"Soldier John" Grigsby, was born in 1720 in Stafford County. In 1740, "Soldier John" accompanied Lawrence Washington, brother of George Washington, to Carthagena (now in Columbia) as part of the Virginia militia under the command of Admiral Edward Vernon.
Lawrence Washington inherited the estate formerly known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation, and renamed it Mount Vernon in honor of Admiral Vernon. When Lawrence's brother George inherited the property, he kept the name.
John Grigsby also commanded a company of Thirteenth Regiment of the Virginia Line during the early years of the American Revolution.
In 1746 Soldier John married his first wife Rosanna Etchison/Atchison. Together, they had 5 children before Rosanna died in 1761. Since their youngest child was born in December of 1761, I presume she died in childbirth or shortly thereafter. I am descended from his oldest son, James (1748-1835). An interesting fact about James is that he married his father's second wife's sister Frances Porter, who was 12 years younger than her sister.
In 1764 John remarried, to Elizabeth Porter, and they had 8 children, 7 of which were born in Stafford County.
In 1779, John Grigsby, his wife, and other family members crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Valley of Virginia. He was preceded to the Valley by his son James, from whom he purchased "460 acres in the Forks of the James River" on November 2, 1779. When he arrived at "Fruit Hill" in Rockbridge, Co., VA, he was nearly 60 years of age and the father of at least 12 children. His last child, Reuben, was born there on June 6 of the following year. John Grigsby died April 7, 1794, and was buried in the cemetery of Falling Spring Presbyterian Church in Rockbridge Co., where the family worshipped. An historical marker at the church reads as follows:
FALLING SPRING PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The Oldest Congregation in the Fincastle Presbytery, the Falling Spring Presbyterian Church, was organized before 1748. The Hanover Presbytery met here in October 1780. The present Gothic Revival church was constructed of slave-made brick during the Civil War. At the time of its dedication in April 1864, General Thomas L. Rosser's Cavalry Brigade was camped here. The first burial in the present cemetery was that of John Grigsby of Fruit Hill (1720- 1794).
In 1746, "Soldier John" married Rosanna Etchison, disposed of his holdings inherited from his father, Charles, in Stafford County, and moved with his young wife to Culpepper, Va. They had four (4) sons and one (1) daughter.
Rosanna died in 1762. In 1764, "Soldier John" married Elizabeth Porter; born 1734, died 1807. Elizabeth was buried in Falling Spring Presbyterian Church Cemetery. All of their children were born in Culpepper except Reuben, who was born at "Fruit Hill" in Rockbridge County.
Reuben's home, Hickory Hill, is in the National Register of Historic Places.
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