Isaac Norman, the patriarch

Isaac the patriarch Norman. generation (15)
(See yesterday's post about his son, Joseph Norman, generation (14) back from my grandchildren)

I found lots of good information here (the link above) which is substantiated (mostly) by deeds and excerpts of legal documents.  I will include a lot of it here, without permission, because it's described as "freepages."

Incidentally, I went looking for the Abingdon Episcopal Church, which is not in Abingdon, VA but in Gloucester, VA.   These little details!  Ah!
The following has underlining by me to point out details that I wish to emphasize.

ISAAC NORMAN
Born Before 1682 - 1748
Probably the son of Joseph Norman and Matilda Tolson, but this has not been proven.

Isaac Norman (Joseph¹) was born Bef. February 01, 1682 in Spotsylvania, VA, and died Abt. 1748 in Culpeper County, VA. He married Frances Courtney, daughter of James Courtney and Mary Jenkins. She was born January 17, 1684.
The parentage of Isaac Norman has not been positively established. There were several families of Normans in Virginia and any one of them could have been Isaac's ancestors since many of the names were the same. The Normans of Gloucester, Stafford, Prince William, Fauquier and Culpeper counties are thought to be closely related. There is a record of Isaac Norman being baptized at Abingdon Episcopal Church, Virginia on February 1, 1682 as the son of Joseph Norman and Matilda Towlson (Tolson). There is also an entry for the daughter of Joseph and Matilda Norman, but there is no first name listed, just Norman, ______, who was baptized on March 8, 1684. The most plausible parentage seems to be Joseph Norman and Matilda Tolson. Without definite proof of Isaac Norman's ancestry, it is difficult to state positively who his parents were...

Isaac settled in St. George's Parish, Spotsylvania, Va about 1720-1724. He lived on Flat Run in that part of Spotsylvania County which became Orange County in 1734, and Culpeper County in 1749. Flat Run is a stream that flows into Mountain Run near where Mountain Run flows into the Rappahannock River, near the present town of Remington. Nearby is "Norman's Ford", a notable early crossing of the Rappahannock River, is said to have taken its name from Isaac Norman. The following is from Virginia records; "Norman's Ford, on the Rappahannock River, took its name from Isaac Norman of the Stafford County family who first settled there and in June 1726, had a land grant on the Spotsylvania, later Culpeper, shore of the river". The land was on lower side of Flat Run fork of the Rappahannock River. 

Survey: July 22, 1749, Culpeper Co., VA, Isaac Norman's land shows on George Washington's maps when he surveyed for the new county. 

Isaac Norman's first land grant of record was for 420 acres. In 1728, Isaac and his son-in-law, James Turner, received a grant of 634 acres. His son, Courtney, was granted 238 acres in the same year. Isaac received another 200 acres in 1735. Isaac did not leave a will, but before his death he conveyed land by deeds to his children. Deeds on record are to his daughter, Karenhappuch and her Husband, James Turner; also to Nathaniel Hillen, husband of Kesiah Norman; and to his son Joseph....


Isaac acquired much land and appeared to be a prosperous planter. At a court held for Spotsylvania County on October 3, 1724, the county sold tobacco plants to "sundry people". Among the names are Robert Green & Isaac Norman "Tobacco plants 245595, tobacco 164". In the early records of Spotsylvania, Orange and Culpeper Counties, there are recorded many deeds and orders which reveal the activities of Isaac Norman and his family.

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY ROAD ORDERS 1722-1734 Nathaniel Mason Pawlett, Faculty Research Historian

3 September 1728 O.S., Page 255

On petition of Robert Green, John Roberts, Edmund Birk & Isaac Normon (Norman) to have liberty to clear a roleing road from John Roberts P Robert Greens to normonds (Norman's) ford on the north side of Rapahanock river is granted them & Ordered that thay have liberty to clear the same --

1 May 1733 O.S., Page 201

On Petition of Isaac Norman he is Discharged from being Overseer of the road from the Mountain Tract to Jonas Jenkins at the Great Mountain and John [blank in book] is Ordered to Serve in his room, and all the Tithables that Served under the said Norman Do Serve under the said [blank in book] to help Clear & Keep in repair the said road .

On May 2, 1732, he was appointed constable in place of John Read.  

 A petition dated May 17, 1746 stated that Isaac Norman had served as constable of Orange County, and that he was sick and unable to work and deputies were appointed to help him. He very probably died in 1748.

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I underlined the date of George Washington's survey which named Isaac Norman's land (1749), because this source also states that Isaac may have died the year (1748) before that survey was made.

I am only interested in my direct line through Joseph Norman, his son, so will only copy the list of his siblings.
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• Courtney C. Norman, born Abt. 1705 in Spotsylvania County, Va; died March 12, 1770 in Culpeper County, VA.
• Joseph Norman, born Abt. 1708 in Culpeper County, VA; died November 20, 1783 in Culpeper County, VA.
• Keziah Norman, born 1711 in Virginia.
• Isaac Norman, Jr., born Abt. 1714 in Virginia.
• Kerenhappuch Norman, born Abt. 1716 in Spotsylvania County, VA; died Abt. 1805 in Richmond County, NC.
• Jemima Norman, born 1719.  Little is known about Jemima.
• Frances Norman, born 1723 in Spotsylvania County, Va; died 1792.
• Isabel Norman, born Abt. 1730; died June 28, 1803.
• Roseanna "Rose" Norman, born 1735 in Spotsylvania County, Va; died Aft. 1801.

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Unfortunately this source gives his death as the date of Joseph's will rather than his actual death date.  That always makes me feel a bit suspicious.

Brother of Joseph, was an Isaac Norman Jr.
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Generation No. 2

ISAAC NORMAN, JR

Notes for Isaac Norman, Jr.:
Land grant: 1735, Spotsylvania Co., VA Rec'd 200 acres on lower side of Stonehouse River, corner to his brother Courtney's and line to Hazel River.
Deed: 1753, Anson Co., NC Isaac Norman, Jr. purchased 100 acres on the south side of the Pee Dee River from Isaac White, being the place where Isaac Norman lived 3 years. Deed Book 1, Anson Co., NC
Cite: November 7, 1754, Culpeper Co., VA ,One Isaac Norman had a plantation on Hugh's River near John Gail's Mill, VA. Gazette Adv. Isaac Norman. 
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This would have been Uncle Isaac to Jospeh's son Isaac Norman II (as the genealogists apparently have him listed.  I had thought it was because his grandfather Isaac was still alive, but there also was an Uncle Isaac.  I bet they knew who they were...but oh what a mess in records.

I wonder if the Isaac Jr in North Carolina in 1753 where he "lived 3 years" was actually the same as the one who had a plantation in Culpeper in 1754.  Interesting, and I have no answer.