William FitzHugh

Notes:

William Fitzhugh (1651 - 1701) - Describes his home
"...As first the Plantation where I now live contains a thousand Acres, at least 700 Acres of it being rich thicket, the remainder good hearty plantable land, without any waste either by Marshes or great Swamps the Commodiousness, conveniency, & pleasantness your self well knows, upon it there is three Quarters well furnished, with all necessary houses, ground & fencing, together with a choice crew of Negros at each planation, most of them this Country born, the remainder as likely as most in Virginia, there being twenty nine in all, (later he had close to 70 slaves) with Stocks of cattle & hogs at each Quarter, upon the same land is my own Dwelling house, furnished with all accomodations for a comfortable & gentile living, as a very good dwelling house, with 13 Rooms in it, four of the best of them hung, (with tapestries) nine of them plentifully furnished with all things necessary & convenient, & all houses for use well furnished with brick Chimneys, four good Cellars, a Dairy, Dovecoat, Stable, Barn, Hen house, Kitchen & all other conveniencys, & all in a manner new, a large Orchard of about 2500 Apple trees most grafted, well fenced with a Locust fence, which is as durable as most brick walls, a Garden a hundred foot square, well pailed in, a Yeard (sic) wherein is most of the foresaid necessary houses, pallizado'd (a variant spelling of palisaded) in with locust Punchens, which is as good as if it were walled in, & more lasting than any of our bricks, together with a good Stock of Cattle hogs horses, Mares, sheep &c, & necesary servants belonging to it, for the supply and support thereof. About a mile & half distance a good water Grist miln, (sic) whose tole I find sufficient to find my own family with wheat & Indian corn for our necessitys & occasions. Up the river in this Country three tracts of land more, one of them contains 21996 acres another 500 acres, & one other 1000 acres all good convenient & commodious Seats, & wch. in a few years will yield a considerable annual Income. ..." Taken from "William Fitzhugh and his Chesapeake World" pages 175-176.

WILLIAM FITZHUGH Compiled by Janice L. Johns
The British-born William Fitzhugh (1651–1701) was among the first Virginia colonists to establish a dynasty on the land. In this his portrait he looks more like a prominent Londoner than a resident of what was still a colonial backwater. Fitzhugh chose a rural life because it seemed the quickest way to make money; he used slaves to cultivate his 54,000 acres, which were largely in tobacco. He was a self-made man, a successful planter and lawyer, who had accomplished much with the opportunities afforded him in Virginia. “However, Fitzhugh was never entirely comfortable with his achievements, because his newly won wealth was tenuous, given the fluctuation of tobacco prices, and his social position was gained in a largely undeveloped setting where he felt isolated. Virginia was "a strange land" to Fitzhugh, where his peers expected him to project a "creditable" appearance. Once he did so, he could live "comfortably & handsomely." He "never courted unlawful pleasures with women, avoided hard drinking as much as lay in my power, & always avoided feasting." On occasion he entertained visitors with "good wine, . . . three fiddlers, a jester, a tight-rope dancer, [and] an acrobat who tumbled around." He furnished his large, thirteen-room house handsomely, with tapestries and an extraordinary collection of 122 pieces of English silver, much of it engraved with the family crest. The silver answered well Fitzhugh's conflicting urges for moderation and luxury. He termed his collecting both "politic" and "reputable," meaning that silver was a sound financial investment (it could be melted) that at the same time made a social statement about dynasty.” [1]In William’s own words, while addressing his suffering brother barrister Hartwell he wrote as to why he had never had the gout: “I’ll tell you, Sir, I never much frequented Bacchus’ orgies and always avoided Ceres’ shrine, and never was one of Venus’ votaries. To speak (plainly) to you, I never courted unlawful pleasures with women, avoided hard drinking as much as lay within my power, and always avoided feasting and consequently the surfeits occasioned thereby.” From William Fitzhugh and his Chesapeake World, page 46. I find this quote interesting, as we will learn 400 years later from DNA, that he was the father of at least two illegitimate sons. One with Mrs. George Phillips and one probably with Frances (Townsend) Dade Withers Hooe. “It was probably due to William's father Henry's misfortunes that William became successful and wealthy. Henry had made several financial decisions in Bedford England. He made two loans in which he pledged that if he did not pay them off within the year they would double. Whatever he was going to use the money for failed or never took place, resulting in the loss of his possessions to pay off the loan. In addition, as an Alderman, he was fined for not attending meetings. The law stated that if an Alderman did not attend a meeting of the Council, he would be fined. He missed over 60 meetings and as a result of the fines and the debt, he left England for Ireland dying at the age of 51.Probably due to the financial disasters’ of their father, William and Henry and his brother came to the Virginia Colony. William was about 16. It was here that Fitzhugh established what has been called a Virginia Dynasty.” [2] On May 1, 1674 William was married to Sarah Tucker. Sarah was the daughter of Rose Tucker Gerard, a wealthy woman with good family connections in both Virginia and Maryland. In the marriage settlement William received a Negro man and woman, three cows, six ewes and a ram, a number of hogs, a bay gelding, a necklace of pearls, and enough dishes, household furniture and kitchen equipment to set up housekeeping at once. Also, Sarah had been left by her father’s estate, 5,000 pounds of tobacco and an equal share with his other children in the rest of his estate—which she would inherit when she turned 17 years old. When William married his wife she was 11 years old. He sent her to England to be educated for 2 years before she came back to America. The marriage was not consummated until she returned. [3] Captain George Phillips was in command of the “John and Margaret”, a ship that carried tobacco to London. He brought back items from England that were not available in America, like lace, velvet, china, silver, etc. One of the planters who shipped his tobacco with George was William Fitzhugh. The biography of William Fitzhugh (William Fitzhugh and his Chesapeake World) includes several letters in which he mentioned. The book also mentions that William Fitzhugh liked to socialize with his sea captains and their families. According to a DNA sample done on one of Mr. Phillips's descendents in 2010, it seems Mr. Fitzhugh socialized a little too closely with the wife of Captain George Phillips. The timing must have worked out well for Mr. Fitzhugh and Mrs. Phillips, because George named his PRESUMED son George Phillips (Jr.) who was probably born about 1691 or 1692. A ccording to vestry registers of Saint Peter's and Saint Paul's parishes, George Phillips Jr. had at least four sons, John, Richard, George, and James. The two counties where this family lived in the early years were New Kent and Hanover. Both of these are burned counties; all the early records are gone.“Fitzhugh is famous for his many letters on various subjects. He wrote several on slavery and said that the only thing he regretted about America was the lack of good schools. He wrote "Good education of children is almost impossible and better to be never born than ill bred." [4] According to the codicils to his will, William must have made a trip back to England in July 1701. He died October 21, 1701 supposedly from “a bloody flux” contracted from French refugees he had befriended. There is much more to be learned from “William Fitzhugh and his Cheasapeake World.” It is not a family history, but a compilation of the letters he wrote during his lifetime. The letters are mostly business related, but good family information can be gleaned. The book is available through interlibrary loan.

[1] From: http://www.vahistorical.org/dynasties/williamfitzhugh.htm & mler13 originally submitted to Ancestry.com Richardson Benham Family on 28 Mar 2008.
[2] garystauffer6 originally submitted to Ancestry.com for the HARRISON Family Tree on 30 Dec 2007.
[3] "William Fitzhugh and his Chesapeake world."
[4] garystauffer6 who originally submitted it to Ancestry.com for the HARRISON Family Tree

William married Sarah Tucker on 1 May 1674 in , , Virginia, USA. Sarah (daughter of John Thomas Tucker and Rosanna Sturman) was born on 2 Aug 1663 in , Westmoreland, Virginia, USA; died in 1703 in Eagles Nest, King George, Virginia, USA; was buried in King George, King George, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Ann Mary Lee in 1705 in Machodoc, Westmoreland, Virginia, USA. Ann (daughter of Colonel Richard Henry Lee, II and Laetitia Corbin) was born on 5 Jan 1683 in Mt Pleasant, Westmoreland, Virginia, USA; died on 12 Jan 1732 in Eagles Nest, King George, Virginia, USA; was buried in , King George, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Rosemond married Willoughby Allerton in 1698. Willoughby (son of Isaac Allerton, Jr and Elizabeth Willoughby) was born in 1665 in , Westmoreland, Virginia, USA; died on 24 Mar 1723 in , Westmoreland, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Colonel married Lucy Carter on 28 Jul 1730 in Corotoman Plantation, Lancaster, Virginia, USA. Lucy (daughter of Robert "King" Carter and Elizabeth Landon) was born on 24 Aug 1715 in Corotoman Plantation, Lancaster, Virginia, USA; died on 10 Feb 1763 in Eagles Nest, Stafford, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Second wife of Maj. George Turberville and the first burial at Hickory Hill, the epitaph on her tomb was published in the Oct 1898 issue of the William & Mary College Quarterly and reads thus: "To the Memory of Lettice TURBERVILE Who Was Born the 15th day of July, 1707, Daughter of Hon. William Fitzhugh Esq., by Ann his Wife Who was the Daughter of the Honr Richd Lee. Those Excellent Natural Endowments Which very Early Discovered themselves Were Carefully Cherished and Improved by her Wise and Virtuous Parents. From A Child She Knew the Scriptures Which Made Her Wise unto Salvation: From Her Infancy She Learned Walh [sic] In the Paths of Virtue. She Was Beautifull But Not Vain: Witty But Not Talkativ: Her Religion was Pure Fervent Cheerful and of the Church of England: Her Virtue Steadfast Easey Natural: Her Mind had that Mixture of Nobeleness and Gentleness As Made Her Lovely in the Eyes of all People. She Was Marryed to Capt. GEORGE TERBERVILLE [sic] May the 16th 1727. the best of Wives Made him the Happiest of Husbnads. She died the 10th of Feb. 1732 Great with Child in 25th Year of Her Age and 6th of her Marryage. Who Can Express the Greif. Soon Did She Compleat Her Perfection, Soon Did She finish Course of Life. Early Was She Exempted From the Miseries of Human Life By God's particuler Grace. Thus Doth He Deal With his Perticuler Favorites. All that was good in Woman Kind A Beauteous Form More Lovely Mind Lies Buryed underNeath this Stone Who Living was Excelled by None."

Lettice married George Richard Turberville, Major on 16 May 1727 in , Westmoreland, Virginia, USA. George (son of John Turberville and Elizabeth "Betsy" Lee) was born in 1694 in Hickory Hill, Hague, Westmoreland, Virginia, USA; died on 30 Mar 1742 in Hickory Hill, Hague, Westmoreland, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Sara married Edwardus (Blumfield) Barradall, Sr on 5 Jan 1735 in Saint Pauls Parish, Stafford, Virginia, USA. Edwardus was born in 1704 in , , Virginia, USA; died on 19 Jun 1743 in Williamsburg, Independent Cities, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elizabeth married Benjamin Grymes on 12 Feb 1746 in Saint Pauls Parish, Stafford, Virginia, USA. Benjamin was born on 19 Jan 1724 in Brandon, Middlesex, Virginia, USA; died in 1774 in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Mary Anne Bolling Randolph on 2 Apr 1763 in , , Virginia, USA. Mary (daughter of Peter Randolph and Lucy Bolling) was born on 13 May 1747 in Chatsworth, Henrico, Virginia, USA; died on 10 Aug 1805 in Ravensworth, Fairfax, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married George Washington Parke Custis on 7 Jul 1804 in Alexandria, Independent Cities, Virginia, USA. George (son of John Parke Custis and Eleanor Calvert) was born on 30 Apr 1781 in Mount Airy Plantation, Prince Georges, Maryland, USA; died on 10 Oct 1857 in Arlington, Fairfax, Virginia, USA; was buried in Arlington, Arlington, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Married: 30 Jun 1831, Arlington, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA

Mary married Robert Edward Lee on 30 Jun 1831 in Arlington House, Arlington, Virginia, USA. Robert (son of Henry Lee, III and Anne Hill Carter) was born on 19 Jan 1807 in Stratford, Westmoreland, Virginia, USA; died on 12 Oct 1870 in Lexington, Independent Cities, Virginia, USA; was buried in Lexington, Independent Cities, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]