Joshua Poythress, Jr. (1751-1794), of Flowerdew Hundred, 5th Generation

I have listed only two daughters for Joshua and Elizabeth Robertson Poythress. Elizabeth Robertson Poythress was the daughter of Archibald Robertson and Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Elizabeth Fitzgerald was the daughter of John Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Poythress. Elizabeth Poythress was the daughter of John Poythress and Christian Peebles.

R. Bolling Batte on Joshua Poythress, Jr.
[211 1 Joshua Poythress (- 1794), m. Elizabeth Robertson, daughter of Archibald and Elizabeth (Fitzgerald) Robertson. Joshua and his wife were second cousins. They lived and died at Flowerdew Hundred and both were there buried. She died 7 September 1787.
211 11 Elizabeth Poythress. Shown as a child of Joshua and Elizabeth (Robertson) Poythress in the notes on the Robertson family made by Gov. Wyndham Robertson. Elizabeth (Robertson) Poythress was the governor’s aunt. He certainly would have had personal knowledge of her children. Several printed accounts of the Cocke and Poythress families state that James Cocke, son of Benjamin, married Elizabeth Poythress, daughter of Joshua, without identifying the Joshua, and that they had a daughter Elizabeth Cocke who married Jacob Hoffman. As to this last couple there can be no doubt. In 1955 I ran across a monument in the cemetery in Leesburg inscribed: “In memory of Jacob Hoffman/and his wife/ Elizabeth Cocke/and their children/erected by their grand-daughter/1928.” If the mother of this Elizabeth Cocke had indeed been the daughter of any Joshua Poythress at all she would have to have been the daughter of Joshua 211 1. She could not possibly been the daughter of Joshua 211 and Mary Short, for their daughter Elizabeth (as we shall see later) married Simon Fraser in 1775. Elizabeth Poythress who married James Cocke is said to have died in 1800. Tentatively I place her here. [Batte refers to Wyndham Robertson as “Governor.” I expect we may assume that this Wyndham Robertson (or one of his descendants) is the author of “Pocahontas and her Descendants.”]
211 12 Mary Poythress. Shown in the notes of Gov. Wyndham Robertson. Probably died young.
211 13 Susanna Peachy Poythress (1785 – 1815), m. 1804 John Vaughn Willcox (11 Aug 1779 Charles City – 23 Nov 1863 Flowerdew Hundred, Pr. Geo.) John Vaughn Willcox was very wealthy; a very large holder of Confederate Bonds. He acquired by purchase the several parcels comprising the original Flowerdew Hundred tract, including the original 300 acres that had been given by John Hardyman in 1725 to his wife’s great grandfather Joshua Poythress 21. John Vaughn Willcox was buried in Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg. Susanna Peachy (Poythress) Willcox was buried at Flowerdew Hundred where a tombstone marked her grave until 1864 when the yankees destroyed it along with all other Poythress monuments that were then there.]

Family
Joshua Poythress, Jr., was born about 1751, the son of Joshua Poythress and Mary Short. He married Elizabeth Robertson, the daughter of Archibald Robertson and Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Their children were (1) Mary (probably died young), and (2) Susanna Peachy (1785-1815), who married John Vaughn Willcox. Joshua died in 1794, in Prince George County, Virginia.

Joshua Poythress, Jr., was surety on marriage bond of sister, Elizabeth, in 1775, when she married Simon Fraser.

Professional Life
In 1779, the U. S. Treasury offered to exchange new bills for presumably counterfeit old paper money. Many Virginians made this exchange, in whole or in part, to the Virginia Continental Loan office in 1779 and 1780. The exchange could be for new money, applied to loans, or applied to taxes. The records of exchangers and the amount exchanged provided a short proxy census of Virginia in 1779:
Name County Entry # Amt. Deposited
Poythress, William Prince George 1019 $120
Poythress, Peter Prince George 1262 $311
Poythress, Joshua Prince George 1500 $484
Poythress, Thomas Brunswick 3765 $38

April 24, 1779, in the Virginia Gazette, “Wanted a Skipper for a country craft. Such a person well recommended for sobriety and diligence, will meet with great encouragement by applying to the subscriber at Flower de Hundred. Joshua Poythress, Jr.”

April 24, 1779, “taken from a negro belonging to one of the subscribers craft, who says it was left on board by a sailor belonging to one of the country vessels, a musket with an iron ramrod, branded Virg. on the butt. The owner may have it by applying as above.”

April 1, 1789, in Prince George County, accounts of the estate of Joel Sturdivant by John Sturdivant, Sr., executor. Names, among many, Francis Poythress and Joseph Poythress.

Property: Personal Property and Land
June 16, 1774, in the Virginia Gazette, Joshua Poythress, Jr., advertised £5 reward for runaway indentured servant Benjamin Parrot. Whoever “secures the said servant, so that I get him again, shall have £3 or if delivered to me at Flower de Hundred, the above reward.”

February 10, 1776, in the Virginia Gazette, “to be sold at Blandford, on Friday, the 1st of March next, to the highest bidders, eleven valuable negro fellows, among whom is a very good ship carpenter. Also two schooner flats, one 85, the other 70 hogsheads burthen, with their boats, and two smaller flats burthen 35 and 32 hogsheads. Six months credit will be allowed to the purchasers, on giving Bond, with approved Security, to Thomas Crawford, Joshua Poythress, Jr.”

March 13, 1776, in the Virginia Gazette, Thomas Crawford and Joshua Poythress, Jr., advertised for a sale on April 8, three fellows, two schooner flats, etc.

In 1782, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 266 + 200 =) 870 acres.
In 1783, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by Joshua Poythress, on (400 + 200 =) 600 acres, 270 acres less than in 1782.
In 1785, in Prince George County, alterations made by transfer of land, recorded by Peter Epes; from Joshua Poythress to Simon Frazer, 366 acres.
In 1787, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by Joshua Poythress, on (400 + 200 =) 600 acres.
In 1788, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1789, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1790, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1791, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1792, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1793, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1794, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by the estate of Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1795, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by the estate of Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1796, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by the estate of Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1797, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by the estate of Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1798, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by the estate of Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1799, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by the estate of Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.
In 1800, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by the estate of Joshua Poythress, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres.

In 1805, in Prince George County, land taxes were paid by John V. Willcox, on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres. [Husband of Susanna Peachy Poythress, daughter of Joshua Poythress.]

Adjoining Property
January 17, 1788, in Sussex County, Abraham Parham, Sr., of Sussex County, to Abraham Parham, Jr., of the same, 170 acres, on the north side of Mockerson Neck Creek, adjoining Robert Parham, Stith Parham, John Leath, Joshua Poythress, Whotleberry Branch and William Burge. The witnesses, Joel Hall, Abraham Haddon, Thomas Haddon Parham and William Burge.

Family Estates
February 30, 1787, in Prince George County, settlement of the estate of Alexander Robertson. [Note: this was a very complex document with numerous columns, headings and subheadings]. Sums due to various persons, among others: cash to John Poythress, cash to Joshua Poythress, to Ann Poythress Morrison: £545, 12 slaves, several houses, plantation items. June, 1783 (date written?). The witnesses were Joshua Poythress, Richard Bland and Elizabeth Blair Bland. [Joshua Poythress (1751-1794) was the son of Joshua Poythress and Mary Short. Richard Bland (1762-1806) was married to Susanna Poythress (1769-1839), daughter of Peter Poythress and Elizabeth Bland. Ann Poythress Bland, daughter of Richard Bland & Mary Blair Bolling, was married to John Robertson.]

After Joshua Poythress’ Death
In February, 1802, in Prince George County, Archibald Robertson, administrator, of Joshua Poythress versus Ro. Goode, executor of Anne [Poythress] Morrison, John Baird, Nathaniel Wyche, administrator, of Alexander Belches, Thomas Gordon, Ebenezer Maitland, Charles Duncan, executor of Ro. Boyd, William Cole, Sheriff, of Prince George County.

Highlights: Joshua Poythress, Jr., (1751-1794), of Flowerdew Hundred, married Elizabeth Robertson, 5^th Generation

– born Pr. Geo. Co., 1751

– VA. Gazette notice of sale at Blandford of slaves & watercraft; Thos. Crawford & Joshua Poythress, Jr., 1776

– exchanged old money for new bills from U. S. Treasury, 1779

– married c. 1780, Elizabeth Robertson, daughter of Archibald Robertson & Elizabeth Fitzgerald (Joshua & his wife, Elizabeth, were both great grandchildren of John Poythress & Christian Peebles. Elizabeth’s grandmother was Elizabeth Poythress Fitzgerald.)

– his father, Joshua, died in 1782 [Joshua Poythress (II) pd. taxes on 581 ac. Pr. Geo. in 1782 & his mother pd. taxes on 493 ac. in 1787 & bought 177 ac. in Pr. Geo. Co. in 1784 = 670 ac. Each son would have received at least 335 ac. in Pr. Geo. Co. plus any land in other counties.] 

– children (1782-1785): Mary (d. young), Susanna m. John Vaughn Willcox

– taxes paid on (404 + 266 + 200 =) 870 acres by Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1782 

– taxes paid on (400 + 200 =) 600 acres by Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1783

– alterations made by transfer of land, recorded by Peter Epes; from Joshua Poythress to Simon Frazer, 366 acres, Pr. Geo. Co., 1785

– estate of Alexander Robertson left cash to him, John Poythress & Ann Poythress Morrison, Pr. Geo. Co., 1787

– taxes paid on (400 + 200 =) 600 acres by Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1787

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1788

– Abraham Parham, Jr., n/s Mockerson Neck cr. adj. Whotleberry br., Robt. Parham, Stith Parham, John Leath, Joshua Poythress, Wm. Burge, Sussex Co., 1788

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1789

– mentioned with Francis Poythress regarding estate of Joel Sturdivant, Pr. Geo. Co., 1789

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1790

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1791

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1792

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1793

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by the estate of Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1794

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by the estate of Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1795

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by the estate of Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1796

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by the estate of Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1797

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by the estate of Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1798

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by the estate of Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1799

– taxes paid on (404 + 200 =) 604 acres by the estate of Joshua Poythress, Pr. Geo. Co., 1800

– deceased 1794 (age ~43); Archibald Robertson (father-in-law), administrator of Joshua Poythress estate, Pr. Geo. Co., 1802

First document: 1774 (age ~23)

Joshua Poythress (I) had: 100 ac. Queensland; 200 ac. adj. Fitzgerald; 300 ac. Monksneck; 333 ac. Monksneck; 200 ac. High Peak; 300 ac. Flowerdew; 250 ac. Flowerdew; and 382 ac. Tommaheton = 2,065 ac. Sold 100 ac. to bro. Wm. = 1,965. 

Joshua Poythress (II) sold 615 ac. Monksneck Sussex Co. (1763); pd. taxes on (293 + 200 + 70 +18 =) 581 ac. Pr. Geo. = 1,196 ac. See brother, Wm. Poythress, for further analysis.]

Joshua (I): 1763 – sold 615 ac. Monks Neck = 615 ac. + 581 ac. = 1,196 ac.

1782 – 293 + 200 + 70 +18 = 581 ac. 

Joshua (II): 404 + 266 + 200 = 870 (1782); 404 + 200 = 604 (1794)

slaves: selling 11 negro fellows, 1776

Neighbors: Abraham Parham, Jr., Robert Parham, Stith Parham, John Leath, William Burge