THE WORLEY FAMILY OF NORTH CAROLINA
According to LDS Group Sheet Archives
There are more than just one Worsley and Worley families. Just because it is early in Colonial
days, it does not mean that there are just one of a kind in terms of families with the same last name. Often there are more than just
one of a family line, which does appear to be the case concerning the Worley / Worsley families of Virginia and North Carolina.
As noted by Karen Worely in her genealogical research of consulting with many such researchers, she has come to the conclusion that
there were more than one separate John Worley families, each having a husband and wife of John Worley and Esther or John Worley and
Hester. She points out that the John Worley Jr. wife who is of Berford was not Esther Blount but some other Esther. This is supported
by reviewing the records involved when a John Worley Jr. happens to cross through Edenton, Chowan and the path of the other John Worley
there. They are not the closely related father and son, they are of two separate families. And John Worley Jr. appears after 1721 when
on the census of 1721 of Chowan there is only one John Worley listed and not two. Of course that John Worley is the long time residant
of Chowan and also later Tyrrell and he has no living son John Worley as shown by his will of 1740. The other John Worley Jr. has a
will dated 1757 and would be living still. Since a second John Worley is not living in Chowan until the paths cross later, it is
apparent that the John Worley who married Hester Blount in 1718/19 was the one in residence and not the later sojourner John Worley
Jr. who was appointed to Beurford and continued on to there. (See a derived history from sources of related events.)
There does seem to be a mix as to John Worley's complete Id above per 'WikiTree' Their John Worley
is given a large family of many children while the John Worley of North Carolina has but few mentioned in his
will. The John Worley below is supported by source documents such as family wills of not only himself by there
is one also of 'Lovick Worley of Tyrrell as well which will be given. The rub is they both claim as wife
Esther/Hester Blount of Blount and Davis which ties back to England. The John Worley below and his information
is also found and supported by the old LDS family group sheet archives. Where as the newer noted John Worley who
does not die until 27 March 1795 as age some ?97 years? One solution is that 'our' John worley whose will is
given below and dated spring of 1740, does have a line in his will which begins to name as a son John Worley and
then crosses that name and line out. For a Colonial days man to live until the age of nearly 100 years in the
fountier of Cumberland is of some question. Might not that John Worley of Cumberland be that John Worley lined
out of our John Worley's will as having left for the west from his father's family? I would suggest it as a
solution to both dilimas and other which are being created by WikiTree's fast and furious take on such matters
without searching the existing older data and records.
* Subsequent to death of (Col) John Worley, Thos. Lurrey (Leary) Attests in Edenton on 28 May 1741 as to inventory of
Col. John Worley. Thomas Lurrey was named as one of the Executors of the will of John Worley (see such will
transcript below).
*Col. John Worley = Hester/Ester Blount
b 1698 | b 17 Mar 1703
of Tyr NC | Mulberry Hill
m | and/or Edenton
| Chowan NC/VA
d 1741? |
Tyrrell |
wd 8 Reb 1740 |
3 Mar 1740 |
Col. Tyr NC |
________________________________________|__________________________
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Joshua Worley Elizabeth Worley Penelope Worley Mary dau. Worley*
b a1725 b a1727 b a1729 b a1731
of Tyr NC of Tyr NC of Tyr NC of Tyr NC
m
m
= ?William Weight = Mr. Norcomb
= Thomas Leary [Lurrey]
* 1741 Will of Thomas Norcom of Perquimmans names 'Mary Norcom' as daughter of John Worley.
source: @http://aworsley.com/worsley.htm (John Blount Will - Chowan County - 1725
1725 - Will - Chowan County - John Blount Chowan County 27 Jan 1725-1726 18 May 1726 Will Sons: John, Thomas (manor, fronting
on Albemarle Sound, John to have eastern and Thomas western portion), James and Charles (land on Welches Creek), Joseph
(land at Mattehapungo, known by the name of Goshen). Wife: Elizabeth (land at Bear Swamp and at Barrow Hole). Daughters:
Mary Jacocks, Eliza Paget, Sarah Lovick, Martha Worsley and Hester Worley.
Executrix: Elizabeth Blount (wife), to be assisted by friends John Lovick and Thos. Pollock. Witnesses: Samll. Warner,
Wm. Benbury, Magnes Plowman. Will proven before Richard Everard, Governor, etc. Codicil to will of John Blount. Dated
January 27, 1725-1726. Daughters: Ann and Rachel (a gold ring each). Christopher Gale appointed assistant together with
Jno. Lovick and Thos. Pollock. Coat of arms on seal of both will and codicil. The testator mentions in the will having
broken the entail.
source: @http://groups.yahoo.com/group/genpcncfir/message/5339
John Blount
Chowan County
27 Jan 1725-1726
18 May
1726
Will
Sons: John, Thomas (manor, fronting on Albemarle Sound, John
to have eastern and Thomas western portion), James and Charles (land
on Welches Creek), Joseph (land at Mattehapungo, known by the
name of Goshen). Wife: Elizabeth (land at Bear Swamp and at Barrow
Hole). Daughters: Mary Jacocks, Eliza Paget, Sarah Lovick, Martha
Warsley and Hester Worley. Executrix: Elizabeth Blount (wife), to be
assisted by friends John Lovick and Thos. Pollock. Witnesses: Samll.
Warner, Wm. Benbury, Magnes Plowman. Will proven before Richard
Everard, Governor, etc. Codicil to will of John Blount. Dated January
27, 1725-1726. Daughters: Ann and Rachel (a gold ring each).
Christopher Gale appointed assistant together with Jno.
Lovick and Thos. Pollock. Coat of arms on seal of both will and
codicil. The testator mentions in the will having broken the entail.
source: John Worley of Tyrrell County - Will extract:
Worley, John, Tyrrell County
Febuary 8 1740/1741, March 3 1740.
Son: Joshua my maner [manor] plantation
Daughters: Elizabeth Lurry three negroes
Penelope Weight cattle crop in ye right Eare and over Caele in left
Grandson: John Norcomb/Norkom
Executors: Joshua Worley, Thomas Lurrey and William Weight
Witnesses: Ebenezer Slad, John and Jane Rogers
Proved before: W Smith CJ
Now the full registered will of John Worley will here be attempted to be transcribed by me, who if the genealogy
be correct, he is one of my 6th great grandfather [John Worley, Thomas Leary & Elizabeth Worly, Joshua Leary,
Henry Swanner & Elizabeth Worely Leary, Thomas Swanner & S/Cinderilla Jones, Henry Lafayette swanner & Nicey Ann
Quinn and Joseph Thomas Swanner & Lenora Mabel Smith being my grand parents.]
Full Will of John Worley
North Carolina Tyrrell Couny
In the Name of God Amen the 8 day of February in the year of our Lord 1740/1+++++ I John Worley of North Carolina
in the County of Tyrrell++ Being Very Sick and Weake in body but of a Perfect mind and memory thanks be Given
unto God, Therefore Calling unto mind Mortility of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to
die, Do Make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, That is to Say Principally and first of all I give and
Recommend my Soule in to hands of God that gave it, for my body I Recommend it to the eArth To be Buried in a
Christian Like and Desent Manner at the Discretion of my Execu. Nothing Doubting but at the Generale Resurrecttion
I Shall Recieve the Same again by the Mighty Power of God ans as where with it hath To Bless me in this
Life I Devise and Dispose of In the following Manner and Form------
Item I *gave [give] to my well beloved Son Joshua Worley
my maner plantation I now Dwelle on to him and his heirs for Ever
Item I gave [give] to my welle beloved Daughter Elizabeth
Lurry three negros ?Cashebell? and ?Moll? and ?Boston? for her and her heirs for Ever
and by Reservation The first Child Thats Male bring to my grand son John Norkom
Item I gave [give] furthere to my Daughter Lurrey all my household goods Excepting one feather
bed and one furniture to be paid to my grand Son Norcomb by Thomas Lurry [implication being
that Thomas Lurry is Elizabeth Lurry's husband] when he [Norcomb] comes of age
Item I gave [give] to my grand Son John Norkom my melloto ?Wentek hope? to him and his heirs
for Ever and if Escapses the Child ?Lisle? in to ?ouage age then to falle to my Daughtere Lury
all that I have Left him
Item I gave [give] to my Loving Daughter Penelope Weight all my Cattle and With Crop in the Right my
Sovell? horse Derby to her and her heirs For Ever
Item I gave [give] to my Daughter Lurry all my Stock horses and Cattle Except one ?marer?
that was in Disput I gave to my grand Son John Norcom and all my meat and Corn to my Daughter Lurry ?Eorph
as much as will ?Sign? out the rest of the year and what is oweing to her and her heirs for Ever
[I Do apoint Joshua Worley (this line crossed out)]
I Do nominate and apoint Joshua Worley and Thomas Lurrey and William Weight
my whole and Sole Executors to this my Last Will and Testement to See all this Will fullfil and to
Dispose of two 6 acres? of Land One Called ?Teterkons? and the other Lying between Daves and Kimbull
fo to /Defuse? Charges and pay Debts in written hereof
I hereunto Set by hamd and seall the ?day? and yeare above Written
John Worley (Seal)
Signed Seales and Delivered in the
presents of Ebenezer Slad,
John and Jane Rogers
March 3d 1740
Came before me John Roper and made oath that he saw John Worley sign seal and publish the within as his last will
& testament, that he was of sound & disposed mind & memory at that time & that Ebenezer Slade, & JJane Roper
subscribed as witnesses thereto
At that Same time Thomas Lurrey took sd oath appointed by law too be taken by executor.
Proven before W. Smith, C.J.
[* Curious note of observation: In the will it is written or 'copied' with the items being stated in the past
tense of 'I gave' when commonly it is 'I give' in the present tense. So either John Worley first gives his
will orally and then it is then in short order thereafter written in that past tense of just orally having 'gave'
or there could be somethingelse at work here. That one 'horse' is in 'dispute' may have a shadow in it and the
oddity of the legal wranglings which followed may also further have an effect of muddling the water of what is
herein occuring. Certainly it is odd that Thomas Leary is required at 'An estate auction to buy the vary slaves
which his wife Elizabeth was willed to her in her father's will. With the law suits of the Blount family also
proceeding post the death of John Worley against such as Joshua Worley etc., it might seem the case of an older
family — younger estranged family lawsuit occurring over the situation of the death and will of this John
Worley. One might even suspesion that the children of Mary Worley, the elder children and the estranged wife
and children of the younger wife Hester Blount and the Blount family are having it out in court. If so, so much
for this John Worley being 'Senior' when in fact he may in reality be who some have made into two, a Jr. and a
Sr. John Worley. And to that end, he may be a son of another John Worley, which would make him a Jr. to that
John Worley. But never is he stated to being John Worley Sr. (see analysis here.)]
Now, this be that John Worley who is father to Elizabeth Worley the wife of Thomas Leary as stated and implied
in the above will. Now as to the exact time and date of death and burial, it is not so given in relatiion to the
recording of this will, only that it was written 8th February 1740 and subsequently 'proved' or 'registered' on
3d March 1740.
Some have made that asumptive jump and so it will be seen often that his death date be 3 March 1740, which may be
nearly correct. But as for the detail that the will was written and proved or register, beyond that there is
no solid evident that John Worley did die as of that particular time. One note of interest, though it may be
nothing, each Item of desposal of the will used the past tense 'gave' which for the subjective manner of reading
of the will I took liberty to replace with the future tense 'give'. If any know exactly were and when John Worley
was buried,this would relieve my mind some upon that matter for there is another said John Worley who some do
make the husband of Esther Blount who they give born 1698 in Buckingham Henrico Virgina, son of Edward Worley
and Mary Gaskill, brother of Thomas Worley, Nicholas Worley and Edward Worley; and as well the father of such
as Mary An Worley, Mary Esther Worley, Judith (Worley) Smith, Christiana Worley, Joseph John Worely, Lovick Worley,
Robert Worley, Sarah Worley, Elizabeth Worely, John Worley and william Worley. This John Worley they give a
death date to as of 27 March 1795 in cumberland, Cumberland Virginia.
** Division of the estate of Joshua Worley of Tyrrell (no date): Heirs Lewis Worley, James Long and wife, Joshua Slade and wife,
Esther Worley, William Worley, Joshua Worely, Richard Collins and wife.
Next is the family of Lovick Worley, brother of John Worley.
Will of Lovick Worley, Tyrrell, North Carolina
Worley, Lovick
January 24, 1754.
March Court, 1754.
Daughter: Ann Gray Worley. Wife and Executrix: Ann Worley. Brother: John Worley. Brother-in-law: William Gray.
Sisters-in-law: Lucretia, Amelia and Louisa Gray. Executors: James Blount (uncle), Thomas Whitmell. Witnesses:
David Jernigan, Thomas Kinsy, David Canaday. Clerk of the Court: Evan Jones.
(Source: Abstracts of North Carolina Wills, By: J. Bryan Grimes, Secretary of State, 1910, Page 423 & 424)
North Carolina,
ss.
In the Name of God Amen. I, Lovick Worley, of the Comity of Tyrell being Sick and weak in Body, but of Perfect Memory
and Judgment, thanks be Given to God, Therefore do make and Ordain this to be my Last Will and Testament, First of
all I Recommend my Soul to God that Gave it; and my Body to the Earth, to be Buried in a Christian Like Manner at
the Discretion of My Executors hereafter Mentioned; And as for my Worldly Estate, I Dispose of the same in Manner
and Form as followeth, Viz:
Imprimis, my Will is that my Two Negro Girls (Viz.) Moll and Bess and their Increas (If any they should have), be
not Divided untill my Loving Daughter, Ann Gray Worley, be Twenty One Years Old or Married, &c.
2d'ly, I Give and Bequeath to my Loving Wife, Ann Worley, after My Just Debts are paid, the One Half of all My
Personal Estate, to her, her heirs and Assigns for ever. I also lend to my Said Wife the use of My Lands and
Plantation whereon I Now Live During her Natural Life.
3dly, I Give and Bequeath to my Loving Daughter, Ann Gray Worley, (after my Just debts are paid) the one half of
all my Personal Estate in case she Lives to be Twenty One Years of Age or is Marryed; and if in Case my sd
daughter should die before she is Twenty One Years of age or Marryed, I Give and Bequeath to my Loving Brother,
John Worley, his Heirs and Assigns, Ten Pounds Lawful Money of great Brittain, to be raised Out of that Part of
my Personal Estate I have Given to My sd Daughter; and the Remainder of that Part of My Personal Estate, I Give
and Bequeath to my Loving Brother in Law, William Gray, and my Loving Sisters in Law, Lucretia Gray, Amelia Gray &
Louisa Gray, to be Equally Divided Amongst them Share & Share alike, to them, their heirs and assigns for ever.
4thly. I Give and Bequeath to my Loving Daughter, Ann gray Worley, all my Lands that I am Now Possessed of, on
Proviso she lives to have a Lawful Heir begotten of her body and her said heir lives to the Age of Twenty One
Years or is Marryed, On such Provisoes, I Give her the sd. Lands; Otherwise, I Give and Bequeath unto my Loving
Brother, John Worley, all My sd Lands, to him and his heirs forever.
Lastly, I Constitute and Appoint My Loving Wife, Ann Worley, My Executrix, and My Loving Brother in Law, William
Gray, my loving TXncle, James Blount, and My Loving friend Thomas Whitmell My Executors to this My last Will and
Testament, Revokeing and Disanulling All former Or Other Wills by me made, acknowledging and Ordaining this to be
my last Wil and Testament.
In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand and affixed my Seal, this 24th. Day of January, Anno Dom:, 1754.
Lovick Worley. (Seal)
Signed, Sealed, Pronounced and
Declared by the said Lovick Worley
to be his last Will and Testament
Before us:
Test. David Jernigan.
Thomas Kinsy, Jurat.
David Canaday, Jurat.
Tyrell County. ss. March Court, 1751.
Then was the within Will duly proved in Open Court by the Oath of Thomas Kinsey and David Canady, Two of the
Subscribing Witnesses thereto; and at the same Time William Gray & Ann Worley was duly Qualified as Exor. and
Exrx thereto as the Law Directs. Ordered that the Honble. James Murray, Esqr.. Secretary, have Notice, that
Letters Testamentary Issue thereon accordingly.
Test. Evan Jones, Clk. Cu.
[Note: Lovick Worley has a brother John Worley but since his will is written and dated as of January 24, 1754,
fourteen years after the will and presumed death of 'our' John Worley, thus it appears that 'our' John Worley
is not that brother of Lovick Worley which married one Esther Blount. Now some suppose that the names of
Hester, Esther and such as Easter are the same and to be used interchangably, and I am somewhat inclined in some
circumstance that they are. But in every circumstand and just to satisfy a subjective leaning, I would not just
presume them to be the same name. Now it is presented that John Worley, brother of Lovic Worley married as his
wife Esther Blount. And come make this the same as Hester Blont the daughter of John Blount and Elizabeth Davis.
But in turth there is another available Esther Blount the daughter of Benjamin Blount and his wife Elizabeth.
So question is still which John Worley did marry which Esther or Hester Blount. All in all, I'd say there are
two sides, the LDS Archives side and then the mordern 'technological quick but often a 'bit dirty' in that
mistakes are made as reality does not always follow the most logical path as some of the computer analysis
methodologies do.
Lovick Worley = Ann Gray
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Ann Gray Worley
(not 21 at will)
Ann Gray, wife of Lovick Worley, has a brother William Gray and sisters Lucretia Gray, Amelia Gray and Louisa Gray
Brothers and Sisters of Lovick mentioned in his will: Brother John Worley, Brother-in-law: William Gray,
Sisters-in-law: Lucretia, Amelia and Louisa Gray.
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