SAVAGE, Alice

Alice married THORNTON, Francis 13 Apr 1674, Gloucester County, Virginia. Francis (son of THORNTON, William and ROWLAND, Elizabeth) was born 5 Nov 1651, Fall Hill, Stafford County, Virginia; died 1726, King George County, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Elizabeth — CONWAY, Edwin. [Group Sheet]

Elizabeth — GIBSON, Jonathan. [Group Sheet]

Margaret married STROTHER, William 2 Apr 1698. [Group Sheet]

Sarah married TALIAFERRO, Lawrence 11 Oct 1706. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Francis was the first Justice of Caroline Co., VA. He was also a Justice of Essex County and was a Burgess for Spottsylvania Co., VA in 1723-27. Francis settled at Snow Creek, near the present Fredericksburg about 1703. Burgess from Spotsylvania, 1742-1747; and a Colonel of Militia, 1742; He was a member of Loyal Land Company, 1745-1749; and a member of Ohio Land Company, 1745-1749. He was one of the first explores of the Peidmont section.
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There is a recorded deed in Essex County, dated Mar 1703/04 from Francis Thornton of Stafford conveying to Francis Thornton, Jr., then of Essex Co., VA, a tract of about 700 acres at Snow Creek.
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On the way up to Fall Hill, one finds a large old water-worn stone called the Indian Punch Bowl and it is seated on the banks of the Rappahannock River. It was originally carved into the rocks by Indians who used it to brew their poison for the tip of their arrows. Francis Thornton, II found the bowl, cleaned it out and served tasty punch in it during his river parties. The date he carved (1720) and the initials of his guests can still be seen today. There he held a fish fry for his friends every year for forty years.
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The legend of the old Barbary pirate is included. His tongue had been cut out and Francis Thornton, III took pity on him and offered, when the pirate died, to burry him. The gold he reportedly had was never found. The Thornton family was destitute after the Civil War and the cook had a vision in which she saw the gold buried between two oak trees. There are many holes between oak trees at Fall Hill today, but the gold has never been found!
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Genealogical and Historical Notes on Culpeper County, VA, p. 11
Culpeper county begins its career on historical ground. Its territory originally embracing what is now Culpeper, Madison and Rappahannock, was the subject of a protracted controversy, involving the title to several million acres of land...
1733... "There we took the depositions of Taliaferro, Thornton, and Russell, as follows:
John Taliaferro, gentleman, aged forty-nine years, being summoned, saith:--"About the year 1707 he came to live where he now lives, above Snow Creek, nine miles below the falls, and there were then but three settlements above his house, on the south side of the river. He had been acquainted with the fork of the river above twenty-four years, and that one of the forks was called South River until Governor Spottswood, about twenty years ago, named the south branch Rapidan, and it has ever since been so called.
" Francis Thornton, of Caroline, gentleman, aged fifty-three years and upwards, being sworn, declared:--"About thirty years ago he came to dwell where he now lives, on the lower side of Snow Creek, and there were but two settlements above his house, the uppermost of which was about four miles below the Falls. He had been acquainted with the forks of the river about twenty-seven years, and that one was called the South and the other the North Branch." William Russel, aged fifty-six years, being sworn saith:--"He has known the Great Fork of the Rappahannock River thirty-five years as a hunter, and one of the branches was always called South River until he heard Governor Spotswood name South River Rapidan, and the other river has been called Rappahannock; that the uppermost settlement thirty years ago was Montjoy's tobacco house, now Colonel Carter's quarter, on the north side of the river; that he saw some posts of the house on Mott's land, three or four miles above the Falls, which was said to have been burned by the Indians near thirty years ago."
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DEED BOOK A, 1722-1729
Francis Thornton and Mary his wife of Essex Co. and Anthony Thornton and Mary his wife of Stafford Co. to Elizabeth Tapp of Spts. Co. Dated Augt. 24, 1722: Recd. Septr. 4, 1722. 500 lbs. of tobacco. 450 a. of land in Spts. Co. "on ye ridge that lies between ye branches of Massaponnax and the branches of Mattapony river"--part of a tract granted Fran. and Antho. Thornton by patent April 19, 1720. Witnesses: Fran. Conway and Will. Strother.
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DEED BOOK A, 1722-1729
Francis Thornton and Mary his wife of Essex Co. and Anthony Thornton and Mary his wife of Stafford Co. to Elizabeth Tapp of Spts. Co. Dated Augt. 24, 1722: Recd. Septr. 4, 1722. 500 lbs. of tobacco. 450 a. of land in Spts. Co. "on ye ridge that lies between ye branches of Massaponnax and the branches of Mattapony river"--part of a tract granted Fran. and Antho. Thornton by patent April 19, 1720. Witnesses: Fran. Conway and Will. Strother.
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Decr. 25, 1723. Francis Thornton of Essex Co. and Anthony Thornton of Stafford Co., gentlemen, to Benjamin Morris of Spotsylvania Co., planter. 200 a. in Spts. Co., 530 lbs. of tobacco yearly for 99 years. Witnesses: Law. Battaille, Henry Martin. Rec. April 7, 1724.
Decr. 25, 1723. Francis Thornton of Essex Co. and Anthony Thornton of Stafford Co., Gentl., to James Sparks, planter. 200 a. of land in Spts. Co., 530 lbs. of tobacco yearly for 99 years. Witnesses: Henry Martin, Law. Battaille. Rec. April 7, 1724.
Decr. 25, 1723. Francis Thornton of Essex Co. and Antho. Thornton of Stafford Co., Gentl., to Leonard Night, planter. 140 a. of land in Spts. Co., 530 lbs of tobacco yearly for 99 years. Witnesses: Thos. Smith, John Mulkey. Rec. April 7, 1724.
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Octr. 31, 1724. Elizabeth x Tap of St. Geo. Par., Spts. Co., Va., widow, to my two sons, William Tap and Vincent Tap, and my daughter, Charity Wood, wife of Bartholomew Wood, all of the said parish and County. 40 ster. To my son Wm. Tap the plantation whereon I now live with 175 a. adjoining, in St. Geo. Par., Spts. Co. To my son, Vincent Tap, 175 a. of land St. Geo. Par., Spts. Co. To my daughter, Charity Wood, 100 a. of land in the sd. parish and county--all the above mentioned land purchased by me of Francis Thornton and Mary, his wife; and Anthony Thornton and Winifred, his wife, as by deeds dated Augt. 5, 1722. Witnesses: Moseley Battaley, Richard Johnson, James Williams. Rec. Nov. 3, 1724.
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June 6, 1732. Francis Thornton and Francis Thornton, junr. Executors of the last will and testament of James Horsnale, decd. [See Will Book A.] and of St. Mary's Par., Caroline Co., to William Grayson of St. Bee's Par., Cumberland Co., in Great Britain. 50 ster., 300 a. in St. Geo. Par., Spts. Co., purchased by James Horsnale of Augustine Smith. Witnesses: John Grame, John Bland, James x Roy. June 6, 1732.
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Sept. 4, 1733. John x Hadox of Spts. Co. to Francis Thornton of Caroline Co. 50 curr., 51 a. in fork of Rappk. River, and part of pat. formerly granted William Paton June 11, 1726, transferred by sd. Paton to John Kilgore, and from sd. Kilgore to sd. John Hadox, as by deeds June 3, 1729, etc. James Taylor, Robt. Stuart, John Red. Sept. 4, 1733. Dorothea, wife of sd. John Hadox, acknowledged her dower, etc.
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Decr. 15, 1737. Henry Willis of St. Geo. Par., Spts. Co., Gent., to Francis Thornton of same par. and county, Gent. 25 ster. 150 a. in St. Geo. Par., Spts. Co., part of a tract called Biranis. Witnesses, Jams. Belsches, John Gordon, Elisha Gordon. Mar. 7, 1737.

Francis married TALIAFERRO, Mary 3 Sep 1703, Snow Creek, Essex County, Virginia. Mary (daughter of TALIAFERRO, John Col. and SMITH, Sarah) was born 1686, Powhatan Plantation, Essex County, Virginia; died , Snow Creek, Frederick County, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Rowland married CATLETT, Elizabeth Aft 1702. [Group Sheet]

Anthony married PRESLEY, Winifred Abt 1712. [Group Sheet]

Francis married GREGORY, Frances 3 Sep 1736. Frances was born Abt 1720; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Thomas Watts, married Lydia Thornton. It is believed her surname was Thornton, because Thomas Watts sued the executors of Francis Thornton's estate October 25, 1768. Thomas Watts also had a grandson named Thornton Watts.
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Another source is the notation in a Watts family Bible which cites Charles Watts, grandson of Thomas Watts and Lydia Thornton. See below:

http://genforum.genealogy.com/thornton/messages/1509.html
(Our family has Bible starting with Charles Watts grandson of Thomas Watts and Lydia Thornton. I would be interested in your findings. (1772-1831). We come from the Jessie Boggs Watts and Margaret Smith Scott line thru Mary Ann Frances Watts and James Hill who were married 6-13-1858 ) Posted by Mary Jane.

Lydia married WATTS, Thomas Abt 1744, Fauquier County, Virginia. Thomas (son of WATTS, Francis and ANN) was born 1720, Fauquier County, Virginia; died Abt 1769, Fauquier County, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Bennett — THORNTON, Susannah. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Mason was a soldier of the Revolution. Mason Watts married Deborah Riker and was the father of twelve children.
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Jefferson County: First Visitors and First Settlers
Copyright 2000 by Robert W. Scott
"The next documented visitor was George Logan in 1801, according to an 1885 publication. That same book also cites Col. John Ryker as the first permanent settler of Jefferson Co. in 1804 in the Eagles Springs area of what would become Rykers Ridge. According to John Smock, John Rykers sister Rachel and her husband Samuel Smock (John Smocks parents), sister Deborah and her husband Mason Watts, and their brother Samuel Ryker crossed the Ohio and Corn Creek and settled near Hanover in 1805. (Samuel Ryker may have moved back to Kentucky, returning in 1810.)"
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Before 1809, Mason Watts built a log cabin two miles north of the present site of Canaan, in present day Jefferson Co., Indiana. Mason appears on the 1830 census as living in Ripley Co., Indiana and in the 1840 census in Decatur Co., Indiana. Mason is buried at Brush Creek Cemetery, Campbell Township, Jennings Co., Indiana. Deborah is buried in the Mavity Cemetery in Ripley County, Indiana.
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MASON WATTS Born Fauquier Co., Va. 1765; died Ripley Co., Ind., March 2, 1850. He enlisted in 2nd State Regiment of artillery in 1778 in his home country. (Pension application S17760, see also Aaron Watts, supra). (Watts Family, p. 69)
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Mason Watts, born (???)1765; died at Jennings Indiana, March 2, 1850. He enlisted in the second State Regiment of Artillery in Fauquier County, Virginia in 1778., under Lieut. Blackwell and was in actual service, although only a boy. He applied for a pension from Campbell County, Kentucky, April 22, 1833, giving his address as Ripley County, Ind. Apparently he is the same Mason Watts who appears in Shelby County, Kentucky where he married Deborah Ryker, June 18, 1793. He was in the Fayette County, Kentucky tax records in 1794. In October, 1795 he appraised the estate of William Robux, Shelby County, Kentucky. With his wife, Deborah, he sold their land in Shelby County, Kentucky, November 4, 1806. His pension papers bore the name of Peter Watts and were witnessed by James Alexander Watts. (Rev. War Pension Application S. 17760).
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30 Petitioners for a Justice of the Peace In 1807 Original Petitions in the Archives Division Indiana State Library, Indpls, IN, October 24, 1807

Indiana Territory Clark County
To his excellency William Henry Harrison Governor of the aforesaid Territory The memorial sundry Inhabitants and citizens living in the aforesaid Territory and county.

Your petitioners humbly sheweth you that we are destitute of a Justice of the Peace amonguest us and are at the distance of twenty miles from any to administer the necessary duties of that office. We therefore pray that your wisdom may deem it prudent to send forward a commition for John Vawter as he is the choice of his fellow citizens in these parts as weill bee seen by the list of names hereto annexed done in presents of
Abraham Huff Esq. a resident of Illinois grant this 24th October 1807.

Gideon Underwood Jas. Vawter Jas. Underwood
Wm. Offall Jas. Edwards John Lively
Elzaphan Jackson Joshua Jackson Ralph Griffin
William Hall Jesse Vawter Esquire Hall
John Griffin John Davis James Robb
Mason Watts John Ryker Stephen Green
James Grissom John Hall Samuel Smock
Wm. Vawter Joseph Laine Peter Laine
Isaiah Blankinship Joel Jackson Colby Underwood
Bernard McKlain Robert Greer Isaac Green
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Early Settlers of JEFFERSON COUNTY, IN

Mr. Mason Watts also came to the county in 1808. He was the first white man who settled in Marengo township. He lived there for many years, but afterwards went to Ripley county. His wife made for herself the first loom made in the county, out of a white walnut tree, doing the entire work with her own hands, so says the authority for this sketch. Mr. Watts was a man noted for his great strength, and prowess as a hunter. He followed hunting as his profession.
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Mason married RYKER, Deborah 18 Jun 1793, Shelby, Shelby County, Kentucky. Deborah (daughter of RIKER, Gerardus and DEMAREST, Rachel) was born 23 Jan 1777, Tappan, Rockland County, New York; died Abt 1837, Ripley County, Indiana; was buried , Near Rexville, Ripley County, Indiana (Unmarked). [Group Sheet]