Horsley's Mill
Horsley's Mill was referenced in The Vestry Book of St. Paul's Parish, Hanover County, Virginia 1706-1786 as a landmark in two procession years; 1731 and 1739. In both years, Horsley's Mill was a starting point in describing the precinct it bounded:
Ordered into one precinct for processioning all the Lands below Horsley's Mill, upon a Strait Line to Chickahominy Swamp, and to the Extent of this parish downwards...
Which meant that the precinct included all the land between Horsley's Mill Pond, the Chickahominy Swamp, and the border with St. Peter's Parish (New Kent County).
In 1731, land owners within this precinct included Mr. Joseph Baughon (Vaughan?), Simon Woody, William Bostick, John Philips, William Leak, Richard Leak, Anthony Waddy, Walter Leak, Walter Chapman, Col. John Fleming, William Reynolds, John Hopkins, John Goodwin, Robert Wood, Henry Crumpton, Henry Kerby (Kirby?), Thomas Longwood, John Thorp, Richard Crafford (Crawford?), Abraham Burnet, David Anderson, George Barker, Robert Vier (Via?), Charles Thorp, Robert Strange, William Thorp, Michael Tucker, Amos Tucker, George Adams, Edmund Willis, and Lewis Wadkins (Watkins?).
Eight years later in the 1739 procession, many of the same landowners were still listed in this precinct "below Horsley's Mill". However, there were many new names added to the list of land owners including John Tucker, William Meanly, John Brothers, Henry Wood, William Kerby, William Reynolds Burnett, Widow Chapman, John Thomson, William Watkins, Robert Goodman, and Widow Woody.
Notice, that the Horsley family did not own land between their mill pond and the Chickahominy Swamp. But it is important to make note of these early precinct land owners as many of them have descendants that still live in or near the area today - 300 years later! Understanding the general location of this precinct requires knowing the location of Horsley's Mill.
The best clue for the location of Horsley's Mill are the two very early land patents received by Rowland Horsley with Robert Lancaster in 1672 and 1675. At the time, the patents were located within New Kent County from which Hanover County was formed in 1720. Using Direct Line Software's program called Deed Mapper, the general location of these two land patents can be shown on Google Earth and today's landmarks. The below image shows that the two Horsley/Lancaster land patents surrounded the pond which is currently known as Wests Pond, west of McClellan Road and below Old Church.
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| General Location of 1672 and 1675 Horsley/Lancaster Land Patents |
If anyone has narrowed in on a different location for Horsley's Mill Pond, please let me know.
