Elizabeth Ann (Lightfoot) Lillard (1701 - 1787)

Born 13 Feb 1701 in Richmond, Warsaw, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Wife of Benjamin Lillard Sr. — married 30 Nov 1723 in Richmond, Wise, Virginia

Descendants

Died 23 Nov 1787 at age 86 in James River, Richmond, Virginia, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Steve Turley [send private message] and Robert Stiles [send private message]

Research Notes

Traditions on Lillard Family Origins In 1928, Ephraim Stout Lillard published a book called “Lillard: A Family of Colonial Virginia.” Though Stout Lillard’s work is something of a watershed in the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary history of the Lillard family (and he deserves great credit as the “grandfather” of Lillard genealogy), his work suffers from a paucity of authentic sources, especially in the colonial period and earlier. It has been criticized, as David H. Lillard, Jr., author of the second edition has pointed out:

“by professional genealogists on several grounds. . . there is a general paucity of documentation to authoritative sources. . . {and} generally fails to adequately distinguish between statements or conclusions which are based exclusively on family tradition and those based on documented primary sources or authoritative secondary sources.” ^[1]

In preparing his second edition of the book, David Lillard went to a great deal of effort to examine the records to try to confirm Stout Lillard’s conclusions regarding the relationships of the Colonial Lillards in Culpeper County, Virginia, and the two alternative pedigrees that the original edition discusses. In fact, many subsequent researchers have accepted only one of the two pedigrees – the one regarding the medieval Welsh and French Huguenot ancestry. The other was that the family was English in origins, and begins with a John Lillard who emigrated directly from England to Virginia. Although there are a number of records in England and Scotland of the surname Lillard or Lilliard, there are actually none yet found for the surname in France.^[2]

Regarding the Colonial Virginia pedigree, David was unable to find any reference in the extant records of a Benjamin Lillard who married Elizabeth Lightfoot. In my own researches so far, I was unable to find any record of a Benjamin Lillard of the right time period at all. Ephraim Stout Lillard’s conclusions regarding Benjamin and Elizabeth (Lightfoot) Lillard, and their parentage of the Culpeper County Lillards is based solely on various family traditions. In fact, though some sort of familial relationship can be guessed at, there is no primary or authentic secondary source to justify that all of the colonial Culpeper Lillards were even siblings.

David Lillard discusses the extant records of the Lillards in Prince William, Essex, Fairfax, and Orange counties, and is behooves Lillard researchers to read this chapter of his book carefully. It is his conclusion that a John Lillard of Orange County recorded in the 1720s and 1730s is the likeliest candidate for the progenitor of the Culpeper Lillards, but he specifically states that it cannot be proved unless further records are found. It cannot even be proved at this time that all the Culpeper County Lillards were even siblings, which is why David chose to present the family as separate branches, with each branch beginning with a specific Culpeper Lillard ancestor.

Biography

Elizabeth Lightfoot and Benjamin Lillard after marriage lived in Culpepper, VA; here all children were born.^[3]

Elizabeth Lightfoot wife of Benjamin Lillard was the daughter of William Lightfoot. She was also (purportedly) to be first cousin of "Light horse Harry" Lee, who was the father of Gen. Robert E Lee. (not validated)^[4]

Marriage

Marriage:

Date: 1724

Place: Culpeper, Virginia,

Benjamin Lillard

Wife: Elizabeth Lightfoot

Child: Thomas Lillard

Child: Nancy Lillard

Child: William Lillard

Child: Benjamin Lillard

Child: Sarah Lillard

Child: Elizabeth Lillard

Sources

1. ↑ David H. Lillard Jr, compiler, Lillard: A Family of Colonial Virginia, two volumes (Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, Inc, 1991), Vol 1, Forward, p. viii.
2. ↑ David H. Lillard Jr, compiler, Lillard: A Family of Colonial Virginia, two volumes (Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, Inc, 1991), Vol_ 1, pp. 1-9.
3. ↑ http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/w/e/i/Keith-C-Wein/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0017.html
4. ↑ http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/w/e/i/Keith-C-Wein/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0017.html

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 14 October 2018, 05:53), entry for Elizabeth Lightfoot(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LBTS-1CM); contributed by various users.
• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 19 September 2018, 18:02), entry for Elizabeth Lightfoot(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:L5GS-67M); contributed by various users.
• Source: S-1508479865 Repository: #R-2142460164 Title: U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Author: Yates Publishing Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,7836::0
• Repository: R-2142460164 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com
• Source: S-1508503215 Repository: #R-2142460164 Title: U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Author: Yates Publishing Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,7836::0

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Robert Stiles for creating WikiTree profile Lightfoot-401 through the import of 2013-07-01.ged on Jul 1, 2013.

• Lightfoot-611 was created by Michelle Carter through the import of Carter - Holtzapfel Family Tre.ged on Nov 30, 2014.

Died 23 NOV 1787.

Note:

Nota Bene: Added 29 Jun 2015 by Donald F Colvin. There is verbal history passed down that Elizabeth Lee was first cousin to Gen Robert E Lee. This profile even gives the source of that information as the book: "Lillard, A Family of Colonial VA-1415 to 1928" by Jacques Ephraim Stout Lillard, published in 1928.

Jacques Lillard worked for decades at the Library of Congress and his credentials as a researcher are clearly unimpeachable.However - upon obtaining the book from archives.org and reading it - it actually. gives no single reference to any connection between the Lee and Lillard families.

The source is good - its use as a citation on this profile is incorrect as far as proving the connection between the Lee and Lillard families.

At this point - there is no tangible known link between "The Lee's" and this Lillard family.

If anyone finds such a connection - please document it here and feel free to remove this notation

Information taken from: Familytreemaker/geneology.com. 12-24-2010 by Candice Linney Foster Tucker.

Elizabeth Lightfoot was born Abt. 1705 in VA, USA. She married Benjamin Lillard on 1724 in Culpepper Co., VA, USA,. son of Jean (John) Lillard and Mildred Jones.

No specific birth or death dates are known for Elizabeth.

Benjamin Lillard and Elizabeth Lightfoot met and were married. her in Culpepper Co., VA. home area in 1724.

She was the daughter of William Lightfoot and first cousin of. Light Horse Harry Lee of Revolutionary War fame, who became the father of General Robert E Lee. She was also related to the. Lee family of VA, who were very active in US politics as well as. in the state of VA..

They lived in Culpepper Co., VA, where all their. children, as well as many future Lillard children, were born.

This family and successive generations of Lillards, who migrated. south and west in following years, are listed in this reference book [1].

[1] "Lillard, A Family of Colonial VA-1415 to 1928" by. Jacques Ephraim Stout Lillard, published in 1928. More About Elizabeth Lightfoot and Benjamin Lillard: Marriage: 1724, Culpepper Co., VA, USA.

Children of Elizabeth Lightfoot and Benjamin Lillard are: +Moses Lillard, Sr., b. Abt. 1748, Culpepper Co, VA, USA, d. Abt. 1815, Rockingham Cty, NC.

Birthplace of Elizabeth Lightfoot: Richmond, Warsaw County, Virginia. Reference: Ancestral File: AFN: 11GQ-OT0, Church of Latter Day Saints: Sonia Shands, 6917 Sun Street, San Diego, CA92110; Submission no. AF 93-104402.