MDSTMARY-L Archives

Archiver > MDSTMARY > 2005-06 > 1118111122


From: "Marshall, Michael (Contracts)" <>
Subject: Southern Maryland Origins of Thomas Marshall (1655-1704) Grandfather of the Chief Justice John Marshall
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 22:25:22 -0400


Southern Maryland Origins of Thomas Marshall (1655-1704) Grandfather of the
Chief Justice John Marshall

There have been several attempts to unravel the ancestry of Thomas Marshall
(1655-1704) of Westmoreland Co. VA.; Grandfather of the Chief Justice John
Marshall.

Paxton "Marshall Family" published in 1885, and by his own admission years
later, did not know who the ancestors were of Thomas Marshall. Several other
noted researchers have come to the same concussion but the Ancestry has
remained unsolved.

I propose an alternate solution that is solved by looking in ones backyard.
In this case, across the Potomac.

It has been proved by court/land records that Paxton mixed the Isle of
Wright Marshall's with the Westmoreland Marshall's. It appears the 1635
transportation of 20 year old John Marshall to VA was the one who married
Jane McCarthy. From naming conventions, no William or Thomas figures into
the Isle of Wight Marshall Family.

Another line of Marshall's lived the in Lancaster Co. VA area on the
Rappanhannock River near Leedstown that would have been a better match for
the 1655 Thomas Marshall. However, are all those Marshall's are all
accounted for with land records, wills & inventories. This Marshall Family
appears to be the ancestors of the King George Co. VA and "Berry Plains" by
the migration up the Rappanhannock River through Farnham & Hanover Parish of
now day Richmond Co., Essex and Caroline Co. VA.

The next Marshall line lived on the Eastern Shore in Northampton Co. VA on a
line directly East of the entrance of Rappanhannock River. The "GHOTES"
Eastern Shore Genealogy Board has documented this Marshall line. Their
Thomas Marshall has a will probate date one day before the Thomas Marshall
of Westmoreland which make this an attractive link but land records and
wills proves this was a different line. Site and partial data as follows:

http://ghotes.net/nhmarshalls/
{2. Thomas2 Marshall (John1) was born 1626. Thomas died 1704 in Northampton
Co., VA.

He married Mary (N) (wife of Thomas Marshall) about 1655. Mary was born
1638. Mary died before 1704. Mary was his wife's name when he presented his
son, Thomas for baptism in 1661. He did not name a wife in his will. Court
records of Northampton County show Mary Marshall in May, 1688, aged 50.
(Houston & Mihalyka, Colonial Residents, Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore
MD, 1985, p. 67)

He made a will in Northampton Co., VA, January 1, 1704. Thomas's will was
probated in Northampton Co., VA, May 30, 1704. Thomas would have been about
age 14 when he came to Northampton. His name is probably on that portion of
the headright certificate which was destroyed. If indentured with his father
to John Wilkins, his seven years coincide with his attaining majority.}

It is far more believable that the Thomas Marshall, a millwright, who
oversaw the maintenance of the Mills and tobacco storage houses of Charles
County Maryland, living in "Allens Fresh", moved to Virginia abt 1684 and
termed "Carpenter" is the one and the same person.

Thomas was living after 1695 per the "Inventory of Col. Nehemiah Blackiston,
where Thomas is referred to as "of Virginia". Blackison married a couple
daughters of Dr.Thomas Gerrard of St. Clement's Manor, St. Mary's County,
who was banished to Westmoreland after Fendall's Rebellion and died 1672.
His lands on the Matchotick River in Westmoreland Co. Va were later seated
to Richard Lee. Thomas Gerard's daughter Frances married Col John Washington
and after her death he married Ann Pope daughter of Nathaniel Pope.

"Allens Fresh" is located at the head of Wicomico River in Southern Charles
County that separates St. Mary's Chaptico Hundred from Charles County's,
Newport & William & Mary Parishes. The father of William Marshall was
transported by Thomas Weston in 1640 and patented Westbury Manor in St.
Georges Hundred, St. Mary's County. William Marshall acted as his attorney
on several occasions.

In a line, directly South of Allens Fresh, across the Potomac River is
Pope's Creek in Westmoreland Co. Va, This is where John Washington
grandfather of George Washington lived and his neighboring families of
Fowke, Gerard, Brent, Brown, Brett, Rozier, Chandler, Harrison & Pope all
had land in Southern MD

Coincidently, Thomas' move to Virginia was the same time Martha Sherwood of
Westmoreland Co. Va. married a Thomas Marshall and her sister Sarah married
a David Rozier, Son of Rev John Rozier and nephew of Col. Benjamin Rozer of
Charles County Md. Benjamin Rozer and Southern Maryland Marshall's had
several close business relationships.

William Marshall died in 1773. Will abstract follows:
===
William Marshall, Charles county Wills 22Apr1673/Dec 1673

To Son William, 4 tracts of land unnamed in Chas Co.
To Son Joshua and dau Eliza, "Marshall", 500A, "Two Friends" Chas Co.
To child(ren) residue of estate equally.
To Son Joshua, Cattle mark, obtained by marriage of testator with Katherine
EBDEN. In event of death of any child under age, or without issue, survivors
to inherit deceased's portion, and all dying without issue, estate to be
used for benefit of poor of Chas County.
Exs: Thomas Notely, Robert Henley and brother Francis Wyne.
Test: Zach, Wade, Edward Price, Johnathan Marler. V1-pg 592
===
Bill Howard [SMTP:]
The other two executors of his will were Thomas Notley (1634-1679) who was
the father of Mary Notley who married Benjamin Rozer; and Robert Henley
(abt1617-1684) who married Sarah Bachelor (abt 1627-bef Feb 1683) and whose
daughter, Charity married (1) John Courts and (2) John Contee.
===
His will names the younger children who were born in the 1660's. It his
thought that Thomas Marshall and Richard Marshall were also sons of William
Marshall. Thomas Marshall b 1655 would have been one of the first sons of
William Marshall & Catherine Payne widow of Thomas Dr. Hebden who died 1649.
Thomas married the widow by 1655 according to land records. Thomas' brother
Richard born 1669 was a servant for Benjamin Rozer in 1681 according to his
Inventory records. Richard married Mary, a daughter of Gerald Brown {who
married a daughter of Thomas Allanson}, and died in Charles County Md before
1700.

The predominant naming conventions of this Southern Maryland family are
William, Thomas, Richard & Robert.

The following link contains an interesting incident that helps put some of
the players together. The Combs family board is a wealth of information for
Southern Maryland records.

http://www.combs-families.org/combs/records/md/charles/land.htm

Look for the paragraph that starts: "The following incident occurred in Oct
1681, about the same time as the above petition. The records reference
Phillip COMBES and Thomas MARSHALL of Allen's Mill who was apparently
involved in Fendell's Rebellion of 1679 (or Lt. Godfrey's planned
"break-out" of FENDALL):"

It is believed that Thomas moved to Westmoreland by 1686 as he is a witness
in the land transactions of Ann Washington, the daughter of John Washington
& Ann Pope who married Francis Wright.

The Will of Thomas Marshall of Westmoreland Co., Va. (undated)
Westmoreland Co., is in Deed & Will Book 3, pages 232 - 233 and
Probated 31 May 1704. He mentions only his son William Marshall but it is
known through land & court records that he had several other kids. Thomas
had at least two other children that have been proved besides John Marshall
that married Elizabeth Markham & William Marshall that married Elizabeth
Williams. There is a Mary who married John Piper, and James who died 1750
murdered by Jonathan Piper. The Mary Iva Marshall that is noted by Paxton to
have married Thomas Camp can not be proved through any court or parish
record. It appears Thomas Camp married a Marshall of James City Va., or of
King William Co. Va. They were too far South to have any dealings with the
Westmoreland Marshall's.

One of other child may have also been born of this marriage. It is believed
that the Robert Marshall that married Margaret Luttrell and both died Prince
William Co 1754 was a son. He lived near Mason Neck West of Gunston Hall on
the Occoquan & Pohick Creeks. Parts of their lands were later seated by
Bushrod Washington near Manassas.

The Marshall's in Southern Maryland that first arrived in St. Mary's County
MD later lived on both sides of the Potomac from Westmoreland, Stafford,
Prince William, Fairfax & Loudoun Counties on the Virginia side and
Frederick, Prince George's and Charles County on the Maryland Side. This
Westward migration continued after the revolution when descendents moved to
Mason County Ky & Fayette County Ky.

In a time when only vessels were the primary transport which helped restrict
migration routes westward between river valleys and given the politics of
1650 to 1680, this Thomas looks to have been in the right place.

mm
Frederick MD.

This thread: