William Granberry, Sr.

Son of Leonard Granberry and Dorothy Reade

Born:  1614 in Exeter, Devon, England

Died:  About 1693 in Nansemond, VA

Married Anne Chudleigh in 1637 in England

Children:

1. William Granberry, Jr.

William and his brother John are thought to have emigrated to Virginia in 1650 and settled in Nansemond County.  They, in common with the greater part of Devonshire families, were Stuart adherents and thus exposed to the persecution of Cromwell's forces during the Civil War. The destruction of parish registers, rector’s homes and the wanton mutilation of all sorts of property as well as incendiarism and outrage throughout Devonshire at that time fix the date so definitely that there cannot be any question but that they immigrated in 1650 to Virginia.  Once in Virginia, as loyal to the Stuarts as their own Devonshire, they continued to use their own name and to spell it Granbery in every authentic signature identified as theirs; just as it was spelled in 1545.

William Granbery was a planter, and married soon after arriving as son William was born in 1652.  He, with his brother John, bought 240 acres (one half of the Fitch patent of 1652) on Simon's Creek in Lower Norfolk County, now Norfolk County, on February 7, 1656, which they sold on April 14, 1667 to Thomas Ellis, giving bond in  the amount of 20,000 lb. of tobacco and cask.  Ellis' son sold on November 16, 1694, a neck of land taken out of this "on the South side of the Western Branch" to Thomas Wakefield.

William was granted 85 acres of land on Bennetts Creek by Sir Henry Chichiley, Deputy Governor, on April 30, 1679, which grant was afterwards the subject of an action brought by James Lockheart who; losing his case in the County Court; appealed to the General Court at James City (Jamestown) which ordered new surveys to be made and gave its verdict in favor for William, upholding the decision of the lower court. The case dragged on for two years.  Lockheart being held "in Safe Custody without Bayl or mainprize" until he satisfied the writ of the General Court on March 16, 1693 by the payment of 1700 lb. of tabacco and costs.  William, 79 years old when he signed acknowledgement of the execution of the writ, did not long survive and died later in the same year or early in 1694.

His widow, Anne, was on the Rent Roll for 75 acres in 1704, and, since the re-survey of 1691 modified the acreage of the original grant, it can be assumed that it was the same land.  It is certain that his son had it later on.  Quit Rents, as given in the Rent Rolls, were due "on the day of St. Michael the Archangel" (Sept.29).

Sources: "The Granberry Family" and "John Granberry Virginia"