Thomas Petty of Richmond/Orange County, Virginia was the documented son of "Hubert Patty" (d.1687) of Lancaster County.

Hubert was an Englishman indentured to William Turner and transported to Maryland in 1652, settling with Turner in Calvert County. Because Turner is known to be from Hampshire, it is assumed Hubert was as well. Various court records indicate Hubert was able to obtain his release from Turner, moving to Westmoreland County, Virginia by 1657 and Lancaster County by 1665. He wrote his will in March 1686/7 and it was probated the following January, recording his second wife, Faith and son, Thomas, who may have been the son of Faith or Hubert's first wife, Rebecca. Thomas's guardian, Walter Welch died in 1689, leaving Thomas to apprentice himself to a carpenter for a period of five years. Since apprenticeships ended at age 21 (the age of legal majority in colonial Virginia), this gives us an implied birth year of 1673.

On November 2, 1699 Thomas Petty appeared in Richmond County court to file suit against Dennis and Jane Cameron, "the executors of Walter Welch, decd., who was the executor of Hubert Patty" for Thomas's inheritance that he had not received. He and his wife "Kat." won their case in April 1700, and in October 1701 sold the inherited property on Morratico Creek to Samuel Steele. (Lancaster Co. Va. Deedbook 7, pg. 36)

The identity of his wife was also revealed in court; on March 6, 1700/1, Thomas and Katherine Petty appeared in court in Richmond County with Martha Garton, Katherine's mother, to settle the estate of John Garton. (Richmond Co. Court Orders, Vol. 3, pp. 85, 168).

Thomas Petty lived a fairly quiet life thereafter, appearing in rent rolls of Richmond County, Virginia in 1721. He wrote his will on January 31, 1748/9, naming his children as John, Thomas, Christopher, William, James, George, Martha, Mary Knight and Rebecca Sims. He died before May 24, 1750 in Orange County, when his estate went to court. His wife was not mentioned in the will, suggesting she died between 1734, when she last appears in records of Orange County, and 1749, when the will was written.

Known children of Thomas Petty and Katherine Garton:
- Rebecca Petty
- Mary Petty
- Martha Petty
- George Petty
- James Petty (d.1806)
- William Petty (d. 1769 or 1770)
- Christopher Petty (d. after 1765)
- John P. Petty, Sr. (d.1770) #95591882
- Thomas Petty, Jr. (d.1770) #104620201

NOTE: Some researchers have declared that Catherine's mother, Martha Garton, who appears in Richmond County court records concerning the estate of her late husband in 1701 and 1702, was the daughter of John Martin of Stafford County and was born with the middle name "Adelade." The purpose of this appears to be to fabricate a connection to Pocahontas, which no one seems to have ever posted evidence or argument for. Whatever one believes about the Pocahontas theory, there is zero evidence connecting Martha Garton to John Martin, who lived more than 70 miles north. It is more likely Martha was related to John Hughes, with whom John Garton jointly bought the land he lived on and who administered his estate.

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EARLIER WE HAD THOUGHT that Thomas' parents were Thomas Pettit and Rachel Wilson, and that his paternal grandparents were Thomas Pettit and Katherine Morris.

The principal reason for changing our belief is a suit brought by Thomas Patty against the executors of Walter Welch, the executor of Hubert Patey, for the portion of Thomas' inheritance which he hadn't yet received. On 3 Apr 1700, Thomas and "Kat." appeared in court and won the case. He subsequently received "four cowes and their increase since he became of age".

We have recently seen too much similar material supporting Hubert as Thomas' father, to continue with what we said in previous issues of All-People.