Richard Pace

Notes:

Bruce Howard writes that "Richard first comes clearly into focus in the year 1759. In this year, he and his younger brother, John, had determined to leave Prince George and move to a new home in North Carolina.

Prince George Co. Wills&Deeds, 1759-1760, p. 190. Dated December 1, 1759. John Pace and Richard Pace of Martins Brandon Parish, Prince George County to William Goodwyn of same, for 30 pounds, land on south west side of Southward Run in Martins Brandon Parish...16 acres more or less..Recorded June 10, 1760. This small tract of joint ownership land had no connection to the lands their father owned during his lifetime, some distance east of this parcel.

Just before these two brother's sold the small tract in Virginia, a deed was registered in Edgecombe County, North Carolina on a small established plantation which would become the homeplace of Richard and Elizabeth and their children.

Edgecombe County Deed Book OO, p 36 Know all men by these presents that on this 21st September 1759..I, Thomas Drake of Edgecombe Co., and Province of North Carolina of the one part and Richard Pace of Brandon Parish in Prince George Co. Virginia of the second...for the sum of 35 pounds in hand paid...sell and convey a 150 acre plantation... on the north side of Fishing Creek and east side of Beaver Dam Swamp...Wit: William Goodwyn, John Pace, Thomas [H] Hart

Howard noted that the use of the reference to Fishing Creek was used incorrectly in the deed and should have been Swift Creek.

In the early part of 1760, Richard and his brother John made their move southward to old Edgecombe. Before they could remove themselves from the county they had to publish their notice of intent to leave. With no objection coming, they were allowed to leave for their new home. Judging from the effects of his estate, he and Elizabeth were very hard working people and conducted their own home manufacturing business. The had a small amount of stock, horses, cattle, hogs, ducks and geese. He was not a planter by any means, but he planted the type of crop that they could use in their business. He planted cotton on a portion of the plantation and the majority of the place would have been devoted to pasturage and a hay field. Howard went on to detail the equipment Richard and Elizabeth had in order to pursue their business of spinning and dying linen, wooling and cotton.

Richard died without a will. However, his estate was not incumbered by any debts. Mrs. Pace qualified as administratix of the estate in May 1769 and her son-in-law, John Jones and his cousin Nathan qualified as her securities on the bond. The estate was put up for sale in August and the items were sold to the highest bidder for current money. The total income to be disbursed came to a little over 200 lbs, which was a goodly amount considering the time and character of the estate. (A complete listing can be found on pages 338-339).

Howard says that the following children have been positively identified as the children of Richard and Elizabeth Pace:

Ann S. Pace, Amy Pace, William Pace, Priscilla Pace (whom he believes married Jacob Strickand, Jr.), George Pace, James Pace, and Richard Pace

Richard married Elizabeth ??? about 1743. Elizabeth was born after 1713; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. William Pace was born on 10 Oct 1745 in Prince George County, Virginia; and died.
2. Anne Pace was born in 1747 in Prince George County, Virginia; died in 1826 in Nash County, North Carolina.
3. Amey Pace was born about 1749 in Guilford County, North Carolina; died about 1815 in Madison County, Georgia.
4. Priscilla Pace was born about 1750; and died.
5. George Pace was born in 1752; died in 1816 in Clay County, Kentucky.
6. James Pace was born about 1753; and died.
7. Richard Pace was born about 1754; and died.

Notes:

In OUR COLONIAL ANCESTORS, Bruce Howard writes: "I have calculated the year of birth of this son of James and Elizabeth on or about 1690. He grew up and received his education across the river in Charles City. In about the year 1713, when still a young man he came south of the river to either work for others or to purchase his own plantation to work for himself. Although the records are silent, he came to the same area where his grandmother lived, only a little further to the west in the same neighborhood where Mr. John Poythress, Sr and family resided. He and Francis Poythress, Sr entered into a joint land and farming venture. It can not be determined if there was any othe relation between them other than business. It is unclear where he actually resided but it may have been on a piece of land that he had recently purchased.

Prince George Wills & Deeds, p 63 July 12, 1715

....Francis Poythress of the Parish of Westopher, County of Prince George, to Peter Grammer of same parish and county...100 acres in same parish and county, next to Richard Pace, and said Poythress... Wit: E. Goodrich, Wm Hamelin

The land that these two owned adjoined and each had an ownership in the others tract.

At or before this time, Richard had begun to court and married a young lady by the name of Sarah Woodlief, the daughter of Edward and Sarah Woodlief of Nothern Prince George.

In March of 1717, Richard was summoned and sworn to serve on a jury at the courthouse at Merchants Hope, in a civil trial. It was still the law that only male freeholders could serve on a jury.

Richard married Sarah Woodlief. Sarah was born before 1696; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sarah's grandfather was John Woodlief Jr, the father of John, Edward, and George Woodlief. It is a known fact that the Woodlief and Poythress families intermarried. In September 1717, Sarah's father, Mr. Edward Woodlief, became sick and realizing his time was at hand, made his will disposing of his wordly estate. He died in the early part of the next year. His will was filed February 10, 1718. He bequethed to Sarah one heifer, calling her "daughter Pace" in the will. At a Court Held at Merchants Hope for Prince George County 8th December 1719 p. 302 Sarah Pace, wife of Richard Pace, relinquished her dower in land sold by her husband to Thomas Goodwyn.

When Sarah's husband Richard died, he left her an unusual bequest, his set of pistols. This is not the sort of legacy a man normally leaves to a female regardless of her relatioship to him, which makes the author believe they were considered among his prized possessions. It is unknown, because of the loss of records, how long Sarah lived or what became of their estate.

The author added that it was with great difficulty, through many years of search, to discover the names of only a few of their children. Once again, it could only be accomplished through a process of elimination by a close study of the existing records of the area. Richard was the only male member of his family, meaning the son's of James and Elizabeth, that remained in Prince George County. The others had all gone to North Carolina. The children of Richard and Sarah were Richard, Francis, and John. It is also believed that Sarah, wife of John Bonner, and Elizabeth, wife of Richard Biggins, are also children, but this has not been proven to any degree of satisfaction. (p. 130)

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.