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Descendants of Thomas Bennett
1.THOMAS1 BENNETT was born Abt. 1580 in England, and died Abt. 1640 in Mulberry Island, Warwick, VA.He married ALICE PIERCE Abt. 1624 in Isle of Wight, VA.
Notes for THOMAS BENNETT:
Thomas Bennett was a Member of the House of Burgesses as he represented Mulberry Island in 1632 (Burgess Journals 1619-59, p. xiii). Mulberry Island is in Warwick Co., and as Warwick's records were destroyed in the Civil War, nothing more can be found out about Thomas Bennett. However, a clue to his family is found in the will of Anthony Barham, the former Burgess of Mulberry Island who died in England in 1641. (see record for Anthony Barham)
Source:
Boddie, 17th Century Isle of Wight Co., Vol 1 pg 290-291
Notes for ALICE PIERCE:
Pierce was not her birth name, but was her former married name. "Thomas Pierse was slain at the Indian Masssacre of March 26, 1721/22 at Martin's Hundred. Records show that Thomas Peerce and "his wife and childe" were all killed, however many of the women and children were not killed but held captive by the Indians. The colonist retaliated by destroying the Indian's crops and causing much suffering for both the Indians and their hostages. Hostages were later released in exchange for assurance that the Indians could plant their next year's crops in peace. Later records prove that Alice Pierse, widow, who married Thomas Bennett was the widow of Thomas Pierse of Virginia, 'Sargent at Armes of America's First Constitutional Convention and First Legislative Assembly in 1610.' In the General Court of October 1624, Elizabeth Pierce, probably the 'childe' reported killed, chose her step-father, Thomas Bennett, to be her guardian. Elizabeth had been engaged to John Filmer who died leaving all his property to her. Elizabeth Pierce later married 1) Anthony Barham and 2) Richard Jackson."
Source:
Vaughn Ballard, Solomon Mangham: Ancestors & Descendants (1989, Family Hists)
On October the 4th, 1624, Alice Bennett was a witness before the General Court at the trial of John Proctor for cruelty to his servants. She was sworn and examined as to the beating of Elizabeth Abbott, serving maid of Mr. Proctors', and stated that she "found her by the waterside by Mr. Burrow's plantation lying behind a boat wrapped in a rug *** whereupon this examinat, with Her Husband, and Richard Richards carryed her and and delivered her to her master." (Va. Mag., 19, p. 389)
"Richard Grove, servant of Mr. Proctor sayeth that the said wench often times ran away and that she was corrected for it, but that she never received over 20 or 30 lashes, etc., that when Mr. Richards and Mr. Thomas Bennett brought her home last she received no correction, but when they two and the Wife of Mr. Thomas Bennett brought her home last she had received correction from William Moyle, servant of Mr. Proctors."
The above testimony seems to prove that Alice Bennett was the wife of Thomas Bennett. Several othe witnesses testified at this trial and among them was John Burroughs by whose plantation on the waterside Alice Bennett and her husband had found Elizabeth Abbott. John Burroughs was living at Jamestown in 1625 but had a plantation called "Burrow's Hill" on the south side of the James in James City Co., now Surry. James City's records were destroyed in the Civil War.
At the same court Anthony Barham swore that "he saw Mr. Proctor strike Elias Hinton one of his servants." In 1626 Anthony Barham had a patent of 100 acres next to Capt. Nathaniel Basse's on the James River in Isle of Wight, (V.M., 7, p. 218) In March, 1629-1630 he was a member of the House of Burgesses from Mulberry Island across the James from Basse's Choice. He came to Virginia with Capt. Basse on the Abagail in 1621. His wife, Elizabeth came on the "William and Thomas" in 1618.
It seems that Thomas Bennett's wife, Alice was formerly the widow of one Pierce, for at that same General Court in October, 1624, "Elizabeth Pierce chose her father-in-law (step-father), Thomas Bennett, as her guardian." (V.M., 20, p. 155) She was unmarried then because John Filmer to whom she was engaged had just died, and left all his property to her. This was the reason for her choosing a guardian. It is probable that this Elizabeth Pierce afterwards married Anthony Barham.
Source:
Boddie, 17th Century Isle of Wight Co., Vol 1 pg 289-290
(See record for Anthony Barham) Alice Bennett, seemingly the "Mother Bennett" of Anthony Barham's will, in 1641 was residing in the vicinity of Lawne's Creek, for on June 10, 1642, George Hardy received a grant of 300 acres upon the eastermost side of Lawne's Creek adjacent to Alice Bennett. Jone 19, 1642, one John Stocker patented 200 acres adjoining Mr. Hardy's land and the widow Bennett.
She bought 150 acres from her neighbor, Justinian Cooper the 2nd of April 1644 for a cow and a calf and a barrell of corn. Justinian Cooper had previously patented 1050 acres in 1636 lying at the head of Lawne's Creek.
Alice Bennett, sometime after purchasing the above mentioned 150 acres from Justinian Cooper, deeded the same to her grandaughters Sarah and Mary Jackson. They were probably very young at the time as she seems to have married Thomas Bennett about 1624. Her grandaughters were married by 1666.
Source:
Boddie, 17th Century Isle of Wight Co., Vol 1 pg 293
Children of THOMAS BENNETT and ALICE PIERCE are:
2. | i. | RICHARD2 BENNETT , SR., b. 1625, Isle of Wight, VA (of Blackwater); d. Dec 4, 1709, Surry Co., VA. | |
3. | ii. | MARY BENNETT. |