My working hypothesis is that this John Blackard is the ancestor of all American Blackards and he came to Virginia in 1649 after the English Civil War. He may havecome from Lincolnshire, England where there were numerous Blackards living before the war. According to one source about 300 soldiers who opposed Cromwell were transported to the Charles City/Prince George County area of Virgnia on the James River. In 1649, the Puritans conquered England, beheaded Charles I, and started a large-scale migration of Cavaliers to Virginia, Barbados, and the Bermudas. In 1649 Cromwell captured between three and four hundred Scottish prisoners, at the battles of Dunbar and Worcester. These prisoners were sent to America as indentured servants.
Directly across the Humber River from Lincolnshire was the deep water port Hull in Yorkshire. Records in the Virginia Gazette show that ships from this port did travel to Virginia. [See Hull to Virginia connections.]
The area of old Charles City described on the 1650 patent is near the old Indian village on Powell's Creek at the old town of Merchant's Hope which was founded by sea captain William Barker. It is now located in Prince George County. The future Blackard inlaws, the Humphries, were next door in Surry County.
Powells Creek is on the southern bank of the James River in the area called "Great Weyanoke" at that time. Chappell's Creek is adjacent to Powell's Creek and named for the Thomas Chappell family that were on the same list as John Blackard in 1650.
Richard Tye & Charles Sparrowe Land Patent
|
2,500 acs. Chas. City Co, 12 Aug 1650 p. 248 Near the head of Powells
Cr. adj the land called Weynoake old Town geg. at certain trees called
the great Maukes, etc, running S. along Tye's old devdt. W alongland of
Thomas Wheeler to beg.
"Perfect" [ship] Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia land Patents and Grants 1623-1666" by Nell Marion Nugent. Hardcover Vol 001 Virginia State Library. ISBN 0884901742 |
It is not yet known if this John Black was John Blackard.
| CHARLES CITY COURT ORDERS 1693?
p.450 Administration of estate of John Black, late of Sherly Hundred Island, who died intestate, granted to Mary Black, his relict. John Hardway, one of orphans of John Hardway, dec'd, being 15 years old, chooses Henry Hatcher of Henrico (his brother in law) as his guardian |
John Blackard - named on 1650 Sparrow&Tye land patent and probably
transported in 1649
Thomas Chappell - named on same 1650 Sparrow&Tye
land patent and transported earlier in 1635.
David Peebles - immigrated in 1649 and patented additional
land in 1650 with Sparrow on Powell's Creek
Thomas Chappell great-great grandson of 1650
Thomas Chappell was born in Granville NC on 23 Jan 1761.
Nathaniel Peebles great-great-grandson of 1649 David
Peebles was born in Bute NC in 1769.
Willoughby Blackard born in 1758 in Granville (Bute) NC
If, in fact, these three families did migrate in the same direction, then, I think it reasonable to suggest that Willoughby Blackard born 1758 Granville (Bute) NC could be the great great grandson of immigrant John Blackard. Willoughby's father is the man I call Charles Blackard I in my genealogy database. That leaves two missing generations in the family tree to be determined.
GENERATION 1 : John Blackard est b. 1620
GENERATION 2 : son est b. 1650
GENERATION 3 : grandson est b.1680 possibly Charles
Blancherd of Prince George VA
GENERATION 4 : Charles Blackard I est 1712-est bef 1790
GENERATION 5 : Willoughby Blackard b.12 Aug 1758 Granville NC
GENERATION 1 : Thomas Chappell (1613-1658)
GENERATION 2 : Thomas Chappell
GENERATION 3 :
GENERATION 4 :
GENERATION 5 : Thomas Chappell b.23 Jan 1761, Granville NC
GENERATION 1 : David Peebles d. 1659 Charles City/Prince George VA
GENERATION 2 : William Peebles b. 1635 Scotland
GENERATION 3 : William Peebles Jr. ?
GENERATION 4 :
GENERATION 5 : Nathaniel Peebles b. 1769 Bute, NC