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Stevens Family Page


Welcome to The Stevens Family Page, which furnishes historical detail beyond the site index, exploring four generations of Stevens in the line of Jonathan Stevens of Dorchester County, Maryland, as well as the Hunt family which extends back five more generations to the royal line of King Henry VIII of England.
 

6. Elizabeth Stevens --Elizabeth was the mother of Robert Arthur Bland, wife of Thomas Bland and second wife of John Rumbold Willis. She married Thomas Bland before 1836 and John Willis in 1853. Elizabeth was born between 1810 and 1813 in Caroline Co. MD.--the 1850 MD census indicates she was born in 1810. Elizabeth and Thomas had three children before Thomas' death in the late 1840s: Mary Jane, Lizzie, and Arthur. We know from the testimony of Arthur's son, Nelson Blann, that after Thomas' death, his son Arthur was bound out as a laborer with a series of families, one which made him work and sleep in the barn, eating leftovers, until he ran away. Arthur Bland's family was broken up as result of his father's untimely death and possible outstanding debts, and only Lizzie was able to stay with her mother. The 1850 census shows "Elizabeth Bland" living with John Willis, daughter Lizzie and John's son, Thomas Willis, while her daughter, Mary Jane, is boarding with John Willis' sister, Susan, and her husband, William Turner.  On the 1860 Caroline Co. MD census she is listed as "Elizabeth Willis" (age 47-born 1813) in the household of 39 year old John R. Willis. While the handwriting on the surname in 1860 resembles "Mills" it is almost certainly "Willis" because the household includes 47 year old Elizabeth (Arthur's mother, born in ca. 1813), Elizabeth ("Lizzie"-age 15) and Thomas (age 16), Mary ("Mollie"-age 7), and son, Arthur (Bland-age 21-farmer). Also in the household is William Flemming (age 33-farm hand). By 1860, Mary Jane Bland had married William McCracken, per the census.

    (Note: There is another Elizabeth Willis (1813-1864; daughter of John and Mary Rowan) of the same age in Caroline Co. in the 1860 census with an older husband named John Fisk Willis,b. a.1809, and a daughter named Molly, b. 1856. Per a photo of her tombstone on Find-a grave, this Elizabeth was born in 1813 and died Sept 10, 1864 in Caroline Co., MD, but she is a different individual from my ancestor, Elizabeth Stevens Bland Willis. Yet another Elizabeth Willis appears in Easton, Talbot Co. MD in the 1860 census. She is born ca. 1822 and is the wife of  Lewis Willis, b. 1826). The 1870 Talbot Co. MD census shows John Willis with wife Elizabeth (age 57, ie. born in 1813) and this appears to be my ancestor, Elizabeth Stevens Willis. In their household is a female (age 5) named Roxanne (Rosanne) and a 16 year old daughter named Mary T. (also known as"Mollie") who married Joseph Griffin. Roxanne (or Rosanna) was born in 1864. The number of DNA matches to Roxanne suggests that Elizabeth may have been her mother, giving birth at around age 51-54. While a birth at such an advanced age is unusual, another Easton researcher assured me it could happen, as she had an ancestor in the area who gave birth at age 57. My strong DNA matches to a number of descendants of Roxanne suggest that either Elizabeth gave birth to Roxanne at the age of 51-55, or the DNA matches to Roxanne are coming from her father's side, from her grandmother, Bethany Britannia Gootee Willis, who is the sister of my direct ancestor, Abel Gootee through a separate line.

    My grandmother Anna Blann, who kept records of this family, cited three siblings of Arthur Bland: Mary Jane Bland (1836-1880) who married William McCraken,  Elizabeth Ann (Lizzie) Bland (ca.1846-April 12, 1912) who married Dave Evans, and Mollie, who married Joseph Griffin (1842-1904). Mary T. "Mollie" Griffin was born in Aug. 1853 (per the 1900 census), had three children and died in 1916. Given Lizzie's birth in 1846 and Elizabeth's appearance in the household of John Willis in the 1850 census, it is evident that Thomas Bland died between 1846 and 1850, since he does not appear on the 1850 census. Thus John, rather than Thomas, is the father of Mollie, who was born in 1853.

 

     Caroline County marriage records show that John Willis married Celia Sparklin on Dec.26,1843. Celia, who appears to have died prior to 1849, was the mother of John Willis' first child, Thomas Foster Willis (1844-1900). Caroline County marriage records next show John Willis marrying Mary Todd on Sept. 11, 1849 (Maryland, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1667-1899). The 1859 will of John Willis' father, Joseph Willis (1790-1860) provides the middle name of his granddaughter, Mollie T. Willis, as Todd (apparently named for Mary Todd or her family.) However the evidence suggests that Mary Todd was not Molly's mother but rather Elizabeth, as John Willis and Elizabeth Stevens Bland were married on April 4, 1853 and Mollie was born in Aug.10, 1853. (Note: There is a Mary E. Todd who died unmarried  in 1851 at age 20 in Frederick Co. MD but this is not John Willis' wife, Mary Todd.) Given the four months time span between these events, Elizabeth must have been about 5 months pregnant when they wed. Elizabeth would have been residing in the household as domestic help or a dependent relative from the time she became a widow (ca.1849) until 1853-- DNA suggests that John and Elizabeth might have been loosely related--John Willis' sister, Susan Willis, and her husband, William Turner (likely Elizabeth's nephew) took in one of Elizabeth's daughters, Mary Jane, after the death of her fist husband, Thomas Bland.
    The 1850 census shows 29 year old John R. Willis with 40 year old Elizabeth in his household with two children: John's son, Thomas (age 5), and Elizabeth's daughter, Elizabeth A. (Lizzie-age 6). Also in the line above John Willis on the 1850 census is an 11 year old named Arthur (Bland?), living with the family of William Neighbors. Robert Arthur Bland was reunited with his mother and sister Lizzie per the 1860 Caroline County census, living in John Willis' household. The 1870 Caroline Co. census lists the household of John Willis (age 49) with Elizabeth Willis (age 57) and two females, Mary "Mollie" (age 16) and Roxanne (age 5).
The 1880 Caroline Co. MD census shows John Willis with presumably his third wife, Ellen, 15 year old Roxanne, and 10 year old Ida Moore (Ellen's child?) indicating that Elizabeth was likely deceased by 1880. Elizabeth's date of death is given as March 25, 1878 on the Geneanet website. While I haven't found any original record which confirms this, it tallies with the absence of Elizabeth from the 1880 census. The parents of Elizabeth Stevens are not known with certainty, however autosomal DNA evidence indicates that her parents were likely William Stevens and Letta Gootee of Caroline Co. MD.

 


7. William Stevens (Feb.13,1777-July 12, 1824), the likely father of Elizabeth Stevens, was one of six children of Azel Stevens Sr. (1747-1824). I have 40 DNA matches to William's line, 30 with verified descendency through their trees and 5 of them with a value of 20 or more cMs--strongly suggesting that William is Elizabeth's father. (At the bottom of the page we examine two other weaker candidates for Elizabeth's parents.) Quaker records list the Talbot Co. MD birth of William Stevens on Feb.13, 1777 to Azel and Rebekah Stevens (U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935). William married Letta (Violetta) Gootee (1780-after 1824) on Jan.7, 1803 in Caroline Co. MD. (Caroline County, Maryland Marriages, 1774-1815). Letta's parents were John Gootee and Elizabeth Pritchett, who are also parents of my ancestor, Abel Gootee.
  William and Letta Stevens had 8 known children: Rebecca (1804-1853), William A. (1806-1850), Gootee (1808-1891), Sarah (1812-1874), Violetta (1814-1824), Elhanan (1816-1902), Sena B. (1819-1860), and James A. Baynard Stevens (1821-1880). The 1810 Caroline Co. census includes 1 female under 10 (Rebecca, b.1804) in William's household.   The 1820 Caroline Co. census shows William's household with 1 male & female over age 45 (probably William's parents, Azel Sr. & Rebecca, who lived until 1824 but who do not show up elsewhere in the 1820 census), 1 male & female 26-44 (William & Letta), 2 males under 10 (Elhanan & Sena), 3 males 10-15 (William Jr., Gootee & unknown), 2 males 16-25 ( boarders or relatives?), 2 females under 10 (Sarah & Violetta), 2 females age 10-15 (includes Elizabeth?), and 3 other females between age 15-44, 2 of whom are too old to be children of the 1803 marriage. As Rebecca was born ca. 1804, she might be listed as a female age 10-15 or age 15-26. The 1810 census was enumerated on Aug 6, 1810. If Elizabeth was born after Aug. 7, 1810, it would explain why she doesn't show up as 0-10 in 1810 but appears in the 1820 census as a daughter between age 10-15, who is unidentified. If Elizabeth is their daughter, this would account for the 40 DNA matches to Elizabeth through William's line. Also there is a 4 year gap between the 1808 birth of Gootee and the 1812 birth of Sarah, so an 1810 birth of Elizabeth would fit well in this gap. Since William and Letta died  before 1830 their female children cannot easily be tracked further in the 1830 census, as they are probably staying with relatives. Probate records from Aug.3, 1824 show "Vility Stevens" (Violetta), widow of William Stevens, deceased, relinquishing administrative rights for her late husband's affairs to James Langdon. (Caroline. Probate Records 1813–1851 on FamilySearch) William died on July 12, 1824, one month prior to his parents' demise.


8. Azel Stevens Sr.--the father of William Stevens was born ca. 1747 in Caroline Co., MD and died Dec. 10, 1824. Azel's parents were Jonathan Stevens and Anoday Adria Benthall. Around 1771, Azel married Rebekah Townsend (1755-after 1824), who is thought to be the daughter of Thomas (ca. 1730-1808) and Elizabeth Townsend of Talbot Co. MD, and the sister of Thomas Townsend Jr. (1757-after 1810). (The documents I have seen only give Rebekah's first name.) Azel  appears in the 1778 Fidelity Oath and census of Caroline Co. MD, as well as the 1790-1810 censuses, with his family. Azel and Rebekah don't appear as heads of household in 1820 but are likely the male and female over 45 years old  in the household of their son, William, in the 1820 Caroline Co. census.
     Azel and Rebecca Stevens were members of the Nicholite sect, founded by Joseph Nichols (d.1770) and often referred to as "New Quakers" because of their common beliefs with Quakers. They called each other "friends", were pacifist, looked to the light within for guidance, were clergyless, lived simple and austere lives, forbade marrying outside the faith, and considered education largely evil and to be avoided. William's birth record in 1777 is listed in the Nicholite records along with his brother, Robinson. Azel and Rebekah had 6 known children: Robinson (1773-1820), Sarah Collison (1775-1835), Daniel (1775-1813), William (1777-1824), Azel Jr. (1780-1824), and Mary Gootee (1790-1863). Mary was first married to Zachariah Gootee (brother of Abel Gootee and William Stevens' wife, Letta Gootee--all three children of John & Elizabeth Gootee) and she secondly married Daniel Chaffinch. Abel Gootee and his wife were the grandparents of William Turner (Elizabeth Stevens Bland's nephew), who married Susan Willis (sister of Elizabeth's second husband, John R. Willis). William and Susan Turner were the relatives of Elizabeth who took in her daughter, Mary Jane Bland, after Thomas Bland's early death.
  Azel wrote his will on Aug, 12, 1824 and it was probated on Oct. 12, 1824. (Dorchester. Probate Records 1803, 1825 Caroline. Probate Records 1803, 1825) He gave his wife, Rebekah, executor power and mentions his sons, William and Azel Jr., and daughter, Mary Chaffinch, as well as a number of his grandchildren. His widow, Rebekah, died not long after her husband, also writing her will in August of 1824 soon after their son, William, died on July 12, 1824.
    

9.
Jonathan Stevens -- the father of Azel Stevens Sr., Jonathan Stevens was born Feb.17, 1705 in Abingdon Parish, Gloucester, Virginia and died in 1767 in Dorchester Co., MD. Around 1730, Jonathan married Anoday Arida Benthall (b.1701 in Northampton, VA; d.1767 probably in Dorchester Co., MD), who was the daughter of Daniel Benthall and Frances Hunt of  Northampton Co., Virginia. (see below for more on the Hunt line which purports to trace back to King Henry VIII of England). Jonathan and Arida had at least five children: William (ca.1733-1790), John (ca. 1733-1793), James (b.1737), Sarah (b.1742) and Azel Sr. (1747-1824). The parents of Jonathan are thought to be James Stevens (born April 1, 1677 in Abingdon, Gloucester, VA and died Oct.15, 1748 in Caroline Co.,Virginia) and Sarah Smetheram (1678-1710). The Abingdon Parish Register of 1677 shows that John and Mary Stevens had a son named James who was baptized April 2, 1677, which seems to confirm James' parents, but more evidence is needed to confirm James and Sarah as the parents of Jonathan Stevens. Nothing certain is known about the line beyond this.

Possible alternative parents of Elizabeth Stevens Bland:  Using DNA evidence in the absence of any clear documentary proof, I have identified three possible sets of parents for Elizabeth, discussed  below, who are all closely related members of the Stevens families of Caroline Co. MD. However, I would add the caviat that, given the evidence, the two alternative parents discussed below appear to be far less likely candidates than William and Letta Stevens and have less DNA matches than the line of William Stevens and his father, Azel Stevens Sr..
      1.  There is some DNA evidence to suggest that the father of
Elizabeth might be John Stevens, who was born ca.1785-88 in Caroline Co.MD., and was one of four children of Jonathan Stevens and Frances Hignutt.  I have a number of DNA matches to this Stevens line, including three of John's sisters as well as matches to his wife's side. John Stevens married Elizabeth Willis of Caroline Co. MD (ca. 1790-after 1850) on March 1, 1805, according to Caroline Co. marriage records (Caroline County, Maryland Marriages, 1774-1815, p.20). The following children are documented as children of a couple named "John and Elizabeth Stevens": William Whitely Stevens (1826 or 1829-1901), Sarah A. (1828-1910), 
John Wesley (1829-1916), Willis C. (1839-1896), Elijah W. (1840-1915), and Celia (1842-1921). However, these are likely the children of  "John and Elizabeth Stevens" of nearby Delaware: John Stephens (1794-after 1850) and Elizabeth Williamson (b. ca.1800) who married in 1826. This John Stephens (Stevens) appears on the 1850 Queen Anne's Co. MD census with several different Stephens children in his household (the younger children now grown and no longer in the household).
     John Stevens and Elizabeth Willis do not appear on Maryland census after 1820. (There are several John Stevens listed on the census in 1820-1830 but none fit our couple's ages and profile.) There is an 1830 Talbot Co. MD census record for a widow named Elizabeth Stevens, age 50-59, with a female, age 15-17, who might be Elizabeth Willis Stevens and her daughter Elizabeth (who was about 17-20 in 1830 and not yet married) however, Elizabeth Willis was born in 1790 and would only be 40 in 1830, so either the census taker recorded her age wrong (a common occurrence) or this is not Elizabeth Willis Stevens.  We know that Elizabeth Willis Stevens outlived John Stevens and after his passing she applied for a veteran's pension for her husband's military service in Capt. Andrew Porter's MD unit in the War of 1812 (but since the request is not dated we don't have documented when he died).

     While there is no will extant for either John or Elizabeth Stevens, the census provides indirect evidence that Elizabeth could be their daughter. The 1810 census shows a John Stevens and wife, both age 16-25, with 3 females under 10, whose identity is unknown. (This is the only John Stevens and wife in Caroline and surrounding counties of the right age to be them in 1810). The 1850 census indicates that Elizabeth Stevens was born about 1810, so it is possible that she appears in the census as a newborn in 1810. The 1820 Caroline Co. MD census shows John Stevens and his wife (the only John Stevens and wife in Caroline and surrounding counties of the right age to be them in 1820) with a female child age 1-10 years old when Elizabeth was about 7-10 years old. This might be Elizabeth, however the household is filled with other older males, a few slaves, and no other young females who would correspond to the 3 females under 10 in the 1810 census listing of John Stevens.

     Unfortunately, the 1810-1830 censuses of Caroline and surrounding counties offer only meager support for the residence of this couple with a daughter born ca. 1810. Furthermore, I have found no birth records for any children of John and Elizabeth Stevens following their 1805 marriage in Caroline Co., MD so DNA matches to this branch of the Stevens family remains the primary evidence suggesting this connection and further documentary evidence is needed.
    
Elizabeth Willis Stevens' parents were Richard Willis (born Aug.8, 1759 in Dorchester Co. MD and died Feb.14,1823 in Caroline Co. MD.) and Bethany Britannia Gootee (born in 1763 in Dorchester Co. MD and died Jan.3, 1826 in New Castle, Delaware). Bethany's parents were John Gootee and Elizabeth Pritchett (who are also ancestors in my Turner-Gootee line). Also, one of Bethany's grandchildren, Susan Willis (daughter of Bethany's daughter, Dorcas Willis), married William Turner. They are the family that took in Elizabeth Bland's daughter, Mary Jane, after Thomas Bland's death and are probably her relatives. Nevertheless, the Turner marriage adds endogamy that could account for most or all of my DNA matches on the Willis side.
 
    The father of Jonathan Stevens is documented as William Stevens, who was born on June 30, 1725 in Talbot Co., Maryland (per Maryland Birth & Christenings, 1650-1995) and died in 1790 in Caroline Co., Maryland. The St. Peter's Talbot co. MD parish records of William's birth lists his parents as William Stevens (Sr.) and Julianah. The Sept. 23, 1724 Talbot Co. MD marriage records for William Stevens Sr. and Juliana show that her name was Juliana Thomas. (see below for further details on the Thomas lineage.) However, as there were a number of individuals in the area named William Stevens, we cannot be certain that the William, son of William and Juliana Stevens, who is listed in the 1725 St. Peter's Talbot co. MD parish records is Jonathan's grandfather. Some Ancestry.com trees (without adequate supporting evidence) offer a different set of parents for William Stevens Jr, listing his parents as Jonathan Stevens and Anoday Adria Benthall. This couple married in 1730 and had at least three children: William (ca,1733-1790), John (ca. 1733-1793) and Azel Sr. (1747-1824). If this descendency is correct it would mean that Azel and Jonathan were brothers.

     Mary Poole (1733-1795) was the wife of William Stevens (Jr.). One online report states that they were married in Spotsylvania, VA in 1763 and while I haven't been able to locate this marriage record, the location makes sense because Mary was born and raised in Spotsylvania where her parents lived. Mary's parents,  George Poole (1704-Feb.29, 1743) and Elizabeth Rogers (1711-1799), married in Spotsylvania, VA in 1728. George Poole left a will, probated in 1744, in which he identifies his wife as Elizabeth, names two sons, Micajah and Thomas, several grandchildren and six daughters: Ann, Milley, Joanna, Sarah, Elizabeth and "Mary, wife of William Stevens." Elizabeth Rogers Poole wrote her will in Spotsylvania in Dec.1798 and it was probated the following year. William (Jr,) and Mary Stevens' seven known children, as recorded in Easton, MD handwritten birth records (Maryland Birth & Christenings; 1650-1995), were: Ann (b.1765), Jonathan (1768-1790), James (b.1770), Sarah (1773-1850), Mary (1775-1811), Rachel (1778-1853), and Rhoda (1784-1863). I have DNA matches to three of these sisters of Jonathan, including a 21 cM match to Rhoda Stevens.
  The parents of William Stevens Sr. are thought to be John Stevens (1684-1742) and Elizabeth Allcock
(b.1687). Quaker meeting notes from July 1709 record the couple's intention to marry which was made before the congregation at the Tuccaho Meeting House in Talbot Co. MD. I have not found a will or other records which name William as their son, so he must be considered the end of the known Stevens line.

 

    2. The second possible father of Elizabeth Stevens Bland is John Stevens' father, Jonathan Stevens, who was born March 21, 1768 in Talbot, Maryland and died in ca. 1829 in Caroline Co., MD. The date of Jonathan's birth and the names of his parents are given in the U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935.) He married Frances Hignutt (ca. 1770-1829) on Sept.12, 1789 in Caroline Co., MD. Their known children were: Noah (1790–1850),  John (ca.1785-after 1850) who married Elizabeth Willis,  Mary Ann (1807–1873), and Sarah "Sally" (1808–1866). Quaker meeting records show that both Jonathan and his parents were Quakers. Jonathan's 1768 birth records from Easton, MD, show the names of his parents as William and Mary Stevens (Maryland Birth & Christenings, 1650-1995). We know that his mother was Mary Poole because the 1743 will of Mary's father, George Poole, mentions his daughter, "Mary, the wife of William Stevens."
     If Jonathan and Frances Stevens were Elizabeth's parents, Elizabeth would be their youngest child, born 2-5 years after Sarah (b.1808) when Frances was around age 40. If Elizabeth
was born in 1813 then she does does not match the 1810-20 census profiles for Jonathan Stevens of Caroline Co. MD. However, if Elizabeth was born in 1810 and appears as a newborn in the census taken on Aug.6, 1810, then she does match their profile. In the 1810 census, Jonathan's household shows 3 females under 10, and Jonathan has only two known daughters under 10 (Mary Ann and Sarah), so Elizabeth could be the third female of that age. However, in the 1820 census, there are only 2 young females, age 10-15, which leaves open the question of what happened to the third female (possibilities: the 3rd female died, she was still alive but wasn't counted in the census, or was  staying with a relative). Jonathan does not appear in the 1830 Maryland census, although the household of his daughter, Mary Ann, who married Joseph Richardson (b.1802) shows an older male, age 60-69, who could be the widower Jonathan staying with them. Otherwise the evidence would suggest that both Jonathan and Frances Stevens died before 1830.

     The parents of Jonathan's wife, Frances Hignutt, are thought to be Daniel R. Hignutt (born ca.1745 in Caroline Co., Maryland and died there in 1808) and Sarah Dawson (ca.1750-1809). Daniel Hignutt left an 1808 will which names his wife Sarah and names two daughters: Nancy Morris and Sarah Peters, but does not name Francis. However, I have 5 DNA matches to Daniel Hignutt (three matches through his son, Emanuel Hignutt and another through Mary Ann Richardson). Daniel's father was James Hignutt (1707-1768) of Caroline Co. MD, whose 1768 will names Daniel as one of his three sons, but doesn't mention his wife (which implies that she might already be deceased). James' wife (Daniel's mother) is listed on most Ancestry.com trees as Mary Elizabeth Morgan (1707-1771), but as there is no marriage record or other clear evidence to support this, Daniel's mother's identity remains uncertain.

    The chart below shows the relationship between these three potential Stevens parents, and their frequent intermarriages between the Stevens, Gootee, Turner and Willis families in Caroline Co.MD:

HUNT:

10. Francis Hunt-  the mother of Anoday Arida Benthall (b.1701 in Northampton, VA; d.1767 probably in Dorchester Co., MD), who  married Jonathan Stevens around 1730. Before 1700 Francis married Daniel Benthall  of  Northampton Co., Virginia, the son of Joseph Benthall (1640-1712) and Mary Reade (1645-1713). Joseph Benthall is named as the father of Daniel and his sister, Ann Clark, in Ann's will of 1703. Francis was born ca. 1680 in Northampton Co., Virginia and died May 20, 1720 in Northampton, the only daughter of Thomas Hunt Jr. and Ann Wilkins, of  Northampton Co., VA. Frances was named in her father's will on Jan. 15, 1700 and was also named in her husband's will on Jan. 14, 1718 (both in Northampton Co., VA.) which names their children  Daniel (Jr), Azell, Jacob and William Benthall. In addition there was also a son named Thomas.

11. Thomas Hunt Jr. --the father of 
Francis Hunt Bemthall, Captain  Thomas Hunt was born in 1645 in Northampton, Virginia and died there before May 28, 1701. A plantation owner with over 1000 acres of land in Northampton, Thomas married Ann Wilkins (1643-1709) before 1680 in Northampton, Virginia. Ann's parents were John and Anna Wilkins, immigrants to Northampton, VA from Kingsclere, Basingstoke and Deane, Hampshire, England. John was a Burgess (Seventeenth Century Colonial Ancestors, Vol. I) who in 1618 came to Virginia in the Marigold and his first wife, Bridget Craft, came in the Warwick, which left England in Aug. 1621. When the census was taken, 1623/4, the Wilkins were living on Eastern Shore. After Bridget's death, John is known to have made a voyage to England in 1637, another overseas in 1642, and one to Amsterdam and England in 1649. By 1649 John had married his second wife, Anna (1598-1690),  a widow of a man whose surname was Voss. Ann, their daughter, was born in Northampton ca. 1643 and died before March 2, 1709. In 1638, John Wilcox  he was granted 500 acres in Accomack County, and in 1643 he patented 600 acres on the seaside. He was elected to the vestry of Hungar's Parish in 1635, and served as burgess for Accomack in 1632 and 1642. (Adventures of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5 Forth Edition, Volume 3, Families R-Z, by John Frederick Dorman.)
    In her will of Feb. 25, 1709,
Ann Wilkins Hunt mentions her son-in-law, Daniel Benthall, and  gives her son, Thomas Hunt, her two servants,  Rebeahker Alfy and John Dilon. She also mentions another son, Gawton Hunt, and bequeaths to her daughter, Frances Benthall, all of her clothes. Thomas and Ann Hunt are only known to have these three named children. In his will of May 22, 1655 in Northampton Co, VA, Thomas Hunt Sr., Gent., divided his whole estate between his loving wife, Joane (Gawton), his son, Thomas Hunt and his  daughter, Frances Bibby, the wife of Edmund Bibby.

12. Thomas Hunt Sr. --the father of 
Thomas Hunt Jr., was born on Feb. 17, 1593, in Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, England and died on  Jan. 26, 1656, in Cape Charles, Northampton, Virginia at the age of 62. His parents were Reverend Robert Hunt and Elizabeth Edwards, who immigrated to Jamestown from
Yorkshire, England. Thomas immigrated to Virginia in 1636 and married  
Joane Gawton about 1636, in Accomack, Virginia. Prior to this, Thomas had been part of a 1614 expedition to the New World by Capt. John Smith, as recounted in a 2019 online article by Ron Petersen, chairman of Orleans Historical Commission, entitled The nefarious deeds of Captain Thomas Hunt. Following upon his article on  the role of John Smith in the Plymouth Colony and Smith's earlier exploration of the American northeast coast, Petersen recounts a dark episode involving Thomas Hunt which had a "lasting impact on relations between the Native Americans and the Plymouth settlers." He writes:

"At the conclusion of his exploration in 1614, Smith returned to England leaving Captain Thomas Hunt, one of his subordinate commanders, with one of the expedition’s ships. Hunt’s instructions were to continue fishing and trading before returning. Hunt’s mission took a dark and ominous turn when he decided to engage in the slave trading business as a means of enhancing his personal profit from the voyage. He captured 27 Native Americans by luring them on board his ship under pretext of “trucking”, as trade was often called in those days. Once on board, the unsuspecting native was subdued and confined below decks until the cargo was complete. Twenty of these natives were taken from Patuxet (which became Plymouth) and seven were taken from right here on the elbow of the Cape, the land that was later called Nauset. Before returning to England, Hunt stopped in Spain to sell these kidnapped Native Americans into slavery. Smith was furious upon learning of Hunt’s misdeeds. He wrote: "Notwithstanding upon my departure, he betrayed twenty-seven of these poor innocent souls, which he sold in Spain for slaves, to move their hate against our Nation, as well as to cause my proceedings to be so much the more difficult."


Joane Gawton , who later married Hunt, was born in 1602 in Reigate and Banstead Borough, Surrey, England, the daughter of Thomas Gawton Sr. (1573-1627), an Oxford University Alumni, and Patience Best (1582-1625) of England. Joane's first marriage in 1622 was to Robert Drake, with whom she immigrated to Accomack, Virginia (now Northampton County, VA) in 1636. After Drake's death in 1637 she married Capt. Thomas Hunt, with whom she had two children, Thomas and Ann. In his will of May 16, 1655 Thomas Hunt Sr., Gent.,made his wife, Joane, and son, Thomas Hunt Jr., his executors and left them his estate.

13. Rev. Robert Hunt, the father of
Thomas Hunt Sr., was born in 1565 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England and died in 1616 in Jamestown. Virginia. His first wife was Jaine Fysher whom he married in 1589. After her death he married Elizabeth Edwardes (1564-1610), mother of Thomas Hunt, and daughter of Rev. Richard Thomas Edwardes (1525-1566) and Margaret Babb (1547-1566). Both of Elizabeth's parents were born in Wales and died in Middlesex, England. Notably, Rev. Richard Edwardes was a son of Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) ,King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547.
    Robert Hunt was born in 1569 in Hampshire, England. After attending Oxford University, he became vicar of Reculver, Kent, in January 1596 and two years later married Elizabeth Edwards. In 1602, the couple moved to Heathfield, Sussex, by which time they had two children, Elizabeth and Thomas. The marriage does not appear to have been a happy one, and Hunt seems to have been unpopular with his parishioners. In November 1606, Hunt made his will and left the following month with the first expedition to Virginia.
Captain John Smith, one of the leaders of the colony, described the Reverend Hunt as "our honest, religious and courageous divine." On April 29, 1607, when the settlers made landfall in Virginia at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Hunt delivered what was likely one of the first Protestant sermons in America, giving thanks for the settlers’ safe arrival. After the colonists disembarked at Jamestown a couple of weeks later, Hunt conducted the first service under sailcloth spread between trees. (see https://historicjamestowne.org/archaeology/chancel-burials/founders/robert-hunt/)
  A biography of Rev. Robert Hunt on FamilySearch provides the following further information:

  "Robert Hunt was an Anglican Vicar of England recruited to be Chaplain of the expedition which founded Jamestown, Virginia on April 29, 1607, then a British Colony. Hunt dedicated the new land to Jesus Christ and to preaching the Gospel in the new land and throughout the world. Before sailing to America, he resided in Sussex, England where he was Vicar of the parish church of Heathfield. Hunt sailed with his fellow colonists aboard the ship Susan Constant. ...First Chaplain of Jamestown Robert Hunt (c. 1568-1608), clergyman of the Church of England, was Chaplain of the expedition that founded Jamestown, Virginia. The expedition included people from Old Heathfield, East Sussex, England. The Reverend Hunt had become the Vicar of Heathfield, County of Sussex, in 1602, which title he held as Chaplain of the Jamestown Settlement. He had been Vicar of Reculver, County of Kent, England, 1594-1602. He lit the candle for the Anglican Church in Virginia (United States); he first lifted his voice in public thanksgiving and prayer on April 29, 1607, when the settlers planted a cross at Cape Henry, which they named after the Prince of Wales. Once settled in the fort, the whole company, except those who were on guard, attended regular prayer and services led by the Reverend Hunt. ...Captain John Smith described the Reverend Hunt as "our honest, religious and courageous divine." The Reverend Hunt was a peacemaker, often bringing harmony to a quarreling group of men. The Chronicler wrote: "Many were the mischiefs that daily sprung from their ignorant spirits; but the good doctrines and exhortations of our Preacher Minister Hunt reconciled them and caused Captain Smith to be admitted to the Council June 20th. The next day, June 21, third Sunday after Trinity, under the shadow of an old sail, Robert Hunt celebrated the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. It is impossible to rate too highly the character and work of the aforesaid Robert Hunt, Chaplain of the Colony." Hunt's virtuous character was well-known and respected by his fellow settlers. It was evidenced by his behavior both before and after the accidental fire in the fort in January, 1608. The fire burned the palisades with their arms, bedding apparel, and many private provisions. "Good master Hunt lost all his library, and all that he had but the clothes on his back, yet none ever did see him repine at his loss...Yet we had daily Common Prayer morning and evening, every Sunday two sermons and every three months the Holy Communion till our Minister died." Historians believe that Robert Hunt died in the spring of 1608. His will, probated in July 1608, is the only documented evidence of his death."
     Rev. Hunt's parents were
Robert Hunt Sr. (1544-ca. 1600) and Frances Hygny (1550-1516) of Cambridgeshire, England.  They were married in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom on April 27, 1563. (Norfolk, England, Church of England Baptism, Marriages, and Burials, 1535-1812)  His wife, Elizabeth Edwards Hunt was 16 at her marriage in 1597, which would place her date of birth as 1581. She died ca. 1610 in England. Elizabeth's father, Rev. Richard Thomas Edwardes (1525-1566), husband of Margaret Babb (1547-1566), is  thought to be of royal ancestry.

14. Rev. Richard Thomas Edwardes - the father of
Elizabeth Edwardes, wife of Rev. Robert Hunt, Richard was born on March 24, 1525 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales and died Oct.31, 1566 in Middlesex, England. He married Margaret Babb on April 22, 1560 in North Petherton, Somerset, England and after her death he married Helen Elizabeth Griffith (1525-1616). According to the biographical sketch on FamilySearch:

"Richard Edwardes was an English poet, playwright, and composer; he was made a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and was master of the singing boys. He was known for his comedies and interludes. He was also rumoured to be an illegitimate son of Henry VIII. Life Richard Edwardes was born in 1525 in Somerset. Edwardes began his studies at Corpus Christi College, Oxford in May 1540 and joined Christ Church, Oxford as it opened in 1546. He joined Lincoln's Inn but did not take up law as a career. He joined the Chapel Royal by 1557 and was appointed Master of the Children in 1561. He married Helene Griffith in 1563. After he died in 1566, he was succeeded by William Hunnis. Works Plays In 1566, Edwardes' Palamon and Arcite was performed before Elizabeth I at Oxford when the stage fell — three people died and five were injured as a result. Despite the tragic accident, the show continued to play that night. The excellent Comedie of two the moste faithfullest Freendes, Damon and Pithias (written in 1564, published in 1571), a comedy, is his only extant play. Poems Ten of Edwardes' poems appear in the first edition of the Paradise of Dainty Devices, though publisher Henry Disle says the poems are "written for the most part by M. [Master] Edwards." Edwardes possibly compiled the manuscript on which the Paradise of Dainty Devices is based. Music Edwardes was less well known as a composer, but several of his compositions survive, including three pieces in the Mulliner Book: "O the syllye man," ascribed to him by the book, and two anonymous pieces usually attributed to him, "In goinge to my naked bedde" and "When grypinge griefes." Other pieces include a song from Damon and Pithias, "Awake, ye woeful wights," and a setting of the Lord's Prayer in Richard Day's Psalter of 1563."

  Richard's mother was
Agnes Beaupenny Blewett (1509-1575), daughter of Sir Knight Richard Bluett (1479-1523), Lord of the manor of Holcombe Rogus, and Mary de Grenville, Lady of Stowe (1477-1537). Agnes is said to have been the mistress of King Henry VIII Tudor. Richard's  surname comes from his mother's husband, William Edwardes (1500-1560), though he was likely not his father. It is known that Henry VIII, not Thomas Edwards paid for Richard's education and Thomas Edwards also did not include Richard in his will when he died. Henry VIII provided a position for Richard as Choirmaster in the Royal Chapel, where Henry attended. Agnes and William Edwards had one son before Richard was born and they stayed married and had two more sons after Richard's birth.  Only these other three children were documented with birth and baptism records stating William and Agnes as their parents. Agnes and William Thomas Edwardes lived adjacent to King Henry's Hunting lodge in Somerset, England. The King bestowed upon Agnes Edwards the ability/privilege to display The Tudor Rose on her coat-of-arms after Richard's birth...this honor was reserved only for the Royal Tudor Family. A book on the subject was written in 1992 by David Dean Edwards called 'Edward's Legacy'. Y-DNA results for the descendants of Richard Edwards show a genetic connection to the Tudor lineage (Haplogroup R1b1). The bio on FamilySearch concludes, stating:

"Legally, he was Edwards' son but not biologically because The King refused for him to be christened or baptized with Edwards listed as his father...thus, no "Christian" records of his mother joined to Edwards & Richard as "their" son exist. He was also known as Richard Tudor, far-&-wide. Richard was educated at Oxford at the expense of The King. Richard received a bachelor's & master's degree there. He was a member of The Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn which was made up of lawyers, but he chose "not" to practice law. Instead, he became a Rev. of The Church of England, had a post at Christ Church College at Oxford, & was Master of the Children of The Chapel Royal in 1561 (the church where The Royal Family attended). Richard was published and acknowledged and applauded: Reverand, poet, playwright, & musical composer. He was a favorite of his 1/2 sister, Queen Elizabeth I. Richard first married  
Margaret Babb in 1560. Two yrs. later, he married Helen Griffith. Helen's father was "Thomas Griffith" (1501-1609) Richard and Helen Griffith had 8 Children: Marie, Gwen, Elizabeth, John, Thomas, Abigail, Judith, & Richard Blewett II who was born 3 weeks "after" his father (Richard I)'s death. Richard & Helen lived at Edwards Hall in Wales. It was originally a Norman castle in the time of William the Conqueror. The castle had been owned by a French-origin Knight named "de Pomeroi". There are 2 theories of how it became named Edwards Hall = 1. marriage brought the castle into the Edwards family & 2. that King Henry VIII gave his bastard son Richard the castle. Richard Blewett Edwardes I died at Edwards Hall, Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales. His 1/2 sister, Queen Elizabeth I, was in the process of giving him an award for one of his plays when she learned of his death. He, his wife, & children were included in gatherings of The Royal Family. Richard's mother, Agnes Blewett Edwardes, has had her lineage proven back to The Plantagenet Kings. They "proceeded" the reign of The Tudor Kings/Queen...which Richard's biological paternal-grandfather started (King Henry VII Tudor). [Richard went by] Edwardes, but really should have the surname Tudor."

15.
King Henry VIII Tudor of England lived from June 28, 1491 to Jan.28, 1547. He was born in Greenwich Palace, Greenwich, Kent, England and died in the Palace of Whitehall, Middlesex, England at the age of 55. He is buried in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle along with his favorite wife, Jane Seymour. Henry famously had six wives and several mistresses and through his second wife, Anne Boleyn. was the father of Queen Elizabeth I, the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. The biography of Henry VII is too well-known to need repeating here. Henry's parents were Henry VII King of England (1457-1509) and Queen Elizabeth of York (1456-1503). The Royal line extends back many further generations.

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