Father of "Mary (Bayley) Holt B. abt. 1609 in Holland.
D. 1643 in Jamestown, James City, Colony of Virginia."
Biography
Jamestown Church Tower
John Bayley was a Jamestown colonist.
flag of the Jamestowne Society
John Bayley is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society
John Bayley was probably born prior to 1580 based on the birth of his daughter Mary and the family's presence in Holland. His parents and wife are not yet known. The Bayley family were Pilgrims (Separatists) who had fled religious persecution in England for Holland, the birth place of Mary. After spending about 10 years in Holland they arrived in the New World in 1618, when Mary was already 10 years old, and two years before the landing of the Mayflower. [1] The Pilgrims and Plymouth, Ma are synonymous so the thought of a Pilgrim settling in Jamestown may seem strange. However, John Bayley was not the first Pilgrim to settle in Virginia. One notable figure, Stephen Hopkins, had tried to settle in the New World 10 years earlier, in the Jamestown colony of Virginia. [2] History also records that Virginia and Jamestown were one of the first places that the separatists had thought would be the location of their new colony. [3]
John Bayley acquired land at eastern end of Jamestown Island prior to 1618. "At John's death (before February 20, 1620) his Virginia land descended to his daughter and sole heir, Mary, who was also an ancient planter. John Bailey reportedly brought five servants to Virginia on the William and Thomas in August 1618.[4]
Note: looking for connection to William Bayley, "Ancient Planter"
John's daughter and sole heir, Mary married Randall Holt who had arrived in Jamestown about 1621/23. He is listed in the 1624 census of Jamestown as a servant of Dr John Pott. Boddie says of Randall Holt, "He founded the fortune of his family by marrying Mary, daughter and sole heiress of John Bailey."[5]
John Bayley and daughter are designated as being "Ancient Planters" in the reference, "Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary" [6]
Bayley or Bailey
It seems evident when reviewing transcripts of Virginia documents from the period and location where Mary Bayley, her father, John Bayley and other Bayley family members lived that Bayley was the most common spelling used. No birth or christening records for Mary Bayley or her father John were found. In the absence of primary birth records, examples of his signature, existing public records (transcripts of census and land records) or derivative sources that cite original records of the period will be followed. Those records for the most part use the Bayley spelling of the surname and that spelling will be used to be consistent with most common usage. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
Note that the Jamestowne Society spells the surname "Bayly".[12]
Sources
↑ Ancestors of the Society: John Bayley
↑ 5 Things You May Not Know About the Pilgrims, NOVEMBER 19, 2012 By Beth Dunn. "History in the Headlines"
↑ Pilgrims
↑ Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, p. 100
↑ Southside Virginia Families, Vol. II, John Bennet Boddie, (c) ?, repr. by Clearfield Publ., Holt of Surry, p. 275-276
↑ "Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary, Martha W. McCartney,Genealogical Publishing Com, 2007, p 100."
↑ Virginia Land Grant: 1 Aug, 1643, James City County, Virginia. Title: Holt, Randall. available on microfilm; Virginia State Land Office, Patents 1-42. Reels 1-41
↑ Land Office Patents No 1. 1623-1643, (vol 1 and 2), p 990 (reel 1)
↑ Ancestors of the Society: John Bayley
↑ "Cavaliers and pioneers; abstracts of Virginia land patents and grants, 1623-1800", NELL MARION NUGENT, page 144
↑ Bayley Name Origins
↑ Jamestowne Sociaty: Bayly, John - A704; died ca. 1620 Jamestowne Island; (Ancient Planter). accessed 11 June 2020
See Also:
Find A Grave Memorial #103962825
Hotten's "Emigrants"
VA Mag. #25 Page/231 and 19 Page/237
Wm and Mary Quart., #10 Page/97
Charles Collier, Three Hundred Sixty Years Later (Rev. Aug. 1979)
