A John Blachard/Blackard (spelling ambiguous
on document) was transported to colonial Charles City County, Virginia around
1643 and his name appears on a 1650 land grant as having been transported by
two men, Sparrow & Tye, of Cambridgeshire, England who transported many
people to Virginia in exchange for a headrights land grant.
"Cavaliers and Pioneers" , a record of abstracts of Virginia land patents and
grants, 1623-1666 contains a record of John Blackard transported to America
in 1650. "Richard Tye & Charles Sparrowe, 2,500 acs. Chas. City Co., 12 Aug.
1650, p. 248. Near the head of Powells Cr. adj. to the land called Weynoake
old Town, beg. at certain trees called the great Maukes, etc. running S. along
Tye's old devdt., W along land of Thomas Wheeler to beg. Trans of 50 pers:".
One of the 50 persons listed is John Blachard/ Blackard.
Richard Tye was born in 1623 in England, some believe in Broughton, Northampton.
He died in 1666 in Charles Co Maryland USA. .
The Sparrow family is from Cambridgeshire England. On 21 Sep 1627 a Richard
Sparrowe married Marye Willowbey [Willoughby] in St Nicholas, Durham,England.
So the Willoughby and Tye families must have known each other.
One of the other persons that they transported in 1643, John Hardaways, was from a town in England called Blandford in Dorset, England where Prince Charles left England in 1651. This is in southern England on the English Channel.
Another person transported at this same time was a Mich Huey. It appears that the Hueys originally came from the French Huguenots, who spelled the name "Huet". They were among a group that was driven out of France to England.
A William Kirby was also transported on that same ship. Kirby was first recorded in England in 1530 in Northumberland. They appear to have come to England from Normandy and Denmark.
There is a legend that James Parham of Charles City Co., VA (1626-aft. 1662) was the illegitimate son of Lord Willoughby of Parham and was born on Barbados.
There were clashes between the Roundheads and Royalists in Lincolnshire, England in 1643. The name John Blackard was recorded in Lincolnshire. It will be interesting to see if there is a connection.
May 13, 1643
"Skirmish at Grantham, Lincolnshire. In his first independent action as a cavalry commander, Oliver Cromwell routs a Royalist force twice the size of his own."
July 20 1643
"Lord Willoughby captures Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, for Parliament but is threatened by Charles Cavendish's Royalists. Oliver Cromwell and Sir John Meldrum move to support Willoughby"
July 30 1643
"Gainsborough recaptured by the Royalists."
An Ann Blancharedt married Alexander Clark on 20 Jan 1693 at St. John's Church in Henrico Co., Virginia. The spelling of names in these old Tidewater Virginia records is very inaccurate and inconsistent Her date of birth was probably around 1675. She could have been a Blackard. There did not appear to be a Blanchard family in that area at that time. So far she is the most-likely potential Blackard that we have found in the years 1645-1733 between the appearance of John Blackard and Charles Blackard in Virginia.
From the following deed, it appears that a Charles
Blancheville passed away before 28 October 1697 in Henrico County,
VA. His 400 acres of land in Charles City County was deeded to an Allenson Clarke
upon his death. This name is extremely similar to Alexander Clark, the husband
of Ann Blancharedt so it seems possible
that Charles Blancheville was her father.
Land Office Patents & Grants Northern
Neck Grants & Surveys
Clarke, Allenson. grantee.
28 October 1697.
Location: Charles City County.
Description: 400 acres escheated land. Late in the possession of Charles Blancheville,
late of Henrycoe County.
Source: Land Office Patents No. 9, 1697-1706 (v.1 & 2 p.1-742), p. 84 (Reel
9).
Part of the index to the recorded copies of patents for land issued by the Secretary
of the Colony serving as the colonial Land Office. The collection is housed
in the Archives at the Library of Virginia.
Virginia. Colonial Land Office. Patents, 1623-1774.
Library of Virginia. Archives.
Charles Blanchwill was a witness on a Henrico VA court inquiry into the death
of John Clyborn.
Book #1 Wills and Records Henrico County
p. 334
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Where as John Clyborn, one of his majesties subjects was drouned and cast on
shore in ye swamp, and notice is given to Mr. Richard Cocke, thereof the aforesaid
Mr. Richard Cocke on the fifth day of this month appointed corrinor for ye county
of Henrico - he impannell a jury to inquire how he came by his untimely death.
Now say it is the openion of this inquision that ye said John Clyborn did accidently
fall out of ye boat and so was deprived of his life, which is our verdict adhere
unto we all will subscribe. signed by; John Woodson; Edward (?Stratton); Thomas
Newcomb; William Seawell; Charles Blanchwill; John Price; William Robinson;
John Stewart; Thomas West
The names Charles
Blanchvil and William Blackford also appear on a list of those involved in Bacon's
rebellion in 1675/76. There is also a record of his punishment.
The Statutes at Large Being a Collection
of All the Laws of Virginia from the First Session of the Legislature, in the
Year 1619. By William Waller Hening Volume II. New York, 1823
------------------------------------------------------------------
"The 17th March 1676-7. ... Wm. Tiballs and Henry Gee did utter severall
scandalous words ... ... Charles Blanckevile ... upon his knees, with a rope
about his neck, ask pardon ..."
Charles Blackard I and the fabled "Welsh
wife" was living in Virginia sometime in 1733-1755 when son William
Blackard was born up until about 1755 when Charles Blackard I was
living on Little Fishing Creek in Edgecombe, North Carolina. Charles was born
in 1706-1711 (place unknown) according to his record in NC tax lists.
However, at this time we have not found a clear trail of a Blackard family in
Virginia during the century that separates these two men. It is possible that
Charles Blackard I was the great grandson of John Blackard but there is no information
to support this currently. There is much more evidence of the Blackard family
in Barbados than any other place other than England in the years just before
the appearance of Charles Blackard in Virginia around 1733-1755.