Holbrook line: Nicholas Haile, Immigrant

I don't know if I've ever written about an ancestor who had so many purported fathers.  I'd love to agree with the family historians who say his father was George Haile, that George was the immigrant, and that Nicholas was in fact born in 1628 in Elizabeth City, Virginia.  George arrived in Virginia in 1620 on the "Supply" and was a drummer.  Or maybe his father was also Nicholas, and maybe our Nicholas didn't arrive at Elizabeth City until 1645.  Possibly, just possibly, his father was Thomas Haile, with no speculation at all as to how Nicholas arrived in Virginia, or when.  So take your pick, I guess.  If I were working on a hunch, and putting out money to research one or another, I'd start with George,but that is certainly not saying George has been proven.  George needs to be proved or disproved.  Even if he is not Nicholas's father, he may provide a clue, as someone else in that family may be the father. 

So what we know of Nicholas starts in Elizabeth City, Virginia.  He has records in both Lancaster and York counties,starting from May 1654, including land on the Corrotoman River. Nicholas was able to purchase several large parcels of land and also was granted head rights in May of 1666 and again in 1669, meaning he earned land because he paid for the passage of several people from England to Virginia.  Some of these people would likely have also become his indentured servants, for they were expected to repay whomever paid for their passage.  The dates that he acquired new land indicate that his main crop may have been tobacco, because that crop depleted soils quickly and new land was always needed. 

I have seen one reference that he was a burgess, but this honor belongs to Nicholas Hill, who doesn't seem to have any connection to this family  Our Nicholas owned enough land to be respectable,(and probably also owned slaves) but he doesn't seem to have had a high enough social status to be chosen as burgess.

Nicholas married Mary, who was evidently not the daughter of Raleigh Travers, although many trees have her listed as his daughter.  They had at least three children together, George, Mary and Nicholas, who were all listed in his will.  Nicholas died September 8, 1669 and Mary, his widow, died in 1672.  (It has been suggested that Mary's maiden name was Pollard, but I don't know if there is any documentation to support that idea.  The Hailes did have transactions with the Pollard family, but that isn't conclusive proof.)

If Nicholas was born in 1628, he lived a short life.  Virginia at that time was not an easy place to live.  It was hard work to clear land, supervise plantings, help with early crops, and take care of the livestock.  In addition, there was the threat of native uprisings, and diseases (unspecified fevers, malaria, tuberculosis, for starters) were a huge problem. But Nicholas lived long enough to give his children a good start in life, and to help the colony get better established.  Hats off to Nicholas Haile!

The line of descent is

Nicholas Haile-Mary possibly Pollard
Mary Haile-Charles Merryman
John Merryman-Maartha Bowen
Martha Merryman-Alexis Lemmon
Alexis Lemmon-Rachel Stansbury
Sarah Lemmon-Abraham Hetrick
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants