11570William Gelding
Key Facts
Snapshot:lived on colonial Virginia's shore
Parents:unknown
Born:unknown
Died:between 11 November 1687 and 28 March 1688
probably Northampton County, Virginia
Buried:unknown

11570William Gelding was one of 20 people transported to Accomack County, Virginia by William Burdett, for which Burdett received 1050 acres on 18 March 1639.1


1639: 11570William Gelding on a list of people transported to Virginia. Full page.1

11570William must have kept tabs on Burdett, because after Burdett's death, 11570William applied for 400 acres that Burdett had owned in nearby Northampton County but which had escheated to the state after his death. 11570William received this grant on 28 March 1666.2


1666: 11570William receives 400 acres formerly belonging to William Burdett. Full page.2

11570William had already settled in Northampton County prior to his 1666 grant. He appears in a few early Northampton County, Virginia tithable (tax) lists; three such entries are shown below.3-6 The 1664 list shows that 11570William was a constable.5 11570William's son Luke appears alongside 11570William in three lists,4-6 and 11570William's son Charles is listed with them in 1666.6


1662 tithable list entry. Full page.3

1663 tithable list entry. Full page.4

1662 tithable list entry. Full page.3


1663 tithable list entry. Full page.4


1664 tithable list entry. Full page.5

On 1 March 1668/9, 11570William Gelding and his son Luke had jury duty together.7 *

11570William's will is dated 11 November 1687 and was proved 28 March 1688. Below are the county record copy and my transcription.8 Notice that his will mentions 400 acres of land in total, the same as his 1666 grant.2 The will is also the first record of 11570William's wife, 11571Elizabeth ___.

In the name of God Amen I William Gelding Senr: of
Northampton County in Virga: beinge anchient & lame But
having a pfect memory praised be god for it & calling to
minde the uncertainty of this mortall life Doo hereby will
& ordain this to bee my last will & testamt: hereby Revo-
keing & Disanulling all other wills or Testamts: by me formerly
made Imp̃ris I bequeath my Soule to allmighty God
& my body to bee buried with a Christian funerall in sure
& certaine hope of my Resurrection to life Everlasting -
through the only merritts & mercy of my savior Jesus Christ
and my worldly Estate to bee disposed of as followeth ;
Item I hereby Ratify & confirme my Deed of gift for two hundred
acres of Land
to my well beloved son Charles Gelding & to his
heires & assignes forever which said Deed of Gift I and my
wife acknowledged to him my said son Charles in open court
as on Record may appeare, more[?] I give unto my said son
Charles ,one little gunne & one pistoll.,
Item I give and bequeath unto my other well beloved sonne William
Gelding and to his heirs & assignes for ever the other
half of my Devidend of Land
it being the Homestall
up on which I now live; and I give more unto my said son
William one greate gunne
Item I give more to my aforesaid two sonnes Charles & William
Gelding to bee Equall betweene them while they shall both
remaine upon the Plantations I have given ^
to
them my mill
stones But if either of my said sonnes Charles or William
shall remove from off their aforesaid plantation then my will
is that the said millstones shall bee my aforesaid son -
Williams and I hereby give them to him my said son William
I give more to bee Equally Devided betweene them at my demise[?]
all the wearinge apparrell I shall then leave .,
Item I give unto my Eldest Daughter Elizabeth Griffin one hundred pds of ___
Item I give unto my Daughter Katherine Moore one hundred pds of tobacco
Item I give unto my Daughter Danirus Pike one hundred pds of tobacco
Item I give unto my Daughter Ellenor Moore one hundred pds of tobacco
(Item I

Item I give all the rest of my whole Estsate unto my most loving
wife Elizabeth Gelding whome I make & hereby appointe my whole
and sole Executrix of this my last will & testamt and In witness &
confirmac̃on that this is my last will & testamt I have hereunto
sett my hand & seale the Eleventh day of Novembr adom̃ 1687:
SignumSignum
Thomas TC CoffinWilliam Gelding Sr
William HowardThe 28th day of March adom̃ 1688:ye seale
Jno BurroughsThen the afore goeing last will & testamt of
—     —     —     —     —
The 28th of May 1688:
___ ___ ___ of this
___ ___ made in open
court by ye oath of Tho:
Coffin & allowed of[?]
___ to be Recorded
____ at folio 358:
___ Recorded[?]
William Gelding Senr decd was proved in open court
by the corporall oathes of John Burroughes and
William Howard & allowed of & ordered to be Recorded
Test Dan: Nurch Cl Crt } CleCt Northton: —
RecorddTest Dan: Nurch Cl Crt

Footnote:

*"Mr. Argoll Yardley" was another of the jurors.7 Compare to 5784Jerom Griffith's cattle mark registration record dated 1 July 1665, which while alluding to 5784Jerom's wife (and 11570William's daughter) 5785Elizabeth Gelding describes the cattle as "being formerly his wifes cattle given her by Esq.r Yardley when she was a child." 9 Is this the same Yardley man?

Sources Cited:

1: Virginia Land Office, patents book 1 (1623-1643), page 713. Library of Virginia, <https://lva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01LVA_INST/altrmk/alma990007300500205756>, accessed 15 August 2025. This patent is abstracted in Cavaliers and Pioneers, volume 1, page 121; the abstract reads, "WILLIAM BURDETT, 1,050 acs. Accomack Co., Mar. 18, 1639, page 713. To be augmented, etc. E. upon the Sea-board side, N. upon Henry Wilsonn, S. upon Edmond Scarburgh on W. upon land lately belonging to Roger Sanders. Due for his per. adv. & trans. of 20 pers: John Stanley, William Annis, Clemt. Donn, Owen Harris, Daniell Stocke, William Johnson, John Dallion, Arthur Raymond, John Johnson, Thomas Pagett, John Coss, Randall Renall, Giles Budd, Thomas Lancton, Annis Sutton, Thomas Browne, James Head, John Wallis, William Gelding, William Caper."

2: Virginia Land Office, patents book 5 (1661-1666), page 593. Library of Virginia, <https://lva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01LVA_INST/altrmk/alma990007577170205756>, accessed 15 August 2025.

3: Northampton County, Virginia. Tithables list for 1662, entry for Wm:Gelding. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P6-BQW2?cat=372158&i=5&lang=en>, accessed 11 July 2025.

4: Northampton County, Virginia. Tithables list for 1663, entry for Wm: & Luke Gelding. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P6-BQ93?cat=372158&i=7&lang=en>, accessed 11 July 2025.

5: Northampton County, Virginia. Tithables list for 1664, entry block for Wm: Gelding Constable and Luke Gelding. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P6-B358?cat=372158&i=10&lang=en>, accessed 11 July 2025.

6: F. B. Robertson, writer, "List of Tithables in Northampton County, Virginia, August, 1666," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, volume 10, page 260, an entry block for Wm. Geldinge, Luke Geldinge, and Charles Geldinge. HathiTrust, <https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uga1.32108057272638&seq=278>.

7: Northampton County, Virginia. Orders book 9 (1664-1674), page 61, jury list for 1 March 1668[/9] court. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99PX-XW4L>, accessed 12 August 2025. The microfilm title card for this book is mislabeled as being for years 1764-1774; it's actually 1664-1674.

8: Northampton County, Virginia. Orders and wills book 12 (1683-1689), pages 348-349. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89P6-Y714>, accessed 11 July 2025.

9: Northampton County, Virginia. Deeds, wills, etc. book 4 (1651-1654), page 228. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9P6-Y7NN?cat=370362&i=233&lang=en>, accessed 10 July 2025.