| Notes |
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From the Valdo James Smith Research document, The Sudburys of Virginia and Tennessee.
WILLIAM D. SUDBURY was born in Nottoway County, Virginia, in the year 1790,
or shortly thereafter. Glenn Boyd speculates that William may have been the boy born
between 1794 and 1800 who is listed with his mother, Frances Sudbury, in the 1810
U.S. census for Nottoway County. The earliest public record under William's own
name is an entry in the 1815 tax list for Nottoway County, cited by Glenn Boyd. In
this record, William is listed as possessing one slave, two horses, and twelve cattle.
According to Nancy Montgomery, who cites an unidentified source, William married
SALLY CRIDDLE on July 3, 1820. Glenn Boyd suggests that the marriage took
place in Williamson County, and that William was about 25 years old, while Sally was
age 29.
The only definite listing for William yet discovered in any census records is found in
the 1830 U.S. census for Tennessee. He appears as one of only two Sudburys living in
Tennessee at that time. The other Sudbury listed in the 1830 census is William's
brother, Shadrack. Both men were living in Williamson County in close proximity to
each other.
The data in the 1830 census record confirms that William and his wife, Sally, were
born between 1790 and 1800. Four other individuals were living with William at the
time of the 1830 census, including two young boys, one between the ages of 5 and 10,
and the other under 5 years of age. These were probably William's sons, Patrick and
James. Also living with William and his wife were a young man between 20 and 30
years of age (born 1800-1810), and a girl between 15 and 20 years old (born 1810-
1815). Glenn Boyd offers the following ideas about the identity of these last two
individuals:
The unknown female born 1810-1815 could be a daughter of William from an
earlier unknown marriage. Perhaps more likely, this could be the daughter of his
wife, Sally, from a previous unknown marriage of hers. The presence of a male
born 1800-1810 makes it unlikely that both are children of William, but they
could both be children of Sally from a previous marriage as she is about four
years older than William and could have had a son in her late teens and a
daughter in her early twenties. Then, perhaps, Sally's married name was Criddle,
and her maiden name is as yet unknown. The children would be named Criddle
as well, but nothing is known of them from William's estate in 1835. Perhaps the
name "Criddle" should be looked up in 1840 and 1850.
There is a Frances Sudbury (born 1815) in Virginia that may be the female in the
1830 census. Still, then, is unresolved whether this might be William's daughter
or perhaps Sally's daughter adopted by William. The entry for William's mother,
Frances, in the 1820 Virginia census lists a male born 1794-1804 which could be
William. Also listed are two females born 1810-1820, both of whom could be
daughters of William. Since no male child is listed, the likelihood increases that
the male listed in 1830 is a child of Sally, not of William. The best guess at the
moment is that the male born 1800-1810 is a son of Sally Criddle and is probably
named Criddle. The female born 1810-1815 is most likely Frances Sudbury, a
daughter of William from a previous marriage.
One interesting fact about William was that he at one time pursued a military career.
According to a document obtained by Nancy Montgomery from the Tennessee State
Archives, he was a Captain in the 44th Regiment of the Tennessee Militia. Glenn Boyd
says that William received his commission as a Captain in 1825 in Williamson County.
William appears on the Williamson County tax rolls for five consecutive years from
1831-1835. The listings identify him as the owner of 51 acres of land on or near Hayes
(or Hays?) Creek.
An obituary in the January 1, 1836, edition of the Western Weekly Review, quoted by
Nancy Montgomery from the book Early Obituaries of Williamson County, Tennes-
see, states that William died on December 22, 1835. On February 27, 1836, an estate
sale of William's personal property was held. In addition to his brother Shadrack, two
other Sudburys, Sally and another William, were purchasers at the sale. Sally made
significant purchases, including many items of furniture. Was this Sally, who made so
many purchases, William's widow? If so, why did she have to buy from her own
husband's estate? These questions remain unanswered. The sale yielded a sum of
money which appears to be $561.07.
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1790 - 1835 (45 years)
, d. 1793, Amelia County, Virginia 
