SOME EARLY VIRGINIA DATA

 One of the issues facing research into the Terry line is problems with records. So many records have been lost and as a result the scraps left are precious indeed. Many family trees reviewed reveal a lack of understanding of the history of Virginia, the need to date and locate sources and note context in sources. Where they were, when they were there and who lived around them are often critical pieces of the puzzle.

In the source, ENGLISH DUPLICATES OF LOST VIRGINIA RECORDS compiled by Louis Cognents, Jr. provides some information and insight into names in eastern Virginia from late 1600's into the 1700's.

It is clear that a group of TERRY were in the areas of KING WILLIAM CO., KING and QUEEN COUNTY, FORKS OF THE RAPPCHANOCK, and CHARLES CITY counties of Virginia.

1701 - a James Terry, patent record, 418 acres on Pamunkey Neck in King and Queen County, Va. Others living in the same "neck" were Rapier, Davis, Maybank, Winston...).

1702 - County officers for Charles City County, Va included justices Goodrich, Bolling, Epes, Blighton, Low, Wynn, and John Terry.

1704 - Quit Rent Rolls, King William County were listed one right after the other indicating possibly proximity of residence Thomas Terry with 300 acres and Stephen Terry with 330 acres. Following this after other names was James Terry with 400 acres.

c1699-1704 - a James Terry was listed with 170 acres purchased of George Turner, son of James Turner as part of a response to a complaint of 1699 that a Ralph Wormsley, with others, had come into treaty designated lands to survey and that the people listed  were authorized to claim the lands they were living on. 

1714 - Patents of 500 acres for a Thomas Terry  June 16 1714 in King William Co., Va and 335 acres for Stephen Terry, Pamunkey Neck in King and Queen Co.

1717- patent related to 600 acres in King William Co. April 1, 1717 between John Sutton, Richard Maulding and Thomas Terry.

1733 - a man named James Cox , 400 acres, "among branches of Terry's Run, June 21, 1733, on "Forks of Rappahannock."

Here we see a large, early group of Terry families represented with the eldest appearing to be the James Terry who purchased a large number of acres (400).  

There are, in addition, three mentions of the surname MANSON in YORK and JAMES CITY counties.

1704 - Quit Rent Rolls a Peter Manson is listed in York Co., Va with 150 acres.

1714 - Sheriffs appointed in James City County, included a William Manson 28 April 1714. {from another source a William Manson is listed on the 24 Jan 1798 Spotsylvania Co., tax list).

(Some have theorized that Rachel Manson who married William Terry, is a child of Peter or William - they are intent on her having a Virginia birth and marriage despite records to the contrary. However, Peter's children are regularly listed in the church registry where he lived in Charles City and no Rachel is found; information about William is sketchy still. There is a James Manson in Philadelphia 1763 and a large group were in New Jersey about the time of the William Terry and Rachel Manson marriage in 1759.)

Also, there were four mentions of the surname HORTON in WESTMORELAND, SURRY, NANSEMONT counties of Virginia.

1699 - Westmoreland Co., a Horton listed as a county officer.

1704 - Quit Rent Rolls, shows a Daniel Horton, Nansemond Co., Va with 200 acres.

1715 - Thomas Horton, Surry Co., Va, 145 acres, March 23 1715.

(A William Horton does show up in Botetourt Co. Va with a Joseph Horton circa early 1780's on tax lists. a Miles Terry there, son of William and Rachel Terry md a Hannah Horton there. The Terry lines in New York and into New Jersey have several marriages with Horton spouses).

There was also a couple of mentions of a Thomas HART in ISLE OF WIGHT and in KING and QUEEN counties.

 1704 - There is a Thomas Hart on the Quit Rent Rolls, King and Queen Co., Va

1714 December 23 there was a Thomas Hart, Isle of Wight with 295 acres.

There was no mention of the name HALE in this source

One theory is that a William Terry b circa 1700 married a Keziah Hale (sometimes people add with out evidence Rachel Keziah or Keziah Rachel). There were no Hales listed in this source and from surveys elsewhere no place a Keziah Hale married a Terry.

A REMINDER - the Terry lines in eastern Virginia may reflect a different DNA line than the two lines found in early Botetourt and Montgomery Co., Va. The DNA there has shown that there were two different Terry groups (one a probable short stay Jasper Terry who left to go east with his Hart inlaws and William Terry who married Rachel had eight children identified through court and deed documents who were, apparently, Haplogroup I-02 and the line of one Jasper Terry who married a Mary Morrison and had, at least one son Josiah who married Mary Lloyd and had sons Jasper Morrison Terry, William Terry who married Jane Winters and Aaron Burr Terry in the area, who have revealed a G-02 Haplogroup). The differing DNA has shown a link to the Terry family of Bucks Co., PA, Flushing, NY and Southold, Long Island. Some of those drifted down into New Jersey and then into Pennsylvania, and it is theorized, into Virginia and old Augusta County.

For more on early Terry records and leads check this article.