Young Littleberry Willcox (1766-1856)

Littleberry Willcox was born around 1766¹ in Charles City (Charles City County), Virginia, to Major and Hannah Willcox.  He had five brothers, Hamlin, Major, Thomas, John, and Edward² and two sisters, Mary³ and Nancy Ann.⁴ 

Littleberry most likely lived and worked on a farm.  According to the limited records available (many were lost during the Civil War), his father, Major, owned over 100 acres of land in Charles City County from as early as 1788⁵ until his death in 1798.⁶ He also owned slaves (as many as ten at one time), cattle and horses.⁷  Agriculture was the primary industry⁸ and it is assumed that Major was a farmer. 

With eight children and crops and animals to tend to, the lives of Major and Hannah were no doubt busy.  In colonial days, children who lived on a farm would be given simple chores at an early age.  As one of the oldest children in the family, Littleberry likely graduated from those chores rather quickly to greater responsibilities as the younger children came along.  I can imagine him helping in the fields as well as around the home and possibly in the care of his siblings.  Education and schooling were also likely part of his life.  There were no public schools in Virginia during Littleberry’s childhood (they would be instituted in the 1800s) so parents were responsible for the education of their children.  If the parents were poor but literate, they would teach their children how to read, write and do simple math.  Middle class parents might have paid for their children to attend a community school taught by the local parish minister.  Wealthy or upper class families hired tutors that lived with the family.  There is no indication that Major was wealthy so it is likely that Littleberry received his education at home, a community school, or a combination of both.

We find the first instance of Littleberry’s name in public records when he was about 23 years old.  He is listed in the personal property tax records as a “tithable”⁹ which was any white male over the age of 16.  In addition to paying a poll tax (or head tax) to the government, “tithables” also paid taxes on things they owned like horses, cattle and carriages.¹⁰  The personal property tax records show that during the years 1792-1796, Littleberry had very little in the way of property.  In three of those years he owned a horse and in two of the years he owned a slave.¹¹  There is no evidence that Littleberry owned land in Charles City County and after 1796, Littleberry’s name drops from the personal property tax rolls altogether.

Up next for Littleberry … Marriage!

(See posts in chronological order)

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1. 1850 U. S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, page 43 (stamped), dwelling 809, family 809, Littleberry Willcox; imaged, “1850 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 June 2026). ↩︎
2. Charles City County, Virginia, “Will book 1789-1808,” 509, Hannah Willcox, 5 July 1799; imaged “Will books, 1789-1878; general index to wills and fiduciary accounts, 1789-1954,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89PH-YHV8: accessed 29 June 2026) > Will book, Vol. 1 1789-1808 > image 224 of 345; citing Charles City County Court, Virginia. ↩︎
3. Merrill, Eleanor Brown, A Virginia Heritage (Privately printed: 1968), 34. ↩︎
4. “Tennessee Probate Court Files, 1795-1955,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-2ND4-K : accessed 29 June 2026) > Maury > County Court, Wills > 1807-1899 > McBride, John-Thompson, Robert E. > image 129, entry for Ann McGee, 18 January 1857; citing county archives, Tennessee. ↩︎
5. Charles City County, Virginia, “Charles City County Land Book 1788,” 13, Major Willcox, 1788; imaged “Land tax lists of Charles City County [Virginia] 1782-1863,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-J36F-N32L: accessed 29 June 2026) > Land tax lists, 1782-1824 > image 48 of 475; citing Virginia. Commissioner of the Revenue (Charles City County). ↩︎
6. Charles City County, Virginia, “Will book 1789-1808,” 466, Major Willcox, 31 December 1798; imaged “Will books, 1789-1878; general index to wills and fiduciary accounts, 1789-1954,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89PH-YH29: accessed 29 June 2026) > Will book, Vol. 1 1789-1808 > image 203 of 345; citing Charles City County Court, Virginia. ↩︎
7. “Personal property tax lists of Charles City County [Virginia] 1783-1863,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C377-SG6J: accessed 29 June 2026) > Personal property tax lists, 1783-1807, 1809-1822 > image 50, entry for Major Willcox, 16 April 1787; citing  Virginia. Commissioner of the Revenue (Charles City County). ↩︎
8. Tyler, D. Gardiner, A History and Pictorial Review of Charles City County, Virginia (D.G. Tyler, 1990), 59  ↩︎
9. “Personal property tax lists of Charles City County [Virginia] 1783-1863,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C377-SRYR: accessed 29 June 2026) > Personal property tax lists, 1783-1807, 1809-1822 > image 79, entry for Littleberry Willcox, 8 February 1789; citing  Virginia. Commissioner of the Revenue (Charles City County). ↩︎
10. John Barrett Robb, Family Historian Interpreting the Annual Virginia Tax Lists from 1782 on, and their basis in Law  (https://www.johnbrobb.com/Content/VA/VA-Taxes-Law&Interpretation.pdf:25 Feb 2024). ↩︎
11. “Personal property tax lists of Charles City County [Virginia] 1783-1863,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C377-SR2X: accessed 29 June 2026) > Personal property tax lists, 1783-1807, 1809-1822 > image 114, entry for Littleberry Willcox, 21 June 1792; “Personal property tax lists of Charles City County [Virginia] 1783-1863,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C377-S565: accessed 29 June 2026) > Personal property tax lists, 1783-1807, 1809-1822 > image 127, entry for Littleberry Willcox, 18 July 1793; “Personal property tax lists of Charles City County [Virginia] 1783-1863,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C377-SG3F: accessed 29 June 2026) > Personal property tax lists, 1783-1807, 1809-1822 > image 140, entry for Littleberry Willcox, 17 July 1794; “Personal property tax lists of Charles City County [Virginia] 1783-1863,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C377-SPZ7: accessed 29 June 2026) > Personal property tax lists, 1783-1807, 1809-1822 > image 150, entry for Littleberry Willcox, 16 March 1795; citing  Virginia. Commissioner of the Revenue (Charles City County). ↩︎