Or, Subtitled: Boys and Wenches Running Wild in the Streets of London: Off to Virginia with Them!

In our last posting, we got the immigrant ancestor of the Nottingham family — Richard Nottingham (abt. 1620-1692) — to Northampton County, Virginia. In this posting, I’d like to tell you about his life there insofar as we have documentary evidence of it up to his death between 24 September 1692, when he made his will, and 29 November 1692, when his will was probated. I’ll discuss the will in my final (that is, next) posting about Richard Nottingham. Here are the data I have:

• After arriving in Northampton County by 1651 (probably in 1648, in fact), on 4 August 1652, Richard Nottingham bought from William Stone a parcel of land bounding Squire Yardley and Captain Stone. The deed was recorded in Northampton court on 31 January 1659.[1]

Stone, who was part of a colony of Puritans who came to Virginia in 1619, had left Virginia for Maryland by this point with Puritans escaping persecution in Virginia, and in 1648, was named governor of Maryland. The court record of this land transaction notes his Maryland residence. We have encountered William Stone repeatedly in previous postings discussing the Monk and Nottingham families (here, here, and here). Both families lived on land that had been part of Stone’s vast tract in Northampton County, and I’ve suggested to you that the earliest Monk ancestor I can track in Northampton County, William Monk (1660/1670-1716), is likely the son of either an older William Monk or an Edward Monk, both imported to Virginia by William Stone.

Squire Yardley is Argoll Yeardley (abt. 1620-1655), son of Virginia governor Sir George Yeardley, who was a Royalist leader in Northampton County; I discussed him and his wife Ann, daughter of Henry and Joan Custis, in a previous posting.

• 28 April 1654, Northampton County court awarded Alexander Addison, assignee of John Rogers, assignee of James Johnson, 350 acres of headright land for importing Richard and Elizabeth Nottingham and others to Virginia.[2]

This record suggests that Richard Nottingham and wife Elizabeth had gone back to England at some point in the early 1650s. It also suggests that James Johnson may have imported them to Virginia on their return (and then the headright grant passed around as quasi-scrip from him to Rogers to Addison). As we saw in our previous discussion of Richard’s arrival in Northampton County, in October 1651, Richard deposed in Northampton court as John Johnson Sr. released his brother-in-law Robert Watson from indenture. Are John and James Johnson related to each other?

• Richard Nottingham’s wife Elizabeth appears to have been born about 1632/3. In January 1679/1680, she deposed in Northampton court that she was 47 (47/48) years of age.[3] As I told you in my previous posting, in his study of the Nottingham family, Cedric Nottingham suggests that (though he has no proof of this claim) the Elizabeth, daughter of John Watson and Elizabeth Wilson, who was baptized at St. Clement Danes church in London on 4 July 1633 is likely the Elizabeth Watson who married Richard Nottingham.[4] As he explains, part of his reason for suggesting this is that John and Elizabeth Watson also had a son Benjamin baptized 12 September 1635 at St. Dunstan in the East church in London.[5] Richard Nottingham and Elizabeth Watson named a son Benjamin, a name not found in the Nottingham family prior to this generation. As we’ll see in a moment, once settled in Northampton County, the Nottinghams associated with other families who had ties to London — and it appears that Richard Nottingham’s father, an older Richard Nottingham (1587-1640/1650), was a merchant in Stepney in the east end of London.
• Elizabeth Watson was imported to Northampton County sometime before 20 August 1647, when Nicholas Granger received a headright grant of 300 acres for transporting to Virginia Robert Johnson, Richard Watkins, Richard Cox, Isaake Whitliffe, Eliz: Watson, and ffran: Spencr.[6]

Note that this record indicates that Richard Nottingham did not likely arrive in Northampton County with a wife Elizabeth, but that he married Elizabeth Watson after both had arrived in Virginia. Note, too, the recurrence of the Johnson name here. Finally, note the name Nicholas Granger, one that, as we’re going to see, recurs in records about Richard Nottingham in Northampton County. As we’ll see when we discuss Richard’s will, which was witnessed by Nathaniel Capell and his wife Hannah (Granger), a granddaughter of Nicholas, Nicholas Granger came to Virginia in 1619 as part of a shipment of 75 boys and 25 “wenches” from London who had been retained by Bridewell Royal Hospital because they were said to be “running wild in the streets” of London. Another London connection: with that fact and the probability that Nathaniel Capell is the man of that same name baptized at St. Olave church, Hart Street, in London on 27 November 1653, the likelihood that Richard Nottingham’s wife was the Elizabeth Watson baptized at St. Clement Danes on 4 July 1633 seems to increase.

• On 28 September 1654, Richard Nottingham deposed in Northampton court that Mr. Ben Cowdery was a very turbulent man towards his neighbors. The deposition was in response to a complaint of Capt. William Whittington and Armstrong Foster against Cowdery/Cowdrey.[7] William Whittington is another Northampton resident we’ve met previously: as I’ve noted (and see below), Richard Nottingham bought a tract of land from Whittington in 1675. Whittington was a burgess from Northampton connected to the Savage, Littleton, and Yeardley families discussed in my last posting.[8] In 1653, he bought William Stone’s house on Hungars Creek in Northampton.[9]

Benjamin Cowdrey died testate in Northampton County with a will dated 11 August 1684 identifying him as a former citizen and vintner of London. Among the witnesses to the will was the same Nathaniel Capell who, as we’ll see when we discuss Richard Nottingham’s will, married Hannah, granddaughter of Nicholas Granger the London immigrant to Northampton County, and witnessed the will of Richard Nottingham with wife Hannah. Benjamin’s son Thomas Cowdrey was one of the husbands of Ann, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Watson Nottingham.[10] More London connections to note….

• On 28 December 1654, Richard Nottingham again testified in court after Armstrong Foster had complained against Benjamin Cowdery for taking a quantity of peaches from Foster.[11]
• On 15 December 1656, Richard Nottingham was impaneled as a juror to view the corpse of Paul Rynnuss, who was lately deceased.[12] Richard apparently signed his affidavit, rather than making a mark, though some subsequent documents in Northampton county show him signing by mark.
• On 13 May 1657, Northampton court records show Thomas Alligood deeding to Elizabeth, wife of Richard Nottingham (with Richard consenting), a cow and calf.[13]
• On 31 March 1658, Richard Nottingham and wife Elizabeth were listed as headrights on a patent to Alphonso Ball.[14] Note: this record indicates that Richard and Elizabeth had apparently returned once again to England and then sailed back to Virginia. Their voyages back and forth suggest they were people of some substance, substance sufficient to permit such back-forth voyages between England and the colonies.
• On 29 July 1658, Richard Nottingham deposed in Northampton court, saying he was about 40 years of age, and stating that when Henry White was at his house with Christopher Turner present, White said he owned the doctrine of William Robinson and disowned the doctrine of Thomas Teagle [i.e., Teackle].[15] At the same court session, Turner deposed that he had been at Nottingham’s house and heard Henry White say that he was for the cause of Robinson and would lose his life in that cause and seal it with his blood, and that Mr. Teakle taught false doctrine.[16]

Thomas Teackle was the first rector of the so-called upper parish in Northampton, St. George’s at Pungoteague. His name first appears in county records in 1652; he pastored St. George’s for nearly forty years, maintaining a noted library and facing repeated accusations of scandal including from the powerful Edmund Scarburgh, who accused Teakle of seducing his wife.[17]

William Robinson was a London merchant who had become a Quaker. He sought to spread the Quaker message in Virginia in 1659, then went to Massachusetts, where he was hanged in Boston as a religious dissenter on 27 October 1659.[18]

• Richard Nottingham is on the Northampton tithables list in 1662 with 2 tithables, and was counted with William Evin.[19] He appears again in 1663 with 2 tithables, again with William Evin.
• On 29 February 1663, a deed of John Coale to Thomas Dunton dated 6 May 1663 was recorded in Northampton court, with Richard Nottingham witnessing it and signing by mark.[20]
• In 1664, Richard Nottingham had 1 tithable on the Northampton tithables list and was counted alone.[21]
• On 17 April 1665, a deed of John Webb to Richard Nottingham for a cow and calf was recorded in Northampton court; the deed is dated 10 May 1665.[22]
• On 5 June 1665, Northampton court records show Richard Nottingham buying a featherbed, two bolsters, and four pillows at the sale of James Pettijohn’s estate.[23]
• 3 July 1665, Richard Nottingham was an appraiser of the estate of Richard Clarke, deceased, in Northampton.[24] On 6 July 1665, Richard signed Clarke’s inventory by mark.[25] Clarke’s daughter (or perhaps step-daughter: see below) Mary was one of the wives of Richard Nottingham’s son Richard.
• On 4 September 1665, Richard Nottingham was again listed on the Northampton tithables list with 1 tithable.[26] In 1666, he has 1 tithable.[27] On 9 September 1667, he is listed with 1 tithable.[28] On 28 August 1668, he is listed with 1 tithable.[29] On 28 August 1671, Richard Nottingham shows up as Richard Sr. with son Richard Jr., each having 1 tithable.[30] Hereafter, Richard appears as Richard Sr. His next listing is in 1674, with a tithable.[31]
• On 28 February 1665/6, Northampton court ordered Richard Nottingham ordered to be an appraiser of the estate of Richard Gilberts, deceased.[32] On 2 May 1666, Richard signed the estate inventory — with his signature and not by mark.[33]
• On 10 April 1666, Richard Nottingham was impaneled as a grand juror in Northampton.[34]
• 28 October 1668: Richard Nottingham was again impaneled as a juror.[35]
• On 29 April 1672, Mary Clarke chose Teige Harman as her guardian, with Harman’s neighbors listed as Benjamin Cowdrey, Nicholas Granger, Richard Nottingham, and William Evins, who were ordered to take notice of the delivery of Mary’s estate to Harman.[36]

Mary Clarke is named as Richard Clarke’s daughter in his 18 February 1665 Northampton will.[37] According to Ralph T. Whitelaw, Mary was born a Bundick, and was apparently named as Richard Clarke’s daughter in his will because she was a step-daughter, the daughter of Elizabeth, wife of Richard Clarke who had — I am assuming — married a Bundick before marrying Richard Clarke.[38] Following Richard Clarke’s death, Elizabeth remarried to Teague Harmon (whose given name and surname appear in various records as Teige and Harmon). He was born about 1625 and died in Northampton in 1684, with a will leaving a portion of his land to daughter Mary Nottingham: his step-daughter Mary had married Richard, son of Richard Nottingham, on 29 July 1672 in Northampton. As M.K. Miles notes, Harman/Harmon appears to have had family ties in the New Amsterdam colony of the New Netherlands and seems to be of German or Dutch origin.[39]

In addition to making a bequest to Mary, wife of Richard Nottingham (and her children Mary and Richard), Harmon’s will bequeathed to William Nottingham, son of Richard the immigrant, and to William and Susanna, children of Benjamin Cowdrey’s son Thomas, who would marry Ann Nottingham in 1697. Witnesses to his will included Richard Nottingham son of Richard the immigrant and Nathaniel Capell.[40]

Note the name William Evins, listed as a neighbor to the Cowdreys, Grangers, Nottinghams, and Harmons/Harmans in this court record in which Mary Clarke chooses Teigue Harmon as her guardian. We’ve met him previously as a tithable listed in 1662-3 in Richard Nottingham’s tithable list. This William appears to have a connection (though, if so, what was it, exactly?) to a William Ewen who left a 2 April 1649 will in Greenwich, County Kent, England. This older William was a sea captain who came to Virginia by 1619, who had a contract with the Virginia Company of London to bring shiploads of colonists to Virginia, including the shipment from Bridewell in London previously mentioned, in which the immigrant Nicholas Granger and other “wild” children of London were transported to the colony. William Ewen (the name appears in various records as Ewen, Ewens, Evans, Evins, or Ewins) died in Greenwich, England, before 12 August 1650 still owning property in Virginia.[41] Before arriving in Virginia, the older William Ewen married Margaret Clement on 10 February 1612/13 at St. Dunstan church in Stepney, London, England.

• 29 November 1672, Richard Nottingham was ordered with Richard Whitmarsh to adjudicate a difference between Agnes Powell and Joseph Godwin about damages Powell alleged Godwin had done by felling trees on her fence.[42] We’ve met Joseph Godwin, son of Devorax Godwin, previously, in discussing the life of George Monk, who married into a kinship network that included this Godwin family.
• At the same court session on 29 November 1672, the 12 November 1672 inventory of the estate of Thomas Davis, which Richard Nottingham made along with others, was presented in court, Richard signing by mark.[43] On Godwin, see previous postings.
• On 31 December 1672, Richard Nottingham and Richard Whitmarsh reported to Northampton court that Agnes Powell was correct about Joseph Godwin having felled trees on her land.[44] The two signed their affidavit the same day, both by mark.[45]
• On 28 August 1673, Richard Patrick also made a complaint to the court about Joseph Godwin felling trees on his land, and Richard Nottingham and Whitmarsh were again ordered to view the damage.[46] Joseph Godwin was a half-brother of Richard Patrick’s wife Susan Godwin, and, again, this is a family we’ve previously discussed because of its close connection to George Monk.
• On 31 March 1674, Richard Nottingham and Richard Whitmarsh reported to court about their survey of the ancient tract granted by Captain Savage to James Pettijohn. The previous court complaints about timber felling had to do with questions regarding the boundaries of that tract. Nottingham and Whitmarsh presented to court a report they had compiled on 2 March, both signing by mark.[47] On Captain John Savage, see this previous posting.
• In 1675, Richard Nottingham had 1 tithable.[48] In 1676-77, he was listed again with a tithable.[49]
• On 6 May 1675, Richard Nottingham was ordered, along with Teigue Harman and William Evins, to appraise the estate of James Saunders.[50] Richard was appointed constable at the same court session.[51]
• On 28 June 1675, Richard Nottingham, with Harman and Ewins, returned to court the inventory of James Saunders’ estate which they took on 13 May 1675.[52] All signed by mark.
• According to Whitelaw, in 1675, William Whittington sold a portion of land in the Hungars plantation tract (originally Stone’s grant) to Richard Nottingham. This land was bounded on the south by Deep Branch and on the west by the head of Mattawoman Creek. This is the land left by Richard’s will in 1692 to sons Richard and Robert, the north part going to Robert and the south to Richard.[53] This land is in present-day Wilsonia Neck, south of the present neck road.[54]
• 10 April 1676, the will of Vemson Foster, which he had signed 19 February 1675, was presented in court; Richard Nottingham and Nicholas Granger were executors.[55] This Nicholas Granger is the son of Nicholas the immigrant mentioned previously.
• On 3 June 1676, Richard Nottingham and John Bellamy were appointed by Northampton court to divide the estate of Henry Mathews.[56] At the same court, Richard Nottingham and Richard Whitmarsh were requested again to report on Joseph Godwin’s trespass on Agnes Powell’s land.[57]
• On 22 December 1676, the Northampton court noted that Richard Whitmarsh was sick and in his place Teigue Harman is appointed to survey damages to Agnes Powell’s land along with Richard Nottingham.[58]
• On 29 January1676/7, Richard Nottingham and Teigue Harman reported to the court that a tree has been felled by Joseph Godwin on Agnes Powell’s land.[59] They submit their report to the court, both signing by mark.[60]
• On 15 May 1677, Michael Rickards, Teigue Harman, Richard Nottingham, and Nicholas Granger were appointed by the court to appraise the estate of William Senior.[61]
• On 2 July 1677, the will of Robert Wiggen was recorded at Northampton court. It gave Richard Nottingham and his wife Elizabeth the right to have their corn ground at his water mill free as long as either of them should live.[62] We have previously discussed a Robert Widgeon who is the grandson of this Robert, who witnessed the 1749 will of William Monk, who married Elizabeth Nottingham, a daughter of Richard Nottingham’s son William.
• On 10 December 1678, Teigue Harman and Richard Watkins filed the nuncupative will of William Evans, and the estate was placed in the hands of Richard Nottingham until it had been disbursed properly. Richard gave security with Teigue Harman and John Kendall.[63]
• On 12 December 1678, Teigue Harman and Richard Watkins testified that on 21 November they had gone to Richard Nottingham’s house, where William Ewin lay on his deathbed, and Ewin then made his nuncupative will.[64] On 9 January 1678/9, Richard Nottingham presented to Northampton court an inventory of the estate of William Ewen.[65]
• On 8 January 1678, Richard Nottingham was appointed along with Henry Mathews, Richard Nottingham Jr., and Teigue Harman to appraise the estate of Nicholas Granger Sr.[66] This is Nicholas (abt. 1627-1678), the son of Nicholas Granger (1610-1651) the immigrant; he appears as Nicholas Sr. in this record because his son Nicholas (abt. 1645-1720) is of age now.
• 1 March 1678, Richard Nottingham’s inventory of William Ewin’s estate was again presented in court and recorded.[67]
• Carolyn L. Harrell states that states that Richard Nottingham was road surveyor for Northampton, and on 29 December 1687, was ordered to clear the way for the road from Horne’s to the bridge at Hungars.[68] Cedric Nottingham notes that election to this post in England at the time was usually done by the church vestry.[69]

My next and final posting about this Richard Nottingham will present a transcription (and digital images) of  his will, dated 29 December 1692 and proven 29 November 1692, with brief commentary about it.

[1] Northampton County, Virginia, Deeds and Wills Bk. 7, p. 61.

[2] Northampton County, Virginia, Orders, Deeds, and Wills Bk. 5, p. 7.

[3] Northampton County, Virginia, Orders and Wills Bk. 13, p. 45. See William R.M. Houston and Jean M. Mihalyka, Colonial Residents of Virginia’s Eastern Shore: Whose Ages Were Proved Before Court Officials of Accomack and Northampton Counties (Baltimore: Genealogical Publ. Co., 1985).

[4] Cedric Nottingham, “The Nottingham Surname: The Virginian Connection” (priv. publ., Eastrea, England, 2003), p. 39.

[5] St. Dunstan in the East is a little over two miles east of St. Clement Danes.

[6] Northampton County, Virginia, Orders, Deeds, and Wills Bk. 3, p. 111.

[7] Northampton County, Virginia, Orders, Deeds, and Wills Bk. 5, p. 61.

[8] See also Robert Patterson Robins, “A Tentative Pedigree of the Littleton Family of Virginia,” New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 41 (1887), p. 367.

[9] See Edward Duffield Neill, Virginia Carolorum: The Colony Under the Rule of Charles the First and Second, A. D. 1625-A, Part 1685 (Albany, NY: J. Munsell’s Sons, 1886), p. 416.

[10] Northampton County, Virginia, Deeds and Wills Bk.11, p. 102. See also MilesFiles, p. 697.

[11]  Northampton County, Virginia, Deeds and Wills Bk.11, p. 71.

[12] Northampton County, Virginia, Deeds and Wills Bk. 7, p. 123.

[13] Ibid., p. 41.

[14] Virginia Patent Book 4, p. 139. See Nell Marion Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666(Baltimore: Genealogical Publ. Co., 1979), p. 357. The surname is apparently spelled “Nuttingham” in this record.

[15] Northampton County, Virginia, Deeds and Wills Bk. 8, p. 27.

[16] Ibid.

[17] See Jennings Cropper Wise, Ye Kingdome of Accawmacke, or, The Eastern Shore of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century (Richmond: Bell, Book, and Stationery Co., 1911), p. 272; William Meade, Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia, vol. 1 (Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1900), p. 257; Thomas T. Upshur, “Eastern-Shore History,” Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 9 (1902), pp. 88-99, esp. p. 97; and Jon Butler, “Thomas Teackle’s 333 Books: A Great Library on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, 1697,” William and Mary Quarterly 49,3 (July 1992), pp. 449-491.

[18] See Rufus M. Jones, The Quakers in the American Colonies (London: Macmillan, 1911), pp. 35, 85-6, 278.

[19] Northampton County, Virginia, Order Bk. 7, pp. 138-9.

[20] Ibid., p. 173.

[21] ibid., pp. 197-8.

[22] Ibid., p. 218.

[23] Northampton County, Virginia, Order Bk. 9, p. 9.

[24] Ibid., p. 8.

[25] Ibid., p. 12.

[26] Ibid., pp. 14-5.

[27] Ibid., pp. 28-9.

[28] ibid., pp. 41-2.

[29] Ibid., pp. 54-5.

[30] Ibid., pp. 114-5.

[31] Ibid., p. 272.

[32] Ibid., p. 22.

[33] Ibid., p. 25.

[34] Ibid., p. 23.

[35] Ibid., p. 55.

[36] Ibid., p. 126a.

[37] See MilesFiles, p. 752, citing James Handley Marshall, Northampton County, Virginia, Abstracts of Wills and Administrations, 1632-1802(Camden, Maine: Picton, 2001), p. 78.

[38] Ralph T. Whitelaw, Virginia’s Eastern Shore, vol. 1 (Richmond: Virginia Hist. Soc., 1951; repr. Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1968), p. 329.

[39] MilesFiles, p. 752.

[40] Ibid., citing Northampton County, Virginia, Abstracts of Wills and Administrations, p. 122.

[41] See Martha W. McCartney, Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary (Baltimore: Genealogical Publ. Co., 2007), p. 286. Ewen’s 1649 will, transcribed at Elroy Christenson’s website, does name a nephew William, son of the older William’s brother Thomas.

[42] Northampton County, Virginia, Order Bk. 9, p. 156.

[43] Ibid., p. 159.

[44] Ibid., p. 161.

[45] Ibid., p. 162a.

[46] Ibid., p. 203.

[47] Ibid., p. 252.

[48] Northampton County, Virginia, Order Bk. 10, pp. 73-5.

[49] Ibid., pp. 148-50, 189-91.

[50] Ibid., p. 37.

[51] Ibid., p. 41.

[52] Ibid., p. 54.

[53] Virginia’s Eastern Shore, p. 333.

[54] Whitelaw shows (p. 318) that William Stone had a patent in 1635 for 1,800 acres, being a large part of what is now called Wilsonia Neck.

[55] Northampton County, Virginia, Order Bk. 10, p. 121.

[56] Ibid., p. 128.

[57] Ibid.

[58] Ibid., p. 138.

[59] Ibid., p. 151.

[60] Ibid., p. 154.

[61] Ibid., p. 159.

[62] Ibid., p. 164.

[63] Ibid., p. 305.

[64] Ibid., p. 305.

[65] Ibid., p. 323.

[66] Ibid., p. 324.

[67] Ibid., p. 335.

[68] Kith and Kin — A Portrait of a Southern Family, 1630-1934 (Macon: Mercer UP, 1984), p. 99.

[69] “The Nottingham Surname: The Virginian Connection,” p. 17.