Steven Butler's Family History Website

Jamestown Fort

The Virginians

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

The faces of early Virginia
Image courtesy National Park Service.

During the past nearly five years (2019-2024), my family history research has led me to discover, to both my delight and amazement, that our family (mostly on my father's side) is descended from the some of the earliest English settlers of America, men and women who at various times throughout the seventeenth century braved the long and arduous passage across the Atlantic Ocean in tiny wooden ships to build a home in what was then called "The New World." This is their story, and ours, and America's.

One of the things my research has revealed is that I have so many ancestors who were present during the earliest years of English settlement in America it's almost overwhelming! What's remarkable too is that much of the land that many of them were granted in the 17th century is still woodland or agricultural use land more than three centuries later!

One of the best things, from a genealogical standpoint, is that many of my early Virginia ancestors were prominent figures, some of who served in the Virginia House of Burgesses--America's first legislative assembly--and/or on the Governor's Council (a group of advisors to the royally-appointed governor). Consequently, for most (but unfortunately, not all) there is ample documentation of their lives. I am still astonished by how many 17th century records (deeds, wills, land patents, etc.) have survived, to help tell their story. Even the marked graves of some (but again, not all), can be visited.

MAPS

The Curles of the James: A map showing the location of some early-day plantations.
Map of The Eight Original Shires or Counties of Virginia (1634)
A new and accurate map of Virginia wherein most of the counties are laid down from actual surveys. With a concise account of the number of inhabitants, the trade, soil, and produce of that Province. (1704)

ANCESTRAL SITES TO VISIT

See VIRGINA GAZETTEER

VIDEOS

YouTube video: Henricus: A Cittie of New Beginnings

YouTube video: Beyond the Palisade: Life in 17th Century Virginia

YouTube video: Cittie of Henricus

YouTube video: People of the River: The Powhatan Indians

YouTube video: The Jamestown Massacre: 1622

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

17th CENTURY ANCESTORS in ORDER of ARRIVAL

Click on each link for more information about an individual or family.

NOTE: I may have many more early Virginia ancestors than those listed here, but these are the ones I can confirm through both documentary and DNA evidence.

Ship with blue background: My FATHER'S SIDE Ship with pink background: My MOTHER's SIDE

Cicely Bailey-Jordan-Farrar 1610: Our earliest ancestor in America. MILES-FARRAR LINE and TATE-BUTLER LINE HENRICO COUNTY
Read about "Mrs. Sysley Jordan" and America's First Breach of Promise Suit

William Swann and Family 1612 TATE-BUTLER LINE

William Farrar 1618 MILES-FARRAR LINE
HENRICO COUNTY

John Woodson and wife, Sarah 1619 MILES-FARRAR LINE

Christopher Branch and Mary Addie Branch 1620 HODGE-HOLDER LINE
HENRICO COUNTY
THIS IS OUR LINK TO PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON, President and Author of the Declaration of Independence

Joseph Royall and Katherine Banks Royall 1622 MILES-FARRAR LINE

Col. Walter Aston and daughter, Mary Aston (wife of Richard Cocke, below) 1628 TATE-BUTLER LINE

Richard Cocke 1636 TATE-BUTLER LINE

Thomas Petty or Pettus 1637 JENKINS LINE

Thomas Culmer and wife, Eliza Blake, and daughter, Hannah Culmer 1643 JENKINS LINE

Miles Cary and Anne Taylor Cary 1645 TATE-BUTLER LINE

Richard Parker and wife, Sarah Elizabeth Bailey 1653 JENKINS LINE

Nicholas Sessums 1666 JENKINS LINE

17th CENTURY ANCESTORS--ARRIVAL DATE UNKNOWN
ALPHABETICAL ORDER

James Clack date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

Sarah Cod or Codd date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

James Cox date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

Richard Dudley date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

Elizabeth Freeman Durant date of arrival unknown JENKINS LINE

Richard Ferris date of arrival unknown MILES-FARRAR LINE

Robert Hubbard date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

Rene LaForce date of arrival unknown MILES-FARRAR LINE
Read about the LaForce Slaves during the Revolutionary War, The Tragedy of the La Force Family, and George Washington's 1782 letter mentioning Agnes La Force and her slaves.

Jacob Lumpkin date of arrival unknown HODGE-HOLDER LINE
Read about the charges against Jacob Lumpkin in "Jacobitism in Virginia"

William Magill, Sr. and Jr. date of arrival unknown JENKINS LINE

William McCraw date of arrival unknown HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Edward Mosby date of arrival unknown MILES-FARRAR LINE

Richard Mosby date of arrival unknown MILES-FARRAR LINE

Richard E. Perrin date of arrival unknown MILES-FARRAR LINE

Melchizedeck Richardson Sr. date of arrival unknown HODGE-HOLDER LINE

John Skelton [1] date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

John Skelton [2] date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

James Tate [1] date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

Capt. Thomas Taylor date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

William Wiles date of arrival unknown JENKINS LINE

17th CENTURY NATIVE-BORN ANCESTORS in ALPHABETICAL ORDER

NATIVE-BORN

Elizabeth Branch Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Thomas Branch Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Miles Cary Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

Thomas Cary Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

Edward Clanton 1656 TATE-BUTLER LINE

Elizabeth Ann Cocke Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

Richard Cocke, Jr. (The Elder) Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

Nicholas Cox Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

William Cox Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

John Farrar Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

Thomas Farrar Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

William Farrar Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

Elizabeth Ferris Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

James Hubbard Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

John Hubbard Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

Matthew Hubbard Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

Robert Lumpkin Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Edward Mosby Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

Thomas Petty or Pettus, Jr. JENKINS LINE

Melchizedeck Richardson Jr. Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

James Tate [2] date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

James Tate [3] date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

Sarah Woodson Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

Robert "Potato Hole" Woodson Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

18th CENTURY ARRIVALS and NATIVE-BORN ANCESTORS
CATEGORIZED and in ALPHABETICAL ORDER

CAME BY SEA CAME BY LAND NATIVE-BORN

or Edward Curd date of arrival unknown/place of birth unknown HODGE-HOLDER LINE

or John English date of arrival unknown/place of birth unknown JENKINS LINE

James Haycraft, Jr. 1744 JENKINS LINE

Thomas Wilson date of arrival unknown TATE-BUTLER LINE

Martin Coons, Sr.t date of arrival unknown JENKINS LINE

James Mitchell Date of Arrival Unknown HODGE-HOLDER LINE

John Mitchell Date of Arrival Unknown HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Elizabeth Wilson Mitchell Date of Arrival Unknown HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Conrad Wheat date of arrival unknown JENKINS LINE

Elizabeth Banfield Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

John Banfield Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Martha Cary Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

William Cox Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

Mary Curd Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Samuel Haycraft,Sr. Born in Virginia JENKINS LINE

Elizabeth Hubbard Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

James Hubbard Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

Matthew Hubbard Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

Martha Lumpkin Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Moore Lumpkin Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Agnes Mosby Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

Jacob Mosby Born in Virginia MILES-FARRAR LINE

Elizabeth Richardson Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

John F. Richardson Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE

Thomas Tate, Sr. Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

William Tate [1] Born in Virginia TATE-BUTLER LINE

Capt. John Walker Born in Virginia HODGE-HOLDER LINE