Robert Adams October 28, 2010

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I have been reading about the East India Company and I have so far found no reference to Robert Adams.  I found  a reference to a William Adams.  Mr. Adams was an Englishman who had been acting as a pilot for the Dutch fleet, and settled in Japan around 1600.  He became a marine architect to the Shogun, taken a Japanese wife while still having a wife and family in England.  He wrote that Japan was an Indies of money and there is here much silver and gold which would serve their turnes in other places and that Japan would be a good market for broadcloth.  According to the book, The East India Company Trade and Conquest from 1600 by Anthony Wild, there is a remarkable account that survives of John Saris of England and William Adams' trip through Japan and their attempt to set up a East India factory.  After much conflict, the English factory started to thrive after 1620, but with the death of Adams and the Dutch alliance falling apart, the East India Company pulled out in 1623.
I am only putting this out here for speculation.
First:       The name of Adams.  I don't know how much of a common name Adams was in England at that time, but to have two Adams men as Captains.  I didn't see anyone else that had the same last name except if they were brothers or children.
Second:   William Adams is a pilot for a Dutch fleet in 1600.  Robert Adams is a Captain with the Virginia Company.  Could they be brothers or could Robert be his son.
Third:       Williams Adams left a wife and family in England.
Fourth:      Robert Adams joins the East India Company in 1616.  Could there be a correlation between William Adams helping the East India Company and Robert joining the Company.
Fifth:   Also there is another coincidence.  Robert Adams emigrates to Jamestown in 1622.

Also about Robert Adams, The Captain of the Blessing and other ships.
He knew Ralph Hamor the Captain and Ralph Hamor's son emigrated to Jamestown
Robert Adams was from Limehouse and so was Christopher Newport.  Christopher Newport was the Captain of the Sarah Constant in 1607.
He was well acquainted with many of the founders of Jamestown.
Most English families named their first son after their fathers and then the second son after themselves.  So Robert Adams would be the second son of Robert Adams the Captain.
The laws of progeniture required that the first son received the inheritance and the other sons had to make their way in the world.  So it would make sense for Robert Adams the son to emigrate to Jamestown.
The Business of Empire: The East India Company and Imperial Britain, 1756-1833

Robert Adams October 27, 2010

Image by Missy_Schmidt via Flickr

Robert Adams continued  October 27, 2010

It has been a week since my last post.  I have been in Virginia celebrating my Mother’s 80^th birthday.  A good time was had by all.  While we were there Mama, Aunt Judy, my husband Mark and I went to several graveyards.  We visited the Adams graveyard in Brights, Virginia, the Lynch graveyard in Altavista, Virginia on the grounds of Avoca which was Green Level, the Dalton cemetery in Gretna, Virginia and the Ward Cemetery in Campbell County off Mansion Bridge.  Due to the kindness of the neighbors on Mansion Bridge Road we were directed to the Ward cemetery.

In that area around the Ward cemetery was the Stone family home and the Adams family home Monteflora.  Someone directed us to the place where John Ward’s mansion once stood.  There is another house at that location, but the old boxwoods and cedars that stood there during the time of the mansion are still there.  These properties are also near Chile’s creek and if you have read my previous blogs, you will know that the Mansion was built on property that belonged to Henry Chiles and was bequeathed to his daughter Anne.  Anne, of course, was the wife of John Ward.

One of the neighbors told us a story about the Chiles family graveyard which from all reports has been plowed under or covered by time.  No one really knows the real story.  But this is what the neighbor told us.  A farmer decided to plow over the graveyard.  The poor mule that was pulling the plow was struck by lightning while doing the deed.  I don’t know what the story would be about someone that would plow over a graveyard.  Was there more to the story than just another field to plant?  We will never know, but the poor mule paid the price.

Robert Adams Captain

The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography Volume XI page 314

Arthur Pett, master of Ship Unitie of London.  Will 30 August 1609; proved 19 March 1609-10. Sick aboard the Ship Blessing of Plymouth, Captain Robert Adames of Limehouse, master, now riding at anchor before St. James Town in Virginia. Mother now wife unto Richard Nottingham of Ratcliffe. Brother William Pett. Brother William Welch.  Wife Florence Pett. Daughter Elizabeth Pett (under 10) and Thomas Johnson of Ratcliffe, mariner, now master of the Lyon of London now riding in this port of St. James Towne, executors.  Father in law Richard Nottingham, overseer.  Witnesses:  Thomas Johnson, Robert Addames, William Milward.

Commissary of London register 21 (1607-1611) folio 235

Arthur Pett was a member of the Virginia Company under the second charter, in 1609.  He was probably a member of the Kentish family of Pett, so closely connected with English naval affairs in the 16^th and 17^th centuries.

The ships Blessing, Unity and Lion were in Sir George Somers’ fleet which left Plymouth for Virginia on June 2, 1609, was scattered by a great storm, and some of the ships wrecked on the Bermudas while those named reached Virginia.

This will shows that the Captain Adams of whom there is a notice in Brown’s Genesis, II, 812, and who made seven voyages to Virginia between 1609 and 1614, and was afterwards in the service of the East India Company, was, as Mr. Brown suggests, Captain Robert Adams.

This small paragraph about Arthur Pett’s Will tells us so much. 

1. 1.        As stated in the above paragraph, we now know that Captain Adams of the Blessing is Captain Robert Adams.
2. 2.       Robert Adams of Limehouse.  I don’t know anything about Limehouse but that opens up another research point.
3. 3.       Robert Adams was a part of Sir George Somer’s fleet and the Virginia Company
4. 4.       When Arthur Pett was taken ill, Robert Adams boat was where he stayed which may tell us a lot about Robert Adams’ character.
5. 5.       He was a witness to the will which is another character reference or just that he was conveniently at the place that time.

 Note:

During my story of the graveyard hunts I did not mention the name of the neighbors because I did not have permission.

Robert Adams October 20,2010

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Robert Adams  October 20, 2010. 

The Genesis of the United States

Volume 2 page 639

Mem.- The Elizabeth, Captain Adams, left Virginia about June 28, 1613, and arrived in England about July 20, 1613, bringing the following documents:  Dale to Sr. Thomas Smith, Argall to Hawes, Molina to Velasco and probably other documents now lost.

The ship brought the first news from Virginia which had reached England since about September, 1612, “which put some life into that action, that before was almost at the last east.”  She also, probably, brought to England Rolfe’s crop of Tobacco of 1612; which is said to have been the first crop cultivated by an Englishman in America, and the first third of “the amber-greece” from the Bermudas.

Page 653

Excerpt from a copy of a holographic letter from Don Diego De Molina to Don Alonso de Velasco, dated Virginia, July 8, 1613. Don Diego De Molina was a  prisoner in Virginia.

General archives of Simancas, Department of State, Volume 2590  Folio 241

They are certainly courteous and kindly disposed, Captain Adams, who sails in this vessel and it is understood will soon returne in it, I have asked to speak with you about my business, primary and secondary, about food and wearing apparel, because with that, they say, troubles are less.  He will carry everything you may give him, for so he has promised me,……….

Page 663

Mem-  On the 14^th of October, 1613, the Elizabeth, Captain Adams, sailed from England to Virginia via the Bermudas taking potatoes to the island and silkworms to Virginia.

Also on page 689 Mem __ The Elizabeth, Captain Adams which sailed from England October 14, 1613, taking the first potatoes to the Bermudas, reached Virginia, bringing silkworms, etc, in the winter of 1613-14.  She sailed from Virginia in March following, having on board Sir. Thomas Gates, the Sieur de la Motte, etc.

Page 812

Captain Adams   Made a voyage to Virginia, June to November, 1609; a second voyage April to September, 1610; a third, December, 1610, to July, 1611; a fourth, December, 1612 to July, 1613; and a fifth, October 1613, to April 1614.  We ought to know more of him than we do, as he made so many of the early voyages.  He was evidently a noted and well known seaman in his own day, and this fact makes it the more difficult to identify him, as he is always spoken of simply as  “Captain Adams;” his first name is not given in the Virginia records.  It is probable, however, that he is the Captain Robert Adams who entered the service of the East India Company in 1616 and made several voyages to the East Indies.

So what have I learned about Captain Robert Adams from the publication Genesis of America.

He was a well known Captain of the Virginia Company.  He was the Captain of The Blessing, The Hercules and the Elizabeth in which he made voyages to Virginia and to the Bermudas.  He was well acquainted with many of the founders and leaders of Jamestown, Virginia.  He joined the East India Company in 1616.  So far I have not found a record of any of his ships being damaged at sea so he must have been a fine seaman. 

I have found more information which I will report tomorrow.

October 19, 2010 Grave Matters

On occasion I will be posting graves that I have found on my travels. I will be calling this segment of my genealogy blog "Grave Matters".  I found the above graves on the Nachez Trace between milepost 426 and the Old Trace Marker going North on the Nachez Trace towards Nashville on the right hand side of the road
There were four graves.  I have included a picture of the monuments and the gravesite.  The top left hand grave marker (Ezekial T. Davis  Feb. 2, 1904, Sept. 3, 1923) top right grave marker (mother Carrie V. Davis June 1, 1881    19___)   bottom left hand grave marker (W.E. Davis   July 31, 1870    Sept. 6, 1938)
bottom right hand marker (Mrs. L. J. Burns  Dec. 13, 1839  August 31, 1919).

I hope this helps someone in their genealogy search.  As I have said before in my tips section of my genealogy blog, a cemetery can be very helpful in clearing up information for your families genealogy.Virginia Cemeteries: A Guide to Resources

October 18, 2010 Robert Adams

Image via Wikipedia

I am still working on Robert Adams and frankly, I will be working on the family for a while.  I hope to contribute a few other tidbits on the way.  As I said on the last blog, I found the book The Genesis of the United States which mentions Captain Adams in several pages and I will be addressing more references from this book.
The Genesis of the United States
A Narrative of the Movement in England, 1605-1616, which resulted in the Plantation of North America by Englishmen, disclosing the contest between England and Spain for the Possession of the soil now occupied by the Untied State of America; Set forth through a Series of historical manuscripts now first printed:
Collected, Arranged, and Edited by Alexander Brown
Volume 1 page 225
Extract from Stationers’ Record.  From the Court Minutes of the Stationers’ Company 1609 7mo Rgi
Mr. Bisshopp Mr. the Copy of the receipte under Mr. H. Hooper I,, Sir Thomas Smithes hande for the Mr. H. Lownes j CompniM Adventure into Virginia
Viz.
Received the 28th of April 1609 of Mr. Humphrey Hooper and Humphrey Lownes Wardens of the Stationers of the Citty of London the sum of one Hundred and twenty and five pounds & is for the said Compnie” adventure in the voyage to Virginia.  I said recd $125.0.0. Tho. Smythe.  The which sum of $125 pounds was Levyed and disbursed in The Compnie in portions as followeth
Vs
$ s d Mr. Bisshipp Mf the Comp” 10.0.0. Mr. Cole 3.0.0
Mr. Bonham Norton 5.0.0 Mr. Smithe 2.0.0
Mr. Hooper Elder Warden 3.0.0 Mr. Dighte 2.0.0
Mr. H. Lownes younger Warden 6.5.0 Mr. Knighte 2.0.0
Mr. Harrison the elder 5.0.0 Mr. Pavyer 2.0.0
Mr. Barker 5.0.0 Mr. Edw. Bisshopp 2.0.0
Mr. Mann the elder 5.0.0 M’Bill  3.0.0
Mr. John Norton 10.0.0 Mr. Cooke 2.0.0
Mr. Dawson 3.0.0 Mr. Islip 2.0.0
Mr. Seton 3.0.0 Mr. Kingstone 2.0.0
Mr. leake 6.5.0 Mr. Weaver 2.0.0
Mr. Standish 5.0.0 Mr. Lawe 2.0.0
Mr. Richard Collins 2.0.0 Mr. Cotton 2.0.0
Mr. Keyle 2.0.0 Richard Boyle 5.0.0
Mr. Adams 10.0.0 Mr. Swinhowe 2.0.0
Mr Ockold 2.10.0
Mr. Bankworth 3.0.0
Mr. John Jaggard 2.0.0
M’Gylmaa 2.0.0

The Stationers Company is a trade guild given a royal charter in 1557 to regulate the various professions associated with the publishing industry, including printers, bookbinders, booksellers and publishers in England. The Register itself allowed publishers to document their right to produce a particular printed work and constituted an early form of copyright law. See Wiki

According to David Price’s book Love and Hate in Jamestown, The Stationer’s Company had invested substantially in the Virginia Company in 1609.

In footnote, page 95, in Cyprian Blagden’s book The Stationer’s Company a History 1403 to 1959, the 125 pounds contributed by the Stationer’s Company toward’s Thomas Smith’s adventure into Virginia was made up of subscriptions varying from 2 pounds to 10 pounds from 34 individual members of the Company.

Page 28 of the Report of the Virginia State Library volume 5 by the Virginia State Library.
November 18, 1610 A True Declaration of the Estate of the Colony of Virginia, with a confutation of such scandalous reports as have tended to the disgrace of so worthy an enterprise was entered at Stationers’ Hall for publication, by Sir Thomas Smith, Sir Maurice Berkeley, Sir George Coppin and Master Richard Martin.

1611 Master William Welby entered for Publication at Stationer’s Hall  April 11, “Under The Handes of Sir Thomas Smith and Th’ Wardens.  The Bylls of Adventure with Blanckes concerning the Summes of money disbursed for adventures towards the voyage of Virginia.

As you can see Mr. Adams and Mr. Leek are mentioned in the list below.  You will see these two names connected again in later discoveries.

Volume I page 364
Captain Adams who sailed from Virginia in the Hercules on the 25th of May, probably arrived in England late in June or early in July, 1611, bringing among other documents, letters, etc  Dale to  Counsell, and Dale to the Commiittees.”

Page 365
Excerpt from letter From Sir Thomas Dale to the President and Counsell of the Companie of Adventureres and Planters in Virginia.

The 12. Of May we seized our Bay and the same night with a favorable Southeast gale (all prayse to God for it) we came to an anchor before Algernoone Forte at Point Comfory, where to our no small comfort again we discovered The Hercules, even then preparing to take the advantage of the present Tide to set sayle for England.  We had no sooner saluted the fort, and that us, and were come to an anchor, but Captain Adams came aboard us in his longe boate, who gave me to understand both of his Lordship’s departure for Mevis in the West Indies some ten days before our coining in (as by his Lordship’s letters you shall further understand thereof) as of Captain Percy’s being at the Fort, who together with some of the present Counsell had come down thither to give Captain Adams his discharge.  It was not full two hours before myself and Captain Newport went ashore, where we had related unto us the full circumstance of many things and the condition of the present Colony.

Robert Adams October 14, 2010

Image by bill barber via Flickr

Adams Ancestry

My Genealogy research will begin with Robert Adams.  It is spelled several ways Adams, Addams, Adames. This is a difficult research.  I have been reading about this family and I believe that it will be next to impossible to connect Robert Adams, Captain hired by East India Company and Robert Adams that arrived on the Bona Nova in 1619 to the Robert Adams family that eventually migrated to Campbell/Pittsylvania County, Virginia.  Through my research, I have not seen anyone do it yet, but who knows.  In any case, I will provide the information I find and maybe someone will come up with something new and would like to comment on this genealogy.  So let’s begin.

Research Found:

The Genesis of the United States

A Narrative of the Movement in England, 1605-1616, which resulted in the Plantation of North America by Englishmen, disclosing the contest between England and Spain for the Possession of the soil now occupied by the Untied State of America; Set forth through a Series of historical manuscripts now first printed:

Collected, Arranged, and Edited by Alexander Brown

Volume I page 258

This is a portion of a letter from M. Gabriel Archer, touching the voyage of the fleet of ships which arrived at Virginia, without  Sir Tho. Gates and Sir George Summers, 1609 (August 31, 1609)  

From Woolwich the fifteenth of May 1609, seven saile weyed anchor, and came to Plimmouth the twentieth day, where Sir George Somers, with two small vessels consorted with us.  Here we tooke into the Blessing (being the ship wherein I went) sixe mares and two Horses; and the Fleet layed in some necessaries belonging to the action:  In which businesse we spent time till the second of June.  And then wee set sayle to sea, but crost by South-west windes, we put into Faulemouth, and there staying till the eight of June, we then gate out.  Our Course was commanded to leave the Canaries one hundred leagues to the Eastward at least, and to steere away directly for Virginia, without touching at the West Indies, except the Fleet should chance to be separated, then they were to repaire to the Bermuda? Thereto say seven days in expectation of the Admirall; and if they found him not, then to take their course to Virginia.

“Now thus it happened; about sixe days after we lost the sight of England, one of Sir George Somers Pinnassess left our Company, as (as I take it) bare up for England; the rest of the ships, viz: The Sea Adventure Admirall, wherein was Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Somers, and Captain Newport: The Diamond, Vice-Admirall, in which was Captaine Martin and Master Nelson:  The Blessing, where I and Captaine Adams went: The Unitie, where Captain Wood and Master Pett were: The Lion wherein Captain Webb remained: and The Swallow of Sir George Somers, in which Captain Moone, and Master Somers went.  In The Catch went one Matthew Fitch, Master; and the Boat of Sir George Somers, called The Virginia, which was built in the North Colony, went one Captain Davies and one Master Davies.  These were the Captaines and Masters of our Fleet.

This is an excerpt from a letter of Sir Gabriel Archer.  Please note that Captain Adams is the Captain for the ship The Blessing.

And now for a little history.

This was the third resupply voyage for  the Jamestown Colony.  The largest ship was the 300 ton merchant ship the Sea Venture or Sea Adventure which carried the most supplies.  Aboard this ship was Captain Christopher Newport, Sir Thomas Gates, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia;, Sir George Somers, Admiral of the fleet;, William Strachey, future secretary of the Virginia Company and John Rolfe.

The fleet departed England in June of 1609 taking a slightly different ,faster route to avoid the Spanish.  Only a week away from Virginia, the fleet ran into a hurricane.  The Flagship the Sea Venture (the ship which was carrying all the supplies) was separated from the rest of the fleet and escaped destruction by landing in the Bermudas.  Some say that this shipwreck on the Bermudas was the basis for William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Meanwhile the rest of the fleet arrived at Jamestown, but with no supplies for the colonist. According to the book “The Genesis of the United States” the remnant of the fleet returned to England in late November, 1609.  “The rest of the fleet came ship after ship, laden with nothing but bad reports and letters of discouragement;” they left the colony in Virginia in the most deplorable condition; at war with the Indians; a terrible disease raging at Jamestown; and the colonists without sufficient provisions or comforts of any kind. 

These ships that returned home from Virginia also carried a new passenger, Captain John Smith.  He would never return to Virginia.

Meanwhile Sir Thomas Gates and Company were marooned in the Bermudas.  For nine months they survived during which time they built two new boats from the wreckage of their old ship.  On May 10, 1610, the two new boats set sail for Virginia.  When they arrived they were horrified.  They had arrived at the end of what we now call “The Starving Time”.  After assessing the situation, the Bermuda survivors along with the Jamestown survivors had decided to abandon Jamestown and go back home. On June 7, 1610, they set sail for England, but before they could get to open water, they were met by the new military Governor Lord dela Warr with his three ships carrying new settlers and supplies.  Thus saving the Virginia Colony from failure.

Please note that I typed Mr. Archer’s letter verbatim.

tips for genealogist:

One of the best sources for a beginning genealogist is his or her family.  It is well worth the time to sit down with older family members and just talk about their mothers and fathers and what they told them.  Family Reunions are always a good source.  Sometimes what your close family members cannot remember will be just the thing that your Great Aunt Agatha or Jane will know all about.  Not only can they tell you about your ancestors, but just  what was going on at the time.  My mother just told me last week that they lived in Danville, Virginia during the early 1930s because the farm could no longer support the family during the Depression.  My Grandfather said that he arrived in Danville with the promise of a job at Dan River Mills.  He  had a job but there were lines and lines of people waiting behind him.  Sounds a little bit like what some of us are going through right now.  

Adams Family October 6, 2010

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Adams Family of Virginia

As I had mentioned before, I have left the sad Cornelia Ward Dove’s family for a later date and now I will continue with another member of the family.   I wrote before that Cornelia’s mother was Elizabeth Mumford Adams.  I will be writing about this family connection and also trying to prove connections to a seafaring Adams that arrived on these shores in 1619 on the ship Bon Nova.

Before I begin with people I would like to start with land. 

In 1634, by order of King Charles I of England eight shires were named by the House of Burgesses.  Each shire had their own representatives and officers.

The Eight Shires were

·         Accomac Shire   (now Northampton County)

·         Charles City Shire  (now Charles City County)

·         Charles River Shire (now York County)  This was changed to York county during the English Civil War.

·         Elizabeth City Shire (no longer exists as a county but is the City of Hampton)

·         Henrico Shire (now Henrico County) 

·         James City Shire (now James City County)  This includes the site of the original Jamestown

·         Warwick River Shire  (no longer exists  now City of Newport News)

·         Warrosquvoake Shire (now Isle of Wight County)

It is possible that our Robert Adams also spelled Addams, Addames, Adames, began in the Virginia colony of Martin’s Hundred which is not far from Henrico County.  We will find in future dates that Robert Adams was in Goochland, Albemarle, Bedford, Campbell and Pittsylvania County. 

Henrico County was one of the eight original shires.  In 1728, Goochland County was formed from Henrico County.  It was named after Sir William Gooch  Royal Lieutenant Governor from 1727 to 1749.  This area included all of the land from Tuckahoe Creek on both sides of the James River west to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Albemarle County was formed from Goochland County in 1744.   This county was named after Willem Anne Van Keppel, 2^nd Earl of Albemarle, titular Governor of Virginia.

In 1761, the counties of Buckingham named after the Duke of Buckingham and Amherst  named after Sir Jeffery Amherst were formed from Albemarle County.

This formation of counties may help us to understand why certain documents no longer have the same county.  For instance, one of our Robert Adams has a will recorded in 1740 in Goochland and later on his wife records a deed in Albemarle County.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shires_of_Virginia

Also see Wikipedia for information of the above Virginia counties