Person:Thomas Farley (4)

Origins

Born about the year of 1600, probably the son of Roger Farley, married Lady Jane Sefton, of the line of the Earl of Sefton about 1622. [Jesse Kelso Farley, Jr., Twelve Generations of Farleys (Chicago: Press of Albin O. Horn Company), 1943, p 5.]

They sailed on the ship "Ann" and were living at Archer's Hope, James City County, Virginia, 16 February, 1623. [Hotten, Original List of Emigrants, page 230; Mrs. W. G. Stannard. Colonial Virginia, pages 43; VA Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 34, page 405; Tyler's Historical & Genealogical Quarterly, Vol 13, page 134.]

From the Archives of France and England, it is said to reveal a connected history of the family down to the founding of the Colony of Virginia. From Normandy in France, then in England, they became known as the House of Farley.^{Citation needed}

Life in Virginia

Thomas Farley and his wife Jane came to America in the ship named Ann. They arrived in Archers Hope, near Jamestown, Virginia, Feb. 23, 1623, the year after the terrible Indian Massacre of three hundred forty-seven inhabitants on the colony of Jamestown 1622. [Hotten's Lists, pp231-235.]

Accompanying them was a servant, Nicholas Shotten, age 40 yrs. [Original lists of persons of Quality, Lists of the livinge and dead in Virginia Febr 16,1623; Settlers living at "James Citty" in Virginia, February 4, 1624/5.]

Thomas Farley had a large plantation along the James River, across from Jamestown. He produced great quantities of tobacco for the English markets. He was twice elected to the House of Burgesses for the plantations between Harrop and Archer's Hope and Martin's Hundred at the session of March 1629-30 and for Archer's Hope February 1631-32. [Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 19, page 132 and pp 147-8.].

He was a member of the established Church, the Episcopal Church. He was somewhat dilitary about church attendance as we find him arraigned before the Court in James City, 21 August, 1626, at which he, Thomas Farley, gent, confessed to "being absent from church on the Sabbath day for three months. It was determined by the Court that a fine of one hundred pounds of tobacco would restore him to his spiritual status. [Ibid., Vol. 26, page 4.]

From the minutes of the Council and General Court, 1622-1629: "Thomas Farley of Archer's Hope bargained with Widow Bush for the land he was settled on." [Ibid., Vol. 24, pages 240-241.]

Legacy

Children of Thomas and Jane (Sefton) Farley were the parents of fourteen children, including:

1. Ann, the oldest, was born on the ship "Ann", was reputed to have become the wife of Colonel Richard Lee and therefore the mother of Virginia's most illustrious families--the Lees.
2. Their son, John Farley, Sr., is the direct ancestor of the Farleys of West Virginia.
3. Barbara, born 1628, was killed by Indians.
4. George, born 1633, was hanged by Gov. Berkley.
5. James, born 1643, ancestor of the Farleys of the Carolinas.

[Jesse Kelso Farley, Jr., Twelve Generations of Farleys (Chicago: Press of Albin O. Horn Company, 1934), page 25.]

1. ↑ v4t1143 thomas nc.FTW.

   Date of Import: Jan 14, 2001