Thursday, December 21, 2023

Melungeons in the Beginning

This is from an email to Don Collins who had received his Y DNA Report some 12 years ago. At the time it was said he was related to the BUNCH family by DNA but he had said his results showed he more closely matched a NICHOLS FAMILY. This is my research from 2011 -- the blue print is research I found later. TOBIAS HORTON


His name was usually entered in the records as Toby
Horton. He was living in Lancaster Co.,by 3-16-1653
as the following can be found: 1,095 lbs.tobacco to be paid at his house next Oct. by Thomas Seamor to Thomas Carter.
10-24-1653 Tobias Horton to pay 3 tythes to Rowland Lawson.
6-6-1654 In regard to his lending guns to Indians. A report on this to be made to next court by Henry Rye, John Bunch and William Harper.
8-7-1654 Case against him on behalf of the Lord Protector referred to.
10-6-1654 Fined 2,000 lbs.tobacco for lending a gun to the Indians. William Harper who informed against him to have 1,000 lbs.tobacco.
[John Bunch was given a court order dated June 6, 1654, requiring him to show evidence of a Mr. Toby Horton loaning guns to Indians. He failed to appear and was fined 200 pounds of tobacco -

TobyTobias Horton lived on Corotomon - Haddaway - Creek .. his daughter Rebecca married [for a 3rd husband] EDWARD GIBSON.


TOBIAS HORTON

Tobias was a surveyor, a wealthy planter and prominent businessman. He owned large tracts of land called "Wetherby's Land" located on Corotoman and Haddaway Creeks. He bought 1,400 acres from Francis Morrison, which was originally owned by John Taylor I.

On October 10, 1654 Tobias Horton and wife Elizabeth hired Hugh Brent and Teague Floyne to make inventory of John Taylor's estate. It included "3 old Bibles and 70 other books", value of estate 9,590 pounds of tobacco. On July 1, 1659 Tobias Horton paid John Taylor's debt, 6,173 pounds. [Elizabeth was widow of John Taylor]

On November 12, 1662 Teague Carrell bound himself to Tobias Horton to pay 8,000 pounds tobacco at 1,500 pounds a year, for which Tobias sold him 100 acres of land between Tabbs and Nutypoyson Creeks. Elizabeth, wife of Tobias, asked her son-in-law Uriah Angell to acknowledge the sale.

At Lancaster Co. court on May 15, 1663 Elizabeth requested that cattle which belonged to John Taylor be given to his orphans.

Haddaway Creek where Tobias Horton, Sr. owned land was named by Thomas Gaskin Abraham Moore and Rowland Haddaway when they explored the area January 21, 1659, intending to take up land. They found Indian cabins on it. Corotoman Creek issued out of Fleets Bay and Tobias owned land on its banks. The Indian town of Wiccomoco was located on the southside of Corotoman."


I John Nicholls of Lancaster do owe & am indebted unto John Carter or his assignes the full sum of Three thousand fifty & nine pounds of good tob: & Ca: to be paid in October next as Witnes this 12th of March 1654. Witnes Charles Kinge, Richard Flower, John Nicholls, p. sign, Record 15d Nov: 1657, p. Edw: Dale, cl cur. (Ruth and Sam Sparacio, joint editors, Virginia County Court Records: Deed & Will Abstracts of Lancaster County, Virginia, 1654-1661. McLean, VA: Antient Press, c. 1991, p. 71)
It is worth noting that in 1661/62 a John Nichols sold "above 900 acres to John Edwards of Lanc. Co., cooper. Dated 11 Jan 1661/62. Signed John Nichols. Wit: George Flower, Mary Flower. Recorded 1st June 1662." (Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol 1, Lancaster County Record Book No. 2, 1654-1666. online database, Genealogy.com, Virginia Colonial Records, 1600's-1700's, p. 138 of original) So perhaps Richard is a brother or other relative of John and George.
==========================================================
GEORGE FLOWER being sike in body but sound & p:fecte in memory doe make this my last Will & Testamt., I give & bequeath my Soule into ye hands of ye Almighty God that gave itt, my body to ye Earth to be interred wth: decent & Christian like burriall att ye discretion of my Executrix hereafter named and my temporall Estate as followeth:

It. I give unto my Son, George, and his heyrs, lawfully begotten all my lands, only ye one halfe thereof I give unto my Wife, Mary, during her naturall life, then to invest to my Son, George, & his heyrs as aforesd., but in case my Son, George, should die in his minority or afterwards wth:out issue, then I give my sd. Lands unto my Sisters Sonn, Jon: Tayloe & his heyrs, lawfully begotten & in case of his death without issue, then I give my sd. Land to his Sister, Mary Tayloe & her lawfull heyrs.
It. My wish is that their be noe wast made on my sd. Land neither in him her or otherwaies;

It. I give all my p:sonall Estate to my Wife, Mary, & to my Sone, George, to be equally devided between them, my debts being first pd. My desire is yt. My Son, George, be educated in learning out of my sd. Estate.
It. My will is yt. If in case yt. Above named should dye without issue I then give my sd. Land to Morris Jones, son of Mr. Robt. Jones, deced., & his lawfull heyrs.

It. My will is yt: my Wife, Mary, be ye Executrix of this my last Will & Testamt., I doe alsoe request & appoint Mr. John Pinkard & Mr. Wm. Jones to be ye Overseers of my sd. Will & to have ye Guardenship of my Son in case of ye death of his Mother in witt. Whereof I have hereunto sett my hand & seale this 27 day of 8br. In ye yeare of our Lord 1682.
Signed sealed & declared to be ye Last Will & Testamt. Of George Flower in ye presence of us: Tho: Lawrence, Tobias Horton, Jno: Dixson.

Probate Last Will & Testament in Cur. Com Lancaster decimo die Januarii. p. oaths of Tho. Lawrence, Tobias Horton & Jno. Dixson, and admitted to record. Teste Tho. Marshall, Cl Cur. Signed George Flower (It doesn't mention that the signature was "his mark," so I assume that the original bore his signature. Other Wills and documents in these records note if there was a mark, and show the mark itself) (Virginia County Court Records: Will Abstracts of Lancaster County, Virginia, 1675-1689, p. 57)


EDWARD GIBSON

10th day of  (blank) 1703 Indenture between Edwd. Gibson of the Pish: of Xt. Church Lancaster, Gent. of ye one part and Robert Carter of ye said Pish of the other part; witness that ye dd. Edward Gibson for £1700 if sound merchantable sweet sented stem’d tobbo. Paid by the sd Carter hath granted unto ye sd Robert Carter his heirs & assigns forever all that tract of land situated in the aforesd Pish: containing at least 375ac being the Plantacon whereon the sd Edwd. Gibson now lives being bounded as follows, beginning at a corner Gum tree of John Kelleys standing at ye mouth of a small Cove which issues out of Tabbs Creek on ye SW side & thence down the Main Creek at several courses to ye mouth of a Creek which issues out of ye Main Creek which sd Creek parts this land from Bryan Grove’s land, thence up the sd Creek at sevll: courses to a corner pochiccory standing in ye sd Groves line at ye head of the sd Creek just by Nantepoyson Path, thence along ye sd line to a corner white Oak
 standing just by John Merris corer tree, thence along a line of marked trees SW by W to a corner white Oak standing on ye E most side of John Merris Road just by the Road side, thence along the sd Road at several courses to a corner white Oak standing by the Road side at a place called ye Gulph, thense by a line of new marked trees N by E to a corner Ash standing in ye Gum Swamp, thence by a line of new marked trees NE to a corner Gum tree standing by the edge of a Swamp in John Kelleys line, then along the sd Kelleys line of marked trees at several courses to ye Gum tree where it first began, which sd land is part of a dividend of 1200ac belonging to Tobias Horton and by him sold unto Teague Correll and descends from ye sd Teage unto Abraham Correll, his son & heir, by deed of Indenture … with all its rights houses gardens commodities & appurtenances whatsoever. To have and to hold unto ye sd Robert Carter his heirs & assigns …
Signed Sealed & delivered in the presence of us
John Babe, Edward (X) [fully encircled] Gibson

[On November 12, 1662 Teague Carrell bound himself to Tobias Horton to pay 8,000 pounds tobacco at 1,500 pounds a year, for which Tobias sold him 100 acres of land between Tabbs and Nutypoyson Creeks. Elizabeth, wife of Tobias, asked her son-in-law Uriah Angell to acknowledge the sale.] EDWARD GIBSON was not on the Living and Dead Census as he was tending the sick at Weyanoke [later called Westover from where Gibby Gibson wrote his will in 1727] Gibby and Hubbard both named a son EDWARD and a daughter MARY. Edward Gibson the younger appears in records of Lancaster Co., Virginia with John Bunch and Tobias Horton. George Gibson and Thomas Chavis are both on record in Lancaster County in mid 1650s before removing to Upper Chippoakes Creek in Charles City County. IMO George is the son of Edward and father of Gibby, and George is the father of John Gibson who is the father of Hubbard and John Gibson.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBERT KING CARTER Robert Carter was born about 1660 in Lancaster County, Virginia, son of John Carter. His son, John Carter married Elizabeth HILL, daughter of Edward Hill III who died in 1726, and his will bequeathed Shirley plantation to Elizabeth, who had married John Carter (eldest son of Robert "King" Carter) in October 1723. 
JANE GIBSON Testimony of Robert Wills 1790 In 1640 Jane Gibson, an Indian woman was born in Charles City County according to the deposition of Robert Wills, taken in 1790 at his home in Charles City County.  Testimony also shows Jane had a brother or a son named George Gibson, she possibly may have had both brother and son, and a daughter Jane Gibson.  Jane, the daughter, married to Morris Evans, their daughter and her descendants would become enslaved.  Thomas Gibson aka Mingo Jackson sued and won his freedom proving he descended from the Indian Jane Gibson.
Questions by the defendant.  How old were you when you were first acquainted with the elder Jane Gibson and George her brother?  
 Answer   I believe I was ten or eleven years old or thereabouts. 
Quest.  How old do you suppose they were and how long did they live afterwards? 
Answer.  Jane Gibson the elder was very old, I apprehend she was eighty years of age, [born about 1640] being past all labour - Mr. Carter my Master took her to live with him at Shirley where I then lived to brew a diet drink, he being afflicted with a dropsy - The old Jane Gibson I suppose might live two or three years. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JOHN BUNCH

JOHN BUNCH & SARAH SLAYDEN
The minister of Blissland Parish in New Kent County refused to marry them because Bunch was a mulatto. The Councillors decided to refer the petition to Stevens Thompson, the Attorney General of Virginia, "to report his opinion whether the Petitioners case be within the intent of the Law to prevent Negroes & White Persons intermarrying." Thompson noted that there was some confusion as to whether or not a mulatto was to be treated the same as a negro in regard to the 1691 law prohibiting the marriage of a white person and a black person.


''ye issue of such mixtures, cannot resolve whether the issue begotten on a White woman by a Mulatto man can properly be called a Mulatto, that name as I conceive being only appropriated to the Child of a Negro man begotten upon a white woman, or by a white man upon a negro woman, and as I am told the issue of a Mulatto by or upon a white Person has another name viz that of, Mustee; ''

After mulling it over they decided;

October 1705-CHAP. IV
And for clearing all manner of doubts which hereafter may happen to arise upon the construction of this act, or any other act, who shall be accounted a mulatto,

Be it enacted and declared, and it is hereby enacted and declared, That the child of an Indian and the child, grand child, or great grand child, of a negro shall be deemed, accounted, held and taken to be a mulatto.

Source: Hening, ed., The Statutes at Large, vol. 3, pp. 250-251, 252.      By 1656 John Bunch had land on the Rickahock Path which led from New Kent County [old York] to the Pamunkey Fort Royal, a traders path. Thomas Gibson had land on this path as well, Thomas Gibsons records are in York Co., died in 1652, ancestor of Nicholas Gibson who inherited his father's land which was actually in New Kent Co at that time. Nicholas is then the father of Thomas Gibson died 1734 in New Kent Co., father of Valentine Gibson and does not share the same Y DNA as Melungeon Gibson line but is likely related.

Gideon Gibson History in Question

  GIDEON GIBSON MURAL                                                                                                                       ...