MILLS.
In early times three large entries of lands were made within
the county by persons named Mills. Between 1737 and 1759
Matthew Mills obtained grants for seventeen hundred acres on
the south side of Mechum's River, east of the Miller School.
After his death it was divided among three sons, Matthew,
Charles and Menan. In 1782 Matthew, who at the time was
living in Guilford County, North Carolina, sold his share to
William Leigh, who came to take possession of it from Caswell
County, North Carolina. The same year Charles and his wife
Mary, who were residents of Buckingham, sold five hundred
and sixty-seven acres to Richard Woods, the same land that
descended to his son Richard, that after his death was sold
to James Michie, and that is still in the possession of his
son, Thomas Michie. The other portion, five hundred and
sixty-seven acres, fell to Menan, who lived on it till 1800.
He then bought from the executors of Micajah Chiles the old
Joel Terrell property in Charlottesville, the square on which
the present City Hall stands. He married Frances, daughter
of John Jouett. He was not a prosperous man, and in 1811
all his possessions were sold under deeds of trust, his share
of his father's estate being purchased by Daniel White, and
now owned by his grandson, Samuel G. White. Menan
Mills removed elsewhere, probably to Kentucky, leaving
four children, John, Frances and Margaret, who were placed
under the guardianship of Micajah Woods, and William,
who was placed under that of Clifton Rodes.
Charles Mills between 1744 and 1756 took out patents for
three thousand acres along the foot of Buck's Elbow, between
Crozet and Whitehall. It is probable Charles was a brother
of the elder Matthew, as both belonged to Hanover, and some
of their patents were taken out the same day. Charles's land
was inherited by his son Nicholas, who lived in Hanover,
and who, after selling a portion of it, conveyed the remainder
in 1786 to his sons, Joseph and William Mills, and his son-in-law,
James Burnley, of Louisa. In 1790 Joseph sold his
share to William, who lived in Spotsylvania, and in 1793
William sold to John Burnley, the son of James.
The third series of entries was made by David Mills. They
ran from 1738 to 1755, and amounted to more than eleven
thousand acres. They were located south of Earlysville, on
Buck Mountain and Beaverdam Creeks, and in the Brown's
Cove district. David Mills died in 1764. He and his wife Lucy
had eight children, Zachariah, David, Wyatt, Joseph, Ann,
the wife of William Michie, Elizabeth, the wife of William
Doswell, of Nottoway, Mary, the wife of William S. Lane,
and Lucy, the wife of Philip White, of Hanover. David sold
out to his brother Wyatt in 1786, and emigrated to South
Carolina. Wyatt died in 1808. He and his wife Sarah had
four children, Elizabeth, the wife of James Beazley, Wilson,
John S., and Sophia, the wife of Fontaine Richards. Joseph
Mills Jr., probably the son of Joseph, taught school in the
Buck Mountain neighborhood, was admitted to the bar in
1823, and soon after removed to Harrisonburg.
A John Mills—whether related to any of those before mentioned,
is not known—in 1782 married Elizabeth, daughter of
Robert Field, and was owner of the land which is now
known as Brooksville. In 1795 he sold it to James Hays, and
probably left the county.
