Christopher Shepherd�s daughter, Joanna who married Robert Chiswell Kent, Sadelew�s (White) great grandparents.

Joanna Kent�s brother, Christopher Henderson Shepherd lived at the large house, which you pass en route to John Shepherd place. He was John�s grandfather.

The reason I am telling you not to avoid the large house is that an elderly lady who lives there, on learning who you are, will want you to give her your whole life�s history. The lady was a person who I always avoided on my visits to Fluvanna as I knew her well".

"Guy Kent of Kent Store can tell you how to reach the original Kent Home en route to Wilmington from Kent Store. Cousin "Bob Kit" Kent�s family (Robert Chiswell) resided at the original home until about 50 years ago. If you do not meet Guy Kent, ask at Kent Store where a Kent family, no relation of ours, or Garfield Hope lives, either of these families could direct you to the old Kent place, as they have lived in the same places, 2 miles West of Kent Store all of their lives". What Guy Kent told us "from Kent Store going toward Wilmington, go exactly 3-1/2 mi. to a cross road and turn right and go 1 mi. You will see "the old house" on the left, over in a field (old log barn at the gate). It is in good condition. At some time a wing was build onto it. People by the name of "Ficklefuse" live there. (There was an old bell on a post in the back yard and many old boxwoods around the house, comparable to those at James Monroe�s Ashlawn. At the left, a short distance from the house is the old burying ground. Sheep over tan the ground and had pushed over most of the stones).

Robert Chiswell Kent, son of Robert Kent and Anne Tate, who lived at the old Kent place weighed 300 pound and rode around in a sulky (two wheeled carriage for a single person).

When I was in Fluvanna, August 1953, Lewis Parrish lived in the Wm. Kent old place (old John Shepherd place).

To find Wm. Kent�s old home - from Kent Store, go past Guy Kent�s home to 601 and cross three small bridges 2-1/2 MI turn right, (house with green shutters, blue balls on lightning rods. PO Box marked "Freelund". Turn right, go some distance through woodland to house. On Old 27 at Kent Store, past Guy Kent home on to Ferncliff, past Beulah Church and burying ground, on to above mentioned white house.

In his will, William Kent lists his children in this order:

Robert Anderson Kent

James Monroe Kent born 1806 died July 25, 1889

William S. Kent

Virginia Ann Kent

Abraham Kent

Anderson Parrish Kent

Samuel W. Kent

John Thomas Kent (our direct ancestor)

Martha M. Kent

The above are the children of his second wife, Sarah T. Parrish

Mary L. (Lilly) Kent born 1803,daughter of William Kent and first wife, Annis Shepherd.In his will, William Kent leaves to Mary L. Kent, callers her "Polly S. (Shepherd) Kent "one Negro man called Dick and a Negro called Sampson and all the money, which may hereafter fall to me from the Estate of John Shepherd, her grandfather, and nothing more:"

He lends to his beloved wife, Sarah T. Kent, "all the remaining part of my estate, both land and personal property and implements of every kind, during her widowhood and no more, and at her marriage or her death, it is my will an desire that all that remains of my estate, which I have lent to my wife, both real and personal, to be sold on twelve months credit and the proceeds be divided among the remainder of my children, Robert A., James Monroe, William S., Virginia Ann, Abraham, Anderson P., Samuel W. John Thomas and Martha M. Kent.

And if any of my before named children, shall died without lawful heirs, that part of the Estate, which may have fallen to them, is to be returned to my surviving children and to be equally divided among them.

Abraham Kent died young, one record says he married. No lawful heirs are mentioned, Sarah P. Kent does not mention him in her will - she died 1863, she lived 39 years after William Kent died in 1824.

27th Day of Dec. 1862 - Appraisement of Estate of Wm. And Sarah T. Kent by John Sadler, Thomas C. Jones and John M. Gibson. Inventory of Wm. Kent�s Estate:

William Kent�s sons were very religious. Robert A. Kent, very religious, one of the founders of Antioch Church-James Monroe, a preacher; Anderson Parrish Kent, a preacher;John Thomas Kent - Our ancestor was styled as Rev. and married his son,John Thomas Kent and Mildred Judson Sadler Martha M. Kent married as his first wife, Rev. Wm. S. Parrish, her first cousin.Anderson P. William M. - and Samuel s. Kent all went to Kentucky

William Kent, no doubt acquired his home place, through his first wife, Annis Shepherd (Polly Lilly Kent�s mother). This place was Annis Shepherd�s father, John Shepherd�s old home. When Wm. Kent died , he left "I give unto my daughter, Polly S. Kent, one Negro man named "Dick" and a Negro named "Sampson", and all the money, which may hereafter, go to me from the Estate of John Shepherd, her grandfather and nothing more". John Shepherd was quite a large landholder, owning land to Beulah Church and beyond, East. Two of his sons settled on part of his land near the present Beulah Church. Annis Shepherd was the youngest daughter of John Shepherd 1738-1796 - who lived at the "Parrish Place", where you visited and wife, Mary Ann Lilly 1737-1840 - John Shepherd was the son of Christopher Shepherd who died in Albemarle Co 1779.

Wm. Kent obtained the present Parrish Place, through is first wife, Ann Shepherd Kent. Having been informed that Mary L. Kent lived in the home of her Kent grandparents, she was left motherless at a few months of age, until the death of her grandmother (Anne Tate Kent). She then lived in the home of her uncle, Robert C. Kent, Jr., whose wife was her firs cousin, Joanna Shepherd. (Robert C. Kent, Jr. was left the "Old Robert Kent Place") until she married.

The "OLD SHEPHERD-KENT-PARRISH PLACE" is about 2 miles northeast of Beulah church, which you pass coming from Ferncliff to Kent Store. After Wm. Kent�s second wife, Sarah Parrish died, the place was sold to the heirs of William Parrish (S), whose descendants still live there. Another Parrish was Lewis and, also, Flemming.

Sadelew White has a small tin trunk, which belonged to Mary L. Kent. Water was carried from a large sulphur spring near he house, many large cherry trees and an orchard near.

"Virginia and John Jordan lived north and adjoining Wm. Thomas Kent�s place. Martha M. Kent was the first wife of Rev. William "Billie" Parish. Parson Billie Parrish and his second wife, Miss Diggs were the grand parents of Mr. Lewis Parrish, the present owner of the Wm. Kent Place." I met this Mr. Parrish in 1952. He must be the great grandson of the Wm. Parrish, to whom my ancestor John T. Kent and his brother Robert A. Kent sold their inheritance in the "Home place". (They settled in Antioch, Va)"