Alford Family

Updated 8 Apr 2011

See Alford DNA Project and Results

John Alford and Wm. Millington were granted a second patent on 22 Sep 1682 for 350 acres on "S. side of Yorke River. Being the remainder of land pattented by Col. Hammond, joining to sd. Hammond's land called 'Fort Royall'; beg. at Mr. Napier's corner; along Mr. Walter Huckstep; by the Deep Br; &c. Transport of 7 persons: Wm. Reynolds, John Morrow, Eliz. Story, Josep. Good, Tho. Fry, Joseph Start, Tho. Driver."

On 22 Oct 1682 John Alford and Gregory Barnet were patented 150 acres on the "South side of York River and is reputed Colo. Hammonds land called by the name of Nantacooke Neck."

   

Library of Virginia: Patents No. 7, 1679-1689 (v.1 & 2 p.1-719), p. 131 (Reel 7) dated 20 Apr 1682 for 410 acres

Our Alford ancestors came to Virginia in the second major migration of Royalists, 1642-1675, from the south of England, later than an earlier migration of Alford-Alvord Pilgrams from East Anglia to Massachusetts in the 1630s. The first John Alford of record in Virginia was transported to Warwick County in 1664 and granted 40 acres of land. The first William Alford was brought to Northumberland County the same year. The earliest reference to Alfords in New Kent County was in 1666 when a William Alford was transported there by John Davis as an indentured servant. Because New Kent is one of the "burned counties," with hardly any surviving records, it may never be possible to prove that John Alford was the son of William, and that John was the father of James Alford.

The Colonial Records of New Kent Co. were destroyed by a fire in 1787, which was set by John Price Posey, for which he was hung. It was the greatest loss suffered because the early records of many counties were in the New Kent Clerk's Office: King and Queen, 1654-1691; King William Co., 1654 to 1702; Hanover Co., 1654 to 1728; Louisa Co., 1654 to 1728; and part of Caroline Co., 1654 to 1720. The records for New Kent between 1787 and 1864 were burned at the time the village of New Kent Courthouse suffered a disastrous fire.

 

 The Vestry Book & Registry of St. Peters Parish Church in the City and County of New Kent, VA, to which our family belonged, are invaluable records.

Other than Virginia Land Patents (abstracted in Nell Marion Nugent's series, Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents), the St. Peters Parish Vestry Book and Registry of New Kent and James City Cos., VA, 1634-1786, has the only extant records. It is still an active church in New Kent, VA, near the York River.

It was designated by the Virginia General Assembly as "The First Church of the First First-Lady," Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, born 1731. In St. Peters she married Col. Daniel Parke Custis, and after eight years of marriage the young widow, mother of two children, married Col. George Washington in 1759.

 The Old Tavern at New Kent was built 1691 before the Court House was moved there

  • Vestry held in St. Peter's Church for St. Peter's parish, New Kent Co., ye 1686 Ann. Dom. Regis. Jan. 2nd . . . To Ind. Alford for nursing a bastard child until ye day of Dec'r next, 1000.
  • Vestry 5th day of October, 1687 . . . To Mr. Jno. Alford for nursing a bastard child, 1000.
  • Vestry at St. Peter's upper Church 3rd day November 1688, To Mr. Alford for ye Glasier foure days 0030.
  • Vestry at St. Peter's parish Church 4th day of May, 1689, The several persons named in Companys y't were ordered to procession & to remark ye bounds of each man's land: . . . Mr. Alford.
  • Vestry 10 July, 1698 . . . Mr. John Alford aplying him self to this vestry for help to Cleer the Roads in his presints, it ordered all the tithable which formerly belonged to David Clarkson and within his presints.
  • Jacob Winfrey and Eliz. Alford, married Nov. 3, 1698.
  • At a Vestry held for St. Peter's parish at the House of Capt. Joseph Forster. . . Mr. John Alford and Mr. Will. major made complaint that they have never had their lands processioned according to Law . . .
  • William Alford Departed this life ffebry ye 11th, 1709/10.
  • Jno. Alford Sen. Departed this life March ye 14th, 1709/10.
  • At a vestry held at ye Schoolhouse at ye Brick church for St. Peters Parish in New Kent County, 9 br. ye 6th 1710: To James Alford acct. allowed for keeping a psh child Q420.
  • Robert Wood and Mary Alford were married October ye 21st, 1711.
  • James son of James Alford born ffebruary 7, Xned April 12, 1713.
  • Vestry held Nov. 16, 1713: Paid James Alford's Bill 350.
  • Vestry held 1714: To Mrs. Alford for Keeping Mary Design & her Child 4 mon., 0400.
  • p. James Alford's Bill, Cr. 350.
  • Warren Son of James Alford Baptised August 28th 1715.
  • Vestry at ye Gleeb house for St. Peter's Parish November ye 21st, 1715, To Mrs. Alford for keeping Mary Design, 006881717: To Jno. Alford for Mary Design, &c, 300.
  • 1717: To Jno. Alford for Carrying away Robb. Barber, 600.
  • Frances Daughter of John Alford Born 8th ye 4th, 1717.
  • Julius son of James Alford born in Sept. 1717.
  • Sept. 29, 1718, James Alford a Surveyor of the Highway.
  • Cuffee a negro of Jno. Alford Born June ye 22d, 1719.
  • Elizabeth Daughter of Jno. Alford Born Jany: 26, 1719.
  • Lucy a negro belonging to Jno. Alford born June 22, 1721.
  • Sept. 29, 1721: to James Alford for an Overlist, 76.
  • Isaac Alford son of Jno. Alford Departed this life Augst. 21st 1723.
  • Unity Daughter of ----- Alford and Grace born 16 Dec. at 3 morn. 1724.
  • Jenny a negro girl of John Alford born Jany: 1725-6.
  • Frances Alford Dyed April 27, 1726.
  • Jno. Alford Dyed May ye second 1726.
  • Tom a negro belonging to Grace Alford Dyed May 15th, 1726.
  • Michael Harfield and Grace Alford were married Feb.14th, 1726-27.
  • Sarah Daughter of Goodrich and Sarah Alford (1733).
  • William Son of Lodowick and Elizabeth Alford born July 31, Baptised Aug. 2, 1734.
  • Elizabeth wife of Lodowick Alford dyed May 29, 1735.Oct. 5, 1735, at the petition of Wm. Paisley an Overseer of the High Road from the Old Church to Mr. Chamberlayne's Ordinary, That he have Wm. Atkinson's Titheables, Stephen Brooker, Lodowick Alford, Goodrich Alford, and Julius Alford, Micha Hartfield,Tith's . . . at the old Quar'r and upon the River.
  • Feb'ry 6, 1736, Elizabeth, Daughter of Lodowick & Susanna Alford, born Decem'r 22, baptized
  • March 17, 1736, Lucy, Daughter of Goodrich and Sarah Alford, born Feb'ry 25, baptized.
  • Jacob, Son of Lodowick and Susanna Alford born Decem'er 12, baptized Feb'ry 18, 1738
  • Susanne, Daughter of Goodrich and Sarah Alford, born Oct'r 5, baptized Nov'r 18, 1739.

St. Peters Parishioners included our Wingfield ancestors, as well as our Alford ancestors.

James Alford relocated with his family to Granville Co., NC, by 1754, when his son Julius was listed in the Granville Co. Militia, October 8, in Capt. Jeffreys' Company, in the Regiment of Granville, under Col. William Eaton.

Julius Alford married Lucy _____. We descend from their son John Alford and his wife Chloe Pope.

Will Written 13 Jul 1768: 

Last Will and Testament of Julius ALFORD of Bute, St. John's Parish, wife Lucy, horse bridle and saddle, feather bed, furniture . . .
Son John, all land in Bute County on south Crooked Creek and north side (and other items) . . .
Son Isaac, the land and plantation on north side Crooked Creek below Ferrells Road, and to mouth of Bright Branch, 6 cows, calves, Piggs, 1 Breading Mare. . .
Son Goodrich, plantation John ROSE lives on.
Son Jacob, land and plantation where I live, on Rar River.
Son Job, 50 pounds.
Daughter Patty, bed and furniture.
Daughter Sarah, bed and furniture.
Schooling of my children . . . after wife's death equal division.
My brother Lodowick, an Executor and his son James, an Executor. Witnesses: James ALFORD, Thos. X GAY, John X ARRINDELL
Julius X ALFORD
(mark)
Probated Nov 1771

 Julius Alford and his brother Lodowick Alford had Land Grants on Crooked Creek, Granville Co., NC

 

John and Chloe's son Isaac went to Williamson Co., TN, to IL, MO, and finally to Texas by Dec 1839, according to his Class 3 Headright Land Grant. John and Chloe's son Thomas remained in NC, their son John (Jr.) married Nancy Wright and left but returned to NC, and their sons Jacob and Abraham went to Greene Co., IL ca 1827, taking their widowed father with them. Two probable daughters have been identified (see Descendants of John Alford, and Ancestors of Chloe Pope).

Alice Wright, who I believe was Isaac's wife, was orphaned and her sister Nancy's husband James WRIGHT (a cousin) was made her guardian. James and Nancy went to Williamson Co., TN, before Maury Co. was divided out of it, and James is mentioned in early Williamson Co. records. More research needs to be done in Williamon and Maury Cos.

Isaac's marriage to Alice Wright is unproven but evidence so suggests. We didn't know his wife's name. Studying the family of Isaac's mother Chloe Pope, dau. of John Pope and Sarah Pope, her brother Charles married a daughter of Wingfield Wright, Sr. That wasn't reason enough for Chloe to name a child Wingfield or Wright, and she didn't.

That meant it must've been Isaac who married into the Wingfield Wright family, for he named two sons Wingfield and Wright.

Alice Wright was a daughter of Wingfield Wright, Jr. and Patience Nicholson. Her older sister Nancy Wright married a cousin, James Wright. After Nancy and Alice's parents' died 1785 in Halifax Co., NC, Alice chose (in court) James as her guardian. James, Nancy, and family were in Williamson Co., TN, by 1796, then in Maury Co., and then went to SC for several years. About 1808 they went back to Maury Co., and there James died 1817. Nancy then returned to Halifax Co., NC where she died, leaving a will recorded Feb 1822.

There were several Wingfield/Winfield Wrights in the family, which is traced to the marriage of John Wright, Jr., and Ruth Wingfield who lived in Lancaster Co., VA. John Wright, Jr., was the son of John Sr., the son of William Wright, born 1636 Bolton-on-Swayle, Yorkshire, England. William and his son John were transported to VA 1654 by Nathaniel Wingfield, attorney in Westmoreland Co., VA, whose daughter Anne married Col. John Washington and was great-grandmother of George Washington. Anne and John Washington's daughter Anne Pope Washington married Maj. Francis Wright, so you see these early VA families are all intertwined.

It is significant that Isaac named sons named Winfield and Wright, for he was not personally related to that family. He must have visited his mother Chloe Pope's father John Pope, who lived near the Wingfield Wright family in Halifax, Edgefield, and Johnston Cos., NC and met Alice. They were in the right place and time to meet, but further research is needed, to prove or disprove this theory.

Lastly -- just as we didn't know who Isaac married, also no one seems to know who Alice married. If we find she married someone else, I'll go looking for another Wingfield Wright daughter, granddaughter, etc.

Listed in the 1830 Pike Co., IL census were Isaac age 50-60, wife 40-50, children 2 males 10-15, 1 male 15-20, 1 male 20-30, 1 female 5-10. His son Winfield Alford and an (unaccounted for) Alonzo D. Alford were also listed, as well as Isaac's sons-in-law Archibald Whitley and Thomas Whitley

1817 was the last year Isaac was on the Franklin Co., NC tax list. His uncle Isaac (who married his 1st cousin Mary Alford) was in Wake Co., NC around that period.

1823 Isaac was in Williamson Co., TN, for his daughter Chloe Alford married Thomas Whitley there that year.

1825 Isaac's daughter Sally Alford married Archibald Whitley in Boone Co., MO. An Isaac had a land grant in MO but not sure if he was ours.

1829 Isaac's son Winfield married Eliza Derrington in Perry Co., IL 1829.
These are all proven to be Isaac's children by his estate in Austin Co., TX.

Isaac's son Winfield Alford married Eliza Derrington in IL. Isaac's son Hatch Alford married Martha Jane Longley, daughter of Joseph Longley and Priscilla Patterson. Winfield's and Hatch's daughters Eliza Amanda and Mary Jane married brothers, William and John Marion Green.

The marriage was solemnized by the bride's brother Campbell Longley, who also performed the marriage of their brother John Posey Longley.

For information or membership in the AAFA (Alford American Family Assn.), and its annual reunions in different states, The BEST source of Alford data

Alford Descendants