John James (1709 - 1778)

Born 16 Mar 1709 in St. Paul's Parish, Elk Run, Stafford City, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Ann (Sebastain) James — married 29 Dec 1737 in Saint Pauls Parish, King George, Virginia

Descendants

Died 2 Jan 1778 at age 68 in Elk Run, Fauquier, Virginia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jerry Barksdale [send private message], Lawrence Cunningham [send private message], Angelique Chamberlain [send private message], and Paul James [send private message]

Biography

Native Virginian

John James is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 223994
Rank: Patriotic Service

John James, the son of Thomas James and Sarah Mason was born 16 March 1709 in Fauquier, Virginia. He died after 6 November 1777 (when he wrote his will) in Fauquier, Virginia, United States and is buried in the now abandoned James Family Cemetery in Midland, Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. ^[1]

John James married twice. First to Anne Sebastian on 29 Dec 1737 in Saint Pauls Parish, King George, Virginia. ^[2]

Anne Sebastian passed away about 1854 ^[3] and John James later married Dinah Allen (marriage date unknow).

In his will dated 6 November 1777 John James named his wife Dinah, 10 children and 2 grandchildren. His will was proven 25 May 1778 in Fauquier County Court, Virginia, United States. ^[4]

Son, Thomas James

Son Benjamin James

Son, John James

Daughter,Sarah Hitt

Daughter, Ann Tullos

Daughter, Hannah Humes

Daughter, Elizabeth Bradford

Daughter, Mary Conway

Daughter, Dinah Thompson

Daughter, Susannah James

Granddaughter, Hannah Finney

Grandson, Benjamin James

Wife, Dinah James

Named Executrix & Executors: Wife, Dinah James, & sons Thomas James, Benjamin James & John James.

John James died on 2 Jan 1778 (aged 68) in Elk Run, Fauquier County, Virginia, USA. BURIAL James Family Cemetery Midland, Fauquier County, Virginia

Will

The Last Will & Testament of John James, Fauquier County, Virginia.

In the name of God, Amen. I John James of the parish of Hamilton and County of Fauquier, being sick and weak in body, but of sound & perfect mind and memory, thanks be to God for the same, do make this my last will & testament and in manner and form following:

I bequeath my precious & immortal Soul to Almighty God, who gave it, in full hope of pardon and remission of all my sins and transgressions, through the merits and mediation of my blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ; My body to be decently buried at the descretion of my Executors hereafter named, and as to such worldly estate wherewith God has blessed me, I dispose of the same as follows.

Imprimis. I give and bequeath unto my Son, Thomas James, all that piece of land lying on the Easternmost side of the Spring branch, which land came by his mother; and as there is a small quantity of acres of the land which came by her on the other side of the said Spring branch, I give to my said Son Thomas, in lieu thereof, as much of my other lands, adjoining the land already bequeathed (which land I purchased of Griffin) as will make with that which came by his mother a tract of five hundred acres in the whole and binding on Capt. Gibson, Capt. Kenners and Rodham Tullos land, to him and his heirs forever, but my will is that my said son Thomas shall not possess the said bequest till after the decease of his Mother.

Item, I give and bequeath to my Son Benjamin James, after his Mother's decease, the plantation whereon I now live and as much land adjoining or will make a tract of five hundred acres, bounded as follows, beginning at the Corner of John Kerr's, Jr., my Land, thence up the Spring branch to the Spring, thence from a marked white oak South Six degrees East to the Waggon road-which leads from the Church to Brerston Jones's, The said five hundred acres to lye on both sides of the said road and joining the lands of John Crump, Col. Wm. Eustace & George Crump, also one Negro boy named Tom which he already has in his possession, one feather bed and furniture, one Cow and Calf and two Ewes and Lambs, but in case my said son Benjamin should die without lawfull issue, the lands hereby bequeathed to go & belong to my son John James & his heirs forever.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my son John James all my land lying on the Southwestern side of the Waggon road and Tullos's path, containing by Estimation five hundred acres, be the same more or less. Also one negro boy named Moses, one feather bed and furniture, one Cow & Calf, and two Ewes & lambs to him & his heirs, but my will and desire is, that if my said son John should die without lawfull issue, the lands hereby bequeathed shall be equally divided between my son Thomas James & my daughters Sarah Hitt, Ann Tullos, Hannah Humes, Elizabeth Bradford, Mary Conway, Dinah Thompson, & Susannah James & their heirs forever.

Item, I give to my Daughter Susannah James a Horse bridle & Saddle & one feather bed & furniture, one Cow & Calf & two Ewes & Lambs to her and her heirs forever.

Item, I give to my Grand-Daughter Hannah Finney a Bed & furniture & a Cow & Calf & a Horse to her & her heirs forever.

Item, I give tp my Grand-Son Benjamin James a Horse bridle & Saddle, one bed & furniture & one Cow & Calf, to him and his heirs forever.

Item, I bequeath to my loving & dear wife, Dinah James, all the residue of my Estate, both real & personal during her life and after her decease all the Lands not already bequeathed to my children I leave to be equally divided among my daughters Sarah Hitt, Ann Tullos, Hannah Humes, Eliza. A. Bradford, Mary Conway, Dinah Thompson & Susannah James & their heirs forever, and such other real or personal estate as she shall leave at her decease to be equally divided among all my children Sons and Daughters & their heirs forever, but my will and intent is that the Negro boy named Tom now in possession of my Son Benjamin James shall bar him so much of his proportion in his division to be made at his mother's decease as the said Negro Tom shall be valued at.

Item, my Will is, that such of my slaves as I have heretofore lent to my Children & their increase, after the decease of my Wife shall be returned and divided with the rest of my Estate among all my children; and if any of my Children should die before such division takes place, and leave lawfull issue that the issue be entitled to the same share the parent would have had.

Lastly, I hereby Constitute and appoint my dear & Loving Wife, Dinah James, & my sons Thomas James, Benjamin James & John James Executrix & Executors of this my Last will & Testament, hereby revoking all former Wills by me made, & Declaring this to be my Last Will & Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this sixth day of November 1777.

Signed, Sealed & declared to John James (His Seal) Be his last will, before us.
Wm. Grant,
John Kerr
Marmaduke Brown

At a Court held for Fauquier County the 25th day of May 1778. This will was proved by the Oaths of William Grant, Marmaduke Brown, and John Kerr witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of Dinah James and Thomas James, the Executrix & one of the Executors therein named, who made oath and executed and acknowledged bond as the law directs Certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate thereof in due form.

Jesse G. Brooks. ^[5]

Research Notes

There is another record of John James marriage to Anne Sebastian recorded on 29 Sep 1737 in King George County, Virginia, which may be his intent to marry. ^[6]

The inscription on John James Gravestone in Fauquier Co. on Elk Run in the abandoned James Cemetery reads:

To the Memory of
John James who
was born march
the 16, 1709 and
Departed this life
January the 2, 1778
age 68 Years

Cemetery is about 1/2 mile south of rt 806 and 1/4 to 1/2 mile east of rt 610. Shows John b 3-16-1709 and d 1-2-1778. The Fauquier Democrat's staff writer, Cathy Dyson, wrote an article which appeared in The Fauquier Democrat on Thursday, February 16, 1984, relating details of the theft of this historic tombstone. (Find A Grave Bio)

Information on John James and Dinah Allen James birth and death was taken from a tombstone in an abandoned James family cemetery located in Fauquier County on Elk Run in a woods about a half-mile south of Route 806 and a quarter to half mile east of Route 610, near Bealton, Fauquier County, Virginia. The tombstone was stolen and has never been recovered.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117827399/john-james
2. ↑ "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940", , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XR29-NXR : 6 January 2021), Anne Sebastian in entry for John James, 1737.
3. ↑ Source: Find A Grave
4. ↑ Will Book 1, page 332 - 334, Clerk's office of the Circuit Court, Warrenton, Fauquier, Virginia.
5. ↑ Will Books, 1759-1912, 1966-1967; Index, 1759-1924; Author: Virginia. County Court (Fauquier County); Probate Place: Fauquier, Virginia. Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2021.Original data: Virginia County, District, and Probate Courts.
6. ↑ Dodd, Jordan. Virginia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1660-1800. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc. 1997

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed May 23, 2020), "Record of John James", Ancestor # A061587.
• Captain John James STRAY LEAVES, A JAMES FAMILY IN AMERICA SINCE 1650. Copyright (c) All Rights Reserved, Eric James 1997-2004. Accessed f 16 Apr 2023.

See also: John James Family Search Profile: ::https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/K4N6-2BD