9. Elliott LACY
(1) was born about 1726 in VA. He died
on 20 Nov 1777. Elliott Lacy b. ca. 1725, Va. and died on 20 Nov 1777, killed
in the Revolutionary War. Evidently Elliott grew to manhood in and around Hanover
County, VA where his family had lived for two generations. At some point he married
a Miss Brown, as
recorded in old family records, given by Thomas Lacey, grandson of Elliott, to
Miss Pamela Lacey as mentioned above. The identity of Miss Brown is unknown,
but very likely, she was the sister of Mary Brown, wife of Elkanah, Elliott's
brother.
Their parents were Francis and Christianer Brown of Chesterfield Co., Va. The
close residency of the Browns and Lacys in Chesterfield Co., the repetition of
the unusual name Lionel (corrupted into Lianer, Linner, Linel, etc.), and the
fact that a
brother of these Brown girls was also named Lionel, strengthens the circumstantial
evidence for these conclusions. In addition, both Thomas and Daniel Brown, sons
of Francis and Christianer, moved to Bedford Co., Va., where a daughter of Thomas
married Burley Lacy, son of Elliott. Family records, dating back over one hundred
years, state that Burley Lacy's wife was his cousin. Finally, according to the
will of Francis Brown, he had but two daughters, Mary and Lois, thus it appears
that
the name of Elliott's wife was Lois. Nothing is known of her dates of birth or
death, but she was still single in June of 1755, the date of her father's will.
As we shall see below, land transaction records place Elliott in Bedford County
at the
same time, so it is likely that he met and married his wife there. Elliott and
his wife had eight children.
The first official records of Elliott Lacy outside the Hanover County area is
in the newly organized County of Bedford (formed in 1753 and organized in 1754).
This was a county in the southwestern part of Virginia with its western boundary
the
unorganized county of Augusta and was truly on the frontier at the time. He was
a member of the Militia of which there are four references listed below. Probably
this service was related to the French and Indian War which was going on at the
time.
1. In "Gleanings of Virginia History", by Boogler, it states that he
was paid 3 pounds and 4 shillings for service in the Bedford County Militia,
in 1756, serving under Capt. John Phelps, Lt. Richard Callaway, and Ensign Samuel
Howston (Houston).
His close kinsman, Zachariah Burnley, was a member of the same unit.
2. In 1758 he was sergeant in the Bedford County Militia
("Va. Colonial Records, Vol. 2).
3. "Elliott Lacy of Bedford County, VA, was a private in the Army in the
Indian Wars before the Declaration of Independence". (Hist. Sketch of Bedford
Co., Va.", p. 40 Duke Univ.)
4. "Elliott Lacey, sergeant Colonial Militia, Sept. 1758, Bedford County."
("Virginia Colonial Militia", by Wm. A. Crozier.)
In 1758 Elliott with his brother, Thomas, and Thomas Deen, bought 880 acres from
Zachariah Brunley in Bedford County. The deed reads as follows:
"THIS INDENTURE made this twenty second day of May in the year of our Lord
one thousand seven Hundred & fifty Eight. Between Zachariah Burnley of the
County of Bedford of the one part and Elliott Lacey, Thomas Deen of the same
County & Thomas
Lacey of Chesterfield County of the other part WITNESSETH that the said Zachariah
Burnley for and in consideration of twenty Pounds Current Money of Virginia to
him in Hand Paid the Receipt whereof he doth Acknowledge hath granted Bargained
sold
Released & Confirm'd by these presents doth grant Bargain sell Release &
Confirm unto said Elliot Lacy Thomas Deen & Thomas Lacy & to their heirs
and Assigns forever one certain tract of Parcel of Land Containing eight Hundred
& eighty Acres the
same more or less Lying and being in the County of Bedford on the Branches of
Falling River Near the Pilot Mountain it being part of a Tract of Land the said
Zachariah Burnley Bought of Robert Wathen & Robert Jennings and Bounded as
follows (to
wit) Beginning Corner Hickory thence North forty two Degrees west one Hundred
& forty four Poles to a Hickory Thence North Seventy Six Degrees fifty two
Poles to a Red Oake thence North Sixty Eight Degrees East fifty Poles to a Shrub
oak, thence
North Twenty Degrees West Ninety Poles to a Small Red oak Saplin, thence North
Eighty Nine Degrees West three Hundred & Eighteen Poles to a small white
oake thence North Sixty five Degrees West forty one Poles to a White oake thence
South fifteen
Degrees East five Hundred and forty four Poles to a Small white oak thence North
Eighty one & one Half Degrees East one Hundred & Ninety Poles to Pointers
on Colo. Bollings line thence on his line North twenty five Degrees West sixty
four Poles to
a White oak, thence North thirty two Degrees East one Hundred & Seventy Poles
to the first Station with Allwod, Swaine Meadows & all other Profits &
Commodities to same belonging and all the Estate Right Title Interest Claim &
Demand whatsoever of
him the said Zachariah Burnley of in & to the said Land & Premises &
every Part & Parcel thereof. To have and to Hold said tract of Land and all
other the before granted Premises with their appertences unto the said Eliot
Lacey, Thomas Deene &
Thomas Lacey & to their Heirs and Assigns forever to the only Use & Behoof
of the said Eliot Lacey, Thomas Deene & Thos. Lacey their Heirs and Assigns
for ever & the said Zachariah Burnley for him and his Heirs the said Land
& Premises against him
& his Heirs & all Persons claiming from by or under him or any of them
to the said Elliot Lacey, Thos. Deene & Thos. Lacey shall & Will Warrant
& forever Defend by these Presents in Witness whereof the said Zachariah
Burnley hath Hereunto set his
Hand & Seal the day & Year above Written.
Sign'd Seal'd Delivered "Zach. Burnley L. S.
In Presence of us: ----
Peter Rawlings, Henry Jones
Anthony Rawling (his mark),
James Lee, James Stapp
On the twenty second day of May one Thousand and seven Hundred & fifty Eight
Liberty & Seisin of the Within sold Land and Premises was acknowledged to
be made & Done by the within Named Zachariah Burnley to the Within Names
Elliot Lacey, Thos.
Deene & Thos. Lacey for them & Heirs and Assigns forever.
In Presence of Henry Jones, James Stapp "Zach. Brunley. L .S.
Peter Rawlin, Anthony Rawling (his mark)
May 22nd, 1758. Recd. of Elliot Lacey, Thoms. Deen & Thos. Lacey seventy
pounds by me.
"Zach Burnley.
At a Court held for Bedford County June 16th, 1758.
This Indenture and Memorandum of Livery of Seisin & Receipt thereon Endorsed
were acknowledged by Zachariah Burnly Party thereto & Ordered to be Recorded.
Teste: Benjamin Howard C. B. C
Truly Recorded: Ben Howard. C. B. C. "
(Deed Bk. A, p.176)
There are some points of interest to be noted in this document. Of course, since
the laws and procedures were based on English Law the document reads almost like
a modern day land transaction document. The legal description of the boundaries
in
terms of temporary markers such as tree or rocks is a good example of why "processioning"
was used to reconfirm boundaries. The casual spellings, especially of names,
is a common feature of such documents. As seen above, such spelling variations
occur frequently in the document.
In 1759, we find record of Elliott Lacy as a plaintiff in a suit against John
Landrum in Chesterfield County, which was organized ten years earlier out of
Henrico County and lies three counties to the East of Bedford. We do not know
if he was a
resident of this county at that time.
Order Bk. 2, p. 513. April Court 1759. Chesterfield Co., Va.
"Elliott Lacy Agt. John Landrum.
This day came the parties by their attornies and thereupon came also -------
to wit, Thomas Rudel, to speak ----- upon their oath say that the defendant is
guilty in manner and form in the petition against him, hath ordered and assess
the
plaintiff damages by occasion thereof for four pounds six shillings, therefore
it is considered by the Court that the plaintiff recover against the said defendant
his damages aforesaid in form ----- together with his costs, etc."
(Signature) John Archer
Teste: W. Watkins. Clk."
It is interesting to note that in this suit Elliott had his two brothers, Elkanah
and Nathaniel, testify for him. This is further evidence of the relationship
of Elliott to the Thomas Lacy family. He was required to pay them 25 pounds of
tobacco
per day for their services:
(Order Bk. 2, p. 515, Chesterfield Co., Va.)
"April Court 1759. Ordered that Elliot Lacy pay Elkanah Lacy 150# Tob for
six days attendance as a witness against John Landrum.
John Archer
Teste: W. Watkins, Clk."
"Ordered that Elliot Lacy pay Nathaniel Lacy 350# Tob for fourteen days
attendance as a witness for him against John Landrum.
Teste: W. Watkins, Clk. John Archer."
The exact date of Lois Brown's birth is not known, but perhaps she was born in
1740. She was single in June of 1755, the date of her father's will. It is likely
that they were married by 1758, based on the births of the children. While we
do not
have firm birth dates for any of the children, we do know that there were eight
of them and that Eliott was killed in the Revolutionary War in 1777, so we space
the children out between the middle late 1750's and the early 1770's. Since Elliott,
Jr. was an ensign in the Army, most likely, he would have had to have been at
least twenty at the time of the war. Probably he was born in Buckingham Co.,
VA since Elliott was residing there as shown below.
Undoubtedly by this time, Elliott was a prosperous planter and land owner by
the middle 1750's. From the above court documents we see that most likely he
raised tobacco as a cash crop, since he paid his brothers in tobacco for attending
the trial
and testifying in his suit against John Landrum. Tobacco, at that time, was legal
tender in Virginia. One is struck by the amount of money over which the suit
was filed, 4 pounds and six shillings. After his expenses to his brothers, he
could have
had no more than half of its value left, except, of course, he had the tobacco
on hand. Most likely it was a case of protecting one's interests and not letting
an individual get away with non-payment of just debt, no matter what the cost.
In 1761 we find him living in the newly formed Buckingham County which was organized
out of Albemarle County and lay to the north and east of Bedford, sharing a common
border. Theinformation for this claim is based on a deed record, which is
presented as proof. Unfortunately, the loss of all the old records of Buckingham
County eliminates them as a source of additional information on Elliott.
"THIS INDENTURE made this sixteenth day of June in the year of our Lord
Christ one Thousand seven Hundred and Sixty one Between Elliot Lacey of the County
of Buckingham of the one part and William Duiguid of the same County of the other
Part
Witnesseth that the said Elliot Lacy for and in Consideration of the sum of forty
eight pounds eight shillings and eleven Pence three farthings Current Money of
Virginia to him in hand paid by the said Wm. Duiguid the receipt whereof he doth
hereby acknowledge and thereof and of every Part & Parcel thereof doth hereby
Clearly Acquit Exonerate & Discharge the said William Duiguid and his Heirs
forever hath Bargained sold aliened enfeoffed and Confirmed unto the said William
Duiguid his
Heirs and Assigns forever one Certain Tract or Parcel of Land Lying & being
in the Parish of Russel in the County of Bedford on the Branches of Falling River
being the same Land the said Elliot Lacey bought formerly of Zachariah Bunrly
late of
Bedford County and Contains eight hundred and eighty acres and is Bounded as
followeth that is to say Beginning at Colo. Bollings Corner Hiccory near Pilot
Mountain thence ------- etc. To have and to Hold the said dividend Tract or Parcel
of Land
and all and singular the Premises with the Other appertenances thereto Belonging
herein before granted or hereby intended to be granted Bargained Sold with their
and every of their appertenances unto the said William Duiguid his Heirs and
Assigns
to the only Proper use and Behoof him the said William Duiguid his Heirs and
Assigns forever and the said Eliot
Lacey for himself and his Heirs the said Sold land and Premises with the appertenances
thereto Belonging or in any wise appertaining unto the said William Duiguid his
Heirs and
Assigns against him the said Eliot Lacey his Heirs and Assigns & all Other
Persons whatsoever Lawfully Claiming or to Claim by from or under him them or
any of them and all Other
Persons Whatsoever shall and will warrant and forever Defend by these Presents.
In Witness Whereof the said Elliot Lacey to these presents his hand and Seal
hath set the day and the year above Written.
Seald & Delivered Elliot Lacey L.S.
In the Presence of:
David Patteson John Patteson
Charles Patteson Thos. Patteson
MEMORANDUM that on the sixteenth of June M D C C L X I Livery of Seisin of the
within Sold land and Premises with the appertenances was had and Taken by the
within Named Elliot Lacey and by him Delivered to the within Named William Duiguid
and
Quiet Possession given according to the True intent and Meaning of the within
Written Indenture by Delivery of Turff & Twig.
Seald & Delivered in Presence of
David Patteson John Patteson
Chas. Patteson Thos. Patteson
Received the sixteenth day of June 1763 of the within William Duiguid the sum
of Fortyeight Pounds eight shillings and elen Pence Current Money)
of Virginia in full for the Consideration Money for the with)
Mentioned Land and Premises ..............................................)
48.8.11-3/4
Teste: Elliott Lacey
David Patteson, John Patteson, Chas. Patteson
Thos. Patteson
At a Court held for Bedford County Novr. 24th, 1763.
This Indenture & Memorandum of Livery & Seisin & Receipts hereon
Indorsed were Proved by the Oaths of David Patteson, Chas. Patteson & Thos.
Patteson, Witnesses thereto and Ordered to be Recorded.
Teste: Benjamin Howard C.B.C.
(Deed Bk. A, p. 499. Bedford Co., Va.)
He was married to Miss (Lois) BROWN (daughter of Francis
BROWN and Christianer) in VA. Miss
(Lois) BROWN(1) was born in VA. Elliott
LACY and Miss (Lois) BROWN had the following children:
53 i.
Elliott Jr LACY(1) was born about
1759 in (pos.) Buckingham County, VA. He died in Revolutionary War.
+54 ii.
Nathaniel LACY.
+55 iii.
Burley LACY.
+56 iv.
Lionel (Liner) LACY.
+57 v.
Kaner (Elkanah) LACY.
+58 vi.
Mary (Polly) LACY.
+59 vii.
Elizabeth LACY.
+60 viii.
Katherine LACY.