M. (1) about 1740 in (probably) King William County, Virginia2
Wife: UNKNOWN
M. (2) about 1757 in (probably) King William County, Virginia2
Wife: Mary Coleman
D. before 1790 in (probably) King William County, Virginia3
In looking at the life of Fendall Sutherland, it’s hard to overlook the fact that he owed his wealth to the labor of many enslaved people. Rather than glossing over this history, it’s better to tell it head on.
Fendall was born in about 1718 in King William County, Virginia, the son of Joseph Sutherland.1 Fendall’s mother’s first name is unknown, but she was a daughter of John Chiles.4 Why was he given the unusual name of Fendall? It was likely chosen to honor Josias Fendall, an early governor of Maryland who led a 1660 rebellion against Lord Baltimore. He was a folk hero to some people for many years to come, and perhaps to Fendall’s parents at the time of his birth. Fendall was known to have had one brother named John who seems to have died in 1771.5
As with most Virginia families of this period of time, the records are incomplete; many were destroyed in courthouse fires during the Civil War or later. Various sources have identified six children for Fendall, and it’s believed they were from two wives, with the second one named Mary Coleman.2 It’s likely that Fendall married his first wife in about 1740,2 and she died during the late 1750s, but we have no information about who she was. His second marriage was in about 1757;2 only one daughter, Anne, has a known birth date of October 21, 1769.5
Fendall’s second wife Mary.
Living in Tidewater Virginia in the mid-18th century meant that your livelihood almost certainly involved tobacco — growing it, harvesting it, and selling it. We know that on June 14, 1739, Fendall was granted 200 acres in King William County which was part of some land from his grandfather’s original claim.5 By 1782, he lived on a plantation of 1,359 acres in another county in Virginia: Amelia.5 And along with his land, Fendall had a substantial amount of slaves.
How Fendall came to have so many slaves may have been as a result of his inheritance from an uncle. Walter Chiles was the brother of his mother, and when he died in 1760, he left no descendants. Chiles’ vast holdings were therefore divided between the children of his two sisters. Fendall was said to have bought the shares of his siblings, so he seems to have acquired half of the Chiles estate, including numerous slaves.6
A tax list from 1778 in King William County reveals that 52 slaves were in Fendall’s household.7 In 1782, a personal property list recorded in Amelia County showed a total of 34 slaves.8 This implied that he sold off 18 people between those years, possibly breaking up families; sadly, this was a common thing during that time. The 1782 document listed each of his slaves by name (all but one of these unfortunate people were probably never documented anywhere else): Peter, Jack, Tom, Cain, Gloster [?], Hannable, Jemimy, Jinney, Molly, Armeca, Flora, Hanna, Cate, Charles, Hall, Sam, Tom, Amy, Lucy, Patt, Delilah, Betty, Jinney, Martin, Phill, Daniel, Phillis, Moses, Molly, Surah, Lewis, Judy, Ivy and Sue.
Fendall’s listing in the 1782 Amelia County, Virginia personal property book.
One of the people in the list was mentioned in a Virginia publication dated July 10, 1784: “Fendall Southerland, Sen., living in King William County, advertises for a runaway Negro lad named Martin. He ran away last year and passed by the name of Reuben Gun, and fell in at Petersburg with George Oast who kept him as a waiting man, and after being advertised in the Virginia Gazette, was apprehended in Petersburg by Alexander Gordon.”9
Fendall continued to appear in tax lists in William County until 1785,7 then there’s a gap in the records until 1790. That year listed his wife Mary as a widow, so Fendall died by that date.7 Mary, who was much younger than Fendall, lived for many years more, and passed away on January 16, 1818.5 As for Fendall’s legacy of slaveholding, this wasn’t passed along to at least some of the next generation. His sons William and Uriah moved near the Green River in Kentucky by 1801, and neither had any slaves.10
A record of the enslaved
The Amelia County, Virginia 1782 personal property book is a snapshot of who lived there at the time, and a sickening document to read. It’s 92 pages listing the heads of households followed by the names of the people they “owned” (one individual had a list of over 250 names after his own). The names of the enslaved bring the dry facts to life because you can almost picture them. And knowing that this was several generations before the Civil War, these people were likely doomed to being enslaved for the rest of their lives. History such as this should be remembered, and that’s why I do so here — even when it involves my own ancestor.
Children (possibly) by first wife:
1. William Sutherland — B. about 1742, King William County, Virginia;11 D. after 22 Jan 1803, Lincoln County, Virginia;11 M. Mary Polly Owen (1746-1834), about 1766, Virginia11
2. Fendall Sutherland — B. about 1745, King William County, Virginia;12 D. about 1791;12 M. Catherine _____, about 176612
3. Uriah Sutherland — B. about 1755, King William County, Virginia;13 D. 22 Aug 1804, Lincoln County, Kentucky;14 M. Rebecca Bentley, 19 Feb 1787, Frederick County, Virginia15
Children (possibly) by Mary Coleman:
1. Elizabeth Sutherland — B. about 1758, King William County, Virginia;12 D. about 1810;12 M. Isaac Quarles, 5 May 177412
2. Sarah Sutherland — B. about 1763, King William County, Virginia;12 D. after 1789;12 M. Roger Gregory12
3. Anne Sutherland — B. 21 Oct 1769, King William County, Virginia;12 D. 28 Oct 1841, (probably) King William County, Virginia;16 M. William Gregory (1767-1849), 27 Oct 178512
Sources:
1 Sutherlands and Their Tangled Branches, Robert J. Walsh, 1985, pp.19-20. (Fendall first appeared in a 1739 document which suggested he was of age, putting his estimated birth by 1718.)
2 Ibid. (Evidence suggests Fendall was married twice, which is explained on page 19.)
3 1790 personal property tax lists of King William County, Virginia, FamilySearch.org
4 There is a string of evidence that points to a Miss Chiles being the mother of Fendall. (1) In 1763, Fendall was executor to the probate of a man named Walter Chiles, implying a close relationship. (2) Walter Chiles had two sisters, one of whom married a Mr. Sutherland (Reports of Cases in the General Court of Virginia, 1829, p. 133). (3) The age of Walter Chiles and his sisters would put them on the generation of Fendall’s father, Joseph.
5 “Southerland Family of King William County, Virginia,” Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, Clayton Torrence, 1929, pp. 394-400
6 Reports of Cases in the General Court of Virginia, 1829, p. 133
7 1782-1790 personal property tax lists of King William County, Virginia, FamilySearch.org
8 1782 personal property tax list of Amelia County, Virginia, FamilySearch.org
9 The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 30, 1986, p. 312
10 1801 personal property tax list of Lincoln County, Kentucky, FamilySearch.org
11 Sutherlands and Their Tangled Branches, p. 23
12 Sutherlands and Their Tangled Branches, p. 29
13 Unsourced information on WikiTree listing for Uriah Sutherland
14 Probate record of Uriah Sutherland, Lincoln County, Kentucky
15 Marriage record of Uriah Sutherland and Rebecca Bently, Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901, FamilySearch.org
16 Find-a-Grave listing of Anne (Southerland) Gregory
