Edward Strode

A Patriot of the American Revolution for Virginia. DAR Ancestor # A111408

"No one is absolutely sure where Edward Strode lived after leaving Chester County, Pennsylvania. This is understandable since records are sketchy or non-existent in Virginia because of changing boundaries. For example, Berkeley County, West Virginia, was once Berkeley County, Virginia. The county was formed out of a part of Frederick County, Virginia in 1772; Frederick County from Orange County, in 1738; and Orange from Spotsylvania County in 1734.

"Edward eventually settled on Opequon Creek at the juncture with the Potomac River and built a stone fort which became known as the Strode Fort Farm. An article in the Kentucky Citizen said, 'In 1758, Edward Strode supplied provisions for the army in the French and Indian War. There are traditional stories of heroism on the part of the Strode women when the fort was attacked in the absence of men.'

"In the Berkeley County Deed Book 2, page 86, 10 June 1773, Edward Strode of Berkeley County sold to his son, Jeremiah Strode, for 100 pounds, part of a greater tract of land granted to Morgan Bryan by our Sovereign Lord the King, 3 October 1734, which was conveyed to Joseph Bryan 16 August 1744 and he to Edward Strode 14 May 1752. The land was located on Opequon Creek containing 360 acres. The land was part 'of a tract granted to Morgan Bryan for 1,250 acres.'

"Morgan Bryan's wife was Martha Strode, presumably Edward's sister. It is entirely plausible that the Edward Strode's made their way to Virginia with Morgan Bryan in the mid 1730's. Pennsylvania Archives III, Chester County Warranties of Land list Edward as selling 150 acres 29 January 1733. He presumably would do this to move to Virginia.

"There are land grants that show Edward transferring land to sons John and James in Frederick County (later Berkeley County), Virginia. A sale to John was for 400 acres, dated 4 April 1751.

"On 19 November 1761, Edward and Elinor, his wife, sold land on Opekon. On 7 June 1773, Edward Strode sold 360 acres to his son Jeremiah for L100. Elinor was still living in 1777 when she witnessed a deed. Bergen (Bergen Papers: Historic Record 12) quotes a letter dated 26 July 1786 that says, 'the Old Gentleman and Widow of Jeremiah Strode'. The old gentleman must have been Edward who would have been in his 90's at that time.

"Edward's age at death has been perpetuated at 108 years. There is no proof or mention of a year by anyone. It seems unlikely that he lived to 1795, which would make him 105, if born in 1690. Capt. James Strode was living in Berkeley County and he died in 1795. He was a wealthy man and left a detailed will mentioning his third wife and children and grandchildren by his first two wives. No mention was made of a father. He surely would have made provisions for an aged father, if the father was alive. It seems likely to the author that Edward died after July 1786 ad prior to 1795. If this is correct, Edward's age at death could have been 96 to 105 -- a very long life indeed. If he did live to be 108 (1690-1798) as perpetuated by tradition, he outlived four of his six children.

"There is very little hard evidence of what happened to Edward Strode's brothers, George, Samuel and William Strode. Elston theorizes that Samuel Strode lived in Chester County, Pennsylvania in the 1720's but moved to western Pennsylvania later. William, he suggests, lived in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. George seems to have disappeared.

"The Bryan-Boone traditions says that Morgan and Martha Strode Bryan had 5 children when they moved to Frederick County, Virginia, probably 1734. They had a total of nine children. The oldest was Joseph, who sold Edward Strode 360 acres of land in 1752.

"Elston quotes an article from the Virginia Historical Magazine that 'Alexander Ross and Morgan Bryan founded upon this grant a colony of Friends, which flourished for many years in Frederick County.' The Hopewell congregation was formed in 1734 with the church located 5 miles north of Winchester on the Opequon River and was probably the first organization of any denomination in the valley of Virginia. Morgan Bryan obtained several grants of land in the vicinity of Winchester, which bear the date of 12 November 1735." http://www.vnla.com/vnl/gen/mcq/Strode.htm#Edward4

GEDCOM Note