Generation II: Thomas & Elizabeth Pinley
The Orphans' Childhood
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William Pinley married Elizabeth Hill circa 1642. Their paths probably crossed at the Eastern Shore trading post run by the Mountneys near Kings Creek in Northampton County, since there is no evidence that Alexander Mountney ever moved with his family to Kent Island. By August of 1650, both William and Elizabeth were dead.They left behind three orphans in the care of Elizabeth’s mother, Hannah Mountney. Will Pinley, Junior was about seven years old when his parents died, Dorthy was about three years old, and Thomas Pinley was an infant when he lost his parents. The Northampton, Virginia court awarded custody of the children and the administration of William's estate to Hannah Mountney. A copy of this original document is provided at this link, press the back button to return to this page.
p. 225 Order Book #3, Northampton County, Virginia
vicesimo octano diemen......er Inquety [August,] [1650.]
P............ of ...............
The order by the court y (f above y)... for the Adm'r of Wm. Pinley (dec'd) shall /asseenge to progeny in ye 3 o'phans o' Northampton~ make payment so unto Peter Walker f[ro]m. Estate the same and grant of foure hundred and three pounds of tobac and C........k
... .... ...... .... ... .... .. ... ... in Court ...... ....
The order by the court that ad..mission of Adm..ton shall be granted unto Mrs. Hanna Mountney upon y.. estate
of Wm. Pinley decd. / on ye behalf of ye orphs. Estate granted ye sho prof in security to ye court.
Hannah lived on land leased from the colony on the Town Fields at the head of Kings Creek in Northampton County on the Eastern Shore, where she continued as keeper of the Common Store after the death of her husband Alexander. The first lease was set to expire in 1656. At some point during the 1650’s Hannah moved across the Chesapeake Bay to Lancaster County, Virginia. Lancaster County was formed in 1653 from territory that had been Northumberland County. In 1657, Hannah Mountney, widow, entered into a partnership with Edwin Conaway to buy a large amount of land in Lancaster County. Details of this period of Hannah's life are found in the section, Hannah, The Years Alone. (Link coming) A copy of the original document for the 1657 land grant is provided here. Press the back button to return to this page.
Hannah did not claim headrights for her grandchildren in this transaction. If the children were born in Maryland, Hannah could have claimed 50 acres for each of the children brought to Virginia. This is considered proof that the children of William Pinley were born in Virginia. Confirming this conclusion is the fact that Will Crump did claim headrights for Dorthy and Thomas when they moved to Maryland in 1662, which would have only been allowed if the children were born outside of Maryland.
By 1642, William would have been entitled to 50 acres of land in Maryland for completing his indenture to Broadhurst/Gerrard/Calvert. In October, 1642, Alexander Mountney had sold Elizabeth’s land in Kecoughtan and converted the payment to cattle for Elizabeth. Sometime before August of 1644, William Pinley had purchased some cattle with Barnaby Jackson in Maryland. There was a jealous relationship between Maryland and Virginia, and at times it was illegal to transport livestock between the two colonies. Maryland particularly was struggling for survival in the 1640’s. William may have been building up a cattle farm in Maryland on his 50 acres, or may have transported the cattle to Virginia. No land grant survives in Maryland or Virginia in William Pinley’s name.
During the years from 1642 to 1650 William Pinley was often found in both Maryland and Virginia. He was likely running trade or serving as a business agent between Natives and the trading posts at Kent Island, Kecoughtan, and Kings Creek. At the time of William Pinley’s death in 1650, his estate was settled in Northampton County, Virginia indicating that his family probably resided there at that time.
Will Pinley, Jr. was born: 1643-1644: probably Virginia
The estimated date for the birth of Will Pinley, Jr., William and Elizabeth’s first child, is 1643-1644, probably in Northampton County, Virginia. Since William’s age was never verified in court, it is not possible to set an exact date. In 1659, when the orphans’ grandmother and guardian died, Will Crompe (who had married Francis Mountney) was made their guardian. All of William’s orphans were assigned to Crompe, they were not allowed to choose a guardian, which indicates they were all under the age of sixteen in 1659.
On May 14, 1662, Will, Jr. and Dorthy were allowed to choose Nicholas Porquér as their guardian. According to the law of that day, for an orphan to be allowed to choose a guardian, boys had to be at least sixteen, and girls at least fourteen years of age.
Also on May 14, 1662, the court action also orders that Will, Jr. was to take possession of the cattle belonging to him. Will Pinley chose Porquér as a guardian, but it appears that Will is considered old enough at this time to take over possession of his share of the cattle. A year later when Porquér is ordered to deliver the cattle back to Will Crompe, the court order only refers to the cattle of Dorthy and Thomas Pinley.
“It is ordered by this court that the said Porquy is hereby admitted Guardian to ye said Will Pindly---hereby he be Will Jr. impowered to take into his posesssion all the estate belonging to the orph. Will Pindley now in the custody or posession of ye said Will Crompe.”
The fact that Will Jr. was allowed to take possession of his own cattle here indicates that he was eighteen by this date in 1662. In 1663, when Nicholas Porquér is required to return the orphans’ cattle to Will Crompe, only the cattle of Dorthy and Thomas are referenced, and Will, Jr. does not appear at all in the 1663 court record. Because Will Jr. was given possession of his own cattle in 1662, it is deduced that he should have been eighteen years old in 1662, which indicates his birthdate as no later that May of 1644.
Dorthy Pinley was born: 1647: probably Virginia
The estimated date of the birth of daughter Dorthy Pinley is 1647, probably in Northampton County, Virginia. In the May 14, 1662 Lancaster court action, Dorthy is specified as “aged about fifteen years”.
Thomas Pinley was born: 1650: probably Virginia
The estimated date of the birth of Thomas Pinley is 1650, probably in Northampton County, Virginia. On September 9, 1663, his age is verified in court as fourteen years. In 1682, Thomas’ age is verified in court as 32 years of age.
August, 1650: Virginia
By the time of the regular court session of August, 1650, William Pinley was dead. Our William Pinley died, at the young age of 30, sometime in the six months after gaining permission to leave Maryland on February 4, 1649/50, but before the August court session of 1650. It appears that his wife, our Elizabeth Hill Pinley, about age 26, died at about the same time. Though their baby Thomas was born about 1650, Elizabeth Hill Pinley is not mentioned in court proceedings regarding his estate or the orphans, though her clothing and personal items are mentioned in the inventory of his estate which was tallied up to pay the debts of William Pinley.
More Adoptions and Abuse
In August of 1650, the grandmother of the orphans, Hannah Mountney, was given custody of the orphans. After that court appearance, there is no further mention of the orphans in found court records until Hannah’s death in 1659.
It is assumed that the family continued for a while to live at or near the Community Store at the head of Kings Creek in Northampton County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Beginning in 1656, the leases on the “Secretary’s land” at Town Fields expired. At some point by 1657, Hannah and her grandchildren moved across the Chesapeake Bay to Lancaster County, Virginia. In 1657, Hannah patented 1650 acres of land in partnership with Edwin Connaway.
By November 28, 1659, Hannah Mountney was dead. At the time of Hannah’s death, Will Jr. would have been at least fifteen years old, Dorthy about twelve years old, and young Thomas near age nine. Her son-in-law, Will Crompe, the husband of Frances (Mountney), Hannah and Alexander Mountney’s daughter, was granted administration over her estate, and guardianship of William Pinley’s three orphans.
“Com. on Adm. on the Est . of Hannah Mounfridy Widd. decd. to Willm. Crompe her son in law.” (Duvall, Vol. 2, p. 9)
In both the records of Lancaster County and the Maryland Archives, there are entries concerning Will Crompe, and the found court records do not reflect well of his character. He is repeatedly brought into court to answer for his personal behavior including theft of corn, defamation, breaking into a house, and physical threats. He was at one time a sheriff of Lancaster County, a constable and captain of a foot company in Talbot County, Maryland. (Dorman, p. 358)
Research on the Crump line is impeded by the existence of a second William Crump in Virginia in the same time era. Ed Crump, Jr. of Lousiana has done extensive and well documented work aimed at separating the different Crumps of this era, and has provided valuable assistance to this research in identifying and documenting the William Crump who became guardian to our Pinley orphans. This research yields fully to Ed Crump's expertise in this area, and will relate herein only the Crump activities which are deemed relevant to the orphans.
The time the orphans spent under Will Crumpe’s guardianship appears to have been difficult for the children. On May 14, 1662, more than two years after Hannah’s death, Dorothy and William Pinley appear in Orphans’ court and complain about harsh treatment.
Copies of the original documents of the orphans’ court appearances were obtained from the Lancaster Court House, the copy quality is imperfect. From the Lancaster County Order Book #3, pages 176 and 177, dated May 14, 1662: (Link coming...)
p. 176 Dorothy Pindly (one of ye orphans of Will Pindly late of Accomack dec'd. at about of age of fifteen years appearing at this court and choosing Nicholas Porquy [Porquér] for her Guardian, ye said Porquy [Porquér] is by this court admitted Guardian to ye said Dorothy and is hereby impowered take all of estate of orpht said Dorothy out of the hands of Will Crumpe, her late guardian, and
p. 177
upon a [charge?] thus made by the orphans -- by--all -- qu-- concerning the hard refudge of Will Pindly bro: to ye said Dorothy. It is ordered by this court at the said Porquy [Porquér] is hereby admitted Guardian to ye said Will Pindly Jnr. hereby to be ‘will jr’ impowered to take into his posesssion all the estate belonging to the orph. Will Pindley now in the custody or possession of ye said Will Crompe who Crompe is hereby ordered to deliver up ye sd orphan Wm all yee orphans estate into the hands of ye sd Porquy [Porquér] at such place or places which ye said Crompe did -- -----to pay to estate of orphans.
At the time of Hannah’s death in 1659, all the children were too young to choose their own guardian. The court gave guardianship to Will Crump. At that time, female orphans were allowed to choose their own guardian at age fourteen, boys could not choose their guardian until age sixteen.
By 1662, both William and Dorothy were entitled to choose their guardian, they chose Nicholas Porquér , the husband of Mary Spelman. If Nicholas Porquér were not a family relation of the Pinley orphans, he would have been granted indentured contracts on the children. Will Crump is ordered to deliver up the orphans’ estate to Nicholas Porquér . An unclear reference is made to a payment to the estate. Crump may have sold or used part of the estate of the children.
On the same page, in the very next entry on the page, it appears that Will Crump proved the allegations of “hard refuge” by assaulting Will Pinley Jr. in “the face of this court”.
Wm. Will: Zurhauss Thomas Maddison jnr. Walter Zird at this court making oath that Will Crompe and each sworne to -- did assault Will jnr in the face of this court [orphan?] ....court upon sitting ye court to warrant ye sd Crompe unfitting for the office of a constable do discharge ye sd Crompe from ye sad peace office of Constable for this sd offense done in ye face of this court do order ye said Crompe to pay (one?) thousand pounds of tobacco, and do hereby order the High Sheriff of this county to take ye said Crompe into his custody till hee give sufficient security for his good behavior till this court --- --- to orphans ---.
As a result of his outburst in the courtroom, the court found took Will Crump into custody, found him unfit to be the Constable, and forced him to post a bond for his good behavior and to secure the payment or delivery of the orphans’ estate to Nicholas Porquér .
Young Thomas does not appear in court on this date, but he is referred to in the very next paragraph on the same page. It appears that Thomas was in trouble for “hiding a hogg” belonging to Lumfford. Judgement was granted AGAINST Thomas in his absence, and he was ordered to appear before the court to choose a new guardian as William and Dorothy had already done.
A different depending between Edward Lumfford aigst Will’: Thomas concerning ye orph HIDING? of a hogg of ye said Lumfford being referred to orphans court, ........ye saide Thomas not appearing to answer ....of ye sd Lumfford judgement by (.......... .......) is granted agin the sd Thomas for ye said hogg according to ye Order of Assembly ......Thomas ordered to have whose guarde hym of ye order by ye said Lunsfford.
No record of Thomas’s appearance to answer to these charges is found, but it is obvious from a later entry that he did choose Nicholas Porquér as a guardian also. There are numerous entries about Nicholas Porquér in the Northampton County records under various spelling of the name. Like Will Crump, his court appearances reflected a bad character. He was fined and imprisoned for running away from his servant contract, fined for “disgrace and disparrage” of Robert Warren, failed to show for a court summons, and was frequently brought to court for debts owed.
But in 1663, Orphan Thomas told the court that Nicholas Porquér had abused him, and he again chose Will Crump as his guardian.
September 9, 1663, “Tho. Pindley, one of the orphts. of Will Pindly dec’d. aged 14 abused by his now guardian Nich. Porquoy [Porquér], chose Will. Crumpe for guardian.” Order Book 3, page 227. (Lancaster Co. Orders, Duvall, p. 17)
Two full years later, on September 14, 1665, Nicholas Porquér appears in court to record that the cattle belonging to Thomas and Dorothy Pindley have been turned over.
September 14, 1665: Cattle belong to Thomas - Dorothy Pindby given in by Nich. Porquoy [Porquér]from his possession. Order Book 3, page 353
The last found appearance of Will Pinley, Jr. and his sister Dorothy in Lancaster Court was 1662 when Will Crump assaulted Will Jr. in court. Cattle belonging to Dorothy (and Thomas) were mentioned in 1665. There is no record of Dorothy returning to Will Crump’s guardianship, but both Thomas and Dorothy moved to Maryland with Will and Frances Crump by 1663. Our Orphan Thomas was returned to Will Crump’s custody in September of 1663, probably about the time of Crump’s move to Maryland. Dorothy would have been sixteen years old and Thomas thirteen at the time of the move to Maryland.
Upon arrival in Talbot County, Maryland, Crump claimed land, probably 350 acres, in the name of himself, wife Frances, his three children, and our Thomas and Dorothy.
Crump, William AA:406 Film No.: SR 8200
Of Talbot County, by 1663 transported himself,
Frances, his wife,
William, John, & Elizabeth, his children,
& Thomas & Dorothy Pinley
Maryland Archives
Transcript. 6:136 [SR 7348]; 7:531 [SR 7349]; 16:463,467 [SR 7357]
Original. CC:584 [SR 8201]; WT:496,502 [SR 7547]
MSA SC 4341-
Supplement to Early Settlers Query by Dr. Carson Gibb
http://speccol.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/speccol/sc4300/sc4341/sc4341.cfm
Pinley, Dorothy
AA:406 Film No.:
Transported by 1663
Transcript. 6:136; 7:531
Original. CC:584
MSA SC 4341-
Pinley, Thomas
AA:406 Film No.:
Transported 1663
Transcript. 6:136; 7:531; 10:463
Original. CC:584
MSA SC 4341-
Pinley, Dorothy
WT:502 Film No.: SR 7547
Transported by 1672
Transcript. 16:467 [SR 7357]
MSA SC 4341-343
Pinley, Thomas
WT:502 Film No.: SR 7547
Transported by 1672
Transcript. 16:467 [SR 7357]
MSA SC 4341-344
Dorothy and Thomas Pinley’s names were used as Maryland headrights again in 1672. It is not known if the orphans were present in Maryland at that time, or if Will Crump exchanged the headrights for new land, or sold their headrights to another person. Crump family research records this statement:
1671 Mar 1 Talbot County
Wm. Crump testifies that he imported himself, Frances, his wife, and three children plus Thomas and Dorothy Pindley into Maryland.
Before the move to Maryland though, on February 16, 1663, Will Crump recorded a patent on 300 acres of land in Lancaster County. At that time he must have intended to stay in Virginia, as it was costly to have the land grant surveyed and officially recorded.
WM. CRUMPE (CRUMP) 300 acres. Lancaster Co. 16 February 1663, p. 346, (359). N. side of the E. branch of Coratoman Riv., beg. on E. most side of a small creek of same dividing this & land of Elias Edmonds. Trans. of 6 pers: Tho. Wood, Wm. Purton, Mary Badg. Jno Fawden, Sarah Johnson, Tho. Ward. (Nugent, Vol. I, p. 506.)
Crump’s land grant references page 359 in Nugent, which is the page where the Hannah Mountney and Edwin Connaway grant was recorded. The location description indicates Crump’s land may have been near Hannah Mountney’s land, or at least both were located along the Corrotoman River. No found record indicates the dispensation of Hannah’s land after her death in 1659.
Mr. Edwin Connaway & Mrs. Hannah Mountney, Widdow, 1650 acs. Lancaster Co., 5 February 1657, p. 148, (216). Near the head of Corrotoman Riv., S. W. upon land of sd. Connaway, a litttle below Moratticoe path, N. W. upon a branch dividing this from land of Mr. Dominick Theriott (Ferriott).
After Grandmother Hannah’s death, the orphans seem to ricochet about between the homes of Hannah’s two surviving daughters, Mary (Spelman) Porquér and Frances (Mountney) Crump. By staying in the guardianship of their uncles (by marriage), they were able to avoid indentured servant contracts inflicted on so many orphans of that day. It is hoped that their aunts, Frances and Mary, provided some nurturing to compensate for the harsh treatment by both their husbands. By 1662, it appears that whatever estate the orphans had bequeathed to them by William and Hannah had been depleted except for the cattle.
On September 14, 1665, Dorothy and Thomas returned to Lancaster County to receive the cattle from their estate still in the possession of Nicholas Porquér . No records have been located concerning Nicholas and Mary (Spelman) Porquér after the cattle were delivered to the court. Spelling variations impede research. The name Porquér may have been Americanized at some point after 1665, the phonetic pronunciation of the various spellings of the name could indicate the eventual usage of Parker or Porter.
One can conclude from the found records that the period of time after Hannah’s death were turbulent years for William and Elizabeth Pinley’s orphans. The fact that the orphans survived at all in the harsh environment of the new world may have been secured by Hannah’s strong arms wrapped around them for the nine years after the death of William and Elizabeth. It is again noted that Hannah was a very strong woman, especially in comparison to the women of her day. She survived three husbands in the wilderness, and managed to raise four children to adulthood, and three grandchildren amidst hostile Natives, famine, fire, and starvation. She ran the Community Store for a time as a widow, owned land in her own name, and at the age of 55, entered into a partnership of some sort with the wealthy and well established Edwin Connaway. Her children Alexander Mountney, Jr. and Frances Mountney both named a daughter Hannah, and there were children named Hannah in those lineages for several years.
Dorothy Pinley
William Crump’s abuse of Dorothy did not end as she reached adulthood. Maryland records indicate that in Talbot County, Maryland on July 14, 1670, Dorothy Pynty gave power of attorney to one Michael Miller to arrest and prosecute William Crump. (Dorman, Vol. I, p. 359) She would have been 23 years old at the time of this warrent for Crump’s arrest, and not yet married. That is the last known record of the orphan Dorothy Pinley. The lack of records on Dorothy after 1670 may be due to a name change due to marriage.
1670 July 14 Talbot County Dorothy Pynty to Michael Miller - Power of Attorney to arrest and prosecute William Crump.
Wit: Margaret Macklin, Martha Peters.
(Talbot Land Records, Vol. I-p. 113) [Crump Family Research]
Witness Margaret Macklin was the wife of Robert Macklin (Macklan, Macklyn) of Talbot County, who claimed headrights for transporting his wife to Maryland by 1661. No record is found of witness Martha Peters.
A few months before the legal action to arrest Will Crump, Crump Family Research also notes the presence of Michael Miller as a witness for the sale of two cows by Elizabeth Carpender to William Crump. According to Maryland Archives Supplement to Early Settlers by Dr. Carson Gibb, Miller transported himself by 1670, and was married to the widow of Robert Hood by 1678.
1670 May 24 Talbot County Elizabeth Carpender to William Crump,
planter - 2 cows. Wit: Michael Miller.
(Talbot County, Maryland Land Records, Vol. I-p. 132)
Will Pinley, Jr.
Of Orphan Will, Jr., no positively identified records have been located after the abuse by Crompe in the courtroom in 1662. His cattle are not included in the 1665 transfer to Dorothy and Thomas by Nicholas Porquér. In the Maryland Archives, there is found record of a law suit settled by a court of appeals in 1701. Among the many creditors of James Crook listed at that time is one William Panley included without further explanation:
“Janry 31 To Do to Wm Panley 2—10—”
Proceedings of the Maryland Court of Appeals, 1695-1729, Volume 77, Page 211 http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc 2908/000001/000077/html/am77--211.html
A land grant was located in Nugent's Cavaliers and Pioneers which mentioned a Wm. Pendry in 1682, but some sources who have looked at the manuscript of the grant read it as Bendry instead of Pendry.
Nov. 22, 1682: Hugh Owen, 2359 acres, between Rappa. Riv. & the head or run of MATTOPONY RIV. Granted Samll. Bloomfield, Jno. Dangerfield, Wm. Moseley, Bryan Ward and WM. PENDRY, 22 Nov. 1682, deserted, & granted to Thomas Vicars, 1686, not patented and granted to Hugh Owens for importation of 47 persons. (Nugent, Vol. II, p. 359)
T. E. Pendley’s research indicated that William the Immigrant died circa 1662 in Northampton County. It is obvious that he did not have access to the record of William’s death in 1650, but if there was hard evidence of a 1662 William Pinley death in Northampton, it could have been the death of Will Pinley, Jr. After abuse by Crumpe, and further abuse by Porquér, Will Jr. may have struck out on his own and returned to the area of his childhood home looking for work among friends of the family. There are found references to Orphan Thomas Pinley in Northampton in the 1680’s.