Phillip Parr is not a direct line ancestor in my husband’s Perkins family. However, the early Perkins family in Old Rappahannock County and, later, Essex County, Virginia formed a tightly knit FAN club in South Farnham Parish, so it is important to expand the research view a bit to cover the Parr family – particularly as Phillip Parr also left a will.
Source: Library of Congress
Not a lot is known about the Parr family, so minus Phillip’s will, we would know a lot less.
There is no record of the birth of Phillip Parr, but unless he was the son of an earlier Phillip Parr, the first mention of his name is in a Lancaster County court record from 18 December 1656:
Whereas it appeares to this Court that Mr. Williamson deceased haveing a Note in his hand for 11 lbs. 8s. 8d due to Edward King from Philip Parr. . .
If this is our Phillip, then we can assume he was at least 21 years old and thus born no later than 1635. If the man mentioned in Lancaster County records is the same man who died in 1701, then his relationship with Mary Carter is a bit more complicated.
First, let’s look at Phillip Parr’s will, which was written on 13 December 1699 and proved on 10 June 1701. Interestingly, it was first recorded in Gloucester County because the Essex County Court noted that witnesses James and Judith Edmundson lived there. The will was proved and then returned to Essex County and recorded in its own books.
In the Name of God Amen. I Philip Parr of South Farnham in the County of Essex being sick and weake of body but in perfect sence and memory praised be to Almighty God and knowing the uncertainety of Mans life I doe therefore revoke & disannull all former Wills and bequests by me made and do acknowledge & owne to be this my last Will and Testament.
Imprimis I comend my soule into the hands of Almighty God my heavenly Father trusting through the merritts of my blessed Lord and Savior at the General Resurrection to receive a full pardon & remission of all my sins and I desire to have a decent and Christian buryall and as for what worldly estate it hath pleased God to bless me with I give and bequeath it in maner and forme following.
Item I give and bequeath unto my loveing Kinsman, Richard Carter, one hundred and fifty acres of land lying upon the Gleeb Swamp and to him and his heires forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my eldest daughter, Judith Parr, all my land in Middlesex forever formerly given to her by her grandfather, Mr. Thomas Allaman.
Item I give and bequeath unto my loveing daughter, Mary Parr, my maner plantacon one hundred and fifty acres of land belonging to itt and to her heires forever.
Item I give and bequeath to my child my loveing wife, Judith Parr, goes with all the rest of my lands to his or her heires forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my loveing daughter, Constan [Constance] Parr, one plantacon knowne by the name of Toby Leveritts one hundred and fifty acres of land to her and her heires for ever.
Item I give and bequeath to my child my loveing wife, Judith Parr, now goes with the rest of my lands and to his or her heires forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my aforesd. daughters, Mary and Constan Parr, the sume of twenty five pounds sterling to each of them and their heires to be paid to them at the age of twenty one yeares or day of marriage which shall first happen and to my aforesaid daughter, Judith and the child my wife now goes with I doe ordaine each of them one gold ring about twenty shillings price.
Item I give and bequeath unto my loveing wife Judith Parr, all my estate saveing what is already disposed of.
Lastly, I doe ordain constitute and appoint my father inlaw, Mr. Thomas Allaman, and my Brother inlaw, Richard Covington, Exers. of this my last Will and Testament. In testimony to what is already expressed I have hereunto sett my hand and fixed my seale this thirtieth day of December 1699.
Phil Parr
Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of us
John Smith
Charles Jones
Hen Winchester
At a Court held for Gloucester County ye 10th day of June 1701
This Will was proved by the oaths of John Smith, Charles Jones and is recorded by P Beverley, Cl Cur
A true copy Test P Beverley Cl Cur
Truely recorded amongst the records of Essex County Test Francis Meriwether Cl Cur.
First, let’s look at how old Phillip Parr was when he died. Without the mention of one Phillip Parr in 1656 (and born no later than 1635), I would estimate that the testator was a generation younger, around 30-40 years old, as he names three daughters – Judith, Mary and Constan [Constance] – all unmarried – and his wife is expecting a fourth child. He also names Richard Carter as his first heir, but only calls him kinsman. Richard and Mary Carter were probably born around 1660, making this Phillip a more likely contemporary than a man a generation older.
So, is the Phillip Parr in Lancaster County, Virginia the father of Phillip in Essex County? I don’t know and I am not sure that anyone has gone digging in Lancaster County, from part of which Old Rappahannock County and later Essex County was formed, so they are in the same neighborhood.
One other thought is that Phillip Parr might be an older man and Judith/children are a second wife and family.
Next, Phillip’s will gives up one more very important detail. He left to his daughter Judith the land he owns in Middlesex, given to her by her grandfather, Mr. Thomas Allaman. Phillip’s wife Judith then was a daughter of Thomas Allaman.
Judith married (2) James Edmondson, c1701, probably in Essex County, Virginia. She, too, left a will, dated 6 March 1763. Her husband, James, predeceased her in 1741 and she named only four daughters – Constance Edmundson (This is Constance Parr who married Thomas Edmundson), Judith (Parr) Faulkner, probably wife of Henry Faulkner, and Mary (Parr) Breedlove, probably wife of Charles Breedlove and Eliza (Edmundson) Hull. She also named two sons, John and Thomas Edmundson. Her brother, William Alleman was to receive “negroes now in the possession of Toy Tabb.”
insert will image
James’s 1741 Essex County will helps complete the family details:
In the name of God Amen I James Edmondson of Essex County being of disposeing sence and memory make this my Last will and Testament
First I bequeath my Soul to Almighty God my Heavenly Father in hopes of pardon and forgiveness of all my Sins in and through the merits of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and my body to the earth to be decently buried and as to my Estate real and personal I dispose of as follows.
2ly I give to my son John Edmundson and his heirs forever my manner house with all the Land I have on the West side of the main Swamp that runs into Dunns Mill Dam I also give mysd Son John Two of my Negro’s Cook and Harry and one horse named Wonton Ten head of Cattel and the best Bed and furniture Excepting that Whereon my wife Lies and six of the newest Silver Spoons
3lyI give to my Grandson John Edmondson and his heirs the Plantation where his father lived with all the Land I have on the South side of the above sd Mill Swamp
4lyI give to my Grand Daughter Sarah Edmondson my Negro Jenny to be delivered to her at the age of eighteen or the day of Marridg Allso one feather bed of six pound prise but if she should died before this Legasie becomes due then its my will that it return to my Son John Edmondson.
5ly I give my daughter Susannah Edmondson three Negroes Dirk, Beck and Plato and the next best feather bed and furniture not disposed of AllsoEight head of Cattle ten Barrels of Corne Eight hundred Tobo one horse Colt named Blasd the chest wherein her Cloaths Lies and Liberty to Live on my Plantation and work her Negroes as long as She remains unmarried and no longer
6ly I give my Daughter Elizabeth Hay my Negro man Named Walley and twenty six pound cash and six head of Cattle
7ly I give to my Grand Daughter Sarah Hay my Negro Rachel
8ly I give to my Daughter Sarah Townly Twenty five pounds cash
9ly I lend my beloved wife Judith the use of four Negro’s Tom Duke Rose and George dureing her widowhood and no longer. I give my beloved wife Eight Hundred pounds of Tobo
10ly all the goods I have in the hands of my Son Thomas Edmondson and Cash that I have in the hands of James Webb I desire should be Equally Divided between them Excepted fifty
??? s of brown linen and all the white Sheeting and twenty two yards of Negroe’s Cotton which is for my famileys use and twelve yards of Cheek Linen
11ly I give to my Son Jno Edmondson all my Cash and Cash accts and Tobo & plate not above dispos’d of in this my will.
12lyIlend my beloved wife all the Remainder of my household Estate not above disposed of as long as She remains a Widow and after my sd wifes decease or marring again I give George and Rose and my Lent Estate to my Son John Edmondson and Tom to my Daughter Susannah and Duke to my Daughter Elizabeth Hay: and it likewise is my will that no part of my Estate be appraised and Lastly I do hereby ordain my beloved Son Jno Edmondson my Executor to Execute my Last will and Testament
Signed Sealed and delivered(s) James Edmondson(seal)
to be my Last Will
Test Thomas Edmondson jun
Robert Edwards
Aug19th1741
Christian Gresham
At Court held for Essex County at Tappahannock on the 15th day of September 1741This Last will and Testament of James Edmondson deced being Exhibited by John Edmondson the Executor therein Named, Thomas Edmondson jun heir at law to the said James came into Court and declared that he had no objections to make against the said Will being proved; and then the said John Edmondson made oath to the said Will as the Law directs and the same being duely proved by the oath of the Witnesses thereto was admitted to record
Test S. Robinson
Children of Phillip & Judith (Allaman) Parr:
- Judith; died after 1763; married Mr. Faulkner, probably Henry
- Mary; died after 1763; married Mr. Breedlove, probably Charles
- Constance; died after 1763; married Thomas Edmondson
- Unborn child when Phillip wrote his will in 1699
Children of James & Judith (Allaman) Edmondson:
1. Eliza, died after 1763; who married Mr. Hull
2. John, died after 1763
3. Thomas, died after 1763
There are other children named in James’s 1741 will. However, I don’t know if Judith was a second wife of James’s and perhaps her stepchildren. In any case, if they were her children, they died before she wrote her will.