philip Lightfoot) issue Nathaniel4
bacon, and Lucy4 d.s.p.  Nathaniel Bacon4 Burwell, and had, as far as known, James5, and
Elizabeth5.  James5 m. Anne, sister of Dr. Walter Jones.  Elizabeth5 married, 1st, Rev. Richard
Hewitt; 2d, Col. Edward Harwood.
   Richard and Elizabeth (Burwell) Hewitt had Elizabeth Burwell, Mary,

Page 108.

Allen, and Mildred Coles, Elizabeth Coles, Anne Lightfoot; sons, William Lightfoot, deceased,
and Armistead Lightfoot, deceased; Mary, daughter of my son Armistead Lightfoot, deceased, and
the legacy given her, if she should die before 21, to be equally divided between the surviving
daughters of son William Lightfoot, deceased; grandsons, William Lightfoot and Philip Lightfoot;
legacy of 20 L to the poor people in the town of York; 20 L each to Lewis Burwell of Kingsmill,
William Allen of Surry, and the Rev. Richard Hewitt, whom she appoints executors; and by the 
last codicil, Fielding Lewis, Esq.  Witnesses to the last codicil, David Jameson, David

Jameson, Jr., William Barrow.  (York Records).

   "Died, Mrs. Mary Lightfoot at York, relict of the late Hon. Philip Lightfoot, Esq., one of
his Majesty's council of this colony, in the 79th year of her age.  Her corpse passed through
town this morning to be deposited in the family vault at Sandy Point".  (Va. Gazette, June 30,
1775).

   WILLIAM3 LIGHTFOOT, son of Philip Lightfoot, was sheriff of York county in 1746 (York
Records), and died before 1771.  He left, I. William4, of "Tedington"; I. Philip4, of Caroline.
III. Mary4, married William Allen, of Surry.  IV.  Mildred4, married Walter Coles, of Halifax.

   WILLIAM4, of "Tedington", lived at Sandy Point, and the postoffice there is named "Tedington".
He married 1st Anne -----, and had, I. William Howell5; II. Francis5; III. Philip John5;
IV. Mary Elizabeth Bolling5, wife of George Blakey; V. Anne Cocke5, wife of William Lewis.  He
married 2dly Anne Clopton Ellyson (she married 2dly John Colgin), and had, VI. Robert
Armistead5; VII. Sarah5.  (Authorities:  Will of "William Lightfoot, of Tedington", 27 April,
1809 - 17 Aug., 1809; Munford's Reports, V., p. 42; Deed of Gift recorded in Charles City Co.,
21 April, 1809).  He imported many well-known thoroughbred horses.

   WILLIAM HOWELL5 LIGHTFOOT, of Cabin Point, married Sarah Short, who married 2ndly John 
Minge(e).  He died in June, 1810,
____________________________________________________
Ann, Dorothy.  Col. Edward5 Harwood (Capt. Thomas1, Esq., Humphrey2, Col. William3, William4)
married 1st Elizabeth5 Reads (Col. George1, Robert2, John3, John4) and had Elizabeth, who m.
Henry Lee, Sarah who m. Littleton Kendall, Mary who m. ------ Chapman (dead before 1797) and
Dorothy.  He married 2dly, as above, Elizabeth, widow of Richard Hewitt.  The two wives are 
mixed up in the accounts before given, - both being named Elizabeth.
   (e) By this marriage John Minge had an only daughter, Sarah Melville, who married Robert
Bolling, of Petersburg.

Page 109.

aged 31.  (Tombstone.)  His only son, William, died October 27, 1831, aged 25 years and 27
days.  (Tombstone at Sandy Point).

   FRANCIS5 died before 1819, leaving children  (Will of Philip John Lightfoot).

   PHILIP JOHN5 married Mary Ann -----, and died without issue.  (Will, 16 June, 1819 - 15 July,

1819).  In 1839, William A. Lightfoot of Buckingham county, and Caroline, his wife, deeded a
lot in Williamsburg, the property formerly of William Lightfoot, of Charles City, as one of
the devisees of Philip John, said William's son.  The deed refers to a cause entitled Lewis &c.
vs. Blakey &c., in the Superior Court of Law and Chancery for Henrico county (1835), in which
a division was made of Philip John Lightfoot's property.

   PHILIP4 LIGHTFOOT, son of William3 Lightfoot, lived at Cedar Creek, Caroline county; died
in 1786; was a lieutenant in Harrison's artillery, Continental Line, and received two grants of
land for his services.  He married Mary Warner Lewis, only daughter of Col. Charles Lewis and
Lucy Taliaferro, his wife.  Issue, an only child, Philip, of Port Royal, born Sept. 24, 1784,
and died there July 22, 1865.  He married Sally S. Bernard, daughter of William Bernard, of
"Belle Grove", King George Co., Va., afterwards of "Mannsfield", a fine old Colonial residence
near Frederickburg, burned during the late war.  Issue, I. Dr. Philip Lewis5, m. 1st Mary
Virginia Smith; 2d Isabella Drummond.  II. William Bernard5, b. Dec. 16, 1811; d. Feb. 5, 1870,

in Mobile, Alabama.  Married 1st Roberta Beverley, dau. of Robert Beverley, of Essex Co., Va;
married 2d Sarah Bee Ross, of Mobile.  III. John Bernard5, m. Harriet Field.  IV. Edgar Vivian,
d.s.p.  V. Fannie Bernard, m. Capt. Robert G. Robb.  VI. Ellen Bankhead5 m. Dr. Carter
Wormeley, of King William county.  VII. Mary Lewis5, m. Mr. Vail, and died in England.

   MARY4 LIGHTFOOT, daughter of William3 Lightfoot, married William Allen, of Surry. She died
before her husband, who was perhaps the wealthiest man in his county.  His will (4 Sept., 
1789 - Sept. 24, 1793) mentions children, William, Patsy, Anne Armistead, John, Martha Bland;
grandson William Allen Harrison; "Miss Garrett to continue as tutoress and to be paid as
heretofore twenty guineas per annum"; plantations in Surry, James City, New Kent, Sussex,
Nansemond, Southampton; new chariot, &c.

   The following, by Mrs. William Reynolds, gives some details of

Page 110.

much interest regarding the portraits and plate once at Sandy Point or Tedington:

   "There is preserved a portrait of William Lightfoot, with date 1750, full length, life size,
in blue court dress; a portrait of his brother Philip, same size and style, in red court dress.
These portraits were pronounced very fine by Volkmar, the best authority in this line.  He said
the only ones he had ever seen like them were some sent him to be cleaned by General Robert E.
Lee, and identified them positively as the work of Hudson, the master of Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Portrait of Mrs. Howell, with infant daughter, Mildred (afterwards the wife of William Light-
foot), on her knee.  The mother's figure is life size, and in white court dress.  This is also
a very fine picture, and Volkmar thought it must be a Copley.  Portrait of "Sir John Howell,
London, 1680" (name and date on back of canvas), full length, in grey court dress, leaning on
sword.  He was, presumably, the grandfather of Mildred.  Portrait of half-grown youth and
landscape, pronounced in Philadelphia to be the work of Sir Peter Lely - a Howell picture.

   "These last two Howell portraits were given Mrs. Selden and Mrs. Starke by Mr. Bolling, 
when Sandy Point was dismantled.  There were many other portraits at the old place, which
were scattered among various descendants, but these were the finest.

   "Much of the large quantity of old English silver originally belonging to Sandy Point was
stolen by the British, and the rest has been divided and scattered.  The punch-bowl, large
silver dish, candlesticks, and other smaller pieced in herited by my grandfather, and still in
the possession of his children, are pieces of this old English silver, and are very massive
and handsome, and engraved with the Lightfoot arms.  I have a book with the book-plate
representing the Lightfoot crest and arms, and the words engraved, 'Wm. Lightfoot, Esq.,
Tedington, 1750'.  It is the fourth volume of Pope's Satires, illustrated, and dated 'London,
1757'.  There were a great many of these old English books, with book-plates inside, at my
grandfather's.  I could send you a copy of this plate if you have not seen it.  My cousin, 
Mrs. Powhatan Stark, inherited many valuable relics from William and Mildred Lightfoot.  The
beautiful old brocade dresses of the latter were left at her home on the James River when
abandoned during the late war, and were, of course, carried off.  Among the relics she has
recently shown me are William Lightfoot's miniature, with bow-know of diamonds; a large gold
snuff-box, with an exquisite miniature, inside the lid, of his wife, Mildred; his mourning ring,
a hoop of diamonds enclosing gold ring, with inscription, 'William L--, b. 10 June, 1764 - 
aetat 40'.  Also, two very quaint mourning pins surrounded with diamonds, and one inscribed,
'Mrs. Mildred Lightfoot, obiit 17 Nov., 1783, setat. 60'.  She is said to have lived in great
style, and always drove in her own coach and four.  I send you photographs of these above
miniatures, thinking they might interest you as an antiquarian.  Please return them to me.

   "I send also Philip Lightfoot's will, and that of his wife.  Perhaps some of the dates and
names in the latter might be needed.  The communion set mentioned in his will was stolen in the
late war, but was afterwards restored to the minister in charge by the commanding officer on
hearing its history and age.  It is now in use.

Page 111.

   "We have also the will of my great grandfather, Philip, of the Revolution, husband of
Mary Warner Lewis.  He leaves as guardians to his only child, Philip, 'my worthy friends,
Joseph Jones, Esq., Dr. John Tennant, and Isaac Coles, Esq.,' and devises property in Caroline,
Brunswick and Pittsylvania counties, and all his landed estate in Ohio, to his nephew Charles
Augustus Lewis, in case of the death of his infant son, my grandfather Philip, of Port Royal."