Vass, Cauthorn, Essex Co., VA, England
Vincent Vass of Essex died testate in 1727. His will leaves property to Ann Cauthorn, wife of Richard Cauthorn, she “being my daughter in law.” Research strongly suggests that Ann was the daughter of Vincent's wife, Anne Sharpe, by a previous marriage, probably to Thomas Roberts or Thomas Gillett.
The Richard Cauthorn who was Ann's husband was the grandson of another Richard Cauthorn who died in London, England. This earlier Richard Cauthorn was a Merchant Taylor and Citizen of London. In 1673, he was a 53-year-old widower when he married again to Anne Abrahall. The marriage appears in the 34th volume of records published by the Harleian Society, entitled “Vicar-General Office Marriages.” The note reads:
“Aug. 27, 1673. Richard Cawthorne of St. Mildreds, Poultry, London, Widr abt 53 & Anne Abrahall of Hollowes, Barking, London, Wid. Abt 42 at Greenwich, Kent.”
The Register of the Church of St. Helen, Bishopgate, London, shows the following: Marriage, April 10, 1651. “Thomas Abrahall of London, merchant, and Anne Cargill of London, maiden, grandchilde to Wid. Hester Chambrelan.” Oct. 17, 1667. Thus, Ann Cargill first married Thomas Abrahall, then Richard Cauthorne.
The son of this Richard Cauthorne emigrated to Essex County, VA where he and his wife are listed as headrights in a grant dated 23 Sep 1674 to Thomas Goldman who received 2200 acres for the transportation of 44 persons including Richard Cauthorne, Anne Cawthorne (wife), and Amelia Cawthorne (daughter). The headrights also included Henry Cox who was Anne’s brother.
Richard Cauthorne made a trip back to England and was in London in 1680 when his father, who married the widow Ann Abrahall, gave him a power of attorney in which he was addressed as “my loving son, Richard Cawthorne, ye County of Rappa. In Virginia, planter, now Resident in London.” In this power of attorney, his father and his second wife gave him power to collect moneys owing to her late husband, Thomas Abrahall, from the estate of Robert Abrahall of New Kent County in Virginia. This power of attorney is recorded in Middlesex County, VA deed book #2 between March 2nd and Jul 11th of 1681.
The Robert Abrahall referred to is the Col. Robert Abrahall who appears frequenly in the Virginia patent books. He held a good deal of land, including tracts in King and Queen County in the vicinity of where Vincent Vass must have resided in the 1750s. Perhaps Vass obtained some land from the settlement made of Col. Robert Abrahall's land by his connection Richard Cauthorn. In any case, it's clear that Robert was related to Thomas Abrahall, but just how is not yet known.
Recently, while I was at the Virginia State Library, I checked to see if they had copies of any of the visitations of London. There is a visitation for 1664 found in Harleian Publications Vol. XCII. It contains a pedigree of the Abrahall line that begins with Thomas Abrahall of London who married Dennis, dau. Of John Kerfee of Watton, county of Herefordshire. This shows that they had a son Thomas, of All Hallows Barking, who married Anne, daughter of Thomas Cargill of Aberdeen in Scotland and London; grandchild of Mrs. Hester Chambrelain. Married St. Helen’s Bishopsgate 10 Apr 1651. This pedigree has a note that says for earlier generations of this line, see the Visitation of London 1634, and Visitation of Herefordsire, 1569 (Weaver).
The library's holdings include the visitations of Hertfordshire, made by Robert Cooke, Esq.,Clarencieux, in 1572, and Sir Richard St. George, kt., Clarencieux, in 1634 with Hertfordshire pedigrees from Harleian mss. 6147 and 1546. Ed. by Walter C. Metcalfe.
I found the 1634 visitation, but haven’t had time to look for the Herefordshire one and it may hold the key to the relationship between Col. Richard Abrahall and Thomas Abrahall.
The 1634 pedigree (by St. George) begins with Nicholas Abrahall of county Hereford. It shows his son Thomas of London, Skinner who married Denis dau. Of Kerfeild [note that in the later pedigree her name is given as Dennis and her father as John Kerfee of Watton, co. Hertf.] This 1634 pedigree shows the following children for Thomas and Denis or Dennis:1. Thomas, 2. William, 3. Abraham, 4. Mary, 5. Diones, 6. Anne, and 7 Helena.
More Replies:
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Re: Vass, Cauthorn, Essex Co., VA, England
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Re: Vass, Cauthorn, Essex Co., VA, England
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Re: Vass, Cauthorn, Essex Co., VA, England
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Re: Vass, Cauthorn, Essex Co., VA, England
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Re: Vass, Cauthorn, Essex Co., VA, England
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Re: Vass, Cauthorn, Essex Co., VA, England