Genealogical Reports on Early VA. Hydes
I would like to share the following information about an early colonial Virginia Hide/Hyde family that was prepared for me by a professional genealogist. The first document is an excerpt of a report dealing with the relationship between the Cottens and the Hydes in early colonial Virginia. The second document included herewith is a report dealing with the earliest Hydes in colonial Virginia. I hope these reports will be of interest to others.
Hikaru Kitabayashi
EXCERPTS OF A REPORT WRITTEN FOR THE BENEFIT OF HIKARU KITABAYASHI AND DEALING WITH THE COTTEN AND HIDE/HYDE FAMILIES
The first clear statement of record concerning Thomas Cotten or Cotton is found in two transactions reported the same day from the Surry County Court. Having been arrested for debt by Lt. Thomas Busby, a nonsuit was granted and Cotten was awarded costs. He also acted as a surety on thehard Adkins [Surry Co. Court Orders 3:256]. It is likely that he had been in Virginia for several years to be called to serve in the latter capacity but I am not able to sort him out from others bearing the same name. On 16 April 1683 Thomas Cotten was granted a patent for 335 acres in Surry County for the transportation of five persons, including one Elizabeth Stokeley [Va. Patents 7:280]. His wife Susanna signing by mark, Thomas Cotten sold 235 acres of this land to one William Harvey for a valuable consideration on 3 November 1685 [Surry Co. Wills & Deeds 3:40, acknowledged and recorded 24 November 1685]. This is the last instrument that I found which mentions Susanna by name. There is no record that they had any surviving children.
On 19 October 1687 Walter and Thomas Cotten appear on a list of Surry County men qualified to serve as foot soldiers in the
militia [Wm. & Mary Quarterly 11:84, S5 (1902), and on 20 October 1688 Mr. Walter Cotton and Thomas Cotton were granted a patent for 314 acres in the upper parish of Surry County for the transportation of seven persons [Va. Patents 7:670, copy enclosed]. While no record seems to have been made of it, we know that this land was at some point, on 16 July1696, divided into two equal parts. On 3 November 1702 Walter Cotton of Southwark Parish sold his 157 acres for 51000 tobacco and 5100 pork to one John Johnson of the same parish; he signed by mark, his wife Elizabeth signed her name [Surry Co. Wills & Deeds 5: 271, acknowledged and recorded same
day]. On 17 September 1712 Thomas Cotten of Southwark Parish, blacksmith and his wife Mary, the latter signing by mark, sold their
157 acres to John SMith of Prince George Co. for52000 tobacco [id. 6:116, ackn. and recorded same day].
The court records tell us that on 1 March 1691/2 Thomas and Walter Cotten served on a petit juryand that on 15 August 1711 Walter Cotten had judgment against William Cook, administrator c.t.a. of the will of John Cook, for 20 shillings [Surry Co. Court Orders 5:32, 6:167]. No estate record is found for Walter or Elizabeth Cotten/Cotton, and there is a gap in Surry County court orders from 16 July 1718 to 16 December 1741 which might conceal more information about them. That neither is named as alive in the will of Thomas Cotten might indicate that they were dead by the time that will was made in February 1718/9.
The will of Thomas Cotten of Surry County; dated 26 February 1718/9 and proved 18 March 1718/9, named his wife Mary as executrix and left her his plantation; at her decease this land and otherproperty was to pass to his "cousin" Thomas Cotten, son of
Walter Cotton and Walter's wife Elizabeth [Surry Co. Wills & Deeds 7:168]. At this period "cousin" was often used for "nephew" and, together with the original joint patent, the will provides evidence that Walter and Thomas Cotten/Cotton were brothers. This fact may well be helpful in tracing the parents of Walter Cotten in England.
The will of the widow Mary Cotten, dated 7 March 1728/9 and proved 21 May 1729 [Surry Co.Wills & Deeds 7:92S] names her "son"
Thomas Cotten executor and bestows the residue of her estate upon her "son" Thomas Cotten and "daughter" Jane Cotten.
Legacies are also left to a grandson, David Hide, and a granddaughter Mary Cotten. Now we remember that Thomas Cotten who died in
March 1718/9 has no children surviving him. The only way to interpret this instrument is that the widow Mary Cotten had formerly
been married to a Hide and by him had at least one son and a daughter Jane who married her husband's "cousin" [nephew] and heir Thomas Cotten. Upon a further search, your thought that the first husband was one Richard Hide is confirmed. On 2 March 1701/2
Richard Hide and his wife Mary, the latter signing by mark, sold for 6500 lbs tobacco to William Cock 150 acres which had descended to Richard from his father Richard Hide, deceased [Surry Co. Wills & Deeds 5:239, ackn. and rec. 3 March 1701/2]. The will of Richard Hide, dated 13 October 1710 and proved 25 February 1710/1 [id. 6:40], appoints his wife Mary as executrix and mentions his son Richard and daughter Jean Hide among others; the will of his son Richard Hide, dated2 May 1719 and proved 17 June 1719, with Mary Cotten a witness [id. 7:1911, names as eldest son and heir David Hide who is named as a grandson in the will of Mary Cotten in March 1728/9. Finally, the widow Mary Hide, again signing by mark, gave two cows to each daughter, including Jane Hide, and the rest of her personal estate to her son David Hide, on 16 March 1710/1 [id. 80:47, and rec.20March1710/1], probably in preparation for her second marriage to the widower Thomas Cotten. So we have here the not unusual situation where a daughter by a first marriage marries the nephew and heir of the mother's second husband. Often is is a son in steadof a nephew, but, as we know, Thomas Cotten had no surviving sons if he ever had any in the first place. The actual date of the marriage of the younger Thomas Cotten to Jane Hide is not known. The records of Albemarle parish [p. 166] show that Jane died of cancer 2 December 1768, age not reported. The date of her
husband's death is not reported, but his will, dated 26 June 1777, was proved 18 February 1779 in Sussex County Court, Sussex
County having been split from Surry County in 1752 [Sussex Co. Wills C:318], and in this will one of his sons, Richard Cotton, was given a Negro boy named Gabriel. The will signed by mark.
REPORT 04 -- EARLY COLONIAL VIRGINIA HIDE/HYDES
This mailing includes two reports, one on the Hide family (this one) and one on the Weaver family.My report of 19 August shows how
we know that Thomas, son of Walter and Elizabeth (---) Cotten, married Jane, daughter of Richard and Mary Hide, the key document
being the will of the widow Mary Cotten, dated 7 March 1728/9 and proved in Surry County, Virginia 21 May 1729.Now it is time to try
to find out more about the Hide family.
Richard Hide, age 24, was among those transported to Virginia on the George on 21 August 1635 [Peter Wilson Coldham, The Complete
Book of Emigrants, 1607-1660 (Baltimore, 1987), p. 163].Edward Minter received 50 acres on the Upper Chippocks Creek on 31 May
1636 for transporting Richard Hyde as his servant [Va. Patents 1:353].In spite of the spelling variation, this is the same man. This
grant was then in James City County and later in Surry County. From a deed dated to March 1701/2 we know that at some point this
Richard Hide bought 450 acres from Edward Travis on 7 February 1650/1 [Surry Co. Deeds, Wills, etc. 5:240]; almost all the early
records of James City County have disappeared.On 10 June 1653 Richard Hide was named as an abutting landowner in a patent
granted to Gregory Rawlings of Surry County for 476 acres [Ua. Patents 3:23]. Whether or not ha had other land we do not know, for
we have no record of the administration of his estate.To distinguish him from his son Richard Hide the court orders are of some help
because they show two men of the name, an older one who signs with a mark (X) and a younger one who does not.If this were the
same person the usual pattern would be signature early and mark later when old age or illness had affected the signer's health.The
last appearance in the court records to a Richard Hide who signed by mark is dated 4 March 167G/1, as we shall see from the list
below, and I suspect that ha had died by 10 June 1673 when only one man named Richard Hide was a tithable in Southwark Parish.If so,
his son would have been born in the 1640-50 period and of the same age bracket as Thomas Cotten, his wife Mary's second husband.
At no time do we find a Richard Hide Jr. recorded in Surry County or Southward Parish until we come to the grandson Richard Hide.
The court records also have one reference to one Judah (X) Hide, a woman who gave a power of attorney in December 1659.While
she is not called wife of the elder Richard Hide, it is very likely that she was.It is fortunate that one deed of the younger Richard Hide
specifically states that he, the younger Riahard, owned land which his father Richard Hide had owned, as the earlier report mentioned.
In general, the references after 1670 may be taken to refer to the younger Richard Hide and those before then to the older Richard
Hide, the emigrant, born in or about 1611.I did not find any easily identifiable birth or baptism for Richard Hide the emigrant in the
English records.
Surry County, Va. Court Orders
1:85?@?@?@18 Apr. 1656Richard Hide as purchaser of goods from William Thomas
1:11003 Nov. 1657Richard (x) Hide a witness to a power of attorney from Susannah wife of George
Stephens to Nicholas Perry
1:12525 Jan. 1658/9Richard (X) Hide gives power of attorney to John Gittins
1:12903 Oct. 1655Richard (X) Hide of Chippoake Creek, planter to Christopher Greenfield, for a
quantity of tobacco, 50 acres [part of his dividend of 450 acres] Recorded 25
January 1658/9
1:14826 Dec. 1659Judah (X) Hide gives her power of attorney to Benjamin Darol [Dawl?] Recorded 24
January 1659/60
1:34610 June 1669Richard Hyde one tithable in Southwark Parish
1:26221 Nov. 1669Richard (X) Hide witness to an assignment by John Tatem to Robert BurgesAckn.
3 May 1670, rec. 10 May 1670
1:374June 1670Richard Hyde one tithable in Southwark Parish
1:38104 Mar. 1670/1Richard (X) Hide witness to a power of attorney from Margaret Winchester to
Jeremiah Ellisrec. 14 March 1670/1
3:3410 June 1673Richard Hide one tithable in Southwark Parish
3:22806 Nov. 1678Richard Hide as guardian of the orphan John Collier, son of John Collier, dec'd,
may keep a gift to the orphan from Thomas Sowerby, Hide to account to the Orphans
Court for its increase
3:5605 May1678Ordered that Richard Hide appear at Court[doesn't say why]
3:32702 Nov. 1680Judgment for Richard Hide against Thomas Hunt for 500 ft. of inch planks and costs
3:37403 May 1682Judgment for Thomas Sowerby against Richard Hide for 757 lbs. tobacco and costs
4:52916 Sep. 1686Judgment for Richard Hide against Thomas Busby and Adam Heath as sureties for
Richard Williamson
4:53802 Nov. 1686Action dismissed, Richard Hide not appearing
4:58313 July 1687Richard Hide on petit jury [twice]
4:59919 Dec. 1687Richard Hide a freeholder able to bear arms
5:14613 Oct. 1695Judgment for William Wilkins against Richard Hide for 600 lbs. tobacco
5:193Sep. 1697Action dismissed, Richard Hide against John Warwick
5:217Mar. 1698/9Richard Hide and wife Mary acknowledge deeds to William Cocke and Thomas Wiggin
[see beiow]
6:22103 Mar. 1701/2Richard Hide and wife Mary acknowledge a deed to William Cocke [see below]
6:35525 Feb. 1710/1Mary Hide granted letters testamentary on the will of Richard Hide [see belowj
6:35820 Mar. 1711/2Mary Hide acknowledges a deed of gift to Elizabeth Smith and others [see below]
7:817 Sep. 1712Thomas Cotten and wife Mary acknowledge a deed to John Smith [see below]
7:6521 Sep. 1715Jane Hide v. James Anderson for 100 lbs.; trial set for next court
7:7218 Jan. 1715/6Plaintiff not appearing, nonsuited and to pay costs
There is a gap in surviving Surry County court records from 1718 to 1741 and by the time they commence again they are beyond the
period of interest to this report.Three items of interest are found in a book of Surry County Grphans Court orders which are
supposed to cover 1672-1750 but have almost none after 1684.
1:1015 June 1678John Rogers, orphan of Richard Rogers, made ward of Richard Hide
1:1615 June 1681Richard Hide gives bond as guardian of John Rogers
1:1815 June 1681Richard Hide's account of John Collier's cattle admitted to record
It is of interest, as we shall see, that a Richard Hide, under 17 years of age and therefore the son of Richard and Mary Hide, was a
godson of Richard Rogers, while Richard Hide, Mary's husband, became guardian of John, son of Richard Rogers.This kind of
interlocking relationship often signifies a blood relationship but further research did not turn up proof of such a connection.Some of
the Surry County wills and deeds now to be cited have already been discussed in my report of 19 August and copies supplied to you.
Surry County, Va.Wills & Deeds
2:174Will of Richard Rogers, dated 27 March 1678, proved 7 May 1678 a cow to godson Richard Hide at age 17
2:286Account of Richard Hide as guardian of John Collier allowed15 June 1681[signed, not by mark, so
this is Riahard II and not the emigrant Richard I]
5:168Richard and Mary (X) Hide of Southwark Parish to William Cocke of same, for 1500 lbs. tobacco, 50 acres,
part of the land Hide now lives on16 August 1698, ackn. Marah 1698/9, rec. 7 March 1698/9
5:168Richard and Mary (X) Hide of Southwark Parish to Thomas Wiggin of same, for 4000 lbs. tobacco, 100 acres,
part of the land Hide now lives on16 August 1698, ackn. March 1698/9, rec. 7 March 1698/9
5:240Richard and Mary (X) Hide to William Cock[e] of the sama, for 6500 lbs. tobacco, 150 acres, part of 450
acres bought by Hide's father, Richard Hide, deceased, from Edward Travis of James City County on 7
February 1650[/1] and which descended to Richard Hide the grantor 2 March 1701/2, ackn. 3 March
1701/2, rec. same day
6:40Will of Riahard Hide, dated 13 October 1710, proved 25 February 1710/1Half his plantation and other
legacies to wife Mary Hide, the other half to son Richard Hide. Legacies to daughter Elizabeth Smith,
to her children John and Ann Smith, and to daughter Jean Hide
6:47Mary (X) Hide to her eldest daughter Elizabeth Smith, wife of John Smith, two cows, to her youngest
daughter, Jane Hide, two cows, and to her son Richard Hide the rest of her personal estate, for love
16 March 1710/1, ackn. 20 March 1710/1, rec. same day
6:58Will of Sarah Wiggin, dated 16 May 1711, probate date not shownRichard Hide a witness [this will be
Richard]
6:116Thomas and Mary (X) Cotten of Southwark Parish to John Smith of Martin's Brandon Parish, Prince George
County, for 52000 tobacco, 157 acres in Southwark Parish 17 September 1712, ackn. and rec. 17
September 1712
It should be noted that the will of Richard Rogers did mention a daughter Mary, without further identification.She may have been Mary,
wife of Richard Hide and then of Thomas Cotten, but her own will does not indicate any connnection with the Rogers family.Likewise,
a search of probates and deeds in the Surry County area did not uncover any further reference to Judah Hide as sister or daughter
which might identify her.
We conclude, then, that Jane Hide, wife of Thomas Cotten of Surry County by 1729 or earlier, was a daughter of Richard and Mary
(---) [possibly Rogers?] Hide and granddaughter of Richard Hide the emigrant to Virginia.The possibility will be kept open of further
discoveries that might identify the maiden name of Mary (---) Hide and even Judah (---) Hide at a later time.
More Replies:
-
Re: Genealogical Reports on Early VA. Hydes
Teresa Shands 5/14/03
-
Re: Genealogical Reports on Early VA. Hydes
Hikaru Kitabayashi 5/15/03
-
Re: Genealogical Reports on Early VA. Hydes
Teresa Shands 5/15/03
-
Re: Genealogical Reports on Early VA. Hydes
Hikaru Kitabayashi 5/15/03
-
Re: Genealogical Reports on Early VA. Hydes
-
Re: Genealogical Reports on Early VA. Hydes
-
Re: Genealogical Reports on Early VA. Hydes
-
Re: Genealogical Reports on Early VA. Hydes
Tony Ferguson 12/16/01
-
Re: Genealogical Reports on Early VA. Hydes
Macalyne Fristoe 1/06/01