Person Page - 183

     CPT Joseph Wood II was born c 1754. He was the son of Joseph Wood I and Elizabeth Scott. CPT Joseph Wood II married Margaret 'Peggie' Bell, daughter of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller, on 22 Mar 1781 at Orange Co, Virginia. CPT Joseph Wood II died on 6 Jan 1791 at Orange Courthouse, Orange Co, Virginia.

      When Joseph Wood married Margaret Bell in 1781 her brothers-in-law Alexander Dawney and Francis Madison served as witnesses. In 1782 Joseph Wood II was taxed on 500 acres in Orange Co, VA (Deed Abstracts 1759-1778, p. 206.) The following year on 24 Jun 1783 Joseph Wood was deeded land in Orange Co (Deed Abstracts 1778-1786, pg 53) by Henry Bell, who was then of South Carolina. Henry had inherited this land from his father, William Bell, the former tavern keeper in the town of Orange, VA, thus identifying Henry Bell as Joseph's brother-in-law.

According to "Orange County, Virginia Families" in May 1784 Joseph became a captain in the militia. Orange Co, VA road orders show Joseph posted security for Robert Alcock's ordinary license in 1786; Robert Alcock was his wife Margaret's step-father. In 1789 Joseph was granted his own inn license and in 1790 he was granted a license again. In 1790 Joseph appraised the Orange Co estate of John Bell, who was likely another of his uncles (Orange Co Will Abstracts (1778-1821, p. 31.)

At his 1791 death Joseph owned 470 acres in Orange Co, purchased in 1783 from his brother-in-law Henry Bell and adjoining the property of James Madison Sr's cousin Erasmus Taylor; James Madison was the father-in-law of Joseph's sister-in-law Susannah Bell. The 23 Jan 1792 inventory filed for Joseph's estate in Orange Co totaled 992 pounds -- an extensive personal estate for that time in Orange, VA (Will Abstracts (1778-1821, p. 35.) The Wood family was well-to-do compared to most in the region.

A 1798 Orange Co, VA road order notes Francis Madison and Alexander Dawney, Margaret Bell's brother-in-laws, were guardians to Joseph and Margaret's children during Margaret's life. The 1800 personal property list shows Joseph's widow Margaret owned eleven adult slaves and eleven horses. By 1810 Margaret and her sons John and William Bell Wood owned thirteen slaves and thirteen horses among their three households.

An 1803 chancery suit was filed by B. Winslow against the estate of Joseph Wood listing Joseph's wife and children. Benjamin Winslow was a resident and sometime tax collector in Orange Co.

In 1805 Joseph's estate was settled in newly-formed Madison Co, VA (Madison Co Will Abstracts 1793-1813, p. 69) with John Alcock, his sister Patty's husband, as executor. By 1808 the land had been divided among the descendants. Margaret and her children sold the homeplace "Woodville" located just north of Orange, VA and 437 of its acres to Margaret's nephew William Shepherd in 1810 (Orange Co Deed Book 25, p. 109); the home stood until the early twentieth century. At age 45 Margaret was noted as head of household in the 1820 Orange Co census.

Note there were three Joseph Wood contemporaries in Orange/Culpepper Co, VA, thus making sorting among the men and their affairs difficult.


Detailed sources:

--Memorandum from the Fredericksburg, VA Gazette, 1789-1803, p. 495 (Joseph Wood.)

     Mary Miller Wood was born a 1783 at Orange Co, Virginia. She was the daughter of CPT Joseph Wood II and Margaret 'Peggie' Bell. Mary Miller Wood married James Camp on 16 Sep 1803 at Orange Co, Virginia. Mary Miller Wood died in Nov 1811 at Nashville, Davidson Co, Tennessee.

     James Camp was born a 1778. He married Mary Miller Wood, daughter of CPT Joseph Wood II and Margaret 'Peggie' Bell, on 16 Sep 1803 at Orange Co, Virginia.

     John Scott Wood was born a 1785. He was the son of CPT Joseph Wood II and Margaret 'Peggie' Bell. John Scott Wood died c 1812 at Nashville, Davidson Co, Tennessee. His estate was probated on 25 May 1812 at Davidson Co, Tennessee.

     Mary Miller was born a 1730 at Caroline Co, Virginia. She married CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co), son of Henry Bell II, c 1747. Mary Miller married Robert Alcocke on 13 Jan 1786 at Orange Co, Virginia.

      Mary is thought by researchers to be Mary Miller, but this has not yet been proven.

Mary Alcock was appointed guardian to Thomas and James Miller Bell, orphans of William Bell, deceased, whereupon she with John and Abner Porter, her securities, entered into and acknowledged their bond for the same in the sum of £2000 c. money. Mary Alcock, late wife of Wm. Bell, dec'd, took the oath of executrix and entered into bond for the same with Hubbard Taylor, her security, in the sum of £400 current money. (Orange Co, VA Minute Book, 24 Mar 1786, p. 352.) Only a month later Alexander Dawney was appointed guardian to Thomas and James Miller Bell, to replace Mary Alcock, who declined to act. Alexander, Benjamin Winslow and Francis Madison, his security, entered into bond for the same in the sum of £2000 current money. That same day William Bell, orphan of Wm. Bell, dec'd, came into court and chose Alexander Dawney, guardian. Whereupon he with Benja. Winslow and Francis Madison, his securities, entered into bond for the same in the sum of £1000 current money. (Orange Co, VA Minute Book 2, 20 Apr 1786, p. 361)

Despite a Orange Co court order to "lay of the dower of Mary Bell now Alcock of her late husband's lands in this County," the reviewers were forbidden access by Alexander Dawney, guardian to William and John M. Bell, sons of William Bell deceased. 22 Aug 1786 (signed) Edward Stevens, Edward Watkins, Birhett Davenport; recorded 28 Dec 1786. Mary's dower was later established as all the land called the court house tract on the southwest side of the main road by the Andrew Shepherd, Erasmus Taylor and John Baylor properties, to include the two northeast rooms below and two rooms above stairs in William Bell's mansion with the adjoining yard, kitchen, dairy and use of the spring. Also she was given the lease of land held by the said decedent from John Baylor of Caroline Co adjoining the land of Erasmus Taylor; said Baylor's; Spencer's line; and Joseph Wood's line. (Joseph Woods was William and Mary's son-in-law.) Executed 15 Nov 1786 by Wm. Moore, James Taylor, Thos. Bell, Ben. Porter. Recorded 28 Dec 1786. (abstracts by W. Scott Simpson, used with permission in 2017, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vagenealogy/william_bell.htm)

A Mary Bell was on the 1792 Orange Co tax list with a household of 10 whites and 32 blacks, a sizeable household putting her in the same league with key gentlemen in the county and consistent with the worth our ancestor's husband William Bell had during his lifetime. However, by 1786 our ancestor Mary Bell had already remarried Robert Alcocke, so the taxed woman in 1792 and the Mary Bell who quartered the man and his horse during the war in the late 1770s and served as jailor afterwards may be a different Mary Bells.

     CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) was born c 1724. He was the son of Henry Bell II. CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) married Mary Miller c 1747. CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) died in Dec 1780. His estate was probated on 28 Dec 1780 at Orange Co, Virginia.

      William Bell owned the tavern and surrounding land at Orange Courthouse, VA and had extensive landholdings scattered through Orange, Culpeper, Spotsylvania and Caroline counties in Virginia. William Bell's tavern stood on the site of the present Orange Courthouse, VA courthouse; it was purchased along with his farm in 1799 and renamed the Orange Hotel.

William was consistently noted in county records as a gentleman, a distinction that eliminates him from being one of the at least five men named William Bell transported to America as indentured servants and/or prisoner deportees from England and Scotland between 1728 and 1751. Two other men named William Bell arrived in Maryland in 1721 and 1732 and purchased land there upon arrival.

William was particularly active in Orange Co, VA, leaving a trail of public records by buying and selling land, managing public road services, running an inn and serving in church and political offices. The Wood, Bell, Scott, Madison, Alcock and Walker families were intertwined through several generations in legal affairs covering marriage, guardianship, land transactions and executorships.

In 1741 William received a commission as the cornet of horse, the officer who carried the colors in a troop of cavalry. In 1745 he served as a lieutenant in the Orange Co, VA Militia. In Orange Co William served as witness and then as executor of the will of cabinetmaker John McKiney in 1751 and conducted the 1753 inventory for James Stodghills' estate in 1753 (Orange Co Will Book 2 1744-1778, pg 35, 40.)

In 1754 William Bell, Gentleman, provided security for William Golding's inn license. The term "gentleman" was vague, but always imparted a certain social or official distinction, according to property and family connections. That same year he became an Orange Co justice at age 30 (Orange Co Deed Abstracts 1778-1786, pg 3.)

William became a militia captain on 25 Jul 1755 (Orange County Order Book 6, 25 Jul 1755, p. 158.) The following year he served his first military duty as a captain in the Orange Co Militia (Orange Co Deed Abstracts 1759-1778, pg 55.)

In 1757 William petitioned the court to have the road from his plantation to Cams Mountain and across Bufflow (sic) River altered to allow for a better route. In 1760 his male tithables were ordered to do road work. In 1758 William was the executor for the Bennet Beasley will and the next year served on the St Thomas Episcopal Church vestry in Orange Co.

In 1760 William witnessed the land inheritance from Ambrose Madison to Francis Madison, William's son-in-law. Three years later William became the county sheriff (Orange Co Deed Abstracts 1759-1778, pg 19-20, 157.) In 1761 William requested and was granted a permit to clear a bridle path from his house to the Chapel; the following year the court ordered others to help with the clearing of this bridle path. A 1768 road order referred to William as Capt William Bell. That same year William petitioned and was granted having a road established from his stable to the main road. He became a church warden serving as part of the vestry again at St Thomas Episcopal Church in 1769. (Orange Co Deed Abstracts 1759-1778, pg 106.)

In 1770 William deeded land to John Goodall (Orange Co Deed Abstracts 1759-1778, pg 112.) Two years later he administered the estate of Henry Mallory (Orange Co Will Book 2 1744-1778, pg 92) and shortly afterwards, along with three of his relatives, witnessed a deed between John Hardwick and Peter Marye in 1773 (Orange Co Deed Abstracts 1759-1778, pg 157.) In 1773 he was appointed to oversee clearing and repairing two roads.

In 1774 John Stockdell sold him land and again his relatives served as witnesses (Orange Co Deed Abstracts 1759-1778, pg 174.) That same year he served on the county's Committee of Safety, which heard complaints against citizens for gaming and removal of gunpowder from the public magazine, for example, and in 1777 he became county coroner.

Virginia declared her independence of the Crown on 29 Jun 1776, five days before the general Declaration in July. Public officers appear to have simply held over by taking the Convention oath. In May 1777 commissions from Patrick Henry, the first governor of the new commonwealth, were received by our ancestors William Bell and Johnny Scott as well as Thomas Bell, Francis Moore, Rowland Thomas, Reuben Daniel, Zachary Burnley, William Moore, Andrew Shepherd, Thomas Barbour, Benjamin Grymes, James Madison, James Madison, Jr who did not qualify, Uriel Mallory, Catlett Conway and Jeremiah White, and these men constituted the first bench of justices under the new regime. William Bell was appointed to administer the prescribed oath, "to oblige all the inhabitants to give assurance of allegiance to the State." The justices decided county business including financing and paying for the war effort. Included in the business was paying Mary Bell for entertaining William Clark, express rider and his horse, stationed at her house by H. Young, quartermaster general of State volunteers. This was likely William Bell's wife Mary because the Bells owned an inn. This Mary Bell was afterwards County jailer for several years.

As in other Virginia counties at this time ordinaries, where "entertainment for man and beast" was provided, were very common, and the gentry were usually the proprietors. From 1761 until 1774, except for 1768, and then again in 1778 and 1780, William was granted an ordinary license for one year with James Taylor posting bond. In 1781 his widow Mary continued licensing the inn; in 1786 when she remarried, her new husband Robert Alcock was granted a license with Joseph Wood II posting security. Robert Alcock was granted another ordinary license in 1791.

The scale of prices at ordinaries was rigorously regulated by the county court annually. Thus in 1735, this order is entered: "The Court doth set and rate liquors; Rum, the gallon, eight shillings; Virginia brandy, six shillings; Punch, or Flipp, the quart, with white sugar, one and three pence, with brown sugar, one shilling; French brandy, sixteen shillings; Punch of same, two and six pence; Frill or Madeira wine, quart, two shillings; a hot dyet (diet) one shilling; a cold dyet, six pence; a lodging with clean sheets (always thus in the ratings) six pence;" and so on for oats, pasturages, etc. "Ordered that the several ordinary keepers in this county sell and retail liquors at the above rates, and that they presume not to sell at any other rates, and that if any person do not pay immediately that he pay for the same at the Fall in tobacco at ten shillings the hundred weight."

Contemporary with William was a Thomas Bell who was also very active in the county from 1763 through 1797. In 1796 and 1797 it was Thomas Bell, gentleman, who held key public offices and who licensed an inn after William's widow Mary no longer applied for licensing. This Thomas Bell was possibly William's cousin. The Bell Hotel was noted as being a a center of the social circles and gaiety in the county, hosting balls in the winter.

William wrote his lengthy will in 1776 and added codicils in 1778 and 1780. He left Spotsylvania Co, VA land purchased from Hancock Taylor and slaves to his son John Miller Bell; land purchased from Capt. John Stockdell to son Henry; six lots of land with improvements in Fairfax town in Culpeper Co, VA to son William; the tract of land where he William senior lived containing 200 acres to son Thomas and lease of land to John Baylor during the lease; slaves and sale of land purchased from Capt. Edward Watkins to daughters Elizabeth Shepherd, Polly Winslow, Susannah Madison and Sally; to his brother John the land John lived on; bequests to his sisters Mary Wright, Susanah Rowe, children of his sister Milley Cave; mention of sister Elizabeth Bledsoe; a slave each to his daughter Kitty and granddaughter Dolly Shepherd; apportionments to aforementioned younger children and daughter Peggie. Executors: my wife, son John Bell, Francis Madison, Andrew Shepherd. Executed July 9, 1776. (signed) William Bell. Witnesses: John Wingate, Jonathan Taylor, James Gains Jr., John Stockdell Jr. Noting his description of his underage children helped this researcher establish reasonable estimated birth years and order. (abstracts by W. Scott Simpson, used with permission in 2017, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vagenealogy/william_bell.htm)

William's will was followed by a 1778 codicil in which he reallocated the Taylor land to son James Miller Bell and added his son-in-law Alexander Dawney as an executor. Executed 9 Jun 1778. (signed) William Bell. Witnesses: Yowell Boston, Archd. Campbell, Joseph Wood Jr. (his son-in-law).

Finally shortly before his death William added another codicil in which he reallocated division of some of his slaves among his children, noting one daughter now as Salley Dawney. He acknowledged he wanted his sons-in-law to inherit equally with his daughters. After the deaths of his brother and sister, William wanted the slaves given John in a conditional deed of gift recorded in Caroline Co, VA and to his sister Susanah to be sold. Executed: 24 Nov 1780. (signed) William Bell. Witnesses: Chas. Bruce, Chas. Taylor, Joseph Wood Jr (his son-in-law).

William's will was probated on 28 Dec 1780; will proved by oaths of John Stockdell Jr. and James Gains Jr; first codicil proved by oaths of Yuell Boston, Archabald Campbell and Joseph Wood Jr; second codicil proved by oaths of Charles Bruce, Charles Taylor, and Joseph Wood Jr. Certificate for probate granted to Francis Madison, Andrew Shepherd, and Alexander Dawney, executors [and his sons-in-law]; bond for £50,000 with securities James Newman, John Alcock, and James Taylor. (Orange Co, VA Will Book 3, P. 25; Orange Co Will Abstracts 1778-1821, p. 5). (abstracts by W. Scott Simpson, used with permission in 2017, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vagenealogy/william_bell.htm; no longer available online in 2018 after rootsweb security breach)

By the time William's wife Mary went to court in Mar 1786 regarding guardianship only three sons -- William junior, Thomas and John -- were underage and had legal guardians appointed to manage their affairs, thus these three were born after 1765.

The inventory of William's estate by Richard Buckner, Peyton Stern and Dd. Stern included 5 slaves valued at £15000 and was recorded 24 Jun 1781. (Orange Co, VA Will Book 3, p. 31) (abstracts by W. Scott Simpson, used with permission in 2017, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vagenealogy/william_bell.htm.)

     Ambrose Madison was born c 1700. He married Frances Taylor in 1721. Ambrose Madison died in 1732.

     Frances Taylor was born c 1700. She married Ambrose Madison in 1721. Frances Taylor died in 1761.

     James Madison I was born in 1723. He was the son of Ambrose Madison and Frances Taylor. James Madison I married Nelly Conway in 1749. James Madison I died in 1801.

     Nelly Conway was born in 1732. She married James Madison I, son of Ambrose Madison and Frances Taylor, in 1749. Nelly Conway died in 1829.

     President James Madison II was born in 1751. He was the son of James Madison I and Nelly Conway. President James Madison II married Dolley Payne in 1794. President James Madison II died in 1836.

      James Madison II was President of the United States.

     Dolley Payne was born a 1771. She married Unknown Todd c 1791. Dolley Payne married President James Madison II, son of James Madison I and Nelly Conway, in 1794.

     John Miller Bell was born a 1771. He was the son of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller.

      John Miller Bell may have inherited much of his father's property because a John Bell is frequently noted in Orange Co, VA road orders.

     Elizabeth Bell was born a 1750. She was the daughter of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller. Elizabeth Bell married Andrew Sheperd a 1770.

     Andrew Sheperd was born in 1733. He married Elizabeth Bell, daughter of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller, a 1770. Andrew Sheperd died in 1804.

      Andrew Shepherd was a merchant who lived in Orange Co, VA.

     Mary "Polly" Bell was born a 1752. She was the daughter of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller. Mary "Polly" Bell married Benjamin Winslow a 1772. Mary "Polly" Bell died a 1780.

     Benjamin Winslow was born in 1737. He married Mary "Polly" Bell, daughter of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller, a 1772. Benjamin Winslow died in 1826.

     Sally Bell was born a 1758. She was the daughter of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller. Sally Bell married Alexander Dawney a 1777.

     Henry Bell was born a 1756. He was the son of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller. Henry Bell married Katherine (Unknown) a 1778.² Henry Bell died a Jun 1783. He was buried at South Carolina.

     William Bell II was born a 1767. He was the son of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller. William Bell II died a 1798.

     Thomas Bell was born a 1769. He was the son of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller. Thomas Bell married Sally Burnley in Dec 1795.³ Thomas Bell died a 1798.

     Catherine "Kitty" Bell was born a 1765. She was the daughter of CPT William Bell I (of Orange Co) and Mary Miller. Catherine "Kitty" Bell married William Alcocke, son of Robert Alcocke, on 15 Mar 1785.²

     Dolly Sheperd was born a 1771. She was the daughter of Andrew Sheperd and Elizabeth Bell.