To discover what relationship there was between James Binford and Richard Pace, Jr., records were reviewed to locate where the two men lived in the 1680s, who their neighbors were and with whom they interacted. The records reveal that both men lived in the same area of Charles City Co., VA, and therefore knew a lot of the same people. James Binford lived about a mile west of the Richard Pace, Sr., homestead in 1683. Dr. John Coggin’s property acquired from his step-son, Thomas Boyce, and Emelia Craven lay between the Binford and Pace farms and shared a boundary with the Pace farm. (A map of this area is located on this website.)
On November 20, 1683, Col. Edward Hill was granted 980½ acres in Westover parish in Charles City Co., 680 acres that was lost by James Warrendine for “want of seating,” and an adjoining 380½ acres.(1) His land was adjacent to 1,250 acres on his western boundary that was granted to Major Francis Poythress on the same date. Poythress’ land was surrounded by Sampson Ellis, Henry Batte, John Woodlief, James Munford and Robert Wyatt and was located south of the James river, in Jordan’s parish of Charles City Co. Poythress’ land crossed the great swamp, Horse branch, Ham branch and ran along Dry Bottom run. Col. Hill’s land crossed to the north side of the great Road and ran along the road until it crossed over to the south side of the road to Poythress’ land. Hill’s land was bounded by Roger Tilman, James Binford (1645-aft. 1722) and Robert Abernathy on the east, by James Wallace on the northeast and by Daniel Higdon on the south.
Hannah [-----] Aston married Edward Hill (1610-1663) as her second husband. Major Francis Poythress (1639-1688) married Rebecca Coggin (1660-bef. 1721). Henry Batte (1642-1699) was the father of Mary Batte (c. 1664-1760) who married John Poythress(3) (c. 1661-c. 1730s), son of John Poythress (1640-1712) and Christian Peebles (1656-1717). John Woodlief (1650-1722) was the father of John Woodlief (1673-aft. 1741) who married Mary Poythress(3), the daughter of John Poythress and Christian Peebles. James Munford (1648-1690) married Sarah [Wyatt?] probably the daughter of Robert Wyatt. Munford’s step-father was Captain Morgan Jones. At Munford’s death, his daughter, Wilmoth Munford, was placed under the guardianship of Elizabeth Hamlin Peebles the wife of William Peebles (1670-1727), grandson of Captain David Peebles. Lt. John Bannister died before October 1661 when probate of his will was given to James Wallace (1640-1690) who had married Bannister’s widow, Joan [Wheeler?]. In 1678, James Binford petitioned the court for delivery of land to Sarah, his wife, the daughter of Thomas Chappell. This land was left by Banister to his wife, Joan, for her lifetime and then it was to go to Sarah Chappell. The land was held by James Wallace by right of his wife, Joan, and he agreed that the land should pass to Sarah as heir of Banister. Banister was noted in court records with Richard Baker (1660), John Coggin (1659) and Robert Wynne (1658/9). He also held a lease at Bon Accord (1658/9) that was owned by Captain David Peebles (1593-1659), the father of Christian Peebles Poythress. Richard Baker (1612-1655) was Richard Pace, Sr.’s father-in-law (1638-1678). Roger Tilman (1650-1704) married Winifred Austin and Susannah Hunt Parham, the daughter of William Hunt. Tilman’s daughter, Christine, married Robert Abernathy (1656-1730), son of Captain Robert Abernathy (1632-1685) and Sarah Cubisha. Merchant’s Hope church is located adjacent to modern Highway 641 and south of Highway 10 on the emigrant Robert Abernathy’s 100 acres. Daniel Higdon (1660-1739) and Charles Goodrich, Sr. (1654-1726), shared a boundary with Major Francis Poythress on the north side of their properties. Daniel Higdon shared a boundary with Richard Pace, Sr. (1638-1678), on his eastern line and Francis Poythress also shared a boundary with Pace. Pace’s southern boundary bordered Daniel Higdon, Roger Reese (1660-1738) and John Williams. Pace’s homestead was about one mile north of this property and was adjacent to Dr. John Coggin (1621-1698) and Richard Baker, later John Jane (bef. 1650-1697) and wife Elizabeth Tye (1650-1697). Charles Goodrich, Sr. (1654-1726) and his wife, Elizabeth, were the parents of Annie who married John Hamlin, Jr. (1685-1725). Annie Goodrich’s brother, Edward Goodrich (1688-1720), married Margaret Wynne. Their daughter, Mary, married Roger Tillman (1705-aft. 1732). Charles Goodrich, Sr.’s last wife was Mary Eppes, the widow of John Hardyman (1654-1711). Mary Epes was the sister of Littlebury Eppes (1665-1743) who bought 500 acres from Joshua Wynne who had bought the property from Rebecca Coggin Poythress (1660-bef. 1721). Many of the men mentioned above, of militia age, would have been under the command of Col. Edward Hill when mustered, drilling or called to arms. All of these people lived in a small area of Prince George Co. shown on the map on this website. Their property locations, intermarriages and court records provide insight into the many relationships. As was the case in colonial Virginia, neighbors married neighbors and near neighbors and this was evident in the familial relationships of those involved with James Binford and the Pace family.
On May 1, 1706, Richard Pace was granted 640 acres on the northeast side of the Moratocke river (Roanoke) in Chowan precinct of Albemarle Co. in NC. His eastern boundary bordered James Binford’s land and his southwestern boundary ran along the Roanoke river.(2)
Richard Pace, Jr., and his family never lived on this land. James Binford, who owned the neighboring property, was known by Richard Pace as they lived near each other in Virginia. Pace used this land on the Roanoke river in his trade business. He and his brother, John, an Indian trader, made many trips to this property from his home in Virginia.
On May 1, 1707, Joshua Wynne, John Hamlin and James Binford witnessed a deed for 176 acres at Jones Hole and the mouth of Reedy branch that ran between William Rains plantation and Captain Mallory’s plantation sold by James and Mary Salmon, of Surry Co., to William Rains, of Westover parish in Prince George Co. On the reverse of this deed, William Rains gave land to his sons, Richard and Thomas.(3)
Joshua Wynne (1661-1715) was the son of Robert Wynne (1622-1678) and Mary [Sloman?] Poythress Wynne. John Hamlin (c. 1640-bef. 1720) married Elizabeth Taylor (c. 1660-1720), the daughter of Richard Taylor and Sarah Barker. Thomas Mallory (1635-1678), the husband of Mary, was the son of Thomas Mallory (1605-1671) and father of Francis Mallory (1665-1719) who married Elizabeth Goodrich. John Hardyman (1654-1711) married Mary Eppes. Their daughter, Mary, possibly married John Poythress (1681-1724) and their daughter, Lucy, possibly married Joshua Poythress (1688-1740). Their son, John Hardyman, (1686-1738) was the husband of Henrietta Maria Taylor. William Raines (Rainey) (1666-1722) married Elizabeth Shands and their son, Richard Raines, married Jane Williamson. William Steward, the son of Charles and Anne Pace Steward, married Mary Shands, granddaughter of John Roberts whose property was very near the property of Richard Pace, Jr., in 1724. John Roberts’ land separated William Raines’ land from Richard Pace’s 1,220 acres.
On June 16, 1714, James Binford was granted 261 acres in Prince George Co. near Merchant’s Hope upon the poplar level called Robert Jones’ level beginning at the fork of the cross swamp, land that had escheated from the late John Banister and was surveyed by Robert Bolling, October, 1703. On March 23, 1715, James Binford was granted property halfway between Richard Pace’s 1719 property and Pace’s 1724 property in Surry Co.
On November 8, 1720, Francis Poythress the Elder, of Westover parish in Prince George Co., son of Major Francis Poythress and Rebecca Coggin, sold 150 acres called Powell’s to his brother, John Poythress, Jr., of Westover parish. The land was bounded by Richard Bland on the north and by land on the south “lately in the occupation” of Joseph Patterson, easterly on the Deep Bottom and westerly on the land of his brother, Thomas Poythress. The witnesses were Edward and Margaret Goodrich and Thomas Binford.(4)
Francis Poythress, Sr. (1677-1754) married [Hannah?] Worsham, daughter of John Worsham (1653-1729) and Phoebe Burton. John Poythress, Jr. (1681-1724), married Mary [Hardyman?]. Thomas Poythress (1683-1749) married Elizabeth Pleasants Cocke. Edward Goodrich (1693-1720) married Margaret Wynne (1694-1729) the daughter of Joshua Wynne and Mary Jones. Richard Bland’s (1665-1720) son, Richard Bland II (1710-1776), married Anne Poythress, the daughter of Peter Poythress (1674-1762) and Ann Jones. Thomas Binford, (1705-1752) the son of James Binford, married Elizabeth Kinsey.
On July 4, 1722, James Binford, of Martins Brandon in Prince George Co., sold 150 acres in Lawnes Creek parish in Surry Co. on the lower side of Three Creek to Nathaniel Harrison, Esq. (1677-1727). The land was originally granted to James Binford on March 23, 1715. The witnesses were William Cocke, William Short, John Poythress, John Woodlief, John Hamlin, Charles Lucas, James Baker and John Hardyman.(5)
The Will of William Short (1694-1757), of Southwark parish in Surry Co., May 15, 1757, mentioned daughter, Sarah Cocke, and children, William Cocke, Susannah Cocke, Sarah Cocke, Elizabeth Cocke; son-in-law, Joshua Poythress (1720-1782), daughter Mary Poythress’ children, Joshua Poythress (1751-1794), William Poythress (1753-1794), and Elizabeth Poythress (1795-aft. 1795); daughter Martha Reade; wife Martha Short; son William Short; nephew William Harris.
On February 1, 1726, Margaret Wynne Goodrich, widow of Edward Goodrich, sold 100 acres to Abraham Odium in Prince George Co. bounded westerly on the old Town run, northerly on Philip Jane, easterly on Edward Hill, deceased, and southerly by Richard Pace (1690-1759). On April 4, 1728, William Binford, Timothy Rives and Richard Flewelling witnessed the sale of 100 acres from Abraham Odium to Bernard Sykes in Prince George Co. This was the exact same land Odium bought from Margaret Goodrich in 1726.
William Binford was the son of Thomas (1705-1752) and Elizabeth Binford and grandson of James Binford. Philip Jane (1684-1719) was the first cousin of Rebecca Poythress (1678-aft. 1721). Richard Pace (1690-1759) was the nephew of Richard (1665-1738) and Rebecca Pace (1679-aft. 1736). Timothy Rives (1670-1719) was a younger brother of George Rives (1660-1719) who leased land from Charles Bartholomew (1654-bef. 1721) and Rebecca Coggin Poythress Bartholomew (1660-bef. 1721). On July 10, 1759, Bernard Sykes, Catherine Short and Richard Cate were witnesses to a deed from Joseph Halsey to John Gramer adjoining John Bonner’s line, a line that was made by Thomas Eldridge, John Lovesay and Francis Pace (1718-1791). Francis Pace was a grand nephew of Richard and Rebecca Pace. In 1721, Burrell Green, Anne Bartholomew Green and Francis Poythress sold 200 acres on Easterly run to Abraham Odium.
On July 2, 1759, in Prince George Co., a report for the Dower of Mary Binford, widow of Joseph Peoples, deceased, was returned to the Court by George Noble, Thomas Poythress, Joseph Carter and Holmes Boisseau.(6) On July 11, 1759, in Prince George Co., by order of the Court, Mary Binford, widow of Joseph Peeples (1716-1752) was assigned her third of his estate (£38/5/11) by George Noble, Thomas Poythress, Joseph Carter and Holmes Boisseau.(7)
Mary Barker Peebles married William Binford on July 18, 1756, in Pr. Geo. Co. Thomas Poythress (1729-1800) was the son of Thomas (1683-1749) and Elizabeth Poythress. Joseph Carter lived on Richard Pace’s plantation in 1718 in addition to Edward Crossland, Thomas Kirkland and Michael Rosser, Sr. Richard Pace was a nephew of Richard and Rebecca Pace. On November 11, 1718, three deeds involving Francis Poythress, Richard Pace and Thomas Goodwynne (1665-1730) were witnessed by Peter Wynne (1688-1770), John Bonner and Thomas Poythress (1683-1749). This land was bounded by Peter Grammar. Peter Wynne, the son of Joshua Wynne and Mary Jones, married Frances Anderson. In 1752, James Boisseau, Francis Pace and Jesse Bonner were witnesses of Thomas Burge’s will. Thomas (1675-1751) and Mary Burge were the parents of Sarah who married John Pace (1725-1780), the brother of Francis Pace. In 1754, the estate of Arthur Biggins, Jr. owed debts to Joseph Carter, Ann Pace and the late Francis Poythress. John Woodlief was an administrator for the estate. Ann Pace (1720-1791) was the wife of Francis Pace and possibly the daughter of [Arthur?] Biggins. In 1718, Arthur Biggins sold 50 acres on the main run of the Great Swamp, bounded easterly on James Pace, the brother of Richard Pace, Sr. Edward Goodrich was a witness to this sale. Joseph Peebles was the great grandson of Captain David Peebles.
There were many relationships identifiable in the records. The Poythress and kindred families knew the Pace family. James Binford lived very near Richard Pace in 1683 in Charles City Co. and they held adjacent lands in Bertie Co., NC, in 1706. Binford sold 150 acres on the lower side of Three Creek in 1722 in Surry Co. This land was 3½ miles east of Richard Pace’s 1718 property. There is no doubt that Binford and Pace knew each other.
[Most of the birth and death dates are approximations.]
(1) Chas. City Co., VA, PB 7, p. 338-339, grant to Edward Hill, 20 Nov 1683.
(2) Chowan Co., NC, DB C-1, p. 75, grant to Richard Pace, 1 May 1706.
(3) Pr. Geo., James & Mary Salmon to William Rains, 7 May 1707.
(4) Pr. Geo. Co. VA, Deed, p. 425, Francis Poythress to John Poythress, 8 Nov 1720.
(5) Surry Co., VA, Deeds, Wills, Estate Accounts & Inventories, p. 420, James Binford to Nathaniel Harrison, 4 July 1722.
(6) Pr. Geo. Co. records, Bk 1759-1760, Wm. and Mary Quarterly, Jan. 1931, p. 42, Report of Dower, Mary Binford, 2 July 1759.
(7) Pr. Geo. Records, Wills & Deeds, 1759-1760, p. 116, Order of Court, Mary Binford, 11 July 1759.
