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Part Two - Virginia To The Year 1746

 

    

 Some say that George Pemberton's mother was Francis De Rochelle daughter of George Xavier De Rochelle and wife of John Pemberton. These same sources claim that Francis was baptized in St. John's Parish, Virginia on the same date as John Pemberton's brothers (28 Aug 1679), and that after John's death she married Richard Littlepage and had several children by him. Furthur they state that George Pemberton's middle name was Xavier perhaps in an effort to tie him to George Xavier De Rochelle. None of these sources quote any documents that would go to prove their statements. The use of St. John's parish in Virginia and the date 28 Aug 1679 are almost certainly incorrect for the reasons discussed in Part One. There was a St. John's parish in Virginia, in what would become King William County,  but all of it's records were destroyed in the Civil War. George Pemberton's name appears on a number of documents that we will discuss below and in none of these was the name Xavier ever used. It is clear though that he signed his name with an X. Perhaps some well meaning researcher gave him this middle name to relate him to George De Rochelle but there are no documents that show he used the name either.
     There was a George (de) Rochelle who lived in Virginia in this time frame according to Doris Ross Johnston in a file at Rootsweb World Connect.  In her notes for George De Rochelle she states:

"by way of Low Countries; shipwrecked off Long Island and the Governor offered them land to settle, but they landed at Princess Anne Co., VA, thence via Nansemond Co., VA to Wake Co., NC -- from thence the SC Rochelles came. 
SOURCE: Huguenot Soc of TX application of Maggie Smith, Travis Co., 2 Apr 1956"

We are in contact with Ms. Johnston and others to share information and hopefully to find a link to this George. In addition there are quite a few other Rochelle files on the web that may also provide information concerning Francis and her father.
      Another interesting theory is being researched by E.L. Pemberton. In an EMail dated 11 Jan 2001 he wrote:

"I finally found the material I received from Elmer Howard Brown in 1992, which came from his older brother Percy Pemberton Brown in his research in the ‘50s. You may want to consider his version on the ancestors of George.  He gives the father of George Pemberton as “John Pemberton, son of Thomas, left Wales in 1700 for Virg. 1st wife: 3 sons: 1. Thomas, 2. John, 3. William, 4. George. 2nd wife:  Frances, daughter of George (X) De Rochelle, Hugonot.  John sailed with a Hugonot group to Virginia and died 1701. A son was born to Frances ?”      

A deed dated 20 Jan 1702/3 from Richard Littlepage to George Pemberton, (see below), clearly shows John Pemberton in Virginia before 20 Apr 1688. Because this theory dates John Pemberton's arrival in Virginia in 1700, we doubt that it will ever be proven.
     There are no known records for the marriages of Francis De Rochelle either to John Pemberton or to Richard Littlepage, Jr. and in fact there are conflicting references in Littlepage family files that indicate the Francis who was married to Richard Littlepage had a maiden name of Austin/Arnet/Arnott/Osteen/Ostin. There are parish records in St. Peter's that show Richard had a wife named Francis and there is a tombstone that dates her death but nowhere is there a record that gives her maiden name. If Francis Littlepage was the same person as Francis De Rochelle Pemberton then Richard Littlepage would have been George's step-father and their children would be cousins to the Pembertons. For now, we will continue to list the names of Francis and George De Rochelle as possible ancestors of George Pemberton but our notes will indicate "for research purposes only". 

     There is a John Pemberton found in the old property records of King William County, Virginia who might be George's father. This John Pemberton was in Virginia prior to, 20 Apr 1688 , when he paid to Richard Littlepage, Sr., as executor for the estate of Samuel Osteen (also spelled Ostin or Austin), a sum of 2600 pounds of tobacco and some cash for 184 acres of land located in Pamunkey Neck. At some point prior to 20th of January, 1702/3  John passed away and Richard Littlepage, Jr., deeded the above land to John's son George Pemberton. 
      In 1732 George received three Colonial Land Patents totaling 1180 acres. 
On 5 Nov 1734 he transferred something to a Jno Garth. In 1738 he received another patent for an additional 416 acres. All of this property lay in what is now Hanover County which was formed in 1720 and was probably near his original 184 acres. One of the tracts acquired in 1734 lay on both sides of the Newfound River (see map above) and we believe his other property was either adjacent to this or nearby. 
       The question of whether this George was one and the same person as the George who lived and died in what is now Jefferson Co., WV must be addressed. According to E.L. Pemberton:

"A question I have is if you have some documentation on whether the George living in King William County and identified on this deed in 1702 is the same George who died in Winchester, Frederick Co. in 1757 ? I was never able to find this link through the usual search of all possible reliable records of baptisms, church records, marriages, abstracts, deeds, wills, military records, and official documents prior to the census.  There is the one record in the William and Mary Quarterly of a Geo. X Pemberton, of St. Martins P. in Hanover Co. making some payment to a Jno Garth of St. Martins P. on Nov. 5, 1734.  I am aware that Mary Helen Pemberton made the assumption the two Georges were the same.  You can probably gather by now that I am a little skeptical of many of her assumptions.  Also, there is considerable distance from the Richmond, VA area to Winchester, VA.  Another question is on the age of George Pemberton in the deed who was apparently old enough to make a motion it be admitted to record. It would be nice to find some record of when John Pemberton acquired the land and his age. [EMail dated 6 Dec 2000]  

 

       So at this point we have identified several Georges who might be one and the same a our George of Jefferson Co. W.V. But as Ernie states there is no evidence to tie any of them to him. 
Fortunately for us in 2003 we received a copy of the scrapbook of George M. Pemberton that, we believe, points to the real George. Part Three will discuss this important document in detail.

[ Up ] [ Part Four ] [ Part Three ] [ Part Two ] [ Part One ] [ Introduction ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. St. Peter's Church of New Kent County, Virginia, Parish Register 1680-1787. Posted to the web at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~vanewken/stpete_toc.html

"Mr Richard Littlepage deceased ye 20th day of aprill, 1688."

2. St. Peter's Church of New Kent County, Virginia, Parish Register 1680-1787.

"1702/3 or 1702-3 = Dates appearing in this manner signified a dual dating system used in the 16th to 18th centuries in conjunction with the changing from the Julian calendar (Old Style) to Gregorian calendar (New Style), starting in 1522 in Venice and eventually in Great Britain and its colonies in 1752. Under the old style calendar (Julian), the new year began on 25 March."

3. From: Dan Buckley
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2001 8:49 AM
Subject: WHO IS BURIED IN THE GRAVE OF FRANCES LITTLEPAGE?

Thanks to all who have responded we have the following:

  1. From David Moore:
    "The Richard Littlepage b 1647 d 20Apr1688 m Judith Turner had a son names Richard Littlepage. Richard Littlepage II, brother to Margaret Littlepage (daughter of Richard I) married Frances Arnet.  An additional source is the following for this Richard: William and Mary Quarterly V. 5, No. 2"

  2. From Ernie Pemberton:
     "A second item of interest is the material you received today from David Moore. My comment on his material came from my review of two books I found in the Hanover County library in 1976. The books were, "Winton's of Virginia and Allied Families" by Clayton Torrence, 1927; and "Old King William Homes and Families" by P. N. Clarke, Baltimore Regional Publishing Co., 1964. These books contained considerable detail on the Richard Littlepage family.  The Richard Littlepage, who died March 20, 1717(1717/18), and known as Captain Richard Littlepage married Frances ____( unknown surname).  I found no date on date of marriage.  Their 1st child Elizabeth was born December 11, 1703.  The children were: Elizabeth, Frances, Alice, Richard, Edmund, James (Colonel), John, Judith, and Susanna.  An interesting item which I copied from one of the above books:  "Many years ago there was a tombstone at 'South Wales,' Hanover County, bearing the following inscription; ' Here lies interred the body of Sarah Littlepage, wife of Colonel James Littlepage, of Hanover County, daughter to Major William Winston;  She was born the 27th day of Sept. 1733; and departed this life the 5th of April, 1761, and left issue: John Carter Littlepage, James Littlepage, William Littlepage, Richard Littlepage, and Frances Arnott Littlepage.' "

  3. From Harry Anonymous:
    "A brief note. I found a reference to "Frances Austin" It is in a William & Mary Quarterly article by Malcolm H. Harris, M.D., entitled "The Port Towns of the Pamunkey". I believe in 1901. "Richard Littlepage, Jr married Frances Austin. He died March 20,1717 and his wife survived him until 1732 as indicated by her tombstone still at Cumberland." Not much, but didn't know if you were aware of this article. It is quite interesting. Harry"

We wonder if the article referred to in 1. and 3. is the same article. In any case it sure would be helpful if someone could send us the text of that article especially if it contained any references to the parents of Frances Austin/Arnet. I have been doing some extensive web searching and so far have not found one file that mentions who her parents were. Could she be the daughter of George Austin/Arnet de Rochelle??

4. King William County, Virginia
[SOURCE: http://www.co.king-william.va.us/aboutkwc.html]

"The waters of the Mattaponi and Pamunky rivers-and the fertile soil of the land between them-have always been at the heart of life in King William. Long before the first Englishmen arrived in Virginia, the Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes hunted the lands and fished the waters of what the colonists later called the Pamunkey Neck. By the middle of the 17th century, a burgeoning economy was fed by a system of tobacco plantations that lined the shores of the two rivers, and barges loaded with the precious crop plied the waterways to and from the markets. In 1702 King William County was officially created by the Virginia General Assembly and was named for William of Orange, King of England."

5. Some say:

  1. Eli Jay, Centennial Anniversary Of West Branch MM, Ohio 1807-1907, Leesburg Public Library, Leesburg, FL, Gpf 929.102 F 911 (ISL). Page 62 ff. [Copy provided by Wendy Farley of Wildwood, FL.]

    "    The Parish Church of Blackburn County of Lancaster, England was in existence as early as the Norman Conquest as we learn from Domesday survey, when it was stated "King Edward held Blackeburn". This was about ten miles almost due east of Preston and twelve miles north of Bolton. Here in 1600 along with the Ward, Blackburn, Greaves, Southwaite, Whittle, and other families , we find many Pembertons. Whether or not the Virginia family of Pemberton came from this parish is not definitely known. We do find this name in the early records of St. John's Parish in Virginia when on August 9, 1679 John Pemberton, son of James was baptized and on August 28 of the same year, William and James Pemberton, sons of James and his wife Frances DeRochelle Pemberton dau of George Xavier DeRochelle. From the epitaph of Frances, we know she was born in 1677 and presume John was born about the same year, or a few years previously, and for some reason must not have been baptized at two or three weeks of age as was the custom, or his wife may have been the elder. John died prior to 1702 and left a son George for whom Capt. Richard Littlepage purchased land from the estate of one Samuel Osteen (Huston). Mr. Littlepage again acted for him in 1704, denoting he was still a minor. Frances DeRochelle Pemberton about this time married Capt. Richard Littlepage and became the mother of several children by him. The Littlepage family had their own burial ground but it was later moved to St. Peters Parish, (George and Martha Washington were married in this Parish church) and here her epitath states she died 21st day of February, 1732 in the 55th year of her age.
                Her son George, evidently mar. in 1734, Judith Garth, dau. Of Thomas Garth of St. Martins Parish, but he named a wife Margaret in his will, probated in Frederick County, Va. October 1757. He named eldest son Esiah, son George, and daughters Judith and Sarah (other children may have preceded him in death). Samuel Pearson, Benjamin Pearson, Sam'l Pearson and Robt. Worthington witnessed his will, which he signed George X. Pemberton, the "X" no doubt being for "Xavier" rather than that he was signing by mark as many persons have supposed.
                His son Esiah (Isaiah) is found in Bush River, Newberry County, S. Car. meeting records with wife Elizabeth and their twelve children, and where some of their marriages are reported. Isaiah Jr. mar. Esther Coate, dau. of  Marmaduke and Mary (Coppock) Coate; three daughters mar. men by the name of Thomas, sons of Isaac and Mary (Davie) Thomas, from whom many of the Thomas family of this meeting descended and who made up the South Fork Meeting, near Phillipsburg.
                Isaiah Jr. left a will in Newberry Co. S. Car. probated in 1801, leaving sons George, Robert, John, and Isaiah and daus. Mary and Elizabeth, all of whom came to Ohio with their mother Esther. Esther Coate Pemberton was accompanied to Ohio by Lydia Pemberton, widow of Richard, a brother of her husband, who had also left a will in Newberry County leaving children Isaac, William, Rachel, Elizabeth, Sarah and Anna. Esther (Coate) Pemberton owned land in Sections 7 and 12 of Union Twp. ______________ lina although I have found no removal certificates for any of them to meeting in Ohio. The records of Union Monthly Meeting, Ohio state that Robert, John, and Isaiah Pemberton, born in the years 1788, 1789, and 1790, whose large families are given on the family registry of that meeting are sons of Isaiah and Esther Pemberton of South Carolina. This Isaiah is no doubt the son of Isaiah and Elizabeth whose family of twelve children, six sons and six daughters, born in the years 1753 to 1775 are given in the Bush River Family Registry. Isaiah and Elizabeth Pemberton and eleven of their children were recorded members with the Friends at Bush River 3 mo. 26th, 1774. Their daughter Ruth, born the next year, in 1797, married Abel Thomas. The marriage of two others of the daughters of this family -- Ann, born 1764, to John Thomas in 1786, and Sarah, born in 1764 to William Thomas in 1802 -- occurred in Bush River Meeting. These Thomas men were brothers, sons of Isaac and Mary. It is supposed that the Pembertons are of the Philadelphia line of that name and in their southern emigration may have resided for a time in Virginia. Some evidence of this is found in the fact that on two occasions in 1776 and 1784, some of the family received from Bush River Monthly Meeting certificates of membership to travel to Virginia about their temporal affairs. It would seem that only a small part of this large family came north as all the Pembertons in Miami County sprang from one of the six sons of Isaiah and Elizabeth, viz. Isaiah born in 1766"
  2. FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v4.02 - 
    Caribbean Islands: 
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Frances DEROCHELLE Sex: F Birth: 1677 <st. John's Parish>, Antigua, Caribbean 
    Father: George Xavier DEROCHELLE Mother: 
    Film Number: 1761010 Page Number: Reference Number:

    Frances DEROCHELLE Sex: F Spouse: John PEMBERTON Marriage: Abt. 1698 
    <st. John's Parish>, Antigua, Caribbean 
    Film Number: 1761034 Page Number: Reference Number:

    George Xavier PEMBERTON Sex: M Birth: 1699 <st. John's Parish>, Antigua, Caribbean Father: John PEMBERTON Mother: Frances DEROCHELLE 
    Film Number: 1761034 Page Number: Reference Number:

    John PEMBERTON Sex: M Christening:     9 Aug 1679 St. John's Parish, Antigua, Caribbean 
    Father: James PEMBERTON Mother: 
    Film Number: 1761034 Page Number: Reference Number:

    Source: 
    Title: Official temple record for deceased individuals, 1991- 
    Notes: Record of temple ordinances performed in all temples as recorded through the Ordinance Recording System. Does not contain information beyond what is found in the International Genealogical Index. Submitter's name and address are currently not available. 
    Subjects: Temple records - Indexes Format: Manuscript (On Film) Language: English 
    Publication: Salt Lake City : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1991- 
    Physical: 1866 microfilm reels ; 16 mm.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Virginia:
    Frances DEROCHELLE, Sex: F, Birth: 1677, Of, Virginia, 
    Father: George Xavier DEROCHELLE, Mother: Mrs. DEROCHELLE 
    Film Number: 2078023 

    George Xavier DEROCHELLE, Sex: M, Spouse: Mrs. DEROCHELLE, Marriage: Abt. 1676,
    Of, Virginia 
    Film Number: 2078023 

    Frances DEROCHELLE, Sex: F, Spouse: John PEMBERTON, Marriage: Abt. 1698, Of, Virginia 
    Film Number: 2078023 

    Frances DEROCHELLE, Sex: F, Spouse: Richard LITTLEPAGE, Marriage: Abt. 1704 Virginia 
    Film Number: 2078023 

    SOURCE: No matching titles found.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3. William F. MENDENHALL, A Genealogy—On the COPPOCK & COATE Families, with a Mixture of Relative Families, named BALDWIN, WINSLOW, KNIGHT, PARKER, TERRY, HAWORTH, MILES & others., Transcribed and adapted by Sandra Shaffer Barber and posted to the web at: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/3464/.

" John PEMBERTON  Bap. St. John Parish b 1679  Lived in King William County, VA in 1702 Mar Francis DeROCHELLE Dau of George Xavior DeROCHELLE. (Francis married again to Cap’t Richard LITTLEPAGE of St. Peters.)
          1. George PEMBERTON".

6. St. Peter's Church of New Kent County, Virginia - Parish Register 1680 to 1787. Scanned and transcribed by Christine Jensen and posted to the web at:
 http://www.rootsweb.com/~vanewken/stpete_toc.html


one negro boy named Jack belonging unto Mr Richard Littlepage
 born the 26th day of August, 1686.

Negro children belonging to Capt Rich. Littlepage:
 Sarah a negro girl born ye year 1703.
 Jenny born December, 1704.
 Nanny born November, 1704.
 Pompey born Sept, 1706.
 Cesar born September, 1706.

Elisabeth daughter of Capt Richd Littlepage Born Decem. 11th: 1703.
Frances daughter of Capt Richd Littlepage Born Octor ye 2nd: 1705.
Alice Daughter of Capt Richd Littlepage Born Jany. ye 14 1707/8.
Sam a negro belonging to Capt Littlepage Born June ye 20 1708.

Richd son of Capt Richd Littlepage Born March ye 21st 1709/10.

Richard a negro child belonging to Capt Richd Littlepage
Baptised August ye 14th, 1711.

Edmond son of Richd Littlepage Gent. Born May ye 16th, 1712.
Easter a mulatto-belonging to ye sd Littlepage Born March 10th, 1711-12.
Richd a negro belonging to ye sd Littlepage Born June ye 12th, 1714.
Peace a negro belonging to Capt Richd Littlepage Born 7br ye 10th, 1713.

James & John Sons of Richd Littlepage Gent. by Frances his wife
born July ye 14th, 1714.

Judith daughter of Richd Littlepage Gent. Born July ye 31st, 1715.

Mary Harper belonging to Mr Fra. Littlepage Died March 25, 1720.

Mr Richard Littlepage deceased ye 20th day of aprill, 1688.

Richard Littlepage Gent. Departed this Life March ye 20, 1717.

Ann a Negro of Mrs. Frances Littlepage Baptisd May 21: 1721
Susanna a white child belonging to a servt of ye said Is Frances
Littlepage baptizd May 21, 1721.

Philip a negro boy belonging to Madam Littlepage born Feb.
15, 1729-30.
Arlott a negro girl belonging to Do. born June ye 1st, 1730.

1736
Oriana Daughter of Richard and Oriana Littlepage, born Jan’y 20, baptized Feb’ry 16.

1737
Richard Negro Boy belonging to Francis Littlepage, born March 15, baptized June 12.

7. New Kent County, VA - Old Tombstones; Wm. and Mary Quarterly, V. 5, No. 2. Transcribed by Paul Schrank for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project and posted to the web at:
ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/va/newkent/cemeteries/tombs000.txt

Here lieth the
Body of Sarah ye wife
of Richard Littlepage(5)
who Departed this life
the 21st of January
1734/5 Aged
23 Years.

(5) For an account of the Littlepage family, see Hayden’s Virginia Genealogies.
____________________________
Here Lyeth Interred
the Body of
Mrs Frances Littlepage
Widow of Capt Richard Littlepage
She Departed this Life
The 21st day of February
Anno Domini 1732
In the 55th Year of Her Age.
______________________

* * * dy of
* * lpage who
* * ober 1732.
* * * years.
______________________

Here Lyeth the Body of
Judith Littlepage
Who was born the 2d of August
1715 and departed this Life
the 17th of June 1723
______________________

8. RECORDS OF HANOVER COUNTY, VIRGINIA, William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 21, No. 1. (Jul., 1912), pp. 47-63., File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Edward Reynolds and posted to the web at: http://searches1.rootsweb.com/usgenweb/archives/va/hanover/court/hanover.txt

"Nov. 5 1734. Geo. X Pemberton, St. Martin's P. to Jno Garth St. Martins P"