Thomas Day Summary

I found this in files, It has some info on Dorothy as well as some sources- decided to post

Thomas Day was  probably born about  1651 
He married a woman named Dorothy Hudson . There is some conflict of who she was there is this --
Researcher claims  from the "Index to Marriages of Old Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia, page 79: 1676, Day, Thomas Married Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Hudson. Book D 5, Page: 514.

OR  THIS ---

"Know all men that I Thomas DAY of Rappa Planter de upon consideration of a Marriage with Dorothy HUDSON as alsoe for and in consideration of a Horse received of the said Dorothy hereby engage myself my heirs & assigns to buy a Mare filly of a yeare old the same to be bought within this two years and what Female increase comes of the said Mare to be equally divided between Laurana, Anne & William HUDSON and Mary BARTLET ......" etc.


 ***TL NOTE -**she might have been a widow -possibly of Edward Hudson- with perhaps four children. This appears to be 1673 ( could be 1676) I assume that Laurana, Anne, Wm and  Mary are all her children. It appears Mary is already of age to be married which would likely make Dorothy as a bit older than our Thomas who is likely only 22 to 25 years old at this time. If the deceased husband had been married before,  then the mother of these children could be in doubt.  Would need to locate info on his will & probate. (see Combs Family site below for more info)****

Thomas Day purchased land from William Hudson and wife Rebecca Woodnut Hudson located in Essex County, Virginia in 1687 and another 189 acres from John Brookes in 1693
 No record yet located about what happened to Dorothy.
By 1698, Thomas appears to have married second time, to Elizabeth (surname unknown). Thomas had one daughter, Elizabeth Mary Angelica Day, born between 1688 and 1699, who later married George Shepherd. There has not been any proof that I know of whether E.M.A. Day is the daughter of Dorothy Hudson or Elizabeth Unknown but the name implies she is Elizabeth's daughter. Her children were born between 1730-1739 so best guess of childbearing age would put her birth 1690-1699.
Sometime before Feb 10, 1699  a neighbor, Mary Hodges, visited the Day home and found Elizabeth Day  "lying dead upon the bed in a most horrod and barboriy mannor all Gored in Blood " and Thomas Day also had wounds on his face. Thomas Day said his wife died about two hours before sunrise, but he did not know what had happened to her. (more info on the 1st page about Day)

 All witnesses recorded in the court record gave the same report. The jurors decided "Thom. Day is Guilty of ye murdering ye said Elizabeth Day. "  February 10, 1699

THEN in 1700 -"In Aprill Generall Court 1700 Day of Essex County for ye Murder of Eliza Cay wife of Thomas Day of Essex  Acquitted and discharged"

"In October General Court 1700 John Smith for Felony & ye murder of Eliza Day Wife of Thomas Day of Essex County.   Found Guilty. Condemned and was Executed"  (See McIlwaine info below for more)
So far I have found no other info of  who John Smith was or why he  may have murdered Eliza Day

It appears that Thomas never truly recovered from the ordeal.

"I Thomas Day of South Farnham Parish in Essex County, Planter, doe assigne and sett over
 all my right title clayme and interest unto the within written deed unto Jacob Devillard
of the aforesd county, .....this seaventeenth day of March 1701/2 ...Acknowledged in Essex
county court the 11th day of May 1702 and truely recorded"    .

 ( I encourage  you to visit the rootsweb site of Mr. Sheppard for all of info and much more,
    he deserves the  credit)
I assume Thomas was too ill  or otherwise incapable of caring for his property. 
 Then just four years later he writes his will in December 1705 and it is in probate
the following February 1706
From "Fleet's Colonial Abstracts"---Essex County, VA Vol 29, pae 81 No. 12, page 181
"To all to who these presents shall come Greting know yee that I
thomas Day of the parish of South Farnham in the County of Essex
in Virginia being in a sickly weake and low condition and noe(ways)
waies Capable to tke care of, or provide for myself and that little Estate
 it hath pleased God to bestow upon me (it chiefly lying in Perishable Creatures)
 have and by these presents doe Bargain Sell Bind and firmly make over unto
Jn'o Fargason of the parish and County aforsaid planter all and singular my said Estate",
etc. In consideration Fargason "to maintain and keep me the said Day During my naturall
 life with sufficient accomodation of victuals Cloathes washing and lodging and give to
Eliza a Mary Angillica Day my Daughter when whe arrive to the age of Eighteen* or when
 married one Cowe and Calfe."
5 Dec 1705
signed
Tho x Day
Wit: John Fargason ---------Wm. Aylett -----------Adam Denning
Ack and rec 11 Feb 1705/6

     *This indicates Elizabeth is still a minor in 1705

Please be sure to check these sites, Much more info on all.

Sources for Thomas DAY
www.combs-families.org/combs/records/va/rappahannock/
www.danielprophecy.com/daye.htm
author:  Michael Sheppard < sheppard@cs.unm.edu >
title:  Genealogical events for Thomas DAY
 url:  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~shep/shep/I995.html
updated:  4 Oct 2007
_H R McIlwaine, Executive Journals of the Council of Colonial VirginiaVol II
 (Virginia State Library, ed. 1927),
Vol II (August 3 1699-April 27,1705) page 154.
From "Fleet's Colonial Abstracts"---Essex County, VA Vol 29, pae 81 No. 12, page 181