Most associations in early Virginia of English settlers were of an ancient nature, whether known or not, reaching back to early medieval times, when land was held of the Crown in exchange for military service, and the vassals of the major lords, in their turn, swore fealty to them: “I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the lord, never cause him harm and will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit”. These vassals were mostly, in some way, ‘related’ to their lord’s family. For them, to have a son or daughter marrying a younger son or daughter of their lord was a great advance up the ladder of enhancement and survival. In latter times, an example of this was the family of Sir Peter Newton, sheriff of Shropshire, intermarrying with the Corbets and Cornwalls, with collateral advantage following to William Adams when marrying an heiress of the Newtons.

These notes mostly concern his family, and their ongoing relationship, from Ludlow to Virginia, with a family of Harris, both being very well ‘connected’ to the lordship class.

ADAMS

1. William Adams, of Longdon, Shropshire, m. Margaret, dau of Urian St. Pier, of Cheshire.
1.1. John Adams of Pontesbury, Shropshire, m. Jane, dau. of Hugh Mascott, of Pontesbury, Salop.
1.1.1.William Adams of Pontesbury and Longdon (20 mls fr. Ludlow), m. a dau of Francis Worley, of Dodford, Northants.
1.1.1.1. Thomas Adams, and Elizabeth, dau. of Richard Higgons, of Longdon. (Treswell, Vincent: The Visitation of Shropshire, 1623, vol. 1, pp. 12-13.).
1.1.1.1.1. John Adams. Recovery: 1. Richard Lane, Thomas Brocton, gentilman, John Adams, gentilman, William Langford, Thomas Barrett, and William Lane. 2. Richard Dodmore. 7 messuages, 6 gardens, 60 acres of land, 8 acres of meadow, and 14 acres of pasture with the appurtenances in Ludlow, Diddlesbury and Halton. 1514. (Shrop. Arch., 20/6/150).
1.1.1.1.2. William Adams, of Longdon, m. Eleanor Jennyns, cousin of Eleanor Jennyns, b. ca. 1500, who m. Richard Harris, b. ca. 1495. (See as follows).
1.1.1.1.2.1. Thomas Adams ((b. ca. 1520, d. 1580), m. Ursula, dau. of Thomas Newport, of High Ercall.
1.1.1.1.2.1.1. Francis Adams.
1.1.1.1.2.1.2. Thomas Adams, d.s.p. Bond. Fras Cressett* of Stanton Lacy, gent., is bound to Thos Canlande of Ludlow, mercer, in 40 marks conditioned on Fras’ paying Thos £17 9s. S.: F. Cressett. Witnesses: Thomas Adams, John Candland. 1583. (Shrop. Arch. 5460/8/1/1).
1.1.1.1.2.1.3. William Adams, m. Ann Newton,* as follows.

CORBET

1. Roger Corbet (d. 1468), Sheriff of Shropshire, m. Elizabeth Hopton.
1.1. Richard Corbet (d. 1493), m. Elizabeth Devereux , dau. of Sir Walter Devereux, 1st Lord Ferrers of Chartley, who m., in 1494, (2) Sir Thomas Leighton, Sheriff of Shropshire. . Sir Thomas Leighton m. (1) Ann, dau. of Roger Barker; having issue: Margaret Leighton, who m. John Harris. (See as follows).
1.2. Jane Corbet (aunt of Maud Chalmondly), m. (2) Thomas Cressett, Esq.; estate probated on April 12, 1524.
1.2.1. Elizabeth Cressett, m. Adam Lutley, whose sister, Joyce Lutley, m. John Holland Sr., enfeoffed in Lamberhurst, Kent, father of John Holland Jr., of Lamberhurst, who m. Mary Barham; having issue: David Holland, who m. Anne Burton; their elder son, John Holland (PAR/498/37/14. Oct. 23, 1654), being John Holland of Nansemund, father of Michael Holland of Goochland.
1.2.1.1. Robert Lutley, of Burwarton, m. Mary Holland, dau. of Francis Holland, whose br., Thomas Holland of Burwarton, was the husband of Alice Cocke, second-cousin of Richard Cocke of Bremo, bapt. Dec. 13, 1597 at Sidbury, Shropshire; obit. Bremo Bluff, Henrico, 1665, whose son, Thomas, was named as a friend in the Will of Major William Harris. (‘Colonial Wills’, 1677-92, p. 68).
1.2.2. Thomas Cressett, m. Elizabeth, dau. of Edmund Cornwall.
1.2.2.1. *Francis Cressett.

1.3. Sir Robert Corbet (d. April 11, 1513), m. Elizabeth, dau. of Sir Henry Vernon and Ann, dau. of John Talbot, 2nd Earl Shrewsbury and Elizabeth, dau. of James ‘the White Earl’ Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond and Elizabeth Beauchamp.
1.3.1. Sir Reginald Corbet (b. ca. 1512 – Nov. 19, 1566), m. Alice, dau. of John Gratewood, of Wollerton, and Jane (dau. of Thomas Hill, of Malpas), sister of Elizabeth, wife of John Barker, of Wollerton.
1.3.1.1. Richard Corbet, m. Ann, dau. of Sir Thomas Bromley, Lord Chancellor.
1.3.1.2. Margaret Corbet, m. Sir Humphrey Lee, 1st Baronet of Langley.
1.3.1.3. Mary Corbett (b. ca. 1550), m. Francis Newton.*

CORBET AND NEWTON

1.4. Elizabeth Corbet (aunt of Elizabeth Cresset), m. Sir Richard Cholmondeley.
1.4.1. Maud Cholmondeley (cousin of Elizabeth Cresset, sister-n-law of Joyce Lutley), m. Sir Peter Newton, b. ca. 1470, sheriff of Shropshire in 1523, bur. under an altar tomb within St. Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury.
1.4.1.1. Arthur Newton, m. Eliza, dau. of Sir Thomas Cornwall, Baron of Burford.
1.4.1.2. Thomas Newton, b. ca. 1500.
1.4.1.3. John Newton (b. ca. 1510), m. Eliza, dau. of Gruff. Hinton.
1.4.1.3.1. *Francis Newton (b. ca. 1540), sheriff of Shropshire in 1602, m. Mary, dau. of Reginald Corbet, third son of Sir Robert Corbet, of Moreton. Reginald Corbet’s sister, Anne, m. William Leighton, of Plash, Chief Justice of North Wales.

NEWTON AND ADAMS

1.4.1.3.2. *Ann Newton (b. ca. 1550), third dau., m. William Adams (bur. July 13, 1576, in Ludlow), son of Thomas Adams (b. ca. 1520, d. 1580, and Ursula, dau. of Thomas Newport, of High Ercall.Thomas Adams was a son of William Adams, of Longdon, and Eleanor Jennyns; son of Thomas Adams, and Elizabeth, dau. of Richard Higgons, of Longdon; br.of Elizabeth Adams, wife of Thomas Sherer.
1.4.1.3.2.1. Thomas Adams, gent, of Ludlow, b. ca. 1575.
1.4.1.3.2.1.1. Thomas Adams, b. ca. 1610, m. Jane ..
1.4.1.3.2.1.1.1. Francis Adams, ‘s. Thomas Adams and Jane’, bapt. May 22, 1636, in Ludlow. Edward Scott of Richards Castle gent., Jane his wife, Thomas Pyngle of Ludlow gent and Joyce his wife TO Richard Scott of Shrewsbury draper. Witnesses to Thomas Pyngle: William Adams, Francis Adams, William Adams, Margaret Adams. 1656. (Shrop. Arch., 484/230).
1.4.1.3.2.1.2. William Adams, bapt. Jan. 26, 1616.
1.4.1.3.2.1.2.1. Thomas Adams , bapt. April 19, 1642, in Ludlow.
1.4.1.3.2.1.2.1.1. Robert Adams,* b. ca. 1680, d. 1740, in Fredericksville, Goochland, m. Mourning Lewis,* in 1712.
1.4.1.4. Charles Newton.
1.4.1.4.1. Jane, third dau., m. Roger Bromley, brother of Chief Justice Bromley. (See William Valentine Lloyd, sheriffs of Montgomeryshire, pp. 264-265, 1876).

continued:

ADAMS AND HARRIS

1.1.1.1.2. William Adams, of Longdon, m. Eleanor Jennyns, cousin of Eleanor Jennyns, b. ca. 1500, who m. Richard Harris, b. ca. 1495.

(1. John Harris,* b. ca. 1475, m. Margaret Leighton, b. ca. 1491, dau. of Sir Thomas Leighton and his first wife, Anne Barker; his second being Elizabeth Devereux.
2. Richard Harris, b. ca. 1508, m. Eleanor Jennyns, dau. of Thomas Jennyns, of Wallybone, Shropshire.
3. John Harris, esq. (of Cruckton), b. ca. 1532, m. Eleanor, dau. Thomas Prowde, of Shrewsbury.
4. Rowland Harris, of Ludlow, b. ca. 1560, d. 1605, m. (Sept. 14, 1595), Jane Langford, bapt. Oct. 10, 1567.

1. She m. (2) Edward Lewis.
1.1. William Lewis, m. (Aug. 21, 1634), Anne Lutley, of Burwarton, dau. of Robert Lutley and Mary Holland. Robert Lutley was the nephew of Joyce Lutley, who m. John Holland Sr., enfeoffed in Lamberhurst, Kent, father of John Holland Jr., of Lamberhurst, who m. Mary Barham; having issue: David Holland, who m. Anne Burton; their elder son, John Holland (see PAR/498/37/14. Oct. 23, 1654), being John Holland of Nansemund, father of Michael Holland of Goochland.
1.1.1. William Lewis, bapt. March 16, 1661, in Diddlebury, m. Elizabeth, dau. of Robert Woodson, Sr. of Henrico Co.
1.1.1.1. *Mourning Lewis, m. *Robert Adams.

5. John Harris, bapt. March 5, 1604, m. (Mary Holland, bapt. Sept. 11, 1608, Ludlow, dau. of Roger Holland and Eleanor Lewis, who m. Jan. 13, 1598, Ludlow. Roger Holland was probably a younger son of Thomas Holland and Alice Cocke, second-cousin of Richard Cocke of Bremo (whose son was a “friend” of Major William Harris
6. Major William Harris, bapt. Jan. 13, 1627, Ludlow. On June 22, 1663, acquired 450 ac. in Henrico County, on the north side of the James River, to a 4 mile creek, called by name “the Slashes”, adj. to Daniel Llewellin, E. upon the Malverne Hills plantation of Richard Cocke, p. 304.
7. William Harris (b. ca. 1675), was involved in the determination of the lands of Thomas Langford, descendant of Jane Langford’s br., Feb. 26, 1731. (Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 214-215).
8. George Harris, bapt. April 13, 1701, in St Pauls Parish; a Vestry meeting there in 1719 connecting him to the lands of George Alvis, who had married the widow of Major William Harris.
9. William Harris (b. ca. 1725), of Wolf Swamp, St. Martins Parish, Hanover Co., probably m. a dau. of Mathew or John Graves.
10. George Harris (b. ca. 1750), m. Sarah Hudson. He was the cousin of Adam Graves, who m. a granddau. of Michael Holland.

1. John Graves Sr., m. Elizabeth. John and Elizabeth Graves, of Goochland, sell 400 ac. on Ballenger’s Creek to William Barnett, May 28, 1737.
1.1. Matthew Graves, bapt. Oct. 23, 1710, St. Peter’s Parish, m. Sussanah, dau. of *Robert Adams (D.B. 4, p. 118).
1.2. John Graves, m. Lucy, dau. of Robert Adams (ibid. p. 248) and Mourning Lewis.
1.2.1. Adam Graves, m. Martha Holland, dau of John Holland, son of Michael Holland, and was born April 8, 1745, in St. James Northam Parish, Goochland Co.
1.2.2. … Graves, b. ca. 1735, m. William Harris of Wolf Swamp, it is suggested.
1.2.2.1. George Harris (b. ca. 1750), m. Sarah Hudson. He was the probable cousin of Adam Graves, who m. a granddau. of Michael Holland.
1.2.2.1.1. Graves Harris (b. ca. 1775)), m. Elizabeth Baldwin, dau. of John Baldwin Jr. July 22, 1797. (See previous notes).

These Harris were not the only descendants of the Shropshire Harris in such as Hanover Co., but such a view opposes that which makes the Thomas Harris who d. in 1688 in Virginia the ‘Moses’ of all Harris in America – an absurdity.

It was about relationships in A being continued in relationships in B.

Survival through allegiance.

copyright m stanhope 2021