Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library Research Report Series - 1616
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library
Williamsburg, Virginia
1990
Upon request is enclosed a chain to title to these lots in brief and biographical sketches of some of the more prominent owners.
M. A. S.
1744 Will of Gawin Corbin of King and Queen County(excerpt copied from William and Mary Quarterly XIV, 285-286)
"...bequeathes to daughter, Alice Needler my house and 4 lots in Williamsburg, which I bought of Francis Tyler and lie adjoining the Govrs Pasture and My Lady Randolph's stable..." names sons and sons-in-law Richard Corbin, Benjamin Needler, Gawin Corbin, Robert Tucker and brother-in-law William Bassettt, as exec
NOTE: Benjamin Needler was Clerk of the Council of Virginia.See: Executive Journals Council of Virginia IV & V; Byrd's Diary; Appointed Oct. 1739; died April 1741.
attended by Thomas Wharton, apothecary in Williamsburg from June 1739 to January 1740...£15.16.3( See MsApothecary Bok
Virginia Magazine History XXIX, 520-521 Biography of Corbin and Needler
Virginia Historical Register- Gawin Corbin- Burgess 1704-1744.
--William Robinson, Burgess 1768 King George County, married Elizabeth daughter of Benjamin Needler and Alice Corbin Needler.(Tyler, Virginia Biography I, 297)
Robinson was owner of lots 178, 179, 180 & 181 in the period between 1744 and 17[deleted]
(See: Deed which follows)
NOTE: Williams Robinson was Commissary of the Bishop of London and a member of the Council. Died in the 1767 or 1768.
17-- Peyton Randolph held the lots 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184 having been conveyed to Randolph by William Robinson and Elizabeth, his wife. (See: deed which follows)
1783 York County Deeds VI, 169 lots 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184
consideration 1800 pounds
Benjamin Harrison sr., Harrison Randolph, Benjamin Harrison Jr., Betty Randolph, widow of Peyton Randolph to Joseph Hornsby.
"...together with six half acre lots denoted in the plan of the said city by the figures 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, which were conveyed to Peyton Randolph by William Robinson and Elizabeth, his wife"
NOTE: Frenchman's Map indicates rectangular house on what appears to be lot 180 (on College Map)
Gawin Corbin was the son of Henry Corbin of England who came to Virginia in 1654 in the ship Charity. Henry Corbin settled on the south side of the Rappahannock river in what was then Lancaster county but afterwards became Middlesex county. He was a member of the House of Burgesses and was appointed to the Council of Virginia in 1663. He married Alice, widow of Rowland Burnham of Lancaster county. Henry Corbin died in 1675. Gawin, his son, is mentioned in the will.
Gawin Corbin was born ------, and died January 1, 1744. He lived at "Buckingham", Middlesex county, and later at "Laneville," King and Queen county. He was a member of the House of Burgesses 1698-1705, 1718-1722 and 1734-1740. For many years Corbin was Collector and Naval Officer of the Rappahannock river district. A copy of his will was recorded in a suit in the Fredericksburg District Chancery Court dated November 1, 1739 and proved in King and Queen county on February 12, 1744. Among other bequests to his children, he devised his four lots in Williamsburg with houses thereon to his daughter, Alice Needler. Alice Corbin had married Benjamin Needler, clerk of the Council. Needler had succeeded Sir John Randolph as clerk of the House of Burgesses in 1734, and had taken oath as clerk of the Council in 1739. He came to Virginia from England circa 1711, and was the son of Culverwell Needler, clerk of the House of Commons.
Whether the Needlers lived in Corbin's house in Williamsburg while Needler served as clerk, is not known. William Byrd notes in his Diary (1739-1741) that he visited at the Needlers in Williamsburg several times. On April 15, 1741, Byrd paid a call upon Mrs. Needler "who was a meloncholy widow."
By March, 1745, Mrs. Alice Needler was living on a plantation in King and Queen county, according to the Virginia Gazette.
It may be that William Robertson came into Mrs. Needler's four lots in Williamsburg circa 1745 when she removed to King and Queen county. No court records of conveyance of this property to Robertson has been located. However, the conveyance is mentioned in a deed of conveyance from Peyton Randolph's heirs to Joseph Hornsby in 1783.
Opening memo: "Corbin, Gawin & Needler, Benj" is written under the date and 180 in the list of lots has been circled
First chain of title page: to the right of the entry for 1783 is written "and houses in which Betty Randolph lived"
Second chain of title page: the title has been amended: with "[EAST of PAL…[cut off]" written to the right of "INFORMATION GATHERED ON COLONIAL LOTS 178, 179, 180 & 181"
Second chain of title page: under the entry for 1744 pertaining to the will of Gawin Corbin has been written wife: "Martha d 1739 (VG)"
Second chain of title page: for the entry pertaining to William Robinson, it reads: "Robinson was owner of lots 178, 179, 180 & 181 in the period between 1744 and..."-the closing date for the period has been crossed out and is illegible and the year 1767 has been written above it
Second chain of title page: for the entry pertaining to Peyton Randolph, to the phrase"...having been conveyed to Randolph by William Robinson and Elizabeth, his wife..." has been added "and Peyton Randolph of Wil...[cut off] of Henrico Co.
Second chain of title page: the entry for 1783 has had a "p" added in front of "169" and "-171" written after "169" so that the full line reads: "1783 York County Deeds VI, p 169-171..."-this entry has also been amended with the phrase "[Heirs of Randolph]" written above "Benjamin Harrison sr."
Second chain of title page: the bottom of the page has been dated "April 1948" and initialed "MAS"