John Aylett

John Aylett was born on the Fairfield Plantation of his father, Col. William Aylett and his wife Ann.
John inherited a portion of Fairfield in 1733.

DEATH
Major Aylett died by 1744. His inherited King William property at Fairfield being entailed did not go to Mary, but it is said he left, “his widow with some legal provisions made for her.” He apparently had a will, which has been lost. Phillip Buckner (who married John’s sister, Jane Aylett) and Phillip Aylett (John’s brother, died in 1655), probably his executors, advertised in the Virginia Gazette: several thousand acres of land in Orange and Louisa Counties formerly belonging to Captain John Aylett. Later in 1767, a Jane Buckner of Orange County sold land in Louisa County, formerly belonging to Mr. John Aylett of King William County and by him left to said Jane Buckner. While it seems certain, because of the demonstrated close relationship between her husband, John, and her father, Nicholas II, that John amply provided for his wife, Mary, in his will, we have no evidence of that.

Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Volume 24, Number 1; February 1986, p. 16

John Aylett of King WIlliam Co., Gent., 2400a, NL, Hanover Co., on the brs of golden Mine Cr.; col. Meriwethers & John Poindexters c.; to Col. Symes c. in meriwethers line; (p. 274) 21 Aug 1734.

Virginia Land Patent Book 15
Pages 162-319 (1733-1374)
Abstrcted by William Lindsay Hopkins

It is not known when or where Mary and John Aylett married, but it likely was in Hanover County where her parents lived and her father was a vestryman in St. Paul’s Parish. Accepting that Mary was around age eighteen when she married, it can be postulated that they were married around 1725, plus or minus a couple of years.

In 173_, Nicholas II deeded land known as "Allen Creek Quarter" to John and Mary. He also signed an indenture with John Aylett "husband of my daughter". These prove the marriage of John Aylett and Mary Meriwether.

The couple appeared to have lived their life together in King William County. In 1733, John’s father, William, devised a portion, about 700 acres, of the large Fairfield plantation to John and his heirs. The property was entailed and upon John’s death, before 1744, he and Mary not having children, the property reverted to John’s brother, William. While their home initially may have been at Fairfield in the Pumunkey Neck of King William County, St. John’s Parish, by 1734/5 they were living in that part of the St. John’s Parish that became St. Margaret’s Parish in 1721.