General Notes

!TIDEWATER TO TEXAS BY Rosemary Corley Neal
3. JOHN1 Stockley was born about 1622 according to an affad
avit made at Acconiack Co. Court on 19 Jan 1671 [1672] in w
hich he gave his age as 50 years or thereabouts.25 He had c
ome to the Eastern Shore at the “Cost & Charges” of his bro
ther Francis in exchange for three years of service and fir
st lived in what is now Northampton Co. where on 5 June 164
0 he testified regarding Jane Paramore, wife of John Paramo
re, who had accused John Deereman of being a “Ruffian. ..an
d Robber.”26 By 29 Aug 1642, he was a “Taylor” and ordere
d to pay William
STOCKLEY 455
Stevens, Boatewright, fifly pounds of tobacco for “the spoy
leing a Frize shute of Cloathes...” and Stevens was ordere
d to pay John for matking the suit.27 He served as a juro
r during this period and was fined in 1643 for profanity, a
s was his brother Francis.
By 1655 John’s status had changed materially. He had very l
ikely returned to EngIand at least once during the years a
s he and Francis were given as headrights in 1651 by Jona
s Jackson. He had by some means, perhaps inheritance from e
ither his family or that of his wife Elizabeth, acquired su
fficient capital to purchase 400 acres at the seaside in No
rthampton from Capt. William Whittington for 4000 pounds o
f good tobacco and cask on 30 July 1655. He also owned 20
0 acres granted 30 Oct 1669 which he sold to Thomas Eastme
d on 29 Aug 1670, both of these tracts being in present Nor
thampton Co. His wife Elizabeth joined in this deed.28
The deed from Whittington was “lost or mislaid” when a comp
licated series of conveyances was recorded in Northampton o
n 17 Jan 1670 reciting that John had sold to Col. William K
endall this 400 acres for 6750 pounds of tobacco and 500 ac
res “to be laid out and conveyed to me...adjoining to the s
d land belonging to me John Stockly...” William Whittington
, son of William deceased, “out of dutiful care of my fathe
r’s honor and reputation...” confirmed the sale to Stokely.
29
John and Elizabeth moved up the Shore into the north end o
f Accomack Co. where as “Mr. Jno. Stokeley” he patented 260
0 acres in Accomack on 2 Sept 1664 lying on the seaboard si
de bounded on the north by Corrattawaman Creek adjoining hi
s own land and Col. Edmond Scarburgh. The list of the 52 pe
rsons he had transported included Eliz. Stockeley, Jno. Stu
ckley, Eliz. Stuckley and Jno. Stockeley. Thus John and Eli
zabeth had either crossed twice or the additional names cou
ld have been those of two of their children.30 The only por
tion of his “grand patent” sold by John Stockley before hi
s death was a 200 acre tract to Xphr. Stanley, described a
s being on Poplar Neck and a branch of Assawamun Creek. Thi
s deed was dated 8 Apr 1671 and Elizabeth, wife to John, re
linquished her dower rights on the same day.31
John Stockley had also acquired 500 acres from Col. Wm. Ken
dall by deed dated 12 Nov 1672, described as in or near Ass
awoman, so had a large holding in Accomack before he died.3
2
On 28 Nov 1673, shortly after John’s death, Elizabeth Stoke
ly “of the upper part of the County of Northampton als Acco
mack, relict of John Stokely Senr late of the same place,
” and William Stokeley, “eldest son and heir of his late fa
ther,” came into Northampton Co. Court to confirm the dee
d of John Stokeley, dec’d, of 200 acres in Northampton sol
d to Eustace Parsons, dec’d on behalf of Emanuel Hall “the
456 TIDEWATER TO TEXAS
son of Emanuel Hall and now wife of Eustace Parsons.”33 Al
l of John’s Northampton land was now sold and his family wa
s thereafter principally found in Accomack Co.,.
John Stokely, planter, “well of body. ..but mindful that ma
n is frayle & his dayes passe away like a Shadowe,” made hi
s will on 3 Feb 1670 [1671], added a codicil on 18 Apr 167
3 and it was prokited in Accomack Co. on 18 Aug 1673. He le
ft his plantation of 2700 acres to be divided between suc
h of his