Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

LOCATION:

The location of lot 802 in Williamsburg has not been discovered from plats of Williamsburg now extant or from the court records. The fact that this lot was conveyed in 1715 to John Marot who had been granted lots 274-277 on Nicholson Street, leads us to infer that this lot may have been nearby. In 1762 the lot along with 274, 275 and 276 was conveyed by James Sheilds, a grandson of Marot, to John Greenhow.

HISTORY:

The first mention of lot 802 appears in a deed from the trustees of Williamsburg to John Marot in November 1715:

[November 21, 1715]

[Trustees of Williamsburg
to
John Marot of York County
Consideration: 15 shillings]

"THIS INDENTURE made y^e Seventeenth day of Septem^r in y^e Second Year of y^e reign of our Sovereign Lord George by y^e grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland King Defend^r of y^e faith c and in y^e Year of our Lord Christ One Thousand Seven hundred & fifteen Between y^e ffeoffees or Trustees for y^e Land appropriated for y^e building & Erecting y^e City of W^msburgh of y^e One part & Jn^o Marot of the County of York of y^e other part WITTNESSETH that Whereas y^e s^d Jn^o Marot by One Lease to him by y^e ffeoffees or Trustees bearing date y^e day before y^e date of these Presents is in actuall & peaceable possession of y^e Premises herein after granted, to y^e intent that by Vertue of y^e s^d Lease & of y^e statute for transferring Use into possession he may be y^e better enabled to Accept a Conveyance & Release of y^e Reversion & inheritance thereof to him & his heirs for Ever The s^d ffeoffees or Trustees for divers 2 good Causes & Considerations them thereunto moving, but more Especially for & in consideration of y^e sum of fifteen shillings of good & lawfull Money of England to them in hand paid…have granted, bargined, Sold remised, released & Confirmed & by these Presents for themselves, their heirs & Successors as far as in them lyes & under limitation & reservations hereafter mentioned they do grant, bargain, Sell, remise, release & Confirm unto y^e s^d Jn^o Marot One Certain Lott of Ground in y^e s^d City of Wmsburgh designed in y^e Plott of y^e s^d City by these figures (802) with all Woods thereon growing or being…To have & To hold... unto Jn^o Marot & to his heirs for Ever… unto y^e limitations & Reservations hereaft^er mentioned, & not Otherwise, that is to Say, That if y^e s^d Jn^o Marot his heirs or Assigns shall not within y^e Space of Twenty four Months next Ensuing the date of the Presents begin to build & finish upon Each Lott of y^e s^d granted Premisses One good dwelling house or houses of Such dimension & to [sic] placed in Such manner as is or shall be Agreed upon, prescribed & directed by y^e Directors appointed for y^e Settlem^t & Encouragm^t of y^e City of Wmsburgh pursuant to y^e trust in them reposed by Vertue of One Act of Assembly made at y^e Capitol y^e 23^d day of October 1705... Then it shall & may be lawfull to & for the s^d ffeoffees or Trustees-their Successors... to have again as of their former Estate... as if these Presents had never been made. In Witness where-of Jn^o Clayton Es^qr & W^m Robertson Gentt Two of y^e s^d ffeoffees or Trustees have hereunto Sett their hands, & Seals y^e Day & Year above written
John Clayton Seal
Will Robertson Seal¹

Novem^r y^e 21^st 1715 Reced of Jn^o Marot fifteen Shillings being y^e Consideration Money within mentioned I Say rece^d by me
John Clayton"

[Recorded York County Court November 21, 1715]

Marot died in 1717 leaving a will in which he bequeathes his wife, Anne, "One third part of all my Lotts of Land, houses… for and during her naturall life & Ye s^d Two thirds of my Lotts & Houses & the Reversion of Y^e third part thereof after y^e death of my s^d Wife I do Give Devise & bequeath to my Three daughters Edith, Anne & Rachel & to their heirs. And it is my Will & desire that my s^d Wife have & Enjoy all y^e Lotts & houses untill Such time as my s^d wife do during Such time continue to be a Widow, & from y^e time my s^d wife shall happen to Marry it is my Will & desire that She have & enjoy only one third part of my s^d Lotts & houses as before given & bequeathed to her…"¹

Mrs. Marot, the widow, promptly married Timothy Sullivant. This act gave her only one third interest in the lots and houses of her former husband. However, her daughters were all married: Edith to Samuel Cobbs; Anne to James Sheilds II and Rachel to Col. Richard Booker of Amelia County.

Though the writer has not been able to locate all of the property transfers from Marot's estate to his daughters-, yet, we know that Mrs. Edith Cobbs was in possession of property in Williamsburg when she died in 1761. Her will bequeathed this property to her son, Samuel Cobbs:

[March 9, 1758]

"…I give and devise to my said son Samuel and his heirs forever all my lotts of land and houses lying in the City of Williamsburg... but it is my will that no division of the said estate be made until my son Samuel shall arrive to the age of twenty one years...
EDITH COBBS Seal²

Samuel Cobbs, Jr., evidently, had become twenty-one in 1761 when he conveyed the property to James Sheilds.

[November 14, 1761]

[Samuel Cobbs of Williamsburg
to
James Sheilds of Williamsburg
Consideration: £ 110 current money of Virginia]

"THIS INDENTURE made the fourteenth day of November in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty one BETWEEN Samuel Cobbs of the City of Williamsburgh Gentleman of the one part and James Sheilds of the same City Gentleman of the other part Witnesseth that the said Samuel Cobbs for and in Consideration of the sum of one hundred and ten pounds Current Money of Virginia to him in hand paid by the said James Sheilds at and be [blur] ensealing and delivery of these Presents the receipt whereof [blur] hereby acknowledge HATH granted bargained and sold aliened and confirm unto the said James Sheilds his Heirs and Assigns for ever [blur] or half Acres of Ground situate lying and being on the [blur] Street in the said City of Williamsburgh and are denoted in the plan of the said City by the Figures or Numbers 274, 275 which said Lots were devised to the said Samuel Cobbs by the last Will and Testament of Edith Cobbs the Mother of the said Samuel [Cobbs] recorded in the County Court of Amelia And all Houses Outhouses Edifices Buildings——Gardens Pasteures Woods Underwoods Ways Waters Water Courses profits Commodities Hereditaments and Appurtenances whatsoever to the said two Lots or half Acres of Ground belonging or in any wise appertaining And the Reversion and Reversion Remainder and Remainders Rents Issues and Profits thereof And all the Estate Right Title Interest property Claim and demand whatsoever of him the said Samuel Cobbs of in and to the same and every part thereof To have and to hold the said Two Lots or half Acres of Ground… unto the said James Sheilds his heirs and Assigns for ever… IN WITNESS whereof the parties to these presents have hereunto Interchangeably set their Hands and affixed their Seals the day and Year first above Written
Sam Cobbs (L. S.)

5

Sealed and delivered in presence of
Tho^s Everard
W^m Trebell
Th^o Craig
Fred Bryan
Ja^s Patterson

Received this fourteenth day of November 1761 of the within named James Sheilds the sum of one hundred and thirty Pounds Current Money being the Consideration within mentioned to be received by me— Sam Cobbs¹"
Witness,
[same names as above]

[Recorded York County Court November 16, 1761]

The above deed gives the information that Samuel Cobbs [jr] received the property (lots 274 and 275) by will of his mother; and that he promptly conveyed same to James Sheilds. From the wording of the deed we know that buildings, outhouses &c. were located thereon.

In 1762 Sheilds conveyed Lot 274 along with Lots 275, 276 and 802 to John Greenhow:

[March 6, 1762]

[James Sheilds
to
John Greenhow²
Consideration: £ 200 current money of Virginia]

"THIS INDENTURE made the sixth day of March in the Year of our Lord one thousand & seven 6 hundred and Sixty two BETWEEN James Shiel [blur] County of York and Sussannah his Wife of the one [blur] City of Williamsburgh Merchant of the other part WITNESSETH that the said James Shields and Susannah his Wife for and in Consideration of the Sum of Two hundred Pounds to him the said James in hand paid at and before the ensealing and delivery of these Presents the Receipt whereof he doth hereby acknowledge HAVE granted bargained and sold aliened and confirmed and by these Presents Do grant bargain and sell alien and confirm unto the said John Greenhow his Heirs and Assigns forever all those four Lotts of Ground situate lying and being on the North side of Nicholson Street in the City of Williamsburgh and noted in the Plan of the said City by the Figures 802, 274, 275, 276 which were granted to the said James Sheilds by Benjamin Waller and William Prentis Gent two of the Trustees of Feoffees for the Land appropriated for the building and erecting the City of Williamsburg by Indenture of Lease and Release bearing date the fourth and fifth days of this Instant March AND all Woods Underwoods Ways Waters Water Courses Gardens Orchards Profits Commodities Heriditaments and Appurtenances whatsoever to the said four Lotts of Ground belonging or in any wise appurtaining AND the Reversion and Reversion…And all the Estate Rights Title Interest Property Claim and Demand whatsoever… TO HAVE AND TO HOLD… IN WITNESS whereof the Parties to these Presents have hereunto interchangeably set their Hands and affixed their Seals the day and Year first above mentioned.
Ja^s Shields (LS)
Susanna Shields (LS)

Sealed & Delivered in presence of
John Prentis
W^m Holt
Gabriel Maupin
James Geddy

Received this sixth day of March 1762 of the within named John Greenhow the sum of two hundred pounds Current Money being the Consideration within mentioned to be received by me
James Shields"¹

Witness
[same names as above]

[Recorded York County Court May 15, 1762]

Lot 802 disappears from the records at this point. We have found nothing further in the records.