Richard Billups (1753 - 1822)

Born 28 Apr 1753 in Gloucester County, Virginia Colony

Died 30 Sep 1822 at age 69 in Mathews County, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Richard Billups was a Virginia colonist.

Captain Richard Billups served with Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

Richard Billups, Captain

Origin

Richard was born on April 28, 1753 at Gloucester County, Virginia.^[1] He was the son of John Billups and Ann Avery.^[2]

Note: John Billups and Dorothy Awbrey were once attached as parents, but their only known son was Robert Billups.

Marriage and Children

Richard married on September 10, 1778, to his step-sister, Lucy Lilly (12/19/1755 - 2/11/1816), daughter of William Lilly (?? - 1781).^[1][2][3]

Children of Richard and Lucy:^[1]

1. Richard Billups, Jr.; mar Mary Respass
2. Ann Lilly Billups; mar William Robins Stevens
3. William Armistead Billups, b 1790; mar on 20 Jun 1812 to Lucy Ransone

Positions

Richard represented Mathews County in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1807-1817.^[2]

Richard Billups was appointed in 1775 as a Captain by the Gloucester County Committee of Safety.^[4] Richard Billups and John Billups, Sr. both were chosen as Captains, and John Billups, Jr. as a Lieutenant.^[4] Captain Richard Billups was paid £250.17.1 for his service as a Captain of the Gloucester "Gloster" Militia.^[5]

Property

Richard and Lucy Billups acquired the property where the home known as Roxbury was built around 1755. They deeded it in 1823 to William A. Billups who owned it until 1863. Their son, William Armistead Billups (1790 - 1868) and his wife, Lucy Ransome, inherited in 1823 the Roxbury property and owned it until 1863. William Armistead Billups' daughter, Harriet Stevens Billups (7/10/1813 - 1909), married William Stoakes (ca 1810 - ??) and owned Roxbury from 1868 through 1909 when it was transferred to her son, Confederate veteran Walter R. Stoakes (1847 - 1935).^[2]

On December 18, 1794, Richard purchased 123 acres:

sold, between Leaven Gayle and his wife Easter (sic), Richard Billups, certain tract or parcel of land in Mathews County formerly the property of John Gayle Dec'd containing by survey one hundred and twenty three acres beginning at the mouth of a cove adjoining Walt James, south, to a corner in Henry Knights Line, to a corner in Johnsons Line, near a _____shop, to the Creek, for the valuable consideration of, (torn) - [witnesses]John Lewis, John D. Jarvis, Henry Rispess, Richard Gregory, John Patterson {as to Mrs. Gayle,} - (Lilly, Billups, Stoakes Family Papers).^[6]

In 1801, Leaven Gayle signed this note to Richard:

Rec'd 31st March 1797 of Doctor Edmond L. Briggs the Sum of Six Hundred Dollars in part payment for the purchase of one hundred & twenty three acres of land at present occupied by Capt. Leaven Gayle & I do oblige myself my heirs & to make a deed to the said Briggs for this land on his complying with a contract entered into between him & Richard Gregory for the same & if on my return from Richmond & make a tender of a deed for the same it must be understood that the balance of the money to with ninety Six pounds fifteen Shillings is to be and must be paid by the said Docr Briggs either to Richard Gregory or Richard Billups,Teste Henry Rispess - Gaius Dean. [Lilly, Billups, Stoakes Family Papers].^[6]

"In 1788 a judgement was obtained vs. George Gayle and Robert Billups, John and Richard Billups, Exec. of John Billups, guardian of Ann Hunley."^[6]

Methodist

Richard was a vestryman of Kingston Parish.^[2] On July 26, 1787, John joined the Society called Methodists. This was recorded in a family record, written in the back of an account book.^[7] Also according to Gayle Mandell, Richard was a Methodist minister.^[2]

Slaves

Richard was reported as a head of a household in Kingston Parish in 1783 with four whites and nine blacks.^[2]

Death and Legacy

Richard died on September 30, 1822,^[2] probably at Mathews County, Virginia.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Daughters of the American Revolution, Ancestor Search: Ancestor #: A010214 Citing VA MAG OF HIST & BIO, VOL 6, P 402, accessed November 27, 2015.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7} Mandell, Gayle N., "Chapter 14 - Strays, Allied Families & Gayle Family Slaves in Gloucester County." Archive.org captured on 27 Nov 2015 The Gale & Gayle Families, Retrieved on 8 Sep 2017.
3. ↑ Auditor of Public Accounts, Entry 466. Reports of fees and taxes collected, 1775-1884. See especially Clerks: General Accounts, 1775-1783 (Accession 26535) Library of Virginia, Marriage Records
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Purdie, Alexander, "Officers Appointed by the Gloucester Co. (Va.) Committee of Safety in 1775." Jasper Clayton, The William and Mary Quarterly. Vol. 15, No. 2 (Oct., 1906), pp. 123-124, Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, JSTOR.org accessed November 27, 2015.
5. ↑ "Virginia Militia in the Revolution (Continued)." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Vol. 6, No. 4 (Apr., 1899), p. 402, Virginia Historical Society, JSTOR.org accessed November 27, 2015.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Mandell, Gayle N., Chapter 10: Early Gayle Families of Gloucester County, VA The Gale & Gayle Families, accessed 12 May 2016.
7. ↑ Mason, Polly Cary, Records of Colonial Gloucester County, Virginia, Volume 1. (Page 70) Genealogical Publishing Com, Jun 1, 2009 Citing the Lilly - Billups - Stoakes Family Papers, Google Books.com accessed October 27, 2015.

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Acknowledgments

• Many thanks to Gayle N.Mandell for her generous publication of "Gale/Gayle Families of Great Britain & Ireland."