Capt. James Neville, Sr.

Captain James Neville Sr.

• Birth: about 1686 in Virginia
• Death: before 9 Nov 1752 before about age 66 in St. Anne's Parish, Albemarle, Virginia
• Parents: John Fort Neville I and Elizabeth Bohannon

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Neville-90

Captain James Neville Sr[1]

James was born in 1686 in St Anne Parish, Albemarle, Colony of Virginia. He was the son of John Fort Neville Sr. and Elizabeth (Bohannon) Neville.[1]
Father of Joanna (Neville) Brown, Bethania (Neville) Hylton, Hannah (Neville) Matthews, Cornelius Thomas, Martha (Neville) Hobson, Mary Ann (Neville) Douglas, Elizabeth Neville, James Thomas Neville Jr., Judith (Neville) Mitchell and Sally (Neville) Vaughan

Marriages

James is know to have married twice, but the given (and maiden) name of his first wife is unknown. Multiple unsourced GEDCOMs online name Martha or Mary Keen as his first wife, but nothing attests to this. "The Nevilles in England and America" only identifies James' first wife as "Widow Keen".[2]

1. James married Martha Keen in 1720 probably in Henrico, Virginia.
2. James married Bridget UNKNOWN in 1726 in Henrico, Virginia.
3. James married Lucy Thomas in 1729 in Goochland, Virginia.

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Father: John Neville b: 1662 in Probably Warwickshire England (kidnapped-see notes)
Mother: Miss Weeks b: ABT. 1662 in England

ten children by both wives are named in his will.
Marriage 1 Mary Keen b: ABT. 1700
Children (see Thomas vs. Neville in W&MQ 19:61)

1. Johanna (Nevil) Neville b: ABT. 1726 in Abermarle, VA m James? Brown
2. James (Nevil) Neville b: 1728 in Abermarle, VA m Mary Lewis
3. Hannah (Nevil) Neville b: 1730 in Abermarle, VA m William?? Matthews
4. Mary Ann (Nevil) Neville b: 1732 in Abermarle, VA married John??. Douglas

Marriage 2 Lucy Thomas b: 1696 in Abermarle, VA Married: ABT. 1737
Children

1. Cornelius Thomas b: 1735 in Northampton, VA
2. Bethemiah Thomas b: 1736 in Northhampton, Albermarle VA m(1) John Allen (2) George Hilton
3. Martha (Nevil) Neville b: 1738 in St. Ann Parish, Albermarle VA m Henry Hopson
4. Elizabeth (Nevil)Neville b: 1740 in Abermarle, VA d under age <not mentioned in a will>
5. Judith (Nevil) Neville b: 1742 in Abermarle, VA m (1) John Hughes (2) Robert Mitchell
6. James Thomas Neville b: 1743 in Abermarle Co., VA
7. Samaria (Sally) L. (Nevil) Neville b: 1746 in Abermarle Co., VA m(1) Jacob Michaux (2) Edmund Vaughan

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Lucy Thomas m (2) Abraham Childress

Will of James Neville of Albemarle County, Virginia. In the name of God, Amen, I, James Neville of the Parish of St. Ann & County of Albemarle, being of perfect sense and memory, do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament in manner following: Imprimis. My will and desire is that my just debts be fully paid and satisfied. Item. I give and bequeath unto my son, James Neville, six negroes, to wit: Cezar, Terry, Pompy, Coo, Bess, and Philis. I also give him the land he now dwells on, beginning on the path that goes from my dwelling house to the Tye River, beginning at Twisting Chestnut Tree a little this side of the Rolling Road and running to the South Ford, then down the upper side of the said fork to a muddy place where a spring comes out, and thence a straight course to strike the Secretary's Road at Chandler's Branch, and up the said branch to the mountain. He is to have all my land now surveyed and patented above this line now marked, the above land and negroes to him and his heirs forever. Because I have more land to survey above that which I don't intend he shall have, that is I mean James Neville, I also give him four cows and calves and three sows and pigs, to him and his heirs forever. Item. I give and bequeath unto my son, Cornelius Thomas, the son of Lucy Neville, two hundred and twenty pounds to buy negroes and a feather bed or ten pounds to buy one. Also, I give him two hundred pounds more to buy land to settle the negroes on. In all, I have left him four hundred and thirty pounds current money of Virginia, to him & his heirs forever. I also give him four cows & calves, & three sows & pigs, to him & his heirs forever. Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter, Bethemiah Allen, the wife of John Allen, two hundred pounds current money of Virginia, deducting the price of one negroe girl she has got, to her and her heirs forever. Item. I give unto my daughter, Johanna Brown, seventy pounds current money of Virginia, to her & her heirs forever. Item. I give and bequeath unto John Brown, the son of Johanna Brown, one hundred pounds current money of Virginia, to him and his heirs forever when he attains to the age of twenty-one years. Item. I give and bequeath unto Johanna Brown's eldest daughter thirty pounds current money of Virginia, to her & her heirs forever; she is to have it when she attains to the age of twenty-one or marries. Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Hannah Matthews, forty shillings sterling, to her and her heirs forever, & the reason I give her no more is because she & her husband have endeavored to disobey me in everything they could, so that my will and desire is she should have no more of my estate. Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter, Mary Douglas, forty shillings sterling, to her & her heirs forever, because she has ninty-five pounds already which was her portion. Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Martha Neville, two hundred pounds current money of Virginia, to her and her heirs forever, when she attains to the age of twenty-one years or marries; but my will & desire is that she shall have interest for the money from my death till paid. Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Neville, three hundred pounds current money of Virginia and one thousand acres of land, to her and her heirs forever, to be laid off in proportion to the goodness of the tract, because I would have it as near as could the bad and good together. Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Judith Neville, three hundred pounds current money of Virginia and one thousand acres of land, to her and her heirs forever; the land is to be laid off as aforesaid. Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Sally Neville, four hundred pounds current money of Virginia and one thousand acres of land [page torn] and her heirs forever; the land to be laid off as aforesaid. Item. My will and desire is that the money devised to my three daughters, to wit: Elizabeth Neville, Judith Neville, and Sally Neville, to be laid out, and negroes settled on the land destined for them, and the money arising after charges is paid may be laid up for them, for I desire that they may be maintained out of the estate. Item. My will and desire is that if either of my three daughters, Elizabeth Neville, Judith Neville, or Sally Neville, should die before they attain to the age of twenty-one years or be married, the estate by me devised to them is to be equally divided to them or her then living. Item. My will and desire is that my wife, Lucy Neville, live on any of my plantations and to have as much land as she can tend as long as she lives single, let it be on whose lot it will. I also lend her two feather beds, four cows and calves, three sows & pigs, and four good able negroes. I also lend her one hundred pounds current money of Virginia to buy what things she wants; but my will and desire is that she shall return at her death or if she marries everything then to the estate, and so returned to be equally divided among her children mentioned in this my will. Item. My will and desire is that, after my legacies are paid off that I left to my wife and children, what remains, which I expect will be considerable, all the rest & residue of my estate, both real and personal, may be equally divided between my wife and her children mentioned in my will and my son James Neville, to them and their heirs forever. Item. My will and desire is that my estate be inventoried and appraised. I constitute and appoint my well beloved friends, George Carrington and Abraham Childers, executors of this my last will & testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me made, ratifying and confirming this & no other to be my last will & testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this [page torn] day of March, one thousand seven hundred & fifty-two. James Neville (seal) Signed, published, & delivered to be the last will and testament of James Neville. Witnesses: John McGowrk, John Henderson, Richard Field, John Griffin, Howell Lewis. At a court held for Albemarle County the ninth day of November MDCCLII [i.e., 1752]. [page torn] This last will and testament of James Neville, deceased, was presented in court and proved by the oaths of Richard Field, one of the witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded; and on the motion of George Carrington, Gent., and Abraham Childers, the executors therein named, who made oath according to law, certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate thereof in due form, giving security on which they, with John Harvey & John Cobbs, Gent., their security, entered into & acknowledged their bond in eight thousand pounds for the due and faithful performance of the said will. Teste: John Nicholas, Clk. [Albemarle County, VA, Wills, Book 2, p. 1]

Old Williamsburg Chancery Court Suit, Thomas vs. Neville. Captain James Neville of St. Anne Parish, Albemarle County, made his will March 7, 1752, which was proved November 9, 1752. He married twice. By his first wife, name not given, he had (1) James Neville, who died in 1784, (2) Joanna Brown, (3) Hannah Matthews, and (4) Mary Douglas. By his second wife, Lucy Thomas, he had (5) Cornelius Thomas (born out of marriage), (6) Bethania (also born before marriage), (7) Martha, (8) Elizabeth, (9) Judith, and (10) Sally. The widow, Lucy Neville, married secondly Abraham Childress. [William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, vol. xix, no. i, July 1910, p. 61]

1795. Will of Lucy Thomas (Neville) (Childers). To son, James Thomas. To daughter, Betheniah Hilton. To daughter, Martha Hopson, wife of Henry Hobson. To daughter, Judith Mitchell [wife of Robert Mitchell?]. To grandsons: James Turner, Jesse Allen, Norbourin Thomas, & Neil Thomas. To granddaughters: Slythy Turner, Martha Allen, & Betheniah Allen. To brother, Michael Thomas. [Amherst County, VA, Wills, book 3, pp. 366-7]

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James Neville, born Abt. 1700; died Bef. November 09, 1752 in St. Anne Parish, Albemarle County, VA.

Notes for James Neville: June 17, 1735. James Nevill of Goochland County deeded to Michael Thomas, land which said Nevill patented in 1729.

November 21, 1735. James Nevill of Goochland County deeded to James Daniel of Middlesex County, land on the south side of Fluvanna River in Goochland County [now Cumberland County]. This land was originally part of a 700 acre patent to James Neville dated September 28, 1732.

July 25, 1745. Albemarle County, VA, Commissioned Captains of the Militia: William Cabell, Joseph Thompson, Charles Lynch, Thomas Ballow, David Lewis, James Daniel, James Neville, James Martin. [Albemarle County, VA, Order Book, 1744-1748]

March 7, 1752.

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Captain James Neville 1686-1752

Name: James (Nevil) Neville Sex: M Title: C apt. VA. Militia Birth: 1686 in Virginia (probably in Gloucester Co., VA) Death: 9 NOV 1752 in St. Ann's Parish, Albemarle County, VA Note: Not a proven child
Record of the following deeds have been found, one dated June 17, 1735 in Goochland County between James Neville and Michael Thomas conveying lands patented by James Neville in 1729, a deed of 1735 from lands patented by James Neville in 1729, a deed of 1735 from James Neville to James Daniel conveying land on the south side of the Fluvanna River in Goochland County, and a deed dated February 1750 from James Neville to John Cobbs. A petition for lands was made by James Neville (Virginia Council Journals, 1726-1753). There is a record of a suit in the Williamsburg Chancery Court between James Neville and ___ Thomas, which shows that James Neville of St. Anne's Parish, Albemarle County, was twice married (Court Journals, 1726-1753; Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 24, no. 2, pp 199-200; vol. 35, no. 4 p 408; vol. 36, no. 1 p 74; Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine, vol. 12, no. 3, p 213)

The will of James Neville, in which he names his wife and children, was dated March 1752 and probated November 9, 1752 (Albemarle County Will Book, no. 2, folio 1)

(Copy of will on page 11, Genealogy of the Neville Family by Ivan B. Neville)
All ten children by both wives are named in his will. or as reported by Shirley Wilcox:

William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 19, page 61.
"From the papers of a chancery suit in the old Williamsburg Chancery Court entitled Thomas vs. Neville: Captain James Neville, of St. Anne Parish, Albemarle County, made his will March 7, 1752, which was proved November 9, 1752.
He married twice:
By his first wife, name not given, he had
(1) James Neville, who died 1784 leaving Lewis;
(2) Joanna Brown;
(3) Hannah Matthews;
(4) Mary Douglas.
By his second wife, Lucy Thomas, he had:
(5) Cornelius Thomas, born out of marriage, who married and had John, Cornelius, Elizabeth, married John Wood, Lucy, married James Lewis, Sally, married Thomas Moore;
(6) Bethania (also born before marriage) married George Hilton;
(7) Martha, married Henry Hobson;
(8) Elizabeth, died under age and unmarried;;
(9) Judith, married Robert Mitchell, of Richmond, Virginia;
(10) Sally, married I. Michaux, II. Vaughan, and had issue a son Jacob Michaux and 3 daus. Sally, married Christopher Haskins, Judith, married I. William Hendrick, II. Palmer, and Lucy, married Tscharner Woodson. The widow, Lucy Neville, married 2dly Abraham Childress."
~ Shirley Wilcox

James Neville was a Captain of the militia in Goochland County in 1740 and one of the first Justices of Albemarle County in 1744 when he moved there which was within eight years of his death.

Confusion on birth place. Some show Isle of Wight, VA, some show Northampton VA, some show Henrico Co. VA

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The 1752 Albemarle Co., VA will of James Nevil has been transcribed and can be found in the Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 37 (1929), pages 166-170. If you look at the will you will see that James Nevill said nothing about restricting who Lucy might marry after his decease. There is the typical phrase that if she remarried then everything was to return to the estate, and then to "be equally divided among her children mentioned in this my will." After leaving various legacies, James said that the residue of his estate, both real and personal, was to be equally divided between my wife and her children mentioned in my will and my son James Nevil.

On 6 Oct 1766, the children who were to receive through the remainder clause of the will, sold to James Nevil, the remaining part of a tract of 799 acres that had been the property of James Nevil deceased. The females
signed with their husbands. The deed grantors were John Hughes, Judith Hughes, Jacob Michaux. Salley Michaux, Cornelius Thomas, George Hilton, Bethenia Hilton, Henry Hobson, Martha Hobson. [Amherst Co., VA Deed Book A:156-57]. I looked at this on microfilm at the Virginia State Library in 1985. I don't know if it has been printed anywhere.

James Nevil [Junior] and his wife Mary of Amherst sold 400 acres in that county to William Cabell Jr. on 2 March 1772. The land was described as land that had been patented 25 December 1746 to James Nevil, father of said James Nevil, and devised by him to his son James Nevil. The land bounded on land of William Matthews [Amherst Co., VA Deed Book C:258]. I have not explored this William Matthews to see if he might be kin.

The parents of Capt. James Nevil are unknown. I have found no connection between him and the Fauquier Co., VA Neville family.
~ Shirley Wilcox

There are indications that he married twice AND that two of his children with Lucy Thomas, Cornelius and Bethemia, were born prior to their marriage as they used the Thomas surname, whereas all the others used the
surname Nevil. See Alllen vs. Hylton in Lyman Chalkey's Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia (Baltimore: GPC, Inc., 1980), 2:188-190. See also Thomas vs Neville in the W&MQ 19:61.

Much of this family is a hypothesis waiting for proof. It would be great if someone were to research them in depth with orginal records, not just the printed abstracts. James was a justice in Albemarle Co., VA. See VA
Historical Magazine 36:74. He is often referred to as Capt. James Nevill as he was appointed a Capt. in the militia in 1745 (see Albemarle Co., VA Order Book 1744-1748:34). He was a man of some prominence, which makes me even more curious about his marital affairs.

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