Hello,

 

My distant cousin has found a male descendant of Ann Rollings and Robert
Massey to participate in the Massey DNA study.  Hopefully in a little over 4
weeks from now she will get the results back from Family Tree DNA.  We are
hoping he will match someone.  If there are any Massey/Massie males from the
above area, please participate in this study.

 

Is anyone researching these Masseys?  I don't think I have seen any queries
about these families in a long time and I would love to hear from someone.

 

My last Massey ancestor was Mary Massey who was born about 1765 in King
George Co., VA.  I don't know where, but she married Thomas Spilman in 1785
and they moved to the area of KY that became Allen Co. about 1790, and she
died there before June 1825.  He was also from King George Co.

 

Mary was the daughter of Ann Rollings and Robert Massey.  Robert Massey has
been confused with another Robert Massey who married Mildred Williamson Feb
1792 in King George Co.  This Robert was the son of Eleanor Bunberry and
Thomas Massey, and he and Mildred had no children.  I have a copy of both
Roberts' wills and the one who married Mildred Williamson left all of his
possessions to nieces and nephews - no children were mentioned.  The other
Robert left his possessions to his children, and one of the children he
mentioned was his daughter, Mary Spilman.  Mary Massey Spilman's brother,
another Robert Massey, mentioned his nephew, Robert Massey Spilman, in his
will. 

 

The Robert Massey who married Mildred Williamson mentioned nieces and
nephews named Mastin, Yates, and Cord.  His executors were Townshend S.
Dade, Hugh Mastin, and William Hooe, Jr.  this is why I feel that this
Robert was the one who was the son of Eleanor Bunberry and Thomas Massey,
and that my Robert Massey was the other one - plus he mentioned my Mary in
his will.

 

I believe that my Robert Massey was the son of Lovell Massey and Martha
Tancil.  One of my Robert's grandsons was named Lovell Massey.  Also, Martha
Tancil and Lovell Massey had a daughter, Frances Massey, who married William
Spilman, who was the uncle of the Thomas Spilman who married Mary Massey.
Frances Massey and William Spilman stayed in King George Co. 

 

I am not 100% sure who Lovell Massey's parents were, but he was the grandson
of Robert Lovell of Washington Parish, Westmoreland Co., VA.  I believe
Lovell's parents were Robert Massey and Ann Lovell.  A Robert Massey was
mentioned as a cousin in some wills of Robert Lovell's descendants in
Westmoreland Co.

 

I don't know who this last Robert Massey's parents were.  It has been
suggested that they were Mary Dade and Capt. Robert Massey because they had
a son named Robert.  Capt. Robert Massey had a brother, Sigismund Massey,
who left a will in Stafford Co., VA, Stafford County Record Book
1686-1693/4, page 253, dated 16 Apr 1692, and a part of it is below:

 

"Fourthly I doe give and bequeath all ye rest of my Estate to ROBERT MASSEY
to be disposed of as followeth  That after my debts are paid my Exors
purchase a tract of lande to ye worth of what is left and that is to ROBERT
MASSEY and his heire mailes of his Body in case of failure of them to DADE
MASSEY and ye heire mailes of his body in case of failure of them to
BENJAMIN MASSEY & ye heire mailes of his body in case of failure of them to
THOMAS MASSEY and ye heire mailes of his body and I doe make RICE HOE my
whole and Sole Exor of this my last Will and Testament revokeinge all other
Wills but this to be my last Will and Reall Meaninge this Eighteenth day of
Aprill 1692."

 

Capt. Robert Massey and Mary Dade had sons Robert, Dade, Benjamin, and
Thomas.

 

Several years ago I spoke to a gentleman who submitted this information -
that the Robert who married Miss Lovell was the son of Mary Dade and Capt.
Robert Massey - to the Ancestral File, and I asked him how he knew that this
was true.  He told me that he "followed the land".  I don't know, but I am
hoping DNA will shed some light on it.

 

I forgot to mention: several years ago I got genealogist George H. S. King's
Massey information from the Virginia Historical Society, and a lot of this
information came from that, but he didn't mention who Lovell Massey's
parents were.

 

If anyone knows anything about these folks, I would love to hear from you.

 

Thank you, and have a good day.

 

Best wishes,

Sharon Clark

Fort Worth, TX

 

 

 

 

 


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