Historical records matching John Peterson, III
view all
Immediate Family
-
wife -
-
daughter
-
father
-
mother
-
stepmother
About John Peterson, III
COMMENTARY DISPUTING ELIZABETH SOANE AS WIFE OF JOHN PETERSON by Margie Skinner: Elizabeth, the wife and widow of Col. Henry Duke, Esq. has never been identified. History shows that men living in Virginia during those early years of development generally married a daughter of a near or adjoining landowner. With the help of Virginia land patents it is known that the Marstons, Dukes, and Soanes were adjoining neighbors. With the help of Richard V. Camp of St. Louis, these families along with many others were studied in an attempt to find the name of the wife of Henry Duke. Again and again Elizabeth Soane, one of two daughters of the immigrant Henry Soane, Sr., appears to be the most likely candidate. Her age was right; she was born in 1649. She lived on an adjoining plantation and there were other close connections between the two families. .
Unfortunately, because of the missing county records, this conjecture may never be proven or disproven. The possible identification of Elizabeth is further complicated by the presumption that Elizabeth Soane married John Peterson as found in Southern Historical Families by John Bennet Bodie , Vol. V, p. 87.
It is known that Soane had two daughters, Elizabeth, of whom nothing is known, and Judith who married Henry Randolph as his second wife and (2) Peter Field. The conjecture that Elizabeth Soane married John Peterson is based upon the premise that Henry Soane, father of Elizabeth, owned 400 acres at his death known as the Saw Mill Divident and that in his will, now lost, he devised to his two daughters Elizabeth and Judith.
The premise upon which the marriage of Elizabeth Soane to John Peterson is based is not a fact, however. Henry Randolph, II, rather than Henry Soane, Sr. was owner of the land known as the Saw Mill Divident. Early land grants prove that Henry Soane, Sr. at no time owned the 400 acres in Henrico County, Virginia under discussion here. Therefore the matter of the Saw Mill Divident must be addressed to understand the final division in which John Peterson son and heir of John Peterson, Dec’d inherited one half of the land in 1693.
The history of this property is traced in the following paragraphs. In the final division of the Saw Mill Divident as recorded in the Virginia records, one half of the property was given to John Peterson, whom Boddie supposed was the son of Elizabeth Soane and by Boddie, presumed to be dead. One fourth went to Peter Field in right of his wife Judith Soane. The remaining one fourth went to Henry Randolph III the grandson of Henry Randolph and his second wife Judith Soan.
By his first wife he had a son named William Randolph. The final division of the tract of land on Swift Creek in Henrico County known as the Saw Mill Divident was made in 1693 at the death of Henry Randolph II, son of the first Henry Randolph and his wife Judith Soane. .
Henry Randolph, I, whose second wife was Judith Soane, was the patentee of this land which appears to be all or part of the 800 acres granted him in 1663. He died in 1673. The 800 acres was granted him on 29 January 1663 and was marked by a corner oak four ways; west along John Wilson to a pohickery marked four ways; hard by a great rock upon the elbow of Old Towne Creek; west by north; north by east; to Swift Creek, Cavaliers & Pioneers, Vol.1, page 499, Patent Bk 5, p. 324 (316)].
A patent to John Wison on 6 June 1666 places his line about 100 paces above Mr. Randolph’s mill. The Saw Mill Divident, as such, is first mentioned under date of 1 October 1674 in Cavaliers and Pioneers Vol.11, page 156, Patent Book 6, page 534 in a patent to Mr. William Randolph, son of Henry Randolph by his first wife, for 591 acres in Henrico county on the north side of the Appomatox River, north side of Swift Creek adjoining the upper Saw Mill Divident next the Indian cabins at the dividing falls between his land and Eusebius King.
At the same time King had a patent to 591 acres adjoining Wm. Randolph “at the dividing falls and to the point of rocks. After the death of the first Henry Randolph and after his widow Judith Soane Randolph claimed her share of the Randolph land, her son, Henry Randolph, Jr., consolidated his portion along with 2665 acres for transporting 68 persons which came to 5650 acres.
From this action, the second mention of the Saw Mill Divident appears. In the lengthy description is found the following excerpt, “by Mr. Eusebius King to low side of persimmon branch by Swift Creek; against the dividing falls being Bevins corner; to Toty’s land; by Mrs. Judith Randolph; down the Saw Mill Divident to below the mouth of the second Run into Swift Creek; above the mill...1000 acres granted his father Mr. Henry Randolph decd. 16 Feb. 1662.” (CP vol. 11,365, Pat Bk 8, p. 169 ) dated 28 April 1691.
In his conjecture regarding Elizabeth Soane, Boddie assumed land involved in the division under discussion was Soane land. It was not Soane land and it was not devised by Henry Soane to anyone. Henry Soane died in 1661/2 and Henry Randolph, II died in 1693 at the time the division was made. The land known as the Saw Mill Divident had belonged to Henry’s father who died in 1673.
The same year he had a grant to 800 acres “hard by a Great Rock upon an elbow of Old Towne Creek,etc.” (C&P I, p. 499). William Randolph, son of Henry and wife Elizabeth, was granted (29 October 1691) 400 acres that was earlier granted (November 1673) to Able Gower and later deserted. One of the transportees listed in that patent to William Randolph was John Peterson. The land granted to Gower was described as 500 acres in Henrico County on the south side of the James River “nigh the Swamp side nigh a remarkable Great Stone to Brandis Corner.”
The patent further states that Gower bought one hundred acres and the remaining 400 was granted him for transporting 8 persons to the colony. The description or this property indicates the land adjoined that of Henry Randolph.
On 1 June 1693, according to the Valentine Papers, Vol. 3, p. 1396, the court of Henrico County, John Soane (brother of Judith Soane Randolph Field) was ordered to divide the Saw Mill Divident between John . Peterson and heirs of John Peterson, dec’d, Capt. Peter Field (husband of Judith) and ye orphans of Capt. Henry Randolph. The division was made 28 July 1693. The lower forth part went to the orphans, the next forth to Peter Field, and the upper half to John Peterson. The whole contained 416 acres.
Judith and Elizabeth Soane had no sisters. They had three brothers. They were Henry Soane, Jr., John Soane, and William Soane. John Soane who never married, in his will dated 16 December 1695 and recorded 1 August 1699, devised to several kinspeople. He gave “to brothers and sisters and their children, to each a ring.” He did not say sister but used the plural which indicates both were alive at the time the will was written.
This will of John Soane of James City County was filed in Henrico County Wills and Deeds book 1697-1704, page 145. It seems certain that it was not through Elizabeth Soane that John Peterson inherited any part of the land.
Although the above discussion does not prove Elizabeth Soane to be the wife of Col. Henry Duke, Esq, it does make the relationship plausible and may eventually lead to a positive identification of the wife of Henry.
References
- “SETTLING THE DEBATE ON WHO ELIZABETH SOANE (IV) MARRIED:” Update: 11/7/22 < PDF >
- Smith, Claiborne T. “The Peterson Family” in Southside Virginian (Publication date 1990). Page 27 - 32 < Archive.Org >
view all
John Peterson, III's Timeline
| 1652 |
1652
|
Charles City, Charles, Virginia, USA
|
|
| 1673 |
1673
|
Charles City County, VA
|
|
| 1677 |
June 1, 1677
|
Virginia, Colonial America
|
|
| 1679 |
February 19, 1679
Age 27
|
Charles City Co, VA (that part of Charles City Co. that became Prince George Co. after 1702)
|