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| Town Office in Boydton, Virginia. One of my photos taken in 2017. |
Solomon was the second son of James and Martha. He had an older
brother Augustine “Austin” who was born about 1747, and three younger brothers
– Matthew born about 1749, James II born about 1750, and John born sometime
before 1758. I believe Solomon was born in Dinwiddie County which was formed in
1752 and had been part of Prince George County. The county was named for Robert
Dinwiddie who was Lieutenant Governor of Virginia 1751-1758.
When he was twenty-four Solomon married Sarah Major,
daughter of Bernard Major Sr. and Elizabeth. Sarah’s family was also from southeast
Virginia. Solomon and Sarah were married in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, and had
four children.[2]
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| Dinwiddie County seal where Solomon and Sarah were marrried. |
The oldest land record I’ve found for Solomon is from 1775.
It was about a parcel owned jointly with two of his brothers – Austin and James
II. This was land given to the brothers by their father, James Jr. In 1782
Solomon appeared on a list of early residents of Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
He was living in Precinct 4 at the time and paid taxes on his property which
included two African Americans. There were six whites living in his residence
at that time which accounts for Solomon, Sarah and their four children.
Mecklenburg was then and still is known for growing tobacco – a labor-intensive
crop that required slave labor to cultivate and harvest the crops.
Solomon’s father James Pattillo gave Solomon a tract of land
in Dinwiddie County in 1782. Solomon paid taxes on 400 acres of land in
Dinwiddie County – this was probably the land his father gave him. The tax
records for Dinwiddie County from 1788 to 1790 show that Solomon paid taxes on
404 acres of land but at some point, he sold a large portion of his land
because the tax list from 1796 shows that he only paid tax on 133 ½ acres. He
would have been 48 at the time so it is likely that he gave the land to one or
more of his sons.
In the Pattillo Family book by Melba Crosse she notes,
“Solomon must have lived in Brunswick County, Virginia for a while as he
appears on the 1787 personal tax list of that county. However, he was back in
Mecklenburg county by 1788. The 1800 tax list of this latter county lists
Solomon and his sons, William (Williamson) and Samuel, who are living with
him.”[3]
I found a court record from 1790 that shows that Solomon was
involved in a dispute. He was sued by a business that later dropped the case.
The paperwork lacks details of what the case was about or why it was settled.
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| Tobacco field in Mecklenburg. One of my photos from 2017. Solomon was a farmer who most likely cultivated tobacco. |
On January 3, 1793, Solomon purchased 156 acres in
Mecklenburg from Benjamin Morgan. He paid 85 pounds for the property. That’s
$2756 in 2020 dollars so it seems like a remarkable bargain. About a month
later Solomon sold two Negro boys – Fell aged about 12 and Dick about 6, to
Thomas Penticost. The price was 30 pounds and 8 shillings.
Solomon and John Farrar bought eight head of cattle from
Stephen Mabry on January 17, 1793. The sale was recorded in Deed Book 8 of
Mecklenburg County. In the same deed book Solomon sold a 150-acre parcel to
John Allen and his wife Nancy. I have yet to figure out what the relationship
between Solomon and John Farrar was.
One of the documents I found in the Boydton Courthouse was a
complicated indenture. It involved Solomon, Bernard McAnally and Robert
Baskerville. Apparently, Solomon owed McAnally 41 pounds 11 shillings 6 pence
and a halfpenny. Another 5 shillings was paid by Baskerville and the
court discharged him. Solomon sold a 96-acre parcel to Baskerville – land that
he had previously purchased from Benjamin Morgan. Solomon also sold a 60-acre
tract plus appurtenances to William Edward S. Tabb. According to the document,
Baskerville was to keep the land until December 25th and then sell it
and use the profits to pay the amount Solomon owed to McAnally. Any excess
profit was to go to Solomon after covering expenses. This transaction, which
seems rather convoluted to me, took place on July 21, 1795. All this was
recorded in the Mecklenburg Court on June 13, 1796. But that’s not all – more
than a year later in August of 1797 Solomon was summoned to appear in
Chancery Court as the defendant in a case brought by Bernard McAnally &
Company. McAnally claimed that Solomon still owed a 100-pound debt.
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| This is the document dated 19 August 1797. It commands Solomon to appear in court regarding the McAnally & Company matter. |
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| Another document from the McAnally case. |
The following month Solomon was in court again. He appeared
along with Samuel Goode, Mark Alexander and Samuel Holmes. Samuel sold a 306-acre
parcel to Richard Crowder for 230 pounds – land that he purchased from John
Allen and Benjamin Morgan. Apparently, this was land that was part of his
wife’s dowry.
On January 6, 1800 Solomon was again involved with a
convoluted court case. He agreed to lease two of his slaves – Pris and her son
to William Drumright but only until December 25th. Then Drumright
was to advertise Pris and her son for sale. The document said that he was to
advertise the sale in three locations. They were the Courthouse, Sett’s
Ordinary and Speed’s Store. They were to be advertised for ten days, then sold
and the proceeds were to be used to pay a sixty-pound debt that Solomon owed to
Crowder.
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| One of two documents related to Solomon and a man named Crowder that he owed a debt to. |
Two years later Solomon still owed Crowder money so he
leased two additional slaves – Hanna and her son Cyrus to David Dortch. This
was from January 4, 1802, until December 1st after which Dortch was
to advertise and sell Hanna and her son at the courthouse on court day. Dortch
was to pay off Crowder, cover his expenses, and give the rest to Solomon.
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| Another partial Crowder vs. Solomon Pittillo document from the Boydton court records |
Solomon executed his will on January 6, 1804, and he died a
few days later in the town of Boydton which is in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
Even though three generations of my Pattillo ancestors lived and died in
Boydton I have been unable to locate Solomon’s grave or other Pattillo graves
nearby.
After his death, Solomon’s estate was inventoried by Pettus
Phillips (his daughter-in-law’s father), Dabney Phillips (Pettus’s brother),
Samuel Farrar and John Farrar. Some of the items listed on the inventory were
12 head of cattle, 12 hogs, 1 bay mare and colt, 1 black mare cold, 2 beds and furniture,
1 black walnut table, 1 pine chest, 1 loom, 1 Dutch oven, a loom, and two
spinning wheels. Pretty standard stuff though it is somewhat unique that the
appraisers noted the types of wood in the table and chest. The appraised value of
these items, completed on January 9, 1804, came to 114 pounds and six
shillings.
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| Solomon's signature on one of the documents I found at the Boydton courthouse |
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| One of the documents from Solomon's probate packet. This lists items sold from his estate after his death. It is dated 7 Jan 1806 and was administered by Solomon's son Williamson |
[1]
According to Crosse James Jrs. wife was named Elizabeth surname unknown.
Multiple sources show Martha Burge as James Jrs. Wife including the
FamilySearch family tree and FindAGrave. The will of Thomas Burge references
his daughter Martha married to Solomon Pittillo.
[2]
See my biography of Sarah Major Pattillo for the children’s names and dates of
birth.
[3]
Crosse Melba C. Patillo, Pattillo, Pattullo, and Pittillo Families, p.
101
[4]
Crosse who cited Warren County, N.C. Rec. book Vol III, p. 80 by Mary Hinton Kerr
