History and genealogy of Peter Montague, of Nansemond and ...

BRANCH OF HIS SON WILLIAM. 417
3l80.
Capt. William Montague, son of Capt. William [3174],
b. Jan.
3, 1774, in Lancaster Co., Va., where he was raised and where he
resided until some time after his marriage and probably until the
death of his first wife.
From 1796 to 1805 he was a lay delegate of Christ church, parish
of St. Marys in Lancaster. His name is frequently on the county
court records from 1796 to 1805 as being present at court of quar-
terly sessions. " He was one of the sponsors, at the baptism of
Henry Chinn Downman, April 9, 1797."—H. p. 126. He studied
law and was admitted to the bar. He also served as a captain in the
war of 18 1 2 and was stationed on the James river below Richmond.
He in. (1), March 1, 1801, by Rev. Daniel McNaughton, rector of
Christ church, Lancaster, at the residence of her father, Frances
Downman, dau. of Joseph Ball Downman* and his wife Olivia Payne.
She was b. Nov. 7, 1782 at Miles End, Middlesex Co., England. (She
was sister of Olivia Downman, the wife of Joseph Ball of " Ditchley,"
H. p. 123.) After her death he in. (2), by Rev. John D. Blair, Sarah
Minn Hughes. They were married in old St. Johns Episcopal church,
situated at 25th andBroad Sts., Richmond. About this time he had
removed from Lancaster to his plantation called " Paradise " in Hen-
rico Co., three miles below Richmond where he resided until his death
which occurred July 27, 1827.
She d. in Feb., 1864 in Gloucester Co., near the town of Bote-
tourt, at " Charleys Hope, " the residence of her son Charles
Wortley Montague, aged about 90 years. A remarkable incident is
connected with her death. To wit, her two sons Col. Thomas Ball
Montague and Major Charles Wortley Montague were both in service
in the Confederate army at the time of her death. The northern
army had invaded that section of Virginia, and while her body was
being conveyed to the family burying ground, the coffin was opened
by a squad of Union soldiers for the purpose of learning whether the
coffin contained ammunition or other valuable property. At least
this was the only reason assigned by them. The following letters
* "Joseph Ball Downman m. Olivia Payne, Jan. 30, 1779, at St. Dunstons, Stepney, Eng.
She was dau. of Capt. William and Olive [Wilmot] Payne, of Warwick, Eng., and was b.
April 11, 1759, d. in Va., Sept., 1830. He was b. Feb. 20, 1756, d. Sept. 24, 1799, and was son of
Raleigh Downman of Morattico, Lancaster Co., Va., and his wife Frances Ball, who was
dau. of that Joseph Ball who was half brother of Mary, the mother of Washington,"— H.
p. 122.