1648William Horn
Key Facts
Snapshot:lived in colonial Virginia
Parents:unknown
Born:perhaps early to mid-1680's
perhaps Nansemond County, Virginia
Died:between 10 September 1753 and June 1759
presumably North Carolina
Buried:unknown

The earliest known record pertaining to 1648William Horn is a quit rent roll: In 1704 he paid tax on 100 acres of land in Nansemond County, Virginia.1

On 22 January 1718 he received three patents in Nansemond County. Below is a link to view each patent record, followed by a very brief summary of each:2

• Patent 1: 392 acres beg.g &c. by a branch called Scratch Hall Branch.
• Patent 2: 384 acres beg.g at a white oak the said Hornes corner standing on the north side of the Cyprus Swamp.
• Patent 3: 49 acres begg at a pine at the mouth of a branch on the north side of the Cyprus Swamp and runs up the sd. branch, bounding on the sd. Horne to Saram Creek.

1648William seems to have sold much of the land he'd received from the three patents listed above. Of the five known transactions, four records survive only as abstracts, copies of which are below.3

The fifth transaction is dated 22 March 1736 and conveys 100 acres "in Chowan pct. on the side of main Cypres Swamp being part of [...] The Banks of Italy." Like two other records noted above (i.e., the 1723 and 1730 deeds), this 1736 deed mentions 1648William's wife Margaret,4 although nothing else is known about her.

1648William's will is dated 10 September 17535 and proved June 1759.6 The original will is extant. The will and a transcription are below, or see a bigger copy.

            In The Name of God, Amen.
The Tenth Day of Septemb. in the year of our Lord Christ one Thousand Seven
Hundred and fifty three, I William Horn Ser being in Good Health of Body
and of perfect mind and memory, Thanks be Given unto God; Therefore calling
unto mind the Mortality of my Body; and Knowing that it is appointed for all
Men once to Die; Do Make and ordain this my last will and Testamte, That is to
Say, Principally, and first of all, I give and recommend my Soul into the Hands of
God that gave it, and My Body I recommend to the Earth to be Buried in Decent
Christian Buriall at the Discretion of my Executors; Nothing Doubting but as
the Generall Resurrection, I Shall Receive the Same Again by the mighty Power
of God, And as Touching Such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleased God
to bless me in this Life, I Give Demise and Dispose of the Same in the following
Manner and form - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Imprims I give and Bequeath unto my Wellbeloved Sons William, Henry, Charles,
Thomas and Moses, and to my wellbeloved Daughter Margaret, to Each of
them one Shilling Sterling to paid unto them after my Deceace - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Wellbeloved Son Michaell Horn all my stock of
Cattle and Horses and Mares them and there Increase to him and his Heirs for
Ever by them freely to be possessed and Enjoyed - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Item I Give and bequeath unto my Wellbeloved Son Michaell one Gun, and all my
HouseHold Goods and [all Improvements whatsoever to me Belonging to him]
and his Heirs for Ever by them freely to be possessed and Enjoy'd. - - - - - - - - - -
Item I give and Bequeath unto the Heirs of my wellbeloved Son John Decd one Shill-
ing Sterling to be paid them after my Decease - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
and I Do hereby Likewise Constitute make and ordain my wellbeloved Son
Michaell Horn my Sole Executor of this my last will and Testamente, and
I Do hereby Disallow, Revoke and Disanull all and Every other former - - - - - - - -
Testaments, Wills, Legacies and Bequests, and Executors by me in any ways
before named, willed and Bequeathed, Ratifying, and Confirming, this and
no other to be my Last will and Testamente - - -
   In Witness whereof I have Hereunto Sett my Hand and Seale the
Day and year above Written. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Signed Sealed published,    }
Pronounced and Declared, }             The mark of William X Horn
by the Said William Horn    }
as his Last will and Testamt }
in presences of                      }
Wm. Reynolds
Joyce (her mark) Reynolds,
Ann (her mark) Hill, jurt

Sources Cited:

1: Henry Jenkins, "Virginia Quit Rent Rolls, 1704 (Continued)," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, volume 29 (1921), number 4, page 404. This article is also available on JSTOR: <https://www.jstor.org/stable/4243841>.

2: Virginia Land Office, patents book 10 (1710-1719), pages 413 and 414. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/010-1/401-462.html>, accessed 20 November 2011. The Library of Virginia has helpful summaries of each patent: patent on page 413, first patent on page 414, and second patent on page 414.

3: The North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, volume 2, number 3, page 448. There are four abstracts pertaining to 1648William.

4: Chowan County, North Carolina. Deeds book W-1 (1699-1738), pages 306-308. You can see copies of the pages here: 306, 307, and 308.

5: North Carolina Secretary of State Wills. The will of William Horn, county not stated, dated 10 September 1753. North Carolina Digital Collections, <https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p16062coll41/id/2336>, accessed 29 May 2020. This is the original will. The recorded copy is in North Carolina, wills maintained by the Secretary of State, book 8 (1758-1759) (SS 881), pages 202-203 and is on microfilm S.108.238 at the North Carolina Archives.

6: David B. Gammon, Abstracts of Wills, Edgecombe County, North Carolina, Volume I: 1732-1792 (published by the author, Raleigh, NC, 1992), page 41, entry 197.