It seems that Place was some kind of rogue. He was party to a schemet o cheat his own brother, Honorias, out of land (see notes onHonorias) a nd later he disappeared without a trace. No descendantshave been foun d for him, otherwise brother, Honorias, could not havebeen his heir.
Residences & events:
1704 Essex Co, VA. He and brothers, Honor and Thomas, were listed ont he Quit Rent Rolls, each having 72 acres.
8/10/1705 Essex Co, VA. Place put the following on record at thecour t house:
"Know all men that I Place Powell of Essex Co and Parish of St Anne'sd o for several threatenings of Mary Powell my wife that she will makeaw ay with what I have a-purpose for to ruine me, I do, therefore,forwarn e all manner of persons from having any manner of dealing withher and f rom taking anything of her or entertaining her without myconsent." Pl ace signed with an "X". A footnote says she may havebeen a "she-devil ", probably as a result of loneliness.
1/11/1710 St Ann's Parish was still his residence when he leased 300a cres to Augustine Smith for 99 years, the land was in St Maries,Richmo nd Co. "whereon George and William Proctor now liveth in thefreshes of R appahannock River in the forks of Lamb's Creek, being theland granted u nto Francis Place by patent Sept. 1654, relation beinghad to the recor ds, and now doth of right belong to the said PlacePowell, partly to th ese presents." Witnesses were: John Golding,Cassandra Golding and J ohn Wood. It was not recorded until1/13/1714, after the next event.
6/3/1713 The previous entry concerned land that Place's parents hadso ld some 40 years prior and the question arose about the validity ofthe c ontract. The matter went to court and the jury's verdict was:
"Francis Place took up the land in question, 300 acres in Sept. 1654;o n Aug 11, 1655, he made a deed in tail to his daughter, Mary, andshe w as thereafter in possession of the land. Mary married Thos.Powell and s aid Place is their eldest son. Mary died about 3 yearsago the middle o f December last. On Sept. 30, 1666, Thomas and Marydeed the land to J ames Coghill, who, on Oct 11, 1667 deeded it toWilliam Wilton. He too k out a new patent for the land on Oct. 3,1671. 'Wee do not find any p atent of the sd land granted to the sdffrancis Place before that dated i n 1654 before cited. Wee find thatthe sd ffrancis Place was dead long b efore the date of Wilton'spatent. Wee find the said Mary Powell lived a w idow' nine or tenyears before she died."
There was one final entry concerning Place and this same 300 acres:
9/7/1750 King George Co. "Honorias Powell, of St. Mary's Parish,Caro line Co, as brother and heir apparent to Place Powell, who hasremoved h imself to some remote place out of Virginia, conveys to JohnChampe, Ge nt, the land patented Sept, 1654, by Francis Place andleased Nov. 11, 1 710 by said Place Powell to Augustine Smith, Gent,which lease is of re cord in Essex Co."
It appears that Place left Essex Co but no one knew his whereaboutsand s o assumed him dead (in 1715) with his property passing tobrother, Hono rias.
John Golding gave bond as administrator of Place's estate butapparently there was a problem because in July 1716, Augustine Smithposted 50 pounds bond to administer the estate, "he dying without awill."
Inventory and appraisment of Place's estate was recorded in 1717.
1712-1713 Richmond Co VA Order Book 6; Antient Press: (Page 108):
Richmond County Court 3d of June 1713
- In an Ejectione Firma between ALEXANDER DAY, Plt. and WILLIAM WILTONby GEORGE and WILLIAM PROCTER, his nearest friends, Deft., formessuages lands and appurtenances lying and being in the Pish. of St.Mary in this County, which PLACE POWELL demised to Plt. for a termenot yett ended, &c., and also for one hundred pounds Sterling damagesfor ejecting Pit. from the same, &c., as is set forth in theDeclaration, to which Defendt. haveing pleaded Not Guilty, a Jury wasthis day sworn to try the issue joyn'd, whose names are
WILLIAM SIMS MAXFIELD BROWN JOHN SMITH
WILLIAM GRIFFIN GEORGE ALSUP DAVID BERRICK
GEORGE DOWNING CORNELIUS EDMUNDS STEPHEN BOWIN
WILLIAM JENKINS WILLIAM FANTLEROY JOHN KELLEY
who haveing heard the evidence and received their charge were sentout, and soon after returning into Court and they being agreed ontheir Verdict, returned the same which at motion of Plt. is admittedto Record, and it is in these words. "Verdict of the Jury interALEXANDER DAY, Lessee of PLACE POWELL, Plt. and WILLIAM WILTON byGEORGE and WILLIAM PROCTER, his nearest Friends, admitted Defendts.inthe room of PATRICK MAY, Defendt. Wee find FRANCIS PLACE took up threehundred acres of land being the land in question by Patent dated inSeptember one thousand six hundred and fifty four, the copy whereof ishereunto annext. Wee find that on the 11th of August 1655, he made aDeed thereof in tail to MARY, his Daughter, acknowledged and recordedaccording to the copy of the said Deed hereunto annext and that shewas in possession thereof afterwards. Wee find that the said MARYintermarryed with one THOMAS POWELL and that PLACE POWELL, Lessor ofthe Plt., is Eldest Son and Heir to said MARY of her body. Wee findthat the said MARY died three years agoe, about the middle of Decemberlast, Wee find that after the said MARY's intermarriage with the saidTHOMAS POWELL, vizt., on the 30th day of September 1666, they the saidTHOMAS and MARY made a Deed of the sd. land to JAMES COGHILLacknowledged and recorded acording to the copy thereof hereuntoannext. Wee find that on the 11th of October 1667, the said JAMESCOGHILL made a Deed of the said Land to WILLIAM WILTON acknowledgedand recorded according to the copy of the Deed hereunto annexed. Weefind that the said WILLIAM WILTON took out a new Patent for the sameland the 3d day of October 1671 reciting a surrender of a Patentgranted the said PLACE ano 1652. Wee do not find any Patent of the sd.land granted to the said FRANCIS PLACE before that dated in 1654. Weefind that the said FRANCIS PLACE was dead long before the date ofWILTON's Patent. Wee find hat RICHARD WILTON ever since the date ofCOGHILL's Deed to him has been in possession undisturbed of the saidland till the bringing of this suit.
Wee find the said MARY POWELL lived a Widow between nine and tennyears before she dyed. And if upon the whole matter the Law be withthe Plt., then wee find for Plt. and one shilling sterling damages,but if the Law be with the Defendt., then wee find for the Defendt.WILLIAM FANTLEROY, Foreman."
And it is ordered that the matters of Law therefrom be referred tillnext Court to be argued and then to be first called
