Francis Dabney

1781 - 1856  (74 years)

• Name	Francis Dabney  [1]
  Born	1 Jul 1781	Louisa County, Virginia   [2]
  Gender	Male
  Died	21 Mar 1856	Louisa County, Virginia   [3]
  Person ID	I276	Dabneys of Virginia
  Last Modified	24 Dec 2014

  
  

  Father	Samuel Dabney,   b. 14 Apr 1752, Hanover County, Virginia ,   d. 1812, Louisa County, Virginia  (Age 59 years)
  Mother	Jane Meriwether,   b. 8 Apr 1757,   d. 9 Nov 1833  (Age 76 years)
  Married	4 Feb 1775	Louisa County, Virginia   [2]
  Family ID	F158	Group Sheet

  
  

• Notes

  Francis Dabney was born to Samuel and Jane Meriwether Dabney July 1, 1781, in Louisa County, Virginia. As a young man, he read law and resided for a time in the household of his uncle, Col. Charles Dabney, who played a prominent role in the Revolution. He moved to Pittsylvania County, Virginia, where he was listed in the Pittsylvania County, Virginia, personal property tax lists from 1804 to 1815. He may have moved there to join his elder brother, Dr.Samuel Dabney, who first appeared in the tax lists in 1803. He had numerous entries as an attorney in the deed indexes of Pittsylvania County from 1806 to 1818. He was one of 11 citizens appointed to a committee to lay out a new town named Competition, later Chatham, adjoining the county courthouse. After leaving Pittsylvania County, he went to Richmond where he was a grantee or grantor of 13 deeds, often as trustee, from 1817 to 1819. His brother William Dabney Jr. of Richmond sold him two shares in his mother’s estate in Louisa County in 1819. He was also listed as a broker in The Richmond Directory in 1819. On 21 Apr 1820, he sold one of his 3 one-twelfth shares in his mother’s estate for $333 to his sister, Mildred M. Lewis. On the same date, he sold his other two shares to his sister, Elizabeth T. Dabney for $666. According to his cousin, John Blair Dabney, he experienced heavy losses in a recession at the time, and moved to New Orleans to recoup his fortunes in the practice of law. In 1825, he was living in St. Francisville, Louisiana, northwest of Baton Rouge. Despite initial success, his practice or other aspects of his life did not go well, so after several years, he returned to Louisa County, Virginia. When the 1830 census was taken, he was probably the male aged 30-39 in his mother’s household. After his mother’s death in November, 1833, he was appointed executor and sold his mother’s dower tract of 243 acres to his sister Elizabeth T. Dabney for $2,923 in March, 1834. In the 1840 census, he was probably the male 50-59 in the household of his unmarried sister, Elizabeth T. Dabney. In 1850, he was 68 and living with his sister-in-law, Elizabeth, the widow of his brother Charles Dabney Jr. and her children, George Francis and Elizabeth (Bettie) in Louisa County. He died March 21, 1855, in Louisa County, aged 73. (Perhaps add a note regarding his role in Charles William Dabney’s suit against other members legatees of Samuel’s will.) On 21 Apr 1820, he sold one of his 3 one-twelfth shares in his mother’s estate for $333 to his sister, Mildred M. Lewis. On the same date, he sold his other two shares to his sister, Elizabeth T. Dabney for $666. May 1835, Francis was ordered by Chancery Court to render an account ot Jane Dabney’s estate to Charles J. Kimbrough who would settle the estate. John Blair Dabney Ms says he lost a lot of money as a broker in Richmond, then went to New Orleans to practice law, but after a few years returned to Virginia (see pp. 24-25 for all of Samuel’s male children) Was one of 11 trustees appointed by the General Assembly to lay out the streets and blocks of a new town named Competition adjoining the newly established courthouse for Pittsylvania County. (The History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Maud Carter Clement, on Google Books) Unmarried. 1830 census, Louisa Co., may be male aged 30-39 in household of Jane Dabney, his mother. 1840 census, Louisa Co., Miss Elizabeth Dabney, M. 1 40-49, 1 50-59; F 1 10-14, 1 15-19, 1 50-59 (One male may be lunatic Edmund and the other may be Francis of Pittsylvania.) 1850 census, Louisa Co., Francis Dabney Sr., 68, no occupation. Living with Elizabeth Dabney, 65, no occupation $4500 (head of household); Francis Dabney 26, ass’t farmer; Billie Dabney, 22, female. Elizabeth may be his unmarried sister. Was executor of wills of his father and mother, Samuel and Elizabeth (Winston) Dabney. Appointed for his mother’s estate about March, 1834. As executor, he sold his mother’s dower tract of 243 acres to his sister Elizabeth T. Dabney for $2,923 in March, 1834. May be the Francis Dabney listed in The Richmond Directory . . . 1819 as a broker. (old notes p. 19 12) May be the Francis Dabney in Pittsylvania Deed Index 1806-1818, in PP tax lists 1804-1815, where he was listed with Samuel Dabney, perhaps his brother. [2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]

  
  

• Sources

  [S48] p. 33.. [S708] [S980] [S680] [S551] p. 25.. [S530] [S650] [S663] pp. 10, 19-20.. [S471] [S551] spss. 25.. [S677] [S553] [S320] [S552]