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Subject: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] Couch and Reference in Coldham's Book
Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 13:53:28 EDT

A lister wrote:

I am most interested in finding sources mentioned in this discussion on
tithables. My projected Thomas and Elizabeth Couch were in Brunswick
County, VA as early as 1720 (Now Luenburg County). They had a son named
Matthew borned there in 1725. A Thomas Couch Sr and Thomas Couch Jr were
also in Brunswick County (ca 1739). William and James Couch were also
mentioned in that area.

More recently, I have been given a reference on THOMAS COUCH who arrived in
Virginia in 1684. In Coldham (1990) book on The Complete book of Emmigrants
1661-1699, an entry reads as follows:
"Aug 29-Sept 1, 1684 Shippers by Charles of Plymouth, Mr Edward Blagg, bound
from Plymouth for Virginia: John Rogers, Thomas Couch [PRO:E190/1048/8]".
----------

In the various Tithable lists or Vestry books, has anyone run across these
THOMAS Couches?
Have been looking for years but have not found any passenger list entry for
a THOMAS COUCH until I saw this. What do the codes following THOMAS COUCH
above indicate [PRO:E190/1048/8]?
HELP!!

Response:

I will try to answer the last question first. There are few passenger lists
for colonial Virginians. Coldham has done a magnificent job of trying to
find out about our Virginia immigrants by almost daily prowling through the
Public Record Office at Kew near Richmond outside of London. That is what
PRO refers to.

Since most of our Virginians came as an alternative to a prison sentence, I
suspect most of my VA ancestors came as indentured servants to warm Virginia.
The numbering after the PRO initials probably refer to the cataloging at
that vast Archives. I imagine Coldham has given the codes in the preface of
the book in which you found the reference. (Coldham MAY tell us more about
our indentured ancestors than we want to know--but some must have
survived--that is why we are here! I have heard him speak, and he does
research that you and I cannot afford to do--because we would have to pay
tourist prices for accommodations! Also he has great knowledge of the Public
Record Office, which you and I cannot acquire.)

If you are NOT near a large genealogical library and/or do NOT have time to
scan as many Virginia records as you would like, I suggest that you get a
little start by

1) reading whatever you have time for on the VA State Library webpage, which
has quite a few databases, including the abstracted land patents of Colonial
Virginia or

2) consider TLC Genealogy (website: tlcgenealogy.com) for conducting a
surname search for you for about $5.00 a surname. I was impressed with the
long list of references which I got back from them. They include not only
their own publications but also reference films (mostly VA Library films)
and page numbers on which that name can be found. A great timesaver.

Also, try the various databases (many more than I have ever had time to
explore) on the LDS website: www.familysearch.org

The Ancestral File (LDS data base) is terribly flawed, but perhaps you can
get a clue or two. The dates are way off, generally, and so are the places
and linkages, but give it a try--if nothing more than to say: I know better
than that--because I have searched the records and not pulled the info from
secondary/tertiary [well, you know what I mean, I hope] sources.

And, if you think you have any noted ancestors, play around with the search
engine www.google.com. Put your ancestor's name in quotation marks and check
the names out. You may be surprised at the number of folks--around the w
orld--who may bear that name today. But it's fun. A website called The
Political Graveyard gave some info on some of my collaterals which linked
them one to the other--and eliminated a great many others with the surname
Williams!

Hope you find your Couch ancestors!

E.W.Wallace

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