John Grigsby ²

  General Notes:

Will of John Grigsby Senr.
In Name of God Amen I JOHN GRIGSBY SENR. of Parish of St. Paul in County of Stafford being in good health, being sensible of uncertainty of this Mortal life doe make this my last will and Testament..first recommend Soul into ye hands of almighty God..and my Body I commit to the earth. Item I give unto my Son JOHN GRIGSBY..his..part of ye tract of Land I bought of Nicholas Battain from his Spring Branch to ye uper corner tree by WM. Smiths old fields and Likewise I give him three Negroes names Sambo, Thom and Dick. Item I give unto my Son CHARLES GRIGSBY all that land from the Swamp to Mr. Chandler Fowkes line whereon now he lives it being in the Pattain I bought of Nick Battain and Likewise I give him two Negroes Robin and James to him and heirs. Item I give unto my Daughter MARY AMEX four Negroes Jemmy, Will, Toney & Bess to her and heirs. Item I give unto my Son JAMES GRIGSBY all that land whereon he now lives from Jones Branch up his own Spring Branch and to across to his Brother John's Spring Branch and likewise I give him three Negroes Jack, Ben, Ball to him and heirs. Item I give unto my Son WM. GRIGSBY and heirs all that Land whereon he now lives it being part of that Patten I bought of Nicholas Battain from James Spring Branch up Jones Branch to my head line and soe along the line to his brother John's land and likewise I give him three Negroes, Allow, Jane and Grace. Item I give my son THOMAS GRIGSBY all the remainder part of that Pattain yt I bought of Battain from the end of Wolf Pit Point up Jones Branch to my Head Line on the East side of ye Branch also I give him the Track of Land whereon now I live to him and heirs, and likewise I give him three Negroes, Nan, Genny and Mary and their increase. Likewise I give unto my son Thomas all my Hoggs belonging to me and likewise half my Cattle and the other half of cattle to be Devided between my other four sons and Daughter and likewise all my other part of my moveable Estate to be equally Divided between my six children, and further I doe Desire that my Estate may not be brought to an Appraisement and further I Doe apoint my two sons John and Thomas Grigsby to be my Executors.. to see that Every thing Equally divided between themselves..this 17th March 1728/9.
Jno. Grigsby Presence: Henry Lopdell, Eliz Eaton
At Court held for Stafford County 11th day of Novr. 1730 Will presented..further proved..admitted to record..on Motion of Executors Certificate granted for obtaining Probate
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"Virginia Historical Genealogies" by Boddie
John Grigsby, immigrant ancestor of this family, first appears in the records of Essex County, where, on June 9, 1671, he witnessed a deed for 600 acres conveyed by John Prosser to John Stephens.....
John Grigsby removed to Stafford previous to August 18, 1686, for James Ashton of Stafford, in his will of that date, leaves Richard Elkin 100 acres adjoining upon John Grigsby of 'the 1/4 dividend'..........
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Colonial Families of the United States" page 471
John Grigsby, of England: came to Virginia about 1660, with brother James: both soldiers under Cromwell; m. Jane Rosser, who came over on the same vessell. ----page 479--George Hales King, of Prince William County, Virginia, Revolutionary soldier and supposed to have been in Colonial service; son of John King and Mary Hales, dau. of John hales, who d. 1728, Westmoreland County, Virginia, William Grigsby, b. 1760, son of Nathaniel Grigsby, Loudoun County, Virginia, d. 1801, Kentucky, and Elizabeth Butler, dau. of William Butler and Anne (?) Mason. Nathaniel Grigsby, son of James Redmond Grigsby, will 1752, and Susannah of Stafford county, son of John Grigsby, I, of Stafford, d. 1729, son of John Grigsby and Jane Rosser of England and Virginia.
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From a book written by Henrietta Hamilton:

"Many American families, particularly Virginians, trace their descent from John Grigsby whose ancestors were unquestionably of Welch origin, and who settled in this Country at a very early day, and were a potent factor in the social and intellectual development of the Communities in which they lived. As a people, they have been noted for their refined tastes, gracious manners, broadminindedness and liberality, and entire absense of anything like narrow clannishness, in religion or political matters, and for their unswerving devotion to the interests of higher education.
The members of this family with which the present records deal, were two brothers, James and John, who emigrated to America about 1660, and settled in Stafford County Virginia."
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Apparently was a soldier in Cromwell's army, and when Charles II returned to the throne, John decided to leave England for the new world.
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(A slightly different, more complete looking, transcription of his will):

John Grigsby's Will,1730, Book M, pages 17-18

In the name of God Amen, I John Grigsby of the Parish of St. Paul in the county of Stafford being in good health of body, sound, perfect and disposing mind and memory, thanks be returned to God for same, yet being sensible of the uncertainty of this mortal life, do make, publish, and ordain this my last will and Testament in manner & form following (that is to say) first and principally I recommend my soul into hands of Almighty God, hoping through the meritorius death & passion of my Blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ to receive full & free pardon and remition of my sins and to inherit everlasting salvation, and my body I commit to the earth to be decently interred at the discretion of my executors hereafter mentioned as touching the disposition of such temporall estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me, I give and dispose thereof as followeth (viz)
Item I give unto my son John Grigsby & his heirs part of tract of land I bought of Nicholas Battain from his spring branch to uper corner tree by Wm. Smith's old field and likewise I give him three Negros, Sambo, ____, & Dick.
Item I give unto my son Charles Grigsby all that parcell of land from the swamp to Mr. Chandler Fowke's line whereon he now lives, it being in the pattain I bought of Nick Battain and likewise I give unto him two Negros, Bobin & James, and to him and & his heirs the land & Negros.
Item I give unto my daughter Mary Ann four Negros, Jenny, Will, Joney & and Bess, to her and her heirs.
Item I gave unto my son James Grigsby and his heirs all that parsall of land whereon he now lives from Jones Branch up his own spring branch and to across to his brother John' spring branch, and likewise I give him three Negros, Jack, Ben, Dall and her increase forever to him & and his heirs.
Item I give unto my son Wm. Grigsby, and his heirs all that parcell of land whereon he now lives, it being part of that patten I bought of Nicholas Battain from James' spring branch up Jones Branch to my head line and so along the line to his brother John's land, and likewise I give him three Negros, Allow, Jane & Grace, their increase to him and his heirs forever.
Item I give unto my son Thomas Grigsby all the remainer part of that pattain. I bought of Battain from the end of Wolf Pit Point up Jones Branch to my head line on the east side of branch;
also I give him the said tract of land whereon now I live to him and his heirs and likewise I give him three Negros, Nan, Genny, Mary, and their increase to him & his heirs forever and likewise I give unto my son Thomas Grigsby all my hoggs belonging to me and likewise I give him half my cattle and the other half of Cattle to be divided between my other four sons and daughter and like- wise all my other part of my moveable estate to be equally divided between my six children and
further I doe desire that my estate may not be brought to an appraisement, and further I doe appoint my two sons John and Thomas Grigsby to be my executors of this my last will & testament to see that everything equally divided between themselves revoking all former wills as witness my hand and seals this 17th March, 1728/9.

Signed & Sealed in the Present of us & Delivered:

Hen. Lopdell Jn. Grigsby (seal)

mark
Eliz. Q. Eaton
her

At a Court held for Stafford County the 11th day of November 1730 this Will was presented into Court by John Grigsby and Thomas Grigsby, executors therein named, who made oath thereto and the same being further proved by the oath of Elizabeth Eaton, one of the witnesses thereto, who also made oath that she saw Henry Lopdell, another witness, subscribed, sign the same it is admitted to record and on the motion of the said executors, certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate thereof in due form.

Test: Catesby Cook, Clerk
A Copy Teste: S. L. Alexander, Clerk
Recorded in Will Book M, pages 17 & 18.
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Baptismal date verified from original church records, 26-May-2003

Entry in the Register of Christening from 1558 to 1628 - Entry 37
"The 8th of August was baptised John the Sonne of Thomas Grigsbey gent"
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Possibly had a first wife & was married about 1650

John married Sarah Jane Rosser in 1676 in Saint Paul's Parish, Stafford County, Virginia. (Sarah Jane Rosser was born about 1656 in Virginia Or England and died before 1709 in Saint Paul's Parish, Stafford County, Virginia.)