Janet......wasn't there a sea captain named JOHN RUDD who transported and sold slaves, and sold his own son who was also named JOHN, and his wife into slavery for their passage into this country, or have I misread? Thanks, R.Presley --- "Edwin V. & Janet S. McKenney, Jr." <edjan@starpower.net> wrote: > There is no proof that John RUDD, Sr., was the > son of Captain John > RUDD. Captain RUDD is found in Virginia > records starting about 1663 > until about 1699. I have found no evidence in > the records I have had > available to me that Captain RUDD ever settled > in Virginia. Capt. RUDD > did have a family according to a letter written > in March of 1685. Capt. > > RUDD was a relative to William BYRD I, and > William wrote to Capt. John, > calling him uncle, in 1685. In the letter > William says he considered it > > a "great misfortune...that wee are wholly > deprived of ever having your > company in Virginia Again, where wee have been > so often merry > together...." This would indicate that Capt. > RUDD did not live or > settle in the Virginia colony - or, as the > letter shows, any other part > of the new world. William continues his letter > with "I have great hopes > > (God willing) to see England next year and then > doubt not but I shall > bee so happy to see you in London." The letter > shows that the Captain's > > wife was still living at this time and that > they had children - "Pray > give my best respects and service to my aunt > RUDDS, and to tell her I > beg her acceptance of an otter skin herewith > sent; remember mee to > ...our good daughter, not forgetting all the > small girls" William > signs the letter "Dear uncle your obliged > cousin and servant Wm. B." The > > letter was sent "to Capt RUDS per his son." > The book Rudd, Pollard, > Youngblood and Related Families by Margaret > Rudd YOUNGBLOOD, 1980, > states that he (Capt. John RUDD) may have been > a merchant from > Scotland. Records do show that he transported > goods, such as tobacco, > between the Virginia colony and England and > that he was at various times > > captain of the "John and Mary," the "William > and Sarah," and later of > the "Hopewell." London port records show him > as "master of ship" in > 1672, 1675, 1676, 1677, and 1696. He is found > on occasion in the > Charles City County court records and in the > minutes of the Council and > General Court of Virginia. He is also found a > few times in the Henrico > Co. court records witnessing wills and deeds. > None of these court > records indicated a residency in Virginia or, > for that matter, any where > > else. Capt. RUDD did receive land for > importing persons - one entry > shows 1250 acres; however, there is no evidence > to show that he ever > resided on that land. According to the book An > Irish Rudd Family, by > Norman RUDD, Capt. RUDD moved to Newberry Co., > SC, and established a > large plantation on the Saluda River at > Chappells, SC. I have found > RUDDs there, but have not been able to confirm > that it was Capt. RUDD > who settled there. William BYRD's letter would > certainly indicate > otherwise. To date, I have not found any > evidence, hard or > circumstantial, that would lead me to believe > that the John RUDD who > married Avis WHITTAKER was the son of Capt. > John RUDD. I have never > corresponded with a RUDD researcher (and that > includes Hugh RUDD who is > a well-known and well-respected RUDD > researcher) who could furnish any > small bit of information that would give any > support to Capt. John being > > the father of John RUDD of Chesterfield Co., > VA. > > There is, however, evidence that shows John > RUDD (who married Avis) was > > an indentured servant. Depositions made almost > 40 years after his death > > tell of both he and Avis WHITTAKER being > indentured servants and of > their first child and possibly their second > child being born out of > wedlock. (An indentured servant could not > marry while fulfilling his > or her contract.) Cavaliers and Pioneers, > Patent Book No. 11, p. 228, > shows an Avis WHITAKER, along with 10 other > people as being imported by > the EPES. In 1721, the EPES received 538a of > land in Prince George Co., > > VA, as a result of this importation. A > deposition made in 1786 states > that Avis had been a servant of Peter ROWLETT. > (Virginia granted 50a > per importation - a "headright." This was > easily abused by sailors as > they claimed 50a every time they sailed to > Virginia - they then could > sell their claim. In the case of indentured > servants the 50a went to the > > one who paid the servant's passage. These > headrights could be bought > and sold so the person claiming 200a for > importing four persons was not > necessarily the person who actually paid the > passage costs. It is also > possible that the servant paid his own way and > then sold his headright > rather than claim the land. Also, persons > named on the same list of > importations need not have come on the same > ship nor arrived in the same > > year. (The Source, EAKLE & CERNY, p. 220) > > After their indenturship, John and Avis married > and had six more > children. No record of their marriage has been > found, but they probably > married sometime around 1710. John and Avis > lived on a plantation that > > was on the Spring Run of Swift Creek. On 20 > August 1711, John had > received a patent for 312a in Henrico Co. which > crossed Spring Run > adjacent to Thomas CHEATHAM, Ellison CLARK, and > John FERGUSON. This > area is in the western part of Chesterfield Co. > and near the present > Amelia/Chesterfield Co. Line. > > If there is any RUDD researcher who can show > any shred of information > that Capt. John was the father of John of > Chesterfield, please make it > known here. It would great to be able to claim > Capt. John as our > ancestor, but until there is something more to > support such a claim, we > who descend from John and Avis RUDD need to be > careful in how we present > > this part of our family's history. > > Janet > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail � Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/