Southern Maryland Origins of Thomas Marshall (1655-1704) Grandfather of the Chief Justice John Marshall There have been several attempts to unravel the ancestry of Thomas Marshall (1655-1704) of Westmoreland Co. VA.; Grandfather of the Chief Justice John Marshall. Paxton "Marshall Family" published in 1885, and by his own admission years later, did not know who the ancestors were of Thomas Marshall. Several other noted researchers have come to the same concussion but the Ancestry has remained unsolved. I propose an alternate solution that is solved by looking in ones backyard. In this case, across the Potomac. It has been proved by court/land records that Paxton mixed the Isle of Wright Marshall's with the Westmoreland Marshall's. It appears the 1635 transportation of 20 year old John Marshall to VA was the one who married Jane McCarthy. From naming conventions, no William or Thomas figures into the Isle of Wight Marshall Family. Another line of Marshall's lived the in Lancaster Co. VA area on the Rappanhannock River near Leedstown that would have been a better match for the 1655 Thomas Marshall. However, are all those Marshall's are all accounted for with land records, wills & inventories. This Marshall Family appears to be the ancestors of the King George Co. VA and "Berry Plains" by the migration up the Rappanhannock River through Farnham & Hanover Parish of now day Richmond Co., Essex and Caroline Co. VA. The next Marshall line lived on the Eastern Shore in Northampton Co. VA on a line directly East of the entrance of Rappanhannock River. The "GHOTES" Eastern Shore Genealogy Board has documented this Marshall line. Their Thomas Marshall has a will probate date one day before the Thomas Marshall of Westmoreland which make this an attractive link but land records and wills proves this was a different line. Site and partial data as follows: http://ghotes.net/nhmarshalls/ {2. Thomas2 Marshall (John1) was born 1626. Thomas died 1704 in Northampton Co., VA. He married Mary (N) (wife of Thomas Marshall) about 1655. Mary was born 1638. Mary died before 1704. Mary was his wife's name when he presented his son, Thomas for baptism in 1661. He did not name a wife in his will. Court records of Northampton County show Mary Marshall in May, 1688, aged 50. (Houston & Mihalyka, Colonial Residents, Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore MD, 1985, p. 67) He made a will in Northampton Co., VA, January 1, 1704. Thomas's will was probated in Northampton Co., VA, May 30, 1704. Thomas would have been about age 14 when he came to Northampton. His name is probably on that portion of the headright certificate which was destroyed. If indentured with his father to John Wilkins, his seven years coincide with his attaining majority.} It is far more believable that the Thomas Marshall, a millwright, who oversaw the maintenance of the Mills and tobacco storage houses of Charles County Maryland, living in "Allens Fresh", moved to Virginia abt 1684 and termed "Carpenter" is the one and the same person. Thomas was living after 1695 per the "Inventory of Col. Nehemiah Blackiston, where Thomas is referred to as "of Virginia". Blackison married a couple daughters of Dr.Thomas Gerrard of St. Clement's Manor, St. Mary's County, who was banished to Westmoreland after Fendall's Rebellion and died 1672. His lands on the Matchotick River in Westmoreland Co. Va were later seated to Richard Lee. Thomas Gerard's daughter Frances married Col John Washington and after her death he married Ann Pope daughter of Nathaniel Pope. "Allens Fresh" is located at the head of Wicomico River in Southern Charles County that separates St. Mary's Chaptico Hundred from Charles County's, Newport & William & Mary Parishes. The father of William Marshall was transported by Thomas Weston in 1640 and patented Westbury Manor in St. Georges Hundred, St. Mary's County. William Marshall acted as his attorney on several occasions. In a line, directly South of Allens Fresh, across the Potomac River is Pope's Creek in Westmoreland Co. Va, This is where John Washington grandfather of George Washington lived and his neighboring families of Fowke, Gerard, Brent, Brown, Brett, Rozier, Chandler, Harrison & Pope all had land in Southern MD Coincidently, Thomas' move to Virginia was the same time Martha Sherwood of Westmoreland Co. Va. married a Thomas Marshall and her sister Sarah married a David Rozier, Son of Rev John Rozier and nephew of Col. Benjamin Rozer of Charles County Md. Benjamin Rozer and Southern Maryland Marshall's had several close business relationships. William Marshall died in 1773. Will abstract follows: === William Marshall, Charles county Wills 22Apr1673/Dec 1673 To Son William, 4 tracts of land unnamed in Chas Co. To Son Joshua and dau Eliza, "Marshall", 500A, "Two Friends" Chas Co. To child(ren) residue of estate equally. To Son Joshua, Cattle mark, obtained by marriage of testator with Katherine EBDEN. In event of death of any child under age, or without issue, survivors to inherit deceased's portion, and all dying without issue, estate to be used for benefit of poor of Chas County. Exs: Thomas Notely, Robert Henley and brother Francis Wyne. Test: Zach, Wade, Edward Price, Johnathan Marler. V1-pg 592 === Bill Howard [SMTP:[email protected]] The other two executors of his will were Thomas Notley (1634-1679) who was the father of Mary Notley who married Benjamin Rozer; and Robert Henley (abt1617-1684) who married Sarah Bachelor (abt 1627-bef Feb 1683) and whose daughter, Charity married (1) John Courts and (2) John Contee. === His will names the younger children who were born in the 1660's. It his thought that Thomas Marshall and Richard Marshall were also sons of William Marshall. Thomas Marshall b 1655 would have been one of the first sons of William Marshall & Catherine Payne widow of Thomas Dr. Hebden who died 1649. Thomas married the widow by 1655 according to land records. Thomas' brother Richard born 1669 was a servant for Benjamin Rozer in 1681 according to his Inventory records. Richard married Mary, a daughter of Gerald Brown {who married a daughter of Thomas Allanson}, and died in Charles County Md before 1700. The predominant naming conventions of this Southern Maryland family are William, Thomas, Richard & Robert. The following link contains an interesting incident that helps put some of the players together. The Combs family board is a wealth of information for Southern Maryland records. http://www.combs-families.org/combs/records/md/charles/land.htm Look for the paragraph that starts: "The following incident occurred in Oct 1681, about the same time as the above petition. The records reference Phillip COMBES and Thomas MARSHALL of Allen's Mill who was apparently involved in Fendell's Rebellion of 1679 (or Lt. Godfrey's planned "break-out" of FENDALL):" It is believed that Thomas moved to Westmoreland by 1686 as he is a witness in the land transactions of Ann Washington, the daughter of John Washington & Ann Pope who married Francis Wright. The Will of Thomas Marshall of Westmoreland Co., Va. (undated) Westmoreland Co., is in Deed & Will Book 3, pages 232 - 233 and Probated 31 May 1704. He mentions only his son William Marshall but it is known through land & court records that he had several other kids. Thomas had at least two other children that have been proved besides John Marshall that married Elizabeth Markham & William Marshall that married Elizabeth Williams. There is a Mary who married John Piper, and James who died 1750 murdered by Jonathan Piper. The Mary Iva Marshall that is noted by Paxton to have married Thomas Camp can not be proved through any court or parish record. It appears Thomas Camp married a Marshall of James City Va., or of King William Co. Va. They were too far South to have any dealings with the Westmoreland Marshall's. One of other child may have also been born of this marriage. It is believed that the Robert Marshall that married Margaret Luttrell and both died Prince William Co 1754 was a son. He lived near Mason Neck West of Gunston Hall on the Occoquan & Pohick Creeks. Parts of their lands were later seated by Bushrod Washington near Manassas. The Marshall's in Southern Maryland that first arrived in St. Mary's County MD later lived on both sides of the Potomac from Westmoreland, Stafford, Prince William, Fairfax & Loudoun Counties on the Virginia side and Frederick, Prince George's and Charles County on the Maryland Side. This Westward migration continued after the revolution when descendents moved to Mason County Ky & Fayette County Ky. In a time when only vessels were the primary transport which helped restrict migration routes westward between river valleys and given the politics of 1650 to 1680, this Thomas looks to have been in the right place. mm Frederick MD.