Thomas Prettyman Sr. (abt. 1685 - 1719)

Born about 1685 in Accomack County, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Comfort (Burton) Wolf — married about 1710 in Sussex Co., Delaware

Descendants

Died Jul 1719 at about age 34 in Lewes, Sussex, Delaware

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Chet Snow [send private message] and Jessica Hatfield [send private message]

Biography

Thomas Prettyman Sr. was the son of John Prettyman of Northampton County, Eastern Shore, Virginia. His mother was John's first wife: Mary (Unknown) Prettyman. He was born in about 1684-85 at his father's "Messongo" plantation in Accomack County, Virginia. In 1696, John Prettyman II moved his family north from Accomack, Virginia, to Indian River Hundred in Sussex County, Delaware (then still considered as one of the "3 lower counties" of Pennsylvania). He later purchased the "Tower Hill" plantation in the Lewes & Rehoboth Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware, and moved there. It was about 5 miles south-west of the town of Lewes, Delaware.

Thomas Prettyman married a woman named Comfort in around 1710. They were both in their early 20s. There is an ongoing genealogical debate as to whether she was the daughter of Perry Leatherbury and his wife Comfort Bagwell Leatherbury, and a step-daughter of Robert Burton, Esq., or that she was the natural daughter of Robert Burton by his first wife, Catherine Cotton.

Family genealogist, D. Mitchell Jones, whose website included "The Prettyman File," until it was taken offline in 2014, argued that Comfort and her two sisters were the natural daughters of Robert Burton, not his step-daughters or daughters in law. F. Edward Wright in his 2005 book, "Colonial Families of Delaware," Vol. 3 (2nd ed.), accepts D. Mitchell Jones' findings, calling her "Comfort Burton," without firmly establishing her mother's identity, although he concludes ... possibly Catherine Cotton. Earlier unpublished research by Prof. C.A. Bonine, a Prettyman descendant who lived in Sussex County, Delaware, from 1950-1969, led him to believe Comfort was most-likely Perry Leatherbury's daughter but possibly that of Robert Burton and Comfort Bagwell, widow of Perry Leatherbury.

No birth or marriage certificates have ever been found to prove or disprove Comfort's family name, which hinges, at least somewhat, on when Catherine Cotton and Perry Leatherbury died, allowing widow Comfort Bagwell to marry widower Robert Burton. The woman, Comfort who married Thomas Prettyman Sr. must have been born before 1693 to have reached 17 years old (age of legal consent for a woman at that time & place) in 1710. In fact, all of Perry & Comfort Leatherbury's sons were born by 1690, while the 3 daughters were born in 1692 or later, as evidenced by Comfort (Bagwell, Leatherbury) Burton's 1709 will (she died in April 1709).^[1]

According to D. Mitchell Jones: "There is one legal record with the name of Robert Burton's [first] wife and that is a 1692 deed in which she is "Catherin Burton". There is a Bible record at the Delaware Archives which states that Robert Burton first was married to a Catherine Cotton, Feb. 11, 1676..." ^[2]

Thomas and Comfort (Burton) Prettyman had three children:

1. Thomas Prettyman, Jr., b. ca. 1710, m. Elizabeth Enloe; died in 1790
2. Robert Prettyman, b. ca. 1714 - d. before age 21, no children
3. Elizabeth Prettyman, b. Nov. 1712; m. William Coulter; d. 1769 in PA

Thomas Prettyman and his family lived with his father at Tower Hill, Lewes & Rehoboth Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware, where he received a grant of 200 acres. He died between 17 May when his will was signed and 17 July 1719 when his will was proven. He probably died about July 1, 1719. ^[3]

17 May 1719: Prettyman, Thomas, Sr. Yeoman. Will (copy). Heirs: Wife, Comfort Prettyman; sons Thomas and Robert Prettyman; dau. Elizabeth Prettyman; bros. William, Robert and John Prettyman. Exec'rx, wife Comfort Prettyman. Wits., Hugh Verdin, Elizabeth Walker, Anderson Parker. ^[4]

WILL - 17 May 1719

Item I Give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Preteman [sic] my Two Hundred Acres of Land that I had of my brother William Pretteman Lying .. back Creek..

Item I Give and bequeath to my Son Robert Preteman and his heirs One Hundred twelve acres of land which I took up which lyeth __ Waples Line." "Item I Give to my Daughter Elizabeth Preteman one feather bed and bolster and..

Item I Give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Comfort Pretteman all the rest of my estate.^[5]

1 Mar 1736/7: Thomas Pritiman son of Thomas Prettiman and Comfort his wife one of the Daughters and one of the exectrx of Robt. Burton [appeared in] Court and acknowledged to have recd from Paul Waples who intermarried with one of the Daughters, late of Robt. Burton Senr., decd. Rec in full of a legaccy bequeathed to the aforesaid and by last will & testmant oft the afsd Robt. Burton, decd Thomas Prittiman.^[6]

17 Oct 1745: Will of her (Comfort Burton's) father Robert Burton: Item..The Third part be divided...half part given to my Daughter, Comfort Walker; half part to be equally divided between [the two children] she had by her former husband, Thomas Prettyman...

Thomas Prettyman, Sr. was born in 1687 (32) in Accomack County, Virginia Colony. He died July 17, 1719 (32) in Sussex County, Lower Counties on the Delaware.

Sources

1. ↑ Wills and Administrations, Accomack County Virginia: 1663-1800, p. 44. Wife - Comfort Bagwell; sons Perry, Edmund and Charles; dau[ghter]s: Comfort, Patience, Ann Leatherbury, all under 16 [i.e. born after 1692].
2. ↑ from "The Prettyman File."
3. ↑ The Prettyman Family, by Rev Prettyman, pg 44; from "The Prettyman File".
4. ↑ Probate: July 17, 1719. Arch. vol. A94, page 114. Reg. of Wills, Liber A, Folios 213-214. Listed page 27 Calendar of Sussex County, Delaware, Probate Records 1680-1800; compiled by Leon deValinger, Jr. Published by the Public Archives Commission State of Delaware, Dover,1964. And: "Colonial Families of Delaware," by F. Edward Wright, Vol. 3 (2nd ed.), 2005, p 154
5. ↑ Sussex Co., DE; Wills, Liber A1 folios 108-109, microfilm 0006619, FHL.
6. ↑ Sussex Co., DE Orphans Court Records, Page 97-1 Mar 1736/7, microfilm 0006688, FHL.

See also:

• Ham/m Family Tree - Thomas Prettyman.

• "Colonial Families of Delaware," by F. Edward Wright, Vol. 3 (2nd ed.), 2005.

• "The Prettyman File," on D. Mitchell Jones' website until 2014. Parts that were copied by Chet Snow are given on this and other Prettyman profiles on WikiTree. No complete set or his many footnotes has survived, alas. The "Prettyman Files" of D. Mitchell Jones are referred to in "Colonial Families of Delaware," by F. Edward Wright, Vol. 3 (2nd ed.), 2005. Update 12-8-2015: A way to access Mitch Jones' Prettyman Files has been found! Here is the new URL: D. Mitchell Jones' Prettyman Files

• The unpublished family genealogy notes of Prof. C.A. Bonine, a Prettyman descendant, compiled 1952-69. In the possession of his grandson, Chet Snow as of 2014.

• Carman and Whaley of Long Island... Tree - Thomas Prettyman. Contains some errors.

• Thomas Prettyman Sr. on Geni.com

• The Prettyman Families of 1600s Virginia

• The Prettyman FAMILY OF DELMARVA

• John Prettiman 1610-1688

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Prettyman-10 was created by Tommy Knowles, May 3, 2011, from first-hand knowledge. WikiTree profile Prettyman-10's biography was added to by Chet Snow on December 22, 2014 and rewritten and merged with Prettyman-120 on October 9, 2015 and edited on November 15, 2018.

• WikiTree profile Prettyman-120 was created by Jessica Hatfield, Saturday, January 17, 2015.