Peter Smith of Yeocomico

Peter was born on 27 Dec 1663 Westmoreland, Virginia. He married Mary Bayley [NOTE: is there evidence of her name somewhere? See source below which states that wife's name is not definitively known]. He died in 22 April 1741 in Yeocomico, Westmoreland, Virginia.

Children named in Will:

• Peter
• James
• Thomas
• William
• John
• Mary [Fleming]
• Abigail [Fleming]
• Hannah [Ware]
• Martha [McClanahan]
• Anne [Thomas]

Other sites sometimes also list a daughter named Sarah Smith.

See: Peter Smith of Westmoreland County, Virginia (died 1741) and some descendants, by Richard B. Abell and Wilmer Smith, (1996), p. 2: Abigail Smith and family link

http://petersmithwestmorelandva.blogspot.com/2011/10/peter-smith-of...

from Amanda Lynn Smith Larsen's blog, http://petersmithwestmorelandva.blogspot.com

from the book Peter Smith: Some of his Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky Descendants. By Pearl O. Smith 1973, Washington D.C.

Peter Smith of Westmoreland County, Virginia

Peter Smith of Westmoreland County, Virginia, received "1160 acres of land granted by the proprietors of the Northern Neck of Virginia by deed ...bearing the date of 30th day of June 1712..."[1] History still holds secret the place and year of Peter Smith's birth and the names of his parents. However, it is believed that he was born not later than 1663.

In a land transfer he is referred to as "Peter Smith of Yeocomico." Yeocomico Church, near Kinsale, Virginia (which town is situated on the Yeocomico River), is a landmark of the area. Not far away is Nomini River, and a Nomini Creek. The following record, found in Westmoreland County Deeds and Wills, Book No. 3, 1701-7, page 402, states that Peter Smith had a brother James:

"15 June 1684, James Smith of Westmoreland to my brother Peter Smith of Yeocomico, for valuable consideration—100 a. Nominy Forest bought of and adjacent to William Well. Witnessed; Rch. Bruckes, Rch. Belleman." Recorded May 1706.

“May 1706. Hannah Breel spouse to Henry Breel of Northumberland County, only daughter and child of the deceased James Smith of Westmoreland County, with the consent of Henry Breel, to Peter Smith. --Our interest in the land. Witnesses: John Davidson, Margrett Smith.”

The name Peter Smith appears often in the early records of Westmoreland County, witnessing wills, appraising estates, buying land. A second land transaction took place on February 21, 1691, when Peter Smith bought a "parsel of land containing about 60 acres lying on the branches of the Nominy conveyed by... (George Searles) to Peter Smith by indenture 21 February 1691 (1692).”

(Order Book 1690-98 (Part 2 1692-94).)

The name of Peter's wife has not been learned, but from his will we know he was the father of ten children: Peter, James, Thomas, William, John, Mary, Abigail, Hannah, Martha, and Anne.

His will was dated 10 January 1738; it was probated 28 April 1741; and was recorded 12 May 1741. The will, as recorded, is found here.

Peter Smith's will provides some information about his children: who the girls married, where the sons lived, who was deceased at the time he wrote his will. His wife was not mentioned in his will; evidently she was not living on January 10, 1738.

To his sons James, Thomas and William, Peter Smith of Westmoreland County gave each (in his will) 325 acres of land in Prince William County, Virginia. His will was made in the year 1738; it was probated and recorded in 1741. In 1742 Fairfax County was formed from part of Prince William and Loudoun Counties. The land Peter Smith had left these three sons was now in Fairfax County, in Truro Parish.

Slaughter, in his History of Turo Parish, explains that “...Space between the rivers was called 'Necks.' Among the most historic of these was the Northern Neck, which included all the land between the Potomac and the Rappahanock rivers from their head springs to the Chesapeake Bay. This was the princely plantation of Lord Fairfax. Within this territory were the seats of the Fairfaxes, Washingtons, Masons ...Smiths and other leading families too many to mention, who dispensed an elegant hospitality. ..."

From Slaughter's History we learn that among the “Voters at an election of Burgesses in Fairfax County in 1744" were James Smith, Thomas Smith and William Smith.

Many of the early records of Fairfax County, we are told, were destroyed during the Civil War, when soldiers occupied the Court House and used the records to start fires. Among the early records that do still exist are the wills of William, Thomas, and James Smith.

[1] Fairfax County (Virginia) Deed Book B, No. 1. Indenture dated 14 April 1747 between Thomas Smith of Truro Parish and Daniel Jennings

Will

Will of Peter Smith of Westmoreland County

Westmoreland County (Virginia). Deeds and Wills No. 9, 1738-1744

In the name of God, Amen. The tenth day of January 1738, I Peter Smith of the County of Westmoreland in Virginia being in health and of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God therefor calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and Testament that is to say Principally and first of all I give and Recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and my body I Recommend to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian Buryal at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty Power of God and as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.

Imprimise. I give and bequeath to my Daughter Mary Fleming forty Eight acres of Land where she now lives according to the courses of a Survey that Barber made Beginning at a corner tree of Whetstons land to her and her heirs for Ever.

Item. I give to my son Peter Smith the Remaining Part of all the land that I possess in Westmoreland County to him and his heirs for Ever.

Item. I give to my son James Smith three hundred and twenty five acres of Land in Prince William County lying and being on Bull Run where he now Lives to him and his heirs for Ever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son Thomas Smith three hundred and twenty five acres in the aforesaid County where he now lives to him and his heirs for Ever.

Item. I give to my son William Smith three hundred and twenty five acres in the aforesaid County to his liking out of the Remaining Part of the same tract of Land to him and his heirs for Ever.

Item. I give to my Daughter Abigail Fleming and my Grand Daughter Anne Bailey the Remaining part of that tract of Land in Prince William County aforesaid my daughter Abigail having the first choice, to them and their heirs for Ever. AND as for what moveable Estate it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I give and bequeath as Followeth.

Item. I give and bequeath to the heirs of my son John Smith one shilling Sterling money.

Item. I give to my son James Smith one shilling Sterling money.

Item. I give to my son Thomas Smith one shilling Sterling money.

Item. I give to my son William Smith one shilling Sterling money.

Item. I give to the heirs of my Daughter Anne Thomas one shilling Sterling money.

Item. I give to my daughter Mary Fleming one shilling Sterling money.

Item. I give to my Daughter Hannah Ware one shilling Sterling money.

Item. I give to my Daughter Martha McClanahan a feather bed at the discretion of my Executor hereafter named.

Item. I give to my Daughter Abigail Fleming one shilling Sterling money.

Item. And the rest of my moveable Estate not already bequeathed I give and bequeath to my son Peter Smith whom I likewise Constitute make and ordain my whole and sole Executor of this my last will and Testament. And I do hereby utterly Disallow Revoke and disannull any and every other former Testament Wills Legacies and Bequests and Executors by me in any way before named willed and bequeathed Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and Testament. In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

Peter Smith (Seal)

Signed Sealed Published and Pronounced and declared by the said PeterSmith as his last will and Testament in the presence of us. Witnesses. James Walker, Stephen Bailey, Jr., Hugh Thomas.

Westmoreland SS At a Court held for the said County the 28th day of April 1741. This last will and Testament of Peter Smith deceased. Being presented into Court by Peter Smith his son and executor who made oath thereto and being proved by the oath of all the Witnesses thereto is admitted to Record and upon the motion of the said Executor and his performing what is usual in such cases Certificate is granted for him obtaining a Probate thereof in due form. Recorded the twelfth Day of May 1741.

Teste.

George Tuberville C. C.

The Children of Peter of Yeocomico
While the name of Peter’s wife is not mentioned, we know he was the father of ten children: 1) Peter, Jr. married Sarah Baker, 2) Ann married Hugh Thomas, 3) William married Letitia Hancock, 4) John may have married a Mary Adkins, 5) Mary Elizabeth married John Fleming, 6) Hannah married George Lamkin III and a John Ware, 7) Our ancestor, James (1708-1749), married Elizabeth Presley Taylor (1700-1771), 8) Thomas married Elizabeth Fleming, 9)Martha married William McClanahan, and 10) Abigail married William Fleming. http://smithtree.info/home.php/smithroots/