Capt. Henry Fleete

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Capt. Henry Fleete

Birthdate:
Birthplace: Chartham, Kent, England
Death: before May 08, 1661
White Stone, Lancaster County, Virginia
Place of Burial: 3, Lancaster County, VA, United States
Immediate Family:

Son of William Fleete and Deborah Fleete
Husband of Sarah Burden Fleete Walker Stone
Father of Col. Henry Fleete
Brother of Edward Fleete; Reginald Fleete; John Fleete; George Fleete; Charles Fleete and 1 other

Occupation: Maryland Legislator
Managed by: Charles W Lewis, II
Last Updated:

About Capt. Henry Fleete

Was burgess of Lancaster Co. VA in 1652


Henry FLEET married Sarah ? bef. 1661. He died bet. November, 1660 and 08 May 1661. Sarah ? was born bef. 1645. She died aft. 01 November 1672.

Children of Henry FLEET and Sarah ? are:

  • 1. Henry FLEET, b. bef. 1661

Henry Fleete was born about 1602 in Kent, England, and moved to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1621. Fleete was seized by the Anacostan Indians during a trading expedition and held for five years. He learned their language and after his release in 1627 became a negotiator for the Virginia and Maryland colonies. Fleete helped establish Maryland in 1634 and served in its General Assembly from 1635 to 1638, and in the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1652 to 1661. He established the boundaries of Lancaster County when it was created in 1651. In May 1661. Fleete died and was buried at his home here on Fleet's Island.

http://jamestownechesapeakebaycompany.com/Ancestor_Sketches_Of_Memb...


This is Captain Henry Fleete. Emigrated to Virginia in (October?) 1621 with his brothers John, Reginold and Edward and their uncle Sir Francis Wyatt, who later became governor of the colony. While the other three brothers settled eventually in Maryland, Henry settled in Virginia where he was a member of the House of Burgesses in 1652.

"One of the early explorers. On one adventure, the ship "Tiger" with Henry Fleete and 21 men was attacked on the Potomac River and Henry was taken prisoner by the Yawaccomoo-o Indians in 1623. He remained a captive until 1627 during which time he learned their language. He was ransomed and returned to England. Becoming a partner and agent for several London merchants he was engaged for years in the Indian Trade. He was an interpreter, trader and legislator in Maryland and finally settled at Fleet's Bay, Lancaster County, Virginia. He owned land in Virginia as early as 1629."

Rev.Bagby cites Campbell's "History of Virginia" as showing entries for Captain Henry Fleet dated 1634. The implication is that he was a K&Q settler in that year.

"Adventurers of Purse and Person, Vol. 1," (pp.971-2) says: Henry Fleete served as Burgess from Lancaster, 1652, as justice of the county, 1653 to his death, and as lieutenant colonel of the militia, Feb 1656/7/ Along with these services he continues to act as interpreter and mediator between the English and the Indians when trouble occurred. He died between 12 April 1660 when he was present at Lancaster court, and 8 May 1661 when his widow Mrs. Sarah Fleete was mentioned in the Lancaster Order Book. The will of his grandson, Henry Fleet, directed that a brick wall be built around the family burying ground.


While in England, Fleete married Sarah Burden, a widow and brought her to Virginia. They had one son, Henry Fleete." (p.66) He left his widow so well provided for that she could twice remarry respectably, first Col. John Walker, a member of the King's Council and later, Dr. John Stone. She could also send for her daughter in England, and bequeath young Henry (not yet of age) a deed of gift to all his father's lands. Even after remarriage she always signed her name on legal documents as "Widow Fleete". (pp.72-3)

"Adventurers of Purse and Person" Vol. 1, (p.972) has more: "Rather late in life Henry Fleete married a widow, Sarah ( ) Burden, who had a young daughter Mary Burden. Sarah married third, bef 28 Oct 1661, Col. John Walker of Gloucester County (died 1668/9) and had two daughters by him, Sarah Walker and Hester Walker, and married fourth, by 2 Nov 1672, Col John Stone, by whom she has no children. As Sarah Walker she left a will, 28 Jan 1668/9 - 29 Dec 1679." A footnote says: She named her son Henry, daughters Mary Burden,Sarah Walker and Hester Walker and Colonel Walker's six daughters.


Captain Henry Fleet was an early pirate/explorer who settled in Jamestown after voyaging on Lord Rich's ships, the Warwick and the Tiger, that sailed down the West African coast and to the West Indies in the 1620s and later. Upon his death, his widow, Sharin [SIC: Susan] Fleet married Lieutenant Colonel John Walker of Virginia and brought into that marriage a number of enslaved Africans, including Edward Mozinga (Mozingo).

References

Captain Henry Fleete imported Thomas Boase to the Virginia colony in 1656.

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Capt. Henry Fleete's Timeline

1602
1602
Chartham, Kent, England
1649
1649
Lancaster, Lancaster, Virginia, British Colonial America, Virginia
1661
May 8, 1661
Age 59
White Stone, Lancaster County, Virginia
????
3, Lancaster County, VA, United States