William Walthall, "the Immigrant"

7a. William Walthall, (Richard, Anthony, Roger, Roger, Thomas, Thomas) the first of the family in America, was the son of Richard and Elizabeth Fletcher was born in London 1608. In 1629 William is listed in the Mercers Company of London records as “sonne of Richard, by patrimony”. His cousins, Luke (son of his uncle William) and John (son of his uncle Thomas) are 21 years of age when listed in the same record.

Date of birth has also been erroneously reported to be 1615.

He settled in Henrico County, Virginia, sometime before January 15, 1656. Because of the destruction of the records of that county by the British in 1783, little documentary data concerning him directly is available.

About 1656 he married Anne, who by popular belief was the daughter of George Archer. She married secondly the Reverend Richard Morris and moved to Isle of Wright Co, Virginia.

ISSUE:

1. 8a. William, b. 1657, according to deposition dated 1 Jul 1692, in which he stated his age as 35. It is apparent that he died unmarried and his will on 22 Aug 1715 (recorded 3 Oct 1715), bequeathed part of his land to each of the four sons of his brother Richard and the remaining land and balance of the estate to his brother Henry, whom he appointed as his executor.
2.  8b. Richard
3. 8c. Henry
4. 8d. Elizabeth, b. about 1669: m. 1 Oct 1689, Hugh Ligon, Son of COL Thomas and Mary Harris Ligon of Henrico County.

William was a Justice for Henrico County "at a Court holde at Fort Henry, 15 Jan 1656. Present: COL Abraham Wood (Grandfather of Ann Archer), Mr William Baugh, Mr William Walthall, Mr George Worshan".

William Walthall's ancestors were members of the Mercers Company in London who held stock in the Virginia Company and descended from Thomas Walthall bc 1450 Nantwich, Cheshire, and Margaret d/o Sir William Stanley of Hooten. (Malcolm Elmore Walthall, The Walthall Family: A Genealogical History of the Descendants of William Walthall of Virginia, 1952, rev. 1963, p 7)

Port Walthall was located on the north bank of the Appomattox River in Chesterfield County, Virginia, a few miles upriver from its confluence with the James River at City Point.

In 1645, 2 brothers came to Virginia, John and William settled in Henrico County at a place called Port Walthall, after the family. The Walthalls came from Chester, Chestershire, in England. They gave the name Chesterfield to the county. William, came to Virginia and became a ship owner and a large landholder, (The Virginia Magazine, Book 28, p. 34). • In 1657 Captain Walthall was awarded 1,600 acres in Chesterfield County, a part of which was to compensate him for transporting seventeen persons from England to the Virginia Colony. Prior to this he is referred to as a Justice. On the large acreage he acquired in 1657, between Ashen Creek and Randolph River, (the Colonial name for Swift Creek) he erected in 1670 the lovely plantation home, Valley Farm,' which was a landmark in the lower part of the County for about two hundred and fifty years. A fine picture of it is found in Plantations around Petersburg.' (Wyatt, page 17). •Note: For many years Captain Walthall and his sons and grandsons maintained a profitable landing post on the Appomattox River known as Port Walthall,' and they owned or leased a fleet of ocean going merchant ships that plied regularly between Virginia and South America. Port Walthall continued to be a valuable commercial asset in Virginia during the Nineteenth Century, as shown by the fact that the Richmond and Petersburg Railway Company ran a spur track from the main line down to the Port in 1844, and the railway junction was called Port Walthall Station' long after the spur track was abandoned. The County converted this former spur track bed into a public highway.

Port Walthall was part of 1600 acres patented by William Walthall, Merchant, 26 July 1656, land "Lying and being in the county of Henrico, on the north side of Appomatuck River." (Patent Book 4, p 178)

!Biographical sketch: William was the first of the name in America. He was probably born in London and was settled in Henrico County, VA. sometime before 15 Jan 1656. Because of the destruction of the records of that county b y the British in 1783, little documentary data concerning him directly is available.

About 1656 he married Anne____, who by popular belief, was the daughter o f George Archer, and who secondly married the Reverand Richard Morris. He was a justice and a merchant in Henrico County, VA. It is probable that he was alive as late as 2 Aug 1669, when Raphael Throckmorton, of London, bequeathed t o "My dear wife's brother, Mr. William Walthall, now living in VA., 10 pounds ." The will also made a bequest to his wife's sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Clayton apparently of London also, and this seems to suggest that William Walthall had come from that city. He was dead 15 Mar 1672, as shown by a patent of t hat date, to John Stewart, for 600 acres "Beginning at a great branch of ye Ashen Swamp, where the orphans of William Walthall, their head line extendeth , etc." This was confirmed when Charles Featherstone was issued a patent dated 3 0 Sept 1672 and also referred to these orphans. No will has been found but the existence of one is evidenced by the following acknowledgement. "We, William Walthall, Richard Walthall, Henry Walthall, sons of Mr. William Walthall, deceased , and of full age, and Hugh Ligon, in right of Elizabeth, his wife, daughter of ye said deceased, do hereby acknowledge to have had and received of our mother, Anne Morris, widow, relict and executrix of ye said decease d, all and every of our full share and portion, due and accruing to us out of said decedant's estate. Witness our hands this 23rd Jan 1689/90. (Signed) William Walthall, Richard Walthall, Henry Walthall, Hugh Ligon.

•Birth: ABT 1614 in London, London, England, United Kingdom •Death: MAR 1672 in Virginia, United States

Father: Luke Walthall b: 1592 in St Helen's Bishopgate, London, England Mother: Mary Basse b: 25 JAN 1596 in London, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Marriage 1 Ann Archer b: ABT 1629 in Henrico, Virginia, United States•Married: 1656

Children

1.Has No Children William Walthall b: ABT 1657 in Henrico, Virginia, United States

2.Has Children Richard Walthall b: ABT 1660 in Henrico, Virginia, United States

3.Has Children Henry Walthall b: 11 DEC 1662 in Henrico, Virginia, United States

4.Has No Children Elizabeth Walthall b: ABT 1669 in Henrico, Virginia, United States

Date of death might be March 15, 1671 or March 15, 1672.

No will has been found, but the existence of one is evidenced by the following:

"We, William Walthall, Richard Walthall, Henry Walthall, sons of William Walthall, deceased, and of full age and Hugh Ligon, in right of Elizabaeth, his wife, daughter of ye said deceased, do hereby acknowledge to have received of our mother, Anne Morris, widow, relicts and executrix of ye said deceased, all and every of our full share and portion, due and according to us out of said decedant's estate. Witness our hands this 23rd Jan 1689/90." (Signed) William Walthall, Richard Walthall, Henry Walthall, Hugh Ligon. Hugh Ligon acknowledged in open court 1 Oct 1690, that he felt he was not getting his fair share and objected to the arrangement proposed by Mrs. Morris on 20 Aug 1690, whereupon the Court appointed Mr Peter Field and Mr Richard Kennon to "sometime between this and the next court, meet at ye house of Mrs Anne Morris and by examination of ye acienest of the neighborhood, consider of and as near as may be compute ye value of ye said estate and proportion due each orphan, etc."

notes

1. The Armorial Bearings  Exemplified in  The Cheshire Visitations illustrated in colour by Martin S. J. Goldstraw. "Walthall of Nantwich and Wistaston"

sources

1. Walthall family origins in England Stanley Walthall, 2010

links

• FamilySearch AFN: WLSQ-QG
• http://home.triad.rr.com/wesleyhudson/gp2130.htm#head3