“Major James was born the 19 day of May 1790” [Boughan family Bible at the Virginia State Archives, Acc. 24166]

On 21 November 1807, Major Boughan jr witnessed the will of James Croxton. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 17, page 61.]

On 24 January 1811, Major James Boughan witnessed a bond from Thomas E. Dix and Thomas Dix to Michael Samuel. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 22, item 22-D-38.]

An undated petition by orators and oratrices Gabriel, Mary, Elizabeth, Lucy, John and Major Boughan and Thos St John & Cary his wife & Catharine & Thos Boughan infants under 21 by John Boughan their next friend states that Major Boughan died in 1812 seized of several tracts of land & a water grist mill & slaves Sam, Ben, Bob, Dick, Latane, Cork, Braxton, Iverson, Tom, Hannah, Phillis, Polly, Delphy, Winney, Keziah, Teley & Rachel, leaving your oratrors and oratrices (except Thomas St. John) and Caston Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 27, item 27-G-47.]

On 18 January 1813, the Court of Essex County ordered the slaves of the estate of Major Boughan divided into ten parts (or to be sold if necessary and the proceeds divided into ten parts) equally to Gabriel Boughan, Mary Boughan, Elizabeth Boughan, Lucy Boughan, John Boughan, Major Boughan, Thomas St. John and Cary his wife, Catharine Boughan and Thomas Boughan (both infants), and Caston Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 27, item 27-G-46.] As a result of the order, Major Boughan received a slave Dick and received a balance of £23 from Mary Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 27, item 27-G-43.]

On 16 January 1815, Caston Boughan and Thomas Crow were bound in the penalty of $1,500 for Caston Boughan’s administration of the goods, chattels and credits of Major James Boughan, deceased. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 18, page 93.]

On 20 January 1817, an inventory and appraisal of the estate of Major J. Boughan, made by Carter Croxton and James Croxton Jr., was returned to court and ordered recorded. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 18, page 346.]

On 18 June 1817, pursuant to a decree in chancery court dated 18 January 1813, a division of the slaves belonging to the estate of Major Boughan was made by L. Booker, Carter Croxton, and James Montague, with equal distribution to Gabriel Boughan (slaves Latane and Hannah), Mary Boughan (slaves Cork and Taley), Elizabeth Boughan (slaves Delphy and Ben), Lucy Boughan (slaves Polly and Winny), John Boughan (slaves Tom and Kesiah), Major Boughan (slave Dick), Thomas St. John & Cary his wife (slaves Iverson and Philles), Catharine Boughan (slave Sam), Thomas Boughan (slave Bob), and Casten Boughan (slaves Braxton and Rachel). [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 18, pages 426–427.]

On 19 [? date partly erased in source] June 1817, a final decree was handed down in a chancery court case. Plaintiffs were Gabriel, Mary, Elizabeth, Lucy, John and Major Boughan, Thos. St. John and Cary his wife, and Catharine and Thos. Boughan infants under the age of 21 by John Boughan their next friend, against Caston Boughan administrator etc. of Major Boughan deceased and in his own right. [Essex County, Virginia, Order Book 42, page 491.]

In about 1818, orators and oratrices Caston Boughan, Gabriel Boughan, Mary Boughan, Elizabeth M. Boughan, Lucy Boughan, Catharine Boughan and Thomas Boughan an infant under 21 by Caston Boughan his next friend complained to the Essex County Chancery Court that Major Boughan died intestate seised of a tract of land containing about 336 acres leaving your orators and oratrices and Cary C. Boughan who intermarried with one Thos St John and who has since died without leaving issue and Major James Boughan who has also since died and another son John Boughan. That the said tract be divided and that John Boughan be made defendant in the suit. On 21 September 1818, the court decreed that Robt G Haile, Henry H Boughan, Wm T Upshaw, Wm A Garnett, Washington H Purkins and Graves Burke or any three of them were to divide the lands among the eight heirs. On 15 February 1819, Thomas St. John filed for leave to file a bill of review in this case. On 19 April 1831 the decree was made final. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 37, item 37-I-27.]

On 16 September 1823, a bill was submitted to the Superior Court of Chancery in Fredericksburg District. Orators Thomas St John and James Howerton jr of Halifax county in the state of Virginia. That the sd Thomas St. John on 25 October 1821 was indebted to Philip Howerton of the said county $115.25 and to Isaac Brookes of Essex County $98.01. To secure the debt he conveyed his interest in the estate of Major Vaughan Senr decd [alias Major Boughan] and Major Vaughan junr decd [alias Major J. Boughan]. Mentions children of Major Boughan. That Thomas St. John married Cary Boughan soon after the death of the said Major “—upon the lands and at the dwelling house of the said Major decd—that all of the sd heirs and coparceness of the sd Major, were at and after the marriage of the sd Cary…” “before her death which happened sometime in the year 1813, a daughter called Cary Ann who survived her mother and lived to the age of about three years, and then died sometime in or about the spring of the year 1816.” In 1818 Thomas St. John instituted suit to recover rents of the mill. That Major James Boughan died sometime about November in the year 1814, unmarried and without issue. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 46, items 46-F-49 and 50.]

On 1 August 1825 Thomas Boughan was appointed administrator of the estate of Major James Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Order Book 45, page 331.]

On 15 August 1825, Thomas Boughan and Josiah Minter were bound $3,600 for Thomas Boughan’s administration de bonis non of the goods chattles and credits of Major James Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 20, pages 223–224.]

On 10 March 1824, in the case of St John v Boughan, with Thomas St John and James Howerton Jr, plaintiffs, against Caston Boughan in his own right & as admor of Major J Boughan deceased, Gabriel Boughan, Major Boughan, Elizabeth Boughan, Lucy Boughan, John Boughan, Josiah Minter & Caty his wife, Thomas Boughan & John H Upshaw, defendants, “The subpœna awarded in this case being returned, executed on the defendants Mary, Elizabeth, Lucy, John and Thomas Boughan Josiah Minter & Caty his wife and John H Upshaw and three months since filing the Bill and the service of the subpœna having elapsed, and they still failing to file their answers, the Bill of the plaintiffs is taken for confessed, as to those defendants, and the Court will proceed at a future day to decree the matter thereof, unless the said defendants, on or before the tenth day of the term next after they shall have been served with a Copy of this order shew case to the Contrary.” [Land Causes Volume 2, 1823–1831, Superior Court of Chancery, District of Fredericksburg, Virginia, page 43.]

On 5 October 1830, in the Superior Court for the District of Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the case of Thomas St John, and James Howerton in his own right and as administrator of Casey Ann St John deceased, plaintiffs, against William Ransome executor of Thomas Boughan deceased, who was administrator of Castin Boughan deceased, who was administrator of Major J Boughan deceased, Marenda Boughan, Henry C Boughan and John T Boughan infants by John Stanard assigned their guardian, Gabriel Boughan, Elizabeth Boughan, Lucy Boughan, John Boughan, Josiah Minter and Catharine his wife, James Croxton and George Crow executors of Thomas Crow deceased, and John H Upshaw, defendants, “It being suggested that Josiah Minter who intermarried with Catharine Boughan, and George Crow one of the executors of Thomas Crow deceased, are dead, this suit abates as to them, and the decrees nisi awarded in this cause at rules on the amended bill, being returned executed on all the other defendants except the infants, and they still failing to appear and answer the said amended bill is taken for confessed as to them: and this cause came on to be heard upon the original and amanded bill answered of John Boughan &c to the original bill and of the infant defendants to the amendment thereto, and exhibits, and was agreed by counsel on consideration whereof the court doth adjudge, order and decree, that James Semple, Henry H Boughan, George Hill, Muscoe G Wood and Washington H Purkins who are hereby appointed commissioners for that purpose any three or more of whom may act, attended by surveyor if necessary, divide the lands whereof Major Boughan died siezed and possesed into ten lots of equal value taking into the estimate quality and improvements as well as quantity, including also the lands on which the water grist mill in the plaintiffs bill mentioned is situated, and allot to the plaintiffs one tenth part thereof it being the proportion to which the plaintiff Thomas St John is entitled as tenant by that curthesy, and another tenth part thereof to the distributees of Major J Boughan deceased, which they are to subdivide into nine lots of equal value having a due regard to quality and improvements as well as quantity and allot one ninth part thereof to the plaintiffs it being the proportion to which the plaintiff Thomas St John is entitled as the only heir of his daughter Casey Ann St John who was one of the distributees of the said Major J. Boughan deceased — and the court doth further adjudge, order and decree that an account of the rents, issues and profits of the lands whereof the said Major Boughan died seized and possessed which have accrued subsequently to the year 1818, including the rents & profits of the water grist mill, be taken by one of the commissioners of this court; and that William Ransome executor of Thomas Boughan who was administrator of Castin Boughan deceased, do render before the same comissioner an account of the administration of the said Castin on the estate of the said Major J Boughan deceased, and also an accont of the said Thomas Boughan deceased administrator de bonis non of the said Castin Boughan deceased; which accounts the said commissioner is hereby directed to state, settle and to the court report together with any special matter deemed pertinant by himself or which may be required by either of the parties to be so stated.—“ [Chancery Order Book 1830–1831, Superior Court, District of Fredericksburg, Virginia, pages 167–168.]

On 11 January 1831 an action took place between (1) James Howerton in his own right and also as administrator of Cary Ann St. John and trustee for Thomas St. John, and (2) “Gabriel Boughan, John Boughan, Elizabeth M. Boughan Lucy Boughan, Washington H. Purkins as admr. of Josiah Minter decd. William Ranson as Executor of Thomas Boughan decd. Gabriel Boughan as administrator of Mary Boughan decd. William Ransan Executor of Thomas Boughan decd. who was administrator of Caston Boughan decd. and to each and all his legal representatives…” By a decree in Chancery Court of Fredericksburg on 15 October 1830, James Semple, Henry H. Boughan and George Hill were appointed commissioners “to divide the Lands whereof Major Boughan Serv. died Seized as well as to subdivide the lands which Major James Boughan who was an heir & distributee of his decd. Father Major Boughan was entitled to by virtue of the same.” The three commissioners went with a surveyor “to lay off and divide the the [sic] lands as therein directed, and the parties interested being present in person & by agent or other representative, and believing it would be to their interest not to divide the lands by metes & bounds, did on the day aforesaid and in the presence of the Commissioners aforesaid agree mutually with themselves as well as with the aforesaid James Howerton in his character aforesaid to pay to him in money the sum of one hundred and fifteen dollars, of which sum each distributee agreed to pay their and each of each respective portions.” In exchange, James Howerton, in action for himself and his trustees, etc., quit any claim to the land. [Essex County, Virginia, Deed Book 43, page 327.]

On 27 August 1831, in the case of Thomas St John and James Howerton in his own right and as administrator of Casey Anne St John deceased, plaintiffs, against William Ransome Exor of Thomas Boughan who was administrator of Castone Boughan deceased who was adminsitrator of Major J Boughan deceased & others, defendants, “By consent of the parties by Counsel the Court doth order that this Cause be removed to the Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery for the County of Essex—“ [Chancery Order Book 1831–1835, Superior Court, District of Fredericksburg, Virginia, page 6.]