The Handley Family by Mortimeyer and Hopkins states that James Handley, son of John and Grizel Handley, and his wife Mary were the parents of eight children,
Alexander b. abt 1770,Information has been found that implies that there was an additional son born to the family.
John b. 7 Sept. 1777,
Margaret,
Grisal ,
Sarah,
Anne,
Mary, and
Jinny.
Found in the Greenbrier County, Va. Land Entry Book; dated 1780 -1786, transcribed by Helen Stinson about 1994, was an entry listed on page 98, which reads as follows:
(The date of this entry occurs between the 22nd of July, 1783 and the 19th of November, 1783.)" James Handley enters 200 acres of land by virtue of a Commissioners Certificate for being a Heir-at- Law of Micheal Handley deceased, who was an assignee of James Davis on the Greenbrier River adjoining the lands of General Lewis and Lasserd(?)Heirs at the mouth of Wolf Creek."
The presumption is that Micheal was the eldest son of James and Mary Handley. At the time of his death he was likely entering young adulthood and had not yet married. One can only hazard a guess as to the cause of his death. Was it disease , accident or Indians that killed him?
Roger Greenough, June 2nd, 2008