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From: Marge Whitmoyer <>
Subject: David Dutton of North Mountain Deeds
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 15:24:27 -0400


This post concerns the Dutton's of Pa. and information concerning
David Dutton who married Hannah Talbot Rogers and migrated to Berkeley
Co. Va., now West Virginia. This Deed research was done by the noted
historian Don C. Wood of Berkeley County for a Ruth Brown whom I believe
resided in Mass in 1979. The text of the letter is as follows:
"The Duttons were in the area and at the foot of North Mountain.
From the deed abstracts below that David Dutton (Sr). was living in
Frederick Co. Va in 1805. He died in Harrison Co. Ohio by 1839.

DB 19,p 395, 31 Aug. 1805, Daniel Brown and Lydia his wife of Berkley
Co., sold David Dutton of Frederick Co. Va.. for $2,000 a tract of land
near the head of Mill Creek at the foot of the North Mountain. Lines of
the tract of land ran along Roger Barton to Gerrard then Chenoweth to
Rippey along land granted to John Watson. 185 acres.

DB 44,p.49 22 Oct. 1839, Robert Dutton executor of David Dutton of the
Co. of Harrison in the state of Ohio sold to Jacob Hott of Berkeley Co.
for $700.00 a tract of land at the head of Mill Creek at the foot of
North Mountain being the same tract of land David Dutton purchased of
Daniel Brown 31 Aug. 1805.

DB 31, p. 525, 5 March 1821, John Powell and Elizabeth his wife of
Berkeley Co. sold for $250. to David Dutton, Jr.. 73 acres on the
Mountain.

DB 32, p.300, 9 June 1821, Frederick Boroff and Rachel his wife of
Berkeley Co., sold to David Dutton , Jr.. of county for $1,700, 110
acres on the drains of Mill Creek. Lines ran along Dougal Campbell,
David Garrard, Sr. and David Hensell.

DB 33, p. 197, 7 Oct. 1822, David Dutton and Mary, his wife, of Berkeley
Co. sold for $42.65 to John Shaffer tract of land from "Part" of land
from Frederick Borroff.

DB 34, p. 99, David Dutton, Jr. and Mary, his wife, of Berkeley Co.,
sold to Isaac Mayer for $1, 702, 107 acres. Date of deed Cot 8, 1822,
Note . This is sale of the tract above. " (end of letter)

Reference: "History of The Shenandoah Valley " by William Couper, Vol.1
published by Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc. New York.
Chapter X111 titled Friends Settle in the Lower Valley page 217 -227.
Extract;
One of the largest grants of land in the lower Valley was awarded
to a group of Quakers, headed by Alexander Ross. who as a youth resided
in Chester County, Pa. and moved as an adult to within the limits of the
East Nottingham Monthly Meeting, now in Cecil Co. Md.
Recorded in proceeding of the Council Of Virginia October 28, 1730 is
the following land information. "Alexander Ross and Morgan Bryan of
this province of Pensilvania, having by their petition to this board set
forth that they and divers other Families of the said Province,
amounting to one hundred, are desirous to remove from thence and settle
themselves in the (this ) Government and praying that 100,000 acres of
land lying on the West and North side of the River Opeckon, and
extending thence to a Mountain called the North Mountain and along the
River Cohangaruton and on River Sherundo not already granted to any
other person may be granted them. etc.
Of the above land thirty six patents have been located for more then
27,000 acres of land. Among them are :
Morgan ap Morgan, 1000 acres on Mills Creek. The State of West Virginia
has erected a monument in his memory, near his home near the Village of
Bunker Hill.

Mills Gap , 1315 acres " on a Branch of Opeckon, near but not adjoining
Lewis De Moss, Land." (An estate now known as Prospect Hill ). When he
deeded portions of this land to his four sons in 1743, he was described
as John Mills Sr. of Prince George County, Maryland, Farmer and his wife
did not join in conveying the land she probably died before that time.
Included in the tract was the village of Gerrardstown, which was
organized about 1743, and there stood the Mill's Creek Baptist Church-
the first house of worship of that denomination in the Valley and
probably the first in Virginia. (More to follow later on this church.)
John Mills, Jr.., Adjoining or near his father's patent on Mill's
Creek. In 1744 a deed referred to him as a cordwainer. (end of
Extract).

At the top of the mountain west of Gerrardstown a monument is erected
which states Mills Gap and giving the information where John Mills had
erected an Inn on top of the mountain. in 1769. One may wonder why one
would locate an Inn at the top of the mountain? The reason being that
this was part of the Great Wagon Road West and the Inn Keeper maintained
extra work horses at his Inn to help the freight wagons ( the first of
the Teamsters) and the pioneers travelling west to help pull the wagons
up the Hill, once at the top they stopped at the Inn to rest their
animals while they themselves obtained food or a place to sleep. The
Extra Horses from the Inn were then used on the downhill side to help as
a break in holding the wagons back so you did not have a runaway wagon.
With the westward migrations at that time John Mills must have become a
prosperous man.
I have not researched the Mills Family, but we know that Ann Dutton
, daughter of David Dutton, of North Mountain and his wife Hannah
married Isaiah/Joseph Mills.
Dutton Gap where David And his wife Hannah resided was then south of
Gerrardstown on what is called Virginia State Line Road about a mile
from the state line in Berkeley Co. W. Va.

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