The Humphries Family
John Humphries Notes
John Humphries was living in Richpatch, Virginia in 1766.
He made a mark instead of signing his name.
He died about 1796.
Margaret Humphries was the executrix of the estate.
William and Elizabeth are listed as legatees.
R.R. Humphries has a receipt signed by John dated 1766.
John lived and is buried on 540 acres at the intersection of the Richpatch and Roaring Run roads.
This land was later granted to him in 1794.
John Henry Persinger bought this land in 1812 (Botetourt Co. Deed Book 14, page 481.)
John Persinger sold 360 acres to Jacob Bennett (his son-in-law) and 180 acres to Stephen Hook in 1820.
Botetourt Co. court records for September 1796 lists the inventory and appraisement of John Humphries deceased.
It has not been possible to establish who the father of John was or where he came from. It is believed that Uriah Humphries who lived near Fincastle and owned land on the mouth of Craig's Creek was a brother. A tanalizing similarity of names appears in the register of Christ's Church, Middlesex Co., VA as follows:
William Humphries m. Sarah Davis Nov. 28, 1686 (did they have a son named John who married Elizabeth below?)
William, son of John and Elizabeth was born Sept. 1, 1730
John, son of John and Elizabeth was baptized Sept. 24, 1733
Elizabeth, daughter of John and Elizabeth was baptized Feb. 3, 1736
The John born in 1733 could have been the Richpatch John. A William Humphries lived in the Cowpasture River community on the north fork of the James River in 1742 south of the Borden grant (p. 141, Kegley's "Virginia Frontier and Va. County records, Va. Colonial Militia, Augusta County.)
It is believed that Margaret Humphries, the adminstratrix of John's estate in 1796 was his wife. Mrs. Margaret Humphries was a member of Rev. Scott's Congregation at Bethel Church, North Mountain in 1799. (Annals of Augusta Co., Va.) The Eagle-Rock quadrangle map of the U.S. Geological Survey, Washington D.C. shows Bethel Curch about 3 miles east of Irongate, Va. and about one-half mail south of U.S. Route 220. The author (H.V. Humphries) visited this church in 1966 and found that the present building is on the foundation of the original Bethel Church which burned about 75 years ago. (NOTE: This is believed to be written in 1966.) Bethel Methodist Church is reportedly the third oldest church in the area and is near Locust Bottom Church which is the oldest. Bethel is about 6 miles from Richpatch by wasy of Shirkey Mill Branch and Roaring Run Roads. North Mountain is one-half mile north.
The mouth of the Cowpasture about 2 miles from Bethel Curch was the home of the original Jacob Persinger (grandfather of John Humphries' son-in-law Jacob Persinger above.) from about 1762-1783. (See Persingers of Alleghany County, by H.V. Humphries.)
Whether or not the Humphries emigrated from central Pennsylvania down the old Indian Road through the Shenandoah Valley about 1740 or came across the Blue Ridge or up the James River is not known. The Humphries, Persingers, Kimberlins and the Carnes (Karnes) lived on the upper James River in the 1740's, and were among the first settlers in the area.
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