JAMES DOGGETT
(Benjamin; Benjamin; Rev. Benjamin)
111 JAMES DOGGETT, son of Benjamin and Mary
Doggett; b. bef. 1714, d. 1758, Lancaster Co., VA; m(1) bef.
1735, CHARITY (surname unkown); m(2) abt. 1745, REBECCA
GEORGE¸ dau. of William and Rebecca George, d. prob.
abt. 1765. Rebecca m(2) abt. 1760, John Connolly.
Children (Doggett):
(children of marriage to Charity)
111:1 Jane ("Jenny")
111:2 Elizabeth
111:3 James b. 1743
(children of marriage to Rebecca George)
111:4 Spencer
111:5 Rebecca
112:6 Lucy
The earliest mention of this James Doggett in the records is
in the will of his grandfather Benjamin Doggett, dated September
1723, and probated in Lancaster County, Virginia, in November of
that year.. It is clear from this will that James’ father
Benjamin had died before that date. In December 1727, James’
mother Mary brought suit on behalf of James against the
grandfather Benjamin’s widow (and second wife) Mary
(Threlkeld) Doggett, for a division of 150 acres of land in
Christ Church Parish in Lancaster County. This land is
undoubtedly the 150 acres devised by the Rev. Benjamin Doggett to
his eldest son, Benjamin, grandfather of this Jame. However¸ the
suit was dismissed for reasons not specified in the court order
made on 10 April 1728, but probably because the defendant was in
possession of part of the land in the exercise of her dower
rights.
There was apparently no ill will between James and his
grandfather’s widow, as James and Charity Doggett witnessed
her will in June 1735. As there was no other James of the proper
age in Lancaster County at that time, we must assume that James
was born prior to 1714 and married Charity (surname unknown)
prior to 1735. The will was probated in Lancaster County on 10
March 1737.
Following the death of Mary (Threlkeld) Doggett, the land devised
to James’ grandfather Benjamin was apparently divided among
his heirs, and James apparently received three acres of land as
his portion. James sold the three acres on 8 April 1740 to
William George for 900 pounds of tobacco. This William George may
have been the father of Rebecca George, the second wife of James.
We have no information about the death of James’ first wife,
but when James died in 1758 he left his wife Rebecca and six
children: Jenney, Elizabeth, James, Spencer, Rebecca, and Lucy.
As indicated by the will of William George, dated 10 Mar 1760,
the three younger children, Spencer, Rebecca and Lucy, were
children of Rebecca, and therefore the three older children, Jane
(Jenney), Elizabeth, and James, were children of Charity. No
marriage bond or return has been seen for the marriage of James
and Rebecca, but as James, the youngest child of James and
Charity, was probably born about 1743, as discussed below, we can
estimate that James and Rebecca were married about 1745.
James died in 1758, in Lancaster County, Virginia. He left a will
dated 25 Jan 1758. which was recorded in county records on 19 May
of that year. The will left his entire estate to his wife Rebecca
during her widowhood for "her comfortable
support and to enable her to bring up my children." The will
further provided that if his widow should remarry she should
receive one third of the land and a child's part of the personal
property. He provided for his daughter Elizabeth to receive a
"suit of cloathes" if she should decide not to live
with the family. Upon the death or remarriage of Rebecca, the
personal estate was to be divided between the six children, which
provision seems somewhat inconsistent with the previous provision
for division of the estate on remarriage of the widow. The
provision of clothing for Elizabeth without a similar provision
for Jenney may indicate that Jenney had married and already left
the family home before the will was written.
On 18 Jul 1760, a division of James' estate was recorded,
dividing the estate between Rebecca and the six children. The
actual division had no doubt been accomplished by the
executors, James' friend Richard Stephens and the widow Rebecca.
In about 1760, Rebecca married John Connolly. No marriage bond or
record has been located for this marriage, but the will of
William George and the court order of 20 Jan 1764 prove the
marriage.
On 20 January 1764, William Doggett was appointed guardian of the
four younger children, James, Spencer, Rebecca and Lucy. and on
the same date the Lancaster County court ordered that James’
estate be divided. John Connolly was to receive the widow’s
portion and William Doggett, the guardian of the four children
was to receive the remainder. The two older daughters, Jenney and
Elizabeth are not mentioned in the order, and we must assume that
they had married and had received their portion in some manner,
or perhaps had died during the four years which had elapsed since
the previous estate proceeding. The division of the estate was
accomplished and recorded in court records on 17 Feb 1764. The
William Doggett who was appointed guardian was probably the first
cousin of James’ father Benjamin.
On 15 April 1765, William Doggett filed an accounting with the
Lancaster County court, recorded on 8 August, and on 18 April
1765 Rebecca George was appointed as guardian of Rebecca and
Lucy. This would seem to indicate that Rebecca, the mother of
Rebecca and Lucy had died and their grandmother was appointed in
the place of William Doggett as guardian. On the same date,
Spencer Doggett was bound as an apprentice to George Phillips
until he reached the age of 21 to learn the trade of millwright.
James Doggett had apparently attained the age of majority between
20 Jan 1764 and 18 April 1765. From this we can estimate that
James was born about 1743.
We have found no further references to Spencer or James that can
be positively connected to these persons.