William Abney (1757 - 1845)

Born 12 Aug 1757 in Albemarle, Surry County, Virginia Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Mildred Amelia (Graves) Abney — married 19 Dec 1785 in Amherst County, Virginia

Husband of Judith (Graves) Abney — married about 29 Jul 1811 (to 31 Jan 1845) in Estill, Kentucky, United States

Descendants

Died 31 Jan 1845 at age 87 in Johnetta, Rockcastle County, Kentucky, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Eddie Pike [send private message], Sandra Scarborough [send private message], and Lorraine Keith [send private message]

Biography

William Abney is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A000257.

William Abney was a Virginia colonist.

Pvt William Abney served with Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

Name

Name: William Abney

Birth

Date: 12 Aug 1757

Place: Albemarle, Surry, Virginia Colony

Death

DAR

Date: 31 Jan 1845

Place: Johnetta, Rockcastle, Kentucky, USA

Burial

Date:

Place: Mount Vernon, Rockcastle, Kentucky, USA

Cemetery: Johnetta Cemetery

FAG url: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46131184

Residence

Relation to Head of House:

Marital Status:

Occupation:

Read & Write:

DAR/SAR Patriot Registry

Patriot Number: A000257

Supporting Documents Included: Yes ^[1]

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Contributions from Eddie Pike [Pike-2301]

William was born on August 12, 1757. He married Amelia Graves on 19 December 1785 in Amherst County, Virginia, William Abney ... He passed away in 1845.

[Pike-2301] is a DOUBLE Abney through the brothers Wm. & John's children Berry & Elizabeth.

He is born in Albermarle Va. with his brother said born in Amherst Co. Their father was Dr. Abraham Abney & grandfather Dannett Abney born in England. (Leicester-shire).

Amelia Graves is Wm.'s 1st wife, then after her death Wm. married his wife's younger sister. This was her 2nd marriage also. Between both sisters he had at least 13 children proven. (Some sources state that she was born a Clark?)

During the Revolution, William served for three years in the Virginia Continental Line in Capt. James Purvis and Capt. John Roberts' companies in Col. Francis Taylor's regiment. William then signed up for two more years in Capt. LeBrum's company, of Col. Armand's Corps of horse and was at Yorktown in 1781. He received a pension after 1818 in Kentucky.

William married Amelia "Milly" GRAVES on 19 December 1785 in Amherst County, Virginia.

Pvt. William married Judith (Graves?) CLARK on 25 July 1811 in Estill County, Kentucky & died on 31 January 1845 in Johnetta, Rockcastle County, Kentucky. He was buried in Johnetta Cemetery and has 2 modern stones. One with Amelia's children & the other with Judith.

William is the gr, gr, gr, gr. grandfather of Pike-2301 (Confident)

The Amelia Graves works declares that Judith Graves Clark Abney, his 2nd wife, is not Amelia's sister, the 2nd wife. Judith Clark had previously married a Graves. More research needed on that supposition. Pike-2301 14:12, 6 December 2015 (EST)

Another William Abney, son of Paul Abney and Rhoda Norman, was a veteran of the War of 1812. His pension record contains documents in which William declares that he was a resident of Dickson County, Tennessee and later moved to Gallatin County, Illinois.

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Contributions from Lorraine Keith (Hall-19574)

William Abney’s first known record was his marriage bond is dated December 19, 1785, in Amherst County, Virginia. "Gean Greaves" gave permission for the marriage of the bride, Milly Graves. Securities and witnesses were Jno. Taliaferro, George Loving, Alexander Reid, Jr. and John Sutten.

William Abney appears on the land tax rolls of Amherst County beginning in 1786, the year following his marriage. His name last appears in 1794. According to the 1789 personal property tax list, John Abney, who probably reached the titheable age that year, lived with William Abney. John appears by himself from 1793 to 1804 or 1805. (The name, John Abney, may have been in the binding edge of the page the page for 1805, but it is illegible.) Elisha Abney also appears on the land tax rolls from 1783 to 1799.

William Abney, along with the other witnesses and securities, Wm. Loving Jr., J. H. Morrison, William Witt, Littlebury Witt, and James Bisbee, witnessed the marriage bond for Tandy Holman and Elizabeth Abney, dated September 12, 1786, at Amherst County, Virginia. Elizabeth's grandfather, Paul Abney, gave his consent. Paul Abney may have been William Abney's grandfather, or possibly, his father.

Many years later, a certain James Busby signed an affidavit attesting to William Abney's military service: "21 Nov. 1834. Bourbon Co., KY. James (X) Busby, aged 80 on 2 May next, declares William Abney entered the legion of horse as a private in Jan. 1782 and served with him under Capt. Leburt (a Frenchman) until 28 Nov. 1783 and was discharged at Little York, PA. [Was he the James Bisbee who witnessed Tandy Holman and Elizabeth Abney's marriage bond?]

William Witt became "special bail" for William Abney who allegedly owed the plaintiff, David Simpson, six pounds, ten shillings, and seven pence. "The judgment to be discharged with payment of three pounds, five shillings, three pence, and a halfpenny, half the amount claimed, together with court costs and interest from March 29, 1788, until paid. Stay of execution of this judgment until Christmas next." (Amherst County Court Order Book 1787-1790.)

On March 19, 1790, William Abney purchased from John Witt, Jr., 111 acres on a branch of Shorts Creek in Amherst County, Virginia. The land was bounded by the lands of James Woods, Elizabeth Tuleys, David Witt and Littlebury Witt. William Loving, clerk of court, witnessed the deed.

On September 15, 1794, William Abney sold to William Woods, 111 acres on waters of Shorts Creek in Amherst County, Virginia. His wife, Mildred Abney, also signed the deed. This land adjoined the land of Littlebury Witt, David Witt, and Elizabeth Tuleys. William Witt, Hudson Martin, and James Vyers witnessed the deed.

William Abney probably moved his family to Madison County, Kentucky about the time he sold his land in Virginia. He appears on the 1800 Tax list for Madison County, Kentucky. By 1810 he had moved to the adjoining Estill County where he married his second wife, Judith Clark, a widow who, it has been claimed, was his first wife's sister. Sometime before 1820, he moved to Rockcastle County where lived the remainder of his life.

His Virginia Revolutionary pension application includes a wealth of detail. A transcription follows:

ABNEY, William (Judith). W.1202. ^[2]

7 Sept. 1818, Montgomery Co. KY. William Abney, aged 61, of Rockcastle County, declares he was enlisted for three years in Albemarle County, Virginia, in 1776 or 1777 by Capt. John Roberts and served in the company of Roberts and James Purvis in the regiment of Col. Francis Taylor. He was discharged in 1780 or 1781 at Shepherdstown. Five days after this he enlisted again in the corps of horse of Col. Armand. This enlistment was for three years and took place at the barracks in Albemarle County. He served to the end of the war and was discharged at York, PA. He was in no battle except the taking of Cornwallis at Yorktown.

7 Sept. 1818. Montgomery Co., KY: James (X) Chasteen, aged about 57, declares he served four years and six months in the regiment of Col. Francis Taylor. Abney enlisted a short time before him and served about three years.

26 Sept. 1820. Rockcastle Co., KY: William Abney of said county, aged about 64, declares he served three years in the company of Capt. John Roberts. About six or seven days after his enlistment Roberts was promoted to major and James Pervis was promoted to captain in the regiment of Col. Francis Taylor. He obtained a discharge and enlisted a second time for three years in the horse company of Capt. LeBraun in the regiment of Col. Armand and was at the siege of York. He served two years and two months before discharge.^[3]

He owns one horse, six cattle, three sows and pigs, household furniture, farming [utensils], fowls.

He has been married twice and had by his first wife fifteen children of whom eleven are alive: Dicy, Betsey, Charles, William, Jane, Polly, David, Milly, Sally, Elisha, and Joshua. By his second wife, he had five children, of whom four are living: Amanda, America, Andrew Jackson, and Elijah. Dicy aged about 31, Betsy aged about 29, Charles about 26, William about 24, and Jane about 22, are all married and living apart from their father. Polly aged about 20, David about 17, and Milly about 15 are unmarried but living apart from their father. Sally aged about 13, Elisha about 11 (had smallpox from which he never recovered), Joshua about 9, Amanda about 8, America about 6, Andrew Jackson about 4, Elija about 2, are living with their father. His wife Judah is aged about 47.

21 Nov. 1834. Bourbon Co., KY. James (X) Busby, aged 80 on 2 May next, declares William Abney entered the legion of horse as a private in Jan. 1782 and served with him under Capt. Leburt (a Frenchman) until 28 Nov. 1783 and was discharged at Little York, PA.

10 Feb. 1853. Rockcastle Co., KY. Judith (X) Abney of said county, aged 79, declares she is the widow of William Abney who died 31 Jan. 1845.

28 Feb. 1853. Rockcastle Co., KY: Wallace Clark, aged 51, declares he knew William Abney for 32 years before his death.

He and his wife were married in Estill Co., KY, and William died in Rockcastle County 31 Jan. 1845. [Wallace Clark proves by other records to be William Abney's step-son.]

[As evidence of their marriage, their marriage bond was included.] 29 July 1811. Estill Co., KY: Marriage bond, William Abney to Judith Clark. Security, Zachariah King.

14 Feb. 1853. Rockcastle Co., KY. T. H. Carson writes from Irvine, KY, that Zachariah King, a very old man in the lower part of the county, may be the surety on the marriage bond.

William Abney of Rockcastle Co., KY, private in the regiment of Col. Taylor in the Virginia Line for three years, was placed on the Kentucky pension roll at $8 per month from 7 Sept. 1818 under the Act of 1818. Certificate 15390 was issued 25 Oct. 1819.

: Judith Abney, widow of William Abney, private in the Virginia Line, was placed on the Kentucky pension roll at $96 per annum under the Act of 1853. Certificate 1077 was issued 28 July 1853.

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Sources

1. ↑ Source: http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A000257
2. ↑ William Abney's Revolutionary War pension file. https://www.fold3.com/image/11961467
3. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/170118471/elizabeth-abney

• Abney's are mentioned in (Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, Volume 1, page 1). Another source Colonial Families, Volume II,

Pike-2301 14:12, 6 December 2015 (EST) * http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~opus/p1471.htm Pike-2301 22:19, 6 December 2015 (EST)

• Amherst Co Va. Birth Christen marriage, Rockcastle Co. Va. Death, cemetery records. Pike-2301 14:34, 29 January 2016 (EST)
• Find A Grave: Memorial #46131184 Pike-2301 14:34, 29 January 2016 (EST)