Douglas and Willet

[Henry Barraud Hunt, Jr.]

I have considerably more information to provide on Edward Douglas, Sr. and John Willet who married his daughter, Elizabeth Douglas. I am afraid to edit as it might not hold for me. Edward Douglas is found with two S letters as often as one S. As his will was written with one S I emphasized the one S. I was in error stating that 'Dales Gift' was the first patent in America. It may have been the first land grant. Sir Thomas Dale, Marshal of Virginia, was not born in Middlesex County. When he was knighted the document that addresses the details provides us with the county of birth. Sir Thomas Dale moved to Middlesex County at an early age. It is highly unusual for such a document to have this kind of information. Perhaps early family records were destroyed and this provides us a clue as to the origins of his family.

When I first gave attention to Sir Thomas Dale and Lt. Col Edward Douglas I was drawn to Dame Elizabeth Dale because Ralph Whitelaw states his two volume work, 'Virginia's Eastern Shore' that Edward Douglas was a cousin of Dame Elizabeth Dale. Whitelaw provided no references. For six months I studied her genealogy, especially her Throgmorton and Berkeley lines. There was no Isabelle to be found. This persuaded me to look at the Dales of Middlesex County. I could hardly believe my good fortune. There she was in the same generation as her brother, Sir Thomas Dale. Thanks to the research of Mr. Baker, a fellow member of our clan, I found that Sir Thomas had left Dales Gift to his brother, Richard Dale, and Richard Dale of Middlesex County left a will leaving his inheritance to his sister, Isabella Gaynor of Middlesex County. I should have been more deliberate in proving The marriage of Isabell to Edward Douglas. What follows now is my proving the connection.

The will of Dame Elizabeth Dale was proved in London, England with a certified copy given to the Court in Eastville, Virginia. Will was written 4 July 1640 and proved 29 March 1641. Orders, Deeds, Wills, Etc., II, #2, 1640-1645, page 36. I shall highlight applicable parts. 'To Edward Hambie son of Richard Hambie all my land in Shirlie Hundred'. 'To my niece, Mrs. Dorothy Throgmorton 500 acres in Virginia.

'One Part-Remaining estate in Virginia, or elsewhere, be divided in two parts. One part to the children of Sir William Throgmorton, Knt. and Baronet, deceased, and William Samborn, and the other part to my friends, Mr. Richard Hambie and Mr. William Shrimpton-the executors.'

In August 1641, Hamby of Westminster, of Whitechurch, in South Hampton, gave a power of attorney to Samuel Chandler, Merchant of London, "who is now bound for Virginia" to receive from William Burdett. The result of this petition was thar 1000 acres (Dale's Patent) , Hamby having died. 1649 another patent was issued to Shrimpton -an additional 1000 qcres. "This Shrimpton assigned to Edward Douglas. See pages 97 and 98 of Virginia's Eastern Shore. This land had been a moity from Dame Dale for his servive as Executive for her will. Here Douglas was given fecognition for his stronger claim that is his marriage to Isabel (Dale) Gaynor.   

[James David Douglas]

Good information and sources