In a message dated 1/6/01 2:30:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, hoffert@mindspring.com writes: << I Have some questions Re Ralph Blankenship Sr born abt 1640 (or before 1640) in England. If Ralph Blankenship Sr. arrived in America in July of 1640 as stated by many (I have not seen any source info for this statement.) Carrie I am going to try to explain this to you and if the other researchers can help me than fine. If I goof up in my explanation then I will change my information. I am going to answer each one of you question to the best of my knowledge. 1. But if he did arrive at that time, then how could he have been born in 1640-42 in England? It is illogical to assume that he came to America as an infant. The Ralph Blankisopp you keep seeing on other websites and in Col Leslie Blankenship Book was a MISTAKE. That name has been proven wrong. That is not the right information and never will be. I think one of Col. Leslie's research team go slap happy with information and did not check all the sources before sending it in to him. This is one of the biggest Blunders that the rest of the Blankenship's researchers will have to learn to live with, I quess. We will never be able to change it in the Col.'s book. So with that said and done, now the Ralph Blankship that I will talk about in this e-mail was married to Martha LNC and have the following children, Richard, James, William, John, Ralph, and Ann. They were found in Chesterfield Co., Va. in court records. I an add all the information I have on Ralph Blankship. 1. Ralph was the first Blankenship in America. He arrived in Henrico Co., VA in 1686. 1690 Henrico Co., VA Record Book 2, p. 326 2. Richard Kennon petitioned for 8,000 acres for importing 90 white persons and seventy negroes in 1686 and 1687, Ralph Blenkship, was named as one of those imported. (Gayle King Blankenship's book "Blankenship Ancestors") The first reference to Ralph Blankship appears April 1, 1690, Henrico Order Book 1678-1693, page 326. I have copies of the original, and of the handwritten copy made during the Revolutionary period. The entry reads: Upon the peticon of Rich'd Kennon these may certify that there is due unto him eight thousand acres of land for ye inportacon of ninety servts. into this colony whose names are under written & for seventy persons more being negroes, the same being legally prov'd by his oath in open court. The name Ralph Blankship appears as the 68th name on a list of 90 persons. 3. ARRIVAL IN HENRICO COUNTY IN 1686 Jno. Walker, (JOHN WALKER) Tho. Mercey, (THOMAS MERCEY) Ralph Blankship, Jno. Tossill, (JOHN TOSSILL) Roger Roberts, John Howard, Sarah Shepherd 4. Apr 1695 Henrico Co. VA Will & Deed Book (1688-1697), p. 577, Ralph Blankinship deposition states about 33 years of age. 5. May 1714 Henrico Co. VA Will & Deed Book (1710-1714), p. 258, Martha Blankinship, widow of Ralph presented estate's inventory 6. 1715 Henrico Co. Orphans Court Martha widow of Ralph reports on children Ralph, John, and James. 7. APRIL 15 1714 INVENTORY OF RALPH BLANKINSHIP's POSSESSIONS On the said deceased estate in due form to be administered by Martha Blankinship, Charles Clay, and Richard Blankenship. Henrico County Order book, April 15, 1714, page 277 3 ews and 3 lambs and one weather 1 10 0 1 cow and 2 hefers 3 0 0 2 cows 2 10 0 2 calves 1 06 0 1 lum and flay 0 09 0 2 spinning wheels 0 06 0 1 gun and sword 0 12 0 1 cupboard 0 04 0 2 sifters 0 01 6 1 chest 0 06 0 a parcel of old iron 0 04 0 a parcel of old worked iron at 3-pence per pd. 0 08 0 28 pounds of brass at 5-pence per pd. 0 11 0 2 old pots 74 pds.at 2 d. per pound 0 12 4 28 pounds of old puter at 5-pence per pound 0 11 8 1 brass spit moter and pesel and candlestock 0 06 0 a parsell of earthenwayr 0 03 0 1 mayr 1 12 0 1 old razor and a piece of a hone 0 0 6 1 old bed and civering 2 10 0 dItto 1 old and civering 2 05 0 2 old axes 0 12 0 1 old flack bed and civering 0 12 0 4 sows and 13 pidgs 1 03 0 1004 pds of tobacco at 1 penny per pound 4 05 4 a parcell of old lumber 0 10 0 (Appraisers) James Aiken, Robert Hudson and Wm Ligon. It should be obvious to readers that the misspellingS above should be properly rendered as follows: EWS = EWES HEFERS = HEIFERS LUM = (probably) LOOM PUTER = PEWTER MOTER = MORTAR PESEL = PESTLE PARSELL = PARCEL EARTHENWAYR = EARTHENWARE MAYR = MARE CIVERING = COVERING (BLANKET/BEDSPREAD) 8. The Blankenship Family in America by Joseph W. Blankenship Berkeley, Ca. 4 Feb 1917, Richmond Times Dispatch, Richmond, Va. Recent investigations into the history of this prolific and widely distributed family have given some interesting results. Apparently all of this name and descent in America have descended from two persons. Possibly not connected. One, James Blankenship, whose mother was Anne, settled in the southeast corner of Massachusetts, near Rochester, about 1720-7, and his descendants are now very numerous in that state. Although a few seemed ever to wander far afield. They were mainly yeoman (as farmers were then called) and sailors, and furnished the captains and seamen that helped to make the ships of New Bedford and Martha Vineyard famous in the whaling industry of the early part of the last century. The second branch of this name settled in Virginia just south of Richmond in what is now Chesterfield County sometime in the later part of the seventeenth century. But the first record yet found is the will of Ralph in 1714, whose wife Martha later married Edward Stanley. Ralph appears to have died young and left three children, John, Ralph and James. He also had a relative, Richard, who aided in the settling of his estate, but of whom nothing more is heard as all the Virginia people of this name seem to have been descendants of Ralph and Martha. It is poosible that Ralph and Richard are sons of the first immigrant as the former had a considerable plantation and was well equippedfor his work indicating a resident of some time in the colony. Unfortunately, the older records of Charles City and Henrico Counties were largely destroyed during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and these included the present area of Chesterfield County so that the exact date of the arrival of the first immigrant of the name may remain doubtful. Of the second generation in Virginis, all planters in the original settlement, James married Mary and had children, Drury, Anne, Joel, and Fore (sic) dying in 1745. John and Anne left a larger family, William, Joseph, Isham, Hudson, Henry, Norvall (sic-Norell), Matthew, Amy (who married Turner), Elizabeth (who married Morrisett), and possibly Elisha. The third son of the family was also named Ralph. He married Elizabeth and had children Ephraim, Joseph, William, Francis, Frederick, Matthew, John, Sarah (who married Cobb) and Jeremiah. The third generation began to scatter into the newer lands opening the South and West, all farmers and tradesmen. This lack of attachment to the place of their birth and the emigration of a large part of each new generation to newer lands seems to be one of the charactersitics of this pioneer family. True many of the more well-to-do remained in the old home, and thus marked the place of each successive migration. But all trace of most of the older female branches have been lost through the change of name. As a rule, a part of each of the earlier generations moved one state west or south. Elisha and Isham (sons of John) emigrated to Rutherford County, North Carolina about 1774 and seemed to have resided there during the Revolution. Later, (1806-1811) with a part of their family, they moved across the mountains into Monroe County, Tennessee and parts adjacent where they have left a large and distinguished descent which have spread into Kentucky, Illinois, Mississippi, and Texas and passed thence to nearly all parts of the West and South. But relatively few in any one locality. Another of this third generation moved into the western parts of Virginia and thence into West Virginia where the name is yet fairly common. Another pushed into Ohio and still another located in York County, South Carolina sometime before the Nineteenth Century and sent offshoots into Georgia and Texas. It hence follows that nearly all of the people of this name scattered throughout the West and South trace their ancestry back to Virginia rather than to the Massachusetts branch which was not nearly as prolific and which took to the ocean instead of the wild and woolly West. However, it must be remembered that not all of this name are descendants of either branch, for a considerable number of Blankenships owned slaves at the close of the Civil War and I have met several of these who speak with reverence and love of their old masters, whose name they assumed when freedom came. It may be too that there are other immigrants into America of this name but none has yet been found although the lost Richard's descendants may turn up at any time. There is no question but that the Blankenships came to America from England, both from tradition and historic origin of the name, as well as the fact of their early settlement in Virginia and Massachusetts. The original home of the people of this name was in North Umberland County, England on the line between the country and Scotland near the present town of Haltwhistle where they informed an important fighting clan in the border wars and the "Rievers" raids for several centuries before James I united the two countries. The family gusrded one of the so called Peel Towers erected for defense against the Scottish raids and bore the brunt of many forays, while the old Roman wall built as a defense against the "Barbarians" on the North by the emperior Hadrian, 120 A.D. was just north of the Blenkinsop lands. It thus happens that the family in the midst of warfare for 400 years was peculiarly fitted for pioneer life in America. At a later date the family in England was divided into two Lordships and so has continued, I understand, to the present time. The descendants being settled yet mainly in the counties of North Umberland and Durham adjacent. The name itself is derived from an old "Blenkin's Hope" or "Blenkin's Valley" probably an old Anglo-Saxon name for the valley in North Umberland settled by the family and from which it took it's name, the vicissitudes of which are much like those of the name Washington which originated nearby. On the conquest of England by William the Conqueror, he parceled out most of the land among his followers, the Norman-French and this Blenkinsop family appears thus to have been put in possession of a certain shire in the ravaged North Umberland district either by him or by some of his immediate successors. This appears both from the lordships they held and from the French prefix "De" before the name in the earliest times as these new rulers adopted the name of the village or lands awarded to them. Thus Blenkin's Hope became by usage Blenkinsop and in one branch Blenkinship with numberless spellings. As in those good old days when each clerk spelled as best suited his own convenience. Other slight modifications after coming to America gave the forms Blankinship, Blankingship and Blankenship. 2. Could he have actually been the Ralph Blenkisopp born about 1615 in Northumberland, England, that would have made him abt 25 when he arrived in America. To this question I would have to say NO NO NO from all the information I have seen and read here on the posting board. 3. Is there source info for the birth of abt 1615 for a Ralph Blenkinsopp? There was a Ralph Blenkinsopp born in England in 1615, BUT no one has made a connection between him and the Ralph Blankship that was in Henrico and Chesterfield Counties in Virginia. ________ 4. Where does the information that Ralph Sr Married a Martha Clay come from? Here I think people are just adding names just to fill out their family tree. There is no proof of Martha last name. HECK, we do not know how to spell Ralph's last name at this point in time. 5. Is there source info for her maiden name and when & where they were married? This one is easy NO NO NO and NO again. _________ 6. When Ralph Sr. Died did he leave a will? He did not leave a will but I have sent you a copy of APRIL 15 1714 INVENTORY OF RALPH BLANKINSHIP's POSSESSIONS, that was filled in Henrico Co, by Martha Blankinship, Charles Clay, and Richard Blankenship. 7. Were his children named in the will? This one is also easy, we have not found a will for Ralph Blankship as of now. __________________________________________________________ As pertains to Ralph Jr born abt. 1660? ; This is the same as the information above. Ralph Blankship married Martha Lnu and they lived in Henrico and Chesterfield Counties, in Virginia. They are the ones that have the children Richard, William, James, John, Ralph, and Ann. Is there any information as to the maiden name of his wife (also a Martha) I have seen that many persons have her listed as a Stanley....this I am sure is a result of her 2nd marriage to Edward Stanley after Ralph Jr. died. (for the Martha (? ) Blankenship & Edward Stanley marriage I have the source info) After Ralph Blankship died Martha did marry Edward Stanley. I have seen her last name as Stanley but I know her maiden name is still UNKNOWN. So my questions about this couple are; 1. Is 1660 an accurate estimate of Ralph Jr's birth and is there any source info? 2. What is Martha's Maiden name? I have seen a few times a Martha Hudson as his wife, do any of the list members have any info regarding this possibility? A maiden name for Martha is still UNKNOWN 3. Is their a source available for their marriage? To the best of my knowledge NO there is no source of proof of the marriage between Ralph Blankship and Martha Lnu. Martha's name did show up on court papers and land records but as far a wedding date and marriage records: NONE have been found. These are the points I see most often, and wondered if anyone has any source info, or direction of research, for any of the above? Thanks for any assistance or direction regarding any of the above points. Carrie Bias Hoffert Carrie I hope this will help you in your research and help to build the Blankenship website into an everlasting place to visit. To the other researchers: I do not do rebuttals. So if you think something is wrong here I will change my information if you have PROOF. Now for my information I call the Ralph Blankship that was in Henrico and Chesterfield Counties SR. because as you can see from the records he had a son named Ralph and that Ralph I call JR. But, wait the story gets better, Ralph Jr. had a son named Ralph and I call this Ralph, Ralph the third. Sue B. Altice >>