From Joy to Grief

Littleberry and Virginia welcomed their first child, Major Alston, on October 9, 1797.¹  Their second child, Elizabeth, was born around 1799² followed shortly by Willis Alston, born around 1800.³  During this happy time there was also sadness as Littleberry’s father, mother, and brother, Edward, passed away.  Littleberry’s father, Major, and brother were the first to succumb in 1798.⁴  Major did not leave a will so it assumed that his estate was divided among his heirs according to Virginia’s laws.  There is little information about Edward besides the information in his will.  It was dated 1796 and filed in Petersburg, Virginia (Dinwiddie County).  He stated he was “weak of body” and left his entire estate to his mother, Hannah.  After her death, the remainder of his estate was to be divided equally among his brothers.⁵  Hannah died just a short two years later in 1800.  Her will distributed her estate among her children and grandchildren.⁶  Several years later, when the estates of Major and Hannah were finally settled, Major’s estate was determined to be worth £3,853⁷ and Hannah’s estate was worth £1,758.⁸ Even though Major did not leave a will, Littleberry would have been entitled to a portion of his estate under Virginia inheritance laws.

Another interesting tidbit of information from this time period involved Littleberry freeing a slave.  In 1799, Littleberry filed a deed of manumission which emancipated and set free “Gabriel Cox a negro man about forty five years” formerly owned and raised by Littleberry’s father.  Littleberry “forever release[d] all claim or right to the said Gabriel Cox” in “consideration of services already performed” and “for other reasons … apparent and adequate.”⁹  No other information accompanies this document so we do not know if Major gave or sold Gabriel Cox to Littleberry nor do we know the specifics of why Littleberry freed him.  As we progress through the lines of Littleberry’s family, we will see that many of them owned slaves.  I include this information solely for the purpose of gaining insight into each person’s financial status.

(See posts in chronological order)

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1. “Obituary: Dr. M. A. Willcox,” The Commonwealth, Scotland Neck, North Carolina, 17 May 1883, page 3, column 3; imaged Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/912658195/ : accessed July 2, 2026). ↩︎
2. “Obituary: Elizabeth W. Alston,” The Weekly Standard, Raleigh, North Carolina, 14 Feb 1844, page 3, column 5; imaged Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/171985187/ : accessed July 2, 2026). ↩︎
3. 1850 U. S. Census, Wilcox County, Alabama, population schedule, page 410 (stamped), dwelling 974, family 974, W. A. Wilcox; imaged, “1850 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8054/ : accessed 28 June 2026). ↩︎
4. Merrill, Eleanor Brown, A Virginia Heritage (Privately printed: 1968), 32. ↩︎
5. Will Book No. 1, entry for Edward Willcox, 3 Dec 1798, p. 274; Clerk’s Office of the Hustings Court of the City of Petersburg, Virginia. ↩︎
6. 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. ↩︎
7. Charles City County, Virginia, “Will book, Vol. 2 1808-1824,” 148, Major Willcox, 2 April 1811; 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-RSQP: accessed 2 July 2026) > Will book, Vol. 2 1808-1824 > image 90 of 336; citing Charles City County Court, Virginia. ↩︎
8. Charles City County, Virginia, “Will book, Vol. 2 1808-1824,” 166, Hannah Willcox, 2 April 1811; 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-RS7S: accessed 2 July 2026) > Will book, Vol. 2 1808-1824 > image 99 of 336; citing Charles City County Court, Virginia. ↩︎
9. Beegleston, Alexander, et al. “Flowerdew Hundred Collection, 1673-1893.” 1674, entry for Littlebury Willcox; Deed of Manumission; accession no. 28758: Archives Research Room, Library of Virginia. Richmond. ↩︎