Updated November 25, 2022
What We Know:
Susannah who married James GILLIAM, Jr., son of James GILLIAM of Littleton Parish married James about 1769. She was the mother of four known children. Susannah was about 23 at the birth of her first known child, Charles Manning in 1771. Charles Manning was followed by Martha born about 1773, Elizabeth born about 1774, and John born on 24 Feb 1776.
Susannah is listed with James the 1810 Powhatan Census, both over age 45. Also listed with James and Susannah is their son, John, and his family: one male under 10 (Richard), one male (John) 26-44, 5 females under 10 (Mary, Martha, Susan, Elizabeth and Lucy) and 1 female 16-25 (Maria). Also living with James and Susannah was one other free person and seventeen slaves.
James dies in 1812 and provides for Susannah in his Will: “I leave unto my dearly beloved wife, Susannah GILLIAM, during her life, the free use of the tract of land whereon I now live, as also all the Negroes, and other personal property, which I may die possessed of.” This tract was known as Somerset and may be found on the National Register of Historic Places.
Susannah is also mentioned in the 1815 Landowner’s Directory as living on Middle Road in Powhatan, twelve miles west of the Courthouse.
In 1816 John and Maria and Susannah sell Somerset to Littleberry H. Mosby.
According to the Bible of John GILLIAM of Maiden’s Adventure, the son of James GILLIAM, Jr., “Susannah GILLIAM, died 16 Jun 1819, aged about 70 years." James’ estate was charged for the making of Susannah’s coffin and for the preaching of her funeral.
Susannah’s Maiden Name:
A possible pointer to Susannah’s identity maybe in the naming of her firstborn, Charles Manning GILLIAM. It is possible that Charles was named after a near relative of Susannah. It seems less likely that James and Susannah named their first born after the first husband of James’ step-mother. (James’ father, James, Sr., married Catherine Manning, widow of Charles Manning of New Kent in 1765).
It is also possible that James took his wife from among his near neighbors as did sister, Judith. Judith married in 1768, Joseph Taylor, the son of Samuel Taylor, from whom James GILLIAM, Sr., purchased land in 1759 and whose father, Richard Taylor received a patent in then Goochland in 1745.
Though it does not appear that James’ sister, Sarah, married a neighbor by 1783 Sarah and Thomas Wilkinson, her husband were neighbors. On 28 Apr 1783 Thomas Wilkinson purchases from Samuel Taylor, the younger, a tract of land along Middle Road. On 25 Aug 1783 Thomas was appointed to survey the road from “GILLIAMs to Main Road toward Willis Bridge.” On 26 Jun 1786, he is appointed to do the same “from the Road at GILLIAMs to the Main Road toward Willis Bridge with hands of Samuel Robinson and Catherine GILLIAM.”
Did James Marry a Neighbor?
Since James and Susannah married about 1768, it would seem the place to look for his neighbors would be the processioning for 1768, but it is missing. One can only extrapolate whose James’ neighbors might have been at the time of his marriage from the 1763 processioning and a 1774 petition.
Those mentioned in the 1763 processioning included: William Austin, Benoni Boatwright, Jeremiah Cannon, Robert Carter, George Carrington, Hezekiah Daverson, James GILLIAM, Phineas Glover, Joseph Griffin, James Johnson, Joseph Johnson, John Jones, Daniel Jones, Philip Mayo, John Meador, Burton Newton, John Parrish, David Preger, David Reynolds, James Robinson, William Rowland, Samuel Taylor, John Wayles, Drury Woodson.
Those mentioned in the 1774 Petition to clear the Willis:
____ Harrison, Gerard Ellison, ____Nelson, Littleberry Scruggs, ____Anderson, ____Nash, ____Glenn, ____Sampson, ____Smith, ____Allen, ____Byrame, ____Allen, ____Bradley, Junr., ____Hudgens, ____Smith, ____Allen, ____Guthrie, ____Guttrey, ____Foster, ____Scrugs, Junr., ____Scrugs, ____Glenn, ____Hinson, ____Davis, James Garrett, John Nelson, Matt Sims, Saml Allen, Benjn Harrison, Thomas Wright, William Powel, Ben Wilson, Henry Cox, Junr, Massa Womak, Adcock Hobson, Jas. Allen, John Flippen, Major Wilkerson, Henry Garrett, John Prince, Saml Allen, Jno Taylor, Drury Woodson, Wm Daniel, Henry Wade, Luke Trent, Jenkens Jenkins, Joseph Johns, Thos Word, Amos Lipford, John Colquit, Isaac Errns, John Seay, Thomas Caldwell, John Barten, James Doss, James Glenn, Snr, Henry Guttory, Joseph Starkey, Ben Allen, Dennett Hill, Jesse Oslin, John Noell, Nehemiah Glenn, Hollaway Hudgens, Frans Harris, James Gillom, John Holman, Archer Allen, Jeffry Robertson, Thos Linthicum, Henry Scrugs.
[Names are not missing from original, just from my personal copy.]
If James’ married a neighbor it seems most likely that she would come from the Cannons, Carters, Carringtons, Coxes, Daniels, Johnsons, Mayos, Rowlands, Taylors or Woodsons.
Sources
- Blomquist, Ann. The Vestry of Southam Parish. Cumberland County, Virginia, 1745-1792
- Cumberland County, VA, Will Book 2, Pages 154-156
- Hopewell, John S. “Handle with Care: County Loose Papers” A Petition to Clear Willis River in Cumberland County, 1774.” Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. 39:207-208 (2001).