William Bohannon (4 Apr 1701 - 2 Mar 1753)

William Bohannon was born on 4 Apr 1701 in Kingston Parish of Gloucester County, Virginia, a son of Duncan Bohannon, Jr. and Sarah Bohannon (Elliott).

Before 1730, he migrated from Gloucester County to Orange County, Virginia where he swore a statement in court regarding an Indian attack.

In 1730, "William Bohannon came into court and made oath that about twenty-six of the Sapony Indians that inhabit Colonel Spotswood's land in Fox's neck go about and do a great deal of mischief by firing the woods; more especially on the 17th day of April last whereby several farrows of pigs were burnt in their beds, and that he verily believes that one of the Indians shot at him the same day, the bullet entering a tree within four feet of him; that he saw the Indian about one hundred yards from him, and no game of any sort between them; that the Indian after firing his gun stood in a stooping manner very studdy [steady] so that he could hardly discern him from a stump, that he has lost more of his pigs than usual since the coming of the said Indians; which is ordered to be certified to the General Assembly. " (Source: History of Orange County)

On 16 Mar 1735, William Bohannon was ordered to work on the road from the courthouse into the Pamunkey Road near Anthony Golstons Plantation.

During Aug 1735, William Bohannon served on the first jury convened in Orange County, Virginia to try an action for assault and battery between James Porteus and Jonathan Fennell.

On 24 May 1739, William Bohannan was granted a licence to keep an ordinary “on his Motion he having paid ye Governours fees and with Henry Willis his Security entered into bond according to Law.” On 23 Oct 1740, William Beckham, Thomas Russell, and George Wooton were ordered to view the petition of all inhabitants near the Island ford given in by Robert Williams for a rolling road from the Parsons road to William Bohannans ordnary and make report to the next Court.

William Bohannon paid tax on 74 acres in Gloucester County, Virginia in 1782, and on 160 acres in 1787, 1788, 1789, and 1790. The William Bohannon who paid tax on land in the 1780s was likely a son of William Bohannon (4 Apr 1701 - 2 Mar 1753) (Source: Gloucester Genealogy Society; http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/vaggsv/ Accessed 12 Dec 2009.)

The first jury ever impanelled in the County was at the Aug 1735 term following, to try an action for assault and battery between James Porteus and Jonathan Fennell, alias Fenney, as follows: Benjamin Porter, foreman; Francis Browning, Francis Williams, James Stodgill, Leonard Phillips, William Richeson, George Head, John Conner, John Bomer, William Bohannon, William Crosthwait, Isaac Bletsoe. The verdict was for fifteen shillings damages. The first grand jury appeared in November, Robert Cave, foreman; Abraham Bletsoe, Francis Browning, William Bryant, William Pannill, Edward Franklin, Philip Bush, Anthony Head. William Kelly, Henry Downs, John Bransford, David Phillips, John Howard, George Anderson, Mark Finks, William Carpenter and George Woods.

On 20 Aug 1740, William Bohannon acquired 943 acres of land in Orange County, Virginia on the south side of the Southwest Mountain Road, bounded by lands of Nathaniel Claiborne, William Wafford, another parcel owned by William Bohannon, and Henry Nixon, in consideration of the transportation of three persons into the Colony and £4 pounds sterling.

William Bohannon died in Orange County, Virginia on 2 Mar 1753 at 51 years of age.

Notes and Comments

The register of Kingston Parish of Gloucester County, Virginia records “William ye Son of Dunken and Sarah Bohanan was born ye 4th of Aprill 1701.”

In a Will made on 2 Mar 1753, Dunkin Bohanon of St. Thomas Parish, Orange County, Virginia named his son William to receive one-seventh part of his estate.

Orange County, Virginia was created on 1 Jan 1734/35 from Spotsylvania County. Initially, Orange County extended westward to the utmost limits of Virginia.

Duncan Bohannon, Jr., the father of William Bohannon, died in Orange County, Virginia on 2 Mar 1753, and it appears likely that the Duncan Bohannon, Jr. family, including William Bohannon, migrated together to Orange County. Sarah Bohannon (Cook), the wife of Duncan Bohannon, Jr. and mother of William Bohannon, died in Orange County, Virginia on 27 April 1753, less than two months after her husband’s death.

Sources

191. Prince, Thelma Faye Cain. “Our Southern Ancestors.” 1998. (URL: http://www.oursouthernancestors.com/)

Kingston Parish Register, 12 Jun 1722. Gloucester County, Virginia. Transcribed by Henry Bolton. Thelma Faye Cain Prince http://oursouthernancestors.com/ .

78. Scott, W. W. A History of Orange County, Virginia. Everett Waddey Co., Richmond, Virginia, 1907.

Children of Duncan Bohannon, Jr.
On 12 Jun 1722, Henry Bolton transcribed a record of the births of children of Duncan Bohannon, Jr. from the Kingston Parish register:
June ye 12th 1722
Sarah ye Daughter of Dunken & Sarah Bohanan was born ye 7th of Sepr. 1698
Judeth ye daughter of Dunken & Sarah Bohanan was born ye 6th of May 1699
William ye Son of Dunken & Sarah Bohanan was born ye 4th of Aprill 1701
Dunken ye Son of Dunken & Sarah Bohanan was born ye 17th of January 1704
Robert ye Son of Dunken & Sarah Bohanan was born ye 30th of March 1707
Elliott ye Son of Dunken & Sarah Bohannon was born ye 21th of December 1711
Markus was born ye 6th of May 1710
Phillis was born ye 12th June 1714
A true Copy from ye Regestor Test. Henry Bolton Ch. Regr. Kings psh.
Since there is no record of a Kings Parish in Virginia, Kings Parish probably abbreviated Kingston Parish.


A court case in Orange County Circuit Court, Case 1784-001, Reuben Roach etc. versus Executors of William Monroe state that Ruth Roach, a daughter of Rueben Roach, was a wife of William Bohannon. But the time periods involved appear inconsistent. William Bohannon was born on 4 Apr 1701. His eldest child, Duncan Bohannon, was born in about 1735. Papers of the case of Reuben Roach versus Executors of William Monroe indicate that all three children of Rueben Roach were young when he died in 1742.

Sarah Cook, presumed wife of William Bohannon, died on 27 Apr 1753 in Orange County, Virginia. Thus, it does not appear that Ruth Roach was married to William Bohannon, father of Duncan Bohannon.