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Abstracts of Lancaster County, Virginia Wills [Ida J. Lee]
TOWLES, Stockly. 8ber 12, 1763. Rec. 17 June 1765.
Wife: Elizabeth Towles.
Two youngest sons, Thomas and Stockly "Land I bought of Reline Lefore which Land is in Goochland County."
Five children.
Exors: Friends, Mr. Richard Mitchell, Mr. Edward Carter & Mr. Chattin Chowning. W.B. 18, p. 37.
Division of estate 28 Nov. 1768. Rec. 16 Mar. 1769.
To: Stockly Towles, Thomas Towles, Henry Towles, Elizabeth Towles, Nancy Towles, Wife's part. W.B. 18, p. 139.
=== Research notes from Brittany Ledbetter
Major Stokely Towles, was born between 1740-1750 at Towles Point Lancaster VA, son of Stokely Towles and Elizabeth Martin.
In 1765 his fathers will is probated and he and his brother Thomas recieve lands in Goochland VA.
He married Elizabeth Porteus Downman
Jan 1773 and began having children registered in Goochland.
He was appointed Captain in the Revolution 18 Sep 1777. I have located his mention in 16 Revolutionary War Pensions thus far. Notably, pensions S. 9087 and S. 15967 place Captain Stokely Towles at Benedict Arnold's Invasion, and the Battle of Yorktown.
In 1785 Stokely removes his family to Spotsylvania purchasing 422acres.
He appears on the Spotsylvania Taxs lists (both PP and L) from 1785-1811, minus missing record years. PP, Personal Property intermittently list his Capt. or Maj. rank status.
1785-1811 He bears witness to several deeds and appears in several court record books during his tenure in Spotsylvania.
31 Mar 1790 he is advised as 1 of 7 Justices of the Peace for Spotsylvania County.
Between 1793 and 1794 he is promoted to Major.
His wife Elizabeth must have died before 1798.
6 Jul 1802 he is recommended as a candidate for appointment of Sheriff.
This appointment he recieved because in 1809 he appears in Northumberland Land Causes as the "Sheriff of Northumberland, previously Sheriff of Spotsylvania" in an entry for Mr.Stanard.
He purchased his lands in Northumberland in 1806 from Henry Hurst(its likely this is near his Northumberland Sheriff appointment date, which I have yet to locate).
26 Jan 1812 Spotsylvania Courts, he sets free a slave named Jesse which he had given his son Thomas.
His will is recorded in Lancaster in April 1812, and it's mainly about Mary and her young child.
Inventories for Northumberland plantation presented in Jun 1812.
Slaves of Major Stokely Towles are distributed amongst his "Children" in April 1814, recorded May 1814.
His widow Mary Wallace Towles died before 19 Sep 1814 when her will is "ordered to be recorded"(but did they, because I cant find it anywhere). A second entry same court session same page, due to her death, she is unadministered from the Estate of Stokely Towles her husband. ~Order Book, v24. Page 199.
On 17 Oct 1814 Administration is granted to Porteus Towles, new inventories taken in Nov.
The biggest issue with all this is, that everyone has thought Mary Wallace Ball married Stokely Towles the son of Col. Henry Towles(Major Stokely Towles's brother). However this is just not what happened.
The Stokley Towles who's will is recorded in Lancaster, was the husband of Mary, and the owner of land in Northumberland.
The Stokley Towles who owned land in Northumberland at said time is Sheriff Stokely Towles, who is the previous Sheriff of Spotsylvania.
The only Stokely Towles to appear in Spotsylvania before 1805 is Major Stokely Towles... and therefore I don't know how my own family messed it up, but they even Published it wrong in the 1920s, claiming that Stokely and his Wife Mary Wallace Ball sold Towles Point lands to Porteus. But that "wife" information was inserted by the writer, because the deed of sale for Towles Point from Stokely(son of Col. Henry) to Porteus does NOT list any wives anywhere.
My guess is that they assumed it was him due to location and their inability to track the other Stokleys.
*side note- Stokley Jr son of Maj Stokley moved to Spotsylvania c1805(tax lists have Maj Stokley and Stokley Jr), and married Cornelia Bisfan of Middlesex in 1807. <-This is also contrary to popular Published opinions which claim Maj Stokely Towles's son Stokley never married and died.
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Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties
Abt 1748 - 1812 (~ 64 years)