George Eskridge

The origins of George Eskridge are part mystery and part legend. He is thought to have been born about 1655 in the area of Lincolnshire, England. Legend says that when George was a young law student he was walking along the coast of Wales studying one of his books when he was unjustly captured by a press gang and shipped to the Virginia colony where he was sold as an indentured servant for a term of eight years. The story continues to say that he was treated poorly, not allowed to write home, and made to sleep on a stone hearth in the kitchen house. On the last day of his indenture his master found him with a mattock ripping the stones out of the fireplace and asked him what he was doing, George is said to have replied "a guest's bed is always pulled upon their departure, and I am doing likewise." Supposedly George went home to complete his studies before returning to Virginia and gaining his success. This author has been unable to find records backing up this story, or even when this story first came to be told.

Whatever the circumstances of his early years George married Rebecca Bonum in Westmoreland County about 1679. She was the daughter of Samuel Bonum an immigrant from Ireland and Margaret Philpott, born on Kent Island, MD. George and Rebecca went on to have as many as eight children. George was highly regarded for his law and literacy skills and became one of Westmoreland County's most prominent early citizens. Nine different land patents between 1703 and 1726 are indexed for George Eskridge at the Library of Virginia. George maintained large plantations in Westmoreland and Stafford. He became known as George Eskridge of Sandy Pointe. He was also often referred to a planter and as a gentleman. He served in the Westmoreland County militia and eventually rose to the rank of Colonel. He was an important early figure at Yecomico Church and served as churchwarden, a plaque in his honor still hangs inside the sanctuary. George represented Westmoreland County in the House of Burgess for the years; 1705-1706, 1710-1712, 1712-1714, 1718, 1720-1722, 1723-1726 and 1727-1734.

George was friends with Joseph Ball, son of William Ball. After Joseph's death in 1711 and his widow's death soon after, Mary Ball their daughter was sent to be raised by George Eskridge. Mary Ball lived at Sandy Point for most of her childhood and was married there to Augustine Washington. In 1732 she became mother to George Washington. Tradition says that she named her son after her surrogate father George Eskridge.

George's wife Rebecca died about 1715 and he remarried to Elizabeth Vaulx. They had one daughter, Elizabeth Eskridge, born about 1716.

Lands Patented to George Eskridge:

• Westmoreland County - 58 acres beg.g &c. on the south side of the head of a creek falling into a Yeocomoco River standing near to the plantation of George Rust.
• Westmoreland County - 305 acres escheat land. Being in Yeocomoco Neck. Beg.g &c. on the east side of Jenkins cove.
• Northumberland County - 600 acres beg.g &c. on the S. Et., 314 pole to the mouth of a small creek or Cove of Broad Creek.
• Stafford County - 2298 acres commonly called and known by the name of the Flat Lick lying on the eastward most side of Cubb Run issuing out of Bull Run falling into Occaquon River.
• Richmond County - 2060 acres upon the branches of the Great Marsh Run issuing out of the north side of Rappahannock River about 30 miles above the falls.
• Richmond County - 850 acres about ten miles above a place called the Marsh above the falls of Rappahannock River part whereof lying upon both sides of a run called the North Run.
• Stafford County - 2610 acres on a branch of Bull Run issuing out of the north side of Occaquan River called Cubb Run.
• Stafford County - 934 acres on the Branches of Cubb Run.
• Westmoreland County - 62 acres 80 perches on Potomac River at a place called Sandy point in Yeococmoco Neck.

George wrote his will on October 27th, 1735. He died before November 27th, 1735, on that date his will was presented in Westmoreland County Court and probated December 5th, 1735.

My Son, SAMUEL and his heirs for ever the House & Plantation where I now live containing 800 acres be the same more or less bounding upon the Lands of JOHN CRUTCHER & ROBERT BALL, a ditch made by me to divide this Land from another tract upon the River and from the ditch to JOHN KING's CREEK including a. parcel of land I bought of one (blank) Rust.
Imprimis. I give unto my Son, SAMUEL. and his heirs for ever the House & Plantation where I now live containing eight hundred acres being the same more or less bounding upon the Lands of JOHN CRUTCHER and ROBERT BALL, a ditch made by me to divide this Land from another tract upon the River and from the ditch to JOHN KING's CREEK including a parcel of land I bought of one (blank) Rust.
Item. I give unto my Son, WILLIAM ESKRIDGE, & the heirs of his body lawfully begotten my tract of land upon the River adjoining to the aforesaid tract given to my Son, SAMUEL.
Item I give to my Loving, Wife the aforesaid House & Plantation and Lands before given to my Son, SAMUEL, during her natural life, also I give to my said Wife all the slaves she brought me in marraige with their increase ten other of my slaves during her natural life and after her death, I give the said slaves had with her in marriage to my Daughter. ELIZABETH, & her heirs for ever.
I give my Land at MACHOTIC commonly called MACHOTIC OUARTER in Westmorland County to my Son, ROBERT, and his heirs forever I give unto the four sons of my Son GEORGE, dec, four slaves apiece when they respectively arrive at the age of twenty one years.
I give unto my Daughter, ELIZABETH & her heirs a tract of land I have at Pohick Creek in PRINCE WILLIAM County.
I give to my aforesaid Son. SAMUEL and his heirs 500 acres of land part of a tract at a place called FLATLICK in PRINCE WILLIAM County to be chosen by him in any one place out of the said tract.
I give unto my son WILLIAM (most of this line is scratched on the film) part of the tract at FLATLICK.
All the rest of the said tract at FLATLICK I give to be equally divided among the Children of my Son. GEORGE, and the Daughter of my Daughter, MARGARET KENNER & their heirs.

The February after his death a lenghty inventory was recorded for the estate Col. George Eskridge. The listing was broken down into sections including: the hall, the landing, the old hall, Mr. Samuel Eskridge's room, the long chamber, the parlor chamber, the hall chamber, the riverside quarter, the kings quarter, the little room, the kitchen, the dairy and others. Five white indentured servants were listed by name. Several dozen black slaves were also listed by name and spread across the entire inventory. Uniquely the inventory cataloged the titles of each of the nearly 100 books in George's library. His books included a Latin dictionary, The History of All the Religions in the World, The Laws of Virginia, The Lives of the Ancient Philosophers, The History of the Primitive Church, The Lives of the Popes, A General History of France, Complete History of Europe 1656-1697 and Dialog between Divinity and Laws.

Paintings of George Eskridge and Rebecca Bonum hung at George Washington's Mt. Vernon home for many years. In 1913 the portraits were gifted to the Virginia Historical Society for preservation.