Thomas Gresham of Middlesex County

Not the son of Edward ‘the Immigrant’ Gresham & not the same as Thomas Gresham, Sr., of Spotsylvania County.

Thomas b. 1689, the son of Thomas d. 1721 is not the same person as Thomas d. 1741 in Spotsylvania.

Further logic: Families usually follow certain traditions for every member. If Edward Immigrant had 4 sons on the 1704 QRR and this theorized son Thomas d. 1721 is the only one of the 4 that baptized his children at Christ Church to follow the rules of the Church of England, then this supports the belief he was not Edward's
son.

IMPORTANT RESEARCH NOTE: MARY ELIZABETH ANDERSON IS A MADE UP NAME.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-537157

The name of the wife of Thomas Gresham d. 1721 is in dispute.

Her name could not have been Mary Elizabeth. All the baptismal citations in the Christ Church Parish Register for their children say parents are Thomas and Mary except the one for Frances.

There is one citation for the birth of Francis, male, 26 Mar 1695, parents Thomas and Mary, no baptismal date.
There is a second citation for this same child now called Frances, a female, 26 Mar 1695 baptized 23 Jun 1695, parents Thomas and Elizabeth.
Note: If the clerk made an error in the spelling the child's name and the sex on one of these citations that have the exact same birth dates, then he could have made an error when he called the mother Elizabeth at Frances' baptism instead of Mary. Elizabeth and Mary being two of the most common names for women in the Colonial era.

There was a Frances Gresham who married Daniel Hughes and it is assumed she is this daughter of Thomas and Mary born in 1695

The marriage record for Thomas Gresham and ELIZABETH Anderson (Not Mary Elizabeth) who were married in London, England has now been attached to Thomas d. 1721 in Middlesex, Virginia. This woman is now called Mary Elizabeth Anderson. Firstly, there is no proof that the Thomas Gresham in London is the same man as Thomas Gresham who d. 1721 in Middlesex, Virginia.

If Elizabeth Anderson was always the wife of Thomas d. 1721 why didn't all the baptismal citations for their children at Christ Church say parents, Thomas and Elizabeth? They all read as parents, Thomas and Mary except for one of the last children named Frances that has blatant clerical errors. The last child born AFTER Frances also reads parents, Thomas and Mary again. Why doesn't the last baptismal record stay with Elizabeth as the mother?

People have joined those two names together to get Mary Elizabeth Anderson using an old genealogy books with known errors for a source.and added Mary to the name of Elizabeth Anderson.

If the mother of his children had been Elizabeth Anderson of Cripple Gate, London then all the baptismal citations at Christ Church for his children would have read Thomas and ELIZABETH. Her name was clearly NOT Mary Elizabeth on that marriage record in London, it was simply Elizabeth.

There is one final entry at Christ Church for the last child of Thomas d. 1721 that says Mary widow Gardner as the mother? This seems to imply that Thomas d. 1721 has two wives. One named Mary and one named Mary, widow Gardner.

Thomas Gresham

• BIRTH c 1665
• DEATH 13 Jul 1721 (aged 55–56)
• BURIAL Burial Details Unknown
• MEMORIAL ID 186266252 · View Source

Thomas Gresham, d 1721 of Christ Church parish, Middlesex, VA m Mary, 6 children: Charles, Thomas, John, Frances Hughes, Amey d.y., Amey Gardner

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/186266252/thomas-gresham

Children on Find A Grave:

• Charles Gresham - 1687–1727
• Amey Gresham Gardner - 1700 – unknown

Disputed Origins

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gresham-86

Christopher and Thomas appear to be brothers and Children of Ninian Gresham and Cathrine Nee, of Hurworth on Tees Durham, England.

• 1. Christopher GRESHAM b: 1654 in hurworth, Arrived in 1676
• 2. Thomas GRESHAM b: 1657 in hurworth. Could be the Thomas transported in 1671 by John Washington
• 3. Jieronimus GRESHAM b: 1661 in hurworth
• 4. Franc GRESHAM b: 1664 in hurworth.

Notes

This Thomas Gresham d. 13 July 1721 Christ Church Parish, Middlesex, Virginia.

https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:EditPerson&u=4248052

His parents have never been proven. The old genealogy books vary widely in their theories and a Ydna research project is ongoing at FTDNA Big Y 700 Gresham/Grisham/Grissom. If you are interested in Gresham genealogy and getting these old rumors corrected, please join us at:

Gresham DNA Connections on FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/315976627141927
Gresham Family Group on FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/217628838568326

Thomas and wife Mary (maiden name unproven) had 6 children with one dau died as an infant and each one has a baptismal citation in the Christ Church records available online for your own viewing. There were no other children.

1. Thomas
2. Charles
3. John
4. Frances
5. Amey.

RESEARCH NOTES

• Milt Gresham's Theories of Early Virginia Greshams-

Research Notes (Shared by Private Researcher) Posted 23 Jun 2020. < AncestryImage >

• 4th Family - Thomas Jr. with children: Charles, Thomas , John, Frances, and Amy. I thought possibly that the father of these children, Thomas Gresham Sr. “of Middlesex Co.” may have been the only son of Edward Gresham (1704 Quit Rent Rolls), but it is a certainty now he was brought into the VA colony by Col. John Washington, Oct. 2, 1671. …
• Christopher (arrived 1676) appear to be brothers, and children of Ninian Gresham and Catherine, of Hurworth on Tees, Durham, England. …
• If this is correct, the Middlesex Gresham’s may not be related to the King and Queen Gresham’s at all. There was absolutely no contact between the two groups. It is astonishing, but appears all but certain.
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gresham-86
• Christ Church Parish, Virginia Deaths, 1653-1812 [database on-line]. Accessed 11 August 2018 by amb
• Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRRQ-JV9 : 10 February 2018), Tho. Gresham in entry for John Gresham, 05 Jan 1692; citing CHRISTCHURCH, MIDDLESEX,VIRGINIA, reference ; FHL microfilm 873,777.
• Christ Church Parish, Virginia Deaths, 1653-1812 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Original data:
• National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Parish Register of Christ Church, Middlesex County, Virginia from 1653 to 1812. Richmond, VA, USA: Christ Church, 1897.
  1. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/6989691/person/-11...
• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jun 26 2023, 5:00:12 UTC