Ann Worley

Notes:

John Worley, b. before 1699, d. 1757

On 14 July 1718, at Henrico County, VA,, William Kennon was granted a patent in Henrico for the transportation of ten persons, including John Whorly (Pat 10:392).5

On 2 September 1720, at Henrico County, VA,, John Worley bought from James Aken Jr for 15 lbs 56 acres on north side of Swift Creek adj Capt John Worsham, being part of a grant to James Aken Sr and Richard Lyon and where Worley now lives (DB 1714-18:507).5

In May 1722, Court Order book shows record of a deed from John and Esther Worley to John Farlee, Jr. (Order Book 1719-24). It is my understanding from the introduction to this source that the deeds themselves for this period have not survived (1719-1724)..5

On 24 March 1725, at Henrico County, VA,, Richard Walthall patented 400 acres on the North side of the Appomattox River, beg at Mr. Alexander Marshall, on S side Deep Cr. of Swift Cr, on John Pride's line, for importation of 8 persons including John Worldley. The intro to Cavaliers and Pioneers stated that the headright system was much abused and people's headrights were claimed multiple times. It appears that Walthall was cheating here, since John's headright had already been claimed. The other possibility is that this headright was for John Jr. If that is the case, then both Johns were significantly older than previously suspected, although the ages that would be involved are not outside the range of possibility. Note that Henry Walthall was one of John Worley's neighbors on Swift Creek..6

On 17 August 1725, at Henrico County, VA,, John Worley patented 277 acres on the North side of Swift Creek adj Charles Clay on N side the main road, Martha Blankenship, Henry Walthall, Edward Hill, and John Farlow. Page 325, 30 shill..7

On 7 November 1726, at Henrico County, VA,, John and Esther Worley sold 277 acres to Will Moseley adjoining Charles Clay, Martha Blankenship, Walthall and Hill..2

In 1727, Goochland County was formed from part of Henrico. The land where John Worley had been living fell in the new county..

On 30 July 1730, at Goochland County, VA,, John Worley sued Thomas Lockett for trespass..2

On 4 March 1733, at Goochland County, VA,, Thomas Dickens sued John Worley for debt, case dismissed. Goochland order book 3, page 234. ("Valentine Papers", Thomas Dickens lived at Manakintown).2

On 19 March 1734, at Goochland County, VA,, John Worley is appointed surveyor of the road in place of Joseph Woodson. Then on May 20, 1735 he is replaced by Joseph Baugh..8

Fact 11735 In 1735, John Worley appeared on the titheable list of King William Parish, in the household of John James Florinoir, along with 3 slaves. I believe that makes him an overseer or some other type of servant. King William Parish was created by King William in 1700 with a grant of 10,000 acres to be settled by French Huguenots, who were escaping religious persecution in France. The first titheable list that exists is dated 1710. John Worley appears for the first time on the list of 1735, but that appears to be the only year when the names of the servants/overseers and slaves were listed. In 1736 John James Florinoir was still there but his household, as for other households, just shows a number of tithes, not the names. So we cannot tell in how many years before or after 1735 John was present. The main town in King William Parish was the town of Manakin, which is about 10 miles from Flat Rock (the current community where John Worley's 1749 land on Swift Creek was located). I need to find out how far the parish extended.

I don't know if this John Worley is Senior or Junior. We know that John Jr was an adult and had saved up enough money to buy land (or at least make a down payment on it) in 1741, so it's quite likely that he was already old enough in 1735 to have a job working for a French planter..9

Fact 120 April 1736 On 20 April 1736, at Goochland County, VA,, "Ordered that the titheables of Col Richard Randolph's two quarters, Capt Moseley's quarter, William Clay, Thomas Moor, and John Worley at Jenito Quarter, do work on the road whereof Henry Clay is Surveyor, that John Baugh do clear the road from Ditoways Branch to Watkins Path and that Henry Clay keep the bridge in repair." I include this detail because most of the other names are recognizeable as neighbors or purchasers of the land John Worley has owned or will own, which suggests that he still lived on part of it as a tenant or had bought another parcel of land with a deed that has not survived..10 Fact 11743 In 1743, at Goochland County, VA,, The court ordered that John Worley is to be levy free. This usually happened when a person was infirm or elderly, so I'm assuming they meant John Sr..2

Fact 122 August 1745 On 22 August 1745, at Goochland County, VA,, At a meeting of the vestry of Southam Parish (Episcopal, which was then the state church) held at Peterville Church, the vestry ordered the building of several chapels, including the following sentence "ordered that a chapel be built at or near the Reading Place at Worleys as soon as conviently may be done." On Feb. 25, 1746 the vestry ordered that the Chapel at Worley's be let to the lowest bidder. On Sept. 16, 1748 three church members were appointed to "view and receive the South Chapel if built according to agreement" and "John Worley (the elder) is appointed Sexton of South Chapel at the rate of 500 lb of tobacco per year. " On December 20, 1749 John Worley was paid the 500 lbs of tobacco for being the sexton of South Chapel, plus 300 lbs for clearing around the South Chapel, 90 lbs for three ?horse blocks, 100 lbs for setting up tenn benches and 20 lbs for pins for the windows. John Worley (spelled Worley, Whirley, Whirly, Wherley) was paid that same 500 lbs of tobacco every year through December 1757, with a few extra's (50 lbs for use of his Bible in 1751 and 100 lbs for making benches in 1754.) On December 15, 1757 the list of debts of the parish included 500 lbs to John Worley for being Sexton and 100 lbs to "Easter Worley for her husband making and setting up 5 racks at South Chapel." On the same date "Esther Wherley is appointed sexton of South Chapel in the room of John Worley, deceased.".11

Fact 121 May 1748 On 21 May 1748, at Goochland County, VA,, As part of the "processioning" for the Southam parish (determining agreed-upopn boundary lines, for the purpose of preventing disputes) the report lists "a line between Thomas Watkins and John Worley, a line between John Worley and Henry Clay, a line between John Worley and William Moseley, a line between John Worley and William Rigon or Sigon, a line between John Moseley and John Worley. This was a year before the date of the deed for the purchase of the only property I know John to have owned at his death. So either he had 2 pieces of property or the deed for some reason was dated later than his actual possession of the land. I wonder if he was paying for the land in installments and the deed was not recorded until the price was fully paid..12

Fact 125 September 1749 On 25 September 1749, at Cumberland County, VA,, John Worley bought from Isaac and Ann Robinson 200 acres on the north side of the Appomattox River, being part of a 400 acre tract patented to Robinson in 1734, on both sides of the main branch of Swift Creek. Witnessed by Anthony Agee, Francis Marshall and William Riggin. On the same day the purchase by Anthony Agee (John's son-in-law) was recorded of 140 acres " on the Buckingham Road" adjoining John Worley..13

Will22 March 1757 John Worley left a will on 22 March 1757 at Cumberland County, VA. Text of the will: I John Worley am disposed to make my Will being in ...Health and Sense and Memory praised be to God for it. In the Name of God Amen. i give my soul to God ... it and my body to be buried at the Descretion of my ...Item I give to my well beloved Wife Esther Worley all my .. after my debts are pay'd and the Plantation whereon I ... during her life and then the said Plantation after her .. give to my grandson Charles Maxey to him and his heirs .. lafully begotten and never to be sold and if the s'd Charles Maxey should dye then to fall to John Gipson son to Thos and Elizabeth Gibson.
Item I give to John Worley Jr younger and my grandson the plantation where his father now lives and so to a new line I make according to my own pleasure for the division but my Will is that my son John Worley shall have the sd Plantation during his life but no liberty to sell it nor to rent it.
Item. I give to my son John Worley Junr one shilling sterling
Item. I give to my son Wm Worley one shiling sterling.
Item. I give to my daughter Mary Maxey one shilling sterling.
Item. I give to Daughter Elizabeth Gibson one shilling sterling.
Item. I give to Daughter Christian Agee one shiling sterling.
Item. I give to Daughter Jude Smith one shilling sterling
and this I alow to be my last Will and testament as Witness my hand this 22 Day of March 1757. John Worley SSCurnell Keen, Nathael Maxey wit

At a court held for Cumberland County the 27 day of March 1758, the last will of John Worley decd was proved by the witnesses hereto and by the court ordered to be recorded. (The writing is very faded. Words I could not read are marked ....).3

Family

Esther ? d. circa 1772

Marriagebefore 1719

He married Esther ? before 1719.2

Children 1.William Worley+ b. b 1718, d. 17873 2.John Worley Jr.+ b. b 1720, d. bt 1777 - 17783 3.Mary Worley b. b 17243 4.Elizabeth Worley 3 5.Christian Worley 3 6.Jude Worley 3 Citations

[S264] Gayle King Blankenship, Blankenship Ancestors.
[S263] Worley, Maxey and Agee Data from The Huguenot, No 13 (1945-47) researched by William Worley, message titled "Worley and others: Info from The Huguenot," listserve message from John Ottinger to e-mail address, 3/25/2000.
[S169] John Worley Sr. Will (Written March 22, 1757, proven in court March 27, 1758).
[S327] Powhatan County, VA Southam Episcopal Parish, pages 103-106, Southam Parish Vestry Book, 1745-1836.
[S264] Gayle King Blankenship, Blankenship Ancestors, page 385.
[S32] Nell Marion Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers Volume 3, page 303.
[S32] Nell Marion Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers Volume 3, page 293.
[S269] Nathaniel Mason Pawlett, Goochland County Road Orders 1728-1744, page 23.
[S266] Virginia Vital Records #1 1600s-1800s, CD-ROM, Item Titled "The Vestry Book of King William Parish, VA, 107-1750."
[S269] Nathaniel Mason Pawlett, Goochland County Road Orders 1728-1744, page 26.
[S327] Powhatan County, VA Southam Episcopal Parish, Southam Parish Vestry Book, 1745-1836.
[S327] Powhatan County, VA Southam Episcopal Parish, page 25-26, Southam Parish Vestry Book, 1745-1836.
[S267] Deed from Isaac Robinson to John Worley, Deed Book 1, page 52.

Esther ?1d. circa 1772 Last Edited2 May 2003 Marriagebefore 1719 Esther ? married John Worley before 1719.2 Deathcirca 1772 Esther ? died circa 1772 at Cumberland County, VA.3 Fact 115 December 1757 On 15 December 1757, at Goochland County, VA,, Esther Wherley was appointed seton of the south chapel in place of her deceased husband. She was paid 500 lbs of tobacco each year for this service through December 1771, sometimes referred to as Easter or Hester. Beginning in 1765 she was paid an additional 200 lbs each year "as a poor person." That was apparently normal; there were a number of others given money, who were listed as "poor people." Beginning at the vestry list of November 1772, William Worley was paid as the sexton of South Chapel. There was no mention of her death, but presumably she was either deceased or too infirm to perform the duties..3 FamilyJohn Worley b. before 1699, d. 1757Children 1.William Worley+ b. b 1718, d. 1787 2.John Worley Jr.+ b. b 1720, d. bt 1777 - 1778 3.Mary Worley b. b 17244 4.Elizabeth Worley 4 5.Christian Worley 4 6.Jude Worley 4 Citations

(Esther's last name is not Blount. There were a couple named John Worley and Esther Blount in Tyrell County, NC who were evidently contemporaries of this John and Esther, but several researchers on WORLEY-L who have researched that family have stated that they are definitely a separate couple. [details can be found at Rootsweb in the WORLEY-L archives] My personal theory is that Esther's last name may have been Christian. There was a family by that name in the area; I think they may have been Huguenots, and of course she named her daughter Christian. Needs further research. In 1777 when John Jr and William Worley took the oath of allegiance in Powhatan Co, VA, their names were on a page with several othe known neighbors (Farley, Moseley, Maxey, Lockett). Also on that same page were Anthony Christian Sr and Anthony Christian Jr.
[S263] Worley, Maxey and Agee Data from The Huguenot, No 13 (1945-47) researched by William Worley, message titled "Worley and others: Info from The Huguenot," listserve message from John Ottinger to e-mail address, 3/25/2000.
[S327] Powhatan County, VA Southam Episcopal Parish, Southam Parish Vestry Book, 1745-1836.
[S169] John Worley Sr. Will (Written March 22, 1757, proven in court March 27, 1758).

John married Esther Blount in 1715. Esther was born on 17 Mar 1703 in Edenton, Chowan, North Carolina, USA; died on 22 Mar 1757 in , Cumberland, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Nicholas married Mary Elizabeth Gaskill in 1695 in Virginia Beach, Independent Cities, Virginia, USA. Mary was born on 1 Oct 1676 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, USA; died on 16 Dec 1718 in Yorktown, York, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]