The will of Thomas Morton of Prince George’s County (written in 1779) names his youngest daughter Ann, born to his second wife Ursula Brightwell. She was almost certainly a minor then, probably born in the mid-1770s. She moved with part of her family to Stafford County, Virginia around 1786 and was an unmarried adult there in 1795 when she gave a power of attorney to her brother Richard Morton.
Ann Morton, regularly called “Nancy” in Stafford County, married George Grayson Hedgman about 1800. Her husband was born c. 1780, son of John Hedgman (1758-1796) and Catherine Grayson (1760-1795). He must have married young, as had his mother. Tax records suggest he died around 1831.
On 20 July, 1812, Ann witnessed the will of Barsheba Waller (an in-law of her brother Richard Morton) under the name “Nancy Hedgman”.
The 1820 Census lists George G. Hedgman’s household with 1 man and woman (aged 26-44) and two boys (one aged 10-15 and one aged 16-18) and 20 slaves. This fits what we know of the ages of him, his wife and their two sons.
Children of Ann “Nancy” Morton and George Grayson Hedgman:
10.1) Peter Daniel Grayson Hedgman (1801-1879)
marr. (1) Louisa Mitchell, (2) Frances Catherine Hedgman
The Stafford County death records tell us much about him: Peter D.G. Hedgeman, a white male, died 12 Aug. 1879 in Stafford from paralysis at the age of 79. He was born in Stafford and his parents were given as George G. and Ann Hedgeman. He was a farmer and his wife was Francis Hedgeman. The report was given by his son B. G. Hedgeman.
In 1826, although a rather young man, he served as co-administrator of his grandmother Ursula Morton’s estate. In the 1830 census, his household consists of one man aged 20-29 (himself), but also a man aged 40-49 and a boy aged 10-14 — it is not clear whether these are relatives or hired hands. In the 1840 census, the situation is similar: two men, two women, four boys and one girl (and 14 slaves)— far more than his nuclear family.
According to Rev. Horace Edwin Hayden’s Virginia Genealogies, Peter first married Louisa Mitchell, sister of Charles T. Mitchell, Charles Co., Md., then secondly his cousin Frances Hedgman, da. of his uncle, John Grayson Hedgman. She died without children but by his first marriage to Louisa Mitchell were born five children, for whom the census reports give ages:
- 10.1.1) Benjamin Grayson Hedgman (c. 1835-1893)
- 10.1.2) Louisa Mitchell Hedgman (1838- ) m. 1859 George E. Mattingly, Jr. of Wash., DC
- 10.1.3) George Washington Hedgman (1840 – ) [or “William, d.s.p.”?]
- 10.1.4) Lucinda “Lucy” S. Hedgman (1842 – ) m. Richard Hall
- 10.1.5) Mary Ann “Marianna” Hedgman (1844- )
10.2) John Travers Hedgman (1804-1860) marr. Mary Ann Horton (died bef. 1850)
J. Eby reports “From 1831-1849 John T. Hedgman paid land taxes on 430 1/2 acres on Accokeek Creek. According to these records, John acquired this property from John Moncure and, at the time of purchase, there were modest buildings there assessed at $200. By 1833 he had made improvements to the buildings and increased the assessment to $630.50. In 1841 that increased to $756.32. Around 1850 John T. sold the tract to John Moncure and his name disappeared from the tax rolls.”
Probably because of Mary Ann Hedgman’s early death, in the 1850 and 1860 censuses, their son Peter is recorded in the household of James Morton and his wife Lucy Brown Horton. In 1860, their daughter Catherine is there also. They had four adult children:
10.2.1) Peter Nathaniel Hedgman, CSA (1830- 25 Sep 1897).
Listed as a 1st lieutenant in 1850 in the records of the 45th regiment of Virginia militia. He entered the war and was promoted to Sergeant served with the 47th Virginia Infantry. In his 1894 application for a disability pension, he was living in Brooke, in Stafford Co. He bought part of the Potomac Silk Farm in 1876. Buried in Hollywood Cemetery, in Richmond, Va.
10.2.2) Hannah Ann Hedgman (c.1831 – ) marr. Dr. Henry Lee Coleman (1830 – ).
He was from Fredericksburg, where they first lived before moving to Falls Church. Children: Mary Jane Elizabeth “Mollie”, Lucy R., John Henry, Richard William, Annabelle Catherine, Clarence E.
10.2.3) Lucy Elizabeth Hedgman (1834- ) marr. 1856 James Edward Schooler (1833 – 1898)
J. Eby reports: “Lucy E. Hedgman married James E. Schooler (born c.1833) and lived very near the present Stafford Courthouse. They operated what had previously been known as Garrard’s Ordinary. There they kept a store and post office. James E. Schooler was postmaster there from 1860-1866 and Lucy filled that position from 1866-1867. James was in the fishing business with his father and suffered many financial problems.” In the 1870s, they moved to Washington, where the surname was usually spelled Schuyler. Children: Ida Mae, Margaret Louise, James Edward Jr, Alexander Bruce, Mary “May” Hedgman, Rose, Hannah Daniel
10.2.4) Mary Catherine Hedgman (c. 1840-c.1920) marr. Angus McDonald.
Child: Rodrick.