The Maxey Family of Buckingham County, Part III
Courtesy Library of Virginia.
Need to catch up? Click here: The Maxey Family of Buckingham County, Part I
In 1937, Elizabeth McCraw surveyed “Aspen Grove” for the Virginia Historical Inventory, the Maxey-built house which dated back to the 18th century. She described the structure’s historical significance as follows:
The first owner of this property was Edward Maxey and it is believed by his descendants that he had this house built about 1790.
There was in the family a Royal Land Grant, but this was destroyed when a family house near was burned some years ago. The present owner of “Aspen Grove”, a maiden lady of 82 years says she remember seeing the old document often, it was written on blue paper and had seven seals.
The place has always been in the Maxey family. John A. Maxey was the last of the male line to own the place. He was a soldier in the Confederate Army. As he was a splendid nurse he was assigned hospital duty. He handed down the story to his children, that he had only two kinds of medicine to give. That he would ask soldiers if they would take “these pills or those pills”.
John A. Maxey came in the possession of the place when he married in 1853 and lived here until his death in 1918. The place is now owned by his two daughters, Misses Lois and Mollie V. Maxey. The latter is 82 years old and has been totally blind for forty years.
The family graveyard is near but there are no tombstones.
I believe that the fire mentioned by Mrs. McCraw was the burning of Robert M. Agee’s house in 1907. His wife was Nannie Lee Maxey (1860-1942), who may have had the land grant in her possession. More to come about this tragic fire at the end of this series.
Coming next: The Maxey Family of Buckingham County, Part IV
slate river ramblings . . . . 
Dave,
Many thanks for posting Edward Maxey’s will and the details about your Duncan family. Here’s hoping you find more about how the two families might be connected!
Joanne
Thank you, Joanne, for all of your work! I read every one of your posts… looking for tidbits of information that may tie into our family history at some point. My ancestor, John Duncan, was born abt. 1730 in Scotland and came to Virginia as a young lad. We believe he came with his father (John) and at least one brother (George) as indentured servants (working for payment of passage to America.) We do not know much about John’s early life, but I do have this record and have often wondered if this could be our John and if this Edward Maxey could be the man that paid for my ancestor’s passage to America:
p. 298, Will of Edward Maxey of Goochland Co.
To son John, land on north branch of Jones Creek for life, and then to his two sons Samson and Edward Maxey, the sons of said John Maxey and Sarah his wife, equally.
To son William, the remainder of the tract joining William Lansdon and John Smith.
To wife Susannah, land I live on for life, and then to my two sons Walter and Silvanus, Walter to have that part joining John Radford’s line, which was William Barnes’s.
To son Nathaniel, items
To granddaughter Susannah Radford, items
To John Dunkin, a young mare when he comes of age
All rest to wife, and she and son William to be executors
Dated 18 April 1737
Wit: John Capper, Henry Byrom, John (X) Mossom
Signed: Edward Maxey
Recorded 20 May 1740
(Source: Goochland County, Virginia – Wills and Deeds, 1736 – 1742; Benjamin B. Weisiger, III, 1984)
To be listed in the will of this Edward Maxey would seem to indicate a close bond with this family, which may have developed out of the indentured relationship. John Duncan’s brother George ended up in Fluvanna Co. and John ended up raising his family Amherst Co. We have strong family ties to both Amherst and Buckingham counties.
Don’t know if I will ever learn whether or not it is our John Duncan listed in the will of this Edward Maxey but… who knows!
Thanks again for the post!
Dave