In part, what follows is a summary of my notes on the likely ancestry of Hodges Councell, of Virginia, but with a focus on the Parker and Turner families.

Many of the intermarried families of Wedmore were tenants of the Manor of Moore (Somerset), and were named in a deposition of 1622 (E 134/20Jas1/Hil8), including; Richd. Hobbs, John Fry, Wm. Councell, senr, Thomas Haine, Thos. Millard, Edwd. Vowles alias Cooke, John Lancaster.

E. Jackson (Wedmore Parish Registers, 1890), gave a rare insight into densly intermarried nature of such parishes as Wedmore; ‘the earliest account of the population of Wedmore that I know of at present is in a Presentment of Jurors, November 26th, 1650. (Lambeth MSS., Vol. XV. 471.) It is there said that ‘the Parish of Wedmore consisteth of about 300 families. Whether that would bring the population up to 1000 1 know not. Judging from the high rate of mortality amongst infants, one would say that the average number to a family must have been smaller then than it is now’.

The parish registers show the same families intermarrying innumerable times.

W. Marston Acres F.R. (Hist, A Brief History of Wedmore, 1954) informed that: In 1612 Richard Counsell of Wedmore was granted a licence to buy butter and cheese within the county of Somerset and to sell the same in Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset. … On the 7th May 1655, Jeremy Horler married Ann, widow of George Hodges, who had died only two months earlier. This marriage, which seems to indicate that the Hodges family were on the Parliamentary side in the Civil War,* was of considerable social advantage to Mr. Horler as he thereby gained a residence at the manor-house where he continued to live until his wife’s death in 1684′. Litigation followed: Hodges v Lyte. Plaintiffs: Mary Hodges, and Jane Hodges (heirs of George Hodges). Defendants: George Lyte, Anne Lyte his wife, … Morgan, and others. Subject: rectory of Wedmore, Somerset. (N.A, ref. C 5/23/121). A branch of the Councell family were tenants of their Hodges kinfolk: Lease: Margery Hodges of Heathhouse, Wedmore, widow, to Richard Counsell of Wedmore, husbandman and Joan his wife: Wedmore, Somerset. (Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, ref. 2667/1/36/2. 1655). *Hence an exodus of ‘Parliamentarians’ to Virginia in 1662.

The registers:

Thomas Hobbes & Amisiam Cowncell, 15 April 1564.
William Parker & Antonia Gibbs, 3 Jul 1589; she bapt. 4 Jun 1564; issue:
1. Thomas Parker & Margaret Cooke, 9 March 1611.
2. Richardus Parker bapt. 9 May 1592.
Edward Cooke & Diana Hutchins, 1 Aug 1594.
Elenor Hayward & Georgius Counsell, 20 May 1600.
Aliciam Counsell & Thomas Huchins, 14 Oct 1605.
William Hobbes 7 May 1612 (at Barrow Gurney*) & Elisabeth Everett (7 mls fr. Wedmore, a habitation of the Councell family).
William Turner & Jane Rodney 28 May 1612; issue:
John Turner, bapt. 20 Jun 1613. William Pitt, Merchant of Bristol, was the br.-in-law of Rice Davies, who married ist, Dorothy, dau.of Maurice Rodney, Esq., of Stoke Rodney, Somerset, about whom it was said: ‘he was carelessly bred and married to a smith’s daughter, from whom he was afterwards divorced’ (Mr. Collins). Dorothy Rodney’ br., George, was the father of Agnes, who married Thomas Hodges, Esq.; they being the parents of George Hodges, aforementioned, of Wedmore. (See N&Q, Som. and Dors., vols. 20-21, p. 226, 1932). It would seem certain that the Turners of Wedmore were kin of the Pitts. William Pitt, Merchant of Bristol, was the father of Col. Robert Pitt, d. bef. 9 January 1674, Isle of Wight, VA. He was Captain of the Thunder, a merchant ship out of Bristol and a Colonel in the Virginia Militia. His son was John Pitt, who married Olive, dau. of John Hardy and Alice Bennett. She married 1. Giles Driver; 2.John Bromfield, and 3. Lt. Col. John Pitt.
Joan Hayward & John Gibbs, 15 Jul 1612.
Mariam Kirby & William Counsell, 27 Jan 1615.
Arthur Stokes & Alice Haine, 2 Aug 1619.
Georgius Harris & Joana Webb, 28 April 1623.
Gregory Burnet & Agnes Cooke, 19 Jul 1624.
Thomas Haine & Jane Cooke, 17 Apr 1634.
Johannam Counsell & Gulielmus Frie, 7 June 1602.
Susannam Lancastle & Willielmus Hodges, 5 Apr 1638 (surn. var. Lancaster, Lankester, Langcaster).
Janam Counsell & Johannes Langcastle, 21 Oct 1647.
Joane Harris & Robert Lide, 4 May 1652 Wedmore (surn. var. Lyde, Lyte, Leyde).
Thomas Haine & Mary Harris, 13 Oct 1655
Richard Harris & Joane Thatcher, 14 Apr 1656, in Barrow Gurney.
Anstice Kirby & William Harris, 20 Jun 1660.
Susannam Hayne & Guilielmus Counsell, 30 Apr 1663.

Thus:

1. John Turner, bapt. 20 Jun 1613.

1.1. John Turner, d. aft. 25 Mar 1705 in Isle Of Wight Co., m. Mary Tomlin. Thomas Harris, d. 1688, placed his son George with John, whose spoken Will named named sons John, James, William, Joseph, Simon and grandd. Ann Everett; witnessed by Edward Harris, John Johnson, Jenkins Dorman, Wm Westray, and Mary Tomlin. (Thomas Harris, d. 1688, as I have shown elsewhere, almost certainly came from Mells/Nunney, Somerset, and was likely kin of the Tomlin family of those places. The relationship betw. these Harris and those of Wedmore, but 20 mls distant, is unknown, yet was most probably a close one.

1.1.1. Joseph Turner, Will rec. 7 April 1737, in Brunswick County, m. Burchett Lundy, dau. of Elizabeth Burchett (who m. 2. Joseph Perry), and James Lundy. Rachel Wilkinson, Newport Parish: ‘to my kinswoman, the eldest daughter of Joseph Turner by his first wife’. Rachel Wilkinson m. 1. Thomas Parker, whose Will, dated 30 Jan. 1735, named legatees: eldest son William; son Elias; dau. Ann; son Thomas; son Wilkinson; dau. Sabra; dau. Priscilla; grandson Elisha Parker; dau. Rachel. Wife Executrix. Witnesses: Robert King, George Norsworthy, & James Bagnall. Recorded April 26 1736. 2. Joseph Norsworthy, whose will, dated 3 May 1757, mentions wife Rachel and ‘daughter Elizabeth Reynolds’, wife of George Reynolds:

Estate of George Reynolds ordered appraised by Charles Driver, John Smelley Jr., John Brown. Recorded 5 August 1762. (B. 7, p. 192). Charles Fulgham, in his Will, dated 8 November 1765, identifies Martha Reynolds, George Reynolds’ orphaned dau., as ‘cousin’. Rachel Wilkinson was the dau. of Richard Wilkinson, nephew of Ann Wilkinson. The Will of Thomas Griffen, dated 8 November 1669, named legatees: son Thomas the land I bought of Capt. Fulgham and my brother William Godwin to give him assurance of same at court; to Thomas Bush; to God-daughter Ann Wilkinson; wife Ann and unborn child. Witnessess: William Godwin, John Iles & John Pitt.

Rachel Wilkinson was the sister of Ann Wilkinson: The Will of Ann (Wilkinson) Bagnall, dated 30 March 1754, named legatees: dau. Ann; dau. Easter Norsworthy; son Richard; son James; son Nathan; son William; son Samuel; dau. Mary Pitt. Executor: son William Bagnall. Witnesses: Nicholas Parker & Nathaniel Parker. Recorded 7 November 1754.

The Will of Nathaniel Parker of Newport Parish, dated 29 June 1730, named legatees: eldest son Nicholas; son Nathaniel, one-half of my lots in the town of Hampton; wife Ann; dau. Martha; dau. Mary. Executor: brother Nicholas Parker. Witnesses: Thomas Applewhaite, Joseph Bridger, & Thomas Parker. Rec.23 November 1730.

The Will of Francis Parker dated bef. 1 Oct. 1717 named legatees: wife Elizabeth; dau. Martha; son Nicholas land bought of Daniel Batten; son Nathaniel, property in Hampton. My land to be divided by Tristram Norsworthy, Sr. Ececutor, son Nathaniel. Witnesses: Tristram Norsworthy, George Norsworthy, & Joshua Jordan. Rec. 1 October 1717.

1.1.1.1. Mary Turner, m. West Harris.

Thus, it is as likely as not that the said Francis Parker was of the Parker family of Wedmore, or, I would suggest, of the Parker family of Portbury (they may have been synonomous), where the aforesaid William Pitt, who had m. Mary Owen, held property; Mary being a heiress of Robert Owen, of Bristol, Merchant (Will dated 5 Sept. 1614, Codicil 4 Sept. 1615, pr. 16 Feb. 1615-16; 8 Cope), who bequeathed to her ‘Messuages in Portburie, Somerset’.

The ‘New world’ was colonised by deeply interbred kinship groups, which tenaciously clung to their custom of intermarriage.*

Any DNA analysis of claimed living descendants would have to be cognisant of this fact.

Is it likely that members of the Harris family of Wedmore trod on Virginia soil.

Colonisation was an ongoing process. Many followed ‘pathfinding’ kin.

*This truism runs counter to the myth of the American (Hollywood) cult of individualism, and, as such, is suppressed. Darwinism, as the survival of a species (kinship group) through mutual co-operation, is hidden from the less than intelligent by the intelligent. Such is politics. At a fundamental level, genealogy is both politics and psychology, the former manipulating the latter.

Portbury (St Mary).
William Parker, bapt. 9 May 1565.
William Parker & Mary Ann Turner, 2 Nov 1609.
George Parker, bapt. … September 1610, d. 1621.
William Parker, bapt. 4 August 1611.
John Parker, bapt. 2 April 1620.
Ann Parker & George Thomas, 11 September 1632.

copyright m stanhope 2016