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m. 8 Jul 1596
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m. 2 Sep 1619
Facts and Events
"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
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