The following is edited from my father's book: A Branch Of The Sturgill Family, Volume I Decendants of Francis Sturgill Sr. & Rebecca Hash. Barring transcription errors, the wording is his - THS
The Sturgill - Madison Connection
This is not a Madison family history but several books on this family are in print for those who wish more detailed information on the family.
John Madison first appears in Virginia records when he was granted 600 acres of land in Gloucester county in 1652. In 1656 he patented 650a on the Mattipony river in King William county and still later received several other grants. He married a widow, Isabell Minor Todd, who was the mother of his three known sons and at least one daughter. The sons were John, Ambrose, and Henry and the daughter was Ann who married John Stodgell. John Madison was probably born about 1625 in England and died before 1700.
The will of Ambrose Madison probated in Spottsylvania Co VA in 1732 left 150 acres in Orange Co. (present Green Co.) to Daniel Stodghill and 400 acres in the same area to James Stodghill. John Madison was appointed as one of the executors of this will. The will of Henry MAdison probated in King William County in 1734 directs his niece, Francis Madison daughter of his brother, Ambrose, to deed 150 acres from a tract of 1000 acres near the "big mountains" in Orange Co. when she became of age. This deed was made in 1754. I have few records of John Madison, the third son. He left eastern VA before 1730 and settled in present Augusta County. He was the first clerk of court after the county was formed in 1738 from Orange Co. He accumulated several thousand acres of land which lay in present Augusta, Greene, and Shennendoah counties. One tract of 1200 acres adjoined the 1000 acres mentioned in the will of Henry Madison. This land included most of the valley of Swift run creek.
The above wills and deeds establish the identity of the sons of John and Isabell Madison beyond doubt and they raise the question - why did they give land to the Stodgill brothers? Records indicate that John Stodgell died 1730-32 leaving his wife ANN a widow with one unmarried son and one daughter. Her sons were James, Ambrose, and John Stodgell-Stodghill and the daughter Susannah who later married John Smith. It is my firm belief that hthis land was given to James and Ambrose Stodgill because they were nephews of Henry and Ambrose Madison.
Virginia land records list many deeds made to and by the Taylor, Madison, and Stodghill families. A tract of 13,000 acres which extended eastward from the crest of the Blue Ridge and included most of the western end of present Greene Co. and all of the valley of Swift Run creek, was originally granted to James Taylor who was the great grandfather of President Zachery Taylor and whose daughter Francis married Ambrose Madison. James Madison, son of Ambrose and Francis, was the father of President James Madison so eventually owned about 5000 acres of the above tract which included the Swift Run valley and James Stodgill and his wife Ann Blackstone eventually owned 1200 acres of the 5000.
James Stodghill married Ann Blackstone in 1723 in Essex Co. where they made their first home. Deed and tax records show that they moved to Orange Co. (now Greene) in 1732 and lived out their lives there. It is not known exactly when Daniel Stodgill married Jean Madison but as she was not specifically named in the wills of Henry and Ambrose Madison as Daniel was she must have been a daughter of their brother John Madison and she must have married Daniel before 1732. Deeds and tax records show that Daniel and Jean also moved from Essex to Orange Co. in 1732 after he inherited the land there but they did not stay. The land which Daniel inherited from Ambrose Madison adjoined land owned by his brother James and in 1741 he bought 100acres more adjoining but at that time was living in Essex Co. He sold this 100a in 1744. In 1754 he was still in Essex Co. when he finally got a deed for the 150a from the will of Henry Madison and he sold this land the same day. Daniel and Jean llived out their lives in Essex Co. where he died after 1766. As evidence that John Stodgill died in Essex Co. 1730-32 his widow, Ann Madison and son John who was still unmarried, moved to Orange Co. also where she bought a dwelling near her sons James and Ambrose. She disappeared from the records in 1735 and probably died in that year after which her son John returned to Essex Co. where he married Elizabeth who the will of Simon Miller identifies as his daughter. John and Elizabeth made their first home on the same 50a which his father John bought in 1718 but they later moved to Goochland Co. where they were living in 1768 when they gave the 50a in Essex Co. to a daughter and her husband. John died in Goochland Co. in 1773 and did leave a will. He had only one son whom he named Ambrose and three daughters.
