Lilly Connection to the Flippen Family
Lou Poole, a descendant of Edmund Lilly, Jr. who went to NC, is still searching for proof on his Lilly connection to the Thomas Flippen family. The best evidence he could come up with so far to connect Edmond / Edmund Lilly, Sr., of Goochland and Fluvanna Counties to the Flippen family are the following points:
[From Lou Poole, 11 Feb 2003]
1) Elizabeth Flippen's 1747 / 1758 will named a daughter as Anne Lille. In a 14 March 1742 Goochland
deed (a) Anne Lilly (wife of Edmund) relinquished her right of dower. This is the ONLY record found
to date where a wife is named.
2) The first Goochland Co. record I have found for Edmund Lilly is a court record dated 1736. (b) The first
record I have found for the rest of the Flippen "group" is a deed dated Feb 1735 (old style; so 1736 new
style) for Ralph Flippen (c), and one two days later for Stephen Bedford (d). So it appears that the Flippen
family and the Edmund Lilly family arrived in Goochland at almost the same time, if not at the same time.
3) The only known (to me) location of the Flippen family prior to Goochland is Kingston Parish, Gloucester
Parish (which later became Mathews County). The Lilly family was from Milford Haven, Kingston Parish,
Gloucester County. (I strongly suspect, however, that they were in New Kent County for a time.)
4) I'm is descended from the NC Edmund Lilly family (NC Edmund was the son of Edmund Lilly, Sr., who
I now believe is most likely to have married Anne Flippen). Two rumors or family lore "gems" are
persistent in the early genealogies that were created for this bunch.
a.) One was that the middle name of Edmund Lilly, Jr., was "Fleming." I have not found
a single primary document that listed ANY middle name for him, much less a name
of "Fleming." It would have been highly unusual for him to have had a middle age in
that time frame. But because of this lore, people have been trying for years to find a
suitable Fleming for Edmund Sr. to have married. I did, too, and after years of
research have concluded that there just isn't anything that has been found to date that
even suggests such a conclusion might be possible.
But if someone verbally heard that Edmund Sr's wife's maiden name was "Flippen,"
and not being familiar with that name (somewhat unusual), they substituted "Fleming"
(much more familiar) with what they heard, one could explain the legend. They really
are phonetically rather similar. It makes a nice theory anyway.
b) Edmund Lilly, Jr., named a daughter Elizabeth BEDFORD (b. 1808, to his third wife).
Because of that name "Bedford" some NC researchers have pursued the theory that
she was so named because Edmund was descended from the Duke of Bedford. Of
course no one ever got anywhere with this theory. But now that I think I see the light,
it is far more likely that she was named in honor of Edmund, Jr.'s, important and
influential uncle (and his wife, Elizabeth?), Stephen Bedford.
And that's it! That's the extent of the evidence I have been able to come up with so far. Unfortunately, unless something pops up out of hiding, that may be all the evidence we will ever have of the Flippen-Lilly connection, if it's valid. Thought you should know, and if anyone thinks they know of stronger evidence, I'd sure appreciate being put in touch with them.
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a) "Mar 14, 1742 from John Anthony and Edmund Lilly, both of G, planters, to John Bickerton of Hanover
County, Gentleman, for 55£ in manner following, that is to say, 52£ paid to John Anthony, and 3£ to
Edmund Lilly, and for divers good causes, two certain tracts of land. John Anthony has, for himself,
sold to Bickerton one of the tracts, about 500 acres on both sides of a branch of the Byrd [Cr] called
the Great Cr, in G, and bounded by Abraham Venable, 400 acres part of the said 500 acres of the land
within bounds aforesaid were granted to John Anthony by patent, and the other 100 acres said
Anthony purchased of Abraham Venable. And said Edmund Lilly has sold to Bickerston the other
tract, about 50 acres contiguous to the 1st tract, in G, and bounded by said Venable, said John
Anthony. Signed John Anthony, Edmond Lilly. Wit Robt Wathen, Henry Martin, Joseph Teat.
Recorded Mar 15, 1742. Elizabeth Anthony and Anne Lilly, relinquished their right of dower to the
conveyed lands." "Goochland County Deed Book 4, p. 139" T.L.C. Genealogy, Goochland County,
Virginia, Deeds, 1741-1745, p. 22.
b) "[1736] In the action of debt between Henry Cary, plt, and David Davis, deft, the deft failing to appear,
conditional judgment is granted agst him and Edmund Lilley, his common bail, for what damages shall
be recovered in this suit, to be discharged, nevertheless, if deft appears at next Court." T.L.C.
Genealogy, Goochland County, Virginia, Court Orders, 1735-1737, p. 75.
c) "Deed 12 Feb 1735[/6] Claudius Gory of King William Parish, Goochland Co., planter, to Edward Scott
of same, Gent., for £ 50, 50 acres on south side of James River, now in occupation of said Claudius,
bounded by the river, Gideon Chsmboone, and said Gory, as by patent to said Gory 31 Oct 1716.
Wit.: John Williams, Ralph Flippen, Thomas (+) Winchester Signed: Claude Gauri Recorded
16 March 1735[/6]" Weisiger, Benjamin B., III, Goochland County, Virginia, Wills and Deeds,
1728-1736, p. 73.
d) "Deed 14 Feb 1735[/6] John Woodson of Goochland Co., to Stephen Bedford, late of Gloucester Co.,
for £ 52/10, 350 acres on south side of James River on Deed Creek, being part of a tract of 1000 acres
granted to said John Woodson by patent 11 April 1735, bounded by Deep Creek and Nicholas Cox.
Wit.: Stephen Hughes, Fleming Bates, Ralph Flippen, John [S] Franklin Signed: John Woodson
Recorded 17 Feb 1735[/6]" Weisiger, Benjamin B., III, Goochland County, Virginia, Wills and
Deeds, 1728-1736, p. 72.
