Armies conquer lands. An army is composed of battalions. They are composed of individuals, of all ranks: the foot soldiers of the great army of life, the sergeants and captains; the majors and generals. Thus it was in Virginia, colonised by an army of kinship groups; different battalions, which sought to further the interest of families from which they were composed, of various ranks; the lower to perpetually plan to intermarry with the higher; a deadly game of Darwinian survival.

In the swampy lands of Somerset, an island of families, that were deeply interbred, with everyone being each others cousin of various degree, combined; to seek a new life in a New World.

That this was so is evidenced by the genealogical principle of repetition of association, which shows such families as the Bynums and their kin being associated in both England and Virginia:

1. John Benham/Bainham (Bynum), bur. Sept. 1, 1601, in Wiveliscombe, Somerset.
1.1. Phillip Benham, m. Ellinor, 4 July 4, 1560. He was buried November 16, 1573.
1.1.1. Thomas Benham, bapt. June 7, 1566.
1.1.1.1. Richard Benham, as register entry, the father of:
1.1.1.1.1. James Benham, bapt. 2 Nov., 1639, in Wiveliscombe. The association between James Bynum and Luke Mizel was probably one of being neighbours, others of which, with James Bynum, appraised Luke Mizel’s estate.
1.1.1.1.1.1. William Bynum, m. Mary Fort. He witnessed the will of his father-in-law John Fort (1), on October 21, 1724, in Surry Co. In 1730, he witnessed Mary Fort’s discharge of dower in land conveyed by her husband, John Fort, Jr. to Davis Hopper on the Moratock in Bertie Precinct. (Bertie Co. D.B. C, p. 252). Mary Fort was the da. of John Fort and Elizabeth Jordan, named in her father’s Will of 24 Sept. 1695 as Elizabeth Fort, da. of Richard Jordan Jr., son of Richard Jordan Sr.
(Edward Bennett (uncle of Thomas Harris of Wiveliscombe, as follows), was associated with Christopher Reynolds Sr., who emigrated to Virginia as his indentured servant. B. 1, pp. 46-8: “Imprimis: I give and bequeath unto my son Christopher Reynolds Jr. all my land on the southerly side of the Freshest swamp that Richard Jordan (his son-in-law, who m. da. Elizabeth Reynolds) now liveth upon”).
1.1.1.1.1.1.1. William Bynum, m. Mary Crocker, January 13, 1762, Southampton Co., da. of Benjamin Crocker and Sarah Barrow. Benjamin Crocker was the son of Robert Crocker, as named in his will, recorded January 10, 1750, and uncle of Joseph Crocker, whose Will was recorded February 5, 1761, appraised by Thomas Holliman, who m. Catherine Lancaster, da. of Elizabeth Harris (2) and Samuel Lancaster. Catherine Lancaster was the sister of Martha Lancaster, who m. John Holliman, son of Christopher Holliman Jr., on September 25, 1739. (Families of Holman, Pittman, and Tooke were intermarried in Somerset).
1.1.1.1.1.2. John Bynum. On September 29, 1679, he sold to Richard Jordan Sr. the land he had purchased from George Blow.
1.1.1.1.1.2.1. William Bynum, married Elizabeth (Sugars) Fort, the widow of Mary Fort’s first-cousin, Elias Fort, and the da. of John Sugars. She left a will in Southampton Co. proved July 3, 1773, naming:
1.1.1.1.1.2.1.1. William Bynum. His estate was audited by Cordall Norfleet, on June 10, 1770. He m. Elizabeth Wilkinson, sister of John Wilkinson: John Fort of Halifax Co, N.C. to mother Elizabeth Bynam, dated November 28, 1761 Given slaves. S: John Fort, W: John Wilkinson, John Dawson, and Joseph Everitt, (p. 129). John Wilkinson and John Person audited the estate of John Jones, recorded May 8, 1760, and John Wilkinson gave guardian bond on March 8, 1759 for John Chitty, orphan of Edward. Harris Taylor and Robert Crafford gave security. (At the January Court, Margaret Tayler “administratrix of the estate of Edward Tayler deced being returned arrested at the suit of Robert Crafford being called and not appearing nor any security returned, judgment is therefore granted the said Crafford for L5.6.6”. (Surry Co., B. 6, p. 111). (For Margaret Taylor, see as follows).
John Person was the son of John Person Jr., given here: Susanha Jones: leg. “husband Arthur Jones, my father Henry King”. Wit. John Person, Richard Bennett, Jr., John Person, Jr., Richard Jones. Recorded May 13, 1713. John Person Jr. patented 740 ac. in Surry County at the mouth of the Great Branch in or near Mr. Owen’s line (B. 7., p. 376). He was the br. of Francis Person, who m. Mary Turner. da. of Simon Turner, whose Will was probated on December 10, 1762, naming his granddaughter Lucy Persons, who would seem to be the daughter of Francis and Mary Persons, who, if this was the case, must have predeceased her father.
1.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.1. John Bynum, m. Jennett Turner, da. of the said Simon Turner (W.B. 1, pp. 410-414).
1.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1. Turner Bynum.
1.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.2. Cordall Bynum.
1.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.3. Bennett Bynum.
1.1.1.1.1.2.1.2. Benjamin Bynum. He was a witness of the Will of Moses Crocker, recorded June 11, 1761. He m. (1758) Lucy Williamson, da. of Benjamin Williamson (W.B. 2, p. 469), a son being Britton Bynum. The Will of Robert Crocker names sons Benjamin, Moses and Joseph; grandson Elisha Crocker; daus. Elizabeth Jordan, Sarah Braswell, & Mary Middleton; housekeeper Mary Hill. Wit: William Bynum, John Jones, Alexander Watson. Rec. November 8, 1750. W.B. I, p. 19. Robert Crocker’s estate was appraised by William Bynum, John Harris, and Arthur Long, son of Arthur Long and Mary, probable da. of ‘Arthur Allen of Bristol, planter’. Catherine Lancaster, granddaughter of Elizabeth Harris, as follows, m. Joseph Crocker; Will R. 5 Feb. 1761.
1.1.1.1.1.2.1.3. Michael Bynum. His Will was probated in Southampton Co., on October 14, 1773.
1.1.1.1.1.2.1.4. Ann Bynum, m. Cordall Norfleet,the son of Joseph Norfleet, first-cousin of Marmaduke Norfleet, whose da., Elizabeth Norfleet, m. James Harris in Halifax Co, NC. He was the son of James Harris, Will proved January 10, 1749; son of Edward Harris (d. 1734) and Mary Turner (da. of John Turner and Mary Tomlin), son of Thomas Harris, d. 1688.

FORTE (Wiveliscombe)

1.
1.1.Thomas Forte.
1.1.John Forte, bapt. 2 Feb. 1567.
1.2. John Forte.
1.2.1. William Forte, bapt. 24 May 1576.
1.2.1.1. Richard Forte, bapt. 20 July 1597, m. Marie Tolmer, 25 Nov. 1622.
1.2.1.1.1. Francis Forte, bapt. 26 Aug. 1631, m. Mary Payne, 24 May 1655.
1.2.1.2. Agnes Forte, bapt. 30 Apr. 1608.
1.2.1.2.1. Marie Forte, m. John Deacon, 24 Mar. 1646.
1.2.1.2.1.1. Thomas Deacon, m. Mary Bennett, da. of Richard Bennett, b. 1625, granddaughter of Thomas Bennett, b. 1603, aforementioned.
1.2.1.3. George Forte, bapt. 19 Feb. 1604.
1.2.1.4. Henry Forte, bapt. 21 May 1614.
1.2.2. Robert Forte, m. Alice Lovell, 8 Aug. 1605; see as follows.
1.3. Christopher Forte.
1.3.1. Thomas Forte, bapt. 11 Nov. 1600, m. Emiline Baker, 1628. PROB 11/228/535: Will of Thomas Fort, husbandman of Wiveliscombe, 13 September 1653.
1.3.2. John Forte, bapt. 12 Dec. 1602.

Elias Forte was very likely to have been of this family. He was on a jury on Oct. 9, 1667, when he signed his mark on a document of a coroner’s jury investigating the death of William Persons, in IOW. The Westbrookes intermarried with the Persons – a John Westbrooke (4) m. Lucy Person, c. 1775, da. of Francis Person and Mary Turner, aforementioned.

HARRIS (Wiveliscombe)

1. William Harris, m. Dorothy Westbrooke, 31 Aug. 1562, in Wiveliscombe, Somerset.
1.1. Richard Harris, m. (8 Oct. 1594), Eleanor Bennett, of Wiveliscombe, sister of (1) Thomas Bennett, 1570-1616, who had issue: (a) Thomas Bennett, bapt. Nov. 11, 1603 at Wiveliscombe (father of Alice Bennett, who m. John Hardy. Nugent, C&P vol. 1, p. 569; their da., Lucy, m. Hodges Council; her sister m. Richard Jackson, their da., Mary Jackson, m. Capt. George Hardy, appraiser of the estate of Edward Harris, d. 1677); (b) Richard Bennett, Governor of Virginia. (2) Edward Bennett, baptised February 2, 1577, in Wivelscombe; later of of St Olave, Southwark, London, and Lawn’s Creek, Virginia. John Hardy m. 2. Alice Tucker, widow of Arthur Allen, the Bristol merchant, grandfather of James Allen, as follows.
1.1.1. William Harris, bapt. 28 Jan. 1595.
1.1.2. Richard Harris.
1.1.2.1. John Harris, bapt. 18 Feb. 1624, probably he who died in Virginia in 1687. m. Unity. He may have been the John Harris, headright in 1653 of Benjamin Brasseur, who bought a large tract of land from Richard Bennett Sr.
1.1.2.1.1. John Harris. On 9 Nov. 1708, Samuel Lancaster was granted the administration of the estate of John Harris, his probable brother-in-law.
1.1.2.1.2. Elizabeth Harris, m. Samuel, son of Robert Lancaster Sr. and Sarah, widow of her 2nd husband, Richard Bennett Sr., d. 1710. Samuel Lancaster gifted to son Robert 100 ac. on Blackwater Swamp in the upper parish, being the upper part of a patent for 350 ac. granted James Allen, aforesaid, on April 23, 1701.
1.1.2.2. William Harris; parish registers name is son:
1.1.2.2.1. William Harris, bapt. 13 Apr. 1657, Wiveliscombe, probably he who m. (2) the widow Margaret Taylor.
1.1.2.3. Thomas Harris, m. Judith Blake, 20 Nov. 1623, almost certainly he who died in Virginia in 1672. Thomas Harris was the cousin of Governor Richard Bennett, whose first wife was Anne, who was Charles Barham’s sister (see Douglas Richardson, ‘Plantagenet Ancestry’). Thomas Harris and Charles Barham were involved in the Will of William Ridley.
1.1.2.3.1. John Harris. William Groves, appraisal by John Harris, Edward Brantley, Elias Fort and Edward Grantham; recorded 9 Feb. 1678. (B. 2, p. 172).

TURNER (Wiveliscombe)

1. William Turner, m. Jane Rodney, 28 May 1612.
1.1. John Turner, bapt. 14 May 1618, f. William.
1.1.1. John Turner, d. aft. March 25, 1705, in IOW Co., m. Mary Tomlin, da. of Matthew Tomlin. Thomas Harris, d. 1688, placed his son, George, with John, whose spoken Will named named sons John, James, William, Joseph, and Simon; witnessed by Edward Harris, John Johnson, Jenkins Dorman, William Westray, and Mary Tomlin.

WESTBROOKE (Wiveliscombe)

1. John Westbrooke, m. Margarett Davie, 19 Sept. 1573. The Davie family intermarriages linked into the kinship network of the Harris, Person, and Forte families of Wiveliscombe.
1.1.John Westbrooke, m. Christian Gille, 9 June 1600.
1.1.1. John Westbrook, born 1601.
1.1.1.1. John Westbrooke, bapt. 16 Feb. 1623.
1.1.1.1.1. (probably) John Westbrooke, b. c. 1660. Westbrook, John – appraisal by Nathaniel Ridley (husband of Priscilla Applewhaite, and nephew of William, aforementioned), Edward Brantley and Thomas Cook; signed by John Person. R. Oct. 28, 1734. He m. Amy Foster, da. of Christopher Foster and Alice Forte, desc. of Elias Forte.

CROCKER

All records of Bishops Hull, other than where given otherwise:

1. John Crocker.
1.1. Thomas Crocker, bapt. 20 May 1604, m. Johan Burgan, 27 Aug 1627.
1.2.James Crocker, bapt. 27 Jun. 1606.
1.3. John Crocker, bapt. 3 Jul. 1608. m. Florence Templer, 24 Jul. 1631, Taunton.
1.3.1. John Crocker, m. Dorothy Persons (probably of the Persons family of Bishops Hull, 31 Dec. 1658. A number of their children died in infancy.
1.3.1.1. John Crocker, bapt. 22 Jul. 1670.
1.4. Joseph Crocker.
1.4.1. Samuell Crocker, bapt. 12 Mar. 1669.
1.4.1.1. Josepeh Crocker, bapt. 21 Jul. 1700.
1.4.1.2. Samuell Crocker, bapt. 4 May 1697.

LANCASTER/OWEN/PITT

Bruton 38 miles s.e. of Wiveliscombe. In 1563 there were 207 households in the parish:

1. Richard Lancaster, m. Margarett Barber, 22 Jun. 1573.
1.1.Thomas Lancater, bapt. 30 Dec. 1585, bur. 21 Aug. 1614.
1.1.1. Thomas Lancaster, bapt. 17 Aug. 1614; d. 6 Nov. 1660, m. Elizabeth Cleeves, 26 Oct 1641.
1.1.1.1. Richard Lancaster, bapt. 26 Feb. 1645.
1.1.1.1.1. Thomas Lancaster, Bapt. 3 September 1646.
1.1.1.1.1. William Lancaster, m. 18 Oct. 1659.
1.1.2. Robert Lancaster, b. c. 1615.
1.1.2.1. John Lancaster, 17 Nov 1639.
1.1.2.2. Robert Lancaster, of Virginia, it may be fairly presumed; of a family that were tenants of William Berkeley (born in 1605 in Bruton) Governor of Virginia.

In 1546, the lordship or manor of Bruton, together with the rectory, was sold to Sir Maurice Berkeley, who died in 1581 and was succeeded by his son, Sir Henry Berkeley, d. 1601, father (by his wife, Margaret Lygon, da. of William Lygon, esquire, of Madresfield, Worcestershire, by Eleanor Dennis), of Sir Maurice Berkeley, d. 1617, whose son, William Berkeley, was Governor of Virginia. * 2nd s. of Richard Berkeley of Stoke by Elizabeth, da. of Sir Humphrey Coningsby, m. by 1547, Catherine (d. Mar. 1560), da. of William Blount, 4th Lord Mountjoy, wid. of John Champernon.

An estate of Bruton, Redlynch, was bought by Sir Robert Gorges (d. 1648) of Bristol, a son of Sir Thomas Gorges of Longford, Wilts. Robert’s son, Pointz Gorges died while still a minor, and devised (1656) Redlynch to his mother Margaret, da. of Sir Robert Pointz.*

1. Sir Robert Poyntz, of Iron Acton, Sheriff of Gloucestershire, d. 4 Nov. 1520, m. Margaret Woodville, da. of Anthony Wydeville, 2nd Earl Rivers.
1.1, Sir Anthony Poyntz, of Iron Acton, Sheriff of Gloucestershire, 1480-1535, m. Elizabeth Huddersfield, da. of Sir William Huddersfield, and Katherine, da. of Sir Philip Courtenay.
1.1.1. A. Sir Nicholas Poyntz of Iron Acton, Sheriff of Gloucestershire, d. 1555, m. Joan Berkeley, da. of Thomas, 5th Lord Berkeley.
1.1.1.1. Sir Nicholas Poyntz, of Iron Acton, Sheriff of Gloucestershire, aged 21 years on his fathers’ death, 155S.
Sheriff of Gloucester 1569. Knight of the Shire 1571. Died at Iron Acton, 1st Sep. 1585. (Inq. p. m. 28th Elizabeth, Part 2, No. 81. His will made ” when he was about 50 years old”. (Bradenell, 42). He m. Anne Verney, da. of Sir Ralph Verney, of Penley.
1.1.1.1.1. Sir John Poyntz, of Iron Acton, aged 25 yrs. on his father’s death. Sheriff of Glouc. 1591. Knt. of the Shire 1592. Bur. at Iron Acton 29 Nov. 1633. Mar. four times — (1) Ursula, dau. of Sir John Sydenham, of Brimpton, co. Som., Knt., mar. settl. dated 16 July 1578. (2) Elizabeth Sydenham, da. of Alexander Sydenham, of Luxborough,
Som. (3) Frances, da. of John Newton, 2nd son of Sir John Newton, of Bans Court. (4) Grissell Roberts, da. of Walter Roberts, of Glassenbury, Kent, married 2 June 1600.
1.1.1.1.1.1. *Sir Robert Poyntz, of Iron Acton, Sheriff of Gloucestershire, bapt. 26 October 1588, d. 1666, m. (13 June 1604) Frances Gibbons, d. 1667, da. of Gervase Gibbons, of Benenden, Kent.
1.1.1.1.1.1.1. Margaret Poyntz, m. Sir Robert Gorges, d. 1648, of Bristol, aforesaid.
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1. Poyntz Gorges.
1.1.1.1.1.2. Nicholas Poyntz, b. 1607, d. 11 Feb. 1650, bur. in the Savoy, Lond; matric. from Magdalen Hall, Oxon, as son of Sir John Poyntz, 31st Jan. 1622, aet. 16. Living at Tickenham in 1646. He m. Eleanor, only child and heir of Rice Davis, of Tickenham, Som., by Mary Pitt, relict of Robert Owen (Robert ap Owen, of Abergwilli, Carmarthenshire, and a Bristol merchant), and 3rd wife of Rice (Rees) Davis. Married 1638. Mary Pitt was the mother of Robert Pitt, of Virginia. Rice Davis originated from Carmarthenshire, and was brother of “William Davies, of Carmarthenshire”, father of Richard Davis, Esq, of Tickenham, bapt. November 8, 1587, heir to his uncle, who m. Mary Owen, da. of Mary Pitt and Robert Owen, and sister of Robert Owen Jr., the very likely father of Bartholomew Owen. In Virginia, John Upton’s headright was Christopher Lewis, associated with Luke Mizell and Bartholomew Owen. On July 10, 1643, John Upton held 3289 ac. upon the branches of Pagan Point Creek and New Town Haven adj. Robert Pitt, cousin of the Owen family, as Eleonor Davis, wife of Nicholas Poyntz, half-br. of  Sir Robert Poyntz, of Iron Acton, Sheriff of Gloucestershire, and uncle of Margaret Poyntz, wife of Sir Robert Gorges, of Redlynch, in Bruton.

They all knew William Berkeley.

They all spoke a dialect that many other English settlers would not have understood. Tenant farmers for the most part, they understood animal husbandry, woodworking, and the making of cheese; ideally equipped in both knowledge and toughness for the tasks that lay ahead, which were mostly completed with a liitle help from their family and friends.

PROBATES:

PROB 11/73/206: Will of James Persons of Wiveliscombe, Somerset, 15 January 1589.
PROB 11/119/297: Will of Robert Westbrooke of Wiveliscombe, 28 March 1612.
PROB 11/271/223: Will of Lawrence Comer of Wiveliscombe, 4 December 1657.
PROB 11/118/430: Will of Joan Westbrooke, Widow of Wiveliscombe, 25 November 1611.
PROB 11/102/639: Will of Robert Bennet, Tanner of Wiveliscombe, 30 November 1603.
PROB 11/228/535: Will of Thomas Fort, Husbandman of Wiveliscombe, 13 September 1653.

copyright m stanhope 2017