Holbrook line: Hezekiah Vickery 1683 ish to 1736

Hezekiah Vickery is just a fun name to say.  It's also a fun name for some of the family to remember, as Hezekiah 2:16 and 3:11 were often cited in our house as I was growing up, as ammunition in a debate between my parents.  It took me many years to figure it out.  But I digress.

Hezekiah was a son of the more conventionally named John Viccary and was born in Dorchester County, Maryland about January 1, 1683.  His mother has been variously identifieds Mary, Margaret, or Anne,  She may or may not have been Margaret Mary Ballentine.  John came to Maryland as an indentured servant in 1681, but he must have served a short term as his son, Hezekiah was born probably about 18 months after his father's arrival.  John established himself in Dorchester County and purchased 200 acres there, recorded on March 10, 1696 as Bristol.  I haven't yet located a will for John but perhaps some of this land went to Hezekiah when he came of age.

Hezekiah appear to have gone to Virginia relatively early in his adult life, which is where he likely married Merci Holland, daughter of James Holland and his unknown wife.  There are references which are apparently to locations in Virginia where James was a witness as early as 1704.  If Merci was born in 1693, then the marriage would have had to have taken place after that.  Some internet sites give the marriage date as 1710, so Merci was sill a very young bride.

The couple had perhaps six children together.  I say perhaps because most of the children were born between 1710 and 1722, but Joseph was born about 1735.  I'm not convinced he's a child of this couple, but he may have been just a "surprise".  That wouldn't be the first time there was a baby born after parents thought they were done with such things.   

It appears that Hezekiah and Merci settled in what became Orange County, where Hezekiah purchased 50 acres of land called "Pleasant", from James Holland.  This was in Spotsylvania County, which was formed in 1720-21, and then later, in 1734, Orange County was formed from it.  The county is described as being in the "Central Piedmont".  At the time Hezekiah settled there, he would have been one of the pioneers in the area, and would have worked hard to clear (if necessary) and plant those 50 acres.  Possibly he had been a tenant farmer before that, but needed land to support that growing family of his. 

Hezekiah must have worked hard, because he met an early death.  He died prior to August 17, 1736, when Merie Holland obtained letters of administration for his small estate.  The inventory submitted two months later showed a value of a little less than 9 pounds, which tells us a lot about the way Hezekiah and Merci lived.  I've not found a death date or location for Merci yet.  Perhaps she remarried, but we don't know that.  Most

of her children were in their teens and able to either work on the farm or be bound out to learn a trade.  It's every parent's hope that their children will do better financially than they did, and probably that was one of Hezekiah and Merci's greatest wishes.  They had every chance to do so, as they lived in a thriving area and what could stop them?  Well, the French and Indian War and skirmishes with native Americans both before and after may have had an influence on their children's lives.  But Hezekiah taught them well and they were all builders of America.

The line of descent is:

Hezekiah Vickery-Merci Holland
Marmaduke Vickery-Elizabeth Nation
Jeretta Vickery-Joseph Nation
Elizabeth Nation-Christopher Myers
Phoebe Myers-Adam Brown
Phoebe Brown-Fremont Holbrook
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants