Thomas Edmondson

Biography

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Thomas Edmundson is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society
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Thomas Edmundson was a Virginia colonist.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Edmundson-218

Thomas Edmundson[1] was born about 1645 in England. His parents are at this time unknown.

Whether Thomas was born in Virginia or arrived in Virginia is not certain. His name appeared in Virginia legal documents as early as 1666, and often thereafter. We know that Thomas was literate and sufficiently educated to witness many documents and deeds, and to serve in public roles to include in the Virginia House of Burgesses.

[A Thomas Edmundson, but not this Thomas Edmondson, was transported to Virginia from England at the expense of John Gregory and Hugh Mead, as these men received a grant of 200 acres October 4, 1675, for transporting four persons into the colony, including a Thomas Edmundson. There is a good chance that the Thomas was an indentured servant. That Thomas Edmundson could also have been a relative of this Thomas, but there is no certainty. (Patent Book 6, p. 166; see Virginia Gen., Vol. 2.) [2]]

Thomas Edmundson was Burgess from Essex County, Virginia in 1693, 1696/7, 1700, and 1702.[3] He died in 1715 leaving eight sons: James, Joseph, William,Bryant, Thomas, Samuel, Benjamin, and John, and two daughters Sarah Baughan and Ann Haynie [Hayman].[4] (This list of children does not agree with other researchers who are not sure Benjamin was a son of Thomas.)

Tylers Magazine featured him in their Winter volume:

Thomas Edmondson was an early resident of Rappahannock County, who in 1667 obtained a grant of 220 acres, on the south side of said river (Land Book #VI, page 231).[5] To this he added 600 acres in 1687. He is called "Mr" in the records of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, showing that he was a man of standing, the title "Mr" being sparingly used in the 17th Century. The Quit Rent Rolls of Essex County credit him with owning 700 acres in 1704.

He was one of the Justices of Essex in 1702 and Sheriff in 1703 (Essex County Records). He was a member of the House of Burgesses in the general Assembly of 1696-97 and in the sessions of the Assembly of 1700-02. He died in 1715 and his Will was proved in Essex Court 20 December 1715. He married Anne Gregory because in 1667 Thomas Edmundson of Rappahannock County and Anne his wife, join in making a deed. He married secondly Mary as named in his Will.[6]

Marriages & children

Thomas married Anne Gregory before April 1666 in Rappahannock County, Virginia. On 16 April 1666, John Gregory, "of Hoskins Creek in the County of Rappa. Planter" made a deed of gift to "Thomas Edmundson of same county Planter my Sone in Law" for eight head of cattle. This deed was recorded in Rappahannock County, Virginia on 12 February 1667.[2]

Thomas married second Mary (possibly Haile) before 12 June 1684, on which date Thomas Edmundson and his wife Mary witnessed a deed from Thomas Saddler to Richard Hayle. (Deeds 1682-86).[2] "Mary" is named as wife in Thomas' will which had no date but was probated 20 December 1715 in Essex County, Virginia. Mary Edmundson and James Edmundson were executors.

Since we do not as yet have accurate dates for marriages or births of children, it is difficult to say which wife was the mother of Thomas' children. Named in his will, not necessarily in birth order, are:[2]

• William Edmundson
• Bryan Edmundson
• James Edmundson
• Joseph Edmundson
• Thomas Edmundson
• John Edmundson
• Samuel Edmundson
• daughter Sarah Boughan
• daughter Ann Hayman

Alternate information regarding children:

Thomas Edmondson's first wife was Ann, the second Mary.[5]

By Thomas's first marriage to Ann or Anne Gregory, they had one child:[7]

James Edmundson (circa 1671)

By Mary, whom he married about 1672 in Virginia, they had seven children,[7] who, including Thomas by his first marriage, are abstracted from his will:[5]

• Joseph
• Benjamin, of Essex, who married Margaret (Underwood?) and died after 23 Nov 1726 (Benjamin does not appear to be named in his will)[5]
• William
• Bryan
• Thomas
• John
• Samuel

Children named in the will, but not cited by the Harris and Allied Families text:

Sarah (Edmondson) Boughan
Ann (Edmondson) Hayman

Will of Thomas Edmondson

Will filed in Essex County, Virginia. Probate dated 20 Dec 1715.[7]

• IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I, Thomas Edmondson of ye County of Essex, being of disposing sound memory make this my last Will and Testament.
• I bequeath my Soul unto Almighty God and my body to the earth to be decently buryed (sic) and as to any earthly Estate and personal effects, My just debts paid, I dispose of in manner following.
• First, I give unto my son WILLIAM EDMONDSON my plantation whereon I now live-all the land on Swamp side of said swamp known by the name of Samuel Perry Swamp to his heirs forever. I likewise give unto my son BRYAN EDMONDSON all my land on East side of said swamp to his heirs forever, Provided always ye my beloved wife MARY EDMONDSON possesses and enjoys ye third part of both ye said parcels of land above disposed of during her life, anything wherein to the contrary notwithstanding.
• I likewise give unto my two sons, JAMES EDMONDSON and JOSEPH EDMONDSON all of ye money and proceeds of ye accounted tobacco which I have in the hands of Mr. Micajah Perry and Company and Mr. Richard Lee the merchants in London to be equally divided between them.
• I likewise give unto my son JAMES EDMONDSON one of my goose feather beds and its coverings and also my new riding coats, my best hat and my wigs and my silver headed cane.
• I likewise give unto my son THOMAS EDMONDSON one negro woman, raised well to be delivered to him by my Excrs. when he attains ye age of twenty-one years. I likewise give unto my sd son THOMAS EDMONDSON my young gray horse, branded on ye (sic) Guffory with rig, livery R, and my riding saddle and bridle. I likewise give unto my sd son THOMAS EDMONDSON five hundred pounds of sweet scented Tobacco, it being the one half of a bill of four thousand pounds of Tobacco that my son SAMUELL EDMONDSON by his bill should provide to me to be paid when my sd son THOMAS attains ye age of twenty-one years by my sd son SAMUELL EDMONDSON.
• I likewise give unto my son JOHN EDMONDSON one negro girl named GRAIS to his heirs forever to be delivered by my Excrs to my sd son JOHN EDMONDSON when he attains ye age of twenty-one years.
• It is also my will that my Excrs give unto my Son SAMUELL EDMONDSON four thousand 8-penny nailes to build him a dwelling house when he shall demand them.
• I likewise give unto my sd Son JOHN EDMONDSON two thousand pounds of Tobacco it being ye other half of this bill of four thousand pounds of Tobacco with my sd Son SAMUELL EDMONDSON stands, to be paid to my said son JOHN EDMONDSON by my sd son SAMUELL when my sd son JOHN attains ye age of twenty-one years.
• I likewise give to my daughter SARAH BOUGHAN four shillings to buy her a ring.
• I likewise give to my daughter ANN HAYMAN four shillings to buy her a ring to be paid by my Excrs.
• It is also my will and absolute desire there be given by my Excrs to three of the ancient and poorest people of this parish five pounds toward their relief to be paid them as soon as possible in Tobacco, meat, orno (sic) or any other product of ye country according to their wants, according to the value of things bouhgt (sic) and sold in ye country.
• It is also my will and chief desire that my well beloved wife, MARY EDMONDSON have all of my effects and ?_____ by this my last Will to wit, negroes, cattle, household goods and new goods on (?Pay in England?) during the time she remains a widdow (sic) and no longer. If she marry again after my decease then my whole estate not divided of by this my Will, be equally divided amonst (sic) my six sons, JAMES EDMONDSON, JOSEPH EDMONDSON,WILLIAM EDMONDSON, BRYAN EDMONDSON, THOMAS EDMONDSON AND JOHN EDMONDSON and lastly I do hereby ordain and appoint my well beloved wife MARY EDMONDON and my beloved son JAMES EDMONSON Excrs of this my last Will proved always ye if my sd wife MARY EDMONDSON marry again after my decease her Excr. Falling go at an end and unto my son JAMES EDMONDSON shall be my sole and only Executor. To execute this my last Will anything herein contained to ye contrary in any wise not withstanding.
• THO EDMONDSON Sealed & delivered to be my land Will in this year of_________. At a court held for Essex County on Tuesday ye 20th day December 1715 this above Will of THOMAS EDMONDSON was submitted and proved by ye oaths of Mary Edmondson and James Edmondson, the Executors therein named who both agreed it to be all in the writing of ye sd Thomas Edmondson, dated and is recorded.
• Tho. Hennam Test. M (or W.) Beverly

Research Notes

• Besides an entry in the Virginia Biographical Encyclopedia, indexing indicates that articles exist about Sheriff and Burgess of Essex County, Thomas Edmondson, in these issues of the Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, only accessible to membership:
• Nov 1990
• Feb 1991
• Aug 1991, and
• Aug 1994
• Migration activity is noted per the "US and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s:" arrival in Virginia is noted for Tho. Edmondson. It is unknown whether this might have been a land grant-related expedition, but given his occupation as planter, it is likely.
• A possible false positive match for his spouse named Mary shows up in the indexed, non-specific "US Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935:" Mary Grasum (sic), shown on the "US and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900" indexed as Mary Grason. There is no evidence to suggest that Thomas Edmondson became a member of the Society of Friends, which would have been necessary to marry a Quaker woman at a Quaker meeting.

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1689-1692 Old Rappahannock County, Virginia Deed Book 8; [Antient Press]; Page 249-250 TO ALL XPIAN PEOPLE to whom these presents shall come I THOMAS COOPER SENR. of South Farnham Parish in the County of Rappa in Virginia send Greeting &c. Now Know yee that I the sd THOMAS COOPER for a sufficiently valuble consideracon reced or secured to be paid have sold from me my heirs unto WM, MORRIS of sd Parish and County the full quantity of Two hundred and twenty acres of land being part of the home Devident of land by me purchased of Majr. GEORGE MORRIS deced as by a Deed of Sale under the hands of the sd MORRIS relacon being had will appear bearing date the 20th of February 1683/4 which sd Two hundred and Twenty acres of land being part of the Home Devident is to begin at two red Oakes being corner trees to the same adjoining upon the land of sd COOPERs home devident until it comes to the land I the sd COOPER procured of DANIEL BROWN thereon binding and extending to the land of Mr. THO: EDMUNDSON so that it compleates the aforemenconed complemt of Two hundred and Twenty acres which is to ly entirely together as neere as possible may bee to the full satisfaction of the sd MORRIS his heirs and assigns To have and to hold the sd Two hundred and twenty acres of land bounded as aforesd with all its rights & conveyances thereunto belonging unto him the sd WM. MORRIS and his heirs and assigns forever hee or they paying unto our Sovereigne Lord and Lady King William & Queen Mary or to their Successors all such rents as shall become due In Witness whereof we have sett our hands and seals this 21st day of July One thousand Six hundred and Ninety one Signed Sealed and Delivered in presents of us JNO. RICHARDS, THOMAS COOPER PHILL. PENDLETON, WM. WOOD ANN COOPER Recognitr in Cur Comt Rappa 5th August 1691

Sources

WikiTree contributors, "Thomas Edmundson (abt.1645-abt.1715)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Edmundson-218 : accessed 20 January 2024). Cites

1. ↑ Jamestowne Society: Edmundson, Thomas - A2403; died 1715, Essex Co.: 1693, 1696-97 (Burgess). accessed 30 July 2021
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Rappahannock County Deed Book 3, p. pp. 174-175, as cited on Thomas Edmundson of Essex County, Virginia This page contains a fairly good biography and is well sourced.
3. ↑ Stanard, William G. and Mary Newton Stanard. The Colonial Virginia Register. Albany, N. Y.: Joel Munsell's Sons, Publishers. 1902. Pages 89, 91, 92, 93, 94
4. ↑ Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography (Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York, 1915) Volume 1, page 228
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Gandrud, Pauline Jones. Genealogy of the Harris and Allied Families: Edmundson. 1929, p. 94. Huntsville, Alabama: Author, citing Bell: The Old Free State (Vol 2, p. 210).
6. ↑ Tylers Magazine, 1925-26, Vol. VII
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The Family Orchard - Loops, Dekle, Loveall, and Young Family Lines at Ancestry.com: Will and family information contributed by Louise Ivey, Newport News, VA 23602.
8. https://familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L85J-7M3
9. Ancestry.com, Virginia, Biographical Encyclopedia (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2000). Ancestry.com :
10. Ancestry.com, Virginia Biography, Volume I-II (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002). Ancestry.com :
11. Ancestry.com, Essex County wills and deeds, 1714-1717 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004). Ancestry.com :
12. Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties (www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us)

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Sep 20 2016, 0:34:25 UTC