by Carolyn J. Nell, AG®

   William Redd’s wife has been identified as Rachel. In 1746, William Redd was living in Accomack County, Virginia, when and where he purchased land from John Taylor, Jr. On 26 July 1757, a grantor deed was located where William and Rachel Redd were selling their land containing 100 acres, more or less, to Edmund Scarburgh. So far, additional information has not been identified pertaining to Rachel Redd. Women's’ names were never prominently reported in the records as were the men. To have a greater appreciation for the identification of Rachel, it is necessary to provide a brief overview of the research.

   The question probably the uppermost in the minds of the reader is: “How in the world

did the research proceed from Nansemond County, Virginia, to Accomack County, Virginia?” The answer is simply: “It wasn’t easy.”

    Understand that prior to 1864 genealogical research in Nansemond County records has been practically non-existent because the county court records were burned on three separate occasions. The Vestry Book of the Upper Parish, Nansemond County, edited by Wilmer L. Hall and published by the Library of Virginia in Richmond, is the only county-type record available.  Searching the book for clues is not for the faint-hearted or novice researchers. Through numerous steps dissecting the Upper Parish procession records and analyzing any available land grants issued to the neighbors of Mr. Scarburgh and William Redd, it was possible to cross the Chesapeake Bay to

Accomack County.

      In 1759, the next time William Redd was identified, he was in Nansemond County, Virginia, where his land was being processioned. The land he was living on was probably the same land owned by a Mr. Scarburgh. When Mr. Scarburgh’s name disappears from the procession records after 1755, William Redd has possession of it.

   How was this discovered? By learning the names of the neighbors, it was possible to see that a James March shared a common land boundary with Mr. Scarburgh, and William Redd became the replacement for Mr. Scarburgh when the land was processioned again in 1759. By platting the land

of James March, it was possible to approximate the location of William Redd’s land.

   This summary might seem slightly confusing, but when laying out the time line for William Redd, both in Accomack and Nansemond Counties, it is possible to understand how the pieces all come together. The time line provides an insight as to where Whittaker Redd was probably born, i.e., Accomack County, Virginia. Most likely there are other siblings belonging to this family. Now does it mean  these conclusions are absolutely correct? No, but until documentation proves these conclusions incorrect, please meet Rachel Redd, a recently  identified ancestor. This is a precious find.

Accredited Genealogist Carolyn Nell was originally hired by Burke Tangren to work on Redd family history in Virginia where we find the last know records of the Redds. Carolyn is a nationally recognized for her expertise and knowledge in genealogy research and in particular in our area of interest. She  now continues this research for the Redd Family Organization.