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Mathews-Williams Family Genealogy
Notes
Lawrence Berry was a lawyer and was Clerk of King George Co., VA, from 1788 to 1822, in which year he died. Having bought out the interest of his brothers, he inherited "Berry Plains", which was held in the Berry family for about a century.
For issue see Va. M. XXV, p. 81.
John Alexander is chiefly remembered today through his family name, memorialized in the town of Alexandria, VA.
He was the first Alexander emigrant to Virginia in 1659. He obtained a large grant of land in Northampton County, Virginia, in 1659. In 1664 he patented land in Westmoreland Co, VA, on Attopan Creek, and 2,000 acres in Stafford Co., in 1668. He purchased the Howison patent of land extending from Georgetown to Hunting Creek, Fairfax Co. His descendant Philip gave most of the land upon which the city of Alexandria was formed in 1749, and in his honor, the name was changed from Belle Haven to Alexandria.
John Alexander proceeded to settle upon the Howison patent a number of families who were closely connected to him, among them being the families of Pearson, West, Chapman, Dade, Stuart, Hooe, and Harrison. Many of the people of Alexandria and northern Virginia are descended from these families.
John Alexander built "Abingdon" about three miles north of Alexandria, and it descended to his son, John, and it passed thru several generations of the family into the possession of John Parke Custis, 1778. It was the home of Nellie Custis, daughter of Martha Custis, wife of George Washington.