![]() Fifth in a series of biographical sketches on members of the General Assembly and House of Burgesses whose descendants belong to the First Mississippi Company in honor of the 400th anniversary of the July 30, 1619, meeting of the first representative governmental body in American at the 1617 Church on Jamestown Island Thomas Farley was elected to the Virginia General Assembly to represent plantations in James City County, VA, in 1629. Who was this man?
Thomas Farley was born 15 January 1590, in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. He was the son of Roger Farley and Isobel Pumphreys and the brother of Robert, William, Elliot, and Edward Farley. He was known as a “gentleman of Worcester of Worcestershire.” Thomas Farley married Lady Jane Molyneux of Sefton, the illegitimate daughter of Sir John Molyneux of Sefton and Margaret Hope, on 12 July 1622 in Savoy Church, Worcester, England. Jane was christened on 30 September 1607, at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin. Being born on the “wrong side of the bed,” Jane had no right to call herself “Lady” and was presumably sent to Worcester to live with relatives in order to avert any embarrassment to the Molyneux family in residence at Sefton. Thomas Farley and his wife Jane first arrived in James County, Virginia, in 1623 on the ship Ann the year after the Indian attack that slew more than 347 inhabitants of the colony of Jamestown in 1622. Their first child, a daughter whom they named Ann, was born either soon after their arrival or aboard the ship. Accompanying them was a servant Nicholas Shotten, age 40 years. Thomas Farley owned a plantation and rented other adjoining properties to produce large quantities of tobacco for English markets. He was twice elected to the General Assembly. In the March 1629-1630 session, Farley served as a Burgess from the plantations between Harrop and Archer’s Hope and Martin’s Hundred, and in the February, 1631-1632 session, he represented Archer’s Hope. At court in James City, 21 August 1626, “Thomas Farley, gent.,” confessed to being absent from church on the Sabbath Day for three months. It was determined by the court that a fine of one hundred pounds of tobacco for the public treasury would restore him to his spiritual status. The minutes of the Council and General Court, 1622-1629 states, “Thomas Farley of Archer’s Hope bargained with Widow Bush for the land he was settled on.” Thomas Farley died after 1634 in Archer’s Hope, James City, Virginia. First Mississippi Company Descendants of Thomas Farley: Sandra Sartor Ford, Martha Ray Sartor, Daniel Ford, John-Peter Ford, Mark Ford Revised.
34 Comments
James McCall
11/7/2018 02:02:05 pm
It would not have been possible for Thomas Farley to be elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1629, as the HOB was formed in 1642/3.
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Lee Ann Riffe
1/16/2021 10:30:05 pm
The House of Burgesses was established 1619 in Jamestown.
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1/17/2021 01:29:54 am
The 1619 General Assembly was the first elected representative legislature in the New World and remains as the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere. The settlements and Jamestown elected "burgesses" to that Assembly as a unicameral body, which also included the Virginia Company's appointed governor and a Council of State. The House of Burgesses, on the other hand, was later formed separately from the Council of State in 1642/3 as part of the Assembly’s bicameral legislative reorganization by Governor William Berkeley. Its establishment is well documented in several sources, especially in Professor Warren Billings’ A Little Parliament, which is now the standard source what followed from the 1619 Assembly. Also see Jon Kukla’s Political Institutions in Virginia, 1619-1660.
James Wicker
2/14/2019 04:19:34 pm
I am in the society under Thomas Farley through the West Virginia line. Still live here in Virginia. Hello Relatives!
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Elizabeth h Farley
4/11/2020 02:22:31 am
Our 12th great grandfather was Thomas Farley. Our son is the last on this side of the family tree as a direct male lineage of those first to come to Va then to WVa to Ky and our branch to Pa in 1922. We continue to find interesting facts each generation but definitely proud of the patriotism of the family.
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Amber L Shelton
6/5/2020 11:17:49 am
i'm of the west virginia farley's too :)
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Darrell J Farley Jr
9/4/2020 02:16:25 am
I am a descendant of Thomas Farley, throughVirginia/West Virginia, into Kentucky and finally to Indiana. (I now live in Utah)
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Stephen Wayne Boulton
1/16/2021 12:51:07 pm
Established 1619 under Gov Yeardley
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Stephen Wayne Boulton
6/6/2021 02:09:03 pm
Im looking for info on decendants of Thomas farley to join jamestown society. Did thomas have a son john who had a son john Jr. ? My 5th great grandmother is a farley.
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Kenneth A Farley jr
2/19/2023 04:06:13 pm
From what I researched on ancestry yes he did which Thomas is my 10th great grandfather and John farley and John farley Jr are my 9th an 8th. Which John farley Jr and I share the same birthday April 6th
Delores Craft
7/21/2019 12:08:14 pm
My grandmother on my father's side what Stella Maude Farley, West Virginia.
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Sharon Stanley
6/25/2020 12:14:08 pm
Thomas Farley was also my 11th great grandfather. I am part of the Virginia - West Virginia Farleys.
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Kathy
8/2/2020 04:54:06 pm
The Ann Farley married into the Lee family of Virginia has been DISPROVED in multiple ways and multiple times. Please do not perpetuate this myth. Also there are only THREE proven children of Thomas and Jane...Ann, Archer, and George. NONE of the others have been proven. Thomas B Farley was Archers son
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Jamie Farley
8/26/2022 04:14:10 pm
I've been having a devil of a time trying to jump from my ancestor James Parke Farley b1710 d 5/23/1777 (1779 incorrectly listed) to HIS father Henry Farley per ancestry but no legitimate documented proof. I'd love to connect. jamie.farley78@gmail.com
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Johnny Thomas
8/19/2020 09:12:07 pm
Sir Thomas Farley was my 9th GGF.
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Kandy Martin Howard
9/19/2022 04:23:40 pm
He is my 9th Great-Grandfather as well.
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Julia Kreck
11/23/2020 05:12:20 pm
Archer Farley was my 10th great grandfather. I'm of the VA / WV Farleys, a line of which wove its way down through the Ellisons, the Lillys and the Kessingers of Flat Top & Camp Creek. Greetings from AZ!
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Ashley (Wells) Patton
12/24/2020 03:53:03 am
If I tracked this all correctly, Thomas Farley (1730-1796) is my 7th Great Grandpa! I am active on ancestry & recently applied to join my local DAR chapter here in Columbus, Ohio. Would love stories or pictures if you have any to share!
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Julia Kreck
12/24/2020 02:21:09 pm
Hi Ashley, My 6x Great Grandfather, Francis Farley II (1726-1791), was the older brother of your 7th great grandfather! I've built a family tree at ancestry and would be happy to share what's there. If you would like to send me an email at yinofsedona at yahoo dot com with your email address, I'll be happy to send you an invite to access my tree.
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Stephen Wayne Boulton
1/16/2021 12:57:21 pm
I am also a distant grandson of Thomas Farley. One of his descendant daughters living in the Danville Va area married a Charles A Boulton they moved to the Carthage Tennessee area on land given for services rendered in American Revolution.
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Todd McMillion
2/21/2021 06:15:47 pm
Thomas is my 11x great grandfather
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Sharon Stanley
3/31/2021 10:44:36 am
Thomas Farley is my 9th great grandfather. I came from the WV part of the family and moved to Newport News Virginia. Have always felt very comfortable in the Jamestown area before I knew my ancestry. I have lived approx 6 miles from Archers Hope for several years.
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Lane Crouch
4/1/2021 11:06:54 pm
Thomas Farley is my 13th great-grandfather through his son Archer. The name of Farley was carried all the way down to my maternal grandmother. It's very interesting to see these glimpses of the past!
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Paul
6/22/2021 04:37:54 pm
Posters refer to a society of Farley descendants. What society?
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Paul Pappas
11/13/2021 11:54:49 pm
I am a descendant of Thomas and Jane Farley. My most recent Farley ancestor was gg grandmother Lucinda Farley born in Indiana in about 1825. I have just documented back to Captain Matthew Farley of West VA and Indiana. The rest of my connection is just internet files.
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Danni Baugher
1/31/2022 01:30:34 pm
Im related to the Lady Jane Molyneux of Sefton, the illegitimate daughter of Sir John Molyneux of Sefton and Margaret Hope.
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Sabre Lewis
3/12/2022 12:12:36 am
I've recently come to find that Thomas Farley is my 12th Great Grandfather. The lineage I've been able to track is Thomas Farley > Archer Farley > John I > John II > Francis I > Francis II > Gideon Farley > William Farley > John Henry Farley > Samuel Wesley Farley > Eliza Jane Farley > Flora Bell Wallace (nee Farley). Flora Bell is the mother of my grandmother, Quindora, who had moved up North to New York and had my uncles, aunt, and father! If anyone ever sees this, I have an active profile on Familysearch.org! Please connect with me on there!
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K. Krogstad
6/6/2022 08:50:02 pm
Thomas Farley is my 11th Great Grandfather. My Grandmother was Francis Farley, the daughter Henry Clay Farley (WV/KY)!
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Jamie Farley
8/26/2022 04:15:39 pm
I've been having a devil of a time trying to jump from my ancestor James Parke Farley b1710 d 5/23/1777 (1779 incorrectly listed) to HIS father Henry Farley per ancestry but no legitimate documented proof. I'd love to connect. jamie.farley78@gmail.com
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10/16/2022 02:47:34 pm
Thomas Farley is my 13th great grandfather. Starting in Virginia, then Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and now Texas.
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Todd McMillion
11/25/2022 11:49:11 am
I am the 7x great grandson if Francis Farley through his daughter Nancy (Farley) Ellison from the WV line.
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Harry Farley
2/6/2023 08:37:27 pm
I am a 12 th generation Virginian and a direct descent of Thomas Farley. He came to Jamestown in 1623. My family for at least 4 or more generations has lived in the Danville Va area.
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Robert M. Farley, Sr.
2/12/2023 03:50:04 pm
I am a direct descendant of Thomas Farley, 13th generation of the line through VA. etc and eventually to Iowa. I live in PA. I became a member of the Jamestowne Society in 2021. Good to meet you all.
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Bob Flora
3/30/2023 11:22:38 pm
Hi, just stumbled across this -- My great grandmother was a Farley, and from an old family history book, I believe descended from Thomas (possibly through Archer?). Is there a well-research family tree that I might refer to?
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To Our ContributorsWe welcome properly researched contributions of ancestor profiles, vignettes and comments from members that focus on their ancestors’ roles in Jamestown’s history, plus other aspects of their lives, events and experiences in the colony. PLEASE NOTE that all information must be documented and backed up by primary source documents, and not unverifiable information and family and urban legends. Submissions without this backup may be rejected. Please limit contributions and blog entries solely to the ancestors themselves, and do not include subsequent lineage information. Entries should be no more than 400 words. Archives
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