Dorothy (Harris) Bond (abt. 1619 - abt. 1684)

Born about 1619 in London, England [uncertain]

Wife of John Baker — married about 1637 in Charles City County, Colony of Virginia

Wife of John Bond — married before 1645 in Isle of Wight, Virginia

Descendants

Died about Oct 1684 at about age 65 in Isle of Wight, Virginia [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Richard Draper [send private message]

Biography

An article on John Harris, one of the very early settlers of Charles City, who died ca.1638, was published by Claiborne T Smith Jr in 1993.^[1] He stated that "The only certain issue of John and Dorothy Harris was their daughter Dorothy who married John Baker".

John Harris, often referred to as Serjeant John Harris, his wife Dorothy, and two infants were living at West and Shirley Hundred in Feb. 1623/4.^[1][2]

At a Court of 04 Jun 1627 'Dorethie Harris the daughter of John Harris aged seaven years or therabouts' was recorded in a case against Charles Maxey who was ordered to be whipped for his offence. Perhaps reflecting the different culture of the period, Dorothy the mother of Dorothy, was to 'correct' the younger Dorothy for her 'offence'.^[3]

John Harris was dead by Oct 1638. In a bill of sale of 14 Oct 1638, Francis Derrick conveyed to Richard Johnson 30 acres Derrick had bought from John Baker and Dorothy his wife, daughter of the late Serjeant John Harris, by order of Henrico Court 27 Aug. 1638. The grant stated that Dorothy had inherited the land by will from George Cawcott.^[4]

On 10 March 1655/6 Daniel Llewellyn obtained a re-grant of his Shirley Hundred holdings to include several newly acquired parcels, among them 63 acres purchased of Dorothy Baker, relict of John Baker, and on 20 Aug. 1656 Daniel Llewellyn of Essex in Charles City sold to Col. Edward Hill 60 acres lately purchased of Dorothy Baker, on which I lately lived.”^[1]

John Bennett Boddie^[5] claimed that after that death of John Baker, Dorothy then married a John Bond. His thesis was largely based on an assumption that John Bond owned land in Charles City County and was therefore a neighbour of Dorothy. Boddie referred to a grant of land in Charles City in 1653 to Thomas Cole which was adjacent to the land of a Capt. Bond.

Smith^[1] refuted this claim arguing that the 'Capt. Bond' was Richard Bond and not John Bond. Smith was also unpersuaded by Boddie's arguments that the Dorothy who married John Bond was probably a sister of a Thomas Harris of Isle of Wight County. Smith concluded that there was no known issue of Dorothy (Harris) Baker.

Boddie's thesis, however, has lived on and was reproduced in the work of Robert E Harris.

Extract from Essex England to the Sunny Southern USA

by: Robert E. Harris^[6]

d2 DOROTHY HARRIS; b. 1619; d. 1684.

Dorothy was born in England. Dorothy came to the Virginia Colony with her parents when she was about three years of age. Dorothy grew up in the West Second Shirley Hundred area of Charles City County, Virginia.

Dorothy was married to John Baker at a very young age. Apparently John was a much older man who had previously been married. After they were married and on November 20, 1637, John Baker received a grant of land in Charles City County due in right of his first wife, Pericilla Palmer. He also received land in the right of another previous wife, Alice, who was also deceased.[1]

John Baker died prior to March 10, 1655. A land transaction on that date involving 270 acres in Shirley Hundred referred to Dorothy as "the relic of John Baker."

Dorothy married John Bond early in the 1650's.

According to a deposition John Bond gave on August 9, 1664, he was born in 1619. ::John was a citizen of Charles City County, Virginia.

John and Dorothy Bond moved to Isle of Wight County and lived as neighbors to her brother, Thomas, and his family.

John Bond, on January 18, 1663, sold a corn mill at the head of Pagan Creek to Thomas Harris. They had also acquired some land from Thomas Harris on October 20, 1664.

Captain John Bond was promoted to the rank of Major in the Isle of Wight Militia. He also served in the Virginia House of Burgesses 1653-54.[2]

Major John Bond was Sheriff of Isle of Wight County in 1656.

John Bond signed his will on January 6, 1668. The will was probated May 3, 1669.

Therefore, John Bond was born 1619 and died 1669, at age of 50 years.

John Bond named his wife, Dorothy, to execute his will. He also named his three children and certain friends, including Captain Francis England, Arthur Smith and Richard Sharpe. He left some property to Richard Sharpe.

Dorothy Bond signed her will on July 10, 1684. It was probated on October 9, 1684. ::She made Richard Sharpe a trustee to care for her grandson, William Watson; to live with him until he became of age. "If Sharpe dies before such time, William was to live with his uncles (William Bond and John Bond)."

Richard Sharpe was to provide for him two years of schooling. This will provision indicates the premium and also the scarcity of schooling in those times.

:Richard Sharpe was the husband of Ann Harris, daughter of Thomas and Alice Harris and niece of Dorothy Bond.

Children of John and Dorothy Bond.

1 William Bond.

2 John Bond.

3 Frances Bond.

The Will of Dorothy Bond 1684

ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, VA - WILLS - Dorothy BOND 10 Jul 1684.^[7][8]

In the Name of God Amen I Dorothy BOND beinge Sicke and weake but in perfect Memory praysed [sic] be to God for it doe make this my last Will and Testament in forme as followeth

I doe bequeath my Soule Unto God my Saviour in whome I doe hope for redemption through the Merrits of Jesus Christ whome layd downe his life for my Sins and Rose agane for my Justification

And I doe bequeath my Boddy to the Earth from whence it Came to be decently Intered and for my Worldly goods as followeth Imp.r I doe give and bequeath unto my Sonne John BOND my Bed that I ly one with all the furniture belonginge to it and my greate Chest with drawers in it: and my greate brasse Ketle and two of my best pewter dishes and two Cowes on Called Nutte, the other Called white face and one Red heyfer of three yeares ould

Second I doe give ["un" inserted] to my grand Sonn William WATSON one Mare filly which Came of my blacke Mare and to be recorded for him with all her increase both Male and female

And it is my desire that after this is taken out which I have given my Son John BOND and my grand Sonn William WATSON that the remainder of my Estate be Equally divided betweene my Sonn William BOND and John BOND which is with in doors and with out and it is my desire that my grand Sonn William WATSON after my decease Should goe to Richard SHARP's ["Sharps"] and to live with him Untill he be at age and if in Case the sayd SHARPE Shall dye before that tyme then to be at his two uncles disposeinge: and that the Sayd SHARPE Shall give him two yeares scholling as I hope he wilbe willinge, and I doe appoynt and ordaine my loveing Freinds Richard SHARPE and George BELL to See this my last Will and Testament performed to my true and honest intent and meaninge with out any favor or affection; to pay my Sonn John his legacie in the ["next" struck through; "first" inserted] place : and my grand Sonn his legacie in the next place : and then divide the remainder betwene my Two Sonns this is all I doe desire of you:

this beinge my last Will and Testament and revokeinge all other Wills by me made as ::Wittnesse my hand and Seale this tenth day of July 1684

Witnesse the marke of Dorathy DB BOND Seale

William W BLUNT Dorat

Nicholas NC COBB her marke [sic]

his marke

Proved in Court held for the Isle of wight County

octob.r the 9.th 1684

by W.m BLUNT and Nicholas COBB to be the Will of

M.rs Dorothy BOND and ordered to be recorded

Test John PITT Cl Cur:

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Claiborne T. Smith, Jr. (1993) Sergeant John Harris of Charles City County, Virginia: A Reappraisal. Virginia Genealogist 37 [1].
2. ↑ John Camden Hotten (1874) The Original Lists of Persons of Quality … p. 170, 268 [2].
3. ↑ Minutes of the Council and General court of Colonial Virginia, 1622-1632, 1670-1676. H R McIlwaine (ed.). 1924, p 149 [3].
4. ↑ Nell Marion Nugent (1934) Cavaliers and pioneers; abstracts of Virginia land patents and grants, 1623-1800. Vol 1, p113 [4]
5. ↑ John Bennett Boddie (1957) Historical Southern Families. Vol. I, Chapter: Harris of Charles City and Isle of Wight Counties Virginia, p293-320.
6. ↑ From Essex England to the Sunny Southern USA. By Robert E Harris [5].
7. ↑ Isle of Wight Co., VA, Record of Wills, Deeds, Etc., Vol. 2 (1661-1719), pp. 239-40
8. ↑ The Library of Virginia, Isle of Wight Co. Microfilm Reel 23 abstracted by Matt HARRIS