John George (Virginia colonist)
Encyclopedia
John George was an early Virginia colonist, landowner, soldier, county court justice and legislative representative {politician). He served at least two terms as a burgess
in the Virginia House of Burgesses in the 1640s and 1650s representing Isle of Wight County, Virginia
.
, probably in 1603. His wife was named Jane. Although some sources cite circumstantial evidence that her maiden name was Cole, no definitive evidence of her maiden name has been found. John and Jane had three children, Isaac, Sarah and Rebecca. John George had a second wife named Ann but there is no record of when his first wife died and when the second marriage occurred. There is also no record of any children of this second marriage.
On November 7, 1634, John George received a patent for 900 acres of land on Bailey Creek, also spelled Bayles Creek, in what was then Charles City County, Virginia
but is now Prince George County, Virginia
bordering Hopewell, Virginia
. The George family moved to Isle of Wight County, Virginia in about 1642. When the George family moved to Isle of Wight County, they lived near Cypress Swamp and Creek and Castle Creek, near the present town of Smithfield, Virginia
. Other records show that John George added 350 acres to his property on April 17, 1667.
John George is listed as a justice of the local court in the Isle of Wight County Records for 1646, 1666, 1667 and 1677. Since no names are listed between 1646 and 1666, John George may have served on the court during some or all of those years.
An act of the Virginia General Assembly in March 1676 called out the militia to guard certain locations "against Indians" and authorized Col. John George or Major James Powell to impress the number of men and horses needed from Isle of Wight County in accordance with the allocations to city and county militias made in the law. Forts were to be built on the frontiers under the law and garrisoned, but only the Governor could order action against the Indians. The threatened people were not satisfied with this modest, and expensive, action and were wary of the governor who had a thriving trade with the Indians. This action was ultimately significant in marshalling forces in opposition to Bacon's Rebellion
since some historians think the stated reason, despite Indian raids, was mostly a pretext. Colonial Virginia Governor Sir William Berkeley called a new assembly in June, while Bacon was in the field with volunteers to fight the Indians, and had the forts dismantled. As Bacon's Rebellion took shape, Col. George sided with Governor Berkeley.
In March 1677, certain residents of Isle of Wight County petitioned the King's Commissioners for Virginia for excuse from having taken up arms in the rebellion. Colonel George and 71 others sent a reply in opposition to this petition with a further defense of the propriety of their own actions. The signers of the original petition fully recanted their support for Bacon in the Court of Isle of Wight County about a month later. John Jennings, clerk of the court of Isle of Wight County, was sentenced to banishment for his support of Bacon. As an elderly and sick man, Jennings asked for a reprieve in order to present an appeal. He was required to "put in good security for his behavior before Col. John George and the Isle of Wight Court." Jennings in fact died later that year. His case had not come up for further hearing.
(Indian) attacks during Bacon's Rebellion, although there is no record the unit did any fighting. Col. George did die within the next one to two years. Since John George's will was recorded on January 9, 1679, George Family biographer Marty Grant (Marvin A. Grant, Jr.) has concluded that Virginia burgess and militia Colonel John George must have died between August 1678 and January 1679.
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
in the Virginia House of Burgesses in the 1640s and 1650s representing Isle of Wight County, Virginia
Isle of Wight County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 35,270 people, 11,319 households, and 8,670 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 people per square mile . There were 12,066 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
.
Early life, family, settlement
Because John George gave his age as 50 in a 1653 deposition, it is clear he was born in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, probably in 1603. His wife was named Jane. Although some sources cite circumstantial evidence that her maiden name was Cole, no definitive evidence of her maiden name has been found. John and Jane had three children, Isaac, Sarah and Rebecca. John George had a second wife named Ann but there is no record of when his first wife died and when the second marriage occurred. There is also no record of any children of this second marriage.
On November 7, 1634, John George received a patent for 900 acres of land on Bailey Creek, also spelled Bayles Creek, in what was then Charles City County, Virginia
Charles City County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,926 people, 2,670 households, and 1,975 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 2,895 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
but is now Prince George County, Virginia
Prince George County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,047 people, 10,159 households, and 8,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 10,726 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
bordering Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. The George family moved to Isle of Wight County, Virginia in about 1642. When the George family moved to Isle of Wight County, they lived near Cypress Swamp and Creek and Castle Creek, near the present town of Smithfield, Virginia
Smithfield, Virginia
Smithfield is a town in Isle of Wight County, in the South Hampton Roads subregion of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia in the United States. The population was 8,089 at the 2010 census....
. Other records show that John George added 350 acres to his property on April 17, 1667.
Virginia burgess and court justice
In 1647 and in 1652, John George was listed as a representative of Isle of Wight County in the Virginia House of Burgesses, the lower house of the colonial Virginia legislature. Since the records show that the 1648 session was a reconvened session of the 1647 assembly and list only two new members, John George likely served in that session. John George is not on the list of burgesses for the 1649 assembly and there is no record for a 1650 assembly. The list of burgesses for the 1651 assembly does not include members from Isle of Wight County so John George's participation in that assembly can not be verified, but he is listed as a member for the first 1652 assembly. Only one member, not John George, is listed for a second assembly in 1652.John George is listed as a justice of the local court in the Isle of Wight County Records for 1646, 1666, 1667 and 1677. Since no names are listed between 1646 and 1666, John George may have served on the court during some or all of those years.
Militia and Bacon's Rebellion
Isle of Wight County records identify John George as a militia major in 1654, lieutenant colonel in 1666 and colonel in 1677, although the act of March 1676 below identifies John George as a colonel while identifying other officers named in other counties as lieutenant colonels. So the distinction in the two grades of colonel was recognized.An act of the Virginia General Assembly in March 1676 called out the militia to guard certain locations "against Indians" and authorized Col. John George or Major James Powell to impress the number of men and horses needed from Isle of Wight County in accordance with the allocations to city and county militias made in the law. Forts were to be built on the frontiers under the law and garrisoned, but only the Governor could order action against the Indians. The threatened people were not satisfied with this modest, and expensive, action and were wary of the governor who had a thriving trade with the Indians. This action was ultimately significant in marshalling forces in opposition to Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was an uprising in 1676 in the Virginia Colony in North America, led by a 29-year-old planter, Nathaniel Bacon.About a thousand Virginians rose because they resented Virginia Governor William Berkeley's friendly policies towards the Native Americans...
since some historians think the stated reason, despite Indian raids, was mostly a pretext. Colonial Virginia Governor Sir William Berkeley called a new assembly in June, while Bacon was in the field with volunteers to fight the Indians, and had the forts dismantled. As Bacon's Rebellion took shape, Col. George sided with Governor Berkeley.
In March 1677, certain residents of Isle of Wight County petitioned the King's Commissioners for Virginia for excuse from having taken up arms in the rebellion. Colonel George and 71 others sent a reply in opposition to this petition with a further defense of the propriety of their own actions. The signers of the original petition fully recanted their support for Bacon in the Court of Isle of Wight County about a month later. John Jennings, clerk of the court of Isle of Wight County, was sentenced to banishment for his support of Bacon. As an elderly and sick man, Jennings asked for a reprieve in order to present an appeal. He was required to "put in good security for his behavior before Col. John George and the Isle of Wight Court." Jennings in fact died later that year. His case had not come up for further hearing.
Death
Despite his advanced age and the risk to his health, Col. George took the field with part of the Isle of Wight County militia in support of Governor Berkeley and to defend against Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
(Indian) attacks during Bacon's Rebellion, although there is no record the unit did any fighting. Col. George did die within the next one to two years. Since John George's will was recorded on January 9, 1679, George Family biographer Marty Grant (Marvin A. Grant, Jr.) has concluded that Virginia burgess and militia Colonel John George must have died between August 1678 and January 1679.
Further Reading
- Grant, Jr., Marvin A. George Family History. Descendants of Col. John George (1603-1679) of England and Virginia (Two Vols.) Vol. I: Second (12 Nov 2006); Vol II: First (28 Aug 2006). Kinston, NC: Marvin A. Grant, Jr., 2006. . See George Family History. Retrieved July 15, 2011.