Generation No. 1
1. JOHN1 WORTHAM was born Abt. 1620 in Great Britian, and died June 08, 1692 in Middlesex Co.,Virginia. He married MARY Bef. 1663 in Middlesex Co., Virginia. She was born Abt. 1640, and died in Middlesex Co., Virginia.
Notes for JOHN WORTHAM:
John Wortham appeared in Lancaster County (now
Middlesex Co.), Virginia March 5, 1658, when he received a grant of 400 acres.
This property began at the termination of the Dragon Run on the south,
Courthouse Swamp on the west, the Brooke property on the north and Pianketank
Farm on the east. Although the original 400 acres have been divided, this land
has stayed in the Wortham family for twelve generations.
John built a two room house with a loft above. This house was remodeled for use
as Middlesex's first courthouse after John's death. George, his only surviving
son, leased it to the county for a period of ten years, also building a jail
nearby.
John Wortham was a prominent man in his neighborhood. The Christ Church Vestry
Book refers to him on Nov 7, 1671, "It is Ordered that John Wortham doe
Continue Reader at the Great Church This Ensueing Yeare And be paid as
formerly." He was paid 1,400 pounds of tobacco for serving as Clerk of the
Vestry in 1673, and was listed as a Vestry member in 1684 and succeeding years
John was made a Justice for Middlesex County in 1684, as well as Church Warden.
When "Old John Wortham, as a member of the court, sentenced his neighbors to
military service, that he was one of the first to sign his name, signifying
that he was ready and willing to go with them himself...characteristic of the
family teaching we all are familiar with, "Never to require any man to do what
one would not do himself." (Quote from Thomas Monahan Wortham reported in a
letter from Mrs. Edwin Wortham)
Children of JOHN WORTHAM and MARY are:
i. SARAH2 WORTHAM, b. November 12, 1663.
ii. MARY WORTHAM, b. February 11, 1664/65.
iii. JOHN WORTHAM, b. September 27, 1669.
iv. MARGARET WORTHAM, b. February 20, 1670/71.
2. v. GEORGE WORTHAM, b. April 20, 1673, Christ Church, Middlesex Co., Va.; d. April 05, 1734, Christ Church, Middlesex Co., Va..
vi. JOSEPH WORTHAM, b. July 02, 1676.
Generation No. 2
2. GEORGE2 WORTHAM (JOHN1) was born April 20, 1673 in Christ Church, Middlesex Co., Va., and died April 05, 1734 in Christ Church, Middlesex Co., Va.. He married MARY Abt. 1700 in Middlesex, Va.. She was born Abt. 1670, and died in Virginia.
Notes for GEORGE WORTHAM:
When his father died, George was a youth of nineteen years. Regardless of his
years, he had the tenacity to hold on to his father's land holdings when his
stepmother, Jane, tried to take more than George felt was fair.
Specifically, Jane "...out of an evil design to prejudice and to damage
your petitioner did in the month of November last at ye plantation where
the said John Wortham died in this County, took away key to the barn
where wheat and corn was stored and caused loss of quantity of wheat and
corn and three bushels of English wheat and a cane chair all of which
were legal property of Executor. She averred she had a good right to
these things, key included," according to a suit filed by George in 1692.
Several suits and counter-suits were filed before one or both cases were
dismissed April 3, 1693. Whatever the outcome, both parties did not pursue it.
Jane died two years later at which time George made an offer to remodel his
father's home for use as the first Middlesex County Courthouse. He also built a
jail nearby, leasing both to the county on November 11, 1695, for a period of
ten years. However, by 1700 the justices were complaining their quarters were
"very leakey." In 1704 they contracted John Hipkins to build a new, improved
courthouse which was completed by January, 1706. The old courthouse was
probably converted back to family use and named "Edgehill." It was demolished
in 1962 because it had deteriorated beyond restoration.
Like his father before him, George made a career of public service. By 1693 he
was selected to serve as a member of the Petit Jury, and by the following year
he was an Estate Appraiser.
In the late 1690s George built a home for himself on his father's property,
setting it on a slight rise of the undeveloped land away from the main road.
This home was quite grand for its time, consisting of six rooms (his father
only had two rooms and a loft). There are two rooms on the first floor and an
enclosed stairway. Upstairs are two identical rooms and an enclosed stairway
to the attic. The English basement has two rooms, one of which was used as the
dining room. It contains a huge fireplace used for cooking and keeping food
warm. The second, smaller room has a waist-level entrance and was used for food
storage. There was an outside kitchen with servants quarters above reached by
ladder. After the Civil War, the outside kitchen was converted to a spinning
and weaving room, the new kitchen being attached to the dining room. The dining
room and kitchen were remodeled in 1915, the only additions to the original
house. The outside dimensions are 32x22 feet with a foundation of English brick
twelve inches thick. The original outside chimneys, of which one remains, were
six feet wide and 31 inches deep. Unique to the house is an enclosed porch-like
cover on the rear entrance which has provided an excellent place to play for
generations of Wortham children. It is currently occupied by the 12th
generation of Wortham descendants, Mr. Walter Major. He has added aluminum
siding and brickwork around the perimeter, protecting the house from moisture.
Appropriately, this house is known as Wortham Hill. (Historic Buildings in
Middlesex County, 1650-1875, Gray, Ryland and Simmons)
George Wortham was appointed Sheriff of Middlesex County, Virginia, May 3,
1708 serving for one year, and again in 1715-16. As Sheriff, it was his duty to
to collect public and county taxes, pay and deliver all taxes to respective
county creditors. In addition, he was required to determine the amount of
land in the county and return a Rent Role of the same
George was also active in his church, Christ Church Parish in the Middle
District. He served as a Vestryman for a period of 23 years. In 1711 he was
also made Church Warden, both positions his father had held.
George died intestate April 5, 1734, according to the Christ Church Register,
and buried two days later. From a plat dated 1763, it appears that his
grandson James Wortham, son of John Wortham and Judith Stewart, was residing in
Wortham Hill. To the east was the home of Thomas Wortham, son of George
Wortham, Jr. (Historic Buildings in Middlesex County, ibid.)
Children of GEORGE WORTHAM and MARY are:
i. GEORGE3 WORTHAM, b. February 05, 1698/99.
ii. SARAH WORTHAM, b. December 26, 1701.
iii. JOHN WORTHAM, b. December 22, 1703.
iv. EDWARD WORTHAM, b. December 24, 1705.
v. WILLIAM WORTHAM, b. December 28, 1707.
vi. SAMUEL WORTHAM, b. January 28, 1708/09.
vii. CHARLES WORTHAM, b. December 28, 1711.
viii. ANN WORTHAM, b. May 28, 1714.
3. ix. JAMES WORTHAM, b. August 17, 1716, Christ Church, Middlesex Co., Va.; d. 1770, Meherrin Parish,Brunswick Co.,Virginia.
Generation No. 3
3. JAMES3 WORTHAM (GEORGE2, JOHN1) was born August 17, 1716 in Christ Church, Middlesex Co., Va., and died 1770 in Meherrin Parish,Brunswick Co.,Virginia. He married ELIZABETH Abt. 1740 in Virginia. She died in Va..
Notes for JAMES WORTHAM:
James Wortham moved to Brunswick County sometime before 6 March 1739 for on
that date he was appointed to assist John Duke in clearing a road from John
Duke's "Race Paths" (horse racing) to the "lower Cut bank Bridge".
However, James also owned land in Prince George County, Virginia. This is
shown by a deed dated February 12, 1760, from Joseph Wilkins of Martins
Brandon Parish, Prince George County, to James Wortham "of same," conveyed
139 acres bounded by Joshua Poythress, John Limbrey Wilkins, now deceased, and
Snow's Creek. James and wife Elizabeth had at least one child, Mary, baptised
at Bristol Parish Church in Prince George County.
In his will, 8 Jan 1770, he left 546 acres in Brunswick Co., VA, on both sides
of Little Shocco Creek to "my beloved son William Wortham." He also left
William a slave named Sauney "now in his possession." He gave to his "beloved
daughter Lucy Wortham a slave named Pat and her child. To "beloved daughter
Mary Minutree" a slave named Marmadee along with his "lot of lands in the town
of Edinburgh, Prince George County on the James River." To "beloved son
Charles fifty pounds current money," the same inheritance also bequeathed to
son John and daughter Elizabeth. Daughter Ann received a slave named Cate.
James also left to his "beloved friend and neighbor, Elizabeth Baird, relict
and widow of Rook Baird, twenty-five pounds for her attendance on me in time of
sickness and services during my extremetries." He ordered his executors to
"...sell all my lands in Virgina and North Carolina as also my stock, hogs,
household furniture..(after debts are paid) to be equally divided between my
children." The Executors were William Wortham and son-in-law Archibald
Minutree. The witnesses were William Huff, Christopher Mason and William
Myrick. (Brunswick Co. Virginia Will Book 4, p. 3)
Children of JAMES WORTHAM and ELIZABETH are:
i. LUCY4 WORTHAM, b. 1738.
ii. EDWARD WORTHAM, b. 1744.
4. iii. WILLIAM WORTHAM, b. June 13, 1745, Virginia; d. Bef. May 1787, Warren Co., NC.
iv. JOHN WORTHAM, b. February 20, 1757.
v. CHARLES WORTHAM, b. July 13, 1759.
Generation No. 4
4. WILLIAM4 WORTHAM (JAMES3, GEORGE2, JOHN1) was born June 13, 1745 in Virginia, and died Bef. May 1787 in Warren Co., NC. He married TAMAR DUKE October 04, 1764 in Bute Co., Nc. She was born 1748 in Brunswick Co., Va., and died 1824 in Warren Co., NC.
Notes for WILLIAM WORTHAM:
After his marriage to Tamar, they settled in Warren County, NC, on a farm of
64,800 acres. William made his living as a tobacco farmer, gaining a large
fortune. He estate included 52 slaves. He is still known as one of the large
landholders of Warren County, which is now the poorest county in the state
Children of WILLIAM WORTHAM and TAMAR DUKE are:
5. i. NANCY5 WORTHAM, b. September 12, 1769, Warren Co., NC; d. May 17, 1837, Warren Co., NC.
ii. JAMES LEWIS WORTHAM, b. August 06, 1771.
iii. WILLIAM WORTHAM, b. April 21, 1773.
iv. JOHN WORTHAM, b. March 26, 1775.
v. THOMAS WORTHAM, b. November 24, 1776.
vi. BENJAMIN HEATH WORTHAM, b. December 20, 1778.
vii. EDWARD WORTHAM, b. December 11, 1780.
viii. DUKE WORTHAM, b. December 01, 1782.
ix. MARY ELIZABETH WORTHAM, b. September 16, 1784.
x. ROBERT WORTHAM, b. September 09, 1786.
Generation No. 5
5. NANCY5 WORTHAM (WILLIAM4, JAMES3, GEORGE2, JOHN1) was born September 12, 1769 in Warren Co., NC, and died May 17, 1837 in Warren Co., NC. She married WILLIAM MARSHALL in Warren Co., Nc, son of JOHN MARSHALL and TABITHA DIXON. He was born April 24, 1767 in Bute Co., Nc, and died February 12, 1854 in Fishing Creek, Warren Co., NC.
Children of NANCY WORTHAM and WILLIAM MARSHALL are:
i. ELIZABETH DIXON6 MARSHALL, b. October 11, 1790.
ii. MARY POLLY MARSHALL, b. December 13, 1792.
iii. JESSE MARSHALL, b. 1798, Warren Co., Nc; d. Aft. 1880, Fishing Creek, Warren Co., NC; m. REBECCA KING, November 01, 1859, Warren Co., Nc; b. 1827, Nc; d. Aft. 1880, Fishing Creek, Warren Co., NC.
Notes for JESSE MARSHALL:
Bride: Rebecca King
Groom: Jessee Marshall
Bond Date: 01 Nov 1859
County: Warren
Record #: 01 157
Bondsman: Gideon Hamlin
Witness: Jno W White, CL
Bond #: 000161780
Marriage Date: 02 Nov 1859
Performed By: Wm C Clanton, Justice of the Peace
North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868