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William Hampton Between 1590 and 1592—after 1652 Elizabeth City County, VA

8/10/2022

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Thirty-eighth in a series of biographical sketches of qualifying ancestors of the Jamestowne Society whose descendants belong to the First Mississippi Company

William Hampton was the son of Laurence Hampton, Sr. he was christened 28 May 1592 in
Twickenham Parish, Middlesex, England. William sailed to Virginia on the Bona Nova in 1620; his
brother Laurence in London was a merchant tailor. His wife Joane arrived in 1621 on the Abigail; and they are listed in the 1624/5 Muster of the Virginia inhabitants and listed as residents of Elizabeth City. They lived in a house, probably palisaded, with supplies of corn, fish, guns, powder and lead. William received land in Virginia in 1640 when he transported nine people to the colony and became a tobacco planter.

William Hampton’s will was written 5 Sep 1652, now lost, divided his Gloucester County land between his sons William and Thomas. The children of William and Joane Hampton are as
follows: (1) William Hampton; (2) Grace Hampton,; (3) Elizabeth Hampton; (4) Reverend Thomas
Hampton, born 16 Apr 1623 in Elizabeth City County, VA,

Ancestor of First Mississippi Company Member Joy Tindall Aden

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Stephen Hopkins 1581-1644 Jamestowne, VA

7/27/2022

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Thirty-seventh in a series of biographical sketches of qualifying ancestors of the Jamestowne Society whose descendants belong to the First Mississippi Company

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Stephen Hopkins was born in England, possibly Hampshire. By 1609 he was employed as a minister’s clerk. On 2 Jun 1609 Hopkins set sail for Virginia on the Sea Venture, leaving behind his wife Mary and three children. Hopkins was shipwrecked on Bermuda until 10 May 1610, when he set sail with Governor Thomas Gates and the other passengers of the Sea Venture on two smaller boats constructed on Bermuda to carry the survivors on to Virginia. He had narrowly escaped hanging while in Bermuda because he had questioned Governor Gates’ authority, leading to his conviction for mutiny; but he was granted a pardon.
When he arrived in Jamestown, he witnessed the Jamestowne settlement after the starving time of the winter of 1609-1610. Hopkins and all the colonists wanted to return to England, but they were forced to stay by the arrival of the new governor, Lord de la Ware. Mary Hopkins, aged 33, died unexpectedly and was buried in Hursley, Hampshire, England on 9 May 1613. After receiving word in Jamestowne about Mary’s death, Hopkins returned to England to care for his orphaned children: Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles.
Back in England, Hopkins married Elizabeth Fisher at St. Mary Whitechapel in London on 19 Feb 1617/18. Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins embarked on the Mayflower in 1620 with children Constance and Giles. It is possible that Stephen and Mary Hopkins’ daughter named Elizabeth had died by 1620. When Hopkins wrote his will on 6 Jun 1644, he asked to be buried next to his wife Elizabeth. The destination of the Mayflower had originally been the Virginia Colony; but after landing at Cape Cod, strong winter seas kept the Mayflower from sailing on to Virginia The children of Stephen Hopkins by Mary were (1) Constance who married Nicholas Snow in Plymouth and had 12 children; and (2) Giles who married Catherine Wheldon in Plymouth and had 10 children. Stephen’s children with Elizabeth were (1) Damaris, born in England and died young in Plymouth; (2) Oceanus, born on the Mayflower and died young; (3) Caleb, born in Plymouth and died in Barbados as a seaman; (4) Deborah who married Andrew Ring and had 6 children; (5) Damaris 2 who married Jacob Cooke and had 7 children; (6) Ruth who died unmarried; and (7) Elizabeth who died unmarried. The burial place of Stephen Hopkins
is unknown.

Ancestor of First Mississippi Company Members John Willie Green, Jr., Beverly Zeller Herring

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JAMESTOWNE WOMEN

7/7/2022

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Thirty-seventh in a series of biographical sketches of qualifying ancestors of the Jamestowne Society whose descendants belong to the First Mississippi Company

Mary Addy
1602 - after 1628
Henrico County, VA
Mary Addy, daughter of Francis Addy of Darton, Yorkshire married Christopher Branch on 2 Sep 1619 at St Marin, Ludgate, London. In March 1620 she sailed to Virginia on the London Merchant with her husband and settled with him in Henrico County, VA. She is listed in the 1624/25 Muster with her husband and son Thomas and bore more sons, William and Christopher, after the Muster.
Qualifying Ancestor of First Mississippi Company member Charles David Hill

Adria Hoare
1604-1626
Henrico County, Virginia
Adria Hoare was baptized 28 Aug 1604 in Buckinghamshire, England. She arrived in Virginia in 1621 on the Marmaduke at age 20. At the time of the Muster of 1624/25, at age 23, she was married to Thomas Harris, who was fifteen years her senior. She and Thomas Harris had two children, William and Mary.
Qualifying ancestor for First Mississippi Company member Charles David Bertrand Hill

Cicely/Sisley Baley
1600-after 1631
Jamestown and Jordan’s Journey
Cicely (also spelled Sisley) Baley was an Ancient Planter, arriving in Jamestown in 1611 on the Swan. Her maiden name is not known. She married three times and died sometime after 1631.
   Her first marriage in VA can be inferred from the 1624/24 Muster, as Cicely has a seven-year-old daughter named Temperance Baley (Bayly) living with her and two other children named Mary and Margaret Jordan. Her second husband Samuel Jordan is also dead by 1624/25, but Temperance Baley is an adjacent landholder in the 1620 patent of Samuel Jordan’s land, suggesting that Temperance Baley must have been the sole heir of her deceased father. Samuel Jordan of Charles City is described as a gentleman and ancient planter owning 700 acres, a combination of land from Cicely as an ancient planter in her own right and from Samuel’s land granted after ten years of service to the colony and for transporting other English men and women to VA. Samuel named his plantation “Jordan’s Journey” and was dead by April 1623 before his second daughter was born. The administration of his estate was granted to William Farrar.
   Immediately after the death of Samuel Jordan, Rev. Greville Pooley made an offer of marriage to Cicely while she was still pregnant with Jordan’s second child. Cicely said she would not marry until her second child was delivered. Pooley insisted that Cicely had entered into a contract of marriage with him and took Cicely to court for the first breach of promise case in America. The VA council heard the case on 4 June 1623. A reluctant witness was called who knew marriage had been offered by Pooley but was unable to testify as to Cicely’s reply. The matter, not being settled by the council, was sent to London for a decision, with the following note: “This Woman before Mr. Grivell Pooley called her into the Court, contracted her self to Mr. Willm Ferrar.” The Governor and the Council admitted that it did not know if the matter should be decided under canon or civil law. London, not knowing how to settle the case either, returned it back to VA. In January 1625 Pooley withdrew his claim, and Cicely Jordan then married William Farrar.
   Cicely and William Farrar had three children named Cicely, William, and John Farrar. There are many proven descendants from two of Cicely’s children: daughter Temperance Baley who married Richard Cocke and son William Farrar. Nothing is known about her daughters Mary and Margaret Jordan after they are named in the 1624/25 Muster of the Inhabitants of VA.
   Cicely was mentioned in a deed in 1631 and was known to be alive at that time. The exact year of her death is unknown.
Qualifying ancestor for First Mississippi Company member Thomas Webster Walters

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Henry Carsley; 1600-1635; Upper Norfolk and Northampton County

10/25/2020

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Thirty-sixth in a series of biographical sketches of qualifying ancestors of the Jamestowne Society whose descendants belong to the First Mississippi Company

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Lewis Burwell 1621-1653 Gloucester County, VA

9/22/2020

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Fairfield Plantation, Gloucester County

Thirty-fifth in a series of biographical sketches of qualifying ancestors of the Jamestowne Society whose descendants belong to the First Mississippi Company

Lewis’s father, Edward Burwell, was born and died in England; but he was interested in the Virginia settlement and was a member of the Virginia Company and a subscriber of the Second Charter. He married Dorothy Bedell; the couple had five sons and two daughters, but only one of the Burwell sons lived to have children: Lewis. After Edward died, his widow married Roger Wingate, who was also involved in the affairs of the Virginia settlement and served as a member of the Council and the Treasurer of Virginia. Dorothy and Roger Wingate sailed to Virginia to settle there with the Burwell children when Lewis was a young boy.

As an adult Lewis Burwell settled on the north side of the York River on Rosewell Creek in an area that later became Gloucester County. He named his 2350-acre plantation “Fairfield,” which later became known as “Carter’s Creek.”

Lewis’s step-father, Roger Wingate, died in VA in 1641; and in 1648 his widow Dorothy deeded all of Wingate’s rents to Lewis, an act confirmed by King James. In the deed, Dorothy refers to Lewis as “my only and wellbeloved sonn Lewis Burwell,” indicating that her other four sons had already died.
Lewis died 18 Nov 1653 at the young age of thirty-two, and the inscription on his tombstone says he was a Major of Gloucester County and states that he is a descendent of the ancient Burwell family of Bedford and Northampton Counties in England.

Lewis married Lucy Higginson, daughter of Captain Robert Higginson and his wife Joanna Tokesey. The only issue from this union was a son named Lewis, who inherited all of his father’s land and holdings. Lewis II married twice. His first wife, Abigail Smith, brought a large estate of her own into the marriage called “King’s Creek.”

By 1704 Lewis II owned 26,650 acres in Gloucester, King William, Charles City, New Kent, James City, Yok and Isle of Wight Counties. He was a member of the Council and a governor of William and Mary College. His second wife was the widow of William Cole: Martha Lear Cole.

Lewis had a total of 15 children with his two wives, all named on his tombstone. Although some of the children died young before marrying, it is Lewis II whose three sons and four daughters carried the Burwell legacy into the 18th Century.

Ancestor of First Mississippi Company member Stewart Holder Bridgforth, Jr.

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William Anderson (1625-1698) Accomack County, VA

7/21/2020

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Accomack County Courthouse

Thirty-fourth in a series of biographical sketches of qualifying ancestors of the Jamestowne Society whose descendants belong to the First Mississippi Company

William Anderson was born in Accomack County, Virginia in 1625 as the son of Scottish immigrants Garret and Amey Anderson. William lived for thirty years on his estate called “Occoconson,” located on the Pocomoke Sound in Accomack County, where he owned a fine house and 900 acres.

In 1681, he built another house in Onancock on Accomack Island. He patented 1,000 acres lying between Onancock Creek and Matchatank and another large estate on the seaside. Anderson served as a Burgess from Accomack in 1685-86.

In 1678, he married Mary Wise, the daughter of his neighbor Colonel John Wise and granddaughter of Captain Edmund Scarburgh. He and Mary had two daughters, Comfort and Naomi. Although Comfort predeceased her father, William Anderson named and left bequests to her children in his will, probated in 1698.

William Anderson was an ardent Royalist and an Anglican. He himself performed his daughter Naomi’s marriage to Francis Makemie, a Presbyterian minister who is today called the father of Presbyterianism in America. William Anderson died in 1698 and was buried on his estate at Pocomoke.

First Mississippi Company ancestor of William Anderson: Donna Davis Lane

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John West (1590-1659) York County, VA

6/27/2020

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Thirty-third in a series of biographical sketches of qualifying ancestors of the Jamestowne Society whose descendants belong to the First Mississippi Company

John West was born 14 Dec 1590 in Hampshire, England, as the fifth son of the 2nd Baron de La Warr and immigrated to VA in 1618. He served as a Burgess from 1628 to 1630. When Governor Sir John Harvey was ousted, West became the acting governor from 1635 to 1637,when Harvey was restored as governor. In 1640, West and three other Virginians were summoned to England to explain ousting Harvey to the Star Chamber; all four men were exonerated and returned to VA.

West became a wealthy man in VA and accumulated 6450 acres of land in York and Gloucester counties. In 1630, a settlement was ordered in York as a foil to the dangerous Pamunkey Indian chief, and West was granted 600 acres on the Pamunkey River. The 3000-acre land West was granted in York is now the present-day town of West Point, VA.

John West and his wife Anne Percy had one son John, who married Unity Croshaw, the daughter of Joseph Croshaw and granddaughter of the Ancient Planter Raleigh Croshaw. West and Joseph Croshaw both were both ardent Royalists and opposed Oliver Cromwell. West died by March 1659, and his son, John, inherited his father’s lands exempt from all taxes for life as a reward for his father’s service to the Colony.

First Mississippi Company Ancestors of John West: Jim Pryor, Joseph Winston, William McGinnis

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Thomas Savage (c. 1592-1633) Jamestown and Accomack County

6/8/2020

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Historical Marker in Northampton County, VA, designating Savage as first permanent English settler on the Eastern Shore

Thirty-second in a series of biographical sketches of qualifying ancestors of the Jamestowne Society whose descendants belong to the First Mississippi Company

Thomas Savage arrived in Jamestown in 1608 at the age of 13 on the John and Francis; soon thereafter, Captain Newport gave him to Chief Powhatan to learn the Algonquin language and promote trade between the English and the Indians. Powhatan was fond of Savage, and he lived at Werowocomoco among the Indians for nearly three years until the First Anglo-Powhatan War (1609-1614) broke out. In 1610, aware that he might be in danger, Savage invented an excuse to go to Jamestown on an errand and stayed there.

Peace then prevailed after the 1614 marriage of John Rolfe and Pocahontas. Savage returned to Werowocomoco to try, with Ralph Hamor, to help arrange a marriage between Powhatan’s youngest daughter and Sir Thomas Dale. When Powhatan saw Savage again, he scolded Savage for escaping: “My childe you are welcome, you have bin a straunger to me these foure yeers, at what time I gave you to go to Paspahae [Jamestown] . . . to see your friends, and till now you never returned.”

What Savage did between 1614 and 1619 is unknown, but by 1619 he was living on the John Martin plantation. In 1621 Savage and John Pory went to the Eastern Shore where the Occohannock and Accomack Indians lived on two trading expeditions. The tribes were friendly to the English and Savage became good friends with Esmy Shichans, the Laughing King of the Eastern Shore.

By 1618 Powhatan was dead, and Opechancanough controlled the Powhatans. He then plotted to kill the English by poisoning them with a deadly plant found in Accomack and needed to obtain it from Esmy Schicans, who refused to give it to him. Shichans warned Savage of the danger; Savage informed Governor Sir Francis Wyatt, who believed Opechancanough wanted peace and did not heed the warning. On 22 March 1622, Opechancanough led the Powhatans in an attack that killed over 347 colonists, beginning the Second Anglo-Indian War (1622-1632).

Governor Yardley and William Eppes forced Savage to serve as the official interpreter of Accomack from 1625 to 1627. In 1621 Esmy Shichans gave Savage 9,000 acres of land in Accomack that became and still is known as Savage’s Neck. In 1623 Savage married Hannah (also called Ann) who had come to VA in 1621 on the Seaflower. Their son John, born in 1624, served in the House of Burgesses. Savage prospered as a fur trader and established a plantation called Savage’s Choice, having been an Ancient Planter, as well as Indian Interpreter. He died before September 1633, when his son John inherited his land. His wife Ann had remarried planter Daniel Cugley by 1638.

Later John Pory wrote about Savage’s service as an Indian interpreter: “With much honestie and good successe hath [Savage] served the publicke without any publicke recompence; yet had an arrow shot through his body in their service.”

Thomas Savage is an ancestor of First Mississippi Company Member Rebecca Bryars Hayes

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Richard and Isabella Pace, Ancient Planters

4/29/2020

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Pace’s Paines was located in the field to the extreme right center

Richard (ca. 1585-ca. 1623) and Isabella (ca. 1589-unknown) Pace and their son, George (ca. 1608/9-1655,) were among the earliest families that landed at Jamestown. Their arrival date is unknown, but it is speculated that they arrived in August, 1611 with William Perry, Captain William Powell and Sir Thomas Gates.

Richard, a carpenter from Wapping (London’s old maritime district) and Isabella Smythe were married in St. Dunstan’s Church, Stepney (East End of London) on 5 October 1608. Richard was employed and sent to Jamestown by the Virginia Company of London, entitling him to 100 acres after seven years’ labor; the Company also transported his family. Jamestown’s population was then about 300.

The Paces became Ancient Planters because they arrived in the colony before 1616 and were eligible for land grants from the Company in 1618. On 5 December 1620 Richard received a patent for 400 acres that included 300 for his six headrights for bringing settlers or servants. Isabella also received 100 acres and later bought another 100 acres from Francis Chapman. Their land was on a high bluff across the James River from Jamestown in what is now Surry County, a plantation that they named “Paces Paines.”

Richard Pace is best known for warning Jamestown of the well-planned and devastating Powhatan Indian surprise attack on all the English settlements along the James River on 22 March 1621/2. Early that morning, an Indian boy, Chanco, William Perry’s servant, was living in the Pace household. He alerted Pace to the impending attack and they rowed a small boat over two miles to Jamestown to warn its residents. Their alarms helped to spare Jamestown itself, but over a score outlying plantations were decimated and more than a quarter of the colony’s settlers were killed.

Richard petitioned to return to Paces Panes and finally did so in February 1623/4. He died between February 1623 and the 1624 Muster. The widowed Isabella then married William Perry (date unknown.) He and his son Henry, Isabella and George Pace were not in Jamestown for the February 1625 muster. On 9 May 1625, Isabella Perry (Mrs. William) testified in a court trial in Jamestown. She was widowed again (date unknown) and married merchant George Menifee (date unknown) and died on an unknown date.

George Pace patented his father’s 400 acres on 1 September 1628 and, in 1638, married Sarah Maycock(e), daughter of the Reverend Samuel Maycock(e), who was killed in the 1622 Indian uprising. George died in 1655, predeceased by Sarah.

First California Company member Martha Pace Gresham is a descendant of the Paces

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Robert Bracewell/Braswell, Isle of Wight, Virginia, (1611 - 1668), Burgess, Anglican Minister

4/20/2020

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The Reverend Robert Bracewell, son of Richard Bracewell, Gentleman, of London, was christened 13 Oct 1611 at St. Andrew Holborn, London and matriculated at Hart Hall, Oxford University on 22 February, 1628. On 3 November 1631, aged twenty, he was graduated from Oxford.

He came to Isle of Wight, Virginia before 29 April 1650, when he was a documented witness to an agreement between Ambrose Bennett and Thomas Webb. He became Rector of St. Luke’s, Lower Parish, Smithfield, Isle of Wight. In July 1653, he was chosen Burgess from Isle of Wight County, but was asked to resign because of concerns for separation of church and state.

St. Luke’s, built in 1632, is the oldest brick church in Virginia (now known as the Old Brick Church) and British North America. It is the nation’s only original Gothic church and a National Historic Landmark and Patriotic Shrine. It was used as a model for Jamestown’s 1907 Memorial Church.

Rev. Bracewell made his will 15 Feb 1667/8, which was probated May 1668 and proved that he had a least five children, saying that, “…daughter Jane Stokes, Rebeca West - my daughter, my two sons, Robert and Richard, daughter Ann Bagnall… His Loveinge friends, Mr. Richard Izard and George Gwillim to be gaurdians unto my children, in the time of their Minoritie.”

Jane was born ca. 1645 and was married three times; first to Robert Stokes in 1667 (who participated in Bacon’s rebellion and was hung by the royal governor in 1677 for his involvement) and subsequently to Robert Eely and John Roberts. Her will was probated 24 Aug 1713 in Isle of Wight County. Rebecca was born ca. 1645, married by 15 Feb 1667 to William West and then to (unknown) Brinkley. She died ca. 1700 in Isle of Wight County (William also participated in Bacon’s rebellion but was pardoned.) Ann, born ca. 1647, married James Bagnall by 15 Feb 1667. Richard, born ca. 1649, married Sarah (unknown), 1672. He left a will dated 28 Jan 1724/5 in Isle of Wight County. Robert, born ca 1651, married Susannah Burgess.

The Reverend Robert Bracewell died in Isle of Wight county before 1 May 1668.

The Reverend Robert Bracewell is the paternal seventh great grandfather of Ella Margaret Cron, Member of the First Colorado Company

St. Luke's Church, Smithfield

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To Our Contributors

We 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.

NOTE: Contributors are solely responsible for all entries' content.

Thirty-seventh in a series of biographical sketches of qualifying ancestors of the Jamestowne Society whose descendants belong to the First Mississippi Company

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