William Grinstead (abt. 1632 - abt. 1662)

Born about 1632 in England

Husband of Elizabeth (Key) Grinstead — married after 21 Jul 1656 in Northumberland, VA

Descendants

Died about 1662 at about age 30 in Northumberland, Virginia

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Biography

Biographical Sketch^[1]

In 1655, William Greensted [Grinsted, Grinstead] was the attorney for Elizabeth Key (or Kaye), daughter of a white father and enslaved woman, when she sued for her freedom and that of her son, John. Her father was Thomas Key.

At that time, a child born of a free father was also free. Before his death in 1636, Thomas indentured the six year old Elizabeth to Humphrey Higginson until she was 15 years old. Higginson returned to England and sold her indentureship to Col. John Mottram of Northumberland County. Col. John Mottram died in 1655 and the heirs of his estate did not honor the contract of indentureship.^[2]

The case was referred to the Virginia General Assembly. They directed that the lower courts should rule that she and her son should be freed.

Greensted was not only Elizabeth's attorney. Before the case, they had a relationship and he was the father of John Kay. Elizabeth and William were married in July 1656 after William's indenture was completed.

The following items are from DEED AND WILL ABSTRACTS OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA (Ruth & Sam Sparacio, The Antient Press, 1993). Six volumes cover 1650-55, 1655-58, 1658-62, 1662-66, 1666-70 and 1670-72, 1706-11. The original entries are in the Northumberland County, Virginia Record Books for the same time periods. The page numbers refers to the original books. The items are presented in chronological order.

1 ***** pg 44
February 12, 1653 -- "Signed & dd. in ye prsts. of the marke of Wm. Greensted"

2 ***** pg 53
William Grinsted aged 22 yeares or thereabouts sworne & examined sayth that hee this Depont. had the oportunity to lay his hand upon the thigh of Alice Atkinson her ( ) being betweene and farther sayth not
Wm. Grinstead, his marke
20th August 1655 Jurat in Cur

There are 2 other depositions relative to Alice Atkinson. In one of them the deponent "saith that generall report of Alice Atkinson that hee ever heard was shee was an whore . . ."

3 ***** pg 73
March 30, 1655 -- Wm. Grinstead appears to be acting as an agent for Col. Mottrom.

4 ***** pg 62
September 29, 1655 -- "To Wm. Grinsted for one wolfe - 0100"

5 ***** pg 60
November 20, 1655 -- Richard Rice sells to John Pearcy and Wm. Grinsted a tract of land. Wm. Pearcy is a witness.

6 ***** pg 85
These are to Certifie whome it may concerne that Willm Greensted and Elizabeth Key intends to be joyned together in the Holy Estate of Matrimony if anyone can shew any Lawfull cause why they may not be joyned together lett them speake or ever after hold their tongues. Signum Wm Greested Signum Elizabeth Key 21 July 1656 this Certificate was Published in open Court and is Recorded.

7 ***** pg 94
November 1, 1656 -- Wm. Greensted paid for 3 wolf heads

8 ***** pg 109
May 24, 1657 -- To secure the payment of 2900 pounds of good tobacco to Francis Clay on or before November 10 of the current year Wm. Greensted and Jno. Parse "mark over & engage two cowes with their claves nowe falne being Bull claves, five sowes, two barrowes, a boare, 3 shoats & two gunns". Signed by Wm. Greensteed and John Parse and witnessed by John Trussell & Hugh Lee.

9 ***** pg 97
22th 7br, 1657 -- Wm. Grinsted mentioned

10 ***** pg 133
September 24, 1657 -- "To Wm. Greensted for a wolfe - 0100"

11 ***** pg 28
p 28 I Capt. Richard Wright, Administrator of ye Estate of Coll: Jno: Mottrom deced., doe assigne & transferr unto Wm: Greenstead a Maid Servant formerly belonging unto the Estate of the sd. Coll. Mottrom, commonly called Elizabeth Key, being nowe Wife unto the sd. Greensteed and doe warrant the sd. Elizabeth & doe binde my selfe to secure her & the sd. Greenstead from any molestacon or trouble that shall or may futurely arise from or by any p:son or p:sons that shall pr:tend or claime any title or interest to any manner of service whatsoever from the said Elizabeth; Witnes my hand this 21th of July 1659
Teste William Tho( ) Richd. Wright
James Awston
21th July 1659 This Writeing was acknowledged in Court by the sd. Capt. Richd: Wright unto the sd. Wm. Greensted & is recorded

12 ***** pg 39
p 39 KNOWE ALL MEN by these pr:sents that Wm: Greensted of Chicacoan in the County of Northumberland and Collony of Virginia doe give for his marke of Cattle and hoggs (vizt,) a ( )yle on ye right eare, the left eare cropt and a hole in the ( )
19th June 1660. This marke was recorded

13 ***** pg 44
p 44 KNOWE ALL MEN by these pr:sents that wee John Peirce, Hannah Lee and William Greensted of County of Northumberland for the love and affecon we have and beare unto the two Children of William Greensted John & William, wee doe by these pr:sents ( ) John & William each of them a Cowe Calfe ( ) John Greensted about two moneths old by the name of Cherry, the marke a hole & a swallow forke crop & hole & a peice taken of ( ) the Calfe belonging to William Greensted ( ) knowne by the name of Caole and the ( ) the former red Calfe; To have & to hold the said Cowe calves & their future increase for ever: Hannah Lee, William Greensted & John Peirce doe by these pr:sents give to the above named John & Wm: Greensted one black heyfer with a white spot or two in the flanke two yeares old & upwards, the marke a crop in the left eare with two slitts in it, and a slitt in the right eare and a small peice cut of on the top of it; To have & to hold the sd. heyfer & her future increase as their pper: goods for ever; onely the first cowe calfe wee doe give to Elizabeth the Daughter of William Greensted and the male cattle that shall come of the whole stock shall goe to the Father or Guardian of the sd. Children for his care of the Stock, And if eyther of the Boyes dye before they come to age the Survivor shall enjoy the whole Stock And if the boyes doe live till they come to age, then to be devided equally betweene them, And we the aforesd. John Peirce, Hannah Lee & William Greensted Junior doe bind us our heires Exrs. & Admrs. to defend the aforesd. Gift of two cowe calves & heyfer & their increase from the claimes of any p:son or p:sons whatsoever; In confirmacon wee have caused this Deed of Gift to be made this 16th day of June And have sett our hands & seales
Signed Sealed & Delivered in the pr:sence of us
Thomas Adams,
Michaell Vanlandigham

John Perse ye Seale
ye marke of Han: Lee ye Seale
Will: Greensted ye Seale

20th July 1660. This Deed of Gift was acknowledged in Court by the above menconed John Perse & Wm: Greensted & by Richard Flynt, Attorney of the abovesd. Hannah Lee, and the sd: Deed is recorded

Mr. Flynt, my respects pr:sented; I received of William Greensted a Cowe Calfe for bringing his Wife twice to Child bed. I have given the sd. Calfe to his Sonne, William, and I doe authorize you my loveing Freind to acknowledge it in Court; Yor loveing Freind
Teste John Perse, Hugh Lee
Hannah Lee her marke

20th July 1660 This Lre. of Attor: was recorded

14 ***** pg 62
On October 1, 1660 William Grinsted, aged 29 or thereabouts, gives a deposition concerning certain mares in the possession of Col. Mottrom which belong to the children of Mr. Richard Thompson. On the same date John Peirse gives a similar deposition and Elizabeth Key, aged about 28, gives a deposition about certain cows and calves belonging to the same children.

15 ***** pg 60
July 22, 1661 -- Wm. Greensted is one of the appraisers of an estate.

16 ***** pg 79
On July 21, 1662 "two gall: & 1/2 of Drame which is due from Wm: Grinsted" is mentioned in a will.

The following is from VIRGINIA COLONIAL ABSTRACTS, Vol 1 (Beverley Fleet, reprinted in 3 volumes in 1988, originally published in 34 volumes from 1937 to 1949):

17 ***** Northumberland Co. Record Book 14, pg 67
Two children born to William Grinsted and Eliz. Kaye prior to 20 Jan 1655/6.

COMMENTS:

The first two items indicate that in 1653 and in 1655 William Grinstead signed a document by making his mark. This is a bit strange since he was supposedly trained in the law when he arrived. Did he only learn to write in Virginia?

Item 2 suggests that William Grinstead was 22 in 1655 and item 14 suggests that he was 29 in 1660. Birth year 1632 is a compromise.

Items 5 and 8 suggest that William Grinstead and John Parse had a close working relationahip before William's death. Both of them gave a deposition in the case mentioned in item 14. The gift deed of item 13 indicates a close personal relationship between William Grinstead and John Parse.

It is difficult to interpret the deed; it is not a model of clarity. It appears that John Parse, William Grinstead, and Hannah Lee are giving two calves and a heifer to the 3 children of William Grinstead, namely, his two sons John and William and his daughter Eliza. Hannah Lee states that she earlier received a calf from William Grinstead as payment or in appreciation for her assistance in the birth of two of his children. She is now giving that calf to the son William. If John Parse and William Grinstead supply one animal apiece we have the 3 animals being given to the children. It appears that the two sons each get a calf and share the heifer, and that Eliza somehow shares one of the calves.

This deed is the only evidence we have that William and Elizabeth had a daughter as well as two sons. The fact that she is not mentioned in the 1667 will of John Parse suggests that she died in childhood.

Item 16 indicates that William Grinstead was alive as late as July 21, 1662, the last date on which his name appears in the record books. Since it appeared fairly regularly before, he probably died not long thereafter.

Although the court declared in 1656 that Elizabeth Key should be free, three years elapsed before Richard Wright, the administrator of Col. Mottrom's estate signed a document releasing her from servitude. She was "transferred" to William Grinstead.

Sources

1. ↑ Colonial Williamsburg, Slavery and Remembrance: A guide to sites, museums, and memory, website, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Elizabeth Key.
2. ↑ Elizabeth Key Grinstead, Wikipedia. 22 September 2018, amb

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Grinstead-89 created through the import of export_15_aug_2011.ged on Aug 15, 2011 by Taco Goulooze.