Capt. Jacob Whiddon

by John Knox Laughton

WHIDDON, JACOB (fl. 1585–1595), sea-captain, a trusted servant and follower of Sir Walter Ralegh, who speaks of him as ‘a man most valiant and honest,’ seems to have been with Sir Richard Greynvile in his voyage to Virginia in 1585. In 1588 he commanded Ralegh's ship the Roebuck, in the fleet under Lord Howard, and is described as particularly active in the various services which could be performed by so small a vessel. He took possession of, and brought into Torbay, the flagship of Don Pedro de Valdes; he brought supplies of ammunition to the fleet, and was constantly employed in scouting duty. In 1594 he was sent out by Ralegh to make a preliminary exploration of the Orinoco. His object was frustrated by the governor of Trinidad, who imprisoned some of his crew, and practically obliged him to return to England without the information he sought. It is probable that he was with Ralegh in the voyage to Guiana in 1595, the expedition against Cadiz in 1596, and the Islands' voyage in 1597; but his name is not mentioned.

[Edwards's Life of Ralegh; Defeat of the Spanish Armada (Navy Records Soc.); Lediard's Naval Hist.]

Name of his wife is questioned. Many online family trees have some version of Ann(e) daughter of William Braunch(e) or Branch, named in father's will as Ann Fowler, then no documentation given about her marrying Jacob Whidden/Whiddon. They have her dying in the Spanish Colony of Florida in the mid-1600s. Where this originated is not clear. Geni member Lou Whidden writes: "It seems unlikely she was Captain Whiddon's wife. This is based on the will of her father, William Branch. In 1602 a Deed of Gift appended to his will lists the children of his daughter, Ann Fowler. This shows she either was married to or the widow of Fowler in 1602. Since Captain Whiddon died in 1595, he could not have been her second husband."

Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 61 https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Whiddon,_Jacob_(DNB00)

Whiddon, Jacob

JUST PUBLISHED…. THE WHIDDON HERITAGE

Lou_Whiddon 

http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=315&p=surnames.whi...

Posted: 7 Jan 2009

New book on the Whiddon family, it is extensively researched and has much new material. It contains a section on the Whiddons of Tudor England; this section includes the most expansive treatment ever published of Sir John Whiddon and his family in Chagford, Devon. Included in the book’s illustrations is a photograph of the impressive tomb of Sir John Whiddon. Also, included is an expanded version of the article published in 2007 in the journal of the Devon History Society about the exploits of Captain Jacob Whiddon.

The book has sufficient historical background to provide context to the Whiddon story that is written in semi-narrative form. The story of the Whiddons in America begins with John “The Immigrant” and continues with his son William and into the 20th century. The arthur follows his family line through each succeeding generation. His line runs through William,R.S. and his son Eli. For each generation all sibling and their spouses are identified so that other lines can be traced from that point.

The book also contains sections on the other sons of the immigrant, the line of John that remained in Virginia until the 19th century and the short line of Augustine.

This hardcover book is available from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.