James Wilson of Frederick County, VA died between 5 Jan 1777 and 1 April
1777. Based on his will and subsequent estate papers the following
timeline can be constructed:

5 January 1777 -- James Wilson's will written at which time he was "in
perfect health"
9 February 1777 to 6 July 1777 -- boarding of his three children. (The
boarding continued from July 1777 to October 1778.)
27 March 1777 -- sale of several of his farm animals
1 April 1777 -- James Wilson's will proved in court

A tradition says James was on his way to join the Continental Army when he
died. That would explain why he wrote his will when he did. So assuming
this tradition to be true, he probably rendezvoused at Winchester, VA
shortly after he wrote his will and marched or rode off toward New Jersey
where Washington's army was in winter quarters.

QUESTIONS:
1. Does the boarding of his children indicate that news of his death had
reached his home by 9 February and that boarding children was standard
practice when a father was deceased?
Their mother was still living. So was James' father.

2. Could James Wilson still have been alive on 9 February? That is, could
the boarding of his children on 9 February have been part of a plan by
James to reduce the burden on his wife while he was absent? Then when his
death became known, the boarding simply continued.

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