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William Berry (aft. 1650 - 1721)

William Berry
Born after in King George, King George, Virginiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married before 5 May 1686 in King George, King George, Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Died before age 71 in Hanover, King George, Colony of Virginiamap
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Profile last modified | Created 13 Mar 2011
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Biography

U.S. Southern Colonies Project logo
William Berry was a Virginia colonist.

William Berry, the son of Henry Berry of Old Rappahannock County and Anne Saunders was born after 1650 in King George, King George, Virginia. He married Margaret Doughty before 5 May 1686 in King George, King George, Virginia. Margaret was the daughter of Enoch Doughty (1639-1677) and granddaughter of Rev. Francis Doughty and wife Bridgett. Enoch was apparently born shortly after his parents arrived from England to Massachusetts.

Children of William and Margaret include:

  1. Margaret (~1695-)
  2. Thomas (1687-1720)
  3. Joseph (1691-1749)
  4. Enoch (1697-1763)
  5. Elizabeth (1698-)

Virginia Land Grant: By instrument dated December 19, 1704, Sem Cox and William Berry, both of Richmond County, Colony of Virginia, received a 349 ac. land grant in Richmond County.[1]

Land Transaction: By instrument dated April 9/10, 1712, recorded April 10, 1702, William Berry, and Margarett, his wife, planter of Richmond County, Virginia, sold 310 acres in Essex County, Virginia, being part of a patent to Enoch Doughty of 4,763 acres, to Samuel Short of the same county.[2]

Death: William Berry wrote his will February 5, 1720 and died the following year in King George County, Virginia.

Last Will and Testament: The Last Will and Testament of William Berry was proved on June 2, 1721 in King George County Court. Joseph Berry appointed as Executor.

Will of William Berry, February 5, 1720 From the original Will Book 1 of King George County, Page 1

In the name of God Amen I, William Berry, of Richmond County in the Parish of Hanover being indisposed in body but of perfect memory blessed be Almight God for the same, and calling to mind the uncertainty of this life, do make ordain and constitute this to be my last will and Testament, revoking and disannulling all former wills and this to be my true last Will in manner and form following.
First and pricipally I recommend my sould into the hands of Almighty God, hoping through the merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour to have a Joyful resurrection and full pardon and aremisson of all my sins, and my body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter names and as for what worldly good it hat pleased God to bestow upon and bless me with, I shall dispose and leave them as followeth.
Item: I give and bequeath to my two sons Joseph and Enoch Berry all the land I now stand possessed with in Essex County being nine hundred and fifty acres more or less to be equally divied between them allowing my eldest son Joseph to have the first choice and if my son Joseph shall see cause before his brother come to age to dispose or make sale of the whole or any part of the said land, either in his own or his brother's behalf, that then he shall do as he sees fit and convenient, and if my sons Enoch or Joseph shall die without heir then shall the said land return to the other brother, and if they shall both die without heirs, then it shall fall to my two daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth to them and their heirs forever.
Item: I give to my two sons Joseph and Enoch Berry my Mill with that parcel of land adjacent to the Millswamp, binding upon Andrew Harrison and James Key, to each an equal part to be at the dispose of my eldest son Joseph to see or make use of untill his brother comes to age.
Item: I give and bequeath to my son Enoch Berry the plantation I now live on with all the land joining thereto now in my possession being the third part of a certain patent granted to Enoch Doughty by computation five hundred acres to him and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body and for want of such heirs to fall to my son Joseph Berry and to his heirs lawfully begotten of his body.
Item: I give to my daughters Margarett Rogers and Elizabeth Strother a certain tract of land known and distinguished by the name of the forest and binding upon Henry Berry, Mr. Fitzhugh & William Pannell, divided between them by a path and marked trees, my daughter Margaret to have her part where she now liveth to her and her heirs lawfully begotten of her own body and the other part to my daughter Elizabeth to her and her heirs lawfully begotten of her own body.

Item: I give to my son Enoch Berry two beds and furniture, two cows and calves and one thousand pounds of Tobacco to be paid to him when he shall come to age.

Item: I give to my daughter Margaret Rogers one bed and furniture, one cow and calf and seal skin trunk.

Item: I give to my daughter Elizabeth Strother one bed and furniture, a chest of drawers and a cow and calf.

Item: I give to my son Joseph Berry one bed and furniture, and all my carpenters and coopers tools and broad-cloth linen and trimming for a suit of clothes, viz: coat, vest and Breaches.
Item: And it is my desire that all my other moveable estate be equally divided between my four children. Item: And Lastly I do constitute ordain and appoint my son Joseph Berry to be whole and sole executor of this my last will and Testament. in witness whereof I have set my hand and seal this fifth day of February, 1720.
William

(Seal)

Berry
Teste: William Munford, Thomas Apperson, Anthony Seals, Senr.
At a Court held for King George County the second day of June in the year of our Lord 1721: The last Will and Testament of William Berry, dec'd., was presented into court by Joseph Berry his Executor who made oath thereto and being proved by the oaths of William Munford and Thomas Apperson, witnesses thereto, is admitted to record.
Teste: E. Turberville
Cl:Cur:

From the Record: A copy: Teste: L. Jett, D.C.K.C.C. [3] [4][5]

Research Notes

The Berry Plain Farm
Dogue, Virginia

In 1665, when William Berry and his bride, Margaret Doughty, received the land as part of a dowry, the Dogue Indians and two other tribes occupied the land. The original portion of Berry Plain House, the center section as it appears today, was built in 1720, by Joseph Berry, William Berry’s grandson. It was 1.5 stories and included a cellar and porch. In 1778, another descendant, Thomas Berry, extended the house to the right of the main entry. This included a full second story and raising the roof of the original structure. In 1845 the property was sold to John and Virginia Dickinson, who built the two-story addition on the left end of the main house. The property remained in the Dickinson family until 1959. During it's heyday, Dogue, Virginia, along the Rappahannock River, was a busy village. During the early days of Berry Plain, the basement was used as a tavern. With the river and major road nearby [what is now Route 3], travelers welcomed a much-appreciated stop. After enjoying a meal and drinks, overnight guests would have slept in a downstairs room. 1940 aerial photo and 2019 house photo shared from the collection of Mark Stone, Berry Plain Farm.

Sources

  1. Virginia Land Grant of Dec. 19, 1704 Available at the Library of Virginia here
  2. Virginia, Essex, Deeds and Wills, 1711-1713, p. 33 Abstract available on Ancestry$
  3. Virginia, King County, Order Book 1, p. 2 Available here
  4. Title: The Virginia Genealogist, Volume 1, Number 1 Page: Page 7
  5. King, George Harrison Sanford. King George County, Virginia Will Book A-1, 1721-1752 Fredericksburg, VA, 1978 Page: Pages 1-3 (https://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=nivek000&id=I1456)

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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with William by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with William:

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Comments: 2

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205 Father is too young or not born. Suggestion report.
posted by Gerald Jones
* Sources:

Title: The Virginia Genealogist, Volume 1, Number 1 Page: Page 7 Title: King George County, Virginia Will Book A-1, 1721-1752 Author: King, George Harrison Sanford Publication: Fredericksburg, VA, 1978 Page: Pages 1-3 (https://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=nivek000&id=I1456)

posted by Gerald Jones

Rejected matches › William Edward Berry (1903-1975)