Essentially, the account of a family of West in Virginia is one in which seperate families of that name, from various English regions, have been cobbled together to produce a work of fiction.

The Wests associated with Thomas Harris, d. 1688, in Virginia, were his kinsfolk; the notion of repeated intermarriages between the same families within English kinship groups being the most important tool in identifying the ancestry of Virginia settlers.

Mells, Nunney, Frome, and Wookey, in Somerset, England, are all within a few miles of each other. A general rule of thumb is that people of this time generally married those within walking distance, say, 10 miles. Another rule being that marriages were not parish-specific; the place of marriage sometimes depending on the abode of a rich Godparent.

Because of repeated intermarriages within kinship groups, the various Wests recorded as follows were not only various degree of consanguineous cousins, but also were first or second non-consanguineous cousins as a result of a very high degree of inbreeding.

They were not imbued with modern notions of uniqueness.

By and large, without ‘continuation of association’ there was no association.

Mells (M), St Andrew; juxta Nunney (N), All Saints; the advowson being held by Abraham Burwell. Mells was the caput of the Symes family.

Richard West, bapt, 26 Sept. 1574 (N).
William West, bapt. 12 Feb. 1581 (N).
Roger West, bapt. 4 Apr. 1589 (N).
Joane West, m. Henry Dalamere, 16 Jun 1590 (M).
Joseph West, bapt. 1595 (M).
Sapian West, bapt. 21 Oct 1599 (N).
Deborah West, bapt. 15 Mar 1600 (M).
Josepth West, bapt. 17 Sep 1621 (M).
Alice West, m.Thomas Harris, Oct. 1635 (N). (I have previously accounted for her).
Thomas Harris, bapt. 14 August 1636, in Nunney, d. 1688, in Virginia?

Frome, St John the Baptist

1. Richard West, m. Joana Collins, 22 Jun. 1564.
1.1. John West, bapt. 7 Apr. 1566.
1.2. Thomas West, bapt. 17 May 1579, m. Grace Lawrence, 27 Nov. 1609.
1.3. Christopher West, m. Mary Smith, 15 Oct. 1607.
1.3.1. John West, bapt. 15 Mar. 1611, m. Margery.
1.3.1.1. William West, bapt. 23 Apr. 1637.
1.3.2. Henry West, bapt. 15 Aug. 1612.
1.3.2.1. William West, d. 2 Oct. 1708, m. Rebecca Braswell. William West of Newport Parish. Leg.- son William; son Richard all my land between William Green and Robert Bagnall; son Robert; da. Mary Green; da. Rebeckah. Extx., my wife. Robert Braswell. Leg.- da. Jane Stokes and her children; da. Rebecca West; son Robert; son Richard; servant Elizabeth Hall; da. Ann Bagnall. Mr. Richard Izard and George Guillen to be guardian to my children.
1.3.2.1.1. William West, m. Martha Mills. John Wills. Of Newport Parish. Leg.- wife Martha; son John Scarsbrook Wills; son James Wills; son Thomas; son Emanuel; son Benjamin; son Mills; son Micajah; son William. Captain Brewer Godwin to have the care of my sons, Emanuel, Benjamin and Mills.
1.3.2.2. Henry West, m. Mary Fulgham. (The Fulghams being from Pitminster, Somerset) Michael Fulgham. Leg.- son John; grandson Henry West, the son of Henry West; brother Anthony Fulgham; Hardy Council to have the upbringing of my son John, who is to be of age at 18. Wife, Extx. Robert Harris, son of Thomas Harris, d. 1688, lived with John Fulgham for 3 years under the terms of his father’s Will; he probably m. Ann Fulgham, da. of Michael.
1.3.2.3. William West, bapt. 23 Apr. 1637.
1.3.3. Alice West, m. Richard Bond, 17 Sep. 1629.
1.3.4. Mary West, m. Richard Hobbs, 31 Oct. 1633.
1.3.5. Anna West, m. John Weekes (Wykes), 8 Nov. 1634.

Wookey, St Matthew

1. Anthony West, bur. 20 Oct. 1588.
1.1. Margaret West, m. Robert Ball, 28 Oct. 1583.
1.2. John West, m. Isabell Churchowse, 10 Jan. 1586.
1.2.1. John West, bapt. 6 Apr. 1587.
1.2.1.1. Lambert West, m. Elizabeth Pitman.
1.2.1.1.1. Richard West, bapt.9 Mar. 1633.
1.2.1.1.2. Anthony West, bapt. 22 Apr. 1639.
1.2.1.1.2.1. Anthony West.
1.2.1.1.2.1.1. Mary West, m. Nathaniel Bell, son of Robert Bell, of Accomac Co.

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