Research along the James River in Virginia

There are still many things we would like to know about our ancestor Francis Maybury and his wife, Elizabeth Gilliam. Thus our research continues in the counties along the James River. Here are some of the questions we would like to answer and some of our recent findings.
Questions to be answered

• What was Francis Maybury doing between the time he arrived in Virginia (1679 or earlier) and the time he married Elizabeth Gilliam in 1685?

• Who was the Mr. West who was Elizabeth Gilliam's first husband?

• What happened to Elizabeth's children, Francis and John West, who are named in her will?

• Who was William Bevin, Elizabeth's second husband, and what were the circumstances of his death in 1685?

• Were Elizabeth, Matthew, and William Bevin, the children named in William Bevin's will, also the children of Elizabeth Gilliam?

• What was the economic situation of the Maybury family compared to other early families along the James?

• Was Elizabeth Gilliam's grandfather, Thomas Henshaw, the same Thomas Hinshawe named in the Second Charter of the Virginia Company of London in 1609?

• Why was Elizabeth Maybury called to testify regarding the death of John Sewell in 1711?

• Who was the George Randall of Surry County, whose will was witnessed by Francis Maybury in 1711, and was there a connection between him and the Irish Randalls who sent William Mabry, Jr. to Virginia about the same time with a power of attorney to check on their interest in the estate of Thomas Pope in Westmoreland County?

• Was George Fox, whose estate was administered in Surry County by Francis Maybury, Jr. in 1717, the husband of Francis and Elizabeth Maybury's daughter, Mary?

• What happened to Judith Maybury who was apparently unmarried at the time of her mother's death in 1716?

We hope that our continuing research will provide answers to at least some of these questions!

Our recent research discoveries

• Francis & Elizabeth Maybury also lived in Charles City County.

  Until now we have believed that Francis & Elizabeth Maybury lived in Henrico County from the time of the marriage in 1685 until they moved to Surry County about 1703. But a deed we had not found before shows that when they sold their land on Swift Creek in Henrico County in 1698, they were residents of Charles City County.

  Now we want to find out exactly where they lived in Charles City County. It was presumably near the mouth of the Appomattox River, but could have been either north or south of the James River.
  
  

• Will of Francis West located in Isle of Wight County.

  Francis West, one of two sons of Elizabeth Gilliam by her first husband, wrote his will on 28 October 1715 in Isle of Wight County. He died in January 1718, apparently unmarried.

  His will names the following heirs: "my couzen Francis West and the rest of the children of John West" (these may be children of his brother, John West); "Judith Perry" "Tho. Perry" "my loving couzen John Guillam, son of Capt. Hinchia Guillam" (Hinchia Gilliam was Elizabeth Gilliam's brother).

  John Guillam was named executor of the will and George Washington, John Washington, and Hinchia Gilliam (Elizabeth Gilliam Maybury's brother) were the witnesses.
  
  

• Possible marriage of Judith Maybury is disproved.
  

  Judith² Maybury was not yet married when her mother's will was written in 1713. We recently found some information suggesting that Judith Maybury might have married William Wyche. However, a researcher has now checked this possibility and tells us that the wife of William Wyche was Judith HUNT, not Judith Maybury. So we still do not know what happened to Judith Maybury.
  
  

• Marriage of Mary Maybury to George Fox confirmed
  The wills of Francis and Elizabeth Maybury both mention their daughter, Mary Fox. Until now we have suspected that her husband was George Fox who died in Surry County in 1713 and whose estate was administered by Francis Maybury, Jr.. This has now been confirmed.

  Surry County, Va. Orders: Vol 2 -- 8 February 1713: Mary Fox, relict of George Fox, relinquishes her right of administration of the estate of George Fox to Francis Mayberry, Jr. Francis Mayberry and next of kind (sic) swears that George Fox died intestate and is confirmed as administrator.

  In March, May and June of 1713 Francis Mayberry, Jr. was ordered to present inventory and appraisal for George Fox. The estate was not settled until at least 19 August 1719 when an audit of the account of George Fox's estate was filed with the court.

  We are now looking for the names of the children of George and Mary Maybury Fox.
  
  

• New document locates Elizabeth Gilliam's son, John West in 1720

  We now have our first information about John West, the other son of Elizabeth Gilliam by her first marriage.

  It is a deed showing that on 13 June 1720 John West of Prince George County sold to Instance Hall, 200 acres in Bristol Parish bounded by Drury Bolling and John Gillam. This land was described as having been given to Elizabeth Gillam by her dec'd father, John Gillam, Sr. which then "descended to her son and heir John West."

Feb 2001