Around 1795, Littleberry married Virginia Jane Alston of Halifax (Halifax County), North Carolina.1 This would be the first of many Willcox-Alston marriages. I have not found an official source to substantiate that date or even to indicate where the marriage took place since marriage records from that time are limited. However, I assume that they wed in Halifax County. Their first child was born in 1797 so a 1795 marriage is completely plausible. We know that Littleberry was living in Halifax County as early as October 1796 as his name was published in The North-Carolina Journal as having letters waiting in the Halifax post office.2 This would explain Littleberry’s absence from the tax rolls in Charles City County after 1796.
These details prompt many questions. When and how did Littleberry and Virginia meet? Was it before or after he moved to Halifax? If after, why did he move to Halifax in the first place? It’s not as if Halifax was next door to Littleberry’s hometown. Halifax is about ninety miles from Charles City and at least two days travel by horseback or stagecoach. Although it is unlikely we will ever know the answers to these questions, there are a few things to consider about Virginia’s family and Halifax County that might shed some light on Littleberry’s decisions.
Virginia Jane Alston was the daughter of Willis Alston and Elizabeth Wright.3 The Alstons were a prominent and wealthy family in Halifax County. Virginia’s grandfather, Joseph John Alston, gave more than 100,000 acres of land and 150 slaves to his children and grandchildren during his lifetime and after his death.4 Willis Alston, Virginia’s father, was a member of the Fourth Provincial Congress (Apr 1776) held at Halifax. [Not to be confused with Congressman Willis Alston (1769-1837) who was the nephew (not son) of Willis Alston (1750-1819).] The congress organized a militia and Willis was made a colonel. The most important accomplishment of this congress was the passage of Halifax Resolves, the first official action by a colony that called for severance of ties to Britain and independence for the colonies. Willis was also part of the Fifth Provincial Congress and Constitutional Convention (Nov 1776) which approved North Carolina’s first state constitution.5 Virginia’s uncle, also named Willis Alston, was a life-long politician who served in the House of Commons and Congress.6
During Littleberry’s time, Halifax was a prosperous and bustling city. Settled in the early 1700s and lying on the banks of the Roanoke River, the ground was exceptionally fertile and many farmers became quite wealthy raising a variety of crops. The river also provided easy access for transporting goods. It is easy to see how Halifax grew and developed into an attractive place to live. Halifax was the county seat and political center of North Carolina for a number of years during and soon after the American Revolution. During the years 1787-1800, Halifax County “exerted great influence in both State and National affairs. Perhaps, no county in the whole country had more men of ability and influence.” Halifax was a flourishing and important city well into the early 19th century.7
Taking all of these things into consideration, one can understand how Littleberry might have looked to Halifax as a good place to build his life and start a family.
(See posts in chronological order)
- Davis, Harry Alexander, Wallis & Willcox, descendants of Martha (4) Davies; supplement to The Davis family (Davies & David) (Washington, D.C.: Typewritten copy, 1928), 6; digitized at FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/43233-wallis-walcox-descendants-of-martha-4-davis-a-supplement-to-the-davis-family-davies-david : accessed 30 June 2026) ↩︎
- “List of letters remaining in the Post-Office at Halifax, October 1,” The North-Carolina Journal, Halifax, North Carolina, 17 Oct 1796, page 3, column 2; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/66180813/ : accessed 28 Jun 2026) ↩︎
- Halifax County, North Carolina, “Record of Wills Vol. 3, 1781-1824,” 646-7, Willis Alston, 9 September 1816; imaged “North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-VGSX-Z: accessed 30 June 2026) > Halifax > Wills, 1781-1824, Vol. 03 > image 697-8 of 763; citing county courthouses, North Carolina. ↩︎
- Groves, Joseph A., M.D., The Alstons and Allstons of North and South Carolina compiled from English, colonial and family records, with personal reminiscences also notes of some allied families (Atlanta, Ga.: The Franklin Printing and Publishing Company, 1901), 81; digitized at Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/Alstonsandallst00grovgoog : accessed 23 Jun 2026). ↩︎
- Samuel A. Ashe (Ed.), Biographical History of North Carolina From Colonial Times to the Present: Volume VI (Greensboro, N. C.: Charles L. Van Noppen, 1907) 1; digitized at Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/cu31924092215486 : accessed 30 June 2026); NCpedia; Lindley S. Butler (Raleigh, North Carolina) Provincial Congresses (https://www.ncpedia.org/provincial-congresses: 30 June 2026). ↩︎
- North Carolina History Project; Dr. Troy L. Kickler (Raleigh, North Carolina) Willis Alston (1769-1837) (https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/willis-Alston-1769-1837/: 30 June 2026). ↩︎
- North Carolina Historic Sites (Raleigh, North Carolina) Historic Halifax > History (https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/historic-halifax/history : 30 June 2026); Allen, W. C., History of Halifax County (Boston: The Cornhill Company, 1918) 68; digitized at Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfHalifaxCountync : accessed 30 June 2026). ↩︎
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