Lieut. Col. Thomas Grendon, III

No children.

From EVB:

Grendon, Thomas, Jr., son of Thomas Grendon, merchant, settled in the parish of Westover. Charles City county, and had large estates In Virginia and England. He was lieutenant-colonel of the Charles City militia in 1680, commanding the cavalry. He married Sarah, widow of Thomas Stegge Jr., and died in 1684, when his will disposes of a great estate in Virginia, Staffordshire, England, etc.
Grendon, Sarah, wife of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Grendon, was a sympathizer with Nathaniel Bacon. In 1677 she was excepted from the general pardon. She afterward married Mr. Brain, a merchant of London. Evidently a woman of strong mind and purpose.

Will

From Waters:

Thomas Grendon of the parish of Westover, in the County of Charles City, Virginia, Gentleman, 23 February 1683-4, proved 4 April 1685. To my wife Mrs Sarah Grendon fifteen hundred pounds sterling out of my personal estate in Virginia; if that be wanting, then to be made up of money due to me in England; or eighty pounds per annum out of the yearly rent of my Real Estate in Furtherly als Fartherly, in the parish of Shenton in the County of Stafford and in Hidefield in the said County.

• To William Byrd junior, son of William Byrd Senior, of Henrico County, in Virginia, Esq.
• To my godson Nathaniel Simons, sou of John Symons of London, upholsterer.
• To my Goddaughter Susannah Byrd, daughter of William Byrd.
• To Thomas and Nathaniel Simons sons of John Simons.
• To my cousin Thomas Jennings of London, merchant, son of Thomas Jennings, late of London, distiller, he paying *my aunt, his mother, Mrs Hannah Archer, now wife of Capt. William Archer of Charles City, Virginia, ten pounds per annum. Leases granted, 2 March 1656, by William, Lord Viscount Stafford and Dame Mary his wife, Henry Earle, of Kingston, John Earle, of Thanett Island and the Hon. William Pierpoint Esq. to my late grandfather Thomas Grendon deceased.
• Friends Mr Robert Coo of London, goldsmith, Mr Thomas Cower of Edmington and Mr Abell Gower of Virginia, the Hon. William Byrd Esq. William Randolph of Henrico County, Virginia, Mr Arthur North and Mr John Hardingof London.
• Wit: Henry Harman, Richard Williamson, John Roach (his sign) Abel Gower. Caun, 44.

[Lieut. Col. Thomas Grendon was a legatee and probably a nephew of Edward Grendon or Grindon, who In 1623-24 was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and who owned land across the river from Jamestown. He was a son of Thomas Grendon of London, merchant, a burgess for "Smyth's Mount the other side of the water, and Host Island" in 1632-33, and died at sea in 1685-6.

It is a coincidence that the Grendons, father and son, should have married widows respectively of a father and son; Thomas Grendon, the elder, marrying Elizabeth, widow of Thomas Stegge, Senior. of London, and Thomas Grendon, Jr. of Virginia,

Sarah, the widow of Capt. or Col. Thomas Stegge, Jr. The Virginia Land Registry has of record an assignment from Captain Wm. Brocas, Thomas Harwood and Christopher East, Chirurgeon-of the Gleabe of London, Attorneys for Thomas Grendon of London, merchant, of land sold unto Captain John Browning, lying in Mound's Bay, Va., and held by John Warham, for 3,000 pounds of tobacco, dated April 8, 1G3S. (Book No. 1, p. 630.)

Will of Thomas Stegge, Sr., dated October G, 1651, proved July 14, 1652, left estate to his wife Elizabeth and daughter Grace, wife of John Byrd, goldsmith, of London, parents of William Byrd of Virginia, and son Thomas Stegge, Jr. Will of Thomas Stegge, Jr., dated March 31, l669-70, proved May 1, 1671, mentioned wife Sarah; mother Elizabeth, then the wife of Thomas Grendon, citizen of London.

Lieut. Col. Thomas Grendon went to England in I676, leaving power of attorney to his wife Sarah, William Byrd and William Randolph. Mrs. Grendon appears to have been a woman of spirit.

In an "Act of Indemnitie and Pardon" passed the House of Burgesses at the February term, 1676-7, among the exceptions to its clemency were "Sarah Grendon, the wife (and now the Attorney of Thomas Grendon) and Edward Phelps who were great encouragers and assistors in the late horrid rebellion, shall have no other benefitt of this present act, but are and shalbe lyable to suffer and pay such paines, penalties and forfeitures not extending to life as by the next grand assembly, or upon a legall tryall before the right honourable the governor and council shalbe thought lltt and convenient."

ii. Hening's Statute at Large, p. 371.

She married thirdly Edward Braine or Brayne of Charles City county, Va., whose will is dated August 26,1691; proved September, 1701).

Origins

Abstract of Will of Thomas Grendon, of Dukes Place, Cittizen & Draper of London. Dated 15 Dec. 1678.

To Mr. John Harding Cittizen & Grocer of London & Mr. Robert Coe Cittizen & Goldsmith of London whome 1 make ex’ors & trustees of my lands in Fultherley in Shenston, co. Stafford.

By deed dated 17 Nov., 1678, I have given unto Thomas Grendon my grandson all those lands & houses as in the deed appears, that is to say the sayd Thomas Grendon my grandchild now in Virginia for his life & after his decease to his heirs; for default of such heyrs then to Thomas Jennings my grandson, son of Thomas Jennings late of London, Distiller; for default of issue unto Rebeckah Symonds wife of John Symonds of London, Upholster; to Thomas Symonds son of my said grandchild Rebeckah. To grandchild Thomas Jennings, £… To Rebeckah Symonds, £50. To Hannah Duke my daughter in Virginia, £… in full of her part. To my ex’ors, £10 each.

208 VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

I give one third of the residue to my wife Elizabeth; the other two thirds between Thomas Grendon, Thomas Jennings; Rebeckah Symonds my grandchildren. Wittnesses: Samuell Stringer, Nowell Bassano. Sealed 4 April, 1679. Proved in the P. C. C. 29 Oct., 1680, by oaths of John Harding; Robert Coe the ex’ors. (128. Bath).

The testator was the grandfather of Thomas Grendon of Virginia, whose will was printed in Waters, 429-431. See also this Magazine I, 441-442

References

• Genealogical Gleanings in England, Volume 1By Henry Fitz-Gilbert Waters. Page 430. GoogleBooks
• Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Under the Editorial ..., Volume 1 edited by Lyon Gardiner Tyler. Page 248 GoogleBooks
• Colonial Surry By John Bennett Boddie. Page 91. GoogleBooks
• “Heroines of Virginia.” The William and Mary Quarterly, vol. 15, no. 1, 1906, pp. 39–41. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1915736.