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James Mills (abt. 1718 - abt. 1782)

James Mills
Born about [location unknown]
Son of and [mother unknown]
Husband of — married 21 Aug 1743 in Virginia Colonymap
Husband of — married after 1779 [location unknown]
[children unknown]
Died about at about age 64 in Middlesex County, Virginiamap
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Profile last modified | Created 28 Feb 2016
This page has been accessed 558 times.

My Aunt Frances (born a Miller) has four DNA cousins that note Mills as an ancestor(s) name. I also have "Miles" DNA cousins. "Miles" is the 2nd most common spelling version of Mills (Abt. 12,500 Mills on WikiTree and about 7,500 "Miles" on WikiTree).


From book: Middlesex County, Virginia Wills, Inventories & Accounts, 1673-1812 by William Lindsay Hopkins: (includes ALL mentions of Mills family members in this book below):

2/26/1754 (Page 12): "Christopher Miller [likely my 5th great grandfather, Christopher Miller-1194, Sr. (c. 1708 - 1758)] against William Dudley over the sale of a horse. Note of John Falconer to James Mills, merchant. Wit: Henry Wiseheart, George Rankins and John Mills."

11/6/1754 (Page 11): "James Mills, merchant, against George Rank."

8/31/1763 (Page 90): will of James Reid of Urbanna: "To be buried near brother Adam Reid. David Ker, attorney at law, my whole estate. Sister Mrs. Jean Reid of Ayr in SCOTLAND. Sarah Daniel, wife of John Daniel. John Adair, son of Rose O'Neal. Godson William Robinson, son of Maj. John Robinson. Exors: Friends Richard Corbin, Christopher Robinson and David Ker. Codicil dated 13 Sep 1763. Wit: Johh Symmer, James Robb and Archibald Patison. James Mills and Charles Nelson."

1768 (Page 31): "John Dillard.. 130 acres of Intailed Land which he has sold to Mr. James Mills. Adjoins Nelson, the Green Branch, Neilson." recorded in 1773.

1769 (Page 6): in the account of the estate of Thomas Laughlin the following names are listed: Robert Murray, William Taylor, James Laughlin, Thomas Segar, William Chowning, Jeremiah Mins, Richard Bristow, John Hewson, William Daniel, Peter Kemp, Turner Mills, Dr. Robert Spratt, Rev. Bartholomew Yates's estate, Thomas Kemp, James William, Daniel Springer and Robert Daniel. I am not sure who Turner Mills is, but likely some relative of James Mills.

10/31/1772 (Page 96): will of Thomas Kemp: Daughters Mary Kemp, Anne Kemp and Hannah Kemp. Son Cary Kemp (under 21). Wife Mary Kemp. My children viz Mary Kemp, Anne Kemp, Peter Kemp, Hannah Kemp, Thomas Kemp, Matthew Kemp and Oswald Smith Kemp (all under 21). Exors: Wife, James Mills and George Lorimer. Wit: James Gregorie, Machen Fearn, Willam Jones and Robert Kemp."

2/18/1774 (Page 7): "Bond of Elizabeth Elliott to James Mills & Co. Wit: Anne Jones and C. Ross"

8/8/1776; recorded 7/26/1779 (Page 100): will of Elizabeth Elliott: "To be buried by deceased husband. Son William Elliott. Son Matthew Elliott. Granddaughters Mary Payne, Elizabeth Payne and Anne Payne, daughters of Michael Payne, Esq. of Edenton, North Carolina. Sister Anne Jones. Exors: Friend James Mills, Esq. and Son William Elliott. Wit: John Morgan, Charles Dudley and Lewis Boss."

5/3/1781; recorded 2/25/1782 (Page 103): will of James Mills: "Wife Elizabeth Mills. Sister Ann Butcher. Exors: Wife, William Graham, Overton Cosby and James Gregorie. Elizabeth Mills Fraser. Nephew John Mills. Miss Elizabeth Corrie. Miss Lucy Wortham. Miss Maria Beverley. Robert Beverley, Esq. Wit: Bennett Browne, Samuel Klug and Harry B. Yates. Codicil dated 4 Sep 1781. Exors: Nephew Mr. John Mills and Mr. James Ross." Note: Codicil dated is when a will amendment is added and signed and dated; so James Mills was still living on 9/4/1781 and died sometime prior to 2/25/1782.

7/28/1782 (Page 7): "Elizabeth Elliott deeded the 550 acres she lived on and a water grist mill to James Mills & Co. to cover her debts. She was one of the two daughters of coheirs of Mathew Kemp, decd. In her will, Elizabeth Elliott named her son William Elliott, her executor."

8/14/1783 (Page 7): COSBY vs. ELLIOTT: "Elizabeth Mills, William Graham, James Gregorie, John Mills, Overton Cosby and James Ross, Executors of James Mills, Esq., decd., against William Elliott, Executor of Elizabeth Elliott, decd."

1788 to 1790 (Page 9): James Mills & Co. and surviving partners, Overton Cosby and James Gregory mentioned in law suit.




In the Full text of "Isle of Wight County Records": "and Elizabeth Jordan. (3) Fortune, his sister, m'd Col. John Flood, inter- preter for the Colony, who had issue Christopher Flood and Walter Flood. Fortune Jordan m., 2dly, James Mills, merchant. By a previous mar- riage Col. John Flood had issue Capt. Thomas Flood, who succeeded him as interpreter, and Jane, who married John Cary, a prominent merchant of London (see Surry Records). In the Surry records there is a deed (year 1688) of Lucy Jordan, wife of Mr. Thomas Jordan (the Isle of Wight man), conveying to Phillis Jordan that portion of land "which I hold in partnership with sister Susannah Branch and niece Eliz. Par- sons, dau. and sole heir of sister Judith Clay, dece'd, which land de- scended unto said Susanna, Judith, and Lucy, as daus. and coheirs of Capt. William Corker, dece'd" (son of John Corker). Witness, James Jordan, Eichard Washington. In 1685 Lt. Coll. Wm. Browne and Mr. James Jordan presented in Surry an inventory of the goods of Mr. Thomas Jordan, dece'd. There is in Surry the nuncupative will of Capt. William Corker "made at the house of his dau. Judith Clay in ye Isle of Wight Co." Feb. 26, 1675-6. Divides his estate between his wife and his three daus: Susanna (who m. George Branch, jr.), Judith Clay and Lucy Jordan; he confirms a gift to Elizabeth and Mary White, daus. of Capt. John White, of whom Elizabeth md. Capt. Robert Spencer, of Surry. Col. George Jordan names in his will his nephew Edward Bayley. So he had probably a sister who married Bayley. Col. Henry Browne, of the Council, probably married Anne Flood, a sister of Col. John Flood. The Jordans of Isle of Wight were leading Quakers. In 1728 Samuel Bownas visited and staid with "Old Robert Jordan." In company with Joseph Jordan he called on the Governor, who received him kindly and promised to release from prison certain friends who refused to perform militia duty. "Travels of Rev. Samuel Bownas." "

The "James Mills, merchant" mentioned above in the Full text of "Isle of Wight County Records" maybe the James Mills on this profile's father since it appears this document was written around 1680 (38 years prior to James Mills on this profile's birth). My Miller's of Virginia who appear to have been Scottish Tobacco factors (as James Mills was) had a family branch (Edward Miller's descendants) in Isle of Wight Co., VA also.


From Link below "1809-001, Exrs. of James Mills, etc. vs. James H. T. Larimer, etc.: Debt suit includes an estate settlement that contains an extensive list of slaves sold and a catalog of books."

https://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=lva/vi02659.xml

Quite a bit of info. on James Mills at this link including http://www.ssentinel.com/index.php/community/article/james_mills_had_a_good_eye_for_colonial_real_estate:

"Moving on to 1763, James Mills married Elizabeth (Bland) Beverly of the significant Beverly family of Middlesex and Essex counties. They move to Urbanna and purchase Lansdowne from Ralph Wormeley III. Mills expands his tobacco marketing business to include Urbanna. By 1766 he has built his Scottish Factors Store and is a major personality in both towns.

As in Tappahannock, his real estate is also again on the right street. Virginia Street in Urbanna has Lansdowne as his home (“best house in Urbanna”), the courthouse, customs house, Scottish Factors Store, Tobacco Inspection Station and wharf. Again, the first four are still standing for historical tours.

In 1770, Mills purchased 550 acres, which is half of the property associated with Middlesex’s other Tobacco Inspection Warehouse and wharf— “Kemps down on the Piankatank River.” Kemp is the family name for this 1,100-acre plantation started in 1656. Kemps was at that time the second most significant economic spot in Middlesex County, but in recent times was almost lost and forgotten. Kemps was an important site since before 1730 when the two Tobacco Inspection Warehouses were authorized by the Virginia Colony for Middlesex. At that time it was probably a busy village with workers homes, a farm, mill, and all the tobacco-marketing structures.

What did James Mills need to draw attention to this important spot that fits with his pattern of success? It appears he may have built a brick store/storehouse, on top of the bluff above the Inspection Station and wharf. It may have been 1½ stories, or a full two stories, both with a full basement. The store may have also been his home when he was at Kemps (Piankatank Quarter Plantation). His main home remained Lansdowne.

The brick store at Kemps is 24 by 40 feet, the same footprint as his Urbanna store. Could this building also have survived? Well, James Mills appears to know about real estate. This brick store/home is believed to be the basis for Woodport Plantation Home on the Piankatank River. It has had many additions, remodels, and may have suffered a fire in 1776, but is still standing. Woodport was featured during Virginia Garden Week in 2016.

James Mills had a distinct pattern for buying and using buildings to support his incredibly swift rise in success marketing tobacco. Most of the real estate he used is still standing after almost 300 years. Do a drive-by tour or read more on the Museums of Middlesex (MOM) website at www.museumsofmiddlesex.com, or http://www.urbannavamuseum.com.

Biography

James Mills was a merchant in Hobbs Hole, a port town and crossroads in Essex County, Virginia, established in 1682 by James Hobbs as a trading post, at Tappahannock. [1]

See link below: "In the 1740s, Beverley also built a water mill and a windmill for the custom trade that produced steady annual rents, as did a smith shop and a tavern at the Caroline County courthouse. Attempts to mine iron, copper, and silver and a trial shipment of furs, in contrast, seem to have met with little success. Beverly aspired too, to become a factor for Barbadian merchants, hoping to join with this son-in-law James Mills, who had a store at Hobbs Hole, in trading African slaves, sugar, molasses, rum, and salt for corn, lumber, and cash."

https://books.google.com/books?id=k1rqCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA498&lpg=PA498&dq=James+mills+merchant+in+hobbs+hole+essex+county,+virginia&source=bl&ots=ou2pn98OS2&sig=dNq3Xnmw2qvglIrJYG7YZ3kCiZY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwikxOnjmJXdAhUNbq0KHV8uBG0Q6AEwAXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=James%20mills%20merchant%20in%20hobbs%20hole%20essex%20county%2C%20virginia&f=false

See link below: "Lt. Coll Nicholas Hill, 1 of Isle of Wight, deceased, father of Ealph Hill. Silvestra Hill, widow of Lt. Coll Nicholas. His youngest son Eichard Hill. Deed to Major Samuel Swan. 1678.

Be it known unto all men by these p'sents that I W m Bressie of y 8 Vpper parrish of y 6 Isle of Wight County in Virginia planter w th Susannah my wife have given granted enfeoffed from

and Elizabeth Jordan. (3) Fortune, his sister, m'd Col. John Flood, inter- preter for the Colony, who had issue Christopher Flood and Walter Flood. Fortune Jordan m., 2dly, James Mills, merchant. By a previous mar- riage Col. John Flood had issue Capt. Thomas Flood, who succeeded him as interpreter, and Jane, who married John Cary, a prominent merchant of London (see Surry Records). In the Surry records there is a deed (year 1688) of Lucy Jordan, wife of Mr. Thomas Jordan (the Isle of Wight man), conveying to Phillis Jordan that portion of land "which I hold in partnership with sister Susannah Branch and niece Eliz. Par- sons, dau. and sole heir of sister Judith Clay, dece'd, which land de- scended unto said Susanna, Judith, and Lucy, as daus. and coheirs of Capt. William Corker, dece'd" (son of John Corker). Witness, James Jordan, Eichard Washington. In 1685 Lt. Coll. Wm. Browne and Mr. James Jordan presented in Surry an inventory of the goods of Mr. Thomas Jordan, dece'd. There is in Surry the nuncupative will of Capt. William Corker "made at the house of his dau. Judith Clay in ye Isle of Wight Co." Feb. 26, 1675-6. Divides his estate between his wife and his three daus: Susanna (who m. George Branch, jr.), Judith Clay and Lucy Jordan; he confirms a gift to Elizabeth and Mary White, daus. of Capt. John White, of whom Elizabeth md. Capt. Robert Spencer, of Surry. Col. George Jordan names in his will his nephew Edward Bayley. So he had probably a sister who married Bayley. Col. Henry Browne, of the Council, probably married Anne Flood, a sister of Col. John Flood. The Jordans of Isle of Wight were leading Quakers. In 1728 Samuel Bownas visited and staid with "Old Robert Jordan." In company with Joseph Jordan he called on the Governor, who received him kindly and promised to release from prison certain friends who refused to perform militia duty. "Travels of Rev. Samuel Bownas."

1 Nicholas Hill, in 1635, patented 100 acres in Elizabeth City Co. for Ms own importation and a servant's."

https://archive.org/stream/jstor-1919740/1919740_djvu.txt


James Mills was noted to have owned the Woodport Plantation on the Plankatank River (about 7 miles southeast of Lotus Grove Rd., Topping, VA where I think my Miller's owned land - Woodport modern address is 352 Woodport Lane, Hartfield, VA.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19921021-1992-10-21-9210210180-story.html

Sources





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Rejected matches › James Mills (1719-)

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