James Pace

Notes:

When he was young, James probably lived with his mother and stepfather, or with his eldest brother Richard at the plantation. He left home by about 1687, and moved some 21 miles west of Pace's Paines, where he came in contact with the Lowe family of Bristol Parish. He married Elizabeth Lowe, daughter of Mr. William Lowe. The young family lived in Charles City County, north of the James River, and returned to live south of the river in 1712 when they returned to Prince George County. In 1715, James purchased 100 acres in Westopher Parish, Prince George County, from William Epes, which had formerly belonged to Caesar Walpool.

In the northern part of Brunswik was the parish of St. Andrews. Int he vestry book of the parish is a record of a James Pace who served the parish as sexton from October 6, 1732 until October 11, 1735. He was paid for his services in tobacco, the usual form of payment from a church. The parish sexton was the caretaker of the church building and the cemetery, and also charged with the duty of recording all deaths in the parish. This was an occupation usually endowed upon an older man. He was, at this time, about 68 years of age. As before this is the one and only time he is mentioned in the records of the county. Howard does not believe it improbable that James died possessed of no valuable property, such as land or slaves but only household items and any tools of his trade. This would mean there would not be an necessity to make a will, or to administer an estate. Any items still possessed at the time of his death would have been absorbed into the family without going through the legal process. This is why nothing has ever been found concerning him after the year 1735.

James and Elizabeth had four sons that are known, Richard, George, James and Solomon. They may have had daughters also, but nothing has been discovered concerning them, and may never be.

SOURCE: OUR COLONIAL ANCESTORS 1619 to 1799 by Bruce Howard

DNA results (Source: http://pacesociety.org/DNA/results.htm)

These are the results from descendants who believe themselves direct descendants of Richard Pace II of Virginia, through his son James

393-390-10-391-385a-385b-426-388-439-389i-392-389ii

13 25 15 11 11 14 12 12 12 13 13 29

458-4591-459b-455-454-447-437-448-449-464a-464b-464c-464d

16 9 10 11 11 24 15 19 29 15 17 17 17

James married Elizabeth Lowe. Elizabeth was born after 1666; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Said to be the daughter of William Lowe.

Notes:

At a Court Held at Westover, Charls. Citty County, June 4, 1655, Page 2.

Whereas Rich'd Pace the orphan and Heire of Geo. Pace dec'ed hat at this Co'rt made choice of and humbly Desired Confirm'con of mr. William Baugh to be Guardian of him and his estate dureing his minority. The Co'rt doth therefore hereby grant and confirme his said request requireing the sd Guardian to mannage duly and justly all estate belonging to the sd orphan giving yearly acco't to the Co'rt of the same and the improvement delivering the whole to the sd orphane at his full age.

This document was reproduced in Bruce Howard's COLONIAL ANCESTORS.

Howard goes on the describe the hard economic times they were living in. Richard and Mary left Charles City County and moved to Southwarke Parish where he owned and operated a road tavern, called in Virginia an "Ordinary" for the accomadation of travelers. He moved later to York County, where he probably worked as a carpenter, and then back to the area of James Town. He died sometime prior to February, 1678, before having made a will and leaving some substantial debts unpaid. Mary filed a petition to administer the estate, which she was granted.

The list of the children of Richard and Mary is from a letter written in 1791 by Mrs. Winnifred Acock Lane of Georgia, about her Pace ancestors.

Richard married Mary Baker about 1660. Mary was born about 1640 in Virginia; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Richard's wife has sometimes been listed as Mary Knowles. This was "based on the very weak premise that nearly a hundred years later, a descendant named one of their children Knowles Pace, which was also spelled Noel Pace in other records."

However, Bruce Howard says that Richard's wife was Mary Baker, based on the following deed of gift:

Page 530 Att a Court held att Westov'r 3 Feb 1664/5. Deed of gift dated 21 Jany 1664/5. Richard Baker gives to Richard Pace a parcel of land "lying on the other side of the bottome on the West side of the aforesd Bakers plantacon conteyning one hundred and forty acres in bredth from the aforesd bottome and so holding the same bredth Downe to the great Swamp beginning upon the line of the aforesd Bakers at the head of the aforesd bottome..."

Richard x Baker

Wit: Wm Harris, Patrick Jackson, Caesar Walpole Recorded 7 Febr 1664/5

It is the author's contention that Richard Pace married Mary Baker, the daughter of Richard Baker. The plantation he inherited from his parents was too large for them to manage and a small part of it had been worked for several years. But Richard Pace did not want to, or could not afford to, hire sufficient people to work the place, and Richard Baker gave them 140 acre tract as a dowry for his daughter, with the understanding that his wife, Ann Baker, be allowed to remain at the homeplace for the rest of her life.

After her husbands death, Mary remarried, first to William Briscoe. William was sued several times over debts left by Richard Pace, and this apparently upset him mightly. He and Mary seperated. After his death, Mary Baker Pace Briscoe married a third and final time to a widower by the name of Nicholas Whittmore.

Notes:

In Howard's COLONIAL ANCESTORS, he notes that "On the 1st day of September in the year 1628, almost two years after the remarriage of his mother, a Royal Patent was issued in the name of George Pace. There is no doubt about it, this young man was only in his 19th year of age at the time this patent was issued and under English Common Law as the oldest son of his father he was entitled to all of the landed estate but no all of the personal estate. He was only entitled to an equal share in the personal estate with any siblings and his mother, if she survived the husband, was entitled to a one third share. " The author assumes that George was an only child, drawn from the fact that the early records do not disclose a single clue which would lead us to believe there were any other children; it cannot be proven or disproven.

Contrary to many Pace researcher's in the past, Mr. Howard does not believe that George married Sarah Maycock, nor did he "come into" his lands in Charles City County by marriage or any other means except outright purchase. Mr. Howard points out the Sarah Maycock was only 11 at the age of her supposed marriage, and would have been only 13 at the time of birth of Richard Pace, George's son. Additionally, there is no record of Sarah Maycock ever living on the southern side of the River, near Pace's Paines. Mr Howard believes that Sara Snowe is a more likely prospect. He believes Sarah Snowe was under the guardianship of William Perry (Pace's stepfather) and was probably brought to Chapman Plantation at some point.

The primary document that has led many researchers to believe that George's wife was Sarah Maycock was one dated April 25, 1659, when George's oldest son, Richard, confirms a sale of land to Thomas Drewe. Richard stated that "I Ric'd Pace Sonne and heire apparent of mr. George Pace of the Com: of Charles Citty att Mount March in Virginia, and sonn and heire as the first issue of my mother Mrs. Sarah Macocke wife unto my aforesd father (being both dec'd) do hereby by these presents...confirme and allow of the sale of eight or nine hundred acres of land... sold by my dec'd father mr. George pace unto mr. Thomas Drewe." Mr. Howard points out the Richard is telling us that... his mother has a second issue of children, he being of the first issue. He doesn't say the first issue of his father, because his father died before his mother. In the same breathe he says "Mrs. Sarah Macocke." He does not say "my mother known before marriage as Sarah Maycock" or "my mother formerly Sara Maycock daughter of Samuel...."

George married Sarah ???. Sarah was born about 1610; died before 1655 in Charles City County, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]