Re: family history
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In reply to:
Re: family history
Sandra Hart 9/06/06
Hi Sandra,
Early Morefield researchers assumed the Edward>Wright>Williamlineage based on the 1782 and 1785 Virginia census, the inventory of Edward's estate in 1785, and the 1820 census record of a William Morefield and the fact that they didn't find Wright in the 1820 census.
More recent research indicates that Wright and William were brothers, Edward being their grandfather and John (Sr.) their father.That research is based on the Halifax Co, VA Personal Property Tax Lists 1782-1832 and some other Halifax Co. court documents, as follows.
Essentially, those records show the following:
Wright was named as living with John Morefield in 1784, which means that he was born by 1763.
There were two William Morefields in the 1820 Halifax Co. VA census; the older one (p. 65) was over age 45 and was the Willliam who married Rebecca Stevens (your ancestors); the younger one (p. 86) was William and Wright's nephew, son of John (Jr.).The younger William was born 1788.Earlier researchers apparently found only the record of the younger William and assumed that he was Wright's son William (probably because William named a son Wright).
The older William first appeared on the Halifax Co. tax list in 1798, indicating that he was born at least by 1782 and possibly before.Another Halifax document shows William representing John Morefield in court in 1799 (Halifax Co, VA Plea Book 19, p. 17); Virginia law permitted men to testify as witnesses at age 16, but they could not bring suit or represent anyone until age 21.These implied ages are then consistent with the age of the older William on the 1820 Halifax Co. census and suggest that he was born no later than 1778.
The younger William is named as the son of John, Jr. & Winifred (Bruce) Morefield in a family register that belonged to Winifred and which was used in the Revolutionary War Widows' Pension Application of her friend, Tabitha Dunkley.It gives this William's DoB as 27 mar 1788.He married Nancy Canaday in 1809 and began to appear on the Halifax Co. tax lists in 1809.
From 1809-1822 both William's appeared on the Halifax Co. tax lists, in some years designated as Sr. and Jr.--which did not indicate a father-son relationship in those days, but rather simply older and younger.
Earlier researchers thought that Wright had died before 1801 because his wifeNancy signed the marriage consent for William and Rebecca to marry.However, the Halifax Co. tax lists show Wright a good citizen paying his taxes 1784-1821.He appears on the 1820 census p. 74.The marriage consent says "I give my Darter rebeckar permission to marry William Morefield."One possible interpretation is that Rebecca Stevens was Nancy's daughter by a previous marriage.That would be consistent with Rebecca's age of 80 in the 1850 census (which is consistent with the 1820 and 1830 census records).