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Colonial Records of Virginia · Various — chapter 25 of 36 · ~1,216 words · public domain

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OF THE

LIVINGE & THE DEAD IN VIRGINIA

February 16, 1623.

EDITORS' NOTE.

The paper from which this document is printed is to be found in the first volume of the McDonald papers. It is such a census of the inhabitants of the colony as the historical student would like to see made out at several other periods of our colonial history. We can find no legal enactment requiring such a census to be taken, and no order to that effect, save in the Instructions to Governor Wyatt, dated 24th July, 1621, where, among other things, he is directed "To make a catalogue of the people in every plantation, and their conditions; and of deaths, marriages and christenings."--Hening, Vol. I., p. 115.

The entries are as brief as possible, no middle names are given, and foreigners are entered according to nationality, or not more than one name allowed them. Not the least curious is the small number of negroes. Rolfe states, "About the last of August (1619) came in a Dutch man of warre that sold us twenty Negors" (Smith, p. 126), and nearly five years after, when this census was taken, there were but twenty-two in the Colony.

STATE PAPER OFFICE. } COLONIAL. } Volume 3, No. 2. }

LISTS OF THE LIVINGE & DEAD IN VIRGINIA

Feb. 16th, 1623.

A LIST OF THE LIVINGE.

At the Colledg Land.

Thomas Marlett, Christopher Branch, Francis Boot, William Browning, Walter Cooper, William Welder, Leonard More, Daniell Shurley, Peeter Jorden, Nicholas Perse, William Dalbie, Isaias Rawton, Theoder Moises, Robert Champer, Thomas Jones, David Williams, William Walker, Edward Hobson, Thomas Hobson, John Day, William Cooksey, Robert Farnell, Nicholas Chapman, Mathew Edlow, William Price, Gabriell Holland, John Wattson, Ebedmeleck Gastrell, Thomas Osborne. 29

The Colledge Land.--In "1619 Sir Edwin Sandys moved and obtained that ten thousand acres of land should be laid off for the University at Henrico, a place formerly resolved on for that purpose. This was intended as well for the colledge for the education of the Indians as also to lay the foundation of a seminary of learning for the English."--Stith, London ed., p. 163.

"On the northerly side of James river, from the falls down to Henrico, containing ten miles in length, are the public lands reserved and laid out, whereof ten thousand are for the University lands, three thousand are for the company's lands, with other lands belonging to the College."--MS. in the McDonald paper, entitled "Particulars of Land in Virginia," which was made out in 1625 or '6, the communication of the Governor in which he informs their lordships that he sends it, being dated May 17, 1626. McDonald papers, Vol. I., pp. 295-307.

At the first meeting of the Burgesses (1619) the College had no representative, but at the meeting held Oct. 16, 1629, the Burgesses "For the plantations at the Colledge were Leftn't Thomas Osborne and Mathew Edlowe," whose names are in the text. See Hening, Vol. I., p. 138.

Att the Neak of Land.

Luke Boys, Mrs. Boys, Robert Halam, Joseph Royall, John Dods, Mrs. Dods, Elizabeth Perkinson, William Vincent, Mrs. Vincent, Allexander Bradwaye, his wife Bradwaye, John Price, his wife Price, Robert Turner, Nathaniell Reeve, Serjeant William Sharp, Mrs. Sharp, Richard Rawse, Thomas Sheppy, William Clemens, Ann Woodley, Thomas Harris, his wife Harris, Margaret Berman, Thomas Farmer, Hugh Hilton, Richard Taylor, uxor Taylor, Joshua Chard, Christopher Browne, Thomas Oage, uxor Oage, infant Oage, Henry Coltman, Hugh Price, uxor Price, infant Price, Mrs. Coltman, Robert Greene, uxor Greene, infant Greene.

Neak of Land.--"There is another division of the country into necks of land, which are the boundaries of the Escheators, viz: the Northern Neck, between the Patowmeck and Rappahannock rivers.

"The neck between Rappahannock and York rivers, within which Pamunkey Neck is included.

"The neck between York and James rivers," &c., &c.--Beverly, Book IV., chap. ii.

This list being made up at James city this neck might be the one nearest to that place, and therefore the last one named by Beverly would be the one referred to; but inasmuch as in this MS. list it follows immediately after the College land, and in the list of Burgesses for 1629, occupies the same position, it is not improbable that it refers to the peninsula opposite Henrico, known on all the maps of the State as Farrar's island, and which has been made an island in reality by the completion of the canal begun by the United States army during the late civil war and afterwards finished by the engineer department of the same, under the direction of Col. W.P. Craighill. Hening reports Serit Sharpe a Burgess for this place in 1629, and Serjeant William Sharp is named in the text as living there in 1626.

Att West & Sherlow Hundred.

John Harris, Dorothe Harris, Infants { Harris, { Harris, Thomas Floyd, Ellias Longe, William Nichollas, Roger Ratcliffe, 78 Robert Milver, Robert Parttin, Margaret Parttin, infantes { Parttin, { Parttin, Henry Benson, Nicholas Blackman, Nathanell Tattam, Mathew Gloster, Symon Surgis, Nicholas Baley, Ann Bayley, Eliner Phillips, Thomas Paulett, Thomas Baugh, Thomas Packer, Jonas Bayley, John Trussell, Christopher Beane, John Cartter, Henry Bagwell, Thomas Bagwell, Edward Gardiner, Richard Biggs, Richard Biggs, William Biggs, } Thomas Biggs, } Sons Richard Biggs, } William Askew, Henry Carman, Andrew Dudley, James Gay, Anthony Burrows, Rebecca Rosse, sons { Rosse, { Rosse, Petters, a maid.

West & Sherlow Hundred.--Sir Thomas Dale annexed to New Bermuda "many miles of champion and wood land ground in several hundreds, by the names of Nether Hundred, Shirley Hundred," &c.--Stith, p. 124-'5; Smith, General Historie, 1627, p. 111. Hening names Burgesses (1629) from Shirley Hundred island and Shirley Hundred maine, and among the latter is the name of John Harris, which appears in the text.--Heming Vol. I., p. 138.

The name of Shirley appears on the Fry and Jefferson map only at the place where the same is now located, opposite Bermuda Hundred, and well known as the residence of Hill Carter, Esq. A short distance below is an island not named on that map, but on modern maps as Eppes island, which we may presume was Shirley island. We do not find the name of West in the connection except in a paper entitled John Rolfe's relation to the State of Virginia, written in 1616, in which we learn that West and Shirley Hundred was about thirty-seven miles above James citie, which corresponds with the location above named. See Virginia Historical Register, Vol. I., p. 110.

Att Jordan's Jorney.

Siselye Jordan, Temperance Bayliffe, Mary Jordan, Margery Jordan, William Farrar, Thomas Williams, Roger Preston, Thomas Brookes, John Peede, John Freme, Richard Johnson, William Dawson, John Hely, Robert Mannell, Ann Linkon, William Besse, Mrs. Besse, Christopher Saford, uxor Saford, John Caminge, Thomas Palmer, Mrs. Palmer, fil Palmer, Richard English, Nathaniel Causey, Mrs. Causey, Lawrence Evans, Edward Clarke, uxor Clarke, infant Clarke, John Gibbs, John Davies, 147 William Emerson, Henry Williams, uxor Williams, Henry Fisher, uxor Fisher, infant Fisher, Thomas Chapman, uxor Chapman, infant Chapman, Edith Hollis,

Jordan's Jorney.--Hening reports William Popkton as Burgess for this place. I do not find it on Fry and Jefferson's map, but Jordan's Point is there, and this is situated a short distance below City Point and is well known by the same name at the present time.

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