The Thornton Family; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 4, No. 2, 1895 Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** The Thornton Family W. G. Stanard William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 2. (Oct., 1895), pp. 89-93. THE THORNTON FAMILY. BY W. G. STANARD. Though there have been in Virginia several different families of this name, the largest and most prominent has been that which originally settled in Gloucester county, spread to Stafford, King George, Richmond, Northumberland, Essex, Caroline, Spottsylvania, Orange, Culpeper, Madison, Brunswick, and other counties, and has now representatives in almost every State in the Union. The first of the name of whom there is any record is said to have come from Yorkshire. On May 11, 1646, William Thornton obliged himself, by a paper recorded in York county (including Gloucester), to care for the cattle of John Liptrot until the latter came of age. On February 16th, 1665-'66, as "Mr. William1 Thornton", he had a grant of 164 acres of land, in Petsworth parish, Gloucester, adjoining the land where he lived, and that of Mr. Richard Barnard. He was a vestryman of Petsworth parish in 1677. There is on record in Essex a power of attorney, dated September, 1673, from William1 Thornton, of Gloucester, to James Kay, of Rappahannock county, concerning 2,000 acres of land in the freshes of Rappahannock, on the north side of the river, ad- Page 90. joining the lands of Andrew Buckner, Col. Wm. Ball, and Mr. Richard Whitehead, and Muddy Creek, a tract of land which he had bought from Mott. There is also recorded in Essex, in 1708, a deed, dated July 16, 1675, from William Thornton, of Gloucester, gentleman, to Francis and Rowland, "two of his sons", conveying 2,000 acres in Rappahannock county, and also a power of attorney, dated 1708, from Wm1 Thornton, formerly of Gloucester, but now of Stafford, author- izing the confimation of said deed. So in his old age Wm. Thornton removed from Gloucester to Stafford. It is not known whom he married, but he had issue: 1, William2, Jr.; 2, Francis2; 3, Rowland2; was witness to a will in Rappahannock, 1686. There is a deed, Richmond county, 1692, from Rowland Thornton, of Rappahannock county, planter, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Alexander Fleming, to Francis Thornton, of the same county, gentleman. Elizabeth Thornton, daughter of Captain Alexander Fleming, sold land in what was afterwards King George, in 1699. In May, 1701, the bond of Elizabeth Thornton, as administratrix of Rowland Thornton, of Rich- mond county, deceased, was recorded. There is no evidence that they had issue. 1. WILLIAM2 THORNTON, JR., of Gloucester county, was born March 27, 1649, and died February 15, 1727 (Family Bible). He was married three times, viz., on August 24, 1671; April 11, 1688; and October 20, 1720; but the name of none of his wives is known. On April 26, 1704, as "William Thornton the younger", he received a grant of 110 acres of land in Petsworth parish, Gloucester, adjoining the land of "Mr. William Thornton the elder". He was a vestryman of Petsworth. Issue (1st m): 4, Elizabeth3, born August 26, 1672; 5, Margaret3, born August 14, 1674; 6, Mary3, born May 11, 1676; 7, Esther3, born January 6, 1677; 8, Sarah3, born August 17, 1679; 9, Jane3, born August 10, 1681; 10, Judith3, born October 22, 1683; 11, Anna3, born June 15, 1685; 12, William3, born September 11, 1686; (2d m.): 13, Susan3, born June 11, 1686; 14, Francis3; 15, Seth3, born October 13, 1694 (vestryman of Petsworth); 16 and 17, William3 and Prudence3 (twins), born March 31, 1699; 18, John3, born April 17, 1701; 19, Johanna3, born December 3, 1703. 2. FRANCIS2 THORNTON, born Nov. 5, 1651, settled in Stafford county, probably before the year 1700. He married first, Alice, daughter of Captain Anthony Savage, of Gloucester county (who was a justice of Gloucester in 1660, and had considerable landed Page 91. estates on the Rappahannock), and secondly Jane, widow of John Harvey, of Stafford. He had no issue by the second marriage. In 1706 Francis Thornton, of Stafford, and his wife, Jane, widow of John Harvey, made a deed of 684 acres in Stafford and Westmoreland to Anthony, son of the said Francis Thornton, with reversion to his other sons, Francis, Rowland, and William. (Westmoreland and Stafford Records). In 1715-'16, Anthony Thornton, of Stafford, petitioned the proprietors of the Northern Neck for a regrant of this land, w hich he stated had been left to Mrs. Jane Thornton, by her former husband, in 1700; that the said Jane died without heirs; but being "an imperfect deed" gave the land to him (A.T.) in 1706. The grant requested was issued. It is not known when Francis2 Thornton died, unless he was the Francis Thornton whose will was presented to King George County Court for probate, by his widow Anne, in 1726. (This appears from the order-book. The will-book covering this period was carried off by Federal soldiers during the late war. About ten years ago some person in the State of New York wrote to the authorities of the county offering to sell them this book. Unfortunately, the offer was not acted on, and it is not now known where the book is. It is to be hoped the present possessor will make its existence known, as possibly arrangements may be made to purchase it). Issue (first marriage only): 20, Elizabeth3, born January 3, 1674; 21, Margaret3, born April 2, 1678, married Wm. Strother, who was sheriff of King George in 1726. There is re- corded in King George a deed, dated 1727, from Margaret Strother, widow, for land deeded by her grandfather, Anthony Savage, gentleman, to her father, Francis Thornton, and Alice his wife; 22, William3 (twin with Sarah); 23, Sarah3, born December 17, 1680 (twin), married Laurence Taliaferro; 24, Francis3; 25, Rowland3; 26, Annie3, born March 22, 1689; 27, Anthony3. It is probable that there were many descendants of the various sons of Wm3 Thornton, of Gloucester, especially in Gloucester county; but of htese we have, at present, only discon- nected notes, which will be given later in this account. 14. FRANCIS3 THORNTON (William2, William1), of Gloucester county, was born June 7, 1692, and died February 6, 1737. He Page 92. was a vestryman of Petsworth parish. He married ------, who died August 1, 1741. Issue: 28, William4. 22. WILLIAM3 THORNTON, born december 14, 1680; settled in that part of Richmond county which was afterwards in King George; was sheriff of Richmond in 1709 and 1717, one of the first justices of King George in 1720, and member of the House of Burgesses from that county in 1723 and 1726. (Virginia Historical Register). He married Frances -----, and died in 1742 or 1743. In 1742 they made a deed for land in King George, and in 1743 Frances Thornton, widow of Francis Thornton, late of King George, gentleman, made a deed to William Thornton, only son and heir of her husband, Wm. Thornton, deceased. The will of Wm. Thornton was dated Nov. 3, 1742, and was in the missing will-book. Issue: 29, William4. He cannot be identified with any other Wm. Thornton who made a deed or will in King George between 1750 and 1800. I cannot trace him further. Perhaps he lived in that portion of King George which was made part of Stafford. A more complete examination of the records of King George might show. 24. FRANCIS3 THORNTON, born January 4, 1682; according to a deposition made in 1733, in relation to the dispute over the boundary of the Northern Neck (printed in Slaughter's St. Mark's Parish, in the deposition he is styled "Francis Thornton, of Caroline county, gentle- man"), he settled at Snow Creek, near the present Fredericksburg, about 1703. There is re- corded in Essex a deed, dated March, 1703-'4, from Francis Thornton, of Stafford, conveying to Francis Thornton, Jr., then of Essex, a tract of about 700 acres at Snow Creek. In May, 1719, Francis Thornton, Jr. and Mary his wife, of St. Mary's parish, Essex, conveyed to Augustine Smith and John Taliaferro, church wardens, for a consideration of five shillings, 300 acres in the fork of Snow Creek, for a glebe. Francis Thornton was one of the first justices of Caroline. There is a deed, recorded in Spottsylvania, dated 1722, by which Mary and Winifred Thornton relinquish the right of dower in 400 acres of land sold by Francis and Anthony Thornton. Francis Thornton, a justice of Essex, was Burgess for Spottsylvania in 1723 and 1726. (Virginia Historical Register). Though I have not been able to ascertain the fact with absolute certainty, yet I have no doubt that this Francis Thornton, Jr., who settled at Snow Creek in 1703, was the Francis Thornton who was Burgess Page 93. from Spottsylvania, as above stated, and who was the first of what are generally called, from their seat, the "Fall Hill" Thorntons. The only thing to cause a doubt is that the Francis3 Thornton here treated of calls himself, in 1733, "of Caroline county". Probably he lived at various times on estates in both Caroline and Spottsylvania. It will, in this account, be assumed, tentatively, that he was the first of the "Fall Hill" Thorntons. Issue: 30, Francis4; 31, Reuben; 32, John. 25. Rowland3 Thornton, of "Crowes", King George county, born August 1, 1685, died 1748; was vestryman of Hanover parish, King George, 1723, and was appointed a justice of King George in 1722. He was alive in 1733. Married Elizabeth (born Sept. 6, 1689, died 1751), daughter of Col. John Catlett, of Essex. Issue: 33, Francis4; 35, Alice4, married John Fitzhugh, of "Bellair", Stafford county (and perhaps other issue). 27. ANTHONY3 THORNTON, of St. Paul's Parish, Stafford county, born ---- 27, 1695, died 1757. He was a justice of Stafford, and, having been for a time out of the commission, was restored in 1733. He married Winifred, daughter and heiress of Col. Peter Presley (note 1) of "Northumberland House", Northumberland county. His will was dated January 3d, and proved November 8, 1757, in Stafford county. He gives his son Presley Thornton the several negroes which he (Presley) had in possession, and which the testator had a title to in right of his wife, except one negro woman and her children, which he had before given to his son Francis; to son Anthony Thornton, all the land he (the testator) had at the mountains; to daughter Winifred Bernard, a tract of land on Wash Run, in Spottsylvania, containing 650 acres; to son Peter Thornton, a tract of land on Mattapony River, containing 1313 acres, with all the negroes, cattle, horses, etc., and all other things on said land; also ten head of young cattle from the plantation where he (the testator) lived, and four other negroes; to wife Winifred, a tract of low ground where William Conner then lived, this to go after her death to his son Anthony; also to his wife four negroes, which are to go after her death to his son Peter; gives remainder of negroes, not otherwise disposed of, to his wife, with his stock of horses, cattle, and sheep, and remainder of estate to be equally divided between wife and son Peter, and appoints the latter his executor. Issue: 37, Presley4; 38, Francis4; 39, Peter4; 40, Anthony4; 41, Winifred4, married ------ Bernard. (To be Continued).