HUGHES AND PHILLIPS, SMITH AND LAPHAM FAMILY HISTORY
My family tree has deep roots in Virginia.I am very proud of my ancestors and intend to research and remember their accomplishments. Family researchers have discovered many records of all branches of the family dating from the mid 1600s.Originally coming to this country from Wales, my Phillips family first settled in the Northern Neck area of Virginia.The family gradually migrated through Old Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Orange (in what is now Greene County), Albemarle, Amherst, and Nelson Counties, settling for a decade or more in each place.They purchased and patented land, engaged in farming, then pulled up roots and moved on.The story of their lives are left for us to study in the records of the counties.Marriages, court and church records tell us of their difficult lives, yet detailing tremendous strengths in hard work and moral ethics.On their migration through Virginia and westward, they married into the Williams, Yates, Davis, White, Rucker, Goolsby, Bryant, Wright, Harris, Roberts, Bailey, Griffin, Rowsey, and many other Virginia families.In about 1800, however, many of the family left the area (seemingly at one time) for Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, and other areas west. The Hughes family, also apparently of Welsh descent, settled first in the New Kent County, Virginia, area and then migrated up the south side of the James River through Cumberland, Buckingham, Albemarle, and then Amherst/Nelson Counties.They also patented and purchased large amounts of land and raised large families.A glimpse of the character ot this family can be seen in the old record books.The Hughes were proud, intelligent, hard-working, religious, active in their community and church.They married into the Napier, Proffitt, Williams, Woodson, Page, Pleasant, and many other Virginia families.These are familiar names in our area today; many descendants of these families are living on land purchased in the 1700s by their ancestors. My husband's Smith family (his name is Sydney Alexis Smith) settled in Pennsylvania in 1684.Sydney's immigrant ancestor, William Smith was a Quaker and he married Mary Croasdale in 1690. William Smith arrived in this country on the second of William Penn's 30 ships named the "Friends Adventure."William Smith was one of the first settlers in Wrightstown, Pennsylvania, and his original home is still standing.Sydney's great grandfather moved to Wilmington, Delaware, and later descendants moved on to Fairfax County, Virginia. Sydney participated in the Family Tree Smith Surname DNA Project and we were surprised to learn he is of Irish descent.Most surprising is we understand from the DNA he is probably a descendant of Niall of the Nine Hostages, a well-known 5th century ruler in Ireland. Sydney's mother's paternal family, Lapham, were early settlers in Rhode island.His grandmother's family, Murray, were from Scotland and came through Ellis Island and then made their home in Maryland.His maternal grandmother, Jessie Murray, was born in Scotland in sight of Edinburgh castle.Almost all lines were early settlers in New England and the family quickly spread out across the country.Sydney's maternal grandfather, Henry Lapham led a fascinating life as he moved around territories in the west.He was on his own since he was six years old as he watched Indians chasing his parents, never to see them again as they died that night and the next day from injuries.He joined the Army under General Custer, rode in the last roundup, had some run-ins with Indians himself, drove a six or more horse team wagon train which pulled eight or ten wagons, and generally lived the life of a cowboy.Henry Lapham was good friends with Charlie Russell, the well-known cowboy and western artist.Charlie Russell rode with the cowboys, lived with the Indians, and did numerous paintings and sketches of cowboys, Indians and other western scenes. | HUGHES AND PHILLIPS, SMITH AND LAPHAM FAMILY HISTORY Updated September 27, 2014 |
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