History and genealogy of Peter Montague, of Nansemond and ...
History and genealogy of Peter Montague, of Nansemond and ... History and genealogy of Peter Montague, of Nansemond and ...
54 DESCENDANTS OF PETER MONTAGUE. Upper Norfolk consisted in what is now known as Nansemond County, and the present Norfolk and Princess Anne Counties were called lower Norfolk until 1691. The Clerk's office and all the :records of Nansemond were destroyed by fire in 1736 [Hening's Statutes, Vol. 4, p. 526], and all the records were again destroyed by fire in February, 1866, and the history of Peter Montague during these years is entirely and irrevocably lost. It is known, however, that he resided in Nansemond in 1652 and 1653. He represented that Co. in the House of Burgesses under dates of Nov. 25, 1652, and July 5, 1653, and Col. Samuel Mathews was a member from Co. of Warwick during the same time [Hen. Va. Stat. Vol. 1, pp. 373- 379]. His children were probably born in this Co. That his mind .often reverted to his family in England is evidenced by the fact that his children are named after his brothers and sisters in his native country, and the names of William, Peter, Ann, Margaret and Eliza- beth are perpetuated in the new world. Having still another daugh- ter he named her after his mother,—Ellen (or Eleanor). This is regarded as corroborative evidence of the correctness of his pedigree as stated in the Introduction. Of the exact date of the birth of his children no record exists. There is no doubt that they were faith- fully recorded in the church records of that County, but those records have shared the fate of other early church records of Va. No church records exist back of Nov. 30, 1743. Nansemond was divided into two parishes, Lower or Suffolk parish, and the Upper parish in which was the town of Suffolk. In the Lower parish were two old brick churches, one on the left and the other on the right bank of the Nansemond river, each about ten miles from Suffolk. On a hill one mile back of Suffolk was an old graveyard, a very beautiful spot. But it too has disappeared, having long since been plowed up. On the 3d of November, 1647, Peter bought one hundred acres of land in County Nansemond [Va. Land Office, Book 2, p. 130]. This makes a total of 450 acres of land which he owned in that County, the purchase of which extended from 1637 to 1647 a space of ten years. This land is not mentioned in his will and probably he gave it to his son Peter, as we find Peter disposing of land in that Co. after his father's death. Probably before the year 1654 he had removed his family from Nansemond to Lancaster Co. and made a home on the north bank of the river Rappahannock, probably not far from the present county seat of Lancaster. That he owned consid-
DESCENDANTS OF PETER MONTAGUE. 55 erable land along the river in Lancaster as early as 165 1 or 2 can scarcely admit of a doubt, though the records that are preserved at Lancaster do not show it. Jan'y 16, 1658, he was granted 200 acres on the Rappahannock river [Va. Land Office Book 4, p. 340] and this is the last recorded purchase he ever made. He had now become a large land owner and a leading citizen of the Colony, a man of intelligence, of moral worth and of influence. He represented the County of Lancaster in the Assembly [House of Burgesses] from 165 1 to 1658. [See Hist, of Va. by R. R. Howson, p. 309-310.] "In 1657-58, he represented the County of Lancaster in the House of Burgesses at James City."—See Hen. Stat., Vol. 1, p. 431. Failing health at this time no doubt was the cause of his resigning his official duties in that capacity. In his will, dated March, 1659, he says he is " weak of body but of perfect memory." He was a member of the Established Church, and the absence of church records will not prevent the fact being recorded here—that he was a leading- member, prominent in all good works, one of the founders of the church in Virginia. " There were two parishes in Lancaster on the north side of the river, St. Marys and Christ Church. The White Chapel Church was in the parish of St. Marys. These two parishes were afterward united into that of Christ Church, Lancaster. The first vestry book known was dated 1654. The church was completed in 1670 under the direction of Mr. John Carter, the great ancestor of many bearing that name in Va. The present church, built upon the same spot by Mr. Robert Carter [known as King Carter] son of John and was completed in 1732. In 1654 Rev. Samuel Cole was the minister of this church, [the same who was minister in Middlesex in 1664] he was at that time the minister for the whole Co. both sides of the river. After him the Rev. Andrew Jackson was minister, and he was succeeded by Rev. John Bell, who was minister from 17 13 to 1743. Rev. David Currie succeeded him until his death in 179 1, nearly fifty years. From 1796 to 1805 Rev. Daniel McNaughton was minister and James Ball, William Montague, and Martin Shearman were lay delegates. In 1732 a new church was built upon the site of the old one and was standing in 1857 in good state of preser- vation, being very solidly built, the walls three feet thick. The first White Chapel church was torn down, the present one was built in 1740. In 1724, Mr. Bell, who had been their minister for twelve years, informs the Bishop of London that there were three hundred
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54<br />
DESCENDANTS OF PETER MONTAGUE.<br />
Upper Norfolk consisted in what is now known as <strong>Nansemond</strong><br />
County, <strong>and</strong> the present Norfolk <strong>and</strong> Princess Anne Counties were<br />
called lower Norfolk until 1691. The Clerk's <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>and</strong> all the<br />
:records <strong>of</strong> <strong>Nansemond</strong> were destroyed by fire in 1736 [Hening's<br />
Statutes, Vol. 4, p. 526], <strong>and</strong> all the records were again destroyed by<br />
fire in February, 1866, <strong>and</strong> the history <strong>of</strong> <strong>Peter</strong> <strong>Montague</strong> during<br />
these years is entirely <strong>and</strong> irrevocably lost. It is known, however,<br />
that he resided in <strong>Nansemond</strong> in 1652 <strong>and</strong> 1653. He represented<br />
that Co. in the House <strong>of</strong> Burgesses under dates <strong>of</strong> Nov. 25, 1652,<br />
<strong>and</strong> July 5, 1653, <strong>and</strong> Col. Samuel Mathews was a member from Co.<br />
<strong>of</strong> Warwick during the same time [Hen. Va. Stat. Vol. 1, pp. 373-<br />
379]. His children were probably born in this Co. That his mind<br />
.<strong>of</strong>ten reverted to his family in Engl<strong>and</strong> is evidenced by the fact that<br />
his children are named after his brothers <strong>and</strong> sisters in his native<br />
country, <strong>and</strong> the names <strong>of</strong> William, <strong>Peter</strong>, Ann, Margaret <strong>and</strong> Eliza-<br />
beth are perpetuated in the new world. Having still another daugh-<br />
ter he named her after his mother,—Ellen (or Eleanor). This is<br />
regarded as corroborative evidence <strong>of</strong> the correctness <strong>of</strong> his pedigree<br />
as stated in the Introduction. Of the exact date <strong>of</strong> the birth <strong>of</strong> his<br />
children no record exists. There is no doubt that they were faith-<br />
fully recorded in the church records <strong>of</strong> that County, but those records<br />
have shared the fate <strong>of</strong> other early church records <strong>of</strong> Va. No church<br />
records exist back <strong>of</strong> Nov. 30, 1743. <strong>Nansemond</strong> was divided into<br />
two parishes, Lower or Suffolk parish, <strong>and</strong> the Upper parish in which<br />
was the town <strong>of</strong> Suffolk. In the Lower parish were two old brick<br />
churches, one on the left <strong>and</strong> the other on the right bank <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Nansemond</strong> river, each about ten miles from Suffolk. On a hill one<br />
mile back <strong>of</strong> Suffolk was an old graveyard, a very beautiful spot.<br />
But it too has disappeared, having long since been plowed up. On<br />
the 3d <strong>of</strong> November, 1647, <strong>Peter</strong> bought one hundred acres <strong>of</strong> l<strong>and</strong><br />
in County <strong>Nansemond</strong> [Va. L<strong>and</strong> Office, Book 2, p. 130]. This<br />
makes a total <strong>of</strong> 450 acres <strong>of</strong> l<strong>and</strong> which he owned in that County,<br />
the purchase <strong>of</strong> which extended from 1637 to 1647 a space <strong>of</strong> ten<br />
years. This l<strong>and</strong> is not mentioned in his will <strong>and</strong> probably he gave<br />
it to his son <strong>Peter</strong>, as we find <strong>Peter</strong> disposing <strong>of</strong> l<strong>and</strong> in that Co.<br />
after his father's death. Probably before the year 1654 he had<br />
removed his family from <strong>Nansemond</strong> to Lancaster Co. <strong>and</strong> made a<br />
home on the north bank <strong>of</strong> the river Rappahannock, probably not far<br />
from the present county seat <strong>of</strong> Lancaster. That he owned consid-