Sarah Elizabeth (Mitchell) Atterberry (1720 - 1772)

Born 31 Aug 1720 in Queen Anne Parish, Prince George's, Maryland

Ancestors

Wife of William Arterberry Sr. — married 1740 in Prince George, Maryland

Descendants

Died 1772 at about age 51 in Chester or Loudoun Co., SC [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Robert Atteberry [send private message], Rick Williams [send private message], and Sofia Zadorian [send private message]

Biography

Sarah Mitchell's birth was memorialized by her christening on 31Aug1720 at St. Barnabas Church in Queen Anne Parish, Prince Georges, MD, born to John Mitchell [Jr.] and Elizabeth [mnu]. She was the 3rd of eight children believed born to John Jr. and Elizabeth between 1711 and 1733. Contrary to many genealogical researchers, Sarah's father, John Mitchell [Jr.] was not the son of Susannah Burgess, daughter of William Burgess. Susannah Burgess was John Mitchell Sr.'s 2nd wife, with whom he had two known sons: Burgess and Mordecai, and possibly a daughter named Henrietta. John Mitchell Jr. was actually the son of an earlier wife, believed to have been named Sarah, and christened on 22Oct1694 in St. Peter's Parish, Talbot County MD. Sarah Mitchell had an older sister, Mary, born about 1711 in Prince Georges County MD, who married William Calender on 26Jan1724 in Prince Georges County MD. Mary is believed to have died in about 1726, as her husband, William Calender is on record marrying his 2nd wife, Rebecca Hutton, on 29Dec1726 in Talbot County MD.

Further to the contrary of many genealogical researchers, John Mitchell Sr. was the son of William Mitchell and his unknown first wife, born about 1666 near London Town, Ann Arundel County MD. John Sr.'s birth year is estimate based on the terms specified in his father's LWT regarding the bequest of a property known as "Poplar Neck", which forbid disposal of the property until after John's 40th birthday. John Sr. had a brother named William [Jr.] with whom he shared an equal interest in "Poplar Neck". It is through the chain of title associated with that tract of land that we know that William Mitchell [Sr.] had another wife (probably his 2nd) named Elizabeth Mott, of which union there were no heirs. William Sr. married a 3rd time around 1675 to a woman named Jane [mnu], who married John Fairbrother, after the death of William Mitchell Sr. in about 1686. In spite of claims that William Mitchell Sr. was a son of Capt. William Mitchell, William Sr.'s ancestry still remains unproven.

Sarah Mitchell is on record marrying Robert Yacksley on 3Jun1735 in Queen Anne Parish, Prince Georges, Maryland, and their son, John, was christened on 23Jan1735/6 [O.S.]. Sometime between Jan1736 and 4Jun1748 Robert Yacksley is believed to have died, and his widow, Sarah Mitchell Yacksley, to have married William Atterbury. The "fact" of this marriage is inferred by the LWT of Sarah's father, John Mitchell Jr., which made bequests to his daughter, Sarah Atterbury, and his granddaughter, Elizabeth Yacksely. There is no record of Sarah Mitchell's marriage to William Atterbury, nor the death of either Robert Yacksley of their son, John Yacksley. Yet, it seems highly probably that Robert Yacksley died while Sarah was still pregnant with their daughter, Elizabeth, or shortly thereafter. The timing of the marriage of Sarah Mitchell Yacksley and William Atterbury can be estimated at sometime around 1738-40 based on two factors: (1) the probable expiration of William Atterbury's 7-year indenture around Aug1740, and (2) probable birth-date of eldest son, Michael, who likely was 21 years old in 1760 [Loudoun County Tithable Lists].

Sarah signed relinquishment of her dower interest in "Prince Spring" plantation, on the deed of transfer to John Riddle Jr. on 16Aug1754. She was not heard from again until she appeared as head of household in Loudoun County in 1769, along with her 3rd eldest son, Edward. By that year, her two oldest sons, Michael and William Jr. had already appeared in tithable records as heads of their own households. Presumably, Sarah's 5 (or 6) younger sons: James, Nathan, Charles, John, Richard and Thomas, were still living at home, and under the age of 16. Sarah was found in a final record in Loudoun County Order Books abstracted as follows: "Nov1771 (Recorded 12May1772 - John Shippey and wife, Judith of Cameron Parish to Thomas Clayton lease and release 79 acres adjacent John Tyler, Richard Skinner, Charles Sutton, Robert Cater. Witnesses: John Tyler, John Chamberlin, John Roberts and Sarah Atterbury."

By Sep1772 Sarah's eldest son, Michael, filed a plat map on Little River in Craven County SC. In Oct 1773 two more sons: Edward and Charles also filed plat maps on Little River. It is not known whether Sarah may have traveled to South Carolina with her sons, or remained behind in Loudoun County. Her 2nd eldest son, William Jr., continued to live in Loudoun County until just after the end of the Revolutionary War. No other record was found of Sarah Mitchell Atterbury after Nov1771, so we are left to ponder her ultimate disposition after that date. She would have been only 52 years old in 1772, so she should have been perfectly capable of making the trek overland to South Carolina, but it seems more likely that she remained in Loudoun County, where she probably died and was buried.

Sarah was born in 1720. She passed away in 1772.

Birth:

Date: 31 AUG 1720

Place: King George's Co., MD^[1].

NOTE: Her mother imported with the gedcom was Riley-421. But the mother's birth date was 2 years before Sarah's birth of 1720, so her WIKITREE mother was detached from Sarah's profile.

Familythenandnow.org

Sarah Mitchell Atterberry

Life Synopsis of Sarah Mitchell Atterberry

Sarah Mitchell was born on August 31, 1720, in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Though still early in American history, Sarah was already a third generation born American. Her great-grandfather, William Burgess, was one of the earliest colonists having come to America in 1622.

Sarah did not marry until she was about 22 years old when she met a 32 year old man, William Atterberry. He had been deported from England at the age of 22 as a thief, but by the time of their marriage (c.1742) he was becoming a prosperous land owner.

By 1746 William and Sarah were living on Prince Spring Plantation, a 50 acre farm which they owned there in Prince George County, Maryland, "on the north side of the White Marsh, being a draught of the Eastern Branch of Potomack River."

There in Maryland Sarah and William had seven children including Richard Atterberry (born about 1748), Charles (c.1747), and John (c.1751-55). On August 16, 1746, William sold his plantation for 3000 pounds of tobacco to John Riddle, Jr., and moved his family across the Potomac River to Loudon County, Virginia.

According to family tradition passed down through several family lines: "The father [William Atterberry] of the brothers was a wealthy land owner, and very loyal to the crown. Then the dissatisfactions began to materialize [as the American colonies began to demand independence]. I suppose that this situation increased until there was a break in his health. Anyway, he sent the boys out one morning to round up the horses. Upon the return of one of them, the father met him at the door and said, 'Me and the devil have killed your mother.' Upon investigating, the boys found their mother's body rolled under the bed. Upon this the father tried to escape, but the boys caught him and held him for the authorities. He was tried, found to be insane, and released."

It is speculated that the cause of all the brothers migrating to other parts of the country (from Virgina and Maryland to South Carolina and states farther to the west) and changing the spelling of their last names (from Atterberry to Atteberry or Attebery) was to forget the unhappy incident of their mother's murder by their father.

2011-03-14 12:59:49 Baxter

See additional information on the Individual Data Info Page for Sarah Mitchell Atterberry.

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S4

See also:

• Source: S4 Text: Ancestral File-LDS Library and Barbara Gipson
• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/51881209/person/410159779635/facts'

Acknowledgements

• Mitchell-9280 was created by Richard Williams through the import of Williams-Full.ged on Nov 15, 2014.
• WikiTree profile Mitchell-3290 created through the import of atteberry stripped.ged on Feb 7, 2012 by Jim Vondrak.