Virginia settlers - where in England did they come from?

[Paperblank]

Were there any particular areas of England that the bulk of the Virginia colonists came from? Thanks

[PDHOTLEN]

The Virginia planters themselves were often from the old Wessex swath that was the best agricultural region in England. Then there were indentured servants from all over. Get a hold of the book: "Albion's Seed" by Fischer. I have that book, but there are others around that are also good.

[Paperblank]

Thank you - will read book. Any special link to Devon?

[tomcat]

"Albion's Seed" is a terrific book!

[PDHOTLEN]

What I was talking about above was the earliest tidewater Virginia settlements. There was another aspect to Virginia, and that was the interior. Those settlers came down from further north. Scotch-Irish, Germans, Welsh, English et al. They started moving down in the 1720s into the Shenandoah Valley, for example. Tidewater Virginians also moved inland, so the population mixed in with one another fairly early. Daniel Boone's family came from Devon (I think it was). And Daniel Morgan of Revolutionary War fame came from Welsh stock. They both came down from Pennsylvania.

[Steven Akins]

Not an answer to your question, but a pretty accurate glimpse into what colonial plantation Virginia life was like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm-rR9rmCVM

[B52]

Somerset -> York -> Jamestown (Archer's Hope)

My mom's family started in Somerset (old kingdom of Wessex) but were in York by the time they migrated to Jamestown (Archer's Hope) in 1623.

[B52]

To correct:

My mom's family were in many places over the years: They started as Normans named de Falaise but I haven't looked much into that I just remember that from a BBC Special by Simon Schama on William the Conqueror.

But from they they've been in Somerset (old kingdom of Wessex I think this is where they originally settled after moving from Normandy), Devon, Herefordshire, but were in Worcestershire by the time they migrated to Jamestown (Archer's Hope) in 1623. Over the next 350 years they finally migrated as far west as Harlan County, Kentucky and where sustenance farmers that entire time, including my grandfather. Not much for promises of untold riches.

[PDHOTLEN]

If my direct maternal line really does go back to Joan Plantagenet, and I just can't seem to prove it wrong, then I also have Norman origins. I've seen the name/location "Falaise" in my researching. But it probably was in Normandy itself. The lineage of Clemence de Fougeres (whether really mine or not) goes back and forth between Normandy and England. Maybe some males returned to Normandy to find a wife.

later: OK, I just peeked at one of my Ancestry.com trees. And I see that William "The Conqueror" was born 14 Oct 1024 in Falaise, Calvados, Basse-Normandie. So that's where I saw the name "Falaise".

[B52]

If my direct maternal line really does go back to Joan Plantagenet, and I just can't seem to prove it wrong, then I also have Norman origins. I've seen the name/location "Falaise" in my researching. But it probably was in Normandy itself. The lineage of Clemence de Fougeres (whether really mine or not) goes back and forth between Normandy and England. Maybe some males returned to Normandy to find a wife.

later: OK, I just peeked at one of my Ancestry.com trees. And I see that William "The Conqueror" was born 14 Oct 1024 in Falaise, Calvados, Basse-Normandie. So that's where I saw the name "Falaise".

Yes, I'm am dubious of "de Falaise" (from Falaise) being the origin of Farley last name but Mr Schama in the BBC special said de Falaise accompanied William the Conqueror. I forget the first name.

Maybe I need to get transcripts of that show because an internet search has one web site claiming William the Conqueror's 'last name' was 'de Falaise'.

Maybe the many of the band of Normans that came over got that last name because that's what the English used to identify them.

[brownbagg]

my family came to united states in 1645, and settled in an area call northumberland virgina, that real close to washington, stone throw. they immigrated from an area called northumberland Scotland/ england

[PDHOTLEN]

Here is an interesting link:

http://www.jamestowne.org/

[Javelin]

Yes, I'm am dubious of "de Falaise" (from Falaise) being the origin of Farley last name

I suspect in most or all cases it comes from a place, such as Farleigh Hungerford, in Somerset.

[derinos]

Take a look at placenames!

What I was talking about above was the earliest tidewater Virginia settlements. There was another aspect to Virginia, and that was the interior. Those settlers came down from further north. Scotch-Irish, Germans, Welsh, English et al. They started moving down in the 1720s into the Shenandoah Valley, for example. Tidewater Virginians also moved inland, so the population mixed in with one another fairly early. Daniel Boone's family came from Devon (I think it was). And Daniel Morgan of Revolutionary War fame came from Welsh stock. They both came down from Pennsylvania.

Derinos says:
Newport, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight, all suggest that the placenames were bestowed by seafaring people from Hampshire. "Norfolk" needs no explanation. But as you say, when you look inland the placenames show much wider variation. "Norge" near Wiliamsburg has quite a story.
But what do you make of Melfa on the Delmarva peninsula? In Welsh it means "place of honey" a good farm name. But there is also an Italian river with that name, and WW2 veteran associations .

[derinos]

Normans were Norsemen just moving on again.

Yes, I'm am dubious of "de Falaise" (from Falaise) being the origin of Farley last name but Mr Schama in the BBC special said de Falaise accompanied William the Conqueror. I forget the first name.

Maybe I need to get transcripts of that show because an internet search has one web site claiming William the Conqueror's 'last name' was 'de Falaise'.

Maybe the many of the band of Normans that came over got that last name because that's what the English used to identify them.

Derinos says: The Normans were the latest generation from the invading Norsemen who had very recently appropriated that region of France. Their "last names" on arrival to take over England often came from their families' currently owned French estates, acquired by conquest or marriage. William The Conqueror's mother was the Breton (Celtic) daughter of a rich leather merchant. His father descended from the Norse King Knud, (Canute) who ruled the conjoined realms of England, Denmark and Norway about 66 years earlier, that being William's right to the Crown. Enjoy!