Henry Berry (1628 - abt. 1677)

Born 26 Oct 1628 in Devon, England

Husband of Anne Saunders — married after 1650 in King George Co., Virginia

Descendants

Died about 1677 at about age 48 in Occupacia Creek, Rappahannock, Colony of Virginia

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Biography

Henry Berry was a Virginia colonist.

Henry Berry is believed to have been born 26 Oct 1628 in Devon, England and died about 1677 in Occupacia Creek, Rappahannock, Colony of Virginia.^{[1] [2]}

He came to Old Rappahannock County, Virginia, in 1650 as a headright, fully documented, in a land patent issued to Epharaditus Lawson, dated May 22, 1650. At the time, Virginia wished to encourage people to emigrate to the colony and gave 50 acres of land to each new emigrant...a headright was a person who found someone else to pay their passage, in Henry's case, Epharaditus Lawson, and gave this person his 50 acres on arrival.Thus, Henry arrived, probably from England, and after paying Lawson the land allotted him from the Colony of Virginia to pay for his passage, started out his life a free man. By 1656 he received a land patent for 140 acres, and from then on appears often in the records of old Rappahannock County. He lived on the south side of the Rappahannock River, in the county of what is now Essex, upon the Occupacia Creek. His wife's name was Ann, perhaps Saunders, but that is unsure, and is undocumented.^[3]

Children of Henry and Ann Saunders include:

1. Henry Berry II (1652-1695)
2. William Berry (aft.1650-1721)

Land Holdings

Henry became a large landowner in the area after he received his 1650 headright in a Land Patent on 27 February 1656 for 140 acres in Rappahannock County (In 1656, Rappahannock County was founded from part of Lancaster County.):

"HENRY BERRY, 140 acs. Lancaster Co., 27 Feb. 1656, p. 74, (109). On S. side of Occapason Cr., running nigh miles end of Richard Lawson &c. Trans, of 3 pers: Jno. Humphreys, Peeter Hamlin, Ralph Perry."

He acquired an additional 225 acres in February of 1662:

"GEORGE PLEY, 225 acs. Rappa. Co., upon Occupason Cr., 20 Feb. 1662, p. 353, (372). Beg. by the Cr. side, running S.E. by S. &c. to land of Wm. Hall, thence S.W. by W. &c. Said land purchased of Henry Berry."

On 3 November 1662, Henry Berry sold two hundred acres of his land thereabouts being in the "County of Rappahannock. . .upon the South side of OCCUPATION CREEK" to George Pley. ^[4]

"KNOW ALL MEN that I HENRY BERRY of the Parish of Sittingbourne in the County of Rappahanock in Virginia have for good causes sold all my right and interest of two hundred acres of land or thereabouts being in the County of Rappahanock unto GEORGE PLEY of the same County his heirs & assignes which land boundeth Beginning at a Pocickery upon the South side of OCCUPATION CREEK from thence to marked white Oak neer upon ESE and from thence to a Swamp leading neer upon S. to a cross lyne parting Mr. HALLs and this Devident above expressed paralell by that Lyne to the North West lyne parelel by the North West lyne to the Creek againe To have and to hold to him the said GEORGE PLEY his heirs or assignes with all profits in as large manner as it was given unto me the said HENRY BERRY by a Conveyance granted from Mr. HALL to JOHN JENNINGS & from the said JOHN GENINGS granted to me the said HENRY BERRY the assignment bearing date the first of September 1658 containing two hundred acres I the said HENRY BERRY doth oblige my self that said GEORGE PLEY shall enjoy every part of the land aforesaid for Ever without hindrance of any persons & furthermore I ingage my self my heirs to acknowledge the sale in the County Court of Rappa. to the said GEORGE PLEY In Testimony of the truth I have sett my hand and seale this third of November 1662 in presence of ROBERT PLEY, HENRY BERRY, RICHARD GOODE

KNOW ALL MEN that I Anne BERRY the Wife of HENRY BERRY of the County of Rappahanock do hereby acknowledge to have received of GEORGE PLEY full satisfaccon for my Dower of Two hundred acres of land on which I do give my free consent to the sale hereof and do appoint JOHN WEIGHT my Lawfull Attorney for me to acknowledge the Sale in the County Court of Rappahannock and do hereby engage to confirm what my said Attorney shall do in the premises In Witness I hereunto set my hand & seale the 3 of November 1662 in presence of

ROBERT PLEY, RICHARD GOODE, Anne BERRY"

Henry Sr. died testate about 1677 (aged 48–49) in Occupacia, Old Rappahannock, Virginia. His wife was alive at the time of his death, for she receives her "wives third" of his estate in his Will written 30 March, 1672, (no date for proof of Will): ^[5]

Will

I will and bequeah my soule to God from whom I have my first breath, my body to the ground to be buryed in a decent manner. I will that my loveing friend Robert Peck by my sole executor that the said Peck may act in any case, as if I myselfe were in front.

I will and bequeath to William Herton one hundred acres of land. I will that all the rest of my reall and personall estate be equaly divided amongst my children except my wives thirds. To him that shall have the girle named Jane Stowe to have 2 cows more than the rest.

I will that John Rolt have one heiffer two yeares old.

I will that all my children may have a great care of the keeping of the said Jane Stow soe long as she lives. That my sone Richard may have learning as well as the rest, as witness my hand this 30th of March 1672.

Wit. JOHN ROLT, aged 50 years or thereabouts,

HANNA X MADDING.

Although a date for probate was not given it appears that Henry was an executor of a Butler will written on 26 Dec 1676 and probated in Westmoreland County in January 1677. Based on these facts, a death date for Henry is established as about 1 January 1677"

Research Notes

Much about the early members of the Berry family, originally from King George County, is included in George Harrison Sanford King's article "Will of William Berry of King George County". 1 VG 547. . . .

Henry's 1672 Will leaves several interesting and unanswered questions; mainly, who was the girl Jane Stowe and was there, perhaps, something "wrong" with her? Was she a ward, child of a dead friend or neighbor? And, why does "him that shall have the girl named Jane Stowe" have "2 cows more than the rest"? Was she somehow handicapped, and Henry wanted to make sure she had a husband to care for her? Why were his children cautioned to care for her "so long as she lives"?

Sources

1. ↑ unsourced https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20238766/henry-berry
2. ↑ "Cavaliers and Pioneers Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800," Nell Marion Nugent:
3. ↑ Ferguson, Sandra. HENRY BERRY MIX-UP. Genealogy.com https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/berry/8834/
4. ↑ "1662-1664 Old Rappahannock County, Virginia Deed Book 1, Part II," Antient Press, Page 197-198.
5. ↑ Sweeny, W.M., Wills of Rappahannock County, VA 1656-1692, p.54, J.P Bell & Company, (1947) Available here

• "Cavaliers and Pioneers Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800," Nell Marion Nugent, Kindle Locations 12702-12704; 18520-18521.
• "Early Virginia Immigrants, 1623-1666," George Cabell Greer, 1912.
• Cavaliers and Pioneers. Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, Vol. I [database on-line]. Section: Patent Book 4 [1]
• Cavaliers and Pioneers. Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, Vol. I [database on-line]. Section: Patent Book 5 [2]
• Complete listing of Early Virginia Immigrants, 1623-1666 (from book published 1912 by George Cabell Greer, now copyright-free)
• Lorraine F. Myers, Stuart E. Brown, Jr., and Eileen M. Chappel. Some Old Families of Clarke County, Virginia] Copyright 1994
• Sweeney, William Montgomery, Wills of Rappahannock County, Virginia 1656-1692 [Reprint], Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2002, pp. 54-55: