Life History

Notes

• There are some records or references to a Richard Gregory or Grigory born 1660.  One record that has been matched to this person by some genealogies, that seems to fit this same person, reports his birth year as 1669.  However, with his marriage record commonly reported as 1680, this birth date is too late.  It is possible 1669 in the transcription entry record is a typo for 1660 from the original handwritten transcription.
  
  The Caroline County record may also be for a different Richard Gregory.  Gregorys were plentiful.  Some genealogies report the Essex County Richard Gregory as born in Caroline County.  Could be.  Caroline County was created in 1727 out of parts of Essex, King and Queen and King William County, which all had originally been part of old Rappahannock County.
  
  Family Data Collection - Births
  Richard Gregory
  Parents John Gregory, Elizabeth Bishop
  Birth 1669 Caroline County, VA
  
  The name Bishop connects with Richard Gregory of Essex County.  Included in the records of lands bought or received by Richard Gregory is a transfer of land patent from a Robert Bishop,
  
  "In April, 1687, James Taylor had a patent for land left by Robert Bishop to John Gregory and by said John Gregory to his sister Mary, now wife of said James Taylor. See Taylor Family, ante page 213, where the evidence is given for Mary Gregory's first marriage to James Taylor, and second marriage to Rowland Thomas."
  --  "Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), p 240
  
  Richard's wife is referred to as Katherine throughout records about them, including his will.  No record found so far mentoins her maiden name.  She was a widow when Richard married her, formerly married to Thomas Bourne, whose name appears in estate records for Richard.  Some sources indicate Richard's wife is unkown.  Some genealogies reprot her as Katherine Frances Whiting.  Some spell the name Catherine, though in all records we have seen, it is always Katherine.
  
  U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
  Richard Grigory
  Birth 1660 VA
  Wife Katherine
  Marriage 1680
  
  A genealogical history published in 1927 (see below) reports that he died in 1701.  The exact date of death is not known, but it was likley in early May 1701.  Probate was opened and the will proved on 10 May 1701.
  
  "The will of Richard Gregory, of Essex County, dated February 17, 1700 [1700/1]; proved in Essex County May 10, 1701"
  --  "Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), p 243
  
  Probate records show that the inventory for Richard's estate was not presented to the probate court until 10 November 1702.  It apparently just took that long to work out the details of the estate.  Other cases show similar time lags.  Richard's wife Katherine married a Thomas Snead, a neighbor in Essex County in 1702.
  
  Essex County, Virginia, Marriage Index, 1655-1900
  GRIGORY, KATHERINE Widow of Richard, married Thomas Snead
  Marriage 1702 Richmond and Essex Counties, Virginia, USA
  Essex County Marriage Book, page 123
  
  Thomas was apparently one of the administrators of Richard's estate, along with his wife Katherine.  A probate court entry notes an inventory of Richard's estate, orderd by the court on 10 November 1702 was signed by three witnesses on 29 December 1702, and presented to the court by "Thomas Snead and his wife Katherine" on 10 July 1703.  No explanation is given for this long delay in presenting the inventory.
  
  Essex County, Records, 1703-1706
  Inventory of Estate Richard Grigory [sic]
  Taken by court order of 10 Nov 1702
  Long inventory covering 3 pages, total Value L 85 (85 pounds)
  Signed William Johnson, Leonard Chamberlaine, John Games
  Sworn before Rob' Coleman 29 Dec 1702
  Note of 2 mares sold for 1000 lbs of tobacco by Thomas His X Mark Snead
  Presented by Thomas Snead and Katherine his wife 10 July 1703 and recorded
  Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. II, original page 39
  Typed Transcription of the original handwritten records, p 93
  
  Gregory, Richard, was a burgess for King and Queen county in 1698.  His will was proved in Essex county, February 17, 1701, and names sons, Richard and John, and daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth.
  --  Virginia Biography, p 248, accessed 21 May 2018 on Ancestry.com
  
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  "Richard Gregory moved from Essex County to his plantation in King and Queen County, returning to Essex again, where he died in 1701.
  
  "Richard Gregory married Katherine (whose surname is unknown), widow of Thomas Bourne.  Mrs. Katherine Bourne-Gregory married, third, Thomas Snead.  Mrs Katherine Bourne-Gregory-Snead died prior to March, 1710-11."
  
  --  "Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927),  p 242
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  "There were two Richard Gregorys -- who were contemporaries­ -- living in King and Queen County: (1) Richard Gregory (son of [page 263] John Gregory, of Rappahannock County), who was an extensive landowner in Essex and King and Queen Counties.  He lived first in Rappahannock County and then moved to King and Queen County, where he was apparently living in 1691, but later removed to Essex County (which was a part of the old county of Rappahannock), where he died in the year 1701.  (2) Colonel Richard Gregory, of King and Queen County...."
  --  "Gregory Family of King William County, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), p 262-263
  
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  4. MARY 2 GREGORY (born 1665; died post 1745), married, first, JAMES TAYLOR, of KING AND QUEEN COUNTY (see TAYLOR FAM­ILY. ante page 213); second, Rowland Thomas, of Caroline County.1
  
  RICHARD 2 GREGORY (son of JOHN 1 GREGORY) was born circa 1650; died 1701.  He lived in Rappahan­nock and Essex counties.  On February 11, 1679, RICHARD GREGORY, of Rappahannock County, planter, sold to William Stone, of Gloucester County, planter, 250 acres on south side Hoskins Creek, Rappahannock County, adjoining lands of John Meador, John Gate­wood, Thomas Wheeler and Mary Gregory.2  On Oc­tober 8, 1680, RICHARD GREGORY, of Rappahannock, planter, brother and heir at law of JOHN GREGORY. late of the same county, planter, conveyed to Thomas Wheeler 250 acres in Rappahannock County, which said John Gregory had by deed June 20, 1677 con­veyed to his sister, Elizabeth, wife of said Thomas Wheeler; the said land having been granted by patent, with other lands, to John Gregory, father of said John and Richard Gregory.3
  
  RICHARD GREGORY patented upwards of seventeen hundred acres of land in the County of New Kent and small acreage in Rappahannock (later Essex) County. The tracts granted in New Kent fell on division of that county in 1691 into King and Queen County and on di[vision ... to p 271]
  
  ... Ann; sons Thomas, Robert, Richard and John (the last three under fifteen years of age) ; wife Elizabeth (Essex County Records).
  
  1 In April, 1687, James Taylor had a patent for land left by Robert Bishop to John Gregory and by said John Gregory to his sister Mary, now wife of said James Taylor.  See Taylor F'amily, ante page 213, where the evidence is given for Mary Gregory's first marriage to James Taylor, and second marriage to Rowland Thomas.
  
  2 Rappahannock County Records, Volume 1677-1682, page 270.
  3 Ibid., Volume 1677-1682. page 282.
  
  --  "Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), p 241
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  RICHARD  2 GREGORY (circa 1650-1701) and KATHERINE, his wife, had issue:
  
  1. RICHARD 3 GREGORY of Essex County; of whom hereafter.
  2. Elizabeth 3 Gregory.
  3. John 3 Gregory.
  4. Sarah 3 Gregory
  ...
  [footnotes]
  ... of the sd. deed. their ful proportion of the sd. decd [es]tate.  [Rich]ard & Katherine by virtue of the sd admraton, possessed themselves • • • aforesd the sd Richard Dyed making his wife the sd Katherine his • • • [the sd Kath]erine since intermarried with the sd Thomas, the deft & dyed, by virtue of • • • the sd Thomas Snead became possest of all & singular the goods & chattels of the [said Thomas Bo]urne decd. & of the sd Richard Gregory & Katherine, his wife & therefore ought to have paid to the orphans of the sd. decd. Thomas Bourne all their parts or portions of the sd. decd's estate, but so it is that upon denial of Thomas Snead to pay to the orphans of the sd Thomas Bourne decd their parts or shares of the sd decds estate they recovered agt. the pltf as exr of the sd James Taylor decd [certain items of personalty, cattle, tobacco &c], Thomas Snead ap­pears and confesses same.  Ordered that the deft pay to pltf the like prop­erty out of the estate of sd. Richard Gregory; also costs. (Essex Records, Order Book, 1708-14. page 311.)
  
  1 Richard Gregory by his will, dated February 17, 1700, bequeathed to his sons Richard and John and to his daughter Elizabeth certain lands which by their descriptions in the said will were certainly in Essex County; to his daughters Sarah and to his sons in law [step-sons]: Thomas and William Bourne he bequeathed lands which by their descriptions were at that date in King and Queen County. later King William. (See will of Richard Gregory, above).
  It is not positively known what eventually became of Elizabeth, John and Sarah Gregory.  All four of Richard Gregory's children were under age when their father made his will in February, 1700.  At Essex Court, December, 1712, John Gregory and Sarah Gregory were given liberty to choose their guardians and they thereupon made choice of William Bourne, who gave bond for his guardianship in the sum of £100 sterling (Essex County Records).  For suggestions as to what may have eventually become of John, Elizabeth and Sarah Gregory, see post page 247, the discussion in the notes to the will of their brother, Richard Gregory, who died in 1725.
  
  --  Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), p 243
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  RICHARD GREGORY (son of RICHARD and KATHE­RINE GREGORY) was born circa 1685-90;1 died 1725.  He lived in Essex County and died there, evidently un­married.  There are many references to him in the Essex County records.
  On November 24, 1718, RICH­ARD GREGORY, of Essex County, sold to Thomas Wheeler, of Essex, 300 acres in Essex County as by measures signified in a plot tested by George Morris, surveyor, dated December 1, 1668; which said 300 acres are part of a patent for 103 acres granted to Thomas Gaines, deceased, on February 12, 1665, and by the said Gaines sold to John Gregory on November 4, 1667.2
  
  FN 2 Essex County Records, Deeds and Wills, 1716-1718, page 252.  The de­scription of the property in this deed suggests that the 300 acres hereby conveyed were the 300 acres bequeathed by Richard Gregory, of Essex County, by his will dated February 1700, to his son John Gregory (see will of Richard Gregory, ante page 243.  Query:  Did John Gregory die and thus this land pass to his brother Richard Gregory who now sells it to Thomas Wheeler?
  
  --  "Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), p 245
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  "In May, 1720, RICHARD GREGORY was a witness to the noncupa­tive will of John Meador, Junior, of Essex County. ... FN4 Essex County Records.  Memorand. of the verbal will of John Meador Junr. who deceased May 14th 1720  at his own dwelling house in this county of Essex in his last sickness called the deponents to be evidences to this his last will Wch. is as followeth:  Item. I give unto my daughter Susannah Meador all my whole estate ..."
  --  "Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), pp 245-246
  
  "Susannah Meadows was the daughter of John Meadows, Junior, who died in Essex County May 14, 1720. Richard Gregory was one of the parties summoned by said Meadows to be "evidence . . . to his last will," which he ver­bally declared.  William Bourn, who is named in the above order of court as "guardn. of Susannah Meadows" was one of the executors named in the will of John Meadows, Junior."
  --  "Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), pp 247-248
  
  "I, Richard Grigory in Essex County South Farnham Parish, be­ing very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory ... [notes from probate for Richard Gregory:]  that no admr be granted till ye heir at law be summoned.  It is therefore ordered that Wm Bourn, guardn of Susannah Meadows be summoned to appear at ye next court to declare whether he will admr, on ye esta. of ye sd Richd Gregory, decd. ... How was Susannah Meadows "heir at law" to Richard Gregory? ... William Bourn and Richard Gregory were half-brothers"
  --  "Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), p 246-248

Sources

• 1. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
• 2. Virginia Will Records
• 3. Essex County, Virginia, Marriage Index, 1655-1900
• 4. Essex County, Records, 1703-1706
• 5. Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850
• 6. Family Data Collection - Births