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Adventurers of Purse and Person: Virginia 1607-1624/5: Families A-F Volume 4

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Families
Far too large to be published in a single volume, the new fourth edition is to be published in three volumes (see Volume Two for families G-P). This first volume covers founding families alphabetically from A-F, and includes the following:
Andrews, Bagwell, Baley-Cocke, Barkham-Jenings, Barne, Bates, Bayly, Beheathland, Bennett (Edward), Bennett (Samuel), Bennett-Chapman, Bernard, Bibby, Bickley, Bland, Boyce, Boyle-Mountney, Branch, Buck, Burwell, Bush, Calthorpe, Calvert, Carsley, Carter, Chaplaine, Chew, Chisman, Claiborne, Clay, Clements, Cobb, Codrington, Cole, Cope, Cox, Crew, Croshaw, Crump, Curtis, Davis, Dawson, Delk, Digges, Edloe, Epes, Evelyn, Farrar, Fisher, Fleet, Flood, Freeman.

This is Volume One of the fourth edition of the most celebrated compendium of family histories in the entire field of Virginia genealogy. Prepared under the auspices of the Order of First Families of Virginia, 1607-1624/5 in anticipation of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, and edited by the foremost authority on Virginia genealogy, John Frederick Dorman, this new edition extends the lines of descent of the founding families of Virginia from four generations to six, bringing most families down to the Revolutionary or early Federal periods.

The purpose of the book is to establish descents--through the sixth generation--of the approximately 150 individuals who can be identified as (1) Adventurers of Purse (i.e. stockholders in the Virginia Company of London) who either came to Virginia in the period 1607-1625 and had descendants or who did not come to Virginia within that period but whose grandchildren were residents there; or (2) Adventurers of Person, 1607-1625 (i.e. immigrants to Virginia) who left descendants. With roots deeply embedded in the social fabric of the United States, descendants of these original settlers today number in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, and like descendants of the Mayflower passengers, they claim an ancestry that is unique in American history.

The foundation for this work is the famous "Muster" of January-February 1624/25-- essentially a census taken by the Royal Commission which succeeded the Virginia Company to determine the extent and composition of the Jamestown settlements. In the Muster (which is reproduced in entirety here in Volume One), the name of each colonist appears with the location of his home and the number in his family, together with information about his stock of food, his supply of arms and ammunition, his boats, houses, and livestock. In all, about 1,200 persons are named in the Muster, of whom approximately 150 are shown here to have left descendants to the sixth generation. Most scholars agree that the total population of Jamestown between 1607 and 1625 was about 7,000, so by 1624/5 only about one-seventh of the colonists had survived the punishing conditions of the Virginia wilderness.

In addition to the Muster, this work builds on the investigations of dozens of scholars, correcting, revising, and supplementing the best genealogical scholarship of the past half century. New discoveries, newly available information, and a further reevaluation of evidence concerning previously accepted relationships have led, in some instances, to wholesale changes in the accepted genealogies. In consequence, this fourth edition brings together the results of all the most recent scholarship on these families, expanding the limits of what is presently known and opening up possibilities for research beyond the sixth generation.

If you have (or think you have) ancestors who arrived in Virginia before 1624, this book is a "must-have". The research is impeccable, the footnotes are fascinating, and the indices list every ancestor. This three-volume series is an essential aid to any genealogist who is tracking down early Virginia ancestors. Because of a family Ahnentafel chart, I knew the names and relationships of the people I was looking for, but did not know any of their places or dates. Thanks to the indices at the back of each volume of this wonderful set of books, I now have all the dates and places back to 1610.

It's all there! The 1624/25 Muster, explanatory notes, and family listings (A-F only, though -- I'm eagerly awaiting the next volumes for the rest of the alphabet). This new edition is great to look at, and to hold. I especially liked the endpaper maps of the Jamestown settlements, the 1607 ones in the front and the later ones (1624?) in the back. Well worth the purchase price!

Excellent documentation on Jamestowne which proved my relationship to my Jamestowne Ancestor. The book was accepted as proof for my membership in the Jamestowne Society.

This book is so useful that I ordered the other two volumes. It even gives you the source location of information in actual records. Makes research much easier and less time consuming.

The Adventurers of Purse and Persons series is a must for anyone working on their family tree with branches in the South. These books are indispensable in providing sources and citations for the research necessary for fulfillment of DAR membership requirements. Though expensive, these books are chock full of information and provide interesting historical insights.