Prince Edward

Prince Edward County Records, Wills, Estates, Probate Records

Prince Edward County, Virginia was formed in 1754 from Amelia County. It was named after Prince Edward, the second son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and the younger brother of George III of the United Kingdom. The original county seat was called Prince Edward Courthouse; it is now the village of Worsham. In 1798, the town of Farmville was formed (incorporated in 1912) near the headwaters of the Appomattox River. The county seat was moved from Worsham to Farmville in 1871.
Images of Wills 1754 to 1785

Testators: Archdeacon, James | Atkins, Robert | Atwood, James | Baker, Duglass| Baker, Martha | Baker, Martha (2) | Baker, Mary | Baker, Robert | Barns, William | Beaker, Caleb | Booker, William | Bryan, Thomas | Caldwell, Thomas | Caldwell, Thomas (2) | Carter, Theodrick | Cary, William | Christian, Ann | Coffee, Peter | Collicott, James | Crisman, Daniel | Cunningham, Alexander | Davidson, John | Dearman, Michael | DeJarnett, Daniel | DeJarnett, Elias | DeJarnett, Mary | Donnel, James| Ewing, Samuel | Fielder, Thomas | Flournoy, David | Garden, James | Gillespie, Patrick |Gillespie, Robert A.| Gordon, John| Graven, John| Griffin, James| Hackley, Samuel| Harper, Edmund | Harris, Micajah| Harris, Thomas | Harrison, William | Hawkins, Benjamin | Hill, William | Hughes, Leander| Johnston, Edward | Ligon, Henry Sr. | Littlejohn, Joseph | Lugh, Zachariah | Martain, Samuel | Martin, James | Mathews, Samuel | MacCartney, James | McCroy, James | McLard, David | Moor, Royall | More, George | Nash, John | Nash, Mary | Owens, John | Price, Pugh | Read, James | Reed, John | Reed, Samuel | Rice, Charles | Rice, Joseph | Richey, Hugh | Rowlett, John | Tuggle, Benjamin | Walker, George Sr. | Watkins, John | Whitlock, Sarah | Wimbish, Benjamin | Wimbish, James | Woodson, Constant | Woodson, Obadiah | Woodson, Richard | Yarbrough, William

Images of Wills 1785 to 1795

Testators: Adams, William Robert | Allen, James | Armstrong, Thomas | Baker, Samuel | Brooks, Isaac | Burks, George | Carr, Hugh | Cawthon, John | Chambers, Josiah | Childres, Robert | Clarke, John Jr. | Clark, Thomas | Cobb, Sarah | DeJarnett, John | Dixon, John | Gillespie, Francis | Hambleton, Alexander | Harper, Hannah | Hay, Daniel | Holt, Plunkett | Hughes, Jesse | Jackson, Thomas | Johnston, Henry | Lawson, Benjamin | Lewellin, Daniel | Lewellin, Thomas | Lewellin, William | Lockett, Stephen | McFeley, Manassah | Moore, Joseph | North, William | Price, Charles | Ritchie, Charles | Scott, John Scott, Mildred | Ward, Robert B. | Watts, Sarah | Woodson, Charles | Zachery, Bartholomew

Images of Wills 1795 to 1807

Anderson, William | Anderson, William (2) | Baker, Andrew | Baker, Christian | Baker, Douglass | Baldwin, Caleb | Baldwin, John | Baldwin, William | Beasley, Peter | Bever, John | Blanton, Richard Sr. | Booker, Mary | Brightwell, Reynold | Cardwell, John | Cason, Seth | Cathern, Adam | Chambers, Mary | Clarke, Joel | Downs, Margaret | Elliott, Andrew | Farley, William | Fears, James | Flournoy, Thomas | Foster, Richard | Gibson, Ann | Goode, Robert | Goode, Samuel | Hambleton, Obedience | Hartgrove, Thomas | Haskins, Thomas | Hix, John | Holland, Dick | Holland, Sarah | Hudson, James | Hudson, Thomas Sr. | Hudson, William | Hunt, Elizabeth | Huskegson, Luceasy | Jackson, Matthew | Jackson, Nancy | Jenning, Eleanor | Lewis, David | Ligon, James | Maner, Ferguson | Mason, Benjamin | Mason, William | Matthews, William | Meadows, Joel | Miller, John | Milley, Thomas | Moore, George | Morton, John | Nash, John Sr. | Neat, Stephen | Owen, Thomas | Pankey, Mary | Peek, William | Phillips, Richard | Pinick, Mary | Pinick, Charles | Price, James | Redd, Thomas | Ritchey, Mary | Ritchey, Mary (2) | Shepherd, Isaac | Smith, Henry | Thompson, John | Tucker, Joseph | Venable, Matthew | Waddell, Richard Sr. | Wade, Phillip | Walthall, Christopher | Walton, George | Watkins, Henry | Watkins, Robert | Watson, John | Williams, Willis | Winge, Andrew

Indexes to Probate Records

Index to Inventories, Accounts, and Wills 1785 to 1795

Miscellaneous Wills and Estates

Collicot, James LWT ca 1770
Harris, Thomas (1792), LWT, (transcribed) Whitlock, James

Images of Guardian Accounts
  • 1764-1797
  • 1798-1829
  • 1829-1855
  • 1855-1869
Marriage Bonds
  • 1755 to 1850
Abstracts of Deeds
  • 1788-1790

Newgate Prisoners Indentured Themselves as Servants to Settle in Virginia

English residents who were unable to pay their debts usually ended up in prison, with no hope of release. It was the ultimate condemnation for poor people and generally accepted by society. James Edward Oglethorpe (before he colonized Georgia) was an avid supporter of prison reform, especially after an artist friend died in Newgate Prison. The friend was a popular artist who lived largely. Oglethorpe struggled to get him released, but the artist was put into a cell with a person having a contagious disease where he soon died. However, Oglethorpe made his views known by pushing pamphlets and articles in various London newspapers, stirring public opinion which ultimately resulted in prisoners given the choice of indenturing themselves to American colonists. Peter Coffey was born in Ireland and was apparently one of the prisoners of debt in Newgate Prison. He put himself in bondage to come to America in the ship Forward Galley. The voyage was made in October of 1730 and 18 years later after being released from service, he was granted 220 acres of land on Vaughans Creek.

Finding the Ancestors before the 17th Century

Locating the origin of ancestors has its rewards. It begins in the neighborhood where the ancestor resided in the American Colony Colonists enjoyed the entertainment and social gatherings. They married someone in the neighborhood. Therefore, one should not overlook the community or its historical setting. In other words, the activity of the times is history. Once the genealogist traces back to the 17th century, finding records becomes tedious. Yet, our ancestors were part of history, and tidbits of information concerning them are scattered about in a wide variety of resources. A unique list of Origins of some of the earliest settlers to Virginia is compiled and published on Virginia Pioneers

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