1. Malachi Thruston, of West Buckland, Somerset. He was not of Buckland and Wellington, as the following deed concerning his son makes plain: Final Concord Martin Sanford, Esq., & Edward Thurstone gent., & w. Thomasine for 24a. meadow with appurtenances in Wellington & Buckland als. West Buckland. (Somerset Heritage Centre, ref. DD\SF/1119). The family were also interchangeably named Thurston: Final Concord Martin Sanford, esq., & Edward Thurstone gent., & w. Thomasine (ibid. DD\SF/1119). The family of Thurston were not a single strand: The Thurston family were established at Thornbury, Gloucestershire, along the south bank of the Bristol Estuary. As the Bridger family, they held land in Woodmancote. An early patriarch was Thomas Thurston, who m. Allys Hicks, in 1539, in Oldbury-on-Severn. His descendant, Edward Thurston, of Thornbury, in Chancery Proceedings, 1636, is recorded as being the husband of Judith Gwatkins, dau. of William Gwatkins. In Wedmore, Somerset, 40 mls distant from Thornbury (almost certainly the birthplace of Hodges Counsell), Christiana Thurston, bapt. 28 Oct. 1591, m. John Harris, 8 Oct. 1618; she was the great-niece of Joan Thurston, who m. (1) Thomas Hayne, 24 May 1565, (2) John Counsell, 13 Aug. 1573.

In Virginia, James Bland, of Prince William Co., m. Mary Gwatkins. His estate was appraised by Burr Harrison, John Mason, Mathew Thompson. Rec. 13 Apr. 1709. He was the son of Theodorick Bland and Margaret Mann, who was probably related to Elizabeth Mann: ‘Thomas Mann and wife Elizabeth Mann to Theophilus Joyner (neph. of Bridgeman, a guardian of an orphan of Thomas Harris, d. 1688), 150 acres on Blackwater River and bounded by William Mayo, Bridgeman Joyner and Hodges Counsell, Wit: William Mayo and Richard Booth. Rec: 9 June 1683. Sig. Thomas Man and Elizabeth Man. It is not possible to discern the relationship between the various strands of Thurston, as relevant records are not extant.

Theodorick Bland was the son of Theodorick Bland and Anne Bennett, b. 1641, da. of Richard Bennett. PROB 11/351/440: Will of Richard Bennett of Nansemond River, Virginia. 3 August 1676. He was of Wivelscombe, Somerset, 9 miles distant from West Buckland. Richard Bennett was a son of Thomas Bennett, d. 1616, Wivelscombe, and a nephew of (1) Edward Bennett, bapt. 2 Feb. 1577, in Wivelscombe; later of of St Olave, Southwark, London, and Lawn’s Creek, Virginia, father of Alice Bennett, who m. John Hardy. Nugent, C&P vol. 1, p. 569: Mr. John Hardie 1150 acres IOW Co., 5 June 1666. Beginning at upper corner tree of Mathew Tomlins old land, running SSE by Wm. Westwrayers land &c. SW on Mathew Tomlins new land. Their daus. m. , respectively, Hodges Counsell, and Richard Jackson, whose da. Mary Jackson, m. Capt. George Hardy, who patented 500 acres on July 17, 1648 ‘lying on east side of Lawne’s Creek extending to main river and along the great river to the creek dividing the same from land of Alice Bennett’.

George Hardy was an appraiser of the estate of Edward Harris, d. 1677.

Richard Bennett’s first wife was Anne, who was Charles Barham’s sister (see Douglas Richardson, ‘Plantagenet Ancestry’). Mr. Charles Barham Ex., Thomas Harris (d. 1672) and Thomas Tuke (of Barwick, Somerset, whose family were tenants of the Symes family) overseers, were officers of the will of William Ridley, who was probably the br. of Elizabeth Ridley, Charles Barham’s wife.

(2) Elianor Bennett, who m. Richard Harris (son of William Harris and Dorothy West, who m. 31 Aug. 1562, at Wivelscombe), their issue being Thomas Harris, who m. Judith Blake, 20 Nov. 1623, Wivelscombe.

1.1. Edward Thurston, born in Bristol, 30 Jan. 1638 (styled in deeds and probate “Edward Thrustone of West Buckland, Somerset, gentleman”); m. (1) in Va. 28 Oct. 1666. Anne, da. of Thomas Loveing, of Martin’s Hundred. (2) Aug. 1671, Susanna Perry, da. of Nicholas Perry of Gt. Marlow. Nicholas Perry, 11 Mar. 1652, Charles City Co., 250 ac. Swamp & marsh, on the south side of James River. “I was married to Ann Loving, the daughter of Mr. Thomas Loving, merchant, the 28th day of October, 1666, at Martin’s Hundred in Virginia, but ye celebration of ye wedding was at ye ch(urch) of Chipoacks in ye same country (Virginia) by Wm. Murray, ye minister”. “My son John Thruston was borne in Martins hundred pish in Virginia the 2′ day of December 1668 on Wednesday about 3 … Richard Whittaker who stood for Mr John Groves, & M. John Beed Gossips, & M’ Ann Ramsey the other Gossups”. Richard Whitaker, the older son of William Whitaker of James City Co., d. aft. 1696. He received a grant of 135 ac. in James City Co., 28 Oct. 1666, adj. 100 ac. part given him by Major William Whitaker, his deceased father. In Dec. 1668, he stood sponsor for another of Edward Thurston’s sons, along with his brother, William. “Grove, John, in Surry county 1665-69, &c.; in 1656 “of Bristol, merchant“. He died in 1673. Surry County Records”. (Mr. Stanard).

Assignment: Alice Wyatt, widow, one of the daus. & surviving adminx. of the goods of Edw. Thruston, decd. (by direction of Edw. Thruston, gent., eldest s. of decd. & with consent of Thos. Ley & w. Thomazine, John Cooke & John Cholwich, & Malchi, Jas., Anne, & Grace Thruston (sons & daus. of sd. Edw. Thruston) to Henry Prockter, merchant. (Somerset Heritage Centre, ref. DD\SF/1124. 1693).

1.2. John Thruston, m. Thomasine Rich. Printed form of “The Oath of a Burgess”, of the City of Bristol. To which is added in MS.a certificate of admission of Wm. Wakly, mariner, to the liberties of the sd.city on 12 Oct. 1654, sealed by John Thruston, Chamberlain, 31 Oct. 1669. will of John Thruston, Bristol, soap-maker, dated 1675. (Somerset Heritage Centre, DD\SH/3/153).

1.2.1. Thomasine Thruston, b. 1632, John Hunt, 11 Sept. 1653. He may have been of the family of William Hunt, who d. on 11 Nov. 1676 in Charles City Co., and was designated “of Buckland, planter“. (Was the origin of this name West Buckland?). He was m. to Ann, who subsequently married William Harris. In 1694, Mrs. Ann Harris made a deed of gift to “the children of my son, William Hunt” and another to “my Tyler grandchildren”. Ann Hunt Harris may have been the widow of Charles Tyler of Charles City prior to her marriage to William Hunt, as in 1663 William Hunt was ordered by the County Court to provide an accounting of “what estate of Charles Tyler he had…”. Ann Harris, appeared in Charles City County Court on 3 June 1679 ‘showing that she was charged at the death of the mother of the two orphan girls to take them, one she kept but gave Dorothy Turner to Mary Mason, wife of James Mason.

It is probably relevant to these associations that John Hunt m. Margery Bennett in Aug. 1607, at West Buckland. Was Margery Bennett of the Bennetts of Wivelscombe? Almost certainly, as Thomas Bennett, b. 1570 Wiveliscombe, d. 1616, m. (1600) in Milverton, Anstice Tomson, their children being Robert Bennett and Thomas Bennett, aforesaid. A great many of the Wivelscombe Bennetts are recorded in the Milverton registers, including Joane Bennett, da. of William Bennett, who, on 28 Sept. 1672, m. Richard Potter, bapt. 1644, son of Nicholas Potter and Mary Stronge, m. 1 Feb. 1636.

The Harris of Wivelscombe and Milverton, 6 miles apart, were almost certainly the same family:

1. William Harris, m. Dorothy West, 31 Aug. 1562, at Wivelscombe.
1.1. Thomas Harris, m. Elizabeth Edwards, 23 Sept. 1602, at Milverton.
1.1.1. John Harris, bapt.3 Dec. 1602, Milverton.
1.1.2. James Harris.
1.1.2.1. Edward Harris, bapt. 19 Mar. 1630, Milverton. Was this the Edward who d. in 1677?
1.1.2.2. Thomas Harris, bapt. 23 Mar. 1632, Milverton. Was this the Thomas who d. in 1672?, who had issue (1) John Harris, who m. (1) Margaret Hobbs, (2) Elizabeth Church (1689); their daus., respectively, marrying a Mr. Whitfield and Nicholas Fulgham (of the Pitminster, Somerset, Fulghams; Pitminster being 4 miles from West Buckland; 11 miles from Milverton; 13 miles from Wivelscombe. (2) Thomas Harris, who m. Judith Edwards.
1.1.2.3. John Harris, bapt. 19 Sept. 1645. Was he the John Harris who m. Elizabeth Small, 14 Dec. 1688, in Chuckatuck, Nansemond Co.?; da. of John Small (and Ann Grove?). The most prominent Chucatuck Quakers were Dr. John Grove, William Bressy, Thomas Jordan. Col. Joseph Bridger, Major Thomas Taberer, and General Richard Bennett.
1.1.3. Robert Harris, m. Margaret Hill,* 28 Jan. 1632, Milverton. Was this the Robert named here? – December 1634, William Lacey leased James Tooke 500 acres on the east side of Lawne’s Creek; 26 Oct. 1646, James Tooke to Robert Harris, all my right and title to this lease. Da. of John Hill and Alice Bennett, m. 29 Jan. 1599.
1.1.4. Joane Harris, m. John Dyer, 26 Jan. 1635, Milverton.
1.1.5. James Harris, m. (1) Mariane Aplen, 19 April 1637; (2) Agnes Baker, 17 Jan. 1644, Milverton.

1.2. Richard Harris, m. (1) Elianor Bennett. (2) Eleanor Criddle (Creadle, of a large family of that name), 26 June 1591, in Milverton, sister of John Criddle, who m. Alice Harte, 14 Oct. 1587, Milverton, parents of William Criddle, bapt. 1593, Milverton, who m. Elizabeth Webber, 1621, in Wiveliscombe, sister of Ambrose Webber, who m. (1628) Jerrith Potter, and Alice Webber, who m. Henry Edney, on 12 Apr. 1635, of the family of Elizabeth Edney, who m. Robert Bennett, farher of the said Elianor Bennett, etc., 10 Jul. 1558.

1.2.1. Thomas Harris, m. Judith Blake, 20 Nov. 1623, at Wivelscombe. To make this association clear, and to repeat: he was the second-cousin of (1) Anne Bennett, b. 1641, who m., 1st, Theodorick Bland of Westover; their son, Theodorick Bland (born 1663) m. Margaret Mann; their son, John Bland (born 8 Dec. 1698), m. Ann West; (2) Elizabeth Bennett, sister-in-law of Matilda Scarborough, who m. Lt. Col. John West. Margaret Mann was probably a da. of Thomas Mann, who, with his wife, Elizabeth, sold 150 acres on Blackwater River to Theophilus Joyner, adjoining property owned by William Mayo and (his br.-in-law) Bridgeman Joyner. (Will of Thomas Harris, d. 1688: ‘my sonne William Harris to live with Bridgeman Joyner seven years.
1.2.1.1. John Harris, d. 1687, m. Unity …
1.2.1.1.1. Elizabeth Harris, m. Samuel, son of Robert Lancaster Sr. and Sarah, widow of 2nd husband Richard Bennett Sr., d. 1710. B. 5, p. 224: Henry Baker deceased, estate dated 27 April 1701. Witnesses: Robert Lancaster Sr., Nicholas Sessoms, whose da. was Mary Blake, wife of William Blake.
1.2. Joan Harris, m. Thomas Smale (Smalle/Small), 16 Jan. 1594, Milverton.

Generally, most people married those that lived within walking distance.

There are obviously cousinship associations with the Harris family of Cheddar/Wedmore.

copyright m stanhope 2017