Additional Curator's Notes:

John Justice is the progenitor of the Justice family found in Eastern Kentucky. He was not born in Virginia and was not related to William Justice and wife Mary Frame of Charles City, Virginia. All documents point to his life in Massachusetts before moving to Virginia. If there are doubts about this, please review the sources listed below and then start a discussion with your facts and reasoning.

Maria Edmonds-Zediker, Volunteer Curator, May 17, 2019

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John Justice was born before 1707 in Hanover, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Colony. He married Mary Moore or More (name spelled both ways on documents), an immigrant from Ireland. He died soon after March 1765 in Halifax County, Virginia Colony.

While John Justice's parentage has never been proven, his adult life from marriage to 1742 is well-documented in Plymouth County, Massachusetts Colony, records. Church records state that he married Mary Moore (or More) on August 1, 1728, in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. The records show he was born in Hanover, Plymouth County, and that Mary was born in Ireland. There were eight known children, all named in his will. If he married in 1728 without a parent's signature he had to be at least age 21, which places his date of birth no later than 1707, and possibly as early as 1695.

Land records show that John Justice lived in Plymouth County at least until 1742. It is not known exactly when the family left Massachusetts. The next document found for them is in Halifax County, Virginia, when John Justice, in 1754, obtains title to 1200 acres of land in three 400 acre blocks. One of those tracts was on Mirey Creek, which is why we are using the display name "of Mirey Creek," to distinguish him from other men named John Justice.

One of their neighbors along Mirey Creek was George Green who married their daughter Mary. Other near neighbors were three Moore or More families. It is speculated but not proven that these three families were from Massachusetts and were possibly related to John's wife Mary.

John Justice left a will dated March 11, 1765, which named his wife Mary, his sons Ezra, William, John, Simeon, and Thomas, as well as daughter Mary and her husband George Green, and daughter Alice and her husband Thomas Watson. His exact date of death is not known but is assumed to be soon after writing his will. His wife brought his will to be probated on July 17, 1766.

After John's death, his heirs eventually sold their Virginia properties and moved away from Virginia, several moving to Eastern Kentucky.

Children of John Justice and Mary Moore:

• Mary born 27 Jul 1729; married George Green.
• John, born 21 Jun 1731; married Mary Sloan.
• Simeon, born 15 Jul 1735; married Elizabeth Turley.
• Thomas born 3 May 1737.
• Alice; born 31 May 1739, sometimes called Elce, married Thomas Watson.
• Elizabeth; born 8 Apr 1741.
• William, born March 1743; married Margaret (--?--).
• Ezra, born after 1743 (c. 1745?), possiblyborn in Virginia

Sources:

• http://pikecounty.potterflats.com/justice.htm
• http://folks.harbornet.com/jordy/Reports/justi001.htm#id547
  • Confirmed by Y-DNA evidence: https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/justice/about/results and https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Justice?iframe=yresults
• First record of the name "John Justice" in the Mirey Creek area: Entry Record Book 1737-1770 (Land entries in the present Virginia Counties of Halifax, Pittsylvania, Henry, Franklin & Patrick) FHLbook 1747 William ATKINSON 20p for 50 acres of land including his mill on Harping Creek, Transferred to John JUSTICE by order of William ATKINSON (Land recorded in Lunenburg Co, VA)

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=NOT any relation to the Charles City County, Virginia Justices!=

Specifically, not related to William Justice and Mary Frame or any of their children.

http://folks.harbornet.com/jordy/Reports/justi001.htm#id547

"HALIFAX COUNTY PROCESSIONERS RETURNS 1737-1770. 26 JULY 1756, JOHN JUSTICE SENR. 400 ACRES ON THE BRANCHES OF THE MIREY CREEK ADJOINING THE 400 ACRES TRACT THAT HE NOW LIVES ON EXTENDING SOUTHERLY AND JOINS GEORGE GREEN. ALSO 400 ON THE BRANCHES OF JOHN MOORE'S CREEK BEGINNING AT A PINE MARKED I THENCE SOUTHERLY."

The George Green mentioned above is John and Mary,s son-in-law, married to their daughter Mary Justice.Official records reveal that John Justices land , 1200 acres in total, was joined by three different Moore families. I am speculating that these Moore families were from Mass. also.In Mass., John and Mary belonged to the Episcopal or Anglican church and in Halifax County, Virginia they became members of the Episcopal Church Antrim Parish. In 1766, they became part of Camden Parish, when Pittsylvania was formed from Halifax, County. But, alas, John Justice senr. died just before Pittsylvania became a county. Their home place, containing a grist mill was at the mouth of Harpin Creek on the Pigg River.John Senior settled large tracts of land on his three oldest boys, an example of witch is the following."HALIFAX COUNTY DEED BOOK I pp 374-376 16 MARCH 1758 JOHN JUSTICE SENIOR, ANTRIM PARISH, HALIFAX COUNTY TO JOHN JUSTICE JUNIOR, ANTRIM PARISH, HALIFAX COUNTY FOR 5 L -200 ACRES BOTH SIDES ECHOL'S FORK PARALLEL TO ROBERT MOORE'S LINE TO SD. ECHOL'S FORK THENCE ALONG A BOUNDS EXPREST IN SC. JOHN JUSTICE'S PATENT NORTH 35 DEGREES WEST SO FAR AS TO INCLUDE SD. 200 ACRES OF LAND." There are several deeds on file in Halifax County. One more is; "HALIFAX COUNTY DEED BOOK 1 pp 376-378 15 MARCH 1758 JOHN JUSTICE SENIOR, TO SIMEON JUSTICE, BOTH OF ANTRIM PARISH FOR 5 L -200 ACRES ON BOTH SIDES OF ECHOL'S FORK BEGINNING AT HIS BROTHER JOHN JUSTICE'S CORNER STANDING IN THE OLD LINE ON NORTH SIDE ECHOL'S FORK SD. BROTHER JOHN'S LINE TO OLD LINE ON SOUTH SIDE." There are several more records concerning land transfers and court actions available on the family there in Halifax County until Pittsylvania County is formed in 1767. But, as we all must, John Justice Senior died in July 1766. His approximate age was 71. His wife brought his will to be probated on 17 July 1766.

"HALIFAX COUNTY WILL BOOK 0 pp 206 17 JULY 1766 HALIFAX COUNTY IN THE PROVINCE OF VIRGINIA MARCH THE 11TH 1765 IN THE NAME OF GOD THE LAST WILL OF JOHN JUSTICE SENR. BEING IN HEALTH AND OF SOUND MEMORY THANKS BE TO GOD ALMIGHTY AND CALLING TO REMEMBERENCE THE ONSARTIN ASTATE OF THIS TRANSATORY LIFE AND THAT ALL FLESH MUST YIELD TO DAYTH I DO DECLARE THIS TO BE MY LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT IN FORM AND MANNER REVOKING AND ANNULLING BY THESE PRESENTS ALL AND EVERY TESTEMENT AND TESTEMENTS AND WILL & WILLS HERETOFORE BY ME MADE & DECLARED EITHER BY WORD OR IN WRITING AND THIS IS TO BE TAKEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT I JOHN JUSTICE SENIOR GIVE AND BEQUAVATH UNTO MY BELOVED WIFE MARY ALL MY GOODS AND CHATTELS AND ALL MOVABLES THAT I AM IN POSSESSION OF ON HARPIN CREEK AS LONG AS SHE REMAINS MY WIDOW LIKEWISE UNTO MY SON EZRA JUSTICE THREE HUNDRED ACRES OF LAND AND A MILL ON IT WHICH IS THE HOME PLAS. LIKEWISE TO MY SON WILLIAM JUSTICE ONE HUNDRED ACRES OF LAND LYING ON PIGG RIVER LIKEWISE UNTO MY SON JOHN JUSTICE FIVE SHILLINGS UNTO MY SON SIMEON JUSTICE FIVE SHILLINGS AND UNTO MY SON THOMAS JUSTICE FIVE SHILLINGS AND UNTO MY DAUGHTER MARY WIFE OF GEORGE GREEN FIVE SHILLINGS LIKEWISE TO MY DAUGHTER ALICE WIFE TO THOMAS WATSON FIVE SHILLINGS. SIGNED JOHN JUSTICE. SIGNED SEALED AND DELIVERED IN THE PRESENCE OF WILLIAM WILCHEN, WILLIAM (HIS X )ADKINSON, JOHN WILCHEN"

Halifax County, Virginia was renamed to Pittsylvania County in 1767.

John Justice Senior died in July 1766. His approxamate age was 71.

Caution: Two John Justices

This profile represents the John Justice of Massachusetts who married Mary Moore, then to Halifax County, Virginia, and his sons removed to eastern (Floyd Co.) Kentucky.

The other John Justice born at Charles City Co., VA,, married Mary Hogue, and is sometimes believed (without evidence?) to have been the John Justice whose sons removed to Floyd Co., Kentucky.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/120233206/john-justice