CNIDR Isearch-cgi 1.20.06 (File: 263)

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Subject: COLONIAL FAMILIES
From: Patrick Payne - papayne@mindspring.com
To: Bristol_and_Somerset-L@rootsweb.com
Date: Tue, 25 May 1999
Message-Id: - 199905251638.MAA09874@smtp3.mindspring.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hello List,

I need some assistance in locating source information on several West Country families during the 16th and 17th centuries. Perhaps continuing much earlier than that. They had connections in several parts of the kingdom, including Bristol and Somerset.

These families were mostly Royalists of the Civil Wars, gentry, adventurers of the various company's of London, several had connections to the Isle of Jersey in the Channel Islands, and most had connections in London and in Ireland.

I can trace these families through records fairly well from Jersey to the West Country, where they became involved in the settling America with the likes of CABOT, DRAKE, HAWKINS, RALEIGH, ROLFE, FERRAR, WEST, BERKELEY, MAINWARRING, etc... Given the fact that these men were all adventurers and merchants, it's not so unusual that I find them associating together. What is unusual is that I also find them all marrying together and forming a large business network that reaches to Newfoundland and Roanoke in the 16th century, and on to Jamestown, Plymouth, Maryland, and the Island colonies in the 17th and beyond. I find some of these families together for literally hundreds of years.

I know I cannot be so fortunate as to be the first person to realize these interactions between these families. Yet, I also cannot find (in two years of research) sources that have any detail on them. I feel I have probably read some of the better known sources for such information- "Adapting to a New World" by Horn; "Albions Seed" by Fischer; "Records of the Virginia Company of London", "Adventurers of Purse and Person", etc... and while they are all fine works that often allude to the fact that these networks were established, the details are lacking.

For some examples, I can find mounds of information on the voyages of Cabot, Drake, Hudson, and others. But I cannot find sources that name the crews. There are volumes written about how men like Lord Berkeley and Lord De La Warr (Thomas WEST) recruited people for the colonies. But they don't detail how their family (and those allied to it) were also involved and made the trip too- or who those people were for that matter.

Surely there has to be some better sources out there? I'm struggling with more history than I can swallow as this network involved so many prominent figures in English and American history. They had their hands in so many things and in each of those "things", can be found the names of many of the others! The Civil Wars are a good examples of that. In most accounts of the War, these names stand out. A Col. John PAYNE is said to have led Charles II in his escape after the Battle of Worcester. Then many of the kings captains were these men of the West Country. The PAYN's of Jersey were also Royalists who defended at Elizabeth Castle. Sir RALEIGH was governor of Jersey from 1600-1603 and as I've said, many of these other families also had ties to Jersey. There are simply to many coincidences between them to count (although I am TRYING!).

Perhaps these were poor examples, but I have plenty of others if you'd care to read about them. Please feel free to visit my site and click around on the links. You'll have to register for a password however. The site is at

click here - visit my web site at:
http://papayne.rootsweb.com

I welcome any discussion on the topic from others who have encountered this situation or anyone that can provide some additional background. I'm available anytime as I rarely sleep these days it seems :-} I've provided a partial list below of the names, places, and ships, I am particularly interested in. These names represent the extent of the web this network weaved throughout England and America.

If you recognize any of these names and can provide any details, please do so. For the most part, I have not had time to check into any of them as I have been so busy with other aspects of research. The WEST family I think is going to be significant to my genealogy- so I'd love to hear from WEST researchers! If you want more details on an individual, you can visit my site above and run a search for them in the "research room" linked at the top of the main page.

TOP Names from my PAYNE time line through 1650 include: JOHNSON, YARDLEY, SMITH, MARTIN, STONE, THOMPSON, RUSSELL, COLE(S), ANDREWES, COOPER, BALL, FISHER, KING, FRITH, SEWALL, ROUSBY, CARY, HAWES, BENNETT, JAMES, CALVERT, BURLEY, ALLEN, PALMER, BROWN, WALKER, LEE, HALE, ALDINGTON, TOKELEY, BULLOCKE, EVANS, PRESTON, COULSON, HARRIS, WILLIAMS, TALBOT, MILLER, MANWARRING, HILL, HUTCHINS, ROBERTS, MUDD, MEDCALFE, BRAYNE, STEVENS, BUTLER, REYNOLDS, THOROUGHGOOD, WITHERS, DAVIES, CONWAY, ELTONHEAD, THACKER, HAWKINS, WEST, FLEETE, ROBINSON, JENNINGS, ROLFE, RALEIGH, TAYLOR, WINSLOW

Top Place Names I am interested in include: DEVON, DUBLIN, GALWAY, MIDDLESEX, GLOUCESTER, BEDFORDSHIRE, HUNTINGDONSHIRE, LONDON, STEPNEY PARISH, WAPPING, BRISTOL, KINGS-CAPLE, JERSEY, IRELAND, NEWFOUNDLAND, RATCLIFFE, ST. BOTOLPH'S ALGATE, CRUTCHED FRIARS, NORFOLK, GRAVESEND, DUNKIRK, ST. PAUL-SHADWELL, COURTENHALL, NORWICH, EXETER, SOUTHAMPTON, BARTON & DUDSON, WHETENHURST WHITMER, ARLINGHAM & STONEHOUSE, LINTON, HEREFORD, RODBOROUGH, RANDWICKE, SAPTON, BISLEY & HUNTLEY, CAMBRIDGE, STOWE, STOWE, CHRISTCHURCH, YORK, ST. DUNSTANS, LITTLE ALL HALLOWS, REDIRTH, SURREY, IPSWICH, ST. CHRISTOPHER'S, MAIDSTONE, KENT, PAINSWICK, PUCKERIDGE, IVINGO, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Top Ship Names I am interested in include: MARY, SPEEDWELL, HOPEWELL, THOMAS & JOHN, TRUELOVE, ROBERT & JOHN, DEFENCE, JOHN & DOROTHY, SUSAN & HELLEN, WILLIAM & MARY, SAMPSON, RAINBOW of FAVERSHAM, OXFORD, JAMES, SOUTHAMPTON, MERCY, PEMBROKE, HODGSON, MARY ANNE of SOUTHWOLD, EAGLE, CONCORD, FORTUNE, AUGUSTIN, MARY ANNE of SUNDERLAND, RICHARD & ELIZABETH, ARK & DOVE, MERCHANT BONAVENTURE, SCEPTRE, CONSTANT MATHEW, KING of PRUSSIA, JOSEPH & BENJAMIN, FINCASTLE, SEAFLOWER (of BRIGHTON), JULYFLOWER (of BRIGHTON), GILLYFLOWER, TRANSPORT of LONDON, THOMAS of ROCHESTER, MARY of IPSWICH, MARGARET, PHOENIX, UNITY, ELIZABETH (aka OLD LEAMANN), SANTA CLARA, ISAAC of SOUTHWOLD, DILLIGENCE, GASPEE, HERO, JENNY, LIBERTY, ELIZABETH & KATHERINE, BETTY, KATHERINE, CHARLES, RETURNE, GLOBE, BETSY, THOMAS & FRANCIS, FOX, DUKE of ARGYLL, RESOLUTION, ANDROMEDA, BLESSING, QUEEN of SWEDEN, MALAGA MERCHANT

Regards,
Patrick Payne - http://papayne.rootsweb.com

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