From the Known to the Unknown …

Land records are frequently among the more illuminating documents for determining familial relationships in genealogical research. This is especially true in early U.S. history.

For many years, there have been several researchers who have speculated upon the parentage of Isaac Gregory of early Augusta County, Virginia. He was born about 1772 and died in Aug 1852 in Braxton Co., Virginia (now West Virginia). Isaac married Sarah Given on 25 Mar 1790 ¹ in Augusta Co., Virginia. He was living in Nicholas Co., Virginia in 1850. ²

I discovered a land record in Bath Co., Virginia that documents the name of Isaac Gregory’s mother. An abstract of that deed is below:

On 2 Nov 1797 in Bath County, Virginia, Isaac Gregory and Sarah his wife of Bath County, Virginia sold land to Nicholas Harper of Pendleton County, Virginia. For £400, Gregory sold 142 acres to Harper, the land being part of a larger tract of 220 acres granted to Mary Gregory from William Lewis and from said Mary unto her son, Isaac Gregory, in Bath County on Back Creek joining lands of James Wright and Isaac Duffield beginning at 3 sugar trees on the W side of the creek and running thence S 55 degrees E 86 poles crossing the creek to 3 white oaks thence SW 80 poles to a maple, hickory, and white oak at the edge of the bottom thence S 5 degrees E 100 poles to 3 white oaks thence S 42 degrees W 102 poles to a Spanish oak and maple on the S side of the dry run thence corner the said run N 52 degrees W 34 poles to a large white oak and 2 dogwood saplings thence N 44 degrees W 80 poles crossing the creek to a smooth birch and sugar tree on a hill thence N 27 degrees E 245 poles to the beginning. Signed: Isaac Gregory. Wit: John Wilson, Robert McGuffin, Isaac Duffield, James McLaughlin, David McLaughlin, William Given. ³

Mary’s husband is not known at this time.