John Buford, Sr.

John and Judith settled in Broomfield Parrish, Culpepper County, Virginia, on a tract of land situated on the Rapidan and Beautiful Run River. They owned the first 2-story house in the area; folks came from far and wide to see it. The deed bears the date August 9, 1735. John became one of the largest landowners of the county. His homestead was acquired from William Phillips of Orange, St. Marks Parrish, on the 25th day of June 1739. John Beauford died in 1787 and his will does not mention his wife; it is presumed she preceeded him to the grave.

John Beauford's children all spell the name Buford. Cannot determine when the spelling was changed. (WFT Vol 11 Tree 3897)

“A Genealogy of the Buford Family in America: With Records of a Number of ..“. By Marcus Bainbridge Buford. Page 22. GoogleBooks

5. JOHN, son of Thomas, Jr., and Elizabeth Beauford, born in Lancaster County, Virginia, 1707, married Judith. Children—

1. (John) Thomas, born 1736;
2. Anne, born 1738;
3. James, 1740;
4. Elizabeth, 1742;
5. William, 1745;
6. Abraham, July 31, 1749;
7. Henry, September 19, 1751;
8. Mary, 1753;
9. Francis, 1754;
10. Simeon, 1756.

John and Judith Beauford settled in Bromfield Parish, Culpeper County, Virginia, on a tract of land situated on the Rapid Ann and Beautiful Run, the deed to which bears date August 9, 1735, from Governor Gooch. At that time the country was a wilderness, and almost inaccessible, except by the Rappahannock River. John Beauford soon after marrying left Middlesex County, with his brother-in-law, Jeremiah Early, the Kirtleys, Blackburns, Lewises, and Bohannons, as pioneers to this almost unknown but beautiful country. There had been a settlement made at Germana,—the name now ruthlessly changed by the Post-office Department to “Wilderness," -by Governor Sportswood, in 1714, where he had opened iron works and encouraged German immigration. Orange, Culpeper, and Madison Counties were then all comprehended in Culpeper County, and that comprehended in Lord Fairfax's grant, the Northern Neck. John Beauford bought additional and adjoining land from Lord Fairfax, the deed bearing the date of April 10, 1751. In 1770 Thomas, eldest son of John, sold to Henry Lewis one hundred and sixteen acres of land adjoining his father's, and the following December his father bought this, with other land near, making five hundred and eighty-two acres, from Henry Lewis. There were many other deeds for land purchased by John; in fact, he was one of the largest landowners in the county.

The homestead was established by the following deed:

“Twenty-sixth day of June, anno doomoney, one thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine, William Phillipps, of Orange, St. Mark's Parish. From the day after date of these presents and during the term of one hole year from thence. Next to be completed and ended, yealding and paying therefore yearly the Rent of one peper corn at the feast of St. Michael, the archangle, if the same be lawfully demanded. [Signed,] Wm. Phillipps to John Beauford.”

This tract of land was situated in the fork of Robinson River and the Rapid Ann, on the south side of Beautiful Run, and adjoining the land of William Phillipps, in what is now Madison County, near Wolftown.

All these pioneers were churchmen, and first worshiped in a small log church, in what is now Green County, built in 1723-1730, with a fort, on the road from Standardville to Charlotteville, eight or ten miles south of the Beauford residence. Nothing is now left of either the fort or the church, and the records of St. Thomas' Parish, in which they were, have been lost. Later the family were worshipers at “Vauter's” church, in Madison County, situated about two miles east of Wolftown, on the road to Madison, and three miles from their home, in St. Mark's Parish. But in 1751 this was cut off and made Bromfield Parish. This church was abandoned in 1798, and only the prayer-book is now in existence.

From 1735-1739 the Scotch-Irish emigrants from Pennsylvania settled both in Culpeper County, and farther south, in the Burden tract. Whether they were more devoted to their form of worship or whether the church people grew indifferent and lost their identity through separation from their church and lack of ministers, who were generally sent out from England, it is true the former absorbed almost the whole northwest; from here sprang the very flower of Kentucky's first settlers. On the site of the Beauford residence, near Wolftown, there now stands only a few locust trees, no houses, no tombstones, where stood the first two-story house built in that part of the world. People came from far and near to see it and drink coffee, a beverage then almost unknown in that country.

John Beauford's will is dated September 13, 1785, and probated September 17, 1787. He probably died a short time prior to the latter date. As he does not mention his wife in his will, she probably died before he did. He bequeathed lands to his sons Abraham and Simeon—his other children had no doubt been provided for-also mentions his grandsons John and William, sons of Simeon. Abraham and Simeon were made executors.

Notes:

or Middlesex Co
[Neal Brandon]

AKA: Beaufort / Buford

Marriage #1: Francis Wiscom

Marriage #2: Judith Early

Land Reference 1750 Warrant abstract refers to land on Beaver Dam Run adjoining John Medley and John Buford.

Settled in Bromfield Parish, Culpeper Co., Virginia, on a tract of land situated on the Rapidan River and Beautiful Run, the deed to which bears date 9 Aug 1735 from Gov. Gooch. Left Middlesex County with his brother-in-law, Jeremiah Early, the Kirtleys, Blackburns, Lewises and Boh...

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 12 2018, 21:03:52 UTC

His wife was Judith Early b. 1710 d. 1787

They were the parents of Abraham Buford who was the commanding officer during the "Waxhaw Massacre".* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jul 18 2019, 3:24:06 UTC

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Sep 20 2019, 2:50:40 UTC