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This project traces and documents the descendants and ancestors of "Councillor" William Farrar of Jamestown, Virginia, "Ancient Planter."
WILLIAM FARRAR was the third son of John Farrer the elder of Croxton, Ewood, and London, Esquire and Cecily Kelke. He was born into the wealthy landed gentry of Elizabethan England.
WILLIAM FARRAR who emigrated to Virginia in 1618 was a subscriber to the Third Charter of the Virginia Company (He paid £37 10 shillings, although many who subscribed never paid.). His name appears among the citizens and merchants of London listed in Article V of the Charter, "So that posterity may hereafter know who have adventured and not been sparing of their purses in such a noble and generous action for the general good of their country..." Alexander Brown wrote: "Unlike the Second Charter made up mostly of tradespeople, three fourths of the Third Charter were of the gentry," and many of those named in Browne's Biographies, among them William Farrar, "are originators of families who are today largely represented in the United States, and as patriotic citizens should take much pride in being of the Founders' Kin as is taken by Englishmen in tracing from the Roll of Battle Abbey."
At the age of 35 William Farrar cast his lot with the venturers and sailed from London March 16, 1618, in the "Neptune" with Lord Delaware, who had been urged by the settlers to return to Virginia as a governor and who had persuaded many of the gentry to emigrate to Virginia.
William Farrar quickly made a place for himself in the colony acting as appraiser, executor of estates, a member of the the King's Council and justice of two counties. During the famed Indian massacre of Virginia settlers, which began on Good Friday, March 22, 1622, ten persons were killed at William Farrar's house upon the Appomattox River. William Farrar fled with other survivors and managed to escape and find refuge at the fortified home of his neighbors Samuel and Cecily Jordan on the James River arriving the next day, where he stayed for years thereafter.