Robert Watson McColley Sr. (1740 - bef. 1811)

Born 1740 in Somerset, Maryland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before Mar 1811 before age 71 in Cool Spring, Sussex, Delaware, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: AM Hayes [send private message] and Jimmy Tindell [send private message]

Biography

Robert McColley Sr. is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A128536.

Robert Watson McColley was born c. 1739-1740^[1].

In 1747, his maternal grandfather Robert Watson left a bequest to his grandson Robert Watson McColley.

Robert's deed of his 1764 land purchase from Richard Reynolds describes Robert as a "Yeoman" -- that is, a land-owning farmer.

He purchased additional property from Richard Reynolds in 1774. The deed makes clear that this is land that had been patented in Somerset county, Maryland, in 1741, but was now part of Sussex County, Delaware.

Robert was in a military record in 1775-1783 in Delaware.^[2]

In 1800, Robert, aged over 45, was living in Nanticoke Hundred. His household included his wife, also older than 45; two males between 10-15; two males between 15-25; and a female between 16-25. The household included five slaves: 02201|00101|05

The 1807 sale of land to John Russell also refers to Robert's wife Anthelinah. Robert is described as a Yeoman of Nanticoke Hundred.

Robert signed his will on 12 March 1811. The will was probated in December of that year.

Will of Robert Watson McColley

In the Name of God Amen. I Robert W. McColley of the County of Sussex and State of Delaware being weak in body but of sound memory thanks be given unto god calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and Testament, that is to say, Principally and first of all I give and recommend my Soul into the hand of almighty God that gave it and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a decent Christian Burial at the decision of my Executors nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection. I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in the life I give demise and ispose of the same in the following manner

First. I give and bequeath unto my son Ely McColley one hundred Acres of land the Track of land he now is living on to him his heirs and assigns and what more property he has already received and no more of my Estate

Second. I give and bequeath unto my son John McColley all goods and Chattels he has received and no more of my Estate.

Third. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Andasiah Marvel all the goods and Chattels she has received and noe more of my estate .

Fourth. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Zipporah Tindal all the goods and Chattels she has already received, Except a negro Girl Jaein and noe more of my estate.

Fifth. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Butler all goods and Chattels she has received and no more of my estate.

Sixth. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Sally Rogers all the goods and Chattels she has received and no more of my estate.

Seventh. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Nancy Swain one negro Girl called Jaein until she arrives to the age of twenty five years and then she is to be free, and all the property she has received and no more of my Estate.

Eighth. I give and bequeath unto my son Purnal all the moveable property he has received and no more of my moveable Estate.

Also I give unto my beloved wife Anathaliner McColley the one third of all my Estate.

Also I give and bequeath unto my son Robert W. McColley all my lands on the North side of the Branch that is where I now live to him and Heirs forever, and in consideration for the Lands so left him he shall pay unto Purnal McColley the sum of Eighty Dollars within two years aft decease.

Also I give unto Abraham Outten McColley and his heirs all the new land lying South side of Green Branch which is in the Division between him and Robert W. McColley his brother, and in consideration of the above lands he is to pay Eighty Dollars to Joshua McColley within two years after my decease

Also, I give unto my son Robert W. McColley one sorrel Horse as a Legacy.

Also, I give unto my son Outten McColley one sorrel mare as a Legacy.

Also I leave my Negro man Jacob to be free when he arrives to the age of twenty Eight years, Also I have another negro by the name of Moses to be free when his apprenticeship Expires with Isaac Hammond where he is Bound to.

Also I have one negro Girl called Annes to be free at the age of twenty five Also I give and bequeath unto my Grandaughter Zipporah McColley one Feather Bed and furniture.

And the remaining part of My Estate I give and bequeath unto my two sons Robert W. McColley and Abraham Outten McColley to be equally divided, and lastly I appoint my two sons Robert W. McColley and Abraham Outten McColley to be my Executors of this my last Will and Testament ???ing and revoking all other Wills heretofore made Retifying and ???? naming this to be my Last Will and Testament. In Testimony where I have herewith Set my hand and Seal 12th day March 1811 signed Sealed Subscribed and pronounced by the Testator his last will in the presence of us who were present at the signing and Sealing the same.

Robert W. McColley (his mark) (seal)

Witness present John Evans, Prettyman Day, Zachariah Ellisworth (his mark), Sussex County

Memorandum the 26th day of December 1811 before me Phillips Kollock Register appointed for the probate of Wills and granting Letters of Administration in the County aforesaid appeared Prettyman Day and Zachariah Ellingsworth two of the Subscribing Witnesses to the within and foregoing will who being duly sworn the holy Evangels of Almighty God die severlly depose and say that in their ???? presence and hearing the Testator Robert W. McColley did sign seal publicly pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and Testament and that at the doing thereof he seemed to be of a sound disposing mind memory and judgment and that they and each of them together with John Evans subscribed the same as Witness in the presence of the said Testator and at his request. Phillips Kollock, Reg.

Notes

Birthplace: Robert Watson McColley was probably born in Somerset county, Maryland, before it was carved into Worcester county in 1742.

Family information still to be sourced. Quotes from a post by Jim Blackburn, who transcribed Robert Watson McColley's will: [1]

Robert Watson McColley (who had a son, grandson and several nephews named after him) was the son of John McCauley (1707- 1743) in nearby Bogertermorton Hundred in now Worcester, Co. Md. (i.e. below Selbyville, DE.) and m. Eliz. Watson dau of Robert Watson.

That John was the son of John who was the son of the progenitor John MacKauley who came from Scotland.... He was here by 1675 when he appeared on the Somerset, Md. tax rolls as John McAldny probably based on his Scottish Accent...

Name and Surname Variations:

Robert seems to have always distinguished himself (from other McColley's) by using his middle initial W. or full middle name Watson.

Since McColley is the spelling used in his will, I think this is the best surname for this profile.

1764 deed of sale uses "McCally"

His 1800 census record (which has been mis-indexed as Mcculley by ancestry.com) shows "McCaulley" on the image.

Revolutionary War Service?: This is a record for a Robert McCally, serving in Capt McClement's Delaware regiment in the United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 [2]. I would expect a descendant to have tried for DAR or SAR status, however, so this service probably does not relate to this profile.

Sources

1. ↑ Delaware Vital Records, birth record
2. ↑ Military: "United States Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783"
   citing Affiliate Publication Title: Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War; Affiliate Publication Number: M881
   FamilySearch Record: XPHP-HNR (accessed 23 February 2024)
   http://www.fold3.com/document.php?doc=17095771&xid=215&p=ma
   Name: Robert McCally; Military Service Date: 1775-1783; Military Service Place: Delaware; Mil Regiment: Delaware; System Of Record: SLS.

• Will of Robert Watson of Worcester County, in / Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999 (Worcester) Wills 1742-1759, Vol 2, Image 24. Images (browse only) at FamilySearch.org, accessed 24 Sept 2020.

Signed: 24 Jan 1746 [?46/47]; Proved 6 March 1746/47

Bequest to grandson Robert Watson McColley

• "Delaware Vital Records, 1650-1974," database with images, FamilySearch [3] : 13 March 2018), Robert W Mccolley, c.1740; citing Birth, , Delaware Public Archives, Dover; FHL microfilm . Reference: Sussex Co. Chancery Case E #24.
• Delaware, Land Records, 1677-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Delaware Public Archives; Delaware Land Records; Roll Number: 4 , citing Robert Watson McColley, 2 May 1764, purchase of land from Richard Reynolds. [4] This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original source: Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Sussex County, RG 4555, Subgroup 000, Series 030. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware.

• Delaware, Land Records, 1677-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Delaware Public Archives; Delaware Land Records; Roll Number: 4 , citing Robert Watson McColley, 7 August 1764, sale of land to Elener (Eleanor) Bainum. [5] Original source: Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Sussex County, RG 4555, Subgroup 000, Series 030. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware.

• Delaware, Land Records, 1677-1947 [database & images on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Delaware Public Archives; Delaware Land Records; Roll Number: 05, citing Robert Watson McColley,8 Nov 1774, purchase of land from Richard Reynolds. [6] Original source: Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Sussex County, RG 4555, Subgroup 000, Series 030. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware.

• Tax lists of Sussex County, Delaware, before 1767-1850; Robert W--- McCauley as tax payer in Nanticoke Hundred, 1790. Images published on familysearch.org: [7]

• Delaware, Land Records, 1677-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Delaware Public Archives; Delaware Land Records; Roll Number: 11 , citing Robert Watson McColley,16 Nov 1807, sale of land to John Russell. [8] Original source: Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Sussex County, RG 4555, Subgroup 000, Series 030. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware.

• 1800 United States Federal Census, citing Robert W Mcculley, Year: 1800; Census Place: Nanticoke Hundred, Sussex, Delaware; Series: M32; Roll: 4; Page: 335; Image: 179; Family History Library Film: 6413. Database and images published by Ancestry.com [9]. His 1800 Census record shows five slaves.

• Transcription of Will of Robert Watson McColley, 12 March, 1811, Sussex County Delaware. www.shoreweb.com/wills/Will60.htm. Transcription by Jim Blackwell.

• Delaware, Wills and Probate Records, 1676-1971. Abstracts of Wills, Sussex County, Delaware, 1700s-1800s; Probate Place: Sussex, Delaware. Will Abstracts, Vol 1. Database and images published by Ancestry.com [10]

Name Robert Watson Mc Caulley

Probate Place Sussex, Delaware, USA

Inferred Death Place Delaware, USA

• Delaware, Wills and Probate Records, 1676-1971 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

Original data: Delaware County, District and Probate Courts. Sussex, Wills, Book E-F, 1794-1813

Robert Wattson McColley in Index. Image 187 of 462: [11]

Robert Wattson McColley, Image of Will, page 1 , image 434 of 462: [12] and page 2 , image 435 of 462: [13]

• Delaware, Land Records, 1677-1947 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com, 2014. Original source: Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Sussex County, RG 4555, Subgroup 000, Series 030. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware.

Sussex county: Roll 006: Image 64 [14]

Purchaser: Robert Watson McCalley, planter

Seller: Stephen Mitchell, planter, and wife Betty, late Betty Lacey, administrators of the estate of William Baggs Lacey

Date: 15 June 1783

Price: £99; Property: 100 tract called Hogg Quarter in Broadkiln hundred

• Delaware, Land Records, 1677-1947 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com, 2014. Original source: Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Sussex County, RG 4555, Subgroup 000, Series 030. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware.

Sussex county: Roll 006: Image 64 [15]

Purchaser: Stephen Mitchell, planter

Seller: Robert Watson McCalley, and Anthalina his wife

Date: 1 August 1783

Price: £99; Property: 100 tract called Hogg Quarter in Broadkiln hundred

Same tract, sold back to the Mitchells by the McCalleys

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Betty Tindle for creating McColley-29 on 28 Aug 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Betty and others.