University of Virginia Library

THE MOTLEY FAMILY

This family, which is of English origin, came to Virginia
about the close of the seventeenth century and settled in that
section of the State which was included in King and Queen,
Essex, and Caroline, when these counties were formed. In the
Clerk's office of Essex county is recorded a Motley will in which
certain moneys are left to his son "to pay for the surveying of
his land at the foot of the mountains." This son, John Motley,
was the progenitor of the Motleys, of Pittsylvania and Henry
counties, and it was in the former county that the "land at the
foot of the mountains" was situated.

Among the early members of this family in the Rappahannock
Valley was Henry Motley, who m. — and had issue: (1)
Nathaniel, (2) Thomas Hugh, (3) Henry, (4) Sally, and (5)
Elizabeth.

Nathaniel, m. Lucy Broaddus, sister of Judge Andrew Broaddus
who emigrated westward, and had issue: (1) John Leland, m.
Maria Broaddus, (2) Elizabeth, m. Garland Samuel, (3) Christina,
who m. Woodson Broaddus, (4) Sally, who m. Richard Green,
(5) Polly, who m. George Marshall; (6) Louisa, who m. John
Broaddus; (7) Alice, who m. Dr. C. C. Broaddus; (8) Victoria,
who m. Frank Gouldin, and (9) Virginia, who m. — Green.

Thomas Hugh Motley, m. Catherine Martin, of Caroline and

had issue: (1) Thomas Judson, who m. Martha Samuel and had
issue: (1) Henry Judson, (2) Nannie, (3) Ida, (4) Govan, (5)
Bowie and (6) Nellie.

Sally Motley, m. Younger Martin, of Caroline and had issue:
(1) John Henry, (2) Eliza. Eliza, m. Philip Green and had
issue: (1) Henry, (2) Elizabeth, (3) Nellie, (4) Nola, and (5)
Lillie.

Elizabeth, m. Andrew Pitts and had issue: (1) Chester, (2)
Eugene, (3) Jefferson, (4) George H., (5) Andrew.

Other early members of this family were Andrew Motley,
Col. Thomas Motley, Harry Motley, Robert S. Motley, Lunsford
Motley, Nathaniel Motley, Edward Motley, Silas Motley,
Richard Motley and Polly Motley. The homes of the greater
number of these were in King and Queen, although a number lived
in Caroline and Essex. Polly Motley, sister of Col. Thos. Motley,
m. — Henshaw, and was the grandmother of Rev. M. E.
Broaddus, M. G. Broaddus, W. R. Broaddus, Manley Broaddus,
R. F. Broaddus and Mrs. Effie Brownley.

Several members of this family emigrated to the Pittsylvania
county, as heretofore noted, and established the Motley family
of the South Piedmont section of the State

John Motley, son of John, one of the emigrants before named,
m. Geddie Jones and had issue: (1) Betty, who m. Robt. Blackwell;
(2) Mary, who m. Wm. Hall; (3) Catherine, who m. John
Allen; (4) Anne, who m. Wm. Allen; (5) Susan, who m. William
Motley; (6) Sally, who m. — Yeatts; (7) Martha, who m.
— Yeatts; (8) Amelie, who m. Nathan Riddell; (9) George,
who m. 1st, Martha McGuire, and 2d, Missouri Lawrence Woodall,
widow of — Woodall.

William Motley, who m. Susan Motley, had four brothers:
(1) Samuel P., (2) John (commonly called Jack); (3) James and
(4) Daniel.

William Motley and Susan Motley had issue: (1) John A.,
(2) Wm. G., (3) Josiah, (4) Richard, (5) David, (6) Scroggs, (7)
Daniel W., (8) Malinda, (9) Polly, (10) Ella, (11) Lucy, (12)
Geddie, (13) Catherine. Richard (see 4) was a Disciple minister.

John A., m. Minnie Fowler and had issue: (1) Beatrice, (2)
Leonard, (3) Carrie, (4) Mary, (5) Earle, (6) Hugh, (7) Ruth,
(8) Joe, (9) Averett and (10) Lester.

William G., m. Pinckney Shelton and had issue: (1) Edna Elizabeth,
(2) Ruby Frances and (3) Mary Wills.

Josiah C., m. Nellie Bennett and had issue: (1) Viola, (2)
Voyls, (3) Virgil, (4) Douglas, (5) Anderson, (6) Regina, (7)
Rebecca, (8) Bennett, (9) Wesley, (10) Catherine.

Richard Motley, m. Nellie Williams, of Giles county, and had
issue: (1) Lucile, (2) Ruth, (3) Langhorne, (4) Richard, Jr.,
(5) Ralph.

Malinda Motley, m. Bedford Motley, and had issue: (1) Sally,
(2) Charles, (3) Daniel, (4) George, (5) Ernest, (6) Lindsay,
(7) Betty Sue. After the death of Malinda Motley, Bedford
Motley, m. 2d, Lydia Atkinson and had issue: (8) Hattie, (9)
Mary, (10) Reed, (11) Eloise, (12) Martin and (13) Hale. Daniel
Motley (see 3) became a minister in the Church of Disciples of
Christ.

Polly Motley, m J. T. Hodges; Ella Motley, m. J. W. Bradner;
Lucy Motley, m. W. J. Horner, Jr., of California; Geddie Motley,
m. W L. Lewis.

Anne Motley, sister of Wm. and dau. of John Motley and
Geddie Jones, m. William Allen and had issue: (1) Sally, (2)
Lavinia, (3) Fanny, (4) Robert, (5) Lena and (6) Emma

Sally Allen, dau. of Anne Motley and Wm. Allen, m. James
Motley and had issue: (1) Rawley, (2) Edwin, (3) Ernest, and
(4) Mercer. Ernest is a minister in the Disciples church, and
Mercer is a tobacconist in Danville.

George Motley

George Motley, son of John Motley and Geddie Jones, m. 1st,
Martha McGuire, and 2d, Missouri Lawrence Woodall, and had
issue, by the first marriage: (1) Fanny, (2) Mary, (3) Martha,
(4) John Fontaine, (5) Joel, (6) LaFayette; and by the second
marriage he had issue: (7) Henry Clay, (8) Virginia, and (9)
Benjamin.

Fanny, m. Daniel J. Motley; Mary, m. Ephraim Hundley;
Martha, m. Wm Woodall; John Fontaine, m Nannie S. Martin,
dau. of Chas. Martin, Joel, d. unmarried; LaFayette, m. Lula
Gilbert; Henry Clay, m. Mary Fuller; Virginia, m. William Terry;
Benjamin, m. Ola Brandon.

John Fontaine Motley

John Fontaine Motley and Nannie S. Martin had issue: (1)
Sally, m. Frank Amos; (2) Henry George, m. 1st, Leanna Reynolds,
2d, Lou Arrington; (3) Mary, m. Tazewell Tarleton Wingfield;
Martha, m. 1st, W. F. Mills, 2d, J J. Okes; (5) John L., m. Kate
Reynolds; (6) Nannie, m. John Blackwell.

George Motley, son of John and Geddie Jones, ran away to
sea when a lad of thirteen and did not return until he was past
thirty years of age. During his seafaring days he visited practically
every country of the world and had a remarkable fund of
knowledge and experience. He was an enthusiastic Mason,
possibly initiated in some foreign port. He rode horseback
across Turkey Cock mountain to old Snow Creek Lodge in Franklin
county every month as long as he lived. His son, John
Fontaine Motley, was prominent in the political life of Henry
county. George Motley and his son John Fontaine, were maternal
great-grandfather and grandfather respectively of the author of
this volume.