Person:Christopher Branch (1)

Christopher Branch
m. 8 Jul 1596
  1. Christopher Branch1602 - 1681
m. 2 Sep 1619
  1. Thomas Branch1620 - 1695
  2. _____ BranchAbt 1622 -
  3. William BranchAbt 1625 - Abt 1676
  4. Christopher Branch, IAbt 1627 - Abt 1665
Facts and Events
Name Christopher Branch
Gender Male
Birth? 15 Sep 1602 London, London, England
Marriage 2 Sep 1619 St. Peter Westcheap, London (city of) London, Englandto Mary Francis Addie
Other Mar 1619/20 Virginia, United StatesMigration
with Mary Francis Addie
Will[2] 20 Jun 1678 VA
Death[1] 1681 Henrico, VA, US
Probate? 20 Feb 1681 Kingsland, Henrico, Virginia

"Christopher Branch (son of Lionel and Valentia [Sparke] Branch, ofLondon) was born in England in 1602 and died in Virginia 1681. OnSeptember 2, 1619, he was married in St. Peter's, Westcheap, London,to Mary Addie, spinster, daughter of Francis Addie, of Darton,,County York, husbandman. They came to Virginia in the Ship LondonMerchant in March 1619-20, and settled in the present henrico Countywhere they were living "at yet Colledg Land" in February 1623-4 withtheir son Thomas Branch, nine months old. Christopher Branch laterpatented land and first lived at or near Arrowhattocks on the northside of the river (almost opposite Arrowhattocks) in the presentChesterfield County, near Proctor's Creek, at that time, and for manyyears afterwards, Henrico.

Christopher Branch was one of the viewers of tobacco in Henrico in1639 and in an Assembly convened January 1639 was one of therepresentatives for Henrico County in the House of Burgesses. In 1656he was a justice of the peace for Henrico. Christopher Branch's willdated June 20, 1678, was probated in Henrico County, February 20,1681-2." (From William and Mary College Quarterly HistoricalMagazine, Volume XXV, p. 61).


Christopher Branch, the earliest American ancestor of record of ThomasJefferson, was born probably about 1598 in England, the only son ofLionel Branch (1566-1605) and his wife Valentia Sparke who weremarried 8 July 1596 at St. Martin, Ludgate, in the city of London. Hemarried at St. Peter's, Westcheap, London, by virtue of a marriagelicense from the Bishop of London, 2 Sept. 1619, Mary Addy, daughterof Francis Addy of Darton, Yorkshire, and in March 1619/20 embarkedin the London Merchant for Virginia. Christopher (1) Branch isrecorded among the "living," at "The Colledg Land" in present HenricoCounty, 1623/4, and in the Muster, 1624/5, he, his wife and 9 monthold son Thomas (2) are listed there. In 1632 he returned briefly toEngland and unsuccessfully brought suit to recover the Bull Inn atAbingdon which had been owned by his uncle Thomas Branch (1557-1603).

As "Christopher Branch, Planter, of Arrowhattocks in Henrico County,"he was granted a lease, 20 October 1634, for 21 years on 100 acreslying "east upon the maine River." (3) The following year, 8 December1635, he patented 250 acres "at Kingsland over against Arrowhattocks,east upon the maine River...adjacent to the land of John Griffin, nowin the tenure of said Branch...50 acres for his own personal adventureand 200 acres for transportation of 4 persons. (4) By 28 Feb. 1638/9Branch's plantation numbered 450 acres..after he had acquired anadditional 100 acres through an exchange with James Place and theremaining acreage through additional headrights. (5)

He was named in an Act of Assembly, 6 Jan. 1639/40, as a tobaccoviewer from the World's End to Henrico. (6) and was Burgess for thecounty the following year, (7) and justice, 1656. His will, 20 June1678-20 Feb. 1681/2, described him as "of Kingsland." (8)

(1) James Branch Cabell, Branch of Abingdon (Richmond), 1911); JamesBranch Cabell, Branchiana (Richmond, 1907); William Clayton Torrence,"Thomas and William Branch of Henrico and Some of their Descendants,"(W(1)XXV, pp. 59-70, 107-16; James Branch Cabell, "Thomas and WilliamBranch and Some of their Descendants, W(1)XXVI, pp. 111-21; PeterWalne, "Branch of Abingdon: A Revision," V LXVII, pp. 82-105; JohnAnderson Brayton, "Notes on the Ancestry of Valentia (S;arke) Branch,Mother of Christopher 1 Branch," The Virginia Genealogist XLVI, pp.293-98; John Anderson Brayton, "Notes on the Ancestry of Mary (Addy)Branch, Wife of Christopher 1 Branch," The Virginia Genealogist, XLVI,pp. 299-305.

(2) Hotten, p. 169.

(3) Patent Bk. 1, p. 155.

(4) Ibid., p. 326.

(5) Ibid., pp. 381, 527, 634

(6) W(2) IV, p. 20.

(7) Leonard, p. 18.

(8) Henrico Co. Wills & Deeds 1677-92, pp. 209-10.

All info found in Adventures of Purse and Person, Virginia1607-1624/5, 4th Edition Compiled and Edited by John Frederick Dorman,C.G. F.A.S.G. Volume One, Families A-F, pp. 366-367, 975.5, H2j, 2004,Volume 1, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

References
  1. James Mason Grove. Genealogical Charts of James Mason Grove.
  2. Will of Christopher Branch
    20 June 1678
    In the name of God Amen. The twentieth of June 1678. I Christopher Branch, of Kingsland, in the County of Henrico being in years and memory, praised be to God, do make this my Last Will and Testament as follows:
    Item. I give my body unto the Earth from whence it came and my Soul unto my Savior Jesus Christ, who has bought it with his most precious blood.
    Item. I give unto my son Thomas Branch my great copper kettle and a book called Ursinis Catucis and I do confirm the two hundred and forty acres of land that I have given him by deed gift formerly.
    Item. I give unto my grandson Christopher Branch all the land between the river and the long slash, beginning at Proctors Creek mouth, and run upward on the river to the pine tree that parts my land and my son Thomas, and from Proctors Creek at the lower end of long slash on the inside of the slash running upward to my son Thomas’ land unto him and his heirs male forever, provided that he shall help to build for his brother, Samuel Branch a house [with] four lengths of board every length to be five foot with help of the Negro and Job. If they live until Samuel be of ability to help and to seat it, and to help him to clear a cornfield sufficiently fenced to keep out hogs and cattle.
    Item. I give unto my grandson Samuel Branch all the land that lies between the long slash and the bottom called by the name Jacks Bottom, beginning at Proctors Creek and running upwards to my son Thomas’ land to him and his heirs male forever provided that he, with the help of Christopher and the Negro and Job, if it pleased God they live, do build Benjamin one house of four lengths of board every length of board to be five foot long, clear and fence him a cornfield so much as they do for Samuel, with his help when he shall be able to seat it.
    Item. I give unto my grandson Benjamin Branch all the land that lies between Jacks Bottom and Proctors Creek beginning at Proctors Creek and running upwards to my son Thomas’ land to him and his heirs male forever. It is my will that Christopher do give unto Samuel and Benjamin six locust posts and two elm posts a piece when they shall build them their dwelling houses if they can find none on their own ground. It is my will that any of these — Christopher, Samuel, or Benjamin — do die before they come to the age of one and twenty years then their land shall return to the next brother and the goods that they shall have out of my estate after my decease. It is my will that after my decease, my son Thomas shall pay unto Christopher the rent that shall be due unto his Majesty yearly for his two hundred and forty acres of land when it shall be demanded. Likewise, Mr. Gower, Samuel, and Benjamin when they shall seat their land.
    Item. It is my will that neither Samuel nor Benjamin go off the plantation but to live with Christopher and to have housing and ground and to work together until they be able to seat their own land unless they be willing to go off themselves. It is my will that my part of my Job’s labor, so long as he has to serve, shall go to maintain Samuel, Benjamin, and Sarah, and the half of the Negro’s labor go to maintain them.
    Item. It is my will that the cart way be not stopped up nor altered that now is to go into the woods for timber or for firewood but to have a clear passage. It is my will that William and John Branch shall have liberty to fish or fowl in the creeks or swamp. If Christopher shall refuse to help to build and clear for Samuel and Benjamin as I have set down in this my will, then he shall pay to Benjamin six hundred pounds of tobacco.
    Item: I give unto Thomas Jefferson one hogshead of tobacco of four hundred pounds weight whom I make with my grandson Christopher Branch my full and sole executors of this my last will and testament and I desire them to see my will truly performed, my debts and legacies being paid and burial discharged, all the rest of my estate I give unto my grandson Christopher Branch and Samuel and Benjamin and Sarah and Mary Branch, the wife of Thomas Jefferson to be equally divided among them. Witness my hand and seal the day and year above written.
    Christopher Branch
    Witnessed:
    Abel Gower
    Richard Ward