Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Research notes for Elinor Powell
The Delwood Jackson addendum adds this information about Eleanor Powell.
“Eleanor Powell, wife of Bartholomew Highsmith and daughter of William Powell of Norfolk County, Virginia, was born about 1692, probably in Norfolk County. It is known that she was still living in Norfolk County in 1728 when she and her husband conveyed to Abraham Watson the 95 acres which her father had left her from his estate.
Barthaw Hysmith witnessed a will in 1693 in Norfolk County, Virginia. The witnesses to the transfer of 95 acres of land to Abraham Watson were Henry Crooch, Sarah Powell and Thomas Martin.
Among Norfolk County wills, William Clemens of the west branch of the Elizabeth River, a lower Norfolk County planter, had a will written 16 Dec 1687, and proven 16 Jul 1688. He left to his grandson, William Powell, his plantation after the decease of his now wife Mary. He also left parts of his estate to ten children of his daughter Susanna, wife of John Powell. Specific parts were left to Richard Cyech (Crooch or Creech?), his wife’s grandson.
Susanna bore four children for Richard. Powell Jr. and the others for his brother John Powell whom she married after Richard died.
William Powell was a son of Richard Powell Jr. and a grandson of Richard Powell Sr. and his wife Elizabeth.
John and Katherine Powell, probable parents of Richard Powell Sr., were living at Bass’s Choice in Virginia on 16 Feb 1623/24.
In the 1624 “Muster Rolls of Settlers in Virginia at Elizabeth Cittie’ are shown:
John Powell his Muster
John Powell, aged 29, in the Swallow, 1609
Kathren Powell, aged 22, in the Flying Hart, 1622
John Powell, born in Virginia
If John Powell Sr. is our ancestor and ancestor of Eleanor, and arrived in 1609, he may be one of those who endured the ‘starving time’. In 1607 three small ships set out for Virginia and new supplies of men and food were sent out by the Company until the population reached 500. Then came the starving time, the winter of 1609-10. In May 1610 there were only 60 survivors welcoming the relief ship of Sir Thomas Gates.”
In the citation above of John Powell’s muster, the Swallow and the Flying Hart are the names of the ships that brought the immigrants to America. The reference to Basses Choice is also quite interesting – it is none other than the plantation of Nathaniel Basse. Nine generations later a descendant of John Powell (Emma Alice Johnson) will marry a descendant (Francis W Herring) of Nathaniel Basse.
“Eleanor Powell, wife of Bartholomew Highsmith and daughter of William Powell of Norfolk County, Virginia, was born about 1692, probably in Norfolk County. It is known that she was still living in Norfolk County in 1728 when she and her husband conveyed to Abraham Watson the 95 acres which her father had left her from his estate.
Barthaw Hysmith witnessed a will in 1693 in Norfolk County, Virginia. The witnesses to the transfer of 95 acres of land to Abraham Watson were Henry Crooch, Sarah Powell and Thomas Martin.
Among Norfolk County wills, William Clemens of the west branch of the Elizabeth River, a lower Norfolk County planter, had a will written 16 Dec 1687, and proven 16 Jul 1688. He left to his grandson, William Powell, his plantation after the decease of his now wife Mary. He also left parts of his estate to ten children of his daughter Susanna, wife of John Powell. Specific parts were left to Richard Cyech (Crooch or Creech?), his wife’s grandson.
Susanna bore four children for Richard. Powell Jr. and the others for his brother John Powell whom she married after Richard died.
William Powell was a son of Richard Powell Jr. and a grandson of Richard Powell Sr. and his wife Elizabeth.
John and Katherine Powell, probable parents of Richard Powell Sr., were living at Bass’s Choice in Virginia on 16 Feb 1623/24.
In the 1624 “Muster Rolls of Settlers in Virginia at Elizabeth Cittie’ are shown:
John Powell his Muster
John Powell, aged 29, in the Swallow, 1609
Kathren Powell, aged 22, in the Flying Hart, 1622
John Powell, born in Virginia
If John Powell Sr. is our ancestor and ancestor of Eleanor, and arrived in 1609, he may be one of those who endured the ‘starving time’. In 1607 three small ships set out for Virginia and new supplies of men and food were sent out by the Company until the population reached 500. Then came the starving time, the winter of 1609-10. In May 1610 there were only 60 survivors welcoming the relief ship of Sir Thomas Gates.”
In the citation above of John Powell’s muster, the Swallow and the Flying Hart are the names of the ships that brought the immigrants to America. The reference to Basses Choice is also quite interesting – it is none other than the plantation of Nathaniel Basse. Nine generations later a descendant of John Powell (Emma Alice Johnson) will marry a descendant (Francis W Herring) of Nathaniel Basse.
Research notes for Bartholomew (Spouse 1)
This from “Highsmiths in America”.
“5. Bartholomew Highsmith was definitely present in Portsmouth County, Virginia by 1693 as he is recorded as a witness to the will of Thomas Hallowell dated 16 Jan 1693 and proved 15 Sep 1693. In 1728, he and his wife Elinor sold land in that county. The land records make clear that this was land originally patented by William Powell in 1711 and bequeathed to his daughter Elinor.
The connection of Daniel and Bartholomew is made in the Colonial Records of the Executive Council of North Carolina 1664-1734 which say that in 1733 “Bathole Hysmith, Daniel Hysmith and dozens more signed a petition of the inhabitants of Bertie Precinct for altering the seat of government “. So they appear together in Bertie County and the age differences suggest a father-son relationship.”
Well, that is the story of the Highsmiths. Since I got interested in genealogy, I have always argued that people erroneously tend to think of themselves as of the family of their surname. The Lawther cousins may think of themselves first and foremost as Lawthers but they are a blend of all the families found in their family tree. And the Lawther cousins might well ponder whether they are more Highsmith than anything else.
Among your g-g-g-g-g-g-grandparents are someone (yet to be identified) named Lawther, John Herring Jr., Nicholas Fennell, David David, Thomas Bass, Joshua Lee, Daniel Highsmith, Daniel Highsmith and Daniel Highsmith -- and others. It sort of boggles the mind.
“5. Bartholomew Highsmith was definitely present in Portsmouth County, Virginia by 1693 as he is recorded as a witness to the will of Thomas Hallowell dated 16 Jan 1693 and proved 15 Sep 1693. In 1728, he and his wife Elinor sold land in that county. The land records make clear that this was land originally patented by William Powell in 1711 and bequeathed to his daughter Elinor.
The connection of Daniel and Bartholomew is made in the Colonial Records of the Executive Council of North Carolina 1664-1734 which say that in 1733 “Bathole Hysmith, Daniel Hysmith and dozens more signed a petition of the inhabitants of Bertie Precinct for altering the seat of government “. So they appear together in Bertie County and the age differences suggest a father-son relationship.”
Well, that is the story of the Highsmiths. Since I got interested in genealogy, I have always argued that people erroneously tend to think of themselves as of the family of their surname. The Lawther cousins may think of themselves first and foremost as Lawthers but they are a blend of all the families found in their family tree. And the Lawther cousins might well ponder whether they are more Highsmith than anything else.
Among your g-g-g-g-g-g-grandparents are someone (yet to be identified) named Lawther, John Herring Jr., Nicholas Fennell, David David, Thomas Bass, Joshua Lee, Daniel Highsmith, Daniel Highsmith and Daniel Highsmith -- and others. It sort of boggles the mind.