| Notes |
- Jolliffe, William, Historical, Genealogical, and Biographical Account of the Jolliffe Family of Virginia, 1652 to 1893, Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1893, pp. 66-69:
William Jolliffe, son of Joseph Jolliffe and Ruth, his wife, was born at his father's plantation on the Western Branch of Elizabeth River, Norfolk County, Virginia, about the year 1695. This plantation had been given to Joseph Jolliffe by his father, John, during his lifetime, and was sold by Joseph when he was an old man, and probably his children had all left him to seek homes of their own. William Jolliffe was carefully educated and trained to the profession of law. His father was executor for a number of estates and seems to have had much to do with courts, hence it was but natural he should wish at least one son to follow that profession. At that time lawyers were educated in the law by entering the clerks' offices and acting as deputies, and it would appear that William was so trained. From the time of Bacon's Rebellion until the administration of Governor Spottswood, 1710, Virginia had made but little progress towards settling her vast territories. Williamsburg was then the capital, and the inhabited frontiers extended only a few miles north and east of that town. Spottswood was an accomplished and enterprising man, and soon after his appointment as lieutenant-governor of the province began pushing the settlements west and encouraging the people to open up new territory. Immigrants increased in numbers and pushed west. The old settlers caught the spirit of the times, and many sold out their farms and took up better lands in the new counties being formed. Then as now the young men left home and sought their fortunes in the new country. As the territory filled up, new courts were requested and lawyers were in demand, and we find the young men of that profession pressing to the front. Among those who followed this tide was William Jolliffe, who followed the formation of the courts at Spottsylvania, May 1, 1721. (The first court sat on the 1st day of August, 1722, at Germanna.) There was a massacre of the inhabitants of this town shortly after its establishment, "perpetrated by the Indians and sternly revenged by the whites." Hugh Jones, in 1724, thus describes Germanna: "Beyond Colonel Spottswood's furnace, above the Falls of Rappahannock River, within view of the vast mountains, he has founded a town called Germanna, from some Germans sent over by Queen Anne, who are now removed up further. Here he has servants and workmen of most handicraft trades; and he is building a church, courthouse, and dwelling house for himself and with his servants and negroes he has cleared plantations about it, proposing great encouragement for people to come and settle in that uninhabitated part of the world, lately divided into a county."
Orange County was formed in 1734 from Spottsylvania, and hither William Jolliffe drifted with his family. In 1738 Frederick County was formed, but it was not until October 1743, that Governor Gooch issued an order for the formation of a court upon the petitions of the leading men. At the opening of this court William Jolliffe was among the very first to enroll himself as a lawyer. "On Nov. 11, 1743, the gentlemen named having been notified of their appointment met for the purpose of organizing a court. At this court appeared James Porteus, John Stecrman, George Johnston, and John Newport, who desired the privilege of being booked as attorneys, and who upon taking the oath as such were granted the use of the courthouse. On Friday, Jan. 13, at a meeting of the court, five more lawyers placed themselves on the roll of attorneys for Frederick County, they being William. Russell, John Quinn, Gabriel Jones, William Jolliffe and Michael Ryan." To a deed given by James Wood, conveying the land on which Winchester was founded, we find his name as one of the throe witnesses signed thereto.
Just where he first established his home I am unable to say, but the records of the county show that shortly after this date he was possessed of five hundred acres of land adjoining the lands of Alexander Ross, north of the present town of Winchester. He was from this time until his death in active practice in the courts of Frederick and adjoining counties, his name often appearing in the records. In September, 1752, he brought an action against his brother lawyer, the celebrated but eccentric Gabriel Jones. "Sep. 20, 1743, John Frost deeds to John Millburn a portion of a tract of land patented by Alex. Ross and John Littler Nov. 12, 1735; the witnesses to this were Alex. Ross, Thomas Wilson, John Littler and William Jolliffe." "May 10, 1744. William Jolliffe was witness to a deed from Isaac Pennington to Thomas Colson." "Nov. 16, 1759, as assignee of Geo. Ross he recovered a debt and interest from Feb. 1748-9."
From these and many other records it appears be became the attorney for the Friends settled in that country, and this no doubt had its influence upon his children, and may have been the means of uniting them with that society. William himself, I feel sure, was never a member, Friends deeming it wrong to contend in the courts, and therefore having little use for lawyers except to draw up deeds, etc. "Mar. 26, 1763, William Jolliffe, Sr., brought an action against the celebrated David Crockett who then resided in Frederick County." When he was about twenty-five years of age he married Phoeby _____, by whom he had sons William, James, John and Edmund, and perhaps daughters. There exists no record by which we can determine his wife's family name, nor when she died. This is not surprising when we remember that the country in which he dwelt was new and sparsely settled and the keeping of birth and death records was disregarded; it was many years later before a law was passed compelling such records to be kept. William left no will, but from court records I find he died in the year 1765. (His son William always signed his name William Jolliffe, Jr., during his life. The last record so signed was Wm. Jolliffe, Jr., vs. Wm. Crumly, March 6. 1765. Later witnessed a marriage certificate, Aug. 15, 1765, and did not attach the Jr.) He was interred at Hopewell Burying Ground, in Frederick County, Virginia. His wife died several years before he did, and I believe the later years of his life were spent with his son William at the old Nevill house.
Family tradition says he was a cultured, refined person, fond of good society and people of learning, often neglecting personal advancement for his books and friends. Of his brothers and sisters I have no information (I am inclined to believe there was a John, James, and Joseph), yet the court records of Norfolk County indicate there were others, but give no names by which they may be traced. Unfortunately, the files of these valuable old records are missing between the dates 1719-1730. They no doubt would have supplied many missing links.
(2) O'Dell, Cecil, Pioneers of Old Frederick County, Virginia, Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Company, 1995, pp. 205-206:
JOLLIFE
William Jollife was first mentioned in the Orange County, Virginia records as witnessing a land sale near present-day Stephenson, Frederick County, Virginia by John Frost on 10 January 1737/38. . . . He was mentioned again on 2 March 1742/43 in the Hite/Fairfax lawsuit as a witness to a Bond from Jost Hite to William Burk for land on the South River Shenandoah.
William and his wife Mary sold 55 acres to Joseph Dyer in Bucks County, Pennsylvania on 3 July 1736. The land was adjacent to Cuthbert Hayhurst. William's wife (Mary Sheppard of New York City) bought the land in 1726. They also sold 46 acres to Thomas Evans on 3 July 1736. Edward Glover was a witness to both sales. The land was located in Northhampton Township on the Neshaminy River. [Note by compiler: most sources do not show Mary as a wife of William JOLLIFFE, Sr.]
William Jollife Sr. sold 500 acres (where he lived) to his sons William Jr. and James Jolliffe on 16 September 1756. On 4 January 1749/50 this land was Warranted and then surveyed on 30 Apri1 1751. The land was adjacent Alexander Ross, part of Joliffe's [sic] grant.9 William Joliffe [sic] Jr. and James Jolliffe were issued a Fairfax grant for the 500 acres on 7 April 1755. William Joliffe took a mortgage from Isaac Jackson and on 2 April 1767 securing a Bond on land located on Back Creek. Cuthbert Hayhurst, an adjacent land owner when Jolliffe sold land in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1736, witnessed the mortgage.
William Jolliffe Sr. is buried at Hopewell Meeting House Cemetery. William was also known as the "Quaker Lawyer" and attended nearly all of Hopewell Friends' legal work. He was succeeded by Alexander White and Cuthbert Hayhurst.
Person ID I10624 Frost, Gilchrist and Related Families
Last Modified 2 Dec 2012
http://frostandgilchrist.com/getperson.php?personID=I10624&tree=frostinaz01
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Abt 1695 - 1765 (~ 70 years)
