The following information on Thomas and Dorcas Booth is an excerpt from the book "The Descendants of Thomas Booth of Amelia County, Virginia" compiled by Jeanette Wolter Pearce, April 2010.
Thomas was born Abt. 1700. He died 1766 in Amelia, Virginia, USA. Notes for Thomas Booth: General Notes: The location of Thomas' land was on both sides of Sweathouse Creek which runs into Deep Creek granted in 1723. Deep Creek flows a few miles north into the Appomattox River which flows eastward into the James River at Hopewell. Waterways were important to farmers because it gave them a way to transport crops and people to markets. In Prince George County (now Dinwiddie), VA 13 Oct 1727 granted 400 & 150 acres; 7 Jul 1730 he was granted a total of 2000 acres; and Patented land, 1554 acres, in Amelia Co. 1735.
Carlson Fitzhugh Booth, 8th generation, has visited Thomas' land in Amelia County. On his last visit in April 1993, he was accompanied by two other Booth's also descended from Thomas, but from a different son. According to Carlson, Thomas obtained first part of his land in 1724. He built a brick house in 1725 using bricks which came over from England as ballast in the boats. Also, the house was constructed from locally made bricks of reddish clay. On the original site, there now stands a wooden house constructed about 1840. Mr. and Mrs. Ben Haigwood (Hogwood?), who live there, hosted Carlson and his two Booth cousins.
According to deed records, Thomas was granted 1554 acres (2.4 square miles) on 29 September 1735. Another record says he patented additional land, totaling 2,000 acres (3.1 square miles). (Note: 640 acres = 1 square mile). This is a lot of land! Thomas later divided his land among his five sons. His four older sons received their shares in 1749, totaling 121 0 acres of the 1554 acres. His youngest son, John, was willed his share of 388 acres when Thomas died. Probably John was living at home with his father and working his future share.
[Amelia County Deed Book 12, p 46: 24 October 1772, John Booth of Amelia County conveyed to Thomas Griffin Peach, Tract #1 "on which John Booth now dwells," being part of 1554 acres granted to Thomas Booth Sr, father of John, 29 September 1735; Thomas Booth Sr. having conveyed to his sons Thomas, William, George, and Nathaniel 1210 acres, devised the rest to John.]
Thomas probably grew tobacco which was the cash crop of those times and vital to the economy. He may have grown staples such as wheat and corn also.
Prince George County wills and deeds records from 1713 - 1728 list Thomas Booth several times as an appraiser of deceased men's estate inventories, This would indicate that his judgment was respected enough to be called upon to give an honest estimate. The earliest record is 1718. In 1723 and 1724, Thomas had his land surveyed by Robert Bolling, a surveyor of Prince George County during this period. One of Bolling's records said that Thomas was of Martins Brandon Parish (of the Episcopal Church). Surveyor Bolling also listed the performance of individual surveys in another part of Prince George County for George Booth of Surry County. These were done in 1719, 1721, and 1724 on both sides of Turkey Egg Creek, at least 12 miles from Thomas' land. (Turkey Egg Creek is shown on today's maps in present Dinwiddie County which was formed in 1752 from Prince George's County.)
It is thought that Thomas and George Booth are related, since they both had their lands within the same county surveyed about the same time by the same surveyor. In the book "Carlby," which documents the history of a manor home in Southside area, shows this relationship that George of Turkey Egg Creek was a nephew to Thomas Sr. George's (George II) father was named George, who we will call George I, who lived at Stony Creek and Sappony Creek. George III of this line actually built Carlby with his grandfathers money. "Carlby" shows a Booth family genealogy chart showing our Thomas, Sr. to have two brothers, George I and Robert. Their father is shown as another Thomas, but this line is labeled conjectural and not documented. This chart shows Thomas with no birth date, a death date of 1766 (correct), and married to "Doecorrs (Dorcas)." Of his seven children, only his son John is shown, with four more successive generations. The chart mostly shows the descendants of George I, brother of Thomas, Sr. Interestingly, then, a Thomas is mentioned several times in Amelia County's Court Order Book 1, 1735 - 1746 as either a witness, plaintiff, or juror in several cases. In one of these cases a Thomas Booth, Sr. was a witness, and a Thomas Booth, Jr. was the plaintiff. This could be father-son. Or, in those days if two unrelated people with the same name lived in same area, people used "senior" and "junior" to designate who was oldest. Further study is needed to unravel the relationships.
Copy of the Will of Thomas Booth, Will Book 2X, page 290 Amelia County, Virginia IN THE NAME OF GOD: AMEN. I, Thomas Booth Sen. of the County of Amelia being of sound and perfect mind and memory thanks be given to Almighty God for the same do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following, vis: First and principally I recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it hoping through the merits of my blessed Savior Jesus Christ to obtain full remission of my sins and my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my exors. hereafter named. First: I will that my debts and funeral charges shall be paid. Item: I will and bequeath to my son Thomas one shilling sterling to him and his heirs forever. Item: I will and bequeath to my son George one shilling sterling to him and his heirs forever. Item: I will and bequeath to my son William one shilling sterling to him and his heirs forever. Item: I will and bequeath to my son Nathaniel one shilling sterling to him and his heirs forever. Item: I will and bequeath to my daughter Joice one shilling sterling to her and her heirs forever. Item: I give and bequeath to my daughter Ann . two negros, via: Agge and her daughter named Lucy, also her choice of a feather bed and furniture as it stands to her and her heirs forever. Item: I give and bequeath to my son John the land and plantation whereon I now live containing three hundred and thirty eight acres to him and his heirs forever. Item: I give and bequeath to my son John all the rest of my estate both real and personal to him and his heirs forever. And my will is that my estate be not brought to appraisement. I also constitute and appoint my son John whole and sole executor of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of September in the year of our Lord 1758. Thomas Booth (Seal). In presence of: John Chappell Robert Chappell Robert Chappell Joseph Chappell. At a Court held for Amelia County the __ day of June 1766.
This will was proved by the oaths of John Chappell and Robert Chappell, two of the witnesses whereto and at another Court held for the said County the 22nd day of June 1769 the same was sworn to by John Booth, The exor. therein named and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of the said Exor. who entered into and acknowledged bond with George Hightower his security as the law directs certificate was granted him for obtaining probate thereof in due form. T. G. Peachy, C
Will Book 2X, page 299 in Clerk's Office, Amelia County, Virginia. The Estate of Thomas Booth Sen, decd 15 negro 6 head of horses one cart, with harness three bridles and sadles 29 head of cattle 40 head of hogs 23 head of sheep 3 beds & furniture 7 dishes 26 plates three basons 24 spoons 1 pint pott three drinking glasses 24 bottles 16 vessels cups & bowls & other earthen ware 18 books 15 chairs 3 chests two tables & 3 table cloaths one box iron & two heaters & 1 flatt iron 2 candlesticks 1 candle box one sugar box 1 pair spoon moulds & ladle and one lanthorn one candle snuffers one pair money scales one sarch and two wheat sifters one looking glass 2 gunns two butter potts 5 iron potts three pott racks 4 pott hooks one copper 2 brass kettles one spice mortar one pepper box 4 pair cards & three spinning wheels one loom two slays & harness 2 frying pans 1 spit 18 knives with forks 4 water pails 2 washing tubes 4 powdering tubbs 4 other tubbs 4 hhds one-half bushel one peck one grind stone one sett of carpenters tools one sett coopers tools part of a sett of Tumers Tools one sett of shoe makers tools & ten sides of leather one carrying knife 40 tools consist in axes hoes plow hoes & wedges. John Booth Exor. At a Court held for Amelia County the 27th day of July, 1769. This Inventory of the Estate of Thomas Booth decd was returned & ordered to be recorded. T. G. Peachy.
Children of Thomas Booth and Dorcas:
George Booth; b. Abt. 1720; d. bef. July 23, 1767; m.Judith McEwen
Thomas Booth, He was born Abt. 1721. He died Bef. Feb 1778 in Edgecombe, North Carolina.
William Booth, He was born Abt. 1722 in Amelia, Virginia, USA. He died 1783 in Virginia
Ann Booth She was born on 05 Jun 1728 [5]. She married John Mayton. They were married Abt. 1746
Nathaniel Booth. He was born Abt. 1729. He married Temperance Smith. They were married 1750 in Lunenburg, Virginia. He died 1785 in Lunenburg, Virginia.
John Booth. He was born 1730 in Amelia, Virginia, USA. He married Mary Smith. They were married Abt. 1757. He died on 07 Dec 1807 in Franklin, Virginia
Joice Booth. She was born Abt. 1731.
Source: "Booth(e) Family History..." by Timothy Douglas Booth