Col. Thomas Speke, Gent.

• Not the husband of Elizabeth Speake
• His only known son, Thomas Speke, died without children; that Thomas was not the same as Thomas Speake, of St. Mary’s (disproved).

  ---

Thomas Speke is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society A7502; died by 1660, Northumberland Co.: 1651-52 (Burgess).

Col. Thomas Speke appears in Maryland as one of 13 soldiers who received pay in 1642. His will is dated Dec 1 1659. He names his wife Francis, brother John beloved son Thomas Speke and godson Thomas Gerrard, father in law Mr Robert Slye. He was probably married twice, one to Anne and then Frances. His widow Frances married Colonel Valentine Peyton and after the death of Col Peyton she married Captain John Appleton, who died in 1676.

Col Thomas Speake is believed to have been the descendent of Sir Thomas Speake Steward of the Royal Manors of Greenwich and Keeper of Eltham Palace who died in 1550. The name Speak dates back to the Norman Conquest in 1066 where it is listed as William Espec, A Norman Baron who held the title of "Honour of Warden in Bedfordshire England a barony of some 7500 acres.

Records suggests that the Speak family descended from Richard Espec, Lord of Braunford in Devonshire (Now known as Bramford Speke) at Hayward near Wentworthy in Devonshire.

In 1639 Thomas Speke one of the descendants of the Somerset branch emigrated to Maryland and then Westmoreland Count VA where he held the highest judicial and military offices. His first marriage had one son Thomas who died without issue. His second wife and widow by whom there were no children was later the fourth wife of Major John Washington, Great Grandfather of George Washington.

!30 Apr 1702: Elizabeth (Hardidge) relinquished her dower rights in the land sold by her husband Henry Ashton. This was the land that was originally patented to Col. Thomas Speke and known by the name Currioman. Westmoreland County Orders, 1694-1698, 67.

---

Thomas Speke Was High Sheriff of Westmoreland County, Virginia, in 1683. Thomas came from a noble family in Somerset Co., England. When Westmoreland County separated from Northumberland County in 1653, Speke was one of the founders of the new county, and as a Colonel of the Militia was the highest ranking Commissioner. He continued as Commissioner until his death in 1659.

His wife was Frances Gerrard, daughter of Dr. Thomas Gerrard and Susanna Snow.)

• 1654-1800 Westmoreland County, Virginia Wills [Augusta B. Fothergill]; Page 4
• SPEKE, THOMAS, 1 December 1659; 14 January 1659/60.
• Son Thomas (under age) to be exr;
• wife Frances Speke;
• brother John Speke to have 2000 acres of land if he settle in this country;
• my godson Thomas Gerrard;
• my youngest sister;
• my father in law Thomas Gerrard and my mother in law Susanna Gerrard;
• my father in law and my brother in law Mr. Robert Slye to be overseers.

  ---

Source: Source: Early Families of Southern Maryland, Volume 4, Elise Greenup Jourdan., Family Line Publications, Westminster, Md, Published 1995, Page 36.

A Thomas Speake immigrated in 1639 according to Early Settlers of Maryland (ABH.237). On 10 Jan 1649/50 the Governor of Virginia granted Thomas Spake, Gent. 400 acres of land adjoining the plantation of Maj. John Hallowes who came to Maryland with Capt. Thomas Cornwallis, then settled in Virginia. In 1655 Col. Thomas Speke was commissioned 'in the Colonial Militia of Westmoreland Co., VA. (FMP). 20 Oct 1657 he is mentioned as Col. Thomas Speake, Commissioner of Westmoreland Co. (CCLR A.44).

On 16 Sep 1651 Thomas Speake patented land of 1,000 acres in Northumberland Co., VA on the northwest side of Nomini River, including Sedar Island; 600 acres due from former patent and 400 acres due for transporting 8 persons. On 11 Sep 1653 he patented 1,000 acres in Potomac River opposite against Miompses Island for transporting 20 persons. This latter patent was deserted for want of seating and given to Thomas Brereton for transporting 20 persons (C&P). Thomas wit. a document 2 May 1658 in Charles Co. (CCLR A.78).

Thomas Speake; d. by 1662; m. by 1659 Frances Gerard, d/o Thomas Gerard (M&D); she m/2 Valentine Peyton (M&D}; their son, Gerrard Paten is named in the 1672 will of his grandfather, Thomas Gerrard (MCW 1.76). The name Thomas Speake appears in many land descriptions on and near the Virginia shore of the Potomac. The Gerard family was also in this area (C&P). William Speake, age ca 30 in 1653; Westmoreland Co., VA (MD).

https://www.speakefamilyhistory.org/Speke%20of%20Hazelbury.htm

THE SPEKE FAMILY OF HAZELBURY -WILTSHIRE

The Speke family of Hazelbury existed from about 1600 to 1682 with the death of Sir George Speke, Baronet. With his death the baronacy became dormant. An excellent history of the Manor of Hazelbury, and the families who lived there is "A History of the Manor of Hazelbury" written by G.J. Kidston pub. Methuen, London 1936

The first member of this branch, Hugh Speke (1567- 1625) was the son from a second marriage of Sir George Speke of White Lackington Somerset.

This article and family tree gives more information about the family. As can be seen, it was originally written for the Speak Family Association of America's Bulletin in 1995. This was part of the research which was directed to try and establish the origins of Captain Thomas Speke of Virginia in the early 1600's

The blacksheep of the family was the John Speke of Bristol and Bath, brother to Capt. Thomas Speke of Virginia who appears in his father's Will and also in the Virginia Records e.g.

1675 Page 103 1670 Mr. John Speke of Bristoll invoice of goods sent by the "Delight" of Bristoll. Signed your loving brother John Speke

1675 Page 103 1669 Mr. Thomas Gerrard debtor to Mr. John Speke by goods sent to his brother Mr Thomas Speke.

1675 page 103a 1668 John Speke of the City of Bathe in the County of Somersett, Gent have made my beloved and freind Wm. Presly of Northumberland in Virginia; merchant, my attorney to receive John Watts of Virginia, merchant as also every preson whatsoever, debts, rents and sums of money."

His father's Will makes it plain that John was inept in business and often in debt as a result..... "I give and bequeath to my executors the sume of one hundred pounds... to pay and discharge the debts of my son John Speke as far as this somme will go... and shall pay him five pounds and no more.. for that he has incurred by his bad husbandry"

John's brother Capt. Thomas Speke of Virginia in his Will of 1659 bequethed 200 acres of land in Virginia to his wayard brother John, if John would go and settle in Virginia. But John was buried at Box, Wiltshire in 1669 and the land was never claimed and passed to Thomas' son Thomas. A deed was produced in Virginia in 1691 showing that a Hugh Speke of Bath had sold the land to Henry Totterdale, a well known trader of Bristol. There is good evidence to believe that this Hugh Speke was the son of John Speke, baptised in Bath Abbey in 1667 "son of John and Olive Speke".

According to the Old Sarum Marriage Licence Allegations, John Speke (bachelor age 30) was to marry Olive EYRE of Little Chalfield (spinster age 26) shortly after the 3rd of April 1666. Another link between the EYRE and SPEKE families was the marriage of Frances SPEKE, sister to Thomas and John Speke to John EYRE, who was the the heir to the Little Chalfield manor, adjacent to Hazelbury. It is probable that Olive was a sister of John Eyre.

As well as determining the origins of Captain Thomas Speke, of Virginia, America it has now been established without doubt that Captain Speke's son Thomas and the Thomas Speak of St. Mary's County, Maryland are not the same person.. For a rigorous analysis of this finding please see this article:

https://www.speakefamilyhistory.org/images/USA/colthomaspeke.pdf

References

1. Burial record: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13022167/thomas-speke has errors
2. Our English Heritage by John D. Speake, SFA Member 281. < PDF >
3. Virginia Genealogies: A Genealogy of the Glassell Family of Scotland and ... By Horace Edwin Hayden GoogleBooks
4. https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I2355... has errors
5. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G22X-TTH has errors. Cites
   1. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/collaborate/G22X-TTH See Virginia Colonial Abstracts: Northumberland Co, VA vol 1 (1652-5) by Beverly Fleet; p. 390, for a deposition Thomas gave in Nov 1653, in which he states his age as circa 30. His wife (at that time, named Ann) gave a deposition in that same court session; they both testifying about Henry & Thomas West, 2 young brothers brought to VA in 1648 by one Winter Chapman ---evidently on the same ship that Thomas & Ann had come on. Because Winter had died by Mar 1650 (when his inventory recorded in Northumberland Co records.) is why they, & a couple others who had immigrated together with Winter & the West brothers, are being questioned.
6. WikiTree contributors, "Thomas Speke (abt.1623-1659)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Speke-2 : accessed 27 April 2024). Has errors. Cites
   1. Speke, Thomas - A7502; died by 1660, Northumberland Co.: 1651-52 (Burgess). < link > 26 April 2024
   2. Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. Volume I. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company 1915. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2008. Page 328
   3. Mentioned in a land grant for John Drayton, 25 Nov. 1654. Nugent, Nell Marion, Abstracted and Indexed by. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800. In Five Volumes. Richmond, VA.: Press of the Dietz Printing Co., 1935. Page 301
   4. Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, II:251 GERARD 15..
   5. Lineages, Inc., comp. Westmoreland County, Virginia Wills, 1654-1800. Records transcribed from LDS Family History Library microfilm copies of wills for this locality. Westmoreland County, Virginia Wills, 1654-1800 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.
7. Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), volume V, page 323 WASHINGTON 13 [Col.] John Washington, born about 1634. He immigrated to Virginia in 1656. He married (1st) 1 Dec.1658 Anne Pope, daughter of [Lieut. Col.] Nathaniel Pope. They had two sons, [Capt.] Lawrence and John, and one daughter, Anne (wife of [Maj.] Francis Wright). His wife, Anne, died 1668. He married (2nd) in 1670 Anne Gerard, widow of Walter Broadhurst and Henry Brett. He married (3rd) Frances Gerard, widow successively of [Col.] Thomas Speake, [Col.] Valentine Peyton, and [Capt.] John Appleton. [Col.] John Washington left a will dated 21Sept. 1675, proved 11 Jan. 1677
8. Marriages of the Northern Neck of Virginia. Frances Peyton(wid); before 12 April 1676. Bride was daughter of Dr. Thos. Gerard of Wilton; she was a wid. of (1) Thos. Speke (2) Col. Valentine Peyton (3) Col. Jn. Washington as his third wife, and (5) Wm Hardwick; (WC OB 1675-89:53; Gerard 2:444, 446; Tucker:45)
9. "Virginia's Northern Neck, a pictorial history" by John C. Wilson, 1984. She [Frances Gerrard] and her (2nd?) husband, Thomas Speke lived in Nominy Plantation, which was built on the site of an earlier Indian Village, on land patented in 1651 by Thomas Speke. "Speke's widow, Frances, would marry five times later in her life; her fourth husband was John Washington, George's great-grandfather. Her daughter Elizabeth (by her fifth husband) would later marry Augustine Washington, George's half-brother, and move to Wakefield. " (Not the same Nominy Plantation owned by Robert Carter.) Noland 588.
10. “Monroe Family.” The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine 15, no. 3 (1907): 50–53. https://doi.org/10.2307/1915756.
11. https://hammroots.com/getperson.php?personID=I12964&tree=Main Has errors. Cites
    1. Speke, Thomas (1603-1650), Westmoreland county; brother of John Speke, of Bath and Plymouth. W. M., IV, 41. William G. Stanard, Some Immigrants to Virginia, 1911, William Ellis Jones' Sons, Inc., Printers, Richmond, VA, sold at Bell Book & Stationery Company, Richmond, VA., p. 62.
12. Col. Thomas Speke of Westmoreland County, Virginia and Thomas Speake of St. Mary’s County Maryland. (Third Edition) July 22, 2006. John S. Morris, III. < PDF >; (attached document)