Melville: Generation 3

David & Rachel Melville

David was the son of David Melville and Sarah Rix and the grandson of David and Catherine Melville.

8 Oct 1756: Daniel Sulivane resurveyed a parcel called David's Purchase for David Melville Junior.  Two parcels, one of 59 acres and one of 38 acres, the latter vacant land, were  combined into one 97 acre tract called David's Purchase Resurveyed.  It adjoined Thames Street.[1]

 8 Mar 1757: David Melville, owner of Melvill's Meadows, petitioned the court to prove and perpetuate the bounds.   On 17 Dec 1757: Daniel Sulivane "deposeth" that John Rix had shown him the boundary red oak about 14 or 15 years ago.  This oak was located "about thirty-five strides from the corner of David Melvill's orchard".  According to Daniel, the tract was then known as David's Purchase.  Hugh (x) Williams, about 37 years old,  also testified that he was shown the oak about 15 years before by John Rix, who identified it as the "bounded tree of a tract of land called Milvill's Medows.[1a]

9 Mar 1757: Along with William Smith, David Melvill was surety for Josias Moore as administrator of the John Jameson estate.[2]   David's daughter Mary married Thomas Smith. 

9 Mar 1757: In a deed from Nehemiah Boxall to John Hutchinson, the marked tree designating Ridgey Land was described as "near to a path that leads from John Rixes to David Melvill's dwelling house.[3]

12 Mar 1760: David Melvill, planter, purchased 67 acres known as David's Purchase Recovered and 7 1/2 acres known as Daniel's Chance [alias Addition to Daniel's Chance] from Daniel Sulivane, gentleman, for £15.  David's Purchase Recovered was described as adjoining Theam [Thames]  Street, "now belonging to the said David Melvill".  Witnesses: Alexander Frazier and Labdiel  Potter.[4]

4 Jun 1761: Along with Nehemiah Hubbart and John McCallister, David witnessed the will of Mary Moore.[5]  Mary Moore was David's aunt.

17 May 1761: Daniel Sulivane and David Melvill witnessed a codicil to the will of John Low.[6]

1 Aug 1762: David signed his will, desiring that his executrix/wife Rachel and his mother, Sarah Melvill, should live together.  If they did not, then his mother was to have a slave boy named Tyer.  Witnesses: Daniel Sulivane, John McCollister, and John Dean Junior.  In a codicil, he bequeathed £5 each to sisters Mary Smith, Frances Smith, and Sarah Melville.[7]  Why was Frances Smith not mentioned in the will of supposed father David Melville?

21 Nov 1763: An act was passed by session beginning that date to amend the Tobacco Laws.  That law designated, among other items, the locations of tobacco houses, one of which in Dorchester County was "David Melvill's Warehouse, with one inspector to receive a salary of 8,800 lbs of tobacco".[8]

Children of David and Rachel Melvill: David and Rachel may have also had a daughter named Sarah.

Mary Melvill (m. ______ Bradley) 

Her husband was supposedly Henry Bradley; but in the 1783 Tax List, Thomas Bradley was assessed "for wife" for 47 acres of Thames Street in Middle District Hundred.

23 Dec 1785: James Sulivane deeded 13 1/4 acres of New Markett adjoining Buckland's Regulation to Mary Bradley, Lydia Melvill, and Betty Melvill, in exchange for 13 1/4 acres of Melvill's Meadow.  Witnesses: John Dickinson and Joseph Richardson.[9]  The deed was recorded on 31 Jan 1786.

 Lydia Melvill

 23 Dec 1785: James Sulivane deeded 13 1/4 acres of New Markett adjoining Buckland's Regulation to Mary Bradley, Lydia Melvill, and Betty Melvill, in exchange for 13 1/4 acres of Melvill's Meadow.  Witnesses: John Dickinson and Joseph Richardson.[10]

3 Dec 1793: Lydia Melvill sold Thames Street, 100 acres, to John Smith for £200.  Witnesses: John Gooding and David Smith.  But then on 18 Mar 1794, Lydia Melvill purchased Thames Street, a 100 acre tract, from John Smith for 200 pounds of tobacco.  Witnesses: John Stevens and David Smith.[11]  What was happening here - a mortgage?  Witness David was probably the David Melville Smith who was the son of Mary Melvill Smith.

 Elizabeth "Betty" Melvill

23 Dec 1785: James Sulivane deeded 13 1/4 acres of New Markett adjoining Buckland's Regulation to Mary Bradley, Lydia Melvill, and Betty Melvill, in exchange for 13 1/4 acres of Melvill's Meadow.  Witnesses: John Dickinson and Joseph Richardson.[12]

If you have material about any individuals included in Nancy's Dead Relatives, can add well-documented family lines, have corrections and/or comments, or wish to establish a link to or from this site, please contact me at nancy@nancysdeadrelatives.com.  However, the decision whether or not to include any submitted material is the webmaster's (mine) alone. 

Nancy Denty Breidenthal

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