Sheriff Patriot Nathaniel D. [Dickinson] Terry, Sr.

Notes:

Other Terrys mentioned in the Halifax Antrim Parrish Vestry Records are James Terry, Champness Terry, Zachariah Terry, Joseph Terry, and Moses Terry.

According to records, Nathaniel Terry Sr. had a slave named Greggory who was charged in 1777 with beating a certain Hector McNeil, a merchant from Scotland, to the point that McNeil's life was in great danger. The gentlemen justices agreed that Greggory should 'receive thirty lashes on his bare back". It was ordered that Greggory be taken by the sheriff to the common whipping post.

Records stated that Nathaniel Terry Sr. appeared before the grand jury for taking a stray horse and riding him "contrary to the law."

Nathaniel Terry Sr. and his son, William Terry appeared in Halifax court, March 1777 on a complaint of James McCraw. McCraw stated that he 'is apprehensive that said Nathaniel and William Terry will beat, woulnd, maim or kill him." The court dismissed the charges after questioning a witness. The Revolutionary War had just begun at this time. The author's conclusion is that this incident had something to do with England and the way the planters felt about England. Feelings against the Tories of the British parliament ran high in Halifax County at that time.

Halifax Co, VA Plea Book No. 4 (85) September Court 1763
Nathaniel Terry, for the King and for himself, Plt, vs Thomas Tuck, Deft, In Debt. Judgment is granted to the Plt against the Deft for his costs, according to an agreement made between the sd parties.

20 July 1768 Charlotte Co., Virginia (DB2/245.p.054) Deed Abstract identifies Nathaniel Terry as maker of a deed in Lunenburg to James Taylor, witnessed by Will Barksdale and James Cole

"At a Meeting of the Justices appointed for Halifax County at Hampton Wade's House, the XIXth, day of May, in the XXVth. Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King George II, and in the year of our Lord Christ, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Two, a Commission of Peace was produced from the Honorable Robert Dinwiddie, His Majesty's Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, bearing date at Williamsburg, Virginia, the twenty-eighth day of April in the year of Our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Two, and direct to William Byrd,* William Wynne, Peter Fontaine, Jr., James Terry, William Irby, Nathaniel Terry, Robert Wade, Hampton Wade, Andrew Wade, and Sherwood Walton, Gentlemen: - "At this meeting the usual oaths were administered. Nathaniel Terry was sworn sheriff; George Currie was made clerk of the court; Thomas Nash, surveyor; Clement Read (of Lunenburg, and later of Charlotte county), King's attorney. John Light, Joseph Faris and Abel Lee were appointed constables. Nicholas Hayle, Robert Jones and James Irwin were recommended as justices.

*Son of William Byrd of Westover, who ran the dividing line between Virginia and North Carolina in 1727.

Alice Allen and Hannah Parsons, Spinsters, Came into Court, and respectively acknowledged themselves guilty of having had each a Bastard child, whereas they make their fines by payments of each of them 50 shillings or five hundred pounds of tobacco (Persuant to the Act of the Assembly, in that case made and provided) and thereupon came Nathaniel Terry, Gent., who together with Members of the Court now sitting, became Securities for payment of the fines at the laying of the next Levy for the Parish of Antrim.

Halifax County, which extends to the North Carolina border, was a tobacco growing region, as it still is today. It is in the middle of Soutside Virginia, in the Piedmont
Pleateau of rolling hills leading to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and today it appears that this land, in the southwest corner of the county, is in the area that forms something of a
triangle between secondary state Highways #691 and #659 (the River Road), very near the present community of Paces and possibly nine or so miles southwest of the county seat, also called Halifax. On a larger scale this area is south of U. S. #360 and north of U. S. #58. The tiny town of Turbeville, once called Bloomsburg, is about four miles southeast from where Tobys Creek flows into the Dan River. Danville, in adjacent Pittsylvania County is about 25 miles southwest from this point.

Name:
Captain Nathaniel Terry was a member of the House of Burgess in Williamsburg in 1755, 1765, and 1771 and 1775. He was a delegate to the Virginia Convention of 1776. Terry married Sarah Royall. Nathaniel Terry had a water grist mill on the falls of Sandy Creek in 1754. In 1756, Nathaniel was granted an ordinary license and in 1757 an orphan named Elenor Ozbrook was placed in his care. In 1757 and 1759 Nathaniel had a ferry on the Dan River. In 1771 he was appointed as a surveyor from Banister's Bridge to Martin's Path Road.

Nathaniel married Sarah Anne Royall 10 Sep 1748, Chesterfield Co., Virginia. Sarah (daughter of Joseph William Royall and Sarah Povall Baxter) was born 17 Mar 1726, Chesterfield County, Virginia; died 1805. [Group Sheet]

1. Nancy Terry was born 12 Feb 1758, Halifax County, Virginia; died 25 Mar 1836, Halifax County, Virginia.
2. Elizabeth Dickerson Terry was born 13 Jun 1760, Halifax County, Virginia; died 28 Mar 1800, Edgefield, Abbeville, South Carolina.
3. Col. William Royall Terry was born 27 Nov 1749, Chesterfield County, Virginia; died 21 Dec 1810, Richmond, Henrico Co., Virginia.
4. Joseph Terry was born 9 Sep 1753, Halifax County, Virginia; died 22 Sep 1817, Halifax County, Virginia.
5. Mary 'Polly' Terry was born 20 Sep 1767, Halifax County, Virginia; died 8 Aug 1848, Halifax County, Virginia.
6. Nathaniel to Kentucky Terry, Jr. was born 3 Dec 1755, Virginia Colony; died 8 Feb 1837, Todd Co., Kentucky.
7. Robert Terry was born 12 Jan 1770, Halifax County, Virginia; died 15 Nov 1826, Henderson Co., Kentucky.

Notes:

Champness Terry above is a 67/64 match with T-24 Benjamin Terry d 1771 Pittsylvania Co VA.

Benjamin Terry, b c 1701 m Elizabeth [probably Dickerson] d 1771 Pittsylvania Co. VA - David K. Terry [dkt4ster AT hotmail.com] T-24
Benjamin Terry had documented sons in his Will of 1771 as follows: Nathaniel, Benjamin, Peter, Joseph and Robert Terry.

Benjamin Terry is one of the oldest "documented" Terry ancestors in the group from Virginia and he perfectly matches the modal values for Haplogroup I - Lineage I indicating he is the closest match to the MRCA (Most recent common ancestor) for the whole group. Benjamin?s oldest son Nathaniel Terry (1725-1778) married Sarah Royall. Nathaniel Terry was a member of the House of Burgesses and of the House of Delegates. He died, Halifax County, Virginia. This older Benjamin Terry had a daughter Sarah Terry who married Champness Terry, the son of Joseph Terry died about Dec 1785 Pittsylvania County, Virginia and his wife Judith Crawford. This Champness Terry died between 1775 and 1779 in South Carolina. Champness and Sarah had a son also named Champness (1772-1820) who died in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana.

Benjamin Terry U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
Name Benjamin Terry
Birth Date 1700
Birth Place New Kent, Virginia
Death Date 26 Jul 1771
Death Place Pittsylvania, Virginia
SAR Membership 90362
Role Ancestor
Application Date 19 Aug 1963

Benjamin married Elizabeth Dickerson/Dickinson/Dickenson Abt 1723, Caroline Co., Virginia. Elizabeth (daughter of Nathaniel Dickerson/Dickinson/Dickenson and Elizabeth Garland) was born Abt 1704, New Kent Co., Virginia Colony; died Bef 17 Sep 1771, Pittsylvania County, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

http://knoxcolorado.com
The following article, written by Margie Brown, a 6th great-granddaughter of Benjamin Terry, Sr. and a renowned Terry researcher appeared in the Terry Family Historian.
ISSUE:
1. William b. 1749 d. 1810 md 1771 Susannah Thompson daughter of Wm & Rachel (Coleman) he was a Virginia legislator and an officer in the Rev. War. He died suddenly in Richmond 1810, obit in ARGUS, Susannah died 1845 was a pensioner, (submitted the family Bible). Among their children was DICKERSON b. 25 Dec 1789 d. test. Halifax 1844, left no issue. There were 9 children in all.
2. Joseph b. 1753 d. 1817 md 1783 Sarah Coleman (Williams [Hill] a widow of James Hill, and the daughter of John & Diane (Coleman) Williams, 6 children, two being Diane Royall and James Anthony Terry. These were names as the parents of Benjamin in the family lore of Halifax in this century. James A. and wife Nancy are found in Carroll co TN. Diane md a cousin Robert, son of her Uncle Benjamin of Pittsylvania. One son, 2 daughters.
3. Nathaniel D. b. 1755 d. 1837 md 1784 Ann Thompson daughter of Wm & Rachel (Coleman). He and she both have pensions, plus a glorious lawsuit over the slaves in the 1855-1860 time period. The naming pattern is very strong in this family. One son Nathaniel DICKERSON Terry. He was called Dick by family. [source 2 Biles and 1854 letter from KY and Court suit]. 8 other children
4. Robert b. 1779 died before 1850 census md 1793 Nancy Hopkins Smith, had son Nathaniel DICKERSON. This family to Henderson co KY [Source dozens of family letters 1809-1817].
5. Royall b. 1765 d. 1780 unmarried.
6. Nancy b. 1758 d. 1836 md as his 2nd 1789 Berryman Green. Daughter Elizabeth DICKERSON Green, 6 children. She md a son of her Uncle Joseph above. It is from this family that most of the incorrect family lore was started in the 1920's and 30's. [Source Bible and Court suit.]
7. Mary b. 1767 d. 1848 md 1786 James Thompson. A daughter Elizabeth DICKERSON Thompson, and a granddaughter by same name. [Bible record and Court suit.]
8. Elizabeth DICKERSON b. 1760 d. bef 1806 md 1779 as his 2nd John Martin [Bible and Marriage bond0 9 ch. Son named Wm. DICKERSON Martin.
9. Sarah b. 1763 d. 1854 md 1787 Keeple Terry. No issue [Court papers, Bedford co TN]
All of the COLEMAN girls above were sisters, antoher sister Susannah Coleman md. Armistead Watlington. Thompson, Watlingtons and Colemans are out of Gloucester Co. VA.
The records are wonderful and I can track most all the Terrys out of Halifax and Pittsylvania, but if you don't go to the Court House, you never see it. And, as I said in the beginning...there is no documented IRBY name in this Terry family, to my knowledge, if anyone know of one, I would certainly like to see it.
(After this article was written, we learned of a 1939 visit to Pittsylvania co by Charles Edward Terry, great-grandson of Robert Terry and Nancy Hopkins Smith. He wrote of seeing the original will, in very bad shape at the time and there was nothing mentioned in it about what Elizabeth Terry, wife of Benjamin Sr.'s maiden name was, but he and some Virginia cousins "thought" they knew what it was. Also, at one time in the not so distant past, well past the middle of the 20th century, Pittsylvania county VA had a large number of original wills in their "loose" papers at the Courthouse in Chatham, VA. They have all disappeared, apparently taken by people who thought of them as "theirs!" jek)
Parents: Nathaniel DICKERSON.

Notes:

Is Benjamin Terry the son of James & Mary Diane Royall

THE HISTORY of PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY VIRGINIA
CHAPTER V A PART OF HALIFAX COUNTY, 1752-1767
page 5859 The domain that later was to be Pittsylvania now lay within the bounds of the great new county of Halifax, and the courthouse, after several changes, was located in the eastern part of the county. As generally happens, the place of holding court drew settlers and tradesmen, and in 1759 100 acres belonging to James Roberts, the younger, and adjoining the courthouse were laid off into a town and named Peytons-burg. The trustees appointed for the town were James Roberts, Theop-helus Lacy, Robert Wade, Jr., and Nathaniel Terry. With the establishment of the courthouse and a duly constituted town in this (Pittsylvania) section, the inhabitants ceased to be so isolated and remote from the world of affairs. For the monthly court drew lawyers and men of property from other sections, bringing a touch of the outside world; while the ubiquitous trader was present at any gathering of people. The military organization of the county was effected at the courthouse, with its attendant musters to the music of fife and drum. All this added interest and color to the life of the inhabitants. [p.58] The justices of the peace appointed for the new county were William Byrd, William Wynne, Peter Fontaine, Jr., William Irby, James Terry, Nathaniel Terry, Robert Hampton, Andrew Wade, and Sherwood Walton. In the following year Thomas Dillard Thomas Calloway, Samuel Harris,Benjamin Clement,Peter Wilson and Robert Pusey were recommended to the Governor as fit and able persons to be added to the Commission of Peace, all of whom lived in that part of the county that later became Pittsylvania. Of these first gentlemen justices of [p.59] Halifax, William Byrd and Peter Fontaine, Jr., were of Charles City County; William Irby, William Wynne, and Sherwood Walton were of southside Virginia; Nathaniel and James Terry and Benjamin Clement from King William County; Samuel Harris from Hanover County; Robert Hampton, Andrew Wade, Robert Pusey, Peter Wilson and Thomas Calloway were probably from Pennsylvania.

Birth:
Colonial Virginia, James Terry is found on the 1704 Quit Rolls of King William Co.

Name:
James Terry was an early settler and patented large bodies of land in this section. In 1757 he moved to Orange County, North Carolina. In 1764 (Halifax Deed Book) he sold to Nathaniel Terry, Hugh Innes, Robert Woodang, Thomas Dillard, Sr., Thomas Dillard, Jr., Ed. Booker, John Bates, James Dillard, Archibald Gordon, George Watkins, John Donelson, Thomas Tunstall, vestryman of Antrim Parish, for £350, 794 acres on Sandy Creek, where the said Terry formerly lived, for a Glebe for Antrim Parish.

James married Mary Diane Royall. Mary (daughter of Captain Joseph Royall and Mary Eppes/Epps) was born Est 1675, Henrico Co., Virginia; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dickerson/



Died:
Will Date:

Nathaniel married Elizabeth Garland. Elizabeth was born Est 1685, New Kent Co., Virginia; died 1740, New Kent Co., Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Married:
Children of NATHANIEL DICKENSON and ELISABETH GARLAND are:

6. i. GRIFFITH6 DICKENSON, b.1713, VA; d. December 12, 1785.
ii. WILLIAM DICKENSON.
iii. NATHANIEL DICKENSON JR.
iv. ELIZABETH DICKENSON.
v. MARY DICKENSON.
vi. JOHN DICKENSON SR.
vii. JAMES DICKENSON.

Notes:

Name:
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/56411815/person/40258295544
This Joseph Royall is the s/o another Joseph Royall (1600-10 Mar 1655) and Catherine Banks, (1627-1686) in Canterbury, Kent, England. Son of yet another Joseph Royall, Sr. (1550-1615) and Angeline ? (1550-1615) Joseph Royall b 1600 is the immigrant for this line.

Joseph married Mary Eppes/Epps Est 1669. Mary (daughter of Francis Eppes/Epps, II and Elizabeth Jane Littleberry) was born Est 1650, Chesterfield County, Virginia; died 1698, Henrico Co., Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Name:
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/56411815/person/40258280157
Mary Eppes Royall married 2nd John Hardyman 1 Aug 1685 in Henrico Co., Virginia and died in 1698 in Henrico Co., VA; John Hardyman (1654-1711)

William married Phoebe Garland Bef 1675. Phoebe was born Est 1652; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]