Dorothy H. Blackman

The Dorothy Broadway Connection:

By Jean E. Blackmon Recently (June 2001) I was searching for ancestors from Henrico County, Va., [for many different sides of our family] and I found a wonderful book called Orphans Court Book 1677-1739 of Henrico County,Virginia by Pauline Pearce Warner. Copyright 1963. Because of the information I found in this book, I am going to suggest that Dorothy and William Blackman are NOT the same people as the Dorothy and William Blackman from Cocking, Sussex, England. Most of you have probably never seen that theory, but I learned recently that there are some who make that suggestion, and I wanted to follow up on it. I truly believe that our William Blackman met and married Dorothy, the widow of Robert Broadway in Henrico County, Va. Several things occurred to encourage the development of this theory. First, I noticed that the land in Henrico County, Virginia that John Blackman inherited from his father William in 1698, (and later sold to Henry Ascough in 1701,) was adjoining Robert Brodway’s [sic] land. Secondly, I noticed that Henry Ascough sold one-third of the plantation called “Warrick” to John Blackman “for life” and that it was land Dorothy Blackman already lived on. Ascough had bought the land from Robert Broadway in 1698. It dawned on me that this might be “dower” land (indicated by the one-third division of the tract.) So Dorothy Blackman, widow, had dower land that Henry Ascough recently bought from Robert Broadway [Jr.] This made me wonder why, IF Robert Broadway was Dorothy’s eldest son, HE was not the son who Dorothy Blackman later asked to “keep her” in her old age. I had to consider that he was her step-son, a child by Robert Broadway and a first marriage, perhaps. [FOOTNOTE 1] I also wondered where William Blackman had lived all those years in Virginia if he did not OWN land until 1689 when he purchased it from William Byrd. Things started to make sense. I believe that William Blackman married the widow Dorothy Broadway, became guardian to her sons (one died), and also had children with Dorothy. As usual, I WELCOME feedback. Robert Broadway’s name has been misspelled many ways, [i.e. Brady, Bradway, Brodway.] It was misspelled in the land patent records, and because of that, I became suspicious. Then by sheer accident, I found the book transcribing the Orphans Court records of Henrico County, and I realized that Robert “Brady” was the same man as Robert “Broadway.” THANK YOU MRS. WARNER FOR TRANSCRIBING THOSE RECORDS! The following excerpts are the basis for my statement above: [Note: The original spelling has been used…jeb]

Nov. 21, 1667 event referred to in court in 1677[Orphants Court for the County of Henrico--] the 29th year of the Reign of our Sove--- grace of God of Great Brittaine France and Ireland and in the yeare of our God 1677 – Oct 1st. Present Coll’o. William ffarrar Maj’r. Wm. Harris Maj’r. John ffarrar Mr. Thos. C----. [probably Cocke….jeb]

Dorothy Brady [sic] Mother [FOOTNOTE 1] to the orph.s of Robt. Brady decd did for the good of the sd. --- lease unto Thomas Risby one plantaèon [sic] upon wch he the sd. Risby was to plant ------- and to leave the same with the houses upon the sd plantaèon tenantable as appears ---dièon dated the 21 of 9ber[FOOTNOTE 2] 1667, Which being not p’r formed it is ordered that the sd ----Risby doe and shall at or before the 20th day of March next repaire the sd. Houses ----sd. Condition in every respect according to the true intent and meaning thereof, that he shall in order to the performance thereof have lyberty to get timber upon the divident of land leased as aforesd. For the use of the sd. Plantaèon. ______ ______ ______[FOOTNOTE 3]

1677 [Orphants Court for the County of Henrico--] the 29th year of the Reign of our Sove--- grace of God of Great Brittaine France and Ireland and in the yeare of our God 1677 – Oct 1st. Present Coll’o. William ffarrar Maj’r. Wm. Harris Maj’r. John ffarrar Mr. Thos. C----. [probably Cocke….jeb] An acco’tt. of Cattle belonging to the orphs. of Robert Brady decd. [illegible] ---man[FOOTNOTE 4] Vizt. Robert Brady 3 Cowes and one heifer and one Calfe ---cow and one calfe wch was Joynt Stock –in all 7. [FOOTNOTE 5]

[The next orphans’ court date appears to be August 20, 1678, held at Varina for the County of Henrico, Va…jeb]

1678: Present Major Wm. Harris, Coll. Francis Epes, Lt. Col. John Farrar, Mr. Thos. Cocke, Mr. Rich’d. Cocke, Mr. Essex Bevill, Mr. Abell Gower, Justices of the peace. …..An Accott. Of Robert Bradway’s [sic] Cattle presented by Wm. Blackman vizt: 4 Cowes, 2 heifers of 2 yeares old, and 3 Calves in all 9 _____ August 20 1678. Signed by Wm. (mark WB) Blackman. [From Orphans Court Book 1677-1739 of Henrico County,Virginia by Pauline Pearce Warner. Copyright 1963, page 9]

1679: At an Orphts. Court holden at Varina for the County of Henrico the Eleventh day of October -- - his Ma’ties Justices of the peace for the said County, In the thirty-first yeare of the Reigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles the second by the grace of God of Great Brittaine, ffrance, and Ireland King Defender of the ffaith, And in the year of our Lord God 1679. Present Lt. Coll John ffarrar, Mr. Essex Bevill, Mr. Thomas Batte, Mr. Peter ffield – Justices of the Peace.] An accott. of Robert Brady’s Cattle presented by Wm. Blackman (vizt.) 3 Cows, 4 heifers two of them two years old a piece & the other two are yearlings, the stock being in all 7 head. Signed by Wm. (his mark, WB) Blackman. [The court date-ibid. page 13. The record -Ibid. page 15]

1682 [August 21, 1682 Court at Varina] William Blackman is ordered (his security being deced) to put in other security for the Estate of Robert Bradway [sic] an orpht. In his Custody. Upon wch. Tho. Pouldon in Court enters himself his security accordingly.[Warner, Orphans Court, page 23.]

In 1686, Robert Broadway, “now of lawful age” had petitioned the Henrico County Court to have the estate belonging to him as heir of his father Robert Broadway, deceased, and Thomas Broadway, his brother, also deceased, delivered to him. William Blackman, his guardian was to deliver it to him on the 9th of October 1686. [Colonial Wills of Henrico County, Virginia 1677-1737, page 21, by Benjamin B. Weisiger III, Richmond, Virginia 1986.] [Robert Broadway, Jr. was born about 1665 if he was 21 when he was “of lawful age.”]

1686 [Orphans%E2%80%99 Court held at Varina for Hen’co. County Xber 1st. 1686. Pres’t. Mr. Rich’d. Cocke, Capt. Will Randolph, Mr. Abell Gower, Mr. Pet. Field, Mr. Rich’d Kennon, Mr. Will Glover, Mr. Will Farrar, Mr. Jno. Worsham – Justices of the Peace.] Wm. Blackman Guard: to the Orph. of Rob’t Broadway deced having according to order of Court paid to the sd. Orph. his full claim as appears by the testimony of Mr. Gower and Mr. Glover persons by the Court appointed to see the delivery of the sd. Estate It is Ord’d. that the sd. Blackman be discharged of the same & his bond del’d him – if required. [Warner, Orphans’ Court, page 46]

1 February 1689 William Byrd. Esq. of Henrico Parish, Henrico County, Va. sold to William Blackman of the same place, planter, for 3000 pounds of tobacco, land bounded by Grindall’s Run, Peter Lee’s land, Henry Sherman, and Robert Broadway [mentioned above] 350 acres; part of a patent to Byrd of 1820 acres 20 April 1686. Witnesses were John Gay and William Thompson. [Henrico County, Virginia Deeds 1677-1705, page56, by Benjamin B. Weisiger III, Richmond, Virginia 1986.]

Footnotes for Blackmon Genforum Footnote 1. Editor’s note: The very fact that this refers to Dorothy Brady [sic] as “mother” instead of guardian, of the two Broadway boys indicates to me that she was their true mother, even though, she did not ask her son Robert Broadway to be her “protector” in her old age. Also, since her name was still “Brady [sic Broadway]” in 1667, she had not yet remarried at that time.

Footnote 2. The month 9ber is November. The month Xber or 10ber is December. If you see 7ber, that means September, and if you see 8ber, it means October. Sep =7, Oct=8, Nov=9, Dec =10. I may be slow, but I just figured all this out last winter….jeb.

Footnote 3. From Orphans Court Book 1677-1739 of Henrico County,Virginia by Pauline Pearce Warner. Copyright 1963, page 7.

Footnote 4. Editor’s note: I really do believe that if this part of the record was not damaged, we would find that this originally said “presented by Wm. Blackman.”

Footnote 5. Orphans Court Book 1677-1739 of Henrico County,Virginia by Pauline Pearce Warner. Copyright 1963, page 3.

There is no proof that Edward Deely (Deeley) is the father of Dorothy Blackman.

An article at http://www.ydg.com/stepp/early_stepps/Orig_Abraham_Scalf.html) gives a good explanation.

William Blackman's will names children and there is certainly other data that names the Blackman children.

The Deely will/bequest is the sole documentation for William and Dorothy's children simply because a bequest was made as Edward Deely according to the Bromfield family report also made a bequest in 1682 to John Bromfield. (http://www.io.com/~benwbrum/lensflare/geneology/brumfield/brum.orig...) some six years earlier.

There is a theory that Dorothy was part of the William Branch family.

An article at http://www.ydg.com/stepp/early_stepps/Orig_Abraham_Scalf.html) gives a good explanation.

William Blackman's will names children and there is certainly other data that names the Blackman children.

The Deely will/bequest is the sole documentation for William and Dorothy's children simply because a bequest was made as Edward Deely according to the Bromfield family report also made a bequest in 1682 to John Bromfield. (http://www.io.com/~benwbrum/lensflare/geneology/brumfield/brum.orig...) some six years earlier.

There is a theory that Dorothy was part of the William Branch family.