William Sams (1717-1779) and Mary (—) of Essex and Spotsylvania and Lunenburg and Halifax and Pittsylvania and Henry Co., VA.

Marty and Karla Grant

[Home] [What’s New?] [Books for Sale] [Christian] [Genealogy] [Search] [Support] [About] [Contact]

[Sams Home] - [Table of Contents] - William Sams (1717)

Jump to Children’s section | Jump to Family Group Sheet

William and Mary Sams are my 7 times Great Grandparents, assuming they are the parents of my ancestor William Sams (Jr) which isn’t entirely proven, but seems likely.

Reference the books Sams Family of Virginia, Dr. Crawford F. Sams, Conway C. Sams and Col. Robert C. Hackett, 1981, and The Sons and Daughters of Sams, Volume I, Beck Sams, 2007. Both are great resources for the Sams family, and also the reasons I didn’t do much first hand Sams research until recently. I’ve not attempted to verify everything in the books, but I have done my best to verify my direct lineage.

William Sams was born 9 Dec 1717 in Essex Co., VA per the Sams books. I do not know the source for this date other than it being included in the books. The location makes sense, for William’s father James was in Essex in 1715, so that works.

William is a proven son of James Sams and Katherine Alden as named in James’s 1726 Will.

At the time of William’s birth, Essex was a very lengthy county. In 1721, the western portion of it (and other counties) were cut off to form Spotsylvania County. The Sams either fell into the new county or moved there.

On 29 Jun 1739, “William Samms and James Samms” received a land patent in Spotsylvania Co., VA of 244 acres on both sides of Cattail Swamp a branch of Mattopony River. The description mentioned James Stevens’s line, John Talbert’s corner, Rice Curtis Junr’s land, Robert Coleman’s line, Daniel Brown’s line, Abel Shear’s plantation, (or Stear), Samms plantation, Joseph Brock’s corner. (Virginia Land Patents Book 18, pp. 356-357.)

James was William’s brother. John Talbert (various spellings) was their older half brother.

There is a William Sams listed on a militia list in 1742 Augusta Co., VA. If ours, he returned to Spotsylvania County by 1744.

William Sams married Mary (—), before ca 1744, likely in Spotsylvania Co., VA. Her maiden name isn’t known, though Fuller has been listed by some, Webb by others. I’ve seen no actual proof either way, nor any strong circumstantial evidence, or any reason given at all why people think either of those might be her name.

On 4 Jun 1744, William Samms and wife Mary, of Spotsylvania Co., VA, made a deed to his brother James Samms of the same place, for ten pounds. They sold him 18 acres, part of land devised by Williams’ father. William Samms signed with a “W” mark. Mary’s signature wasn’t recorded. Witnesses were Wm Carr, John Bigger, and John Carr, Junr. (Spotsylvania Co., VA Deed Book D, pp. 209-211.)

On 4 Dec 1744, William and Mary Samms of Spotsylvania made a deed to John Pain of the same place, for twenty five pounds, they sold him 100 acres being part of the land devised to William by his father. William signed with a “W” mark. Mary with an “m” mark. Witnesses were Thomas Duarson? Felix Gilbert and Isaac Davis. (Spotsylvania Co., VA Deed Book D, pp. 170-172.)

One year later, 4 Jun 1745, James Samms and wife Anne of Spotsylvania made a deed to William Samms of the same place, for ten pounds they sold him 34 acres, being part of the land devised to James by his father. James Samms signed with a “J” mark. Anne didn’t sign. Witnesses were the same as the 1744 deed. (Spotsylvania Co., VA Deed Book D, pp. 211-212.)

On 27 Jan 1745(1746), William Samms and wife Mary of Spotsylvania made a deed to James Stevens for eight pounds, for the 34 acres purchased from his brother James Sams. William signed with a “W” mark. Mary with an “m” mark. Witnesses were Jeremiah Stevens, John Talbert and James (J) Samms. (Spotsylvania Co., VA Deed Book D, pp. 279-281.)

William and Mary moved southward into Lunenburg Co., VA by 1749 for he was listed on the tax list there that year in Matthew Talbot’s district. He had one tithe (himself, presumably). He was *not* listed on the 1748 tax list in that county, so probably moved there late 1748 or early 1749. I wonder if Matthew Talbot is related to William Sams’s mother Katherine’s first husband, John Tolbert (similar name, spelled many ways.) Maybe, or perhaps it’s just a coincidence that Sams lived in Talbot’s district.

No Sams were listed on the 1750 or 1751 tax lists in Lunenburg Co., VA, though they might have still been living there.

“Mary Sames” witnessed the 29 Mar 1751 Will of Thomas Edwards Sr. in Lunenburg Co., VA. She signed with an “M” mark. Other witnesses were John Bullock and Thomas Gresham. (Lunenburg Co., VA Wills Book 1 page 44.)

How was Mary Sams associated with Thomas Edwards? They were almost certainly neighbors, and that might be all there is to it. Thomas’s granddaughter Martha Edwards would later marry Mary’s son William Sams (ca 1770s), but is there a connection prior to then? Was Mary related to Thomas Edwards? Or to his wive Martha perhaps? (Her maiden name is unknown also.) Or was Mary perhaps related to John Bullock or Thomas Gresham, the other two witnesses?

Halifax County was created in 1752 from western Lunenburg, taking the Sams into the new county.

That same year, on 30 Nov 1752, a survey was made for William Sams of 400 acres on the north side of Irwin River, crossing Fall Creek, William Rice’s line, described as 1/3 plantable. (Halifax Co., VA Surveys No. 1, p. 103.)

The Irwin River is now known as Smith’s River, so this is probably in what is now Henry Co., VA.

In 1767, the western portion of Halifax was cut off to form Pittsylvania Co., VA. The Sams fell into the new county.

The 1767 tax list for Pittsylvania Co., VA for Robert Chandler’s district includes James Sams with one tithable, and William Sams with two. Neither had land. John Sams was on the 1767 tax list in Peter Perkins’ district, with one tithable and no land. This would be William (1717) and his sons James and John. The second tithable in William’s household would either be his son William (Jr) (born before 1752) or Edmond (1750/60) depending on which was older.

On the 1767 list, William Sams was just three houses from James Sams, and next to William Rice who might be related. Merry Webb Jr wasn’t far away, and he might be related to William Sams’s wife Mary if she was a Webb. There is also a Martin Webb in the same district. (I think that “Merry” is short for Merriweather.)

There is an entry in the deed books listing surveys in 1769, including:

John Samms, 360 acres on waters of Tae? and Cut? Creek

William Samms Senr, 105 (or 185) acres on Smiths River

William Samms Junr, 164 acres on draughts of Turkey Cock Creek. (Pittsylvania Co., VA Deed Book 1, p. 533.)

Smiths River rises in what is now Patrick Co., VA and flows north easterly, then south easterly into what is now Henry Co., VA through the city of Martinsville, then continuing south easterly into Rockingham Co., NC. I don’t know precisely where William Sams lived along that river, but I do know his son William Jr had land on Turkeycock Creek which is south east of Martinsville, and William Sr’s son Rice Sams wound up in Rockingham Co., NC.

There is a William Sams listed on the 1770 tax list in Pittsylvania Co., VA in Robert Chandler’s District with one poll (tithable). I’m not sure if this William Sr or Jr. William Jr would have been approximately 18 if born ca 1752, so it depends on whether the tithes had to be 16 and up or 21 and up. Since only one William was listed, I think it is probably William Sr (1717). John Sams is listed near William in 1770. Neither man had any land listed on this tax list.

In Nov 1772 court in Pittsylvania Co., VA, Charles Gallaway sued William Samms for debt. The outcome was “Judgment by default against the defendant in custody of Archibald Gordon, Gent., Sheriff of this county for the sum of” [blank] (Pittsylvania Co., VA Court Records Book 2, p. 90.)

I don’t know if the above is William Sr or his son William Jr. The younger William was probably still too young in 1772 to be sued, so it must be the elder William.

That is the last record I’ve found (thus far) on William Sams Sr.

In 1776, Henry County was formed from the western portion of Pittsylvania Co., VA. The Sams fell into the new county.

The Sams book states that William Sams died in 1779 in Henry Co., VA and that his wife Mary died there in 1780. I don’t know what the sources are for this.

Children

I don’t think there is any primary evidence for the children of William and Mary Sams. The list of children we have is, I believe, based entirely on circumstantial evidence, mainly location and association with each other to some extent, as well as being of appropriate age. I believe the list is probably accurate, though incomplete as no daughters have been identified. There is one potential daughter named Hannah Sams who I have included below, though I have no solid proof linking her to this family, though there is some circumstantial evidence.

1. John Sams was born 3 Sep 1749 in Lunenburg Co., VA.

2. James Sams was born before 1755, probably in Lunenburg Co., VA.

3. William Sams (Jr) was born before 1752, probably in Lunenburg Co., VA. He married Martha Edwards. They are my ancestors. See their own page for additional information.

4. Edmond Sams was born 1750/1760, probably in Halifax Co., VA, now Henry Co., VA.

5. Littlebury Sams was born 1750/1760, probably in Halifax Co., VA, now Henry Co., VA.

6. Rice Sams was born before 1765, probably in Halifax Co., VA, now Henry Co., VA.

7. Elijah Sams was born ca 1765/66, probably in Halifax Co., VA, now Henry Co., VA. He was in Henry Co., VA most of his life. He is the only one of his siblings to live long enough to appear on the 1850 census, living then in Stokes Co., NC, listed as age 84, born in Virginia.

8. Hannah Sams was born ca 1768 per her tombstone which listed her dying on 8 Jun 1848 in her “80^th year”. I’m including Hannah here because I don’t know where else to put her. She apparently married a Mr. Callahan before ca 1788, who according to family tradition left home and when he didn’t return after a few years was presumed dead, so Hannah married again, this time to Rev. Drury Dobbins (1776-1847). They would have married before ca 1797, somewhere in North Carolina. The tradition continues that Mr. Callahan eventually returned home finding his wife remarried. She opted to remain with her second husband. I’ve seen no proof for any of this.

Hannah’s son John Callahan (c1788-1850s) married in Ashe Co., NC in the 1810s to my cousin Mary Dugger, daughter of Benjamin Dugger who formerly lived in the exact same part of Virginia as the Sams and might have known each other there, thus the reason I suspect Hannah might be a child of William Sams. The Callahans, some of the Duggers and the Dobbins moved to Rutherford Co., NC by ca 1810, and that’s where Hannah remained until her death in 1848. No other Sams lived in Rutherford Co., NC as far as I’m aware.

Further research may add evidence for us to keep Hannah as part of this Sams family.

For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for William Sams and Mary (—)

Revised: March 5, 2025

[Home] [What’s New?] [Books for Sale] [Christian] [Genealogy] [Search] [Support] [About] [Contact]