1. Joseph Bridger (April 29, 1631 – April 15, 1686), m. a dau. of Robert Pitt, of Bristol, and Hester Stevens (Stephens). He is bur. in St Luke’s Church, 4 miles south of Smithfield, VA., the oldest existing ‘English’ Church in America, which members of the Driver family helped to complete. (Giles Driver was a headright of Thomas Harris, d. 1672).

Joseph Bridger’s Will was proved May 8, 1686, bequesting 850 ac. formerly belonging to Capt. Upton and 300 ac. formerly belonging to Mr. Seward. The location of this land is identified in the Will of his son, William Bridger, rec. March 9, 1705 – 170 ac. in the Upper Parish between the land of Thomas Tooke (associated with Thomas Harris, d. 1672), Francis England, and Thomas Blake; cousin of Thomas Harris, d. 1672 (whose sons inherited adjacent land), and Edward Brantley (B. 2, p. 73); headright of John Seward, merchant, of Bristol.

Edward Brantley (who witnessed Will of Thomas Harris, d. 1672), or his wife, had connections to the Moore family of Bristol: June 21, 1665. Samuel Elbridge, merchant of Bristol. Dying intestate, adm. requested by Thomas Moore who m. the relict. Security: George Moore (br. of Thomas) and “… Brantlie”, p. 10. George Moore’s dau., Ann Moore, m. Thomas White; their dau., Avis, m. John Harris, son of Robert Harris, son of Thomas Harris, d. 1688. The Elbridge and Moore families were engaged in the Jamaica sugar trade

Rowland Searchfield released Col. Joseph Bridger of Virginia from all claims of three-eighths of a cargo of wines etc. shipped on the Success of London (master William Goodland) in 1654, to Virginia, in the presence of William Scott, Thomas Harris, Christopher Pitt, James Bridger. William Reaper. (Bristol Record Office, Depositions). Thus, the witnesses, as partners, accounted for the remaining five eighths.

Joseph Bridger and William Scott were noted as being engaged in the Virginia trade here: Shippers by the Unicorn bound from Bristol for Virginia: Richard Finch, Roger Nevill, David Parry, James Millard, Richard Harris, Richard Bickham, John Boucher, William Scott, Joseph Bridger. (PRO E190/829/9). Joseph Bridger also traded from other south coast ports, such as Portsmouth and Southampton, and was a link to families of this vicinity and Virginia.

William Scott, mariner, d. in 1686. He had m. Hester Jones, dau. of Henry Jones, of Gloucester (C 6/133/202/C 8/58/119), and held property in Westbury upon Trym in 1662 (C 8/318/237), and Thornbury in 1649 (C 10/36/87). William Scott was the father of a namesake, the father of John Scott, who m. Joan Tooke (dau. of James Tooke, son of Thomas Tooke); their son, James Tooke Scott, m. Christian Norsworthy, dau. of Col. George Norsworthy, son of Tristram Norsworthy, of Newport Parish, and Sarah Pitt, dau. of Lt. Colonel John Pitt, and Olive Hardy, dau. of John Hardy (the probable br. of the father-in-law of Edward Harris, d. 1677), George Hardy. Olive Hardy was the relict of Giles Driver, headright of Thomas Harris, d. 1672; this Thomas being the cousin of Edward, d. 1677.

Thomas Harris, d. 1672, held 1,000 ac. in Nansemond in 1658, which was “by him deserted” and granted anew on July 6, 1668 to Joseph Bridger. (W&MQ, vol. 7, no. 4, 1899).

John Scott, son of William Jr., witnessed a deed of March 26, 1711 (with William Bridger, son of Joseph Bridger Sr.), whereby John and Thomas Harris of the Upper Parish, sons of Thomas, d. 1672, divided the land they held in jointure, that being 250 ac. inherited from their father, and 115 ac. they had acquired from Joseph Bridger. These lands were on the N. side of the Ashen Swamp (adjoining “Dry Bridge Branch”); near the head and on W. side of Seward’s Creek. The 250 ac. had been given to Thomas Harris by his father-in-law, Francis Hobbs, and had been held by Nathaniel FLoyd, Nov. 20, 1637, the first husband of Francis Hobb’s wife. These lands were near those of Col. Bacon. John Elbridge sued John Scott on April 3, 1696 in Charles City.

1.1. Joseph Bridger Jr., 1656-1713.
1.2. Hester Bridger, m. George Williamson.
1.2.1. Ann Williamson, m. John Boykin, son of William Boykin, son of Edward Boykin and Ann Gwaltney, dau. of William Gwaltney, son of Thomas Gwaltney and Mary, “widow of Thomas Atkinson”.
Thomas Gwaltney, witnessed the will of James Took, recorded Feb. 2, 1662, p. 4. Thomas Pittman m. Mary, widow of (1) Thomas Atkinson, (2) Thomas Gwaltney, in 1666. Thomas Pittman, bapt. Dec. 24, 1613, in Wedmore, Somerset, deposed to be 63 Years of age on March 5, 1677, in Surry Co. Thomas Pittman, subsequently m. Lydia, relict of Samuel Judkins, and mother of Charles Judkins Sr., who m. Jane Harris, relict of … Jones, dau. of Thomas Harris, d. 1688.

By her first husband, Mary had issue: John Atkinson, who m. Ann Holliman (dau. of Christopher Holliman); their issue: John Atkinsson Jr., who m. Elizabeth Ezell, dau. of Michael Tooke and Elizabeth Tooke, dau. of William Tooke, son of James Tooke. John Atkinsson Jr. and Elizabeth Ezell had issue: Amos Atkinson, who m. a dau. of Charles Judkins Jr.

Christopher Holliman’s great-grandson, Josiah Holliman, m, Ann White, niece of Avis White, who m. John Harris, son of Robert, son of Thomas, d. 1688. Josiah Holliman witnessed the Will of the said Robert Harris, d. 1740. Christopher Holliman was the husband of Mary Gray; half-sister of Alice Watson, wife of George Truitt.

William Gwaltney, son of Mary and Thomas, m. Alice Flake, dau. of Robert Flake Jr. and Margaret Marriott. William was the nephew of Thomas Carter (m. to a dau. of Mary and Thomas); their son Thomas Carter Jr, m. Magdalen Moore. George Moore (grandfather of Avis White, aforesaid) in consideration of marriage between Thomas Carter and Magdalen, dau. of said George Moore, gives Thomas Carter 400 ac. out of my dividend of 1400 ac. on Blackwater Swamp, patent to Moore, May 12, 1669. August, 1673. George Moore appraised the estate of George Bechinoe, son of Edward, p. 33, who appraised the estate of Edward Harris, d. 1677.

1. Richard Harris, m. Eleanor Bennett, Oct. 8, 1594, in Wiveliscombe
2. Thomas Harris, m. Judith Blake, Nov. 20, 1623, in Wivelscombe
3. Thomas Harris, d. 1672.
4. Thomas Harris. (No proof that it was his line ending in heirs female). Some would have him as:
5. Thomas Harris, d. 1688, whose son was Thomas, d. 1729/30: Thomas Harris 290 ac. IOW, on the Maherin River and both sides of Herbert’s Branch adj. Edward Brantley (son of Phillip and Joyce Lewis), and William Simmons line, March 24, 1725. Edward Brantley’s son, John, m. the widow of Thomas Harris, Hannah Judkins.
2. Edward Harris of St. Dunstan in the East, London, merchant, aged 45, named in the Hubberday v. Penniston court case of 1641, which stated he received tobacco from Virginia with Captain Thomas Cornwallis, associate of Richard Bennett. Edward held land patented by his cousin, Richard Bennett, on Nov. 4, 1642. This was adj. land held by Wm. Newsome, April 6, 1653, p. 51.
4. Edward Harris, d. 1677, m. Martha Hardy. (No proof of issue).
4. Thomas Harris, d. 1677, tobacco associate of kinsman, John Bland, br. of Theoderick Bland, husband of Ann Bennett, great-niece of Elenor Bennett.
2. Richard Harris: To repeat: Joseph Bridger and William Scott were noted as being engaged in the Virginia trade here: Shippers by the Unicorn bound from Bristol for Virginia: Richard Finch, Roger Nevill, David Parry, James Millard, Richard Harris, Richard Bickham, John Boucher, William Scott, Joseph Bridger. (PRO E190/829/9).

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