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John Lightfoot (1725 - 1751)

John Lightfoot
Born in Gloucester County, Virginiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married about 1744 in Virginiamap
Died at about age 26 in Brunswick County, Virginiamap
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Profile last modified | Created 14 Jun 2012
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Contents

Biography

John Lightfoot was born in 1725, possibly in Gloucester County, Virginia. John was the son of Philip Lightfoot II and Mary Armistead,

John married about 1744 Mary Clack, (daughter of James Clack and Mary Sterling). No marriage record has been located.

John is named in the 1747 will of his father, Philip Lightfoot, which reads in part as follows: "In the name of God Amen I Philip Lightfoot of the Town of York Esq being of sound and disposing mind and memory . . . I give and devise unto my son John Lightfoot and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten forever all my lands purchased of Col. Nathaniel Harrison and Robert Mountford in the County of Brunswick together with sixty slaves including those he shall be possessed of at my death to be proportioned out of my slaves to those given my other sons by my Executors Mulatto Harry being one after his mothers decease I likewise give unto my son John and his heirs forever all my lots and houses in the City of Williamsburg and lots at Blandford in Prince George I also give him two thousand pounds sterling one third part of my plate after his mothers decease the furniture in the house at Williamsburg thirty Ewes one Ram from Sandy Point as well as the grey mare and horse by black colt Othello and Roan philly and as many cattle from Kings Creek after his mothers decease as will make the Brunswick stock one hundred and in case my son John dies without issue of his body then I give the Brunswick land and slaves to my son Armistead and in case he leaves no issue of his body as above then I give the said land and slaves to my son William Lightfoot . . . And of this my last will and testament I do constuite and appoint the Honble John Grymes, Thomas Lee and William Nelson Esq., Col. Anthony Walke and William Lightfoot to be Executors revoking all former and other wills by me made and declaring this to be my last will and testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirty first day of July 1747. [signed] Phil Lightfoot (L.S.) Signed sealed published and declared by the testator to be the last will and testament of the testator /with the interlineations made by his own hand/ in the presence of Edmund Tabb, John Amson, Richard Copley . . . "[1]

John has been listed as a Soldier, and killed in battle in the Cherokee Wars in 1751. There are no sources for these statements, and the will of John indicates that John died at home in Brunswick County, Virginia.

John made his last will on the 20th of April, 1751, in Brunswick County, Virginia. John's will reads as follows: "In the name of God Amen I John Lightfoot of the County of Brunswick and Parish of Saint Andrew being sick and weak and in my perfect senses and being sensible of the uncertain state of this mortal life do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following. Imprimis my soul I resign into the hand of almighty God through the merits & mediation of our saviour Jesus Christ Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Molly Lightfoot all that tract and parcel of land that I bought of Mr. Thomas Eldridge lying and being in the county of Brunswick aforesaid to her and her heirs forever Item I also give and bequeath unto my beloved wife all that tract of land I bought of James Speed lying and being in the county of Brunswick aforesaid to her and her heirs forever Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife all that tract and parcel of land I bought of William Wyche lying and being also in the aforesaid county of Brunswick to her and her heirs forever Item I likewise give and bequeath unto my beloved wife my lot in the City of Williams whereon Doctor May now lives with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging to her and her heirs forever Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife one thousand pounds current money of Virginia to her and her heirs forever Item my will is that after my private book debts are settled that my wife shall have what money is due thereon and if there should not be as much as amounts to five hundred pounds current money of Virginia it is my will that that sum be paid out of my estate to her Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife my charriot and the following horses Viz. Spanker, Gains, Jemmey, Smookey Grey, Parish, Shakels, mare Briggs, & mare Smith, to her and her heirs forever Item I also give and bequeath unto my beloved wife my small chair and charriot harness to her and her heirs forever Item I also give and bequeath unto my beloved wife all my household furniture to her and her heirs forever Item I give and bequeath unto my loving brother William Lightfoot three thousand pounds current money of Virginia Item I give and bequeath unto my brother Armestead Lightfoot one thousand pounds current money of Virginia Item I give and bequeath unto James Burwell son of Nathaniel Bacon Burwell dec'd two hundred and fifty pounds current money of Virginia Item I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth Burwell Daughter of Nathaniel Bacon Burwell two hundred pounds current money of Virginia Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife all my stock of cattle hogs and sheep to her and her heirs forever Item I give and bequeath unto James Clack all the money he now stands indebted to me Item I give and bequeath unto Betty Clack, Dolly Clack and Salley Clack Daughters of James Clack aforesaid two hundred pounds current money of Virginia to be equally divided amongst them Item I give and bequeath unto Eldridge Clack fifteen pounds current money of Virginia towards his education Item I give and bequeath unto John Clack son of James all the money he now stands indebted to me Item I give and bequeath unto William Clack son of James two hundred and fifty pounds current money of Virginia Item I give and bequeath unto Sterling Thornton Senr two hundred pounds current money of Virginia Item I give and bequeath unto William Thornton senr of Gloucester County the sum of one hundred and seventy five pounds current money of Virginia Item I give and bequeath unto my loving wife the farther sum of twenty pounds current money of Virginia. I constitute and appoint my Brother William Lightfoot, Lewis Burwell of Gloucester, William Nelson and Thomas Nelson Esq Executors of this my last will and testament Witness my hand and seal this Twentyeth day of April one thousand seven hundred and fifty and one [signed] John Lightfoot Signed Sealed and delivered In Presence of us, B. Harrison, C. Courtney, Aug Curtis, Nich's Massenburg Virginia to Wit

At a general court held at the courthouse in Williamsburgh November the 6th 1751 The Honble William Nelson & Thomas Nelson Esquires two of the Executors named in this Will personally in Court refused to take upon them the burthen of the Execution thereof or to prove the same [signed] Ben Waller Ct Cur

To the worshipful Court of Brunswick County whereas I have been informed that Mr. John Lightfoot deceased did by his last will and testament appoint me one of his Executors and as I am incapable of discharging that trust I hereby renounce the office of an Executor In Witness whereof I have set my hand and seal this fifty day of November 1751 [signed] Lewis Burwell

Gentlemen as it is not in my power to attend the court think it my duty to acquint you by letter that I have no intention of proving the will & Executor of my deceased Brother John Lightfoot but have delivered it to Mr. Robert Ruffin to whom I think the right of administration belongs I am y'r very humble servt [signed] Will Lightfoot Tedington Decembr 25th 1751 To the worshipful Court of Brunswick

At a Court held for Brunswick County the 31st day of December 1751 This Will these certificates and this letter were presented in Court by Robert Ruffin of the County of Surry Gent. who made oath to the said will according to law and the same was proved by the oath of Clack Courtney a witness thereto and together with the said certificates and letter ordered to be recorded and certificate granted the said Robert Ruffin for obtaining letters of administration of the estate of the said decedent therewith annexed in due form he having with Lewis Parham, Littleton Tazewell, Drury Stith and James Clack his securities entered into and acknowledged bond in the penalty of twenty thousand pounds with condition according to law Teste Litt. Tazewell Ct. Cur."[2]

John died without issue.[3]

Sources

  1. York County, Virginia Wills & Inventories Book 20 (1745-1759) pages 103 - 106; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS9H-DHDR-4
  2. Brunswick County, Virginia Will Book 3, pages 42 to 45; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89PH-SNHS
  3. Page 106; Tyler, Lyon G. “Lightfoot Family.” The William and Mary Quarterly, vol. 3, no. 2, Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, 1894, pp. 104–11, https://doi.org/10.2307/1914585.


Research Notes

There is no evidence that John married or had children by Nancy Ga-Ho-Ga, a Cherokee woman.

John bequeathed to his wife's siblings, children of James Clack, Betty, Dolly and Sally, Eldridge and William, including the substantial debt of Sterling Clack, who had died in March of that year.

Slaves

  • Harry ("Mulatto Harry being one (willed) after his mothers decease." see will above. )
  • "I give and devise unto my son John Lightfoot ... sixty slaves." see will above. no names.

See Also

Lineage and notes of the Lightfoot family including information that is unsourced. See bio above, https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/lightfoot/1990/





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Comments: 7

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As a member of the US Black Heritage Project, I have added data on the slaves owned by John on this profile with categories using the standards of the US Black Heritage Exchange Program. This helps us connect enslaved ancestors to their descendants. See the Heritage Exchange Portal for more information.
Lightfoot-1121 and Lightfoot-253 are not ready to be merged because: There is conflicting information that should be sorted out first
posted by Ann (Thompson) Johnson
Lightfoot-1121 and Lightfoot-253 appear to represent the same person because: Similar details / same family
Duplicate found as part of http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Database_Errors
Proposer is a 'Data Doctor' and not related to the Profile/s
posted by Graeme Olney
Liz, I've read the text on the link you provided, and see no reference to John, son of Philip, having died without issue. Where do you see it?

EDIT: Found it on this page.

posted by Jillaine Smith
fyi - http://www.jstor.org/stable/1914585?seq=4#page_scan_tab_contents says John, son of Philip & Mary Armistead died without issue.
posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
I think the birth/death info is for the John Lightfoot who married Mary Clack, who m Ruffin 1751. I think this John Lightfoot who married a Cherokee, was someone else. Probably the John who served in the Revolutionary War, b c1730, with a son named William.
posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Lightfoot-253 and Lightfoot-254 appear to represent the same person because: They are they same person.
posted by Anonymous Roach