Rice Hughes, of New Kent

Do not confuse him with Rice Hooe, I (c1599-c1655) or Rice Hooe, II (c1633-1694).

Rice Hughes was an early settler in Tidewater Virginia. Shawnee Heritage III identifies him with Trader Hughes but the connection is doubtful.

Three Early Immigrants

Rice Hughes was one of three early Hughes immigrants to New Kent County, Virginia. There is no evidence they were relatives. They were:

• George Hughes. He is named in York County 1646, and James City 1704.
• Rice Hughes. He had land grants in New Kent County 1652-1662.
• "Wm Hughes, age 20, from Gravesend, England, 1635". No further record of him.

Family and Children

There are no primary sources for the name of Rice Hughes' wife. His only proven son was Robert, who was tried to recover land his father Rice had given to the parish church.

Forrest Mullins adds three other likely sons --

• Robert (as above)
• Rees,
• Edward, and
• William.

Shawnee Heritage adds still more. This list should be treated with extreme caution --

• Richard Hughes, born c1640, died after 1663
• Jesse Hughes, born c1642, died before 1663 as a youth
• John Hughes, born c1644, died before 1663 as a youth
• Rice Hughes aka Reese Hughes, born c1646, , died before 1659 as a youth
• Virginia Hughes, born c1648, died after 1700 Tennessee
• Abadiah Hughes, born c1650, died after 1700 Tennessee
• Mary Hughes, born c1652, died after 1700 Tennessee, married Nathaniel Davis simultaneously with her sister
• Elizabeth Hughes, born c1654, died after 1700 Tennessee, married Nathaniel Davis simultaneously with her sister
• Robert Hughes, born c1656, died after 1691, married Sarah
• Rice Hughes, born c1659, died 1714, named after his deceased elder brother, married Elizabeth
• Anne Hughes, born c1661, died 1760, married 1680 Joseph Stephen Pollard
• John Hughes aka Jesse John Hughes, born 1663, died 1730 Cumberland Co, married Sarah Tarleton

The following children are unlikely:

• Matthias Hughes (c1640-1701), of St. James Parish, Anne Arundel, Maryland.

Ancestry

Shawnee Heritage III identifies Rice Hughes as son of John Hughes, born 1590 in England, and an unknown woman (Greene, 2014: 346). This John Hughes is sometimes speculated as John Hughes (1700-1735) who married Mary Griffith. However, Rice Hughes could not have been their son. He was born about three generations earlier.

Another source has a more elaborate version:

We think the ancestors of our Hughes family came to this country in the mid 1600s and that Rees Hughes, Sr., is the immigrant ancestor. Rev. George Hughes who appears in the records at about the same time as Rees Hughes, Sr., may have been his brother. We have found records of a Rees/Rice Hughes, William Hughes, and others in the Parish Records of St. Peter's Church of New Kent County. William Hughes was apparently hired to build the church and is believed to be the son of Rev. George Hughes. Some researchers believe that Rees, Jr., and my direct ancestor, Edward Hughes, were first cousins. Edward Hughes continued to show up in the same records (such as the Quaker Monthly Meetings) as Robert and Sarah Hughes and Rees Hughes, Jr. It appears that this family migrated from New Kent (now Hanover County area) to Henrico, Goochland, and then to Albemarle, Amherst and Nelson Counties. From the patent and other land records, we also believe this branch of Hughes had ties with the Hughes who were in Buckingham/Cumberland and even Powhatan Counties." (quoted without attribution at Facebook: Cook Family)

Biography

Rice Hughes probably came to Virginia about 1649. Forrest Mullins suggests he was one of the 63 unnamed people transported by Col. Manwaring Hammond, for whom Hammond received 3,160 acres in 1649:

15 March 1649: Manwarring Hamon, Esqr., 3,760 acs., Yorke Co., (New Kent was formed from York Co., 1654), 15 Mar, 1649, p. 195. Lyeing up Yorke Riv. on the S. side thereof commonly called Fort Royall, bounded N.E., N.W., S.W., N.E. & N upon the Riv., S.S.W. by S. upon the Mts. & N.W. by N. upon Black Cr., & S.E. upon the bay, includeing on the other side of the sd. Bay on neck contayneing 350 acs. 600 acs. purchased of Capt Roger Marshall to whom it was granted 14th of this Instant March & 3160 acs. for trans. of 63 pers. (Patent Book 2)"

Rice Hughes was a neighbor of Manwaring Hammond on or very near Black Creek in the northwest corner of present-day New Kent County, he doesn't show up on any list as having been transported by someone else, and he acted as a witness and agent in several of Hammond's transactions:

2 June 1652: "Bee it known to all whom this may concern that I, Manwairing Ham'ond, of Riccohocke, Esq., out of the confidence and trust I repose in my trusty and well-beloved friends- the Hono'ble Francis Morrison, Esq'r., Mr. Theodorick Bland, Capt. Thomas Stegge, Major Joseph Croshaw, and Mr. Stephen Hamelyn, doe appoint and constitute the same persons, my true and lawful attornies, ov'rsee all the estate, reall and personall, I leave behind me in Virginia and they, or any thereof them, to have hereby power to lett or make sayle of . . . this 2d day of June 1662. Signed M. Hammond. Wit: George Morris, Sam Huckstepp, Lancelott Woodward, Rees Hughes. Rec. 7 die ffebr. seq." (Charles City County, Court Orders, 1661-1664, p. 359)

Mullins believes Rice Hughes might have served with Col. Hammond during the English Civil War on the side of the King's forces against Cromwell's Army. Hammond came to Virginia soon after the beheading of King Charles I, which was 30 January 1649.

Rice Hughes patented land in what is now New Kent County, Virginia between 1652 and 1662:

8 March 1652: 200 acres on the north side of the Yorke River behind the land of George Gills in the main woods. Due for the transportation of John Williams, Robert Symons, Thomas Price and Hugh Griffin.No county name given but this land was probably located in what became New Kent County in 1654. Rice Hughes later assigned this patent to George Smith.
2 December 1656: 410 acres more of less on the southwest side of the York River in the County of New Kent adjoining the land of George Smith and Mr. Langstone.Due for the transportation of 9 persons including John Morely, Eliz. Harwood, Griffith Jones, Jane Urlin, Martin Weele, Margarett & Jno.
1 March 1657: 860 acres in New Kent County including his previous grant of 410 acres together with 450 acres adjoining, part thereof on the southwest side of the York River adjoining George Smith’s corner tree.
28 January 1662: 860 acres in New Kent County formerly granted to him in 1657 and now re-granted.(It was not uncommon for persons who had received grants during the time of Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth to take a re-grant after the Restoration of Charles II, in order to be sure of preserving title to their land.)
About 1698. Rees Hughes, Sr. donated 100 acres to the St. Peter’s Parish Church as Glebe land, not long before he died. After his father's death Robert set about reclaiming that land his father had donated to the Church. The St. Peter’s Parish church records specifically mention that Robert was the son of Rees Hughes who had donated the land. (Robert didn’t get the land, but received over a ton of tobacco for it).

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There is no record of Rees Hughes, Sr. (b. c1625, probably England) ever having traveled to Virginia. I think he was brought over by Colonel Manwaring Hammond about 1649. Col. Hammond brought over some 60 individuals (none of whom are named) and for doing so, he received about 3,000 acres along the York River in what was then York Co., but became New Kent Co. in 1654. His land ran along the York River up to Black Creek (where the St Peter's Parish Church was, and where Rees Hughes, Sr. had his land). Rees Hughes, Sr. served as Col Hammond's legal agent, preparing contracts and signing as a witness to the Colonel's transactions. It appears to me that Colonel Hammond and Rees Hughes may have had a previous professional relationship back in England (such as commander and adjutant--administrative officer). Colonel Hammond was an officer in the King's Army against Cromwell's Army during the English Civil War. In early 1649 King Charles I was executed and a mass exodus of his supporters left England for Virginia. They were called Cavaliers in Virginia. Colonel Hammond was a favorite of Governor Berkeley who made him THE Major General of Virginia and put him on the Governor's Council. After the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660, Col. Hammond returned to England, and some time after that the Quakers began converting many Virginians to that religion. There was a Quaker Meeting House further up Black Creek from where Rees Hughes, Sr. lived, and where his family (at least some of them) attended.

Rees Hughes, Sr. had (for sure) sons: Robert, b. c1650; Rees Hughes, Jr., b. c1655. Both of these men were Quakers (but Rees Jr. got kicked out of their fellowship sometime after 1701. I believe that William Hughes, b. c1660 was another son of Rees Hughes, Sr. This is the William Hughes who built the Brick Church (still standing and active) of St Peter's Parish, New Kent Co. in the very early 1700's. The Brick Church is about 4 miles southeast of where the Old Swayback'd Church was. I can find no other Hughes besides Rees Hughes, Sr. in the immediate area who would qualify as the father of William, the Church Builder.

Runaway Servant

Some researchers have confused this Rice Hughes with Rice Hoe, of Charles City County. Rice Hoe and his wife Susanna had an indentured servant named John Price (Prise) who ran away. A jury in Charles City County determined he had starved to death and did not die from the beating he got from Susanna a week earlier:

Indian Girl

Court records indicate "Rice Hoe" bought an Indian girl from Manwaring Hammond then defaulted on the debt. The purchaser seems to have been Rice Hooe, of Charles City County and the seller was this Rice Hughes as agent for Hammond. This has led many researchers to suggest the two men were related. Other researchers suggest this Indian girl was the original of Nicketti in the story of Trader Hughes.

"The Court hath passed judgment (according to an obligation produced in Court) agst Rice Hoe for 14-1 sterling money to be pd by bills of exchange and secured by the sd Hoe to the use of Major General Manwaring Hammond Esqr or his ass's or attorneys according to the sd obligation with all costs to be pd by the sd Hoe als exec. (Charles City County Court Orders 1661-1664, 361)
"Theoderick Bland Esqr for Major General Manwaring Hammond Esqr admitteth and confesseth judgement against the estate of the sd Major General Hamond to secure and justify the service of an Indian Girl by him sold to the said Hoe according to a contract under the hands of Rees Hughes agent for the sd Major General Manwaring Hammond als exec. (Charles City County Court Orders 1661-1664, 361)

DNA Investigation

Rice Hughes appears to have belonged to haplogroup R-M269, based on yDNA tests of his descendants. In the Hughes DNA Project at Family Tree DNA he is in Lineage 07 (2017). A Rees Hughes (c1625-c1698), who is probably intended to be the same person, also belongs to M-269 but is in Lineage 01. A similarly named Rice Hooe (1599-1655) belongs to haplogroup I-P37 and is in Lineage VI.

"There are two main groups of Rees Hughes, Sr.’s descendants who have had Y-DNA analyzed. Both
groups have good reason to claim Rees Hughes, Sr. as their ancestor by following paper trails back to
Rees. However, the Y-DNA results show a genetic distance between the groups that make it obvious that both groups cannot possibly claim Rees Hughes, Sr. as their straight-line male Hughes ancestor." (Vince Hughes quoting Forrest Mullins).

Sources

• Don Greene, Shawnee Heritage III (2014).
• Hughes DNA Project at Family Tree DNA
• Vince Hughes, Rees Hughes Sr in The Hughes Family History at Rootsweb (includes a discussion of Hughes yDNA lines)