Major Thomas Bernard

Thomas Bernard

• Born about 1612 at England
• Died before 1651 at Westmoreland County, Virginia Colony
• Parents unknown
• Husband of Mary Beheathland — married 1631 in Warwick County, Virginia
• Father of Beheathland (Bernard) Gilson

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• Not the same as Thomas Barnard of Reading
• Not the husband of Susan Bernard

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Biography

Thomas appears to have immigrated to the Virginia colony about 1631. He is listed as sponsored by John George in 1638 to Charles City in Early Virginia Immigrants, 1623-1666 by George Cabell Greer. An entry in Nugent records the grant of acreage to John George dated 25 July 1638 at Charles City; among those transported was Thomas Bernard.[1] Subsequent land grants record the grants of land to Thomas Bernard in 1637, 1641 and 1645. Included in the 1641 grant is a reference to a prior grant of 24 February 1631, which indicates an arrival date for Thomas in Virginia probably about 1630.

Capt. Thomas Bernard is listed as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from Warwick County in 1642, 1644, 1645.

The only marriage for which there is documentation is that of Thomas Bernard to Mary Beheathland about 1631 in Warwick County, Virginia colony. Capt. Thomas Bernard is said to have married Mary Beheathland in Adventures of Purse and Person Virginia, 1607-1625 by Annie Jester. He is also said to have owned land in 1631 in the area which later became Warwick County. Thomas Bernard served as a member of the House of Burgesses from Warwick, 1644-45 and was deceased by 10 November 1651, the date of the nuncupative will of Robert Nickolson of London, merchant, who made a bequest to "Mrs. Mary Bernard of Warwick River widdowe and to her daughters" and mentioned "Mistress Beheathland Bernard daughter to Mrs. Mary Bernard of Warwick River widdow." [3]

One child Beheathland Bernard , born about 1635 in Warwick River County, and married to first Francis Dade and second Andrew Gilson, is attached to these parents. Based on the entry above, Thomas and Mary had more than one daughter, but we do not have the confirmed names of any additional children.

Disambiguation

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bernard-107

“The second marriage attached to Thomas Bernard is to Sharon Buckner about 1629 in Warwick County, Virginia. No documentation is provided with this marriage and there is no evidence that Thomas Bernard or Sharon Buckner were in Virginia in 1629. Research Notes on Sharon Buckner's profile indicate that she is probably a nonexistent person. This marriage should be removed from Thomas Bernard. Daughter Mary Bernard attached as daughter of Thomas and Sharon is probably not the daughter of Thomas and her mother is also uncertain.”

References

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/L8W5-2PG cites
  • "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3FN-L4Q : 19 September 2020), Thomas Bernard, 1612.