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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