c 1730 Goochland County Road Orders included the following order. [1] James Nowlin was named "from the river road up the Back road to the Bridge over Beverdam Creek below Major Bollings Mill":
Ordered that the severall Male labouring titheables in the Precincts whereof James Nowlin and David Walker are appointed Surveyors do jointly assist in repairing the bridge over Beaverdam Creek on the middle road.
1740 James Nowlin Seg't. sold land to John Hinson, both of Jaint James parish, Goochland County, Virginia. The 366 acre tract was on Byrd Creek adjacent to lands of Abraham Venable and Ebenezer Adams. The deed was dated on May 20 and was witnessed by Henry Samsford, Stephen Nowlin, and Tho. Murrell. [2] [3]
1749 James Nowlin wrote his will in Goochland County, Virginia on October 5. Probate was dated March 20, 1749/50. The will named wife Sarah; daughters Martha Henson, Judith Falwell, and Mary Nowlin; sons Stephen, Daniel, James, David, and John; and Grandson Samuel son of Daniel Nowlin. [4]
To son, Stephen Nowlin, 150 acres northside adjacent to Edmd. Lily and Thomas Cobb. To son, Stephen Nowlin, 150 acres northside Buffalo Branch adjoining land of Wm Gay and Col. Bolling. To dau. Mary Nowlin, 80 acres adjoining Col. Bolling. To son, John Nowlin, my manor plantation containing 200 acres adjoining Stephen Nowlin, Thos. Pleasants and Col. Jno. Bolling. Should John die without issue, then my son David Nowlin's son, Saml. Nowlin, to have the land. To dau. Martha Henson 1 heifer. To son, James Nowlin, one shilling sterling money. To son David Nowlin, one shipping sterling money. To dau. Judith Fallwell, 1 cow and calf. To son Daniel Nowlin, 1 cow and calf. To wife Sarah Nowlin, 2 slaves, but should she remarry then to my 2 sons, Stephen and John. She also to have one bed and furniture. To son John and dau., Mary Nowling each one feather bed and furniture. Ex: wife Sarah Nowlin, Stephen and John Nowlin. Wit. Thos Murrell, Philemon Perkins.
1750 James Nowlin was buried at Dover Episcopal Church Cemetery, Manakin, Goochland County, Virginia. [5]
Research Notes:
Perhaps this is James Nowlin of Ireland [6]:
1 James Nowlan of Carlow County, Ireland, became known as James Nowlin of Virginia, the "lan" being the Irish termination. Only one family is mentioned in Ireland with the termination "lin," and they were of Wexford. James Nowlin was sold to a man by the name of Ward, who was a man of great natural ability and fatherly kindness. James Nowlin, through his nobility of character, afterwards became a favorite of Ward and married his daughter.
There is a tradition that the brother-in-law of James Nowlin was the builder of Ward's Bridge, which served to transfer so many across Stanton River on the Danville and Lynchburg road and was the main old wooden bridge for Pittsylvania County, Virginia, for so many years. It was burned by the Northern Army during the Civil War and rebuilt with wire and steel since the war.
To James Nowlin and Catherine Ward Nowlin were given a large family of children:
I James Nowlin II, born 13 November, 1715, in Goochland County, Va., on Beaverdam Creek; died 18 July, 1808.
II Sons and daughters, whose names are not preserved.I James Nowlin II, son of James Nowlin of Ireland and Catherine Ward Nowlin, was a first-class carpenter, and made good money at his trade. It is said that there are some of his buildings in a fine state of preservation today, built as far back as 1760. He lived to enjoy the fruits of his labors, and even more. When his grandchildren would ask him why he did not save some of his money his laconic reply was: "O, I did not think I would live so long." He possessed much Irish wit, which is proverbial, never wanting for a quick, cutting reply to all sarcastic questions put to him.
James Nowlin II married Martha Collins about 1738, and to this union were added a large family of daughters and one son.
Children:
i Bryan Ward Nowlin, born about 1740, near Boon, Pittsylvania County, Va.
ii Sons and daughters, whose names have not been preserved.
The Estes Genealogy [7] reports:
James Nowlan (Nowlin), of County Carlow, Ireland, arrived in Virginia ca. 1700; Will dated Oct. 5, 1749, recorded March 20, 1749, Goochland Co., Va.; married (1) Catherine Ward, and (2) Sarah
See: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Nowlin-17:
After losing all his land (during the Irish Rebellion), James indentured himself to an Englishman by the name of Ward to gain passage to the United States. The ship sailed around 1700 and is said to have docked in Jamestown, VA. James was sold as an indentured servant to a man by the name of Ward. James married his daughter. Became known as James Nowlin of Virginia. [History of County Carlow, Ireland by John Ryan (I can't find much about James Nowlan in this book, except that he fought for the Papists.)]
"James was the son of John Nowlan b 1640 and Mary Mann b 1655. He married Sarah Catherine Ward 1710 in Goochland Co Va."
A lineage reports [8]:
James Nowlin (1655-1725; son of John, g.son of Patrick); from Ire., ca. 1700; m Catherine Ward;
James (1715-1808), Beaver Dam Creek; m ca. 1738 Martha Collins, from Scot.
Bryan Ward (1740-ca.1790), Pittsylvania Co., Va.; m 1764 Lucy Wade (Edwd., m Mary-)
[1] Nathaniel Mason Pawlett, Goochland County Virginia Court Road Orders, 1728-1744 (Virginia Highway & Transportation Research Council, 1979), 10, [GoogleBooks].
[2] Goochland County, Virginia Deed, 3-297, [FamilySearchImage], [FSCatalog].
[3] Ann Kicker Blomquist, Goochland County Virginia Court Order Book 4 1735-1741 (2010), 487.
[4] Margaret V. Henley, Abstracts of Wills from Goochland County, Virginia, 1727-1777 (1996), 34, citing Goochland County, Virginia Deed Book 6-34 to 36, [GoogleBooks].
[5] Find A Grave Memorial 135367746, [FindAGrave].
[6] James Edmund Nowlin, The Nowlin-Stone Genealogy: A Record of the Descendants of James Nowlin, 32, [GoogleBooks].
[7] Edward Nevill McAllister, Annabelle (Cox) McAllister, Estes genealogy: Estes families of Old Clay County, Missouri, their ancestors and their descendants, 262, [GoogleBooks].
[8] The Compendium of American Genealogy, Vol. VI, "First Families of America", 373, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].