Allen line: Early Parrish family

I thought I'd be writing about edward Parrish as our earliest documented ancestor in this family, but I'm not sure he belongs to us . Then I thought I'd be writing about John Parrish, who is possibly or maybe probably Edward's son, but you can see the problem.  If John isn't Edward's son, why write about Edward/  And the same problem with John...Is he, or is he not, the father of Humphrey Parrish, who most definitely is our line?  So now that we have doubts in our minds, I'll write just a brief outline of the two possible candidates for our oldest known ancestors, and then we'll learn a little more about Humphrey Parrish. 

Edward was reportedly born in Yorkshire, England about the year 1600 and came to Virginia in 1635on the ship "Hopewell".  He first settled at Elizabeth City where he purchased 200 acres in 1648,but then went to Anne Arundel County, Md, if this is the same Edward Parrish.  In Maryland, he was both a planter and a ship captain in the British Royal Navy, and again, if this is the same Edward Parrish, surveyor general to Lord Baltimore.  He died in Anne Arundel County in April of 1679,

Next is another Edward, born about 1640.  He was married to Clara Judgwyn orJadgwyn.  His birthplace is listed as West River Hundred, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. 

It's possible that the second Edward's son was John Parrish, born 1672 and I have also seen it stated that John was the son of the first Edward mentioned above.  John was born in 1672 at West River Hundred in Anne Arundel County.  Alternately, the John we are seeking was born in 1654 in Anne Arundel County Maryland, the son of the first Edward.  He was married to Elizabeth Belt, the daughter of Humphrey and Margery Cragge Belt. 

It makes sense that this John is the correct one, the son of the first Edward, because he named a son Humphrey, which was not a name previously known in the Parrish family.  Young Humphrey, born in 1680 in Anne Arundel County, somehow and for some reason made his way to Virginia, where he married Mary Walker, daughter of John Walker and Lucy Wood. Since I don't have any documentation for the reasons he left Maryland to go to Virginia,  this part of the story is a little doubtful.  Humphrey may have been a merchant or a sailor, or simply have gone to Virginia on an errand for his family and decided to stay. 

Humphrey and Mary had a son Humphrey born in 1708 in Baltimore, Maryland, or so the story goes.  He may be the one who married Mary Morton.  The younger Humphrey, along with his Mary, had several children, one of whom is Moses Parrish, of whom I have already written (he was a soldier in the French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War, and the Revolutionary War).  This Humphrey, and probably his father and perhaps his ancestors, were small time slave owners. 

So if this chronology is correct, Moses was a fifth generation American, (son of Humphrey, son of Humphrey, son of John, son of Edward).  I'd love to find documents that support this line of descent, or that dispute it.  I've read other sites that give different parents and different years of birth, so this is my best guess at lining the family up.  It could very well be wrong.  but even if it's wrong, it gives a sense of who the Parrish family was; they were early settlers in Virginia and they fought for their country.  We can be proud of them, even if we still don't know a lot about them. 

Allen line: Humphrey Belt, Virginia immigrant 1615-1698

I don't know very much about Humphrey Belt, not even where he was born.  He came to Virginia in 1635, as the indentured servant of William Clarke.  He was reported to be 20 years old when he arrived on the ship "America", when Jamestown Island was still a small colony on the edge of a great big continent.  Somehow, he survived native American wars, the diseases that were so common to the area, and the accidental deaths such as drowning that were all too frequent.  So we can guess that he was of hardy stock. 

It's reported that he married Mary or Margery Cragges in Linhaven Parish, Lower Norfolk, Virginia in 1649. We don't know who she was either. Humphrey Belt, or a different Humphrey Belt, appears as a headright for James Warner, who was his employer when Humphrey finished his indentureship, in 1642.  This may have been a bit of hanky panky, or it may have been two Humphreys, or it may have been that our Humphrey travelled to England and back and circumstances were such that he could be claimed again.   Perhaps he had gone on business for Mr. Warner, and found a bride when he was there. 

Humphrey owned land in Virginia, registered in 1654.  It appears that sometime between 1659 and 1663, the Belt family moved to new land in Maryland.  Perhaps his Virginia land was already depleted from growing tobacco, or perhaps the family left because of their religious beliefs.  We don't know for sure that Humphrey became a Quaker, but his son was quite active in Quaker life and it's not unreasonable to think that Humphrey at least was leaning that way.  This time period is significant because Quakers were being forced out of Virginia in the 1660s.

I've not found a land record for Humphrey in Maryland, but James Warner's land was in Anne Arundel county so it is possible that Humphrey's land was near there. We know that he owned 200 acres in the vicinity of St Mary's City, but that is the extent of our knowledge.

Humphrey died in Maryland in Anne Arundel County in 1698. As far as I can determine, no one has yet found a will for him, nor have they determined what happened to his land.  Humphrey lived through some fascinating times, and it's frustrating that we don't know more of his life.  What military actions did he join in?  Did he fight Indians?  Did he have an occupation other than planter?
What was his religion?  Who were his parents?  Where did he come from?  It will be a happy day when those questions are answered.

The line of descent is:

Humphrey Belt-Margery Cragges
Elizabeth Belt-John Parrish
Humphrey Parrish-Mary Walker
Humphrey Parrish-Mary
Moses Parrish-Mary Hill
Tabath Parrish-James Allen Jr. 
Archibald Allen-Margaret J Dunn
George R Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants

Holbrook line: William Stone, 1603-1660, Immigrant

First, a disclaimer:  I am not 100% confident with this ancestor because our connecting link is not listed as his son in some of the trees I've looked at.  Also, there are few cources to refer to, which makes sense if you consider the turbulent times of frontier Maryland.  But wouldn't someone know for sure who the goernor's children were?  Yes, this man was the third governor of Maryland, and his life is intriguing.  Most of our Maryland ancestors were not men of "consequence", except to their descendants, so it's fun to find this one. 

Well, perhaps "find" is a bit too strong beabeth cause there doesn't seem to be a consensus, or documentation, for exactly when he was born, or for the identification of his parents.  He is likely to have been born in or around the London, England area, however, based on the odds.  Many of the early settlers of Virginia and Maryland were from the London area.  The most common christening date I've seen is October 7,1603 at Twiston, Clitheroe, Lancashire, England.  Doubtless a William Stone was baptized there on that day.  But was it this William Stone?  I need more than this to be reasonably sure of his early years. 

I'm also not sure on whether he had one wife, or two.  A William Stone married Elizabeth Sprigg, probably in England and probably about the year 1625.  The William Stone we are discussing had a wife, Verlinda Cotton, but the approximate wedding date for this couple is 1628-1630.  It's believed our ancestor, Thomas, was born about 1628 so I tend to think, at the moment, that he would be the child of William and Elizabeth.  I honestly don't think anyone knows for sure, at this moment in time.

What we do know is that he was a man of some substance, or consequence.  A daughter married William Calvert, son of Leonard Calvert, first proprietary governor of Maryland, and he would not have married just anyone.  The Stone family were "people of quality". 

William Stone was in Virginia by 1628, and latter went to Maryland.  He had two residences by 1648, one in Charles County and one in St Mary's County.  He served Accomack County, Virginia as justice of the piece for several years, was a vestryman, a shefiff, a burgess, and then governor of Maryland. He was later on the governor's Council, a Provincial court justice, and was also a military captain.  At his death, he owned 3000 acres of land, indicating that he most likely raised tobacco.  Perhaps the thing I like best about him is that he is described as an advocate for religious freedom. 

He probably had 6 children and perhaps more.  He wrote his will on December 3,1659.  It was proved on January 15, 1660, and probated December 21,1660.  His will is said to have mentioned his eldest son, Thomas, his eldest daughter, Elizabeth, and other children.  I have not yet seen a copy of the will myself, and I would love to find a copy on line. 

So this is our ancestor-mysterious, important, protector of religious freedom, and governor of  Maryland.  I need to learn more about him! 

The line of descent is:

William Stone-Elizabeth Sprigg (possibly)
Thomas Stone-Christiana Parrish
Barbara Stone-Dennis Garrett
Johanna Garrett-John Cole
Sarah Cole-Charles Gorsuch
Hannah Gorsuch-Thomas Stansbury
Rachel Stansbury-Alexis Lemmon
Sarah Lemmon-Abraham Hetrick
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants

Allen and Holbrook lines: Actively pursuing, too (AKA brick walls)

My last post was about the people who are still in hiding in the Beeks and Harshbarger lines.  Today I'll write about the folks I'm still looking for in the Allen and Holbrook lines. Some of these people I have already written about, but I'm putting them all in one place for my own benefit as much as for anyone else's.  I do truly hope that someone, somewhere knows something about some of our missing people. Again, these are third and fourth grandparents for my generation.  Without further ado, here are the "Elusive Eight": 

Allen line: 

James Allen apparently dropped out of the sky and landed in Goochland County, Virginia.  We first hear of him in 1755, when his son Richard was born, in St James Northam Parish. We know he was married to Sarah Croudas (various spellings), and we know he died in 1801.  He owned land around Licking Creek Hole, I think (not sure it was the same James Allen.  He and Sarah had nine children: Richard, Martha, James, Mary May, George, William, Sally, Susannah, and Elizabeth.  His will can be found on the Library of Virginia website.  He left everything to his wife, Sarah, and when she died it all went to his children.  Based on the 1755 birthdate of Richard, James could have been born from 1725 to 1735, so I'm guessing about 1730. 

Mary Hill was married on January 20, 1761 to Moses Parrish.  She was probably born around 1742, but I don't know who her parents were. There were three marriages in this time period between Parrishes and Hills, but so far I have not been able to tie them together.  This couple may have lived in Louisa County or in Goochland County, Virginia. There were 6 known children.  Mary is my hero because of the life she had to live while her husband was fighting in the Revolutionary War for at least three years, so I'd like to honor her by learning more about her.

Michael Dunn is pretty much a total mystery. The one known fact about him is that he had a son named Lemuel who died in 1829.  Michael is believed to have fought in the Revolutionary War, and is thought to have been born in Virginia although of Irish ancestry.  He may have lived in the Henry County, Virginia area in the early 1780's. 

John Campbell is supposed to have been born in Pennsylvania in about 1760.  He married Jane Garvin, who was Irish, but I don't know if she was born there.  They had 6 children together.  John died in Madison County, Kentucky in 1806 and Jane died 50 years later, in 1856 in Putnam County, Indiana.  Both John and Jane are on my "missing" list.

In the Holbrook line, I have three missing ancestors.  I've written about two of them previously.

James Lamphire (various spellings) was born in 1773, somewhere in the world.  He married Hannah Eames in 1796 in Bozrah, Connecticut.  They had 6 children together.  James was married to a second wife, Susan Roster, when he died in 1847 in Cazenovia, Madison County, New York. 

Sarah Goodnough (spelled any number of different ways, probably) may have been an ancestor. Or the one I'm looking for may be Lydia M. unknown maiden name.  Both of these ladies were married to Jude Foster, but it's not clear who the mother of his five children were. Maybe it's more specific to say I'm looking for Betsy Foster's mother.  Jude Foster was a Revolutionary War soldier who died less than a month after his pension was finally approved in 1789.  I believe I am looking for people in Rowe or Western, Massachusetts.

And finally and always, there's Molly Wright.  The lady who haunts my dreams was born in 1759, married Amariah Holbrook in 1779, had 7 children, and died in 1845 in Bellingham, Massachusetts.  Of all my missing ancestors, she tugs at my heart and calls to me. 

It would be a happy dance day indeed if someone can help me with any of these people.  It's not likely that I will ever be able to travel to Virginia, or Massachusetts, or Connecticut, to look in person through old records to try to give these people a birth family.  It's also unlikely that I will be able to pay for research help.  I will of course keep looking, learning, and hoping, but a nudge from someone who knows something would certainly be welcome.   

Allen line: Moses Parrish 1742-1800

Moses Parrish was born in 1742 (approximate date) to Humphrey Parrish Jr and Mary Morton Hamilton, in Goochland County, Va. (My tree shows Mary Morton Hamilton as having a really rich Scottish ancestry, but now I am not sure it is proven.  So take that part with a grain of salt.)  There was probably more than one Mary Morton Hamilton in that time frame, and I'm not sure I have the correct one, but let's at least go with the idea that his mother's name was Mary.  Moses was one of seven children.  Their land was around Licking Hole Creek and Little Byrd Creek in Goochland County, Va.

Moses had an eventful life  He served in the French and Indian War, Dunmore's War, and the Revolutionary War.  He must have been loyal but not particularly talented militarily, because he apparently was never promoted above the rank of private.  For his service in Dunmore's War, he was awarded 50 acres of land which he chose to take in "Fincastle County", which was basically the state of Kentucky in later years. It appears that he may have sold that land. As far as we know, he never went west.

His Revolutionary War service is particularly exemplary.  He enlisted in February of 1977 and appears to have served his entire term, except that he was furloughed in the winter of 1777-1778,  Prior to that and after that, he saw hard service, but the months that he was furloughed were the months that the soldiers were undergoing such hardships at Valley Forge.  He is listed as having been at Paramus (N.J.), White Plains (N.Y.), Newark (N.J.), Pumpton Plains and Middlebrook in 1778, after being on the rolls at Valley Forge in May.  He was at Morristown in November of 1779.  It appears that he would have participated in most of the New Jersey battles and perhaps some of those in Pennsylvania, but the White Plains camp was a couple of years after that battle.  None of the records on Fold 3 indicate that he was ever sick or wounded, but there is a good chance that he was sick at one time or another.  Most soldiers were.  It's also reasonable to think that he did not have a good diet, as our soldiers were often hungry and poorly fed.  Can we say "hero"?

I've not found evidence that he re-enlisted in 1780 when his term in the 5th Virginia Regiment of Foot was up, although it's possible that he was still a member of the Virginia militia and continued to fight in skirmishes after he had officially returned home.  In 1785 he was awarded 56-13-3 in Virginia dollars in back pay.  This surely would have been helpful, for it was the equivalent of several months pay as a soldier. 

We don't know very much more about Moses Parrish.  He may have first married Sarah Martin, and then married Mary Hill (date not found).  They had 6 children: Nicholas, William, Tabath (Tabitha), Mathew, Frankie (Francis) and Sukey (probably Susan or Susanna).  Moses died in 1800 and there is apparently a will or estate records for him, as noted on the Library of Virginia website.  I'm unclear as to whether Goochland County has a copy of the records or not.  

We know one other fact about Moses.  His father left him two slaves in his will in 1773, and by 1782 he had three slaves.  Perhaps Moses's will has more to say about that.  It's hard to think that our ancestors "owned" slaves, but with such a small number, they may have been treated more like family than the traditional slave treatment that we "know" about. 

Facts for this post were gathered from Fold 3, Ancestry, the Library of Virginia, and a 1782 tax list. 

Our line of descent is:
Moses Parrish-Mary Hill
Tabath Parrish-James Allen Jr.
Archibald Allen-Margaret J Dunn
George R Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard/Edith/Vernon/Tessora/Corinne Allen
descendants of the Allens named above
 

Allen line: James Allen Sr.

James Allen, whom I have designated as "senior" to distinguish him from his son James Allen, and his grandson James Allen, is pretty much a mystery.

He was born about 1735, (I suspect closer to 1733, perhaps even 1730) according to undocumented internet sources, in Goochland County, Va. I haven't found any records to support either the year or the location, but it's as good a guess as any, so I've tentatively put that information in our tree.  I've found four different sets of parents for James, but no documentation for any of them.  He could be the son of William Allen and Mary Ann Owen, or the son of James Allen and Anne Anderson, or the son  of James Allen and Mary Dennis, or the son of James Allen and Lucy Hobson.  All these families have sons named James, in the approximate area of our James, and born in the correct time frame. 

The first thing we know for sure about James is that he was married sometime before December 14, 1755.  That is the date his first (presumably) son was born as noted in the Douglas Register.  His wife was Sarah Crowdas/Cloudas/Crowder (various spellings!), daughter of George Crowdas and Susannah.  George and Susannah lived on the Little Byrd Creek in Goochland County, and James apparently lived in the same general area.

James and Sarah had several children, all born in Goochland County.  Richard was born December 14, 1755; Elizabeth January 6, 1759; Susannah June 4, 1761; Mary May October 16, 1763; George November 29, 1766; James March 28, 1769; William 1772; Martha January 22, 1775; and Sally April 4, 1777.

There are several James Allen's from Goochland County who served in the Revolutionary War. It is possible that one of them was "ours", but not yet proven.

The next real information we have about James is his death. He died in 1801 in Goochland County, having left everything to his widow, Sarah. She died in 1825 and only then was James's will probated.  The actual process took several years due to dealing with heirs in Kentucky (the heirs of James Jr, who had already died but were given James's share).  The chancery court case is 45 pages long and is found on the Library of Virginia website (www.lva.viringia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=075-1834-026).

The body of the will states "My will is that my wife Sarah do possess and enjoy my whole estate furing her natural life or widowhood and after her death or marriage my desire is that my whole estate to be equally divided amonst my children, to wit: Richard Allen, Mary Glass, George Allen, James Allen, William Allen, and Martha Carroll, to them and their heirs forever."  Elizabeth, Sally, and Susannah are not mentioned in the will. I have not tried to trace them but presumably they had already died when the will was written. It was written on July 6, but I can't make out the year (it's either 1800 or 1801).

I have seen references to James described as "planter" so presumably he owned land at the time of his death.  The inventory of his personal property was fairly substantial, but sadly much of the value was due to his owning 5 slaves, each of whom had a high value. They were named Davy, Buck, Gib, Patty and child, and Charlotte.  The estate value was $1925.10, leaving three hundred and twenty dollars and eight five cents for each of the six legatees. 

That is what is known or guessed about James Allen, our ancestor.  I'd love to connect with other people who are researching this man, to talk about the documentation they have that makes them think one of the couples mentioned above is our family,  

Here's our line:

James Allen-Sarah Croudas
James Allen-Tabitha Parrish
Archibald Allen-Margaret Dunn
George Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen(Vernon, Tessora, Corinne, Edith)-Gladys Holbrook

Beeks, Allen, Holbrook lines: Our "royaltrees"

 Although this blog will focus mainly on our ancestors on this side of the Atlantic, this particular post takes us back to the Tudors, the Plantagenets, the Stuarts, the Capets, and numerous other lines of royalty, mostly in the time period prior to 1550. 

Each family mentioned above has numerous connections to royalty.  That really doesn't mean much to us in terms of living our everyday lives, since our claims to any throne were long ago extinguished by marriages, the end of the line for male descent, or revolution of one sort or another.  Knowing that many of the rulers we study in history books are either ancestors or cousins does make history more interesting, though. 

I'm listing here the "gateway immigrant" for each of the main lines I'm tracing.  Of course, once we are back a few generations from the "gateway immigrant", the lines all interconnect so that we are all cousins to the other lines.  There are more immigrant ancestors through other marriages, but those immigrants would be considered our step grandmothers and grandfathers, so I won't list them here.  Also, many in our royal lines were not faithful spouses, so many of our descents are from children born to mistresses. 

Allen line: Peter Bulkeley, Jane Allen
Holbrook line: Anne Lovelace Gorsuch, Edward Raynesford
Beeks: Edward Fitzrandolph  goes back to William I of Scotland

There are the lines approved by Douglas Richardson (Allen and Holbrook lines) and others who are very learned in this type of genealogy.

There are also lines, either not proven to the experts' satisfaction or not considered royalty. For instance, the Allen and Holbrook lines both include Owain Glendower as an ancestor. He was not technically royalty, but he assumed the role of leader of Wales during the early 1400s.  His story is fascinating.

Then there are the "maybes". In the Allen line, Mary Morton Hamilton is shown as the wife of Humphrey Parrish.  Since none of the experts have approved this line yet, I'm thinking it is suspect, but I've shown it on our tree anyway.  It traces back to James II of Scotland and Maria Guelders, who has a fabulous tree herself.  We also have a lot of people with the same surname in the same place at the same time as proven gateway immigrants, but they are not proven. Nicholas Corbin and Elizabeth Kemp (a married couple) are good examples of this.  They came to Maryland from England in 1671. Corbin lines and the Kemp lines from Virginia/Maryland both are traced back to royalty, but as far as I can find, no one has proof that Nicholas and Elizabeth actually fit into these families.  

So far I have been unable to trace any lines to royalty of any of the Harshbarger lines. If they exist, they would likely go back to German rulers of long, long ago. However, we can be reasonably certain that each of us traces back to Charlemagne, which gives all of us a reason to claim that we are "royal pains". 

Allen: Transcription of will of James Allen

In the name of God I James Allen of the County of Mercer and State of Kentucky being weak in Body but of perfect mind & memory do make this my last will and Testament.  First it is my will and desire that all my Just debts be paid & as regards the residue of Estate with which I am possessed. It is my will and desire that my Executor hereafter named collect such Estate both real and person which belongs to me in Virginia & appropriate so much of the same to the purchase of a piece of land in Kentucky at the selection (X) discretion of my Executor for my wife to live on during her life. It is further my will and desire that the personal properrty I may die possessed of after my debts are satisfied remain in the use of my wife in such manner as my executor may approve of for the support of my wife and Education of my children and after her death the the property be equally divided amongst any children hereafter named, to wit, James Allen Jr, Isaac Allin, Moses Allin, John Allin, William Allin, Archibald Allin & my daughter Eliza Vandaviers Children making her childrens portion should she have any equal to one seventh of my Estate.  I do hereby nominate and appoint my friend Jolly S Parish Executor to this my last will & Testament hereby revoking all former wills by me in any wise made given under my hand this 21st day of March 1820. It is my disire that my Executor give no Security for his Executorship herein.

James Allin (seal)

Teste:

J Robards
Henry Robinson
John Robinson

Mercer County Set (?) April County Court 1820
The foregoing last will and Testament of James Allin Dec was this day produced into Court and proved by the oaths of Henry Robinson & John Robinson two Subscribing (can't read) thereto & ordered to be recorded. Attes: Thomas Allin, C.C.

The appraisal of his personal property was completed and reported to the November Court in Mercer County. His farm related personal property was valued at $343 and household goods at $159. He had several cattle, horses and pigs, various farm tools and implements, and not a lot of household goods. There were 6 chairs, which means the family must have eaten in shifts. There was a looking glass for the use of his wife, presumably, valued at $4.50. The most highly valued items were his horses, saddles and saddle bags, and a rifle with shot bag and powder horn, indicating he probably hunted to supplement the farm income.  There were no books listed, which makes it the more remarkable that he wanted his children to be educated.

James Allen was the father of Archibald Allen who was the father of George R Allen who was the father of Edward F Allen who was the father of Richard, Edith, Corinne, Tessora, and Vernon Allen.  The reference to property in Virginia was land from his father, James Allen, that was in the possession of James Senior's wife (Sarah Crowdas) until she died. That estate wasn't settled until 1829, per records in the possession of the Library of Virginia.  The James Allen who wrote this will was married to Tabath or Tabitha Parrish, and Jolly Parish who was the Executor was some sort of cousin to her. 

Typing this will out pointed out one thing to me that I hadn't noticed before. Most of the spellings of Allen in the will are Allin. I don't know whether that is because the Clerk of the Court spelled his name Allin, or whether they truly were more Allin than Allen at this time period.  There is a whole list found on Ancestry of James Allen(s) from Kentucky who were involved in the war of 1812. I have so far not been able to verify whether any of them are ours. James was  born March 28, 1769 so he would have been under 45, the general cut off for service.  He died shortly before April 4, 1820, so would have been just 51 at the time of death.  I haven't found death records for Tabath yet, but she was alive in the 1830 census and living in the Shaker Heights census district, Mercer County, Ky.

I must thank my cousin, Mary Ellen, who obtained this will and inventory for me. I had visited "The Vault" in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, but I didn't copy what I thought I'd copied, and I was very pleased that she was able to get the "right stuff" for me, to share with you.