James
West (b. 26 Sep 1742; d. ca. 1780)
Compiled by Joy Ikelman, 2013.
Disclaimers apply.
James West is descended from John West
(d. 1744) of Stafford County, Virginia, and therefore is a part of Family Group
#5:
John West (d. 1744) m. Dorothy ________
James West (b. 26 Sep 1742; d. ca. 1780) m. Ann Lynn
(b. ca. late 1740s; d. ca. 1780)
Biography
The
Overwharton Parish Register Record. John
West’s Will of 1744 (Stafford County, Virginia, Will Book M, p. 411-412) [1] lists
his sons in this order: Edward, John, William, and James. The birth of James
was recorded in the Overwharton Parish Register two years earlier as: “West,
James. Son of John, born September 26, 1742.” [2]
How do we know that “West, James, Son of
John . . .” refers to John, the writer of the Will? Could this James West
actually be John Jr.’s son? Here is the answer. When the Will was written, no
heirs of his sons (including John Jr.) existed.
The legal wording of the Will states: “Heirs of their bodies Lawfully
begotten and for want of such Heirs.” All
four brothers are unmarried, and without heirs. Therefore, James was the son of
John Sr., the writer of the Will. James was two years old when his father died.
His mother, Dorothy West, married again,
to Lawrence Suddeth, 18 Apr 1745. They had two known children. Elizabeth
Suddeth, born 3 Nov 1745, and Grace Suddeth, born 23 Sep 1749. [3] The combined
West and Suddeth families was what we would call today a “blended family.” Because
of James’ age, we can guess that he barely remembered his biological father. He
was raised by Dorothy and Lawrence Suddeth.
He
Marries Anne Lynn. James West married
Anne Lynn of Prince William County after 1764 (after he was 22), but likely before
1771 (estimated year of their first child). Anne Lynn was the daughter of John
and Isabell Lynn. She was not yet married in 1764. This is mentioned in the
Will of Robert Fristoe, son of Richard Fristoe, in 1764. Fristoe’s Will reads
in part:
“I give to Ann Lynn the Daughter of John Lynn &
Isabell his wife, 10 pounds & in case she should die before she is married
or arrives to the age of 18, then it is my desire that it shall go to her
Brother Frank Lynn and in case he shall die before he arrives to age of 21, then
go to the next Lawful heir.” [4]
The Will of Robert Fristoe suggests that
in 1764, Ann is not yet 18 years old, and unmarried. So, as an example, if Ann
is as old as 17 or as young as 13 in 1764, her birth year would be circa 1746
to 1751. Thus, I have placed her birth date as circa late 1740s. (As an aside,
the Fristoe Family interacted with the West Family over the years in Stafford
County.)
Ann Lynn’s siblings were John Lynn,
Lewis Lynn, Francis Lynn, Fielding Lynn, Thompson Lynn, and Sukey Lynn (m._____
Thomas). This is the order they were mentioned in father John Lynn’s will of
1794. (5)
Children
of James and Ann West. In legal
documents, the children are mentioned in this order:
1. Ann “Nancy” West (b. ca. 1771?) married William
Davis
2. Catherine “Katy” West (b. ca. 1773?), married
William Jackson
3. Lynn West (b. 1775; d. 26 Jan 1836). Moved to
Georgetown, Kentucky in 1784, age 9, with his Uncle Edward West. [6] Married
Susan (or Susannah) Jackson 26 Jan 1797 in Prince William County. [7]
4. Jane West (b. ca. 1777?) was mentioned in the Will
of John Lynn in 1794. In documents dated 1797, was still not married. She may
have married later.
James
and Ann West Acquire Land. John West willed
“two hundred Acres of land lying in Prince William County bought of William
Cockrill” to his four sons. (See John
West (d. ca. 1744) on this Blog.) We
do not know if James received this land, a portion of this land, or received a
portion of its resale. We know, however, that James West acquired land in
Prince William County.
A document of 6 July 1779 “mentions an
indenture between James and Ann West and Henry Peyton as having land adjoining
the John Lynne property.”[8] It appears from the deed that Mr. Peyton bought
this property from James West. Peyton’s Will includes:
“. . . tract of land bought of James West and all
remaining part of land I purchased of Bristoes [Fristoes?] tract, stocks, etc
during natural life and after her [his wife Margaret Peyton] death to be equally
divided between my children: Mary, John, Frances, Betty, and grand child Robert
Peyton.” [9] [10]
James and Ann West had more land. It was
passed down to his son Lynn West who sold it in 1796, sixteen years after his
father’s death. The full description of the land is described elsewhere. (See Lynn West (b. 1775; d. 26 Jan 1836) on
this Blog.) The abstract of this transaction reads:
1 December 1796 – Indenture in which Lynn West, of the
County of Scott, State of Kentucky sells to Enoch Renoe, of the County of
Prince William, State of Virginia for 120 pds. Current money, a tract of land
in Prince William County which descended to the said Lynn West from his father,
James West, containing 102 and three-fourths acre, adjoining land of Francis Reno, Isaac Farrow,
William Pearson, etc., excepting 2 and one-fourth acres sold by Lewis Renoe
when said land was in his possession, to William Ashmore for a mill seat, etc.
Recorded December 1796. [11]
The
Death of James and Ann West. Sometime
before 3 July 1780, James West died.[12] He died intestate (without a Will). Because
Ann Lynn West was not mentioned after this, she may have died at the same time,
or before him. This is not known for certain. John Lynn, Ann’s father, became
the Administrator of James West’s estate, and raised the four very young
children along with the children of his own that were still living at home.
By 1794, when John Lynn died, Catherine
West was married to William Jackson, Ann West was married to William Davis, and
Lynn West was living in Georgetown, Kentucky, supported by his Uncle Edward
West. Lynn West was not yet married.
Only Jane West remained at John Lynn’s residence. In John Lynn’s Will,
he divided his land and possessions among his adult children. He also left
“five pounds to my Grand Daughter Jane West to buy her a Suit of Clothes.”[13]
After John Lynn died, the administration
of any of James West’s estate was possibly assumed by Peter Grant of Fauquier
County. (The name of Peter Grant appears in at least one other FG#5
West-related document, for Ignatius West.) In litigation (chancery) in 1795,
William and Ann Davis, William and Catherine Jackson, Lynn West and Jane West
brought suit against the administrator of John Lynn’s Will, believing they were
wronged in the distribution of the estate of James West. [14]
A deposition by Francis Lynn, son of
John Lynn, stated in response:
“He [father John Lynn] had charge of the 4 children
viz Nancy West, Katy West, Lynn West & Jane West at a very early period of
their infancy; the oldest of Children not exceeding 10 years of age, at the
time of his administering on West’s Estate. These Girls remained with my
father, until they became women & were supported by him. The son also
continued with him until he was of age to be bonded out to Daniel Davies to
learn the blacksmith trade.”[15]
The document also gives us an idea of the
extent of James West’s wealth. The adult children state:
“. . . [We] are informed that he [James West] was
clear of debt and possessed of a personal estate of considerable value, that a
certain John Lynn obtained letters of administration on the said James West’s
estate from the County Court of Prince William . . . [and] further state that
the said John Lynn never underwent any inventory of appraisement of said
estate. And they have been advised that . . . an amount of sales of a part of
the said estate having appropriated the . . .” [illegible . . .]
The suit also demands the whereabouts of
some of West’s personal items such as furniture, cow and calf, pewter, clothing,
and a man’s saddle, that “was by the said Lynn [West] carried home [by John
Lynn] and converted to his own use.” Francis Lynn explained that he knew of the
fate of some items, but “I do not know that any other property belonging to the
Estate of James West then that which before have mentioned ever came into my
Father’s hands.”
There is no available document that
mentions the resolution of this effort. However, we do know that Lynn West
received the land of James West and sold it in 1796. And then, before he went
back to Kentucky, Lynn married Susan Jackson, perhaps a sister to William
Jackson, who married his sister Catherine West.
References
1. See John West (d. ca. 1744) on this Blog for a transcription of the
Will of John West.
2. Boogher, Wm. F., 1899: Virginia; Overwharton Parish Register, 1720
to 1760; Old Stafford County. Saxton Publishing Co., Washington, D.C., p.
179. http://archive.org/details/virginiaoverwhar00will)
3. Ibid, p. 160, 162, and 181.
4. Will of Robert Fristoe. Stafford
County Will Book “O”, 15 Sep 1764. This was recorded in full on Timeline.Lynn in Prince William, Virginia.
I am very grateful for the work of “Janiejac” in compiling this information on
the Linn family through proven documents. The Timeline may be found at
http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Timeline.Lynn_in_Prince_William,_Virginia
5. 18 Aug 1794, Fauquier County, Will
Book 2, p. 345. Will of John Lynn. Abstract found at Timeline.Lynn in Prince William, Virginia, linked above. The full
Will was retrieved for me by Ron Roy, West Family researcher.
6. Gano, S.F., “History of Georgetown,” in B.O. Gaines, History of Scott County, Vol. 2, p. 236. Available through Kentucky
Digital Library, http://kdl.kyvl.org/.
7. Clift, Garrett Glenn, 1961: Remember the Raisin! Kentucky and
Kentuckians in the Battles and Massacre at Frenchtown, Michigan Territory, in
the War of 1812. Genealogical Publishing Company, p. 164.
8. Document dated 6 July 1779. Prince William Deed Book U, p. 33-34.
The abstract is mentioned in the John
Lynn Timeline. See reference #4, above. I was unable to find this document.
9. Prince
William County, Virginia, Will Book G, p. 119-122. Abstract found at “Henry
Peyton,” 1658-1758 Charles County MD
Famlies “The first 100 years.” Compiled by Mike Marshall. Found at: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mrmarsha&id=I32622
10. Henry Peyton was a brother to Craven
Peyton, who married Ann West, daughter of William West (b. ca. 1709 in Stafford
County; d. 1769 in Loudoun County). It is unknown at this time if William West
was related (by DNA) to John West, father of James West. An extended note about
the possible relationship is in Reference #4 at William Edward West (b. 10 Dec 1788; d. 2 Nov 1857) on this Blog.
11. Hamlin, Charles Hughes, 1975: Virginia Ancestors and Adventurers.
Genealogical Publishing Company, p. 15. Abstract, Prince William Co., VA Deed Book Z, page 45.
12. The first deed that mentions “James
West, dec.,” is from 3 Jul 1780. (from Timeline.Lynn
in Prince William, Virginia, linked above). Prince William County, VA Bond
Book, August 1753-1782, p. 7 (abstracts compiled by June Whitehurst Johnson).
The other names mentioned are John Lynn, Admin, Wm. Gains and Wiliam Lynn. I have not been able to find the complete abstract
or the deed.
13. Will of John Lynn, 18 Aug 1794.
14. Fauquier Minute Book 13-230, circa
13 November 1795, Fauquier County, Virginia. Portions retrieved for me by Ron
Roy, West Family researcher.
15. Deposition of Francis Lynn in
Fauquier Minute Book 13-230, circa 13 November 1795 .
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