William D Pitchford

William married Sarah Stiles in 1759 in Dale Parish, Chesterfield, Virginia, USA. Sarah was born in 1740 in , Amelia, Virginia, USA; died in 1788 in , Mecklenburg, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Samuel married Amy Bevill on 2 Jan 1731 in , Henrico, Virginia, USA. Amy (daughter of Essex Beville and Elizabeth Webster) was born in 1711 in , Henrico, Virginia, USA; died in 1749 in , Henrico, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Source 700 Years of Bevills and Pionmeering in America
Essex Bevill Jr and Elizabeth Webster, had 6 children; Thomas, Daniel, Essex III, Mary, Elizabeth, and Amy.
The property he obtained was valuable, it sat on the Appomattox River and Sappony Creek, a perfect place to be forded by land horses and boat. Assuming Essex was born about 1692, he suffered from a illness to which he did not survive and died in 1729 at the age of about 37. Leaving his wife and 6 kids, what a shock to the family.
Elizabeth died just 3 years later and her will made certain all her children were treated equally in division of the her will. She is said to be a smart business woman and her will indicates such.

Essex married Elizabeth Webster in 1702. Elizabeth was born in 1688 in , Rappahannock, Virginia, USA; died on 14 Apr 1732 in Bristol Parish, Henrico, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Essex married Amy Butler in 1669 in , Henrico, Virginia, USA. Amy was born in 1640 in , Henrico, Virginia, USA; died in 1690 in Bristol Parish, Henrico, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

This is the story of how John Beville (b. 1611, Chesterton, UK) son of Robert Beville (b. 1570) made the journey from the family estate in Chesterton, England to Virginia, with his wife (Mary Clement b. 1618) and son Essex. Most of the people carrying the name Beville or any of its derivatives who are living in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States today are the descendants of Essex and his children. This story was relayed to me by the warden and church historian of St. Michael's church in Chesterton, Peterborough, UK, which is also known as the Beville Church.

Since the 1370s the Beville family had held the position of Lord of the Manor at Chesterton, in addition to several other land holdings in Woodwalton and Sawtry. The parents of John Beville (b. 1611) were Robert Beville (b. 1570) and his wife Mary Saunders (b. 1570). Robert Beville served as Lord of the Manor in Chesterton until his death in 1612. As his son John was not yet of age the stewardship of Beville manor fell to another Robert Beville (b. 1572), a cousin descended of the same Grandfather, one William Beville (b. 1511) who was Lord of the Manor at Chesterton until his death in 1553.

For the purposes of clarity I will refer to the family members in this story as:

Robert Beville (b. 1572) (who held the manor after the death of Robert b.1570) as "Cousin Robert". Cousin Robert is called "Robert the Younger" in some of the records, as he is the younger of 2 Robert Beville's entombed in the monument erected in 1611 upon the death of his wife. The tomb is located at the family parish in Chesterton.

Robert (b. 1570 ,father of John the Younger) will be called Robert John Beville (b. 1611) who centeres in the story will be called John the YoungerJohn BeVille (b. 1536) who is the grandfather of John the Younger and the Uncle of Cousin Robert will be called John the Elder



After the death of Robert Beville (b.1570), his son John the Younger was not of age to rightfully assume control of the manor in Chesterton. As such, temporary stewardship of the manor was passed to Cousin Robert, and John the Younger was sent to live with his Grandfather John the Elder, who has retired to lands held by the family in Sawtry near Woodwalton. John the Elder is also found in some of the records as John of Sawtry.

John the elder however died in 1618, when John the Younger was only 7 years old. His mother Mary Saunders also passed away the same year leaving John orphaned. At that time John the Younger returned to Beville Manor in Chesterton and was raised by the family of Robert the Cousin, who was still serving as Lord of the Manor in Chesterton.

Robert the Cousin Fathered 3 daughters of his own, including Honor, who was born in 1609 and baptised in the family parish at Chesterton. In 1632 she was married to Sir John Driden in London. The Dridens possessed large estates Canons Ashby. When John the Younger came age in 1630-32 he pushed to asert his claim on Beville Manor in Chesterton. In his will Robert the Cousin, who died in 1634, left the estate to "Whoever shall hold the estate" indicating that he himself was unsure as to whom his heir should be. Upon his death, John Driden and his wife Honora (daughter of Robert the Cousin) and John the Younger both filed suit in the Court of Chancery aserting their individual claims to the estate at Chesterton.

This period of English history, during the reign of Charles II, was also marked with religious disputes between the Church of England, Catholics, and Puritans. According to the local historian and church wardon at the Beville Church in Chesterton, a combination of the Driden's powerful patrons and alies, as well as religious differences between the family may have contributed to the Court's ruling in favor of John Driden and Honor Beville in their claim for Beville manor.

I am still researching the Court of Chancery Records for this period w/ postitve results so far. However in 1638 John the Younger married Mary Clement, most likely during the ongoing dispute over the right to Beville Manor. in 1639 Essex BeVille was born. It appears that the ruling of the Court came down around the same time as the family left Chesterton for the Colony of Virginia. Mary Clement died just after the arrival of the family in 1640, while John the Younger lived another 25 years. In 1669 Essex Beville married Amy Butler, who had been born in the colony in 1641. Essex and Amy produced at least 3 children: Mary (b.1669), (John (b. 1670 - d.1735 ), and Essex (b. 1672)

John married Mary Clement on 15 Apr 1638 in Saint Michaels Church, Chesterton, Huntingdonshire, England. Mary was born in 1618 in Chesterton, Cambridgeshire, England; died after 1647 in Chesterton, Huntingdonshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]