Updated Oct 2000*
Please Email Additions and/or Corrections to The Combs Research List

*See Some Unidentified Underwoods of Old Rappa, Westmoreland, Richmond and King George Cos, VA and new reports on the Descendants of William UNDERWOOD, Sr. (s/o Col. William and Mary MOSELY? BURTON? Underwood)

Note: Due to a surfeit of William UNDERWOODS, we have attempted to designate them consistently as follows:
(1) Col. William UNDERWOOD (<1629-ca1662), son of Margaret UNKNOWN Underwood Upton Lucas;
(2) William UNDERWOOD, Sr. (1648/49-1717), son of Col. William & Mary (MOSELEY? BURTON?) Underwood;
(3) William UNDERWOOD, Jr. (1652/1662-<1694), son of Unknown (William?) UNDERWOOD, and Elizabeth UNKNOWN, who m next Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD, then Archdale Combs I of Old Rappa. Co VA.
Note: There is also an "extra" William UNDERWOOD in Isle of Wight and/or (Lancaster > Old Rappahannock Cos VA who may have been the first of Elizabeth's two UNDERWOOD husbands.

Also Note: Additional Underwood Records are to be found under Hammett-Underwood Families

Margaret UNKNOWN was born before 1615, died between 1663 and 1670, probably in Old Rappahannock Co, Virginia. She married (1) before 1629, Unknown (William?) UNDERWOOD who had died before 1645; married (2) bef Oct 1644, probably in Isle of Wight Co, Virginia, Capt. John UPTON Sr., born before 1627, died in 1652 in Isle of Wight Co, Virginia; and married (3) in 1657 in Old Rappahannock Co, Virginia, Thomas LUCAS, Sr., born bef 1623, died 1674, in Old Rappahannock Co, Virginia.

Note: Some researchers have posited that Margaret was neè ROBERTS and the same who married a William UNDERWOOD on 3 Jan 1632 (old style?) in St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, England (Parish Extracts, IGI); however, given that Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD was married and a father by May 1650, it would seem probable that his parents would have married by 1630 or earlier. Another possibility, of course, is that the William UNDERWOOD of St. Giles had been married earlier and Col. William UNDERWOOD (and also his sister, Ann?) were issue of the earlier marriage.

Margaret had married John UPTON by 13 Sep 1644 when "Captain John UPTON and Margaret his wife" sold to John MASON, land patented by UPTON adjoining William WRIGHT, John LEVERIDGE and John HERRING (Isle of Wight, Vol. 1:420, "Underwood Family of Virginia," Augusta B. Fothergill, The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. XXXVIII, 1930, pp. 267-270, 386-393; Vol. XXXIX, 1931, pp. 70-75, 167-173, 272-276; XL, 1932, pp. 91-95; Reprinted in Genealogy of Virginia Families, Vol. V, GPC, Baltimore, 1981, pp. 601-635; hereinafter Underwood, Fothergill).

Capt. John UPTON'S will, proven 16 Dec 1652 in Isle of Wight Co, VA (Isle of Wight Transcribed Records, Vol. 1, p. 38) refers to his eldest son John UPTON, and mentions land in the amount of 850 acres which, should John UPTON the younger die before age 21, is to revert to "William, Elizabeth, Sarah and Margaret UNDERWOOD to be divided as followeth (viz.) Elizabeth, Sarah and Margaret UNDERWOOD each of them a Hundred acres. and the remainder to William UNDERWOOD." He later refers to the UNDERWOOD women as his "Daughters in Law, Elizabeth, Sarah and Margaret UNDERWOOD," and further bequeaths to William UNDERWOOD, Elizabeth, Sarah and Margaret UNDERWOOD "the tract or parcel of Land running upon this side of the threshet near Ambrose BENNETT'S containing fifteen hundred acres of Land except and allways reserved out of this land Three Hundred acres which Mr. Robert BRACEWELL," as well as "all my land at Rappahannock or what shall be hereafter made good upon my rights they to be possest with if after my wifes decease." Almost as an afterthought he adds "Ann WILLIAMSON, the wife of James WILLIAMSON, to be equal shares in my land at Rappahannock with the above named." The remainder of his personal assets are bequeathed to his wife Margaret whom he also named Executrix (See Isle of Wight Co VA)

It is not known if John UPTON, "eldest son" of Capt. John UPTON, was issue by Margaret. According to Underwood, Fothergill, John UPTON the younger died without issue before reaching his majority , and the above-referenced land was inherited by the UNDERWOOD children; research of the land is still in progress.

The phrase "daughters-in-law" as used in UPTON'S will, denoted step-daughters. Later records prove Elizabeth, Sarah and Margaret UNDERWOOD as the daughters of Margaret (see below); and although Ann WILLIAMSON and William UNDERWOOD are not designated as step-children of UPTON, Ann WILLIAMSON is documented as the sister of Col. William UNDERWOOD by a Lancaster Co VA record dated 08 Dec 1656, which appoints "Mr. William UNDERWOOD" to administer the estate of James WILLIAMSON deceased, whereby UNDERWOOD is designated as "uncle of his [James WILLIAMSON'S] orphans on the mother's side." (Lancaster Co records, 1654-1702, p. 308) The will of Elizabeth UNDERWOOD Taylor Slaughter Catlett Butler, dated 7 May 1673, and proved 16 Jun 1673, refers to "William UNDERWOOD the Elder" (William UNDERWOOD, Sr., s/o Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD & Mary (BURTON? MOSELEY?)) as her "cousin" (nephew), thus documenting her as the sister of Col. William UNDERWOOD. (Old Rappa. D&W, 1665-1677:136-43). Elizabeth UNDERWOOD Taylor Slaughter Catlett BUTLER is documented as the same who was daughter of Margaret UNKNOWN Underwood Upton Lucas by a series of records (See Elizabeth UNDERWOOD)

Still a mystery is the relationship of Margaret to Mary (Underwood? Hill?), wife of More FAUNTLEROY (See Below)

Margaret married in 1657 in Old Rappa. Co VA, Capt. Thomas LUCAS:

10 Apr 1657 (Rappa. Records, Vol. 1656-64, p. 33) Marriage agreement between Capt. Thomas LUCAS the Elder of Rappahannock in Virginia, Gentleman, Coll. Moore FAUNTLEROY and Captain William UNDERWOOD, all of the county aforesaid - in consideration of a marriage (God willing) shortly to be solemnized between Thomas LUCAS and Margaret UPTON, late wife of Capt. John UPTON deceased------but if said Margaret UPTON should happen to survive the said Coll. Moore FAUNTLEROY and Captain William UNDERWOOD and their heirs, administrators, etc., that all of the estate will return to her the said Margaret UPTON. In case a servant of said UPTON should die one of said LUCAS' is to be put in his stead that has at least four years to serve. The sons of said LUCAS are not to be disturbed on the land on which they shall be seated. The bond was for 12,000 pounds of tobacco executed to Coll More FAUNTLEROY and Captain William UNDERWOOD.

Fothergill Note: "This was from a transcribed record which is much mutilated. There was a fire about 1685 at the house of William COLSTON, then the county clerk, in which many of the records were destroyed." (Underwood, Fothergill)

5 Jun 1663-4. (Old Rappahannock VA Records 1656-64, p. 326) Mrs. Margaret UPTON als LUCAS to her son-in-law Capt. Francis SLAUGHTER, deceased, one cow for the use of Francis SLAUGHTER, Jr. John CATLETT married Elizabeth, the relict of Francis SLAUGHTER and the stock of cattle fell into CATLETT'S hands who conveyed them back to Mrs. Margaret UPTON als LUCAS to be disposed of according to the meaning of her deed of gift (Underwood, Fothergill)

Margaret UNKNOWN Underwood Upton Lucas died between 1663/4 and 14 Oct 1669, the date that Thomas LUCAS of Sittenbourne Parish, Rappahannock County, signed his will with no mention of a wife, but including bequests to his son-in-law John CATLETT, son-in-law Capt. Thomas HAWKINS, grandchild Mary HAWKINS, son Thomas LUCAS, sister-in-law Mrs. Margaret PLAINIER and friend Daniel GAINES, proved 24 March 1673. (Rappahannock Records, 1664-71, p. 152, Fothergill).

The Children of Margaret UNKNOWN and Unknown UNDERWOOD:

I. Col. William UNDERWOOD, born before 1629, died between 1661 and 1663; Married (1) bef 1649, Mary (BURTON? MOSELEY?), died 1661-1662. Known Issue: William UNDERWOOD, Sr., b 1648/49, d 1717, Richmond Co, VA; m Mary BUTLER, sister of Rev. Amory BUTLER, last husband of Elizabeth UNDERWOOD Taylor Slaughter Catlett; married (2) between 1662 and 1663, Elizabeth UNKNOWN, born before 1638, died after 1683(?), widow of Unknown (William?) UNDERWOOD, who m next, 1662-1666, Archdale Combs I of Old Rappa. Co VA. Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD is documented as brother of Elizabeth UNDERWOOD Taylor Slaughter Catlett Butler by virtue of the latter's 1673 will in which she refers to his son, William UNDERWOOD, Sr. as "my couzen [nephew] William UNDERWOOD the elder." (Old Rappa. D&W, 1665-1677)

II. Ann UNDERWOOD, born before 1638; d bef 8 Dec 1656, Lancaster Co VA; m bef 1652, James WILLIAMSON, born before 1634, died 8 Dec 1656 in Lancaster Co, Virginia. Known Issue: Margaret WILLIAMSON (w/o William BALL, Jr.); Mary WILLIAMSON (w/o John ROSIER); William WILLIAMSON, born before 1656, died young.

III. Elizabeth UNDERWOOD, born before 1641, died in 1673 in Old Rappahannock Co, Virginia. Married (1) 1652-1654, possibly in Isle of Wight Co, Virginia, Dr. James TAYLOR, who died 1655, Surry Co, Virginia, and from whom she had legally separated on 26 Mar 1654/55. No Issue. Married (2) bef 1655, Francis SLAUGHTER Sr. (son of John SLAUGHTER), born about 1630, died in 1657/58 in Old Rappahannock Co, Virginia. Known Issue: Francis SLAUGHTER Jr. Married (3) bef 1664, Col. John CATLETT, Sr., born about 1622 in Sittingbourne, County Kent, England, died between 1669 and 1671. Known Issue: John CATLETT. Jr.; William CATLETT; Elizabeth CATLETT; Sarah CATLETT. Married (4) in 1671, in Old Rappahannock Co, Virginia, Rev. Amory BUTLER, born before 1649, died in 1678/79 in Sittingbourne Parish, Old Rappahannock Co, Virginia. (Note: Amory BUTLER may have resided in 1669 in New Kent Co, Virginia. They signed a marriage contract in May 1671 in Old Rappahannock Co, Virginia. No Issue.

Note: Elizabeth UNDERWOOD Taylor Slaughter Catlett Butler's will includes extended additional documentation of relationships to numerous family members.

IV. Sarah UNDERWOOD, born before 1645, died after 1702 in (of) Westmoreland Co, Virginia; may have been the Sarah who married between 1650 and 1668, Col. William PIERCE (possibly son of Capt. William PIERCE), died in 1702 in Westmoreland Co, Virginia, in which case: Known Issue: Ann PIERCE; Elizabeth PIERCE; Mary PIERCE; Margaret PIERCE; John PIERCE; Sarah PIERCE. Sarah UNDERWOOD is named in the will of Capt. John UPTON as a daughter-in-law (step daughter) and may be the same named in the will of Elizabeth UNDERWOOD Taylor Slaughter Catlett Butler, as "my sister Pierce." (Old Rappa. Recs., I:22)

V. Margaret UNDERWOOD, born before 1640, died after 1663; married in 1660, Humphrey BOOTH Sr., born before 1636 in (of) London, England, died before 1690. Known Issue: Catherine BOOTH (m Robert BROOKE); Grace BOOTH, born before 1664., d before 1674; Humphrey BOOTH Jr. (m Phoebe UNKNOWN). Margaret UNDERWOOD is named in the will of Capt. John LUCAS as his 'daughter in law' (step daughter); her mother, Margaret _____ Underwood Upton Lucas, refers to Humphrey BOOTH as "my loveing son;" and her sister, Elizabeth, in her 1673 will refers to him as "brother BOOTH."

VI. Mary UNDERWOOD, born before 1639, married (1) bef 1653, Col. Moore FAUNTLEROY, who died before 1666 in (probably) Old Rappahannock Co, Virginia. Known Issue: William FAUNTLEROY and Elizabeth FAUNTLEROY, born before 1653, died after 1684. Married (2) 1665-1666 in Old Rappahannock Co, Virginia, William LLOYD. She is not named in the will of Capt. John LUCAS; however, and other researchers have shown her as neè HILL (source?) despite numerous records "implying" she was an UNDERWOOD (Research in progress)

Documenting the UNDERWOODS

Primary Sources: Underwood Family of Virginia, Augusta B. Fothergill, The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. XXXVIII, 1930, pp. 267-270, 386-393; Vol. XXXIX, 1931, pp. 70-75, 167-173, 272-276; XL, 1932, pp. 91-95; Reprinted in Genealogy of Virginia Families, Vol. V, GPC, Baltimore, 1981, pp. 601-635; hereinafter Underwood, Fothergill; and Old Rappahannock Co VA Records (Series), Ruth & Sam Sparacio, Antient Press, McLean, VA.

Primary Researcher: Sherrill Underwood Williams

To Be Continued…

© 2000-2005, Sherrill UNDERWOOD Williams;