The Colony of Virginia Company, in order to stimulate immigration and
settlement, decreed that any person who paid his own way, or another
person's way to Virginia, should be awarded 50 acres of land for each
individual brought in. However, the "headright" may actually have
arrived in the Colony long before the patentee entered a claim for
land due. The claimant was required to present a receipt to prove
that the passage money had been paid, and the above county court
record, which includes Edward Maxey, was probably the type of proof
that was needed before applying for a patent.
Unfortunately, Edward's name was not included in the many patents that
William Byrd I subsequently received. Some receipts were lost or too
badly damaged to read before they had been recorded, and in the case
of three of the Byrd patents in 1704 (see Patent Book 9, pp.612-613)
the names were not given but only the number of headrights -- 7, 11
and 74, respectively.
William Byrd I (1652-1704) came to Virginia in 1671 (probably from
London, where his father was employed as a goldsmith) to claim his
inheritance from his deceased uncle Thomas Steggs. Byrd not only
received considerable land located on both sides of the James River
from his uncle, but acquired a great deal more through his own patents
from 1683 through 1704. He was a member of the House of Burgesses
from 1677 through 1682, and later was auditor-general of Virginia.
In 1691 he moved to his new plantation at Westover on the James
River, near the now famous plantations of "Shirley" (Carters) and
"Berkeley" (Harrisons). He began building his mansion house about
1689 or 1690, and it is known that he had white indentured servants
(as well as many slaves) who signed a contract, usually for five or
seven years, in return for their passage to America. Byrd took a
tremendous interest in the French Huguenots who settled in Manakin
Town, and gave them substantial assistance in the four years before
his death. For instance, he allowed them to grind their corn at his
mills free of charge; and it has been said that if it hadn't been
for his help they probably wouldn't have survived. The bill granting
the French title to their lands was sponsored by him. He, his wife
and a daughter are buried at a church in Jamestown. His only son,
William, Jr. (1674-1744) was sent to England for his education and
remained there until 1705 when he returned to manage the estates he
had inherited.
Edythe Maxey Clark - 1991
The above homestead maps show a Rocky Oak Church just southwest of
Flat Rock, on the edge of John Maxey Sr.'s land. A sliver of land
containing the church has been marked off, indicating John may have
deeded the land to the church. The interesting thing is the church
is still there. It's in
private hands, rented to religious organizations from time to time
for a meeting place. A cemetery with some Maxey graves is adjacent
to the church. Here are recent photographs of
the church,
the front door,
and the "restroom".
H. David Maxey
March 2009
