Robert M. Mayfield III (abt. 1635 - bef. 1715)

Born about 1635 in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 16 Aug 1715 before about age 80 in Essex, Colony of Virginia, British Colonial America

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Biography

U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900: Name: Robert Mayfield
Gender: Male
Birth Year: 1635
Spouse Name: Sarah
Marriage Year: 1664
Marriage State: VA
Number Pages: 26

Please check the images for the PDF copy of pages 51 and 52 from the Virginia Colonial Abstracts Volume 2, and the Essex County wills and deeds, 1714-1717, which contain the will for Robert Mayfield Sr, who wrote his will in 1714 and it probated, indicating his death, in August of 1715.

• http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/j/o/n/Jc-Jones/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1393.html

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ROBERT MAYFIELD
THE FIRST MAYFIELD IMMIGRANT TO VIRGINIA
BY PHIL NORFLEET
[1] NOTES FOR ROBERT MAYFIELD
My notes concerning what little information that I have been able to glean from the records of Colonial Virginia concerning this Robert Mayfield, the first Mayfield immigrant, are as follows:
The earliest entry mentioning a person with the Mayfield surname in Virginia, of which I am aware, is found in a list of headrights supporting a 350-acre land grant in Gloucester County to a certain Richard Longe in the year 1652.
I have carefully examined the original of this document from the microfilm at the Library of VA. The grant is found in Patent Book 3, page 135 and I abstract it as follows:
-06 Dec 1652: Grant to Richard Longe of 350 acres of land on Milford Haven on westward side of a branch dividing from George Billops. Headrights: Edward Dymont, Henry King, Robert Maiyffelld, Hannah Cotton, Mary James, Thomas Hale, Lt. Col. Griffith, his wife Anne.
-The "Robert Maiyffelld" so listed is probably a variant spelling of "Robert Mayfield" as creative spelling is a hallmark of 17th century writing.
-It should be noted that while I have transcribed the name as Robert Maiyffelld other researchers have read the name differently. In the old script, when the letter "s" appears in the middle of a word, it was written in a manner very similar to the letter "f." Hence, it frequently is very difficult to determine whether an "s" or an "f" is intended.
-Nell Nugent, who abstracted all the early land patents of VA, read the name as "Mansfelld" [see "Cavaliers and Pioneers Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants" (first published 1934), Volume One, page 267]. Furthermore, Polly Cary Mason, who compiled the "Records of Colonial Gloucester County Virginia" (published 1946), at page 49, read the name as "Maysfield."
-The identification of Robert Mayfield as a headright, indicates that he probably entered the colony as an indentured servant sometime in the year 1652 or shortly before. Studies of VA headrights indicate that the most common age for male headrights was the 18-25 age group. Assuming Robert was in this age bracket, his year of birth would be somewhere around 1630.
-The Colonial VA law, in effect in 1652, concerning the terms of indenture was as follows:
Under 12 years of Age - 7 Years From 12 to 20 Years of Age - 5 Years Age 20 Years and Over - 4 Years

Notes re Parentage

If, as stated, Robert Mayfield was born in Gloucestershire then he is very unlikley to have been the son of Owen Mayfield, a butcher from Leicestershire.

Will

ROBERT MAYFIELD'S WILL; Transcribed by Jean Meyers, from a copy of original. Essex County, VA: Deed & Will Book #14 (1715) PP. 385 & 386:

In the name of God Amen the third day of December 1714 Robert Mayfield being sick in body but of good and perfect memory, thanks be to almighty God, and calling for (illegible) estate of this Transitory Life and that all might yield unto Death, which it shall please God to call, do make constitute ordain and declare this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following; (illegible) being pertitent and Sorry from the bottom of my heart for my Sins past and most humbly desiring forgiveness for the same, I give and Commit my Soul unto almighty God my Savior and Redeemer, in whom and by the merits of Jesus Christ I trust and believe assuredly to be saved and to have full remission and forgiveness of all my Sins, and that my soul with my body at the general day of Resurrection Shall rise again to (illegible) Joy, and through the merits of Christs Death and passion, possess and enter the kingdom of heaven, prepared for the Elect and Chosen and my body to Ye Earth from which it was taken to be buried in such decent and Christian manner as to my Executors hereafter named Shall be thought moot and convenient, as as (illegible) our worldly estate as the Lord in mercy hath Sent me, my will and meaning is the same (illegible) shall be employed and possessed as hereafter by this my will and is Expressed.

Item. I Give and bequeath unto my well beloved wife Sarah Mayfield all my Land and personal (?) estate during her Life.

2d. I give and bequeath unto my loving Son Robert Mayfield one shilling

3d. Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Abraham Mayfield one Shilling.

4th. I give and bequeath unto my son John Mayfield one Shilling.

5th. I Give and bequeath unto my Son Isaac Mayfield one Shilling.

6th. I Give and bequeath unto my Loving son Jacob Mayfield after the demise of my wife Sarah Mayfield Lands and personal (?) estate.

7th. I Give unto my Loving Daughter Catherine Gregory one Shilling.

8th. I Give unto my Loving Daughter Jean Graves one Shilling.

9th. I Give unto my Loving Daughter Anne Connoly one Shilling.

I name and authorize Constitute and appoint my beloved wife Sarah Mayfield and my Loving Son Robert Mayfield Executors of this my Last Will and Test- ament and null and void all former will and this will to be sworn and ratified and Executed accordingly. In testimony hereof I have hserewith Set my hand and affixed my Seal this third Day of December Seventeen hundred and Fourteen.

Robert his mark Mayfield

Signed Sealed and Delivered in presence of Daniel Hays ) At a Court held for Essex County on 16th Cornelius Lake ) day of August 1715. This Will and proved by oath of Sarah Mayfield Widow Executor and heir proved according to Law and by oaths of Dan Hays and Cornelius Lake the Executors Sworn to and recorded by Tho. Herman C.O.C. (Clerk of Court)

Following the above on p. 386 in the D&W book was "Mayfield Estate Bond" - the record of a bond in the amount of fifty pounds put up for Sarah Mayfield as Executor y Sarah, John Mayfield, and John Loyd, presumably a legal formality to bind her to carry out the terms of the will.

Sources

• https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LY3X-C9F/abraham-m-mayfield-sr-1688-1769

• http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/mayfield/pats
  

• https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SP63-5VK
  

• http://mayfieldsofsc.tripod.com/robert_mayfield_d_1715.htm