University of Virginia Library

DURRETT.

The name of Durrett was connected with the territory of
Albemarle, while it was yet a part of Hanover. In 1737 Bartholomew
Durrett patented nearly three hundred acres on
Priddy's Creek, and the next year Richard patented three
hundred in the same section. A genealogical chart of the
Terrells in the possession of Gen. W. H. H. Terrell, of Indianapolis,
states that Abigail, daughter of Henry Terrell and
Ann Chiles, of Caroline, was married to Colonel Durrett, of
Albemarle. If this refers to Colonel Richard, she must have
been a first wife. According to the records, the name of
Richard's wife was Sarah. He passed his days on Priddy's
Creek, and died in 1784. His children were Richard, Elizabeth,
the wife of Jacob Watts, Ann, the wife of Robert Sanford,
Frances, the wife of Frederick William Wills, Agatha,
the wife of William Flint, Mildred, the wife of a Williams,
the wife of Stephen K. Smith, and the wife of a Burrus.

Richard the younger, James Douglass and others bought
parts of a large tract of land on Priddy's Creek, which had
belonged to Roger Dixon. Dixon in 1766 had encumbered it
with a deed of trust for the benefit of James Harford, an
English merchant; and when the purchasers bought, they
perhaps regarded themselves safe under the acts of the Legislature
barring the debts of British creditors. But Harford

brought suit against the claimants in the United States Court,
and about 1809 recovered judgment, so that they were obliged
to pay again for their shares. Durrett's share amounted to
five hundred and fifty acres. In 1772 he began purchasing
the tract adjoining Earlysville, on which he resided the
remainder of his life. He died in 1820. His wife was Elizabeth,
daughter of Isaac Davis, and his children John D.,
Isaac W., Thomas, Davis, Robert D., Mildred, the wife of
James Simms, Susan, the wife of Thomas Garth, Elizabeth,
the wife of James Watts, Sarah, the wife of John Early, and
Frances, the wife of Archibald Buckner. John D. married
Frances Davis, and his children were Matilda, the wife of William
Catterton, Thomas, who married Emily Wood, Frances,
Elizabeth, the wife of Daniel P. Key, Sarah, Isaac, and Richard
W., who married Lucy Twyman. Thomas married
Frances Simms, and his son Thomas married Mary, daughter
of James Early, and was the father of Dr. James T., and
Frank. Robert D. married Elizabeth Price.

Two brothers of this name became residents of the Batesville
district the latter part of the last century. They came
from Caroline, and were no doubt of the same stock with
those just mentioned, though it seems impossible now to
trace the relationship. Marshall Durrett in 1783 purchased
from Robert Terrell nearly four hundred acres on the head
waters of Mechum's River, where he was living at the time;
and as the land he bought was part of that entered by Henry
Terrell, of Caroline, the Abigail Terrell already alluded to
may have been his first wife. In 1803 he purchased from
Robert Bolling in the North Garden, whither he removed and
resided until his death in 1834. He was appointed a magistrate
in 1796, and served as Sheriff in 1819, succeeding
Charles Wingfield Jr., who at the time of his death had occupied
the office but a month. Marshall's wife was Dorothy,
daughter of John Digges, of Nelson, and his children Sarah,
the wife of Robert Field, Richard, Rice, Marcus, Silas, Benjamin,
Paul, Ann, the wife of William Morris, and afterwards
of John D. Rodes, Elizabeth, the wife of John Dunkum, and
John. Marcus succeeded his father in the home in North

Garden. He was also a magistrate, one of the last set
appointed under the old Constitution. He married Sarah
Ann, daughter of H. Carter Moore, and died in 1878.

James Durrett, the brother of Marshall, in 1799 purchased
land of John Epperson, where he resided until his death in
1822. His place was the same afterwards owned by C. W.
Purcell, of Richmond, Alton Park. He married Nancy
Digges, a sister of his brother's wife, and his children were
Frances, the wife of Richard Richardson, Sarah, the wife of
Horsley Goodman, William, Mildred, the wife of William
Bumgardner, Elizabeth, the wife of William McClunn, Nancy,
the wife of Colston Heiskell, who removed to Philadelphia,
James, who married Susan Goodman, John, who married
Mary Diggs, and Richard, who married Elizabeth, daughter
of William Piper. Many of the descendants of these
brothers removed to Kentucky and Missouri.