Jeptha Johnson ¹

From the "Miles Files": On 11 Sep 1680 he was shown as a son-in-law (meaning step-son) Jeptha Johnson in the will of Edmund 'EK' Kelley, wife Frances. Edmund named Jeptha's sons Edmund & Obedience. He gave Edmund 350 acres which I now live upon, but for want of lawful heirs to Obedience the 2nd son of Jeptha Johnson and if neither Edmund nor Obedience have legal heirs, then to the other children of Jeptha Johnson, unless it please God that Jeptha may have a son lawfully begotton, then the said son may have right and title to the land. Edmund named the child that Elizabeth the wife of Jeptha Johnson goes with and gave the unborn child 200 acres beginning half a mile above Scotts Quarter and ending at the line of Thomas Bell. (NOTE: Based on the will of Simon Teague, one of his sisters must have been the mother of Jeptha Johnson's children. Perhaps some of the children were born before they were married.)

Edmund Kelly wrote his will Sep 11 1680 and it was proven in Northampton Co., on Nov 1 1683:
- To loving wife Frances for life all my land being by patent and conveyance
- To Edmund Johnson, son of Jeptha Jhnson, 350a which I now live on but for want of lawful heirs to Obediance, 2nd son of Jeptha. If they have no heirs, then to the other children of Jeptha unless Jeptha has another son lawfully begotten then the land shall go to him.
- To Obediance Johnson, son of Jeptha, 250a tract that Thomas Barton now liveth
- To Sarah Johnson, daughter of Jeptha, 150a called "Scotts Quarter"
- To Lawrence (sic, Luranah), 2nd daughter of Jeptha, 150a plantation where her father now lives after the death of her father/mother
- To the child that Elizabeth, wife of Jeptha, now goeth with, 200a beginning a half mile above Scotts Quarter and ending at the line of Thomas Bell.
- As I have given land to several children of Jeptha Johnson, they to allow free passage to all persons to the creek side landing at Nassawadox (as Nusswaddox) Creek.
- To god-son Thomas, son of Philip Fisher, one cow and calf
- To Thomas, son of Thomas Maddox, one cow/calf
- To Elizabeth, daughter of William Abden, one cow/calf
- To friend Morgan Dowell, one cow
- To son-in-law Jeptha Johnson, one cow
- Wife to be executrix
Witnesses: Dr. James Watt, Joane Simpson, Owen Marsh (NoVAW-XIII-11:249)

Jeptha married Elizabeth Teague, daughter of Richard Teague and Elizabeth Johnson, about 1675. (Elizabeth Teague was born about 1652 and died after 1692.)