America The exact date of his arrival here is unknown but he was 18wh en he married in VA so it was in his early years.
Ralph Arthur posted at GenForum:
"The earliest records of John and Rebecca Arthur are dated 25September 1 727 and 6 May 1733 showing the births and baptisms oftheir daughters E lizabeth and Mary.
("The Parish Register of Christ Church, Middlesex County, Va. from1653 t o 1812", published by The National Society of the ColonialDames of Ame rica in the State of Virginia and republished by theGenealogical Publi shing Co. of Baltimore in 1964, pages 122 & 136)
Caroline Co, VA The date of migration there is unknown but accordingt o Ralph: "The Caroline County order Books 1732-1754 list a William,Joh n, Thomas, Barnabas, and Benjamin Arthur. All of these Arthurnames tur n-up in Bedford County, Virginia, starting in 1754."
Again from Ralph Arthur's message:
"Early records of John Arthur are found in Caroline County, Virginia,b eginning with the date 9 September 1743 (Caroline, Order Book1740-1746 , p. 221), when John Arthur purchased land from a WilliamHargrove. (Ac cording to those land records he held the debt ofWilliam Hargrove for s ale of land.)
Then the 11th of April, 1754 (Caroline, O. B. 1747-1754, p. 466) "JohnA rthur & Rebecca his wife, sold this land to a John Bowcock."
Bet Apr & May 1754, the family moved to Bedord Co, VA
Again from Ralph' message:
"The next records are found in Bedford County, Virginia. John Makkey,7 M ay 1754, a deed from Thos. Price & w. Sarah, 125a. on Goose Crk.Wit: B arnabas Arthur, Robt. Allen (Bedford, Deed Book 1 p.89).
Later John Mackay/McKey & Margt, his w. of Russell Par. a deed sg. 17A pr. 1755 to Geo. Hackworth, 25a. part of 125a. bought of Thos.Price. W it: Wm. Mead, John. & Thos. Arthur (Bedford, D. B. 1 p.85).
On the 17 Apr. 1756, John Mackey & Margt. sold the other 100a. of thisl d. to John Arthur (Bedford, D. B. 1, p.87). John is listed as aresiden t of Bedford County at the time of this purchase."
The circumstantial evidence that John Arthur (SENIOR) may have beenbor n in Gloucester County, Virginia, is as follows:
1. John Arthur (later of Goose Creek, Bedford County) named his eldests on Barnabas. (Will of John Arthur)
2. William Arthur (probable brother of John Arthur) named his eldestso n Barnabas. (Will of William Arthur)
3. The naming pattern of that generation was to name the first bornson a fter the paternal grandfather. (Standard genealogy fact)
4. There is a record dated 1725 in Essex County, Virginia, statingthat a B arnabas Arthur of Gloucester County, Virginia, paid a debt.This Barnab as would be a generation older than the Barnabas Arthursmentioned in # 1 a nd #2. (Essex County Order Books)
5. There are records of Arthurs living in Gloucester County between164 1 (when it was York County) and 1725. Names include Frances F.Arthur, J ohn Arthur, and Richard Arthur. (Vestry Book, ParishRegister, Head Rig ht Records)
6. John (paragraph # 1) and Rebecca had a daughter ElizabethChristened i n Middlesex County in 1727 and a daughter Mary Christenedthere in 1733 . I have visited the area and found that the churchstill stands (Chris tchurch) and is less than two miles from theboundary with Gloucester C ounty and the parish where some of theolder Arthurs lived. It would be a s hort trip to church fromGloucester.(Parish Register)
7. The first John Arthur to settle the area (Roswell Creek) appears toh ave been transported with a Barnabas Barnes back before 1641.Records s how the Arthurs and Barnes families in close proximity inthe early 170 0's. The name BARNABAS was extremely rare then. (SurveyRecords)
8. A John Augur was a blacksmith in Gloucester County in 1675. Thename l ooks like a mistake to me and that name Augur does not appearto exist. B enjamin Arthur (later of Campbell County and a son/inlawto William Art hur of paragraph # 2)and his father Thomas were bothblacksmiths in Car oline County in the mid 1700s. (Vestry Book)
John's will was dated 1/9/1778 and probated 1/28/1793 in Bedford Co,VA .
Book 82, Page 100, Bedford Co., VA
In the name of God Amen, I John Arthur of the County of Bedford beingo f perfect mind and memory for settling of Temporal affairs andpreventi ng disputes about such estate as I shall leave at my deathand knowing t hat it is appointed for all men once to die, do make andordain that my L ast Will and Testament in manner and form following:first recommending m y soul to God who gave it through the mediationof my dear Redeemer hop eing thereby to receive remission of all mysins and my body the earth t o be decently buried at the descretion ofmy executors hereafter mentio ned.
Item. I give to my son Thomas Arthur fifty acres of land lying on theN orth side of Goose Creek beginning at a White Oak on the said Creekat t he lower end of his plantation from thence running in a straightline t o a Pine against the Bold spring and upwards to him and hisheirs forev er.
I give to my daughter, Mary Dixon fifty acres of land on the Southside o f Goose Creek, it being the same land John Dixon now lives uponto her a nd her heirs forever.
Item. I give to my daughter Isabella Mitcham the Plantation whereon In ow live to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give to my son, Barnabas Arthur the sum of five shillings andt he rest and Residue of my Estate to be equally divided between mythree d aughters, Sarah Newman, Betty Green, and Isabella Mitchem, anddo hereb y nominate
Constitute and Appoint my son Thomas Arthur and Nimrod NewmanExecutors o f this my Last Will, hereby revoking all other Will orWills by me here tobefore made.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my sealthis N inth Day of January in the year of our Lord Christ, OneThousand Seven H undred and Seventy Eight.
Signed, sealed and published in the presence of: Justiman Wills,Thomas L eftwich, Marmaduke Dellis and Thomas Mitchem.
John Arthur signed with his mark
At a court held for Bedford County the 28th day of January 1793, thisl ast will and Testament of John Arthur Deceased was proved by theoath o f Thomas Leftwich and Thomas Mitchem, Witnesses whose names arethere u nto subscribed and ordered to be recorded on the motion ofThomas Arthu r and Nimrod Newman, the Executors therein named who madeoath thereto c ertificate is granted them for obtaining probatethereof in due form on g iving security where upon they together withThomas Leftwich their secu rity entered into and acknowledged theirbond in the penalty of one hun dred pounds as conditioned for the saidExecutors due and faithful admi nistration of said Decedants Estateand performance of his will.
Teste Ja. Steptoe, Clrk.Book 82, Page 100, Bedford Co., VA
