CAPTAIN JOHN WALL

The original Wall in America, again according to my record, was John Wall, who owned a plantation at Weyanoke, on the Southside of the James River, then known as Charles City County, in 1639.

~ Mial Wall

The James River by Tom Roberts

our Wall connection

That we are descended from the Wall family of Virginia is not up to question. On 26 July 1770, John Covington (4GGF) of Richmond County, NC married Nancy Wall (4GGM) of Brunswick County, VA. Their grandson, James Wall Covington (2GGF) died 1896 in Redlands, Ca. The melding of the North and South was complete for our family with the marriage of James' son, Stephen Wall Covington (GGF) to Esther Parrish (GGM) in 1887.

Beyond Nancy, however, the Wall family has been a tough nut to crack. Luckily for us, Lou Poole (5C) has done the hard work of piecing together our most probable lineage from the various Wall families of Virginia. Lou has done a remarkable job of investigating every record remaining concerning the four Wall families of early Virginia. DNA testing by his family has allowed him to further hone in on the correct family.

One particular piece of evidence comes directly from family tradition. In a letter from Mial Wall of Herando, Mississippi to Lou Poole, Mial writes: "My great grandfather John Wall (5U) and his brother William (5U), according to my records, were the sons of John Wall (5GGF) and were both born in what is now Greensville County, Va., then Prince George County, and removed from there with their father to Anson County (now Richmond County), North Carolina, somewhere between 1745 and 1760. The original Wall in America, again according to my record, was John Wall (8GGF), who owned a plantation at Weyanoke, on the Southside of the James River, then known as Charles City County, in 1639.’

Note: I've been unable to trace our relationship to Mial Wall. I would imagine he is a 4th or 5th cousin of ours descending from John Wall's (5U) son, Michael Mial Wall (1C5X).

There was indeed a John Wall (8GGF) who settled in the Weyanoke area of Virginia ca. 1636. John must have come to Virginia a man of some means. His first land acquisition was not a headright grant, but the purchase of 1200 acres from Rice Hoe in Charles City County in 1636. He added 300 acres by headright in 1639 and another 291 in 1643. In total, John Wall owned 1791 acres of land between Ward Creek and Chippokes Creek.

Green = John Wall Purple = John Bishop

the Weyanoke Plantation

As you can see on the map above, Weyanoke Plantation today lies directly north, across the James River, from the land John Wall purchased in 1636. The area was originally inhabited by the Weyanoke people, one of the larger tribes in the Powhatan Confederacy. According to the William and Mary Quarterly, 2,200 acres of Weyanoke land was "given by Opechancanough to Sir George Yeardley in 1617 and the gift was confirmed by the London Company in the following year..." I have looked, but can find no confirmation for a "gift," of land given to Virginia by the Native Americans. Most probably the London Company simply took the land and created a story of the "gift." The fact that the English settlement at Weyanoke was completely decimated in the 1622 Powhatan attack reinforces that idea.

The land at Weyanoke is also noted for historical documentation that suggests the first group of Africans brought to Virginia in 1619 were placed there. Archaeologists are interested in the remains of the area to find clues about the native population as well as the earliest period of African slavery.

The map below is interesting for a number reasons. It is adapted from a Geological Survey meant to depict a Charles City Quadrangle (unit of measurement) as it appeared in the 1630's. The Weyanoke Plantation, where the first Africans are believed to have been housed first, is nestled in the bend on the north side of the James River. Across the river to the west is Flowerdieu Hundred. Our grandfather Joshua Poythress (6GGF), grandson of the immigrant Francis Poythress (8GGF), purchased this land in 1725. Rice Hoe (probable guardian to our aunt Sarah Peebles (8A)) who owned the land in the bottom right corner sold this property to our grandfather John Wall in 1636. The widow of John Clay, bottom left, married her neighbor, our grandfather John Wall. And finally, Mrs. Elizabeth Stephens owned the land directly above the Clay land in the bottom left corner. Women in early Virginia could purchase land in their own right. Old maps of colonial land ownership show quite a few women who own large plantations. At least one thing Virginia got right.

Note: John Clay is ancestor to the famous statesman and orator, Henry Clay of Kentucky.

family

We don't know when John Wall was born, but he must have been at least 21 when he bought Rice Hoe's 1200 acres. That would make his birth sometime before 1615. Records indicate that he had three children that lived to adulthood. Based on circumstantial records, it appears his surviving children were born between 1640 and 1650. His two sons were Joseph (8U) and John (7GGF). His wife, our grandmother, and his daughter's names are lost to posterity. Records show that his daughter married a man named Price.

Our unnamed grandmother died sometime before 1660. We know that John Wall was married to the widow of John Clay in 1660 when a "Deed of Gift" shows that he gave his "son-in-law Charles Clay" 2 ewes. Back in the day, son-in-law frequently meant step-son.

continuing problems with scattered tribes

The Powhatan people had been largely controlled after the third Powhatan war of 1644. Occasional flareups, however, kept the colonists on their toes. In 1661 a muster (census) was ordered "of all the freemen Inhabitants from Powells Creeke on the South side, And from Oldmans Creeke on the North side to the lower extent of the Com..." The purpose was to locate able-bodied men for a militia. It is unknown whether this was in defense of the colony or simply one of the settlers periodic forays to keep the Native Americans in line.

The order read, “That an 8th part of the sd Inhabitants be selected and listed for a trayned band, with addicon of horse as aforesd, and provided as before directed to report upon occasion of allarmes to Moris Rose his plantacon on the head of Wards Creeke, there to be comanded by Capt John Wall…”

And so it became a simple a way of life for Virginians to periodically subdue the indigenous people living amongst them. It's certainly no coincidence that all of our Virginia grandfathers written about so far led attacks against Native American tribes.

domestic trouble

A court case on the books in 1662 involved the Walls and a Native American servant:

“John Monke aged about 35 yeares exaed (examined) and sworne sayth...he was at the house of Cap’t John Wall and there saw an Indian woman (a serv’t to that family) whom they named Elizabeth strike at Mrs. Wall and further cannot depose.”

“Henry Tame aged about 30 yeares exa’d and sworne sayth That being at Capt Jno Walls house...the depon’t saw a kinde of contest betweene Mrs Wall and an Indian woman called Elizabeth then a serv’t to the sd Wall and discerned the sd Elizabeth to bee soe violent as to bite the sd Mrs. Wall by the Breast and at another time...did see the sd Elizabeth w’th much violence endave’r to thrust the head of the sd Mrs Wall into the Oven then red hott and ready for bread to be sett therein and further sayth not.”

A verdict was rendered:

“Whereas Elizabeth Christana serv’t to Capt Jno: Wall hath violently and disobediently resisted and assaulted her M’rs with blows and bitings as by testimony produced appereth Itt is therefore ordered that the sd Elizabeth shall for her insolent resistance and opposicon serve her M’r and M’rs according to act in that case provided.”

For the life of me, I can discern no punishment in that verdict. Whatever happened to the twenty lashes you'd get in Puritan Massachusetts?

other court cases

From court records we know that John Wall was a juryman and possibly a major snitch. Here is an example:

"Richd Smith and Joane his wife ‘for fornication before marriage’ on evidence of Capt John Wall one of the jury."

And another dealing with the drowning of a child:

“Capt John Wall and Mr Elias Osborne having made information to the Co’rt that Mrs Jane Rollinson hath confessed to have murthered a child of her family are hereby required and Com’anded to prosecute the sd Jane Rollinson according to Law for the sd offence.”

A verdict was rendered in the case of the child. This time the outcome is clear though the method suspect:

“Wee the above menconed Jury doe not finde any wayes but that this child came accidently by its death by Examining the family and causing them to touch the Corpse we finde no other wayes."

Note: Touching a dead body was an old superstition. It was believed that the body of a murdered person would bleed freely when touched by the murderer. At that time, It was admissible as a means of determining the guilt or innocence of a person in a court of law.

But this case does not end with the verdict. It appears that the Court in its next breath entrusted Mr. Rollinson, husband of the woman who confessed to killing her child, with the care of children from the Sparrow family. It seems the father had died and the mother deemed unfit. Evidently, Mrs. Rollinson wasn't the only crazy lady in colonial Virginia:

"Resolved by the Co’rt by their unaminous opinion that the children of Mr Cha: Sparrow decd be not exposed to the danger of their Mother who is accused of a murther of a negro child of her family. The Co’rt doth hereby continue the trust of Lt Wm Rollinson to manage the estate of the Orphanes of Mr Cha: Sparrow decd and their sec’ll educacons till their full Age by Law provided that they be not kept at his house, by reason of danger of their Mothers Lunatick Violence and that the sd Rollinson continue Security from time to time for due performance of his sd trust.”

Yikes!

death of John Wall

John Wall died sometime before 4 Feb 1664 when his wife Elizabeth Clay Wall was given adminstration on his will. John's son Joseph (7U) then petitioned the court for division of the estate and his portion, "according to his father's will." Other than these two entries, there is no other record of John Wall's death. It's clear that he did make a will but that document, along with many other Charles City County records, has been lost or destroyed.