Anthony Seale II (abt. 1695 - 1781)

Born about 1695 in Essex, Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1781 at about age 86 in Prince William, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Assuming Anthony Seale was between eighteen and twenty-five when he married, he was probably born between 1695 and 1702, in Essex County Virginia. He was the son of Anthony Seale and Dorothy Seale.

Anthony, Jr (II) married Anne Bristow on 24 December 1720.^[1] Anne was the daughter of the Episcopal priest John Bristow, who had moved to the Colony of Virginia from England.

Anthony, Jr lived on land owned by Joseph Berry in King George Co. and his father, Anthony, lived on land owned by John Taliaferro in Essex Co on Mount Creek. Father and son Anthony operated a ferry across the Rappahannock River between Hayfield wharf and Conway's warehouse in the mid-1720s^[2] Even after their ferry operation was ran by others it was still known as Seale's ferry for the next eighty-five years.

Anthony Jr. bought land in Stafford Co in 1728^[3]. His father, Anthony, apparently died by 1730, and Anthony Jr moved into Stafford County, settling in the region that later became Prince William County.

Anthony Seale, Jr spent the remainder of his life in Prince William County, where he operated his plantation, spent much time participating in political affairs, and served his church. He became a justice for Prince William County in 1738 and served in this capacity for many years^[4] All justices for a county constituted the county court, and they basically exerted political control over the county.

In a 1740 dispute, the Virginia House of Burgesses required Anthony and the other justices to travel several hundred miles to the capitol and appear before them in person. ^[5]

In the 1750s, with Seale present as justice, the county court heard several cases involving Lawrence Washington, whose younger brother George later became the commander of the Continental Army during the Revolution and then the first president of the United States; thus, Seale certainly was acquainted with the Washington family.

In colonial Virginia as in England during that era, the Anglican church dominated most aspects of daily and political life. Practically all prominent figures belonged to and actively worshipped in their local Anglican (Church of England) Church. Citizens paid both taxes to support the local governments as well as tithes to support the local parish church. Each church was operated by a vestry, usually consisting of prominent men of the parish.

Anthony Seale lived in Hamilton Parish in the 1730s and early 1740s. In 1747 Anthony and his three eldest sons were listed among the tithables (16 years or older) between Cedar Run and Bull Run in Dettingen Parish, Prince William County, Virginia. In 1745 Hamilton was split and Dettingen Parish created. Anthony Seale was chosen to serve on the very first vestry of the new Dettingen Parish; he was sworn in at Quantico Church on 1 June 1745. ^[6] Appointed churchwarden in April 1748 in place of William Butler, Anthony served on the vestry for the next twelve or fourteen years, serving as warden between 1748 and 1751.

The churchwarden was a rotating position that basically controlled the parish with the approval of the rest of the vestry. As such, Anthony had to collect tithes from parishioners, bond out illegitimate children, apprentice orphans, etc. After Anthony stepped down from the vestry, his son William joined the vestry and served until he moved south to North Carolina in the mid-1760s.

In colonial Virginia, the Royal governor appointed the sheriff of each county. Generally, the county court would select two or three justices and submit those names to the governor, from which the governor would make his selection. In July 1752 the Virginia governor appointed Anthony Seale as sheriff of Prince William County. Anthony consistently complained of the "insufficiency of the gaol (jail). He chose his sons William and John to serve as his "sub-sheriffs" or deputy-sheriffs. After his term as sheriff ended two years later, Anthony Seale continued to serve as justice for a few more years. ^[7]

In the 1760s, he served for a time as surveyor of a local road. Prominent resident George Mason sued Anthony Seale for a non-payment of a debt in 1761. At the trial, the court found no basis for Mason's suit and decided that Mason should "…take nothing by his bill, but for the false clamour be in mercy…and the defendant recover against the said plaintiff his costs…" Mason lived about fifteen miles south of Mount Vernon, President George Washington's home. In 1776, George Mason served in the Virginia Convention, and he helped write the Declaration of Rights. Most historians judge Mason as one of the most influential colonial figures.

In 1761 Anthony was appointed surveyor of the road that ran by his land to Thomas Bland's ford (Rt 234) and was ordered to keep the road in repair with the "male laboring tithables working thereon" and to erect poles or stones where necessary. In 1762 Anthony deeded 125 acres of land to his son, John.

Death

Anthony and Anne Seale lived on their plantation in Prince William County during the remainder of the 1760s and 1770s. Anthony died in 1781 between the 18th of August and the 10th of October. His will was recorded 5 Nov 1781 reads as follows:

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I Anthony Seale of Prince William County and Commonwealth of Virginia, being in perfect health and of sound memory, Thanks be to God, do make this my last Will and Testament.

Item, I give unto my wife Anne Seale one feather bed and furniture; also I give her my negro man Samboe & my negro boy George & my mulatto woman Jenney, and after my wife's death I give my mulatto woman Jenny with all her increase unto my son John Seale and the before named negroes Samboe and George with the bed and furniture I leave at my wife's disposal.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my son John Seale my Negro Man Abraham, and my Negro Woman Lotty [Letty?] and my Mulatto Girl Rene with all their increase forever.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my son Anthony Seale my negro boy Moses and my negro boy Ben unto him & his heirs forever.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Betty Brown my negro woman Judah and her child named Hagar with all their future increase unto her & her heirs forever and at her death for the said negroes for to be at her own disposal.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my son John Seale my plantation whereon I now live with all my lands thereunto belonging to him, and his heirs forever, he the said John Seale paying unto William Seale, Thos. Seale, Charles Seale, and Dorothy Stribling, twenty five pounds specie each, and my will is they be contented therewith.

Item, I leave all my horses and mares, cattle, sheep, and hogs with my household furniture and all my plantation utensils and what money arising from the sale thereof and what money I now have, or hereafter may have to be sold for hard money (except the money) and the money arising from the sale thereof be equally divided among all my children except what pays my just debts.

And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint me two sons John Seale and Anthony Seale, and my Son In Law, William Brown, my executors of this my Last Will and Testament.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixt my seal this 15th Day of [March interlined] August Anno Domini, 1781.Anthony Seale

Wit: George King, Robt. Brown, Thos. Bird, William Roundtree

At a court held for Prince Wm. County the 5th day of November 1781

This last will & testament of Anthony Seale, gent. was presented to the Court of the Exrs. who make oath to the same according to law and being approved by the oaths of George King, Robt. Brown & Thos. Bird is admitted to Record & the said Exrs. having performed what is usual in such cases Certificate is granted for obtaining a probate thereof in due form.^[8] Anne lived a few years longer, but died by about 1787.

Research Notes

[regarding rates of ferriages] ..."from John Taliaferro's plantation of the Mount, in county of Essex, in the occupation of Anthony Seale, over the said river, to the land of Joseph Berry, in King George County, in the occupation of Anthony Seale, junior, the price for a man, half a bit, and for a horse the same."^[9]

Indenture 7th September 1726 between ANTHONY SEALE the Younger of Parish of Hanover King George County and THOMAS TURNER of same Whereas WILLIAM SEALE late of the Parish of Hanover then in the County of Richmond was lawfully seized of a tract containing 200 acres which he purchased of one SAMUEL WHARTON by Deeds of Lease and Release .. 25th/26th November 1713 .. and acknowledged by said WHARTON in Richmond County Court on Second day of Dec. 1713 and Whereas the said WILLIAM SEALE hath for about the Space of Eight years past departed this Colony and having left no lawfull issue of his body to ~laim the land and Whereas in case WM. SEALE should depart this life without issue or making any legal disposition of the said land the right of Reversion and Inheritance thereof is in the said ANTHONY SEALE the Younger as heir at Law to WM. SEALE .. Whereas Anthony has agreed to sell all his right of inheritance to THOMAS TURNER .. witnesseth that ANTHONY SEALE in consideration •• that a certain JAMES MARKHAM has entered into Bond in sum of Two hundred pounds Sterling to THOMAS TURNER that JAMES MARKHAM will for ever defend the above mentioned 200 acres from WILLIAM SEALE, his heirs .. unto THOMAS TURNER .. doth make over all his the said ANTHONY SEALS rights .. land on Gingoteague Swamp next adjoining Plantation where SAM'L. WHARTON now dwelleth Presence Mosley Battaley, Anthony Seale Edw: Barradall 7th October 1726 .. Deed recorded ^[10]

"Sheriff Wright was re-nominated by the following action...Prince William Court record book, 1752-53, p.28 and 35. 28 Jul 1752 Court "present were...Justices John Wright, Anthony Seale and Robert Wickliff Gent...."^[11]

An act for "dividing the parish of Drysdale, in the counties of Caroline and king and Queen"..."from and after the first day of February next ensuing, the said parish of Drysdale shall be divided into two distinct parishes, by a line to begin at the lower corner of the land of John Page, esq., upon Mattapony river and run along his lower line, and those of Christopher Smith, Anthony Seale and Frederick Phillips, to the corner of lands of Edmund Pendleton the elder, ewq. and Edmund Jones; thence along the lines between them to Morococick creek; thence up the creek to the mouth of Phillip's run; thence up the said run to Digge's upper line; thence along that line and the course thereof continued to the line of Essex county; and that all that part of the said parish which lies to the eastward of the said line, shall be one distinct parish, and retain the name of Drysdale; and that all the other part therof shall be one other distinct parish, and be called and known by the name of Saint Asaph...."^[12]

Oct 24 1783"...lands of Edmund Pendleton, Anthony Seal and Richard Philips..."^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ Space:Stribling_Family_Bible_Record
2. ↑ Hening's Statutes at Large, volume 4, p179
3. ↑ 3 deeds were recorded between 1728 and 1731, in Book L, all but the index now lost. (Graf, p23)
4. ↑ Virginia Magazine of history & Biography, Vol 14, p25
5. ↑ Journals of the House of Burgesses (1727-1740 pp413, 414, 429, 430, cited in Graf, p24
6. ↑ Prince William County, Virginia, Dettingen Parish Verstry Book VSL Printed edition by Historic Dumfries (1976) p1. cited in Graf, p25
7. ↑ Tyler's Quarterly, Vol 4, p232, cited in Graf, p27
8. ↑ Prince William Co., Virginia, Will Book G, p130-132; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9PX-FQFB
9. ↑ Hennings Statures Vol IV:179 May 12 1726
10. ↑ 1721-1735 King George County Deed Book 1, Part II, (Antient Press); pp. 382-383
11. ↑ Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol 4 p.232
12. ↑ Henning's Statutes Vol X:209 Oct 4 1779.
13. ↑ Caroline Co VA Chancery Court Deeds 1758-1845

See also

• Graf, Joyce Ellison. The Seale Family from the Northern Neck of Virginia to Greene County, Alabama. Baltimore : Arlington, Va. :Gateway Press ; Book orders to Mrs. A. Graf, 1984.

• Find A Grave Memorial url Find A Grave: Memorial #71886115 Citation "Anthony Seale, II (1695 - 1781) - Find A Grave Memorial." Anthony Seale, II (1695 - 1781) - Find A Grave Memorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Jan. 2014.. (This data is unsourced as of 10 Jul 2020)

• Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850 Birth, Marriage & Death Name Anthony Sale Vital 28 Jul 1744 Civil Spotsylvania Co., VA

• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Birth, Marriage & Death Name Anthony Sale Birth 1700 Death 1781 Civil 1 Mar 1944

• Virginia, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1607-1890 Census & Voter Lists Name Anthony Capt Seal Residence 1760 - Rental Rolls, Prince William County, VA

• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Birth, Marriage & Death Name Anthony Seale Spouse Ann Bristow Birth 1695 - VA Marriage 1720 - VA

• England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Birth, Marriage & Death Name Anthony Seale Father Anthony Mother Anna Maria Baptism 11 Dec 1720 - St Bride Fleet St ,London,London,England
• Family records