John Cullom wrote:

My earliest known, to me that is, ancestor is Thomas Cullum who lived in 
Surry/Sussex Co., VA as early as 1725….After he died his family dispersed to 
North Carolina & other southern states.  ….Is it more likely that he came 
overland from Maryland or, since they were across the river from Jamestown, 
is it more likely he came by ship from England?  


Hi John,

It’s most likely that your ancestor came from England directly to Virginia. Early 
hard feelings between Maryland and Virginia perhaps impacted migration 
patterns between the two colonies. We tend to find those in Eastern Virginia 
coming directly into Virginia from England (an exception being the Eastern 
Shore, where folks migrated in both directions, up to the Maryland region or 
down to Virginia.)

Descendants of the first England-to-Virginia pioneers south of the James River 
(where Sussex and Surry are) tended to migrate westward and then south. In 
the mid-  to late 17th century, we often find them heading toward Prince 
George or Chesterfield, and then perhaps a generation or two later some 
continued on to North Carolina. In the early 18th century, I believe they were 
more likely to travel from Eastern Virginia directly to North Carolina. Your 
ancestor fits this pattern very nicely.

North of the James River, we find the settlers more often moving westward 
and northward, across the Middle Peninsula and towards Fredericksburg, for 
example.
	
Surry, the area “over the water” which was settled shortly after Jamestown, 
is one of the oldest regions in Virginia. The intial idea was to create a 
settlement on both sides of the river, much as London sprawls across the 
Thames. 

Nothing scientific here--these are just my observations of the patterns from 
reading many accounts.

Good luck on your search!
Connie


Connie Lapallo

Author of
Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky
and its upcoming sequel
The Sun is But a Morning Star in a Jamestown Sky

www.ConnieLapallo.com

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