William Moseley, Sr.

William Moseley, Born 17 Dec 1606 in Garrett Hall, Lancashire County, England, was the son of Richard Moseley and Katherine Smyth. He married Susannah Burnett.

Moved to Holland and immigrated from there to Virginia, Lower Norfolk County, Lynnham Parish 1649. There built Rolleston Hall, named for ancestoral home in England. Records show that no family ever came to Virginia who brought more silver, jewelry, books and pictures than they.

From "Colonial Families of the Unithed States of America" by MacKenzie:

The year 1649 marked the lowest ebb in the fortunes of the House of Stewart. In that year the martyred King Charles, condemned by a pretended "High Court of Justice" sealed his devotion to the Church of England on the scaffold at Whitehall, and his loyal followers fell upon evil days. Among the gentle families of England, none were more loyal than the Moseleys of Moseley Hall in Lancashire and Rolleston Hall in Staffordshire. Sir Oswald Moseley of Rolleston concealed King Charles II upon his place after the fatal struggle at Worcester and the confiscation of the Moseley estates tells the tale of their unfaltering loyalty to the King. The family is a very ancient one in Lancashire, being descended from one John de Bilston de Moseley, who flourished in the reign of King John. In later time, many of its members acquired great wealth as London merchants. Nataly, Sir Nicholas Moseley, who was Lord Mayor of London in the time of Queen Elizabeth. In the year 1649 William Moseley, "Gentleman" and "Merchant" first appeared in Lower Norfolk Co. VA. He was an English merchant from Rotterdam, and tradition says that he fled to Holland upon the triumph of the "Round Heads" and that he removed thence in the Cavalier emigration to Virginia. At all events, he arrived at the time, Lower Norfolk, bringing his wife and two sons, a retinue of ten servants, his Coat-of-Arms, and many old family pictures, which were preserved until 1860 at the family seat of Rolleston Hall in Princess Ann Co., VA. Written by A. Marshall Moseley, Thomaston, GA, June 29, 1934.

about the attached Photo; Rolleston Hall was built and occupied by William Moseley and his family, in Princess Ann County c1649. The ex-governor of Virginia, Henry A. Wise purchased the Hall. During the Civil War the Hall was used by the Union forces after Wise had to flee for two years. On Wise's return he sold the Hall to the Freedman Bureau and a school holding some 200 slaves was held on the grounds. The location of the Greenwich and Rolleston homes of the early Moseleys was on the eastern branch of the Elizabeth river in the lower portion of Lower Norfolk county which later became Princess Ann County and later Virginia Beach, VA. William Moseley had 560 acres there -bought from a man called George Heigham.

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William Moseley was a merchant adventurer, living in Delft, later moving to Rotterdam [7 mi. away] where he was steward (Schafmeister) of the English House on 13 Aug 1643. Late in July or early August 1649, he emigrated to Virginia and settled at Lower Norfolk where he appears on 30 Nov 1649. Received Grant in Lynn Haven Parish on Broadcreek in [Lower] Norfolk, VA. Arthur Moseley, William's son by Susanna (Burnet) Blackmore Moseley was most certainly born in Holland, as later he was compelled to naturalize himself in Virginia. He ended up with land on Broad Cr. [in Virginia Beach now].

Merchant, Rotterdam. Came to Virginia in 1649. Settled in [Lower] Norfolk County, Va. Built "Rolleston Hall" in Lynnhaven Parish, thence Princess Anne County (now city of VA Beach). Justice 1649-1655. Creecy, p. 185: Lynhaven Parish covered the same territory as Princess Anne County. Richmond Times Dispatch p.C2, 9 Nov 1997: Lynnhaven graveyard of early 1700's POSSIBLY discovered underwater in Western Branch of Lynnhaven River off Church Point in Virginia Beach VA. [some say "Rolleston Hall" name in VA began after 1700]. "Virginia Historical Magazine" Vol. 35:49:

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References

• The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Volume 5. edited by Philip Alexander Bruce, William Glover Stanard. Page 328. <GoogleBooks>
• https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I6982...
• [https://pilotonline.com/news/local/history/article_b13b55fa-8ea4-11...]
• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jan 10 2021, 3:50:52 UTC