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Isaac Winston I (abt. 1681 - bef. 1760)

Capt. Isaac Winston I
Born about in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent, Virginiamap
Husband of — married about 1720 in Hanover, Virginiamap
Husband of — married about 1745 in Hanover, Virginia, United Statesmap
Descendants descendants
Died before before about age 79 in St. Paul's Parish, Hanover, Virginiamap [uncertain]
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Profile last modified | Created 31 May 2011
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Biography

That his wife was Mary Dabney comes from one of the strangest genealogy Books - "What Does America Mean to You" written in 1942 by Evelyn Jeanette (Miller) Ownbey of Chicago. All about secret societies & secret murders and so on. She confuses or changes records of the familes of Winston, Dabney, Massies &c. to fit her bizarre narative.

Isaac Winston's wife and mother of his children was Sarah __. At his death he had a wife Mary who had a poor relationship with her step-children (William Ronald Cocke, III, Hanover County Chancery Wills and Notes (Columbia, Va. 1940). as there are lawsuits over the imheritance.

His will was probated on 6 Mar 1760 so I adjusted his death date to "before"

October 8, 1712, O.S., p. 31 [ Chamberlayne p. 57] In Obedience to an Order of New Kent County Court dated the 11,th of 9br, 1712, its Ordered, that Issack Winston have Jno Pirant, Nath'l Hodgkinson, Joseph Hambleton, Maj'r Meriwether's Lower Quarter, Tho's East, and Tho's Basset, & their Male Tithables to Assist him in Clearing a Road from M'r John White's Mill, to Half Sink.

Isaac Winston is on the New Kent Co., Va. 1704 tax rolls with 850 acres of land. This 850 acres seems to be land that his father William Winston, Sr had patented & probably left to son Isaac when he died cir 1701

The will of Isaac Winston makes no mention of land or home - thus he must have deeded that away, perhaps to one of his children before making this will. He seems to be just dividing what remained of his vast estate, perhaps to those he had not already given something.


__________________________ ·Mary, widow of Isaac Winston, listed on 1763 Hanover Tax rolls - two tracts of land one with 270 acres & the other with 172 acres.

The Virginia Gazette - 4 Nov 1763. Two tracts of land for sale. One tract of 272 acres on the North side of Little River in the Forks of Hanover, a plantation and all necessary houses. The other tract of 170 acres in Hanover in Blackwells Neck. May inquire to George Clayton for the land in Blackwells neck and to me for the land near White's. (signed) Mary Winston.

Note: George Clayton witnessed the will of Isaac Winston, and Clayton's widow, Mary would marry the Rev. Patrick Henry.

Mary, the widow of Isaac Winston moved to Dinwiddie Co., Virginia - ·18 April 1771 - Advertisement for the sale of land in Dinwiddie Co. (500 acres) whereon Mary Winston, dec'd lately lived and sale of the personal estate of the late Mary Winston (horses, furniture etc.) in Dinwiddie County. John Coleman, executor.

___________________________________________ Patrick Henry, Patriot & Statesman by Norine Campbell A Son of Thunder, Patrick Henry & the American Republic by Franklin Watts The Days of Patrick Henry

Isaac Winston called his home in Hanover "Laurel Grove". Patrick Henry's grandfather, Isaac Winston, experienced what the evangelists called, "the new birth" & went with the dissenters, indeed his own conversion helped to ignite the Hanover revival. He had stopped attending the established church, having grown dissatisfied with the "general strain of preaching". They studied the much-worn pamphlet of printed sermons by the celebrated, George Whitfield "the greatest orator since the Apostles ...Grandfather Winston allowed itinerant preachers to speak at his home and contributed toward the building of "reading houses" when egar crowds grew to large for his parlor.

For these affronts to the laws regulating religious worship, Isaac Winston had stodd before the Hanover magistrates, including his own son-in-law, John Henry to pay fines for "willfully" absenting from church service & stared grimly at his accusers. The Rev. Patrick Henry, the Uncle for whom Patrick Henry was named would not suffer the mischief-makers in silence & with his pen and voice attacked intiterant preachers so soundly. When Patrick Henry was 9 years old, George Whitfield came to visit Hanover in Oct. 1745 & would witness the division between his father & uncle and his grandfather Winston & his mother Sarah, also a convert. In 1747, the Rev. Samuel Davies came to Hanover from Pennsylvania assigned by the Presbyterian Synod to take a regular mission to Virginia & soon had 150 families in two meetinghouses, Sarah Henry and her sisters found Davies preaching close to sublime, Young Patrick Henry now entering his teens drove the carriage & on the way home his mother would have him repeat the substance of the sermon.

Grandparents of Dolley Payne Madison (Lucy Winston, Mary Winston Coles) and Patrick Henry (Sarah Winston).

Capt. Isaac Winston was born in 1681 in New Kent, Virginia to parents Judge Anthony Winston and Phoebe Anderson.

According to the biography, "A Son of Thunder", by Henry Mayer, "Anthony Winston's son, Isaac, distinguished in a thin-haired family by an exceedingly bald head, had worked up a stake in the export business and made a good marriage early in the new century with Mary Dabney....Isaac and Mary had six children." (p.24).

He was listed in the 1704 New Kent Co., VA, tax list, apparently a son of William Winston, where he had 850 acres at the time. He was listed as in charge of processioning of land of Anthony II Winston's orphans in 1719. Isaac's 6 Feb 1760 will was filed in Hanover Co. on 6 Mar 1760. His daughter Sarah was the mother of Patrick Henry.

Isaac Winston, "experienced what the evangelists called 'the new birth' and went with the dissenters; indeed his own conversion helped ignite the Hanover revival. He had stopped attending services at the established (Anglican) church, having grown dissatisfied with the 'general strain of preaching.'....He had grown less interested in worldly things and more concerned about the state of his soul...Instead of Angelican services, Isaac Winston participated in a reading group of like-minded souls gathered in their own homes...Winston had allowed itinerant preachers- full of new gospel and ready to touch the emotions of their listeners- to speak in his home at Laurel Grove, and he had contributed to the building of "reading houses" when the eager crowds grew too large for front parlors. For all these affronts to the laws regulating religious worship, Isaac Winston had stood several times before the Hanover magistrates....to pay fines for 'willfully' absenting himself from church services and to stare grimly at his benighted accusers." (pp 33-34).

He was apparently a very successful planter in Hanover County, Virginia. He was appointed by the vestry of St. Paul's Parish to supervise the building of a bridge over Beaver Dam Swamp and was a procession-er of Parish land.

When St. Paul's Parish became New Kent County in 1720, he was named a Justice of the Peace. He was one of the Coroners and of the Quorum of the Justices of the Peace for Hanover County. From 1731 to 1744 he was referred to as Captain and was a "merchant."

4/2/1736 - Henrico County, Virginia - Braz. Cocke witnessed a deed from Wm. Britain of Henrico to Capt. Isaac Winston of Hanover Co, merchant, 300 acres in Henrico on south side of Chickahomony Swamp adj. land of Ralph Hunt, Robt. Mosbey, tho Owen, Land granted Britain Sept. 8, 1732 signed: William (x) Britain. Other wits: Wm. Fuller, Robt. Goode, Rec. 5/3/1736. (Henrico col., Va., Wills & Deeds, 1725-1737, Part 2, p. 547).

In 1747, he was tried before Governor Gooch in Williamsburg, along with six others for allowing John Roane, a dissenting minister to preach at their houses. The Jury brought in a special verdict, to wit: "We find the people did assemble at the house of the defendant but not in a riotous manner, and that John Roane preached ... not against the Cannons of the Church of England ... and the cause is continued till next court..." The trial was finished on 18 April 1748 and Isaac was fined 20 shillings."

Will

WILL OF ISAAC WINSTON (1760) In the name of God amen. I, Isaac Winston of the County of Hanover, being in good health and perfect memory, do make and ordain this my last will and testament, and do hereby dispose of all such worldly goods as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow on me in manner and form the following:
I give and bequeath until my son William Winston, one negro man named Ned, bought of John Shelton, also one negro boy named Sandy, to him and his heirs forever.
I give and bequeath unto my son Isaac Winston the following slaves, namely, Charles, a man, Tom, a boy, bought of Piron Janes, a woman and Sam and Grace and Pharrah her children, Miah, a man, and Hager, a woman, Sarah and Doll her child Milly and David children of Leah, Dick, Saul, Jack and Jane, his wife and Bradly her child, slaves I give to him and his heirs forever.
I give to my son Isaac Winston one negro boy named Isaac, provided he shall well and truly pay the sum of forty five pounds current money unto my Grand Daughters, Mary and Lucy Coles, daughters of William and Lucy Coles the said sum to be equally divided between my grandchildren above mentioned when they arrive at the age of twenty one years or marry.
I give and bequath unto my son Anthony Winston, the following slaves, namely, Tamer and Cate, two women and Primus a man now in his possession also Pompey, a man, to him and his heirs forever.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my grandson Edmund Winston, son of William, one negro girl named Pegg, daughter of Hannah, and a mulatto girl named Tamer daughter of Kate also Abraham, a child of Judy's with their increase to him and his heirs forever.
Item: I further give unto my said grandson Edmund Winston son of William fifty pounds current money.
Item: I give until my daughter Sarah Henry five pounds current money.
Item: I give and bequeath until my grandson Isaac Winston, son of Isaac, one negro woman named Aggy, daughter of Hannah and one negro woman named Tamer, with all their increase to him and his heirs forever.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my cousin Nathaniel Winston, one negro girl named Pegg, a child of Moll with her increase to him and his heirs forever.
I give and bequeath unto my son Anthony Winston, six silver spoons.
I give and bequeath unto Dr. John Walker eighty pounds current money.
I give until my granddaughter Lucy Henry, forty pounds current money when she comes of age or marries. I give unto my granddaughter Mary Henry forty pounds current money when she comes of age or marries. I give unto my granddaughter Ann Henry forty pounds current money when she comes of age or marries. I give unto my granddaughter Eliza Henry forty pounds current money when she comes of age or marries. I give unto my granddaughter Susanna Henry forty pounds current money when she comes of age or marries, and my will and desire is that in case either of my granddaughters, namely Lucy, Ann, Mary, Elizabeth and Susanna Henry, or either of them should die before they arrive at full age or marry then it is my desire that the money left to her be equally divided between the survivors.
I give and bequeath until my grandson Walter Coles, son of William Coles, one negro boy named Taff to him and his heirs forever.
I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Mary Winston, one negro boy named Ben, also my riding chair and harness and her side saddle and furniture, also her three gilt trunks with one jar and also her bed and furniture as also one negro woman named Hannah provided she pay unto my son Anthony for the said negro woman fifteen pounds current money within two years after my decease. The slaves and legacies I give unto my said wife and to her heirs forever.
I give to my friend Col. Peter Fontaine, fifteen pounds current money provided he will act as executor with my son Isaac.
My will and desire is that after my decease my crop be finished before any of the slaves be delivered to the legatees, and that all my crop of tobacco, corn and wheat, stock and cattle, horses, hogs, and sheep, all my household goods of what property or nature soever not heretofore disposed of to be sold by my executors hereafter named at twelve months credit. They taking bond and security of the purchasers and then to collect the debts which may arise from such sale and the sum let out on interest taking good security until the legatees come to age or marry and then it is my desire that my executor hereafter mentioned shall deliver the legatee or legatees a bond or bonds to discharge their specifick legatees together with the interest then due on such bond or bonds without troubling my executors to collect the same.
Item: My will and desire is that the residue of the money arising from the sale of my estate after my just debts and legacies are paid I give unto my son William Winston and to his heirs forever.
Lastly, I do hereby appoint and constitute my loving son Isaac Winston and my trusty friend Peter Fontaine executors of this my last will and testament, and my desire is that no part of my estate be appraised or inventoried, and I do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament, annuling and making void all former wills by me heretofore made.
Given under my hand and seal this sixth day of February one thousand seven hundred and sixty.
(Signed) ISAAC WINSTON (seal) Signed, sealed and declared in the presence of John Holden, Roger Mallory, George Clayton.
At a court held for Hanover County on Thursday, the sixth day of March, 1760, this last will and testament of Isaac Winston, deceased, was offered for proof by Isaac Winston, one of the executors therein named, and was proved by the oath of John Holden and George Clayton two of the witnesses thereto and also by the oath of the said Isaac Winston as executor thereto and admitted to record. March 6, 1760.
Test: William Pollard, D.C.H.C. [1]

Sources

  1. Isaac Winston (1) WeRelate.org. [1]
  • North America Family Histories
  • Family Bible of Alice Taylor Winston Pettus stating that her great-grandparents were Isaac and Sarah Winston
  • Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775, lists Isaac and Mary Dabney Winston as parents of Sarah Winston Syme Henry.
  • Will of Isaac Winston 1760 St. Paul's Parish, Hanover, Virginia; transcription available at Torrence.pp. 22-24.
  • William Henry Dabney, Sketch of the Dabneys of Virginia With Some of their Records, 1888
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/190200929/isaac-winston: accessed 25 August 2021), memorial page for Isaac Winston (1681–6 Mar 1760), Find a Grave Memorial ID 190200929, citing Saint Peter's Episcopal Church Cemetery, Putney's Mill, New Kent County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by Ray Isbell (contributor 47188697).




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Comments: 17

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4 children were born before the marriage date, by as much as 11 years, is that right?
posted by Robert Sundquist
What is the source of the italicized text in the biography?
posted by Robert Sundquist
I am having trouble understanding this. Perhaps I missed something, but there are two daughters named Sarah - Sarah Henry and Sarah Davis. Only Sarah Henry is mentioned in the will though both Sarahs were living when the will was written. There is no mention of Davis grandchildren either, only Henry grandchildren. I read through the will twice and it seems there is only one daughter named Sarah in this family - Sarah Henry. If i am missing something please feel free to correct.
posted by Peggy Nicholson
Sarah Davis is an error and has been removed. Further research is needed to find her correct parents.
posted by Mary Elizabeth Stewart
This line can be confusing but I need to straighten this out, Isaac married Mary Ann Dabney c 1701 Hanover Co, VA d/o Cornelius Dabney (b. 1631 England) & Susannah Swann West (Susannah was the daughter of Chief Totopotomoi and Queen Cockeske of the Pamunkey tribe). In Isaac's will dated 6 Feb 1760 he mentions his children William, Isaac, Anthony, Lucy, Sarah, Mary Ann and wife Mary.

Isaac was NEVER married to a Sarah Jennings - his cousin William Winston II was married to a Sarah Jennings Dabney the widow of John Dabney of King William Co, VA prior to 1704. Sarah's land patent in 1701 has only her name but by Jan 7 1704 Sarah relinquished her dower in a deed executed by William Winston. They had 2 sons Isaac and William. William Winston II had 4 sons Isaac, William, John and James, by 2 different wives. Sources: Tidewater Virginia Families, chapter 16, page 429 Winston of Virginia and allied Families pg's 20-24

I don't see a daughter Mary Ann in Isaac's will. I've read it 3 times. Sons named are William, Isaac, and Anthony. Daughters named are Lucy who married Wm. Coles, and Sarah who married Henry.

Grandchildren named are Mary, Lucy, and Walter Coles, children of William & Lucy Coles; Edmund Winston son of Wm; Isaac Winston son of Isaac; Lucy, Mary, Ann, Eliza, and Susanna Henry. Isaac's surviving wife is Mary. If Isaac had another daughter named Mary Ann, why weren't she or any of her children named in his will?

posted by Jean Settle
edited by Jean Settle
Mary Ann Winston was also listed as Mary in some documents, From "North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 for William Winston, page 231 it states "Isaac Winston, the emigrant married Mary Dabney and died in Hanover Co, Virginia, in 1760 leaving 6 children:

1. William m. Sarah Dabney 2. Isaac m. Marianne Fontaine 3. Anthony m. Alice Taylor 4. Lucy m.1 William Dabney; m.2 William Coles 5. Mary Ann m. John Coles 6. Sarah m.1 John Syme; m.2 John Henry. When Isaac's will was written his wife Mary (Ann) was alive, his son William died after him in 1760, & his daughter Mary Ann died in Richmond, VA 24 OCT 1758. Mary Ann Winston Coles & John Coles had 5 children: Walter, Sarah, Mary, John Jr & Isaac Coles. Mary Ann Dabney & Isaac Winston were married about 1700, William was born 1701 - Isaac was not married to anyone named Sarah, I know this family can be confusing with the dozen or so men named "Isaac Winston" but it definitely was not this Isaac.

posted by Bridgitte (Baker) Pascale
edited by Bridgitte (Baker) Pascale
There have been messages left on this profile from 2015 to 2019 which include some valid sources. I wanted to add another, but since the profile has not been amended, will you please allow me to make the necessary changes ? Thank you for your consideration.
posted by N Gauthier
Sometimes I don't read things correctly, but at the top of this genealogy thread, is this showing that Lucy m. Cornelius Dabney III, and that he was 23 years younger than she, and they had a son, William in 1722, four years before Cornelius Dabney III was born?
Winston-368 and Winston-82 appear to represent the same person because: Same
posted by Mary (Spradley) Morken
It appears that he was married and having children with both Mary and Sarah at the same time. Something seems wrong.
posted by S (Hill) Willson
Mary (Dabney) Winston and Mary Ann (D Aubignes) Winston are the same person. See G2G Dabney. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Dabney
posted by Tom Pettus
1) I agree with Warren below. I believe that Sarah Jennings listed, was born a Dabney, the daughter of Cornelius and Edith Dabney of Hanover County

2) I think Mary (Dabney) Winston and Mary Ann (D Aubignes) Winston are the same. The latter being the French spelling of Dabney.

3) There is a Mary Dabney and Sarah Dabney Debacle on wikitree and on Ancestry.com I'm not sure how it will ever get resolved. Cross listing with a lot of Winstons, because everyone is trying to get to Patrick Henry

posted by Tom Pettus
On July 2, 2015 at 04:04GMT Warren Roberts wrote:

Isaac Dabney Sr.’s first wife was Sarah Dabney, a daughter of Cornelius and Edith Dabney of Hanover County. Sarah received a patent for 179.5 acres in King William County in 1701 (Patent Book 9, p. 352). The principal evidence that she was Isaac’s first wife is a deed from William Winston, a son of Isaac Winston Sr., conveying the same piece of land to Cornelius Dabney, the husband of William’s sister Lucy, for a tiny token price. The deed states that William was the son and heir of Sarah Dabney. Since William and Lucy were children of Isaac Winston Sr. and Sarah Dabney was William’s mother, it is inescapable that Sarah was Isaac’s first wife. The deed is transcribed in Virginia Genealogist, 1962, 6, p. 6-7. More details.

posted by Jeanne (Lunn) Aloia
Isaac Dabney Sr.’s first wife was Sarah Dabney, a daughter of Cornelius and Edith Dabney of Hanover County. Sarah received a patent for 179.5 acres in King William County in 1701 (Patent Book 9, p. 352). The principal evidence that she was Isaac’s first wife is a deed from William Winston, a son of Isaac Winston Sr., conveying the same piece of land to Cornelius Dabney, the husband of William’s sister Lucy, for a tiny token price. The deed states that William was the son and heir of Sarah Dabney. Since William and Lucy were children of Isaac Winston Sr. and Sarah Dabney was William’s mother, it is inescapable that Sarah was Isaac’s first wife. The deed is transcribed in Virginia Genealogist, 1962, 6, p. 6-7. More details excluded by character limit.
posted by Warren Roberts
Winston-528 and Winston-82 are not ready to be merged because: different mothers
posted by Jeanne (Lunn) Aloia
. Her (Mrs. Elizabeth Cabell) only sister, Mary Burks, married Obadiah Smith (who died February 18, 1777, in Chesterfield County, Va.), and became the mother, inter alios, of Peartree Smith whose descendants went to Kentucky, of William Smith who married Elizabeth Mayo, of Lucy Smith who married James Powell Cocke, and of Elizabeth Smith who married Isaac Winston. Page 59:

http://archive.org/stream/cabellstheirkinm00brow/cabellstheirkinm00brow_djvu.txt

posted by Jeanne (Lunn) Aloia

Rejected matches › Isaac Winston (abt.1570-abt.1628)

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