Robert Sanford, Sr.-1; Robert-2; Margaret-3
We don’t know much at this time about MARGARET SANFORD-3 NEALE’s father, ROBERT SANFORD-2. The name is also spelled “Sandford,” “Stanford,” and several other ways. There is an earlier Robert Sanford whom we shall, for purposes of numbering, designate as “Robert-1,” but who may not be the father of ROBERT-2, the man we know is the father of MARGARET-3.
The earliest mention found by this researcher for the Sanford name [by various spellings] was dated 1673, when a man named Robert Stanford,[1?] the servant of Major Edward Hill, is brought up for swearing and using profane words in the pulpit of the parish church of Westover. He was to be whipped 30 lashes, but he got the execution stayed by reason of “indisposition” testified to by the local physician, Dr. Irby. This servant would have had to be born by 1653 [at least]. If he is the same man as our ROBERT SANFORD-2, who died in 1736/7, our ROBERT-2 would have had to be a very old man. It seems more likely that the genealogy goes Robert-1, who was the servant of Mr. Hill, and who had at least three sons, ROBERT-2, James-2, and John-2. [Family Tree Maker: Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Volume III, Charles City County Court Orders and Fragments 1664-1696, pg. 348.]
Mr. Edward Hill was also the master of Eleanor Newman who was slandered by the woman about this same time. [See mention above.] According to the 1673 deed-of-gift of John Sanford-2, he had two brothers, Robert-2 and James-2. Each of those brothers had a son named Robert-3. [so there would have been two Roberts in generation-three.]
Robert Sanford-1?
______________________________ |________________________ | | |
Robert-2 James-2 John-2
| |
Robert-3 Robert-3
In a will dated June 3, 1736, and probated 1737, [page 42, of Will Book VIII, Westmoreland County, Virginia] ROBERT SANFORD[-2 ?] mentioned sons Robert-3 Sanford, John-3 Sanford, and Joseph-3 Sanford. He also mentioned daughters Jemima [Sanford-3] Minor, Ann Sanford-3 and Elizabeth Sanford-3, and MARGARET [SANFORD-3] NEALE, as well as grandson, Joshua Sanford-4. His son, Robert Sanford-3, and PRESLEY NEALE were executors.
A poll [voting list] found for the election for Burgesses in Virginia in the year 1744 [Fairfax County, Virginia, Deed Book A-1, part 1, pg. 237] records the votes of Richard Sanford and Robert Sanford. These men would probably have been from the third [?] or fourth generation Sanfords.