I have identified a pattern in several land transactions that could just be coincidence, but it is worth taking a closer look at. This pattern involves William Short and William Thomas.
In a prior blog entry, I wrote about a Virginia Gazette posting made by John Stewart on July 18, 1777. This posting includes the following excerpt about William Short:
Any business that cannot be settled before my departure Mr. Will Short of this county will be kind enough to do it, and give proper discharges until my return, which I expect will be in about three months. John Stewart.
The mention of William Short led me to investigate this individual further. I was hoping to determine if the business relationship between William Short and John Stewart may shed any additional light on whether the posting above relates to John Stewart of Fighting Creek. After some digging, I found the following land transaction which includes both William Short and John Stewart, along with a new name, William Thomas:
17 Mar 1763. William Short, with Hannah Short his father’s widow, to Francis Short for love & affection. 159 A both sides Buffelow Crk granted to John Steward in a larger quantity 10 Jan 1748 [referring to 318 acres on both sides of Buffalo Creek adjacent Lanceford & Talbot purchased by William Short from John Stewart 9 Dec 1754], the lower part adj William Thomas & Joshua Echols and the land Isaac Tyins lives on, the upper end belongs to above named William Short. Signed: William Short, Hannah (x) Short. No Wit. Rec. 17 Mar 1763.
It seems highly probable that these are the same William Short and John Stewart from the 1777 Virginia Gazette posting. This led further down a rabbit hole to the following land transaction which includes both John Stewart and William Thomas, the adjacent land holder from the Buffalo Creek transaction:
6 August 1744. John Povall of Henrico Co for love & affecton to my son Richard Povall of Goochland …400 acres already in his possession …William Randolphs land ..on his line …John Stuarts line, is signed by witness William Thomas. [Goochland Deeds, DB 4, p.358]
The presence of William Thomas on both land transactions could be entirely coincidental. However, it does loosely tie these transactions together, and provide for some possibility that they may all be related.
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