Paul and others,
This may be stating the obvious but I want to point out that both of Paul's
recent posts might seem to indicate that those listed as the transportees all
became/were servants. And this simply isn't the case, as he knows. There
were people of means (planters or adventurers, wives and children of same
who came later after the husband was settled.) who came on their own, with no
need to become indentured. For example, some ended up on ship masters'
lists, etc., the patent privileges for which were often then sold to somebody else
who planned to actually live in VA. Others probably made some deal so that
another could claim them.
I have an example of this on the Eastern Shore with two ancestors, John
Risley & Robert Hyde of York County, who show up in somebody's patent credits in
Accomac/Northampton (per Stratton, details I can't recall). Per York
County records they both had their own land, public positions, etc (well not sure
about public position for very active lawyer Robert Hyde who had a juicy
scandal with his wayward wife in the 1690s), at pretty much the same time they
appear on the lists.
The deals cut, the fraud (like multiple claims for the same individual), and
the speculation involved in patent rights were it seems legendary. I just
want to point this out for all of you who find a possible ancestor on a
transportee list, and are thinking almost automatically they were indentured
servants. Probably a majority were? Does anybody know the percentages?
I've been reading recent posts but staying in the background on the Ancestry
debate. Everybody was lauding Heritage Quest, but there are I believe three
crucial years missing from their online census records completely, 1830,
1840 and 1860. And I couldn't raise anybody in Missouri in 1820. I am
extremely grateful for the link that alowed me to access the site from home,
however, via my local VA library card.
Best Regards, Janet Hunter
In a message dated 2/3/2008 11:26:55 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
In truth, the only fact that may be to be considered reliable within those
records is that the servant listed there almost surely arrived in the
colonies at some date prior to the patent. My article from NGS of several
years ago is thought authorities as to the many extra-legal activities that
arose from the loosely drawn legislation. If you would like a copy, Email
me off-list.
Paul
**************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.
(http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp003000000025
48)
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