514Silvanus Stokes shares the same name as his father.1

514Silvanus married 515Cecilia ___, although when and where they married is unknown. Their daughter 257Elizabeth was born 20 August 1740,2 but 514Silvanus had other children (probably older than 257Elizabeth) whose birthdates are unknown,3 so one cannot reliably estimate when he may have married.

On 30 July 1742, 514Silvanus received a patent for 500 acres in Surry County, Virginia on the south side of the Nottoway River.4 The grant mentions other, adjacent land that 514Silvanus already owned, so he may have been living in the area for some time. An excerpt from the patent is copied below, or see the whole document online: Go here then see images 437, 438, and 439.

George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland
King Defender of the Faith &c To all to whom these Presents shall
come Greeting Know ye that for divers good causes & Considerations

but more especially for and in Consideration of the sum of Fifty Shillings of good and
Lawful money for our Use paid to our Receiver General of our Revenues in this our
Colony and Dominion of Virginia We have Given Granted and-
Confirmed and by these Presents for us our Heirs and Successors do Give Grant &
Confirm unto Silvanus Stokes the younger one certain Tract or Parcel of Land
containing five hundred acres lying and being in the County of Surry on the
South side of Nottoway River and Bounded as followeth to wit-
Beginning at a Pine a Corner of the said Stokes other Land-

On 5 June 1746, 514Silvanus received another 390 acres in the same general area.5 An excerpt from the patent is copied below, or see the whole document online: Go here then see images 266 and 267.

George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King
Defender of the Faith &c To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting
Know ye that for divers good causes and considerations but more Especially
for and in Consideration of the sum of Forty shillings of good and lawful
money for our use paid to our Receiver General of our Revenues in this our
Colony and Dominion of Virginia We have Given Granted and Confirmed
and by these presents for us our Heirs and Successors do Give Grant and Confirm
unto Silvanus Stokes one certain Tract or Parcel of Land containing three
hundred and Ninety Acres lying and being in the County of Surry on the
South side of Nottoway River and bounded as followeth, to wit, Beginning

Over the next two years, 514Silvanus sold much of the land he had been granted. A summary of the transactions is below.

These deeds suggest that in late 1747 514Silvanus moved east across the Chesapeake Bay to Northampton County.

In the spring of 1748 he inherited two slaves—"one Negro Man Named Dick, one Negro Woman Named Doll"—from his father.1

By the mid-1750's 514Silvanus had moved again, this time to Sussex County back on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. His name appears in Sussex County records during this time: In 1756 he was found guilty of conversion of three cattle (one cow and two calves) that belonged to Joseph Roland and was ordered to return the cattle or pay their value (thirty shillings for the cow, six shillings each for the calves). "[F]or reasons appearing to the Court" (The court didn't specify further), Mr. Roland was ordered to pay 514Silvanus' court costs—a peculiar ruling, since 514Silvanus lost the case. 514Silvanus had called as witnesses his father 1028Silvanus and another man named John Knight, who was probably either 514Silvanus' son-in-law 256John or 256John's father 512John.10

514Silvanus was still living in Sussex County when he wrote his will on 23 February 1758. He describes himself as “being in health,” and the will was not proved until 19 June 1766. Images of the record copy are below, accompanied by a transcription.3

	In the name of God Amen. I [514]Silvanus Stokes of Sussex County being in health of and of sound and perfect mind and memory thanks be to almighty God for the same. Calling to mind the uncertainty of this life do make Constitute and Ordain and declare this my last will and Testament in manner and form following: first I bequeath my soul and spirit into the hands of Almighty God my Heavenly Father my whom of his Infinite mercy I ___ to be saved and received unto eternal rest through the death of Spirit of my Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ my body in hopes of a Joyfull resurrection I commit to the Earth to be Buried with such Charges and in such ___ as my Executrix hereafter named shall see fit. And as touching the distribution of my worldly Estate I dispose the same as followeth
Imprimis	I will that all the Just debts that I owe be paid
Item	I give and Bequeath to my son Marcus Stokes five Shillings Cash
Item	I give and Bequeath to my son Silvanus Stokes five Shillings Cash
Item	I Give and Bequeath to my son Drury Stokes five Shillings Cash
Item	I Give and Bequeath and Devise to my Wife Celia Stokes all my lands Lying on the South side the Rachoon swamp in Sussex County with my Plantation I now live on with all other appurtenances thereunto or in any wise appertaining During her Natural life. And after her Death to my son Micajah Stokes to Him the said Micajah His Heirs and Assigns forever.
Item	I give and Bequeath to my Daughter Pheba Freeman five Shillings Cash
Item	I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter Susannah Green five Shillings Cash
Item	I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter Elizabeth Knight five Shillings Cash
Item	I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter Lucy Stokes five Shillings Cash

Item	I Give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Agness Stokes five Shillings Cash
Item	I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter Ledia Stokes five Shillings Cash
Item	I Give Bequeath and Devise unto my wife Celia Stokes all the rest - and Remain der of my Estate Both real and personal During her Natural life and at her death to be Divided among my Children at her Discresion [sic].
Item	My Will is that my Executrix shall not give Security for the proving of this my last will and testament.
Item	My Will is that my Estate should be Inventoried but not appraised and I do make Constitute and appoint my wife Celia Stokes my whole and sole Executor of this my last will and Testament Revoking annulling and making Void all former wills and Testaments by me at any time made.
	The words belonging was inter___ before sealed or signed In testimony whereof the said Silvanus Stokes of Sussex County have here unto sett my hand and affixed my seal this 23th day of February in the Year of our Lord Christ, One Thousand Sevin Hundred and fifty of eight
	Signed Sealed Published and Declared in presence of those whose names are hereunto subscribed [Witness' signatures]                 Silvanus Stokes (Seal)
	At a Court held for Sussex County the 19th day of June 1766 The last will & Testament of [514]Silvanus Stokes deceased was presented into Court by Celea Stokes the Executrix therein named who made oath [...] 3

An inventory of 514Sylvanus' estate (which you can see here) includes slaves (men Sam, Will, Dick, George; women Dol[?], Hannah, Annica[?]; and children Jesse, Emanuel, James, Milley[?], and Amie), a safe, two looking-glasses (a.k.a. mirrors), carpentry and shoemaking tools, fire tongs, a gun and bayonet, money scale, two Bibles and some other small books, tobacco hogsheads, and what are probably commercial quantities of corn, tobacco, feather, geese, salt, peas, and beans.11

Sources Cited:

1: Surry County, Virginia. Deeds, wills, etc., [#9] 1738-1754, pages 609-611. Copied from microfilm 3926, Genealogical & Historical Room, Washington Memorial Library, Macon, Georgia. Confusingly, there are duplicate copies of this record book, and both are handwritten; in the alternate copy, 1028Silvanus' will is on pages 604-605, and that copy can be seen on FamilySearch: <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9PX-KB9?i=353&cat=366316>.

2: Gertrude R. B. Richards. Register of Albemarle Parish, Surry and Sussex Counties (National Society Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1958), page 24, Elizabeth Stokes. The entry reads, "Elizabeth d. of Sylvanus Stokes and Cecilia; b. Aug 20; c. Oct 12, 1740; gdpts. Joseph Rolland, Tabitha Morris, Eliza Rolland."

3: Sussex County, Virginia. Wills book B (1764-1771), page 74-75. Copied from microfilm 3931, Genealogical & Historical Room, Washington Memorial Library, Macon, Georgia. The same record is also available on FamilySearch: <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9PX-KD67?i=54&cat=366507>, accessed 1 November 2021.

4: Virginia Land Office. Patents book 20 (1741-1743), pages 437-439, grant to Silvanus Stokes the younger dated 30 July 1742. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/018/401-500.html>, accessed 17 August 2011.

5: Virginia Land Office. Patents book 24 (1745-1746), pages 266-267, grant to Silvanus Stokes dated 5 June 1746. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/022/201-300.html>, accessed 17 August 2011.

6: Surry County, Virginia. Deeds book 5 (1746-1749), pages 171-172. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKK-DR3L?i=391&cat=401177> et seq., accessed 11 November 2021.

7: ibid., pages 244-245. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKK-DR3B?i=428&cat=401177>, accessed 11 November 2021.

8: ibid., pages 240-241. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKK-DR99?i=426&cat=401177>, accessed 11 November 2021.

9: ibid., pages 242-243. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKK-D51N?i=427&cat=401177>, accessed 11 November 2021.

10: Sussex County, Virginia. Orders book 1 (1754-1756), page 416, minutes from the November 1756 court. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSL6-B9SJ-9?i=260&cat=373961>, accessed 11 November 2021. This record is transcribed in: Weynette Parks Haun, Sussex County, Virginia Court Records (published by the author, 1993), page 90.

11: Sussex County, Virginia. Wills book B (1764-1771), pages 97-98. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9PX-KD8L?i=65&cat=366507>, accessed 11 November 2021. This is 514Silvanus' estate inventory.