John Doby

Bef 1657 - 1722  (65 years)

• Name	John Doby
  Nickname	John #1
  Birth	Bef 1657	British Isles
  	There are six birth/baptism records in England and three in Scotland that could be his, so at this time, there is no way to know exactly when he was born or who his parents are. However... DATE: His birth year is a guess. He was bequeathed land in 1675 so he was probably at least 18 then, putting his probable birth year before 1657. He died in 1722. If he was born in 1657, then he would have been 65 years old at his death. LOCATION:There are reasons to support both England and Scotland as his birth location. The James River area in Virginia was filled with English settlements. Given the "bad blood" between the English and Scots in the 1600s, it was unusual for Scots to settle here, but not unheard of. Most immigrants from Scotland came in through Pennsylvania and settled at the western edge of the colonies. Oral family history says that he was from Scotland. Y-DNA testing suggests that he or his ancestors are from Scotland.
  Gender	Male
  Biography	John Doby (John #1), the immigrant, was born in either England or Scotland, probably before 1657. There are six birth/baptism records in England and three in Scotland that could be his, so at this time, his birth location and parents cannot be determined. The first mention of John in Colonial America is in Virginia in the will of William Strong, signed on August 28, 1675, in which John was bequeathed land. It’s likely that he was at least 18 years old at the time, making his birth year 1657 or earlier. By 1683, John had acquired 362 acres of land in James City County: Willian Strong signed his last will and testament on August 28, 1675, in which he bequeathed 50 acres to John. William Strong’s son-in-law and daughter, William and Hester (Strong) Thomas, gave John 212 acres on August 1, 1676. John purchased another 100 acres from William Strong on January 30, 1678. John’s land was described as follows in the James City County land parents of 1683: “From James River, along Edward Ellerby; to Drinkard’s line; to head of a little creek at Mount Sinai Bridge; and down same to the river.” In 1704, John Doby is listed in the Quit Rents (tax), with 300 acres in James City County, and 500 acres in Prince George County. One or both entries may refer to his son, John. There is no record of John’s marriage. Because he was bequeathed land by William Strong, it’s believed that William was John’s father-in-law. William had a daughter, ELIZABETH STRONG, whose husband, if any, is not accounted for in any records. It’s likely that John married Elizabeth, but there are no records to prove that. There are no birth or death records on Elizabeth, so one can only guess at the dates. She was probably of similar age to John. A best guess of her youngest child’s birth year is 1680, so she died sometime after that. John signed his last will and testament on May 19, 1717, in which he stated, “… to my granddaughter, Mary Vinsen, and her child, Thomas, a mare and colt. To loving grandchildren in general, one shilling each. To son, John Dobe, Jr., the land he now lives on for life, on the south side of Myery Meddow, 200 acres, at his death to his elder son, John Dobe. To son, Robert, the land I live on, on the north side of Myery Meddow, 200 acres, all the rest of my estate not given to be possessed by my son, Robert Dobe.” Robert was named executor of the will, which was proved on August 15, 1722, in Surry County, Virginia. This places John’s death date between the time he signed the will and time it was proved, likely very close to the latter.
  Possessions	28 Aug 1675	James City County, Virginia, British Colonial America   [1]
  	He was bequeather land by his father-in-law, William Strong. William's will was dated 28 Aug 1675. Unsure of probate date.
  Possessions	1 Aug 1676	James City County, Virginia, British Colonial America   [1]
  	William and Hester Thomas (John Doby's sister-in-law) gave land to John Doby on August 1, 1676. This is land that was left to William and Hester by Hester's father, William Strong. (page 75, image 91)
  Possessions	30 Jan 1677	James City County, Virginia, British Colonial America   [1]
  	Bought land from William Strong. p.75
  Possessions	1683	James City County, Virginia, British Colonial America   [1, 2]
  	James City County: John Doby. Apl. 16, 1683. From James Riv., along Edward Ellerby's line.
  Residence	1704	James City County, Virginia, British Colonial America   [3]
  	Doby, John - James City County - 300 (acres) Doby, John - Prince George County - 500 (acres) NOTE: One or both of these entries may be for his son, John Doby (John #9).
  Will	19 Mar 1717	Surry County, Virginia, British Colonial America
  	“… to my granddaughter, Mary Vinsen, and her child, Thomas, a mare and colt. To loving grandchildren in general, one shilling each. To son, John Dobe, Jr., the land he now lives on for life, on the south side of Myery Meddow, 200 acres, at his death to his elder son, John Dobe. To son, Robert, the land I live on, on the north side of Myery Meddow, 200 acres, all the rest of my estate not given to be possessed by my son, Robert Dobe.”
  Death	1722	Virginia, British Colonial America
  Probate	15 Aug 1722	Surry County, Virginia, British Colonial America
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  Person ID	I232339732696	Doby
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2024

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth Strong,   b. Abt. 1635, Virginia, British Colonial America d. Bef. 1717, Virginia, British Colonial America (Age 81 years)
  Marriage	Bef. 1676	Virginia, British Colonial America
  	The marriage date is a guess based on the birth year of his youngest son, Robert. Additionally, William Strong deed land to John #1 in 1676, who was likely William Strong's son-in-law. (page 75, image 91)
  Children	+ 1. John Doby,   b. Abt 1677, Virginia, British Colonial America d. 1737, Virginia, British Colonial America (Age 60 years) + 2. Robert Doby, #1,   b. Abt 1680, Virginia, British Colonial America d. Unknown
  Family ID	F78	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	19 Jul 2024

  
  

• Documents » Slide Show		Transcription of: Will of John(#1) Doby Sr dated 1722. Will of John(#9) Doby Jr dated 1737.
  		1683 Land Patent of John(#1) Doby (typed transcription) Early Virginia Families Along the James River and Their Deep Roots and Tangled Branches. James City County, Surry County, Virginia. Written by Louise Pledge Heath Foley. Published 1974 by Louise Pledge Heath Foley. Page 75.
  		1683 Land Patent of John(#1) Doby (original, hand-written document) VIRGINIA LAND PATENTS Book 7, Page 265: John Doby, 362 acs.; James City Co., 16 Apr. 1683. From James Riv., along Edward Ellerby; to Drinkard's line; to head of a little creek at Mount Sinai Bridge; & down same to the River. Part of 600 acs. granted to William Haveat 20 Oct 1661, who by will dated 26 Aug 1663 bequeathed to William Strong, who on…

  
  

• Sources

  [S1] Louise Pledge Heath Foley, Early Virginia Families Along the James River: Volume 3, (Clearfield Company, Inc.), page 75 (91 in Ancestry viewer), 0-8063-1285-8. (Reliability: 3). John Doby, 362 acs.; James City Co., 16 Apr. 1683, p.265. From James Riv., along Edward Ellerby; to Drinkard's line; to head of a little creek at Mount Sinai Bridge; & down same to the River. Part of 600 acs. granted to William Haveat 20 Oct 1661, who by will dated 26 Aug 1663 bequeathed to William Strong, who on 30 Jan 1677 sold 100 acs. to sd Doby, & by will bequeathed 50 acs. more to sd. Doby; 212 acs sd Strong by will dated 28 Aug 1675, gave to William & Hester Thomas, who on 1st Aug. 1676 assigned to sd. Doby. [S2] Indexed by Gary Park, Virginia Land Records, (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1982.), page 249 (259 in Ancestry viewer), 0-8063-0992-X. (Reliability: 3). 265. John Doby. Apl. 16, 1683. 362 Acres. From James rover along Edwards Ellerby's line. [S6] Compiled by Annie Laurie Wright Smith, The Quit Rents of Virginia, 1704, (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1975), 1975, 27 (33 on Ancestry viewer), 0-8068-0674-2. (Reliability: 3). Doby, John - James City County - 300 (acres) Doby, John - Prince George County - 500 (acres) One or both of these entries may be for his son, John Doby (John #9).