Re Rapp Line John Warren
RE:Rappa - John Warren, sponsored to Virginia, Oct 1649 by Wm. Pressley.
Everyone assumes "sponsored to Virginia" means " Over from England," and is probably correct.
However, circa 1649 residents of Lord Calvert's Maryland Colony were fleeing to Virginia in droves.
Further, corruption of Virginia's 'Endendure Law' was rampant with ship captains declaring their
entire crew 'endendured' for sake of being granted 'free' land.{50 a. per head}.
As early as 1645, Giles Brent, 1st cousin of Lord Baltimore & friends sought refuge in what became
Old Rappa., County, VA in 1656 (dissolved in 1692).Its first elected Burgess was Wm. Pressley, who had played an active roll in suing the English Parliament c. 1648 for its creation.In addition, is N. Kent County, VA formed in 1652 where 2/3 rds of its original residents were former Marylanders.
[Early on Brent married an Indian Princess to gain favor with the local Indian population, which roamed both sides of the Potomac.When Maryland was attacked by Parliamentarain feeling Virginians during the British Civil War, for a short time it was feared Brent might seek to create his own renegade colony under the protection of the Indians at the expense of both Virginia and Maryland.]
Finally, neither Virginia or ships records bother much to distinguish the port of origin of immigrant passengers??
All I can say is many of Rappa. John Warren's associates, coincidence or not, seemed to have roots in Maryland?
Commonplace in genealogy is the more we know, the more there is left to know. . but that is what makes
genealogy the adventure it is, isn't it?
Happy Thoughts,
Norma