| Notes |
- **This is the line of DNA participate William Wall TENNIS [AH.4f-61.1] See more information under his name
Joshu's and descendants used the surname TENNIS.
1790-1797 to York Co., VA.
1797 Moved to Elizabeth City County (Known as the Eastern shore of VA).
Purchased 173 acres with son Abraham known as "FOX HILL" in Elizabeth City County., VA.
====Contributed by Ralph D. Smith
Joshua Tennison m. 1st ________ by whom he had a son Abraham. Joshua m. 2nd Sarah Lawson, the dau. of Richard Lawson, by whom he had sons Aaron, John, Jesse and Richard. When Joshua Tennison left Southern Maryland, he moved to the Eastern Shore and started using the surname spelling Tennis, which the family uses to this day.
In January 1748, Joshua's future father-in-law, Richard Lawson patented 50 acres of land in Worcester County which he called "Lawson’s Rest".
Richard Lawson d. intestate Nov. 5, 1755 (inventory date) in Dorchester Co., Md. [Source: Maryland Prerogative Court, Inventories, Vol. 60, p. 68. ]
His administration account is dated Mar. 8, 1752, and shows that he was survived by 3 minor daughters (Sarah, Mary and Leah Lawson), his wife having predeceased him. [Source: Maryland Prerogative Court, Administration Accounts, Vol. 40, page 104.]
By Aug. 17, 1768, dau. Sarah had m. Joshua Tennis, dau. Mary had m. William Price, and dau. Leah was still single, because on that date the 5 of them deeded fifty acres of land called “Lawson’s Rest” on the Nanticoke River in Worcester County, Md. to James More. The deed recites that Joshua Tennis and Sarah his wife are of Somerset County, Md., and that William Price and Molly his wife are of Dorchester County, Md.
Nov. 12, 1807 - The Elizabeth City County, Va. will of Joshua Tennis, probated Feb. 25, 1808, leaves:
--to wife Sarah Tennis, all my real and personal estate during her widowhood and for her to bring up my son Richard Tennis to the age of 21 years and to give him schooling sufficient for common business.
--after the death or marriage of my wife, I give to my son Richard Tennis all my part of land purchased by me and my son Abraham Tennis being and laying on the south side of Back River. And my will is that my son Abraham is not to be disturbed by his brother Richard and if he should see proper to sell the said land, that he give his brother Abraham the first refusal.
--to son Richard, one bed and furniture.
--to son Jesse, one bed and one cow and calf or cow with calf.
--the balance of my personal property is to be equally divided between my 2 daughters Molly Lewis and Sarah Shelton.
Signed Joshua Tennis ("X" his mark.)
Witnesses: George Revell, John Evans.
Source: Deeds & Wills, Vol. 33, p. 143, Old Series Elizabeth City County, as transcribed by Melvin Tennis.
===Comment: Melvin Tennis reports that Joshua's tombstone reads: "Joshua Tennis departed this life 1808, aged 74" [so b. 1733-4.] It is not clear from Mr. Tennis' work whether Joshua's tombstone is located on his former Back Creek farm or at Hunt's Neck where his son John Tennis lived. From Joshua's will, we would assume that he had the 5 children named therein. Melvin Tennis, however, states that Joshua had 2 other sons, John Tennis and Aaron Tennis, who were living at the time Joshua made his will but were not mentioned in the will. To support this statement, Mr. Tennis states that the will of Aaron Tennis (d. 1813) names 6 siblings: the 5 children named in Joshua's will and John Tennis. [The citation given by Mr. Tennis for Aaron Tennis' will is York Co., Va. Will Book, Vol. 10, p. 315. ] [Henning Rountree agrees that John Tennis and Aaron Tennis were sons of Joshua.]
===
contribured by Anne Tennis Fraser
Joshua's tombstone reads: "Joshua Tennis departed this life 1808, aged 74" [so b. 1733-4.] Joshua's tombstone is located on his farm in Fox Hill, Elizabeth City County VA. Sarah Lawson Tennis d. abt. 1828 in VA. Joshua’s children were:
Abraham Tennis (1756 – 1821)
Aaron Tennis (1769 – 1813)
John Tennis (1774 – 1862)
Jesse Tennis (1776 – bef. 1830)
Sarah Tennis (1778 – bef. 1813)
Mary Tennis (1780 – aft. 1813)
Richard Tennis (1797 – 1841)
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1734 - 1808 (74 years)
