Jeffrey Crowley and
Effie and Mrs. Martha Edwards
Jeffrey Crowley was born ca. 1700. We are unsure of his exact heritage. Some claim he was the base born son of a hired girl, Agnes Crowley, in England and his father a man named Jeffrey Hopkins. There are those who believe he is the son of Samuel Crowley, estranged son of Ambrose Crowley II of Stourbridge, England. This Samuel ran away from England and went to sea. His half brother, the famous Sir Ambrose Crowley III, mentions that Samuel had a bad time at sea, and it distressed their father. Neither of these are proven or entirely disproven.
Jeffrey first appears in Orange County, Virginia when he sues James Stodsgill for land that he sold in 1730/1. Jeffrey is married at this time, and his first child was probably born by then. There are severeal mentions of Jeffrey and Effie in court cases in Orange County seeming to stem from this first case over the land deal. Not much is known about Effie except that she was dead between 1755 and 1757. Jeffrey is then remarried to Mrs. Martha Edwards, widow of Thomas Edwards. Jeffrey died in Halifax County, Virginia in 1761.
Jeffrey and Effie had four known children: John, Benjamin I, Mary Gibson and Samuel Crowley.
We believe this could be Jeffrey's signature
Jeffrey's initials and mark from his will