THORNTON, William

Notes:

William was also known as "The Immigrant" and "The Gentleman from the Hills". He was from Royalty, coming from Yorkshire, England by 11 May 1646, when he obliged himself by a paper recorded in that county which included Gloucester, to care for the cattle of John Liptrot until the latter came of age.
He and settled in Stafford County, VA. In 1649 he received a land grant of 164 acres in Gloucester County, the grant being awarded for the transfer of 4 persons from England, this being one of the first patents in Virginia (Virginia Land Patent Book 5, Page 573.). He established a home about four miles northwest of Gloucester Point, called "The Hills."
He traded in shipping on Mobjack Bay, which is across from the present city of Norfolk, near "Weromoco," stomping ground of Chief Powhatan, John Smith and Pocahontas fame. He operated the ship "Mary Jane" in shipping to Barbados, West Indies.
Late in life he moved to Stafford County., Va. The southern portion of Stafford County later became King George County. His plantation was called "Fall Hill", located in Stafford Co., VA. William died at the home of his son, Col. Francis Thornton, in Stafford County; it is stated that his tombstone bears his Coat of Arms (Cod's Creek).where he was buried.
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On February 16, 1665/66 as "Mr. William Thornton" he had a grant of 164 acres of land in Petsworth Parish, Gloucester, adjoining the land where he lived and that of Richard Barnard.
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William Thornton was in York Co., VA William Thornton deeded 2,000 acres of land in Rappahannock Co., VA on 16 July 1675, to his sons, William, Francis and Rowland, and also mentions a daughter, Esther. (Deed Book 6, p. 83, Rappahannock Co., VA)
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On record in Essex is a power of attorney, dated September 1673, from William Thornton of Gloucester, to James Kay of Rappahannock County concerning 2,000 acres of land in the freshes, a track of land which he had bought from Mott.
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There is also recorded in Essex in 1701, a deed dated July 16, 1675, from William Thornton of Gloucester, gentleman, to Francis and Rowland, two of his sons, "conveying 2,000 acres in Rappahannock County, formerly Gloucester, but now of Stafford, authorizing the confirmation of said deed." (Deed Book 6, p. 83, Rappahannock Co., VA).
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Vestryman of Petsworth Parish in 1677.
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First wife was Eliza Belling. They had sons Luke and Edward
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The Thorntons were originally fair-haired Norwegian Vikings. The family has been traced back to Firgot, about 13 generations before Rolla. The Norse spelled Thornton as Thurston. William, The Conqueror, from Normandy, was the great-grandson of Rolla. William, the Conqueror, was crowned King of England in 1066.

William married BELLING, Eliza Bef 1646. [Group Sheet]

William married ROWLAND, Elizabeth 1646. Elizabeth was born , York County, Virginia; died , Stafford County, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Francis was Justice and High Sheriff of Gloucester Co., Virginia.

Francis married SAVAGE, Alice 13 Apr 1674, Gloucester County, Virginia. Alice (daughter of SAVAGE, Anthony Esquire and STAFFORD, Alice) was born 1647, Gloucester County, Virginia; died 1701, King George County, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Prudence is listed as a child in "Thornton's of VA" family tree chart, but her name is penciled in very lightly, as if to say there could have been a Prudence.

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]