Role in Ravensworth – owner Parcel 1.2
Henry was the oldest of five children born to William Fitzhugh, Jr. and Ann (Lee) Fitzhugh. He about eight years old when his father died in 1713/14, and like him lived a relatively short life. His mother remarried to widower Daniel McCarty. Though she did not have children by him, children from Daniel’s prior marriage likely were household members and influenced Henry’s development.
At age 16 in 1722, Henry was sent to England to complete his education at Christ Church, Oxford.
Henry married Lucy Carter (1714-1763), daughter of Robert “King” Carter and Elizabeth (Landon) Carter of Corotoman Plantation. Four children were born:1
- Elizabeth Fitzhugh (1730-1756)
- Anne Fitzhugh (1734-1739)
- Lucy Fitzhugh (1736-1739)
- William Fitzhugh (of Chatham) (1741-1809)
After Henry’s death, Lucy married again to Nathaniel Harrison with whom she had another child, also named Lucy.
Like his father and grandfather before him, Henry was a member of Virginia’s colonial legislature, the House of Burgesses.
As William Jr.’s only son, considerable lands came to him from his father’s estate. Included were Eagle’s Nest, the family’s residence plantation and the south half of Ravensworth (Parcel 1.2). In turn, when Henry died, these properties were passed on to his only son, William Fitzhugh (of Chatham).
Appending “(Eagle’s Nest)” to Henry’’s name helps distinguish him from his uncle Henry (Captain) and cousin Henry (Colonel) of nearby Bedford plantation.
- The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol 7 (1900) (Virginia Historical Society), p. 425 (Google Books); Maddy McCoy, “Genealogical Research for Fairfax County, Virginia Slavery Inventory Database,” Slavery Inventory Database, LLC, http://www.slaveryinventorydatabase.com/, (Unpublished manuscript, 2009). ↩