In my last post, I shared how a Princess Anne County, Virginia, 1791 marriage record provided evidence that Willoughby Randolph’s wife, Franky, was likely the daughter of William Thornton. Another document I’ve discovered is the 1794 will of William Thornton of the same county. It lists his “daughter Franke Randolph” along with other children. This will provides additional evidence that William Thornton was Franky’s father.
Lee County, Virginia, “Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1983,” “Will Book, Vol. 2, 1795-1807,” will of William Thornton, signed 18 December 1794, page 3 [page numbering inconsistant]; database, image 307, ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 March 2018).
Family members listed in William Thornton’s will:
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- daughter Franke Randolph
- daughter Betty
- daughter Polley Spier
- son William
- son Freddrick
- wife Salley Thornton
- daughter Cloye [Chloe?]
Sadly, four slaves were also mentioned:
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- negro woman called Fan
- negro woman Dinea
- negro girl called Hanner [Hannah?]
- negro boy Charles
Lee County, Virginia, “Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1983,” “Will Book, Vol. 2, 1795-1807,”Will of William Thornton, signed 18 December 1794, page 3 [page numbering inconsistent]; database, image 308, ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 March 2018).
Land mentioned:
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- “to my son William Fifty acors Land that I bought of Berry”
- “to my son Freddrick Fifty achors of land that I bought of Kinner Collens”
Interestingly, two of the three witness were females:
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- Tho[ma]s Holstead
- Betty Coath [her mark]
- Keziah Chappel [her mark]
All of these people and pieces of land need to be further researched. And, I’m making progress on my Virginia research!
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