I was editing my Southside Map and paused in an area that is not quite right in the placement of some patents. And then I began to wax philosophic…as I am so want to do. Waxing, while mapping, is like sleeping while driving…it is not a good thing to do.
…don’t forget to click the filename under this graphic for a better view
The arrow points to a survey line of the patent which says Nottoway River… meaning it sits beside the River and adjoins it. So this tells me I need to move this patent (and probably its neighbor patents) to some better position on the River to ‘join’ it properly. But where to move it to ? The Nottoway is rather lengthy.
A couple of asides…I know (in my head) 1. that William Crawley is a notorious Indian Trader. 2. William Crawley likely is around this area because that is where many of the traders hung out. 3. Crawley was buds with Peter Jones because Peter Jones was also a notorious Indian Trader. And note that Peter Jones adjoins William Crawley in this instance.
So I googled WikiTree for William Crawley in Virginia…to little avail and no help in clues. Then I googled Peter Jones and found this tidbit which just drove me nuts with my waxing philosophical problem…
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Virginia_Peter_Joneses
So…as the map stands at this moment, I still do not know where to put Crawley, or this Jones, on the map. But somehow or another, I suppose my “waxing” problem has been somewhat satiated.
WikiTree has become a ‘GoTo’ aid to me. Good folks, reliable info. I like it.
Now I’m speculating this Peter Jones may be the 3rd generation… or not?
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Note the inherent strength of how this comprehensive map works…
The survey lines offer clues to the neighbors. The more neighbor patents equals more clues. Then the jigsaw pieces begin to fit together… as the map grows…
In this little grouping of 7 patents, one offers the next clue (besides the obvious “Nottoway River” clue… look at the Charles Williams patent. Note it says (noted in the actual patent details) that it states: “adjoining land he purchased of Peter Jones”. Then it adds “both sides of Walls Run” and “NS Cattail Run”.
So now I will look for Cattail Run and perhaps some dude named Wall that has a creek named after him.
And that my friends, is my methodology.
And William Crawley needs a Study.
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A day or so later of putzing around this area…I turned up even more Joneses (like flies on a fishhead I tell ya)…
I ran this group by the Know It All (Grok, the AI) and this is where it supposes all these Jones boys may have came from:
Likely Jones Family Line in Brunswick County, VA (Near Nottoway River, 1720s–1740s)
Based on the patent dates and names you provided (Tho/Thomas 1726 & 1746, Richard 1736, Peter 1721, William 1728, Peter Junior 1733, Abraham 1728), research from Virginia land patent abstracts (e.g., Nugent’s Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol. 3; Library of Virginia records; Brunswick deed/order books) points to the family of Captain Peter Jones Sr. (c. 1690–1758), a militia officer, trader, and landowner in Prince George/Brunswick County.
This line was active near the Nottoway River (a key Southside VA waterway for trade and settlement), with patents on its north/south sides, often adjoining branches like Hardwood Swamp, Hickory Run, and Sturgeon Run. The area spans about 9–10 square miles in northern Brunswick (post-1720 formation), overlapping with Isle of Wight/Surry frontiers.The connections are circumstantial but strong: shared adjacency in patents (e.g., Peter Sr.’s lines bordering sons’), militia roles (Peter Sr. as captain with sons as officers), and estate distributions. No direct will links all, but patterns match a father-sons dynamic. Dates align with patent grants, often for new land (NL) or lapsed land.Genealogy Tree Chart (Text-Based ASCII Format)
Research Basis and Key Insights
- Patent Details & Adjacencies: All names align with Brunswick patents near Nottoway River (north/south sides, branches like Hardwood Swamp, Hickory Run). E.g.:
- Peter Sr. (1721): Early Nottoway patents (e.g., adj. William Jones Sr.).
- Abraham (1728): Adj. Peter Sr./Jr. on Nottoway; later 1755 expansion to Peahill (your prior queries).
- William (1728): South side Nottoway, adj. Richard Jones and Peter.
- Peter Jr. (1733): North side Nottoway, adj. Abraham and William.
- Richard (1736): Brunswick adj. family on Hickory Run/Nottoway.
- Thomas (1726/1746): North side Nottoway/Hardwood Swamp; renewals adj. Michel/Jones lines.
- Family Structure: Peter Jones Sr. (son of Maj. Peter Jones I) is the patriarch; sons inherited/expanded adjacent lands, common in colonial families. Militia ties (Peter Sr. as captain, sons as officers) and trade roles near Fort Christanna reinforce kinship.
- Sources: Library of Virginia Land Patents (Books 10–14, 1720s–1740s); Nugent’s Cavaliers and Pioneers Vol. 3; Brunswick Deed/Order Books (1732–1740s); genealogies (WikiTree, AlliedFamilies, Early Virginia Jones Families).
- Uncertainties: Exact birth/marriage dates speculative; some patents may overlap unrelated Joneses (common name), but adjacency patterns strongly suggest this line.
This tree fits the 9-square-mile grouping (Nottoway River basin in northern Brunswick).
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Note the Abraham Jones mentioned above…I followed him down to near the NC border next to the Roanoke River…
He supposedly made his way down to Halifax, NC…which seems likely… (a days ride by horse?)
A Halifax County, NC deed seems to confirm/support he did move to NC… (note the reference to “Great Creek”… which ties this back to near the Nottoway River)… is this a son or brother? Abraham also seems to have been in NC at least by 1762.
I have not traced this guy further… (I also have some suspicions this Abraham Jones line may have been associated with the Robert Coleman family of Edgecombe, NC).
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I would be flabbergasted if this line can be proven… but the author seems to be pretty convinced…
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Jones-24618
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A bit of historical intrigue… was Jones Hole Swamp previously known as Harricane Swamp? In addition to my perplexity involving the swamp name… this “Study” gives proof of the father of Abraham Jones in 1719. I have not placed this patent on my map yet…