Thomas was the son of John Batte and Martha Mallory.[1][2][3] His birth date is uncertain but Douglas Richardson estimates it as about 1642. He was probably born in Birstall, Yorkshire where his father's main residence lay[1][2] and where his older brother William was baptised.[3][4]
Migration to Virginia
Thomas Batte Sr. migrated from England to Virginia.
Thomas emigrated to Virginia with his father and siblings in 1649.[1][2]
Marriage and Children
Thomas married someone with the first name Mary - her family origins are not known. They had five children:[1][2]
Sarah, who probably married John Evans[5] after 6 June 1695 - she is referred to as Sarah Batte in her father's will signed on that date[6]
Martha, who married Abraham Jones, the Rev. John Bannister and Stephen Cocke[6][7]
Mary is not named in Thomas's 1695 will[6] so she presumably died before then.
Life in America
On 29 August 1665 or 1668 Thomas and his brother Henry were granted 5878 acres on the south side of the James River in Appamattock, Charles City County, Virginia. This was for the importation of 118 persons into the colony, among them, William Bate, Jur. 2 times, Martha Bate, Jno. Bate, Senior, Jno Batte, Junr. Henry Batte, Tho Batte."[8]
In 1671 Thomas, Thomas Woods and Robert Fallam led an expedition across the Alleghany Mountains.[9] A later expedition of James Needham and Gabriel Arthur was “made sensible of by the hands of Thomas Batt and Robert Fallam in part”[10]. Thomas Batte Sr. sells land in Henrico County to a Gabriel Arthur in 1684, presumably the same of the name or a close relation.
In 1679 Thomas appears in a list of heads of household in Henrico, Virginia.[11] That year Geoffrey Ragsdale conveyed 50 acres in Henrico County to Thomas.[8]
The March 1685 will of Colonel John Farrar bequeathed Thomas a horse called Darby which was already in his possession. It referred to Thomas as Farrar's cousin and appointed him a joint executor, and made bequests to Thomas's son Thomas and his daughters Mary, Amy and Sarah.[12]
Thomas served as a Justice of the Peace in Virginia. According to one book he could not write his name, which is surprising, given his family background. A reviewer of the book suggests that he may have been physically disabled.[13] Thomas managed to set his hand and seal to his will,[6] which suggests that the book may be mistaken. One webpage says he was a member of the Virginia Orphans Court in 1679 and the Henrico County Court in 1680, with no citations.[14]
Thomas Batte and Richard Parker once engaged in a horse race at Varina, Virginia for a wager of 100 pounds of tobacco. Thomas alleged that Richard Parker cheated by forcing his horse to slow. The dispute went to court, where it was ruled that the race should be re-run.[15]
Land Grants and Deeds
Land grant dated 1670 Feb 3. Henrico Co. Mr. Richard Buller and Mr. Tho: Batts. “378 acres, 1 R., 24 Po., N. side of Appomattock River, against the middle of the Indian Towne, beginning at a Spring bottom. Adj. George's field at the river. Transportation of 8 persons: John Stephens, Ann Williams, Margaret Bumpas, Joan Bishop, Henry Bennett, Robert Luddington, John Ellis, John Rosser.”[16]
Land grant dated 8 April 1674. Henrico County. “1802 acres 1r. 32po. on the North side of Appamattoks, adjoing. to his own land above the falls; above the Appamattock Indian Town”[17]
The following deeds are from Henrico County, Virginia Deeds 1677-1705. Compiled by Benjamin B. Weisinger III, 1986.
13 Sept. 1684. Thomas Batte, Sr., of Appamattuck in Henrico Co., Gent., and Mary his wife, to Gabriel Arthur of Appamattuck, planter, 2500 lbs tobacco, 100 acres on north side of Appomattox River above the Old Indian Town. Part of the land was granted to said Batte by patent 8 April 1674, and part taken up by said Batte and Mr. Richard Buller. Wit.: Godfrey (x) Ragsdale, Thomas Batte, Jr., John (x) Egintin. Signed: Thomas Batte, Mary (x) Batte. Recorded 1 Oct. 1684.
1 Dec. 1686. Gabriell Arther of Bristol Parish, Henrico Co., to Hon. William Byrd, Esq., 100 acres purchased of said Arther of Thomas Batte and Mary his wife, 13 Sept. 1684. Wit.: Hen. Randolph, Thomas Batte, Jr. Signed: Gabriell (x) Arthur. Recorded 1 Dec. 1686.
Thomas Batte, Sr. and Thomas Batte, Jr., of Henrico Co., send greeting that 8 April 1674 Thomas Batte, Sr. was granted 1862 acres on north side of Appomattox River, Part containing 900 acres, being bounded by Thomas Batte, Sr’s own land above the falls above the Appomattock Indian Town and Old Town Creek. Thomas Batte, Sr. by deed 1 June 1678 conveyed to Col. John Farrar, since dec’d, 200 acres of above land; and said Farrar by will dated 4 March 1684 gave to Thomas Batte, Jr. the said 200 acres. Now we sell to William Byrd, Esq., all the above land. 1 Dec. 1686. With.: Pet. Field, Richard Kennon. Sighed: Thomas Batte, Thomas Batte, Jr. Recorded 1 Dec. 1686. Mary, wife of Thomas, Sr., relinquished her dower right by her attorney Henry Randolph.
11 Jan. 1693. Henry Batt of Bristol Parish, Charles City Co., Gent., to John Herbert of same, 980 acres on north side of Appomattox River on Old Town Creek and the river, bound by land now or late Essex Bevil’s, and now or late Gabriel Arthur’s, 180 acres let out from part of said Batte’s joint patent taken up with Richard Bullard. Thomas Batte also makes Peter Field and Mr. William Farrar his attornies to acknowledge deed. Wit.: James Minge, James Harrison, Rich’d Jones, Peter Jones. Signed: Thomas Batt. Recorded 1 June 1694.
16 Dec. 1703. Hon. William Byrd Esq. sold 1000 acres to George Robertson, Clerk, of Henrico Co. 900 acres recited as purchased of Batte and 100 acres purchased of Gabriel Arthur.
(Of note, Thomas’s brother, Henry Batte, in his Charles City County will bequests that “Henry Robenson” have a lease for land he now lives on for twenty years. Perhaps there is a connection to the George Robertson above.)
Death and Will
Thomas's will was dated 6 June 1695, so he died after that. It was acknowledged in court on 3 December 1696. In it he:[6]
left 135 acres to his daughter Martha Cocke
left the remainder of his land to his daughter Sarah Batte, together with the residue of his personal estate
left 12d to his grand-daughter Martha Batte, daughter of his son Thomas
left 10s to his daughter Martha Jones
appointed Peter Jones (his daughter Martha's husband) sole executor
Research Notes
Detached Wives
WikiTree has previously shown two Marys as wives of Thomas:
Mary Randolph: her profile is (at 21 March 2022) unsourced. This is the name given in a list compiled on behalf of The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century and derived from pedigrees submitted by members between 1915 and 1975: no sourcing is given[18]
Mary Jennings: she is named as his wife on some unsourced trees on the web[19]
No good evidence has been found to identify the family name of Thomas's wife.
Alleged Second Wife
According to William Clayton Torrence, Thomas married twice, his second wife being called Amy, who had married three times before.[5] Weis says the same in The Magna Carta Sureties - he describes Amy as "widow of __Butler, Essex Bevill and Henry Kent."[20] Kathryn Gearhart confusingly and inaccurately states on a Wordpress site that Thomas "married Amy Butler, and then married two more times to Amy then Mary Randolph." No sourcing is given.[21] The suggestion that Thomas married an Amy appears to stem from a confusion with a Thomas Bott who married someone called Amy.[22]
Earlier Thomas Batts, Soanes Connection
An earlier unplaced Thomas Batts deceased by November 1674 seems to be of probable relation given the occurrence with the surname Soanes:
The 20th of November 1674: “Judgment is granted Mr Henry Soanes Against Mrs Eliz: Batts Extrix of Mr Tho: Batts Deced for payment of Two Thoufand of Tobacco and Caske w'h Cofts, it being in ^t of the faid Batts his Obligacon to the Said Soanes for Land Sold by the Said Soanes to the faid Mr Batts”[23]
This earlier Thomas Batts died by November 1674 per Virginia Council records. He left widow Elizabeth Batts and owed some obligation related to purchase of land (county unknown) from Henry Soanes. He must be distinct from the Thomas Batte Sr. and Jr. of Henrico and Charles City Co. for the Thomas Batte Sr. of Henrico Co. was certainly alive 7-months prior to November 1674 when he was granted land on 8 April 1674 and was still alive well into the 1680’s as evidenced by deeds (that sell portions of the land granted 1674) herein this profile above, well after this other unplaced Thomas Batts had passed away.
That a Henry Soanes had sold land to this unplaced Thomas Batts is interesting. This is presumably Henry Soanes (Jr.) of James City County.
Peter Field, attorney for Thomas Batte, Sr. in 1693 and witness to a 1686 deed (both deeds in the profile above) is said to have married Judith (Soane) Randolph, widow of Henry Randolph. This name, apparently Henry Randolph (Jr.), appears in the deeds above.
There was a marriage between a Judith Soanes and James Tweatt (Jr.) on Nov. 24th 1701/2 in Henrico. Henry Batte and James Tweatt (Sr.) had patented land together in 1682 and the now found will (Charles City County) of Henry Batte shows he bequested the 270-acre parcel jointly to his wife Mary Batte and “friend James Tweatt”.
It is known that Thomas Batte, Sr’s brother Henry Batte had been appointed guardian of the younger John Peterson and that Henry Batte named a “daughter Peterson” in his will. The elder John Peterson is commonly conjectured to have married Elizabeth Soanes, sister of Judith (Soanes) Randolph Fields (noted prior) and Henry Soanes Jr., presumably the one that had sold land to a Thomas Batts sometime prior to November 1674.
John Peterson of Charles City seems to have married a daughter of Col. Henry Soane of James City County, Speaker of the House of Burgesses 1660-1661. On 11/24/1652, Henry Soane was granted 297 acres In James City for transporting Henry Soane, Sr., Henry Soane, Jr., John Soane, Judith Soane, Sr., Judith Soane, Jr., and Eliza Soane to Virginia. (Patent Book 2, 352). The following record is on file in Henrico County:
"Whereas, by order of the Henrico Court, dated ye first June last, I was ordered and appointed to set out and divide the saw mill, divideth; of land on the north side of Swift Creek in ye said county between John Peterson, son and heir of John Peterson, dec'd.; Capt. Peter Field; and ye orphans of Capt. Henry Randolph (Vizt.), the lower most fourth part to the orphans, the next one-fourth part to Capt. Field and ye uppermost part to John Peterson which I have accordingly done in the presence of Capt. William Randolph and Mr. Richard Kennon, the whole containing 416 acres as also the particular parts he tug on the above plot, plainly laid, sworn and demonstrated, this 28th day of July, 1693, signed John Soane."
Judlth Soane, daughter of Col. Henry Soane, married (1) Henry Randolph and (2) Peter Field.
From this record It would appear that John Peterson married a daughter of Henry and Judith Soane, probably the Elizabeth Soane mentioned in the land grant of 1652, and had Issue one son, John Peterson, that survived.
John Peterson, the emigrant, may have died relatively young. On June 25, 1678, the suit of John Peterson vs. John Coggin was dismissed, the plantiff being ill. (Charles City O. H. 1677-1679, p. 308). John Peterson died soon thereafter; for, on 2/19/1679 (ibid: p. 354), Abraham Odium and his wife petitioned the Court of Charles City - "that John Peterson, lately dec'd., sometime before his death, declared it to be his desire that the said Odium should have the management and tuition of his children and their "estate; therefore, he, the said Odium, prays commission of administration may be granted unto him -- he giving security that the mill and plantation be kept in good repair and order, the mill to be kept at work for the benefit of the orphans, and that the said Odium bring m a true and perfect inventory of the said estate at the next court..."
"The relationship of Odium to John Peterson is not known. An Abraham Odium is listed m the rent rolls of Nansemond Co. m 1704. Odium mismanaged the estate and the following records appear in the court held Dec. 3, 1679 (ibid-417):
"Whereas the estate of John Peterson, dec'd., consisting of a mill and other perishable things, which, without great care taken thereof, and whereas Abraham Odium, now in possession of the said estate, cannot find security for administration - nor doth take such care as is needful for preserving the sd. estate, which being seriously considered by the court, doth think fitt to remove the estate and put the same into the care of Mr. Henry Batte; but Mr. Batte, objecting that ye mill, being the most considerable part of the estate, is daily exposed to ye violence of the Indian enemy, who, by fire or otherwise, may destroy ye same. If, therefore, the court will grant and allow that, m case of such fire, or otherwise, done by the Indians to the sd. mill, that the proper estate of him, the said Batt, may not be lyable to make ye same good to the orphan, when of age, that then he would accept administration upon ye said estate and of the guardianship of the orphan, to which the court consents and agree to, with that reservation - commission of administration is granted to Capt. Henry Batt on the estate of John Peterson, dec'd., for the performance of which office Maj. John Stith becomes security."
Sources
↑ 1.01.11.21.3 Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City: the author, 2011), Vol. III, p. 123, MALLORY 14.iii.b, Google Books
↑ 2.02.12.22.3 Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), Vol. II, p. 314, CORNWALL 19.ii
↑ 3.03.1 J W Clay. Dugdale's Visitation of Yorkshire, with additions, Vol. I, William Pollard, 1899, p. 354, Internet Archive
↑ West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812, Ancestry.co.uk and linked parish register image: the transcript mistakenly lists the last name as Boswell; the image is clear that his father was John "Bat of Okewell"
↑ 5.05.15.25.35.4 William Clayton Torrence. Henrico County: Virginia: Beginnings of Its Families: Part III in 'The William and Mary Quarterly', Vol. 24, No. 4 (April 1916), p. 269, JSTOR - account (free) required
↑ Virginia Webb Cocke. Cocke and Cousins, Vol. II, printed for the author in 1974, p. 3, Familysearch (image page 17)
↑ 8.08.1 William Clayton Torrence. Henrico County, Virginia: Beginnings of Its Families: Part I in 'William and Mary College Quarterly', Vol. XXIV, No. 2, 1915, pp. 140-141, Internet Archive
↑Explorations beyond the Mountains in 'The William and Mary College Quarterly', Vol. XV, 1907, pp. 234ff, Internet Archive
↑ William Clayton Torrence, Henrico County, Virginia: Beginnings of Its Families: Part I, p. 132, Internet Archive
↑ Transcript of the will of Colonel John Farrar in The Farrar Family (continued) in 'The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography', 1893, pp. 424-426, Internet Archive
↑ Review of Institutional History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century by Philip Alexander Bruce (published by G P Putnam's Sons, 1910) in 'The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography', Vol. XIX, 1911, p. 222, Internet Archive
↑Notes for Thomas Batte, accessed 21 March 2022: citing Louis H Manarin and Clifford Dowdy, The History of Henrico County, University Press of Virginia, 1984, p. 60, Google Books
↑ Mary Louise M Hutton (compiler). Seventeenth Century Colonial Ancestors of Members of the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century, Vol. 1, Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976, p. 18, Ancestry
↑ Frederick Lewis Weis, with additions and corrections by Walter Lee Sheppard Jr and William R Beall. The Magna Carta Sureties, 1215, 5th Editioin, Genealogical Publishing Company, 1999, p. 143 (line 109/16)
↑ Kathryn Gearhart. Allied Families in Henrico and Charles City: The Batte Family, web, accessed 21 March 2022
↑ '1671 and other interesting things', Ancestry.com, accessed 21 March 2022
This profile was re-reviewed for the Magna Carta Project by Michael Cayley on 21 March 2022.
Thomas Batte is listed in Magna Carta Ancestry as a Gateway Ancestor (vol. I, pages xxiii-xxix) and was identified by the Magna Carta Project as being in trails to Magna Carta Surety BaronsSaher de Quincy and Robert de Vere that were project-approved/badged in May 2015 and re-reviewed in March 2022. Trails from the Batte Gateways to William d'Aubigny, Robert de Ros and Robert FitzWalter were developed and badged in 2022. The Batte Gateways also appear as Gateways in an second Richardson-documented trail to Saher de Quincy (vol. III, pages 114-123 MALLORY) that was badged by the Project in October 2022. The trails are set out in the Magna Carta Trails section of his brother Henry's profile.
See Base Camp for more information about identified Magna Carta trails and their status. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Thomas by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA.
However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line.
It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Thomas:
Additional info has been posted to Batte-180 that provides soem source documentation that differentiates Batte-195 to Batt3-180 enough to suggest that they are two separate persons as otherwise similar they may be.
Just wondering in the project cold take a peak and perhaps determine if the pending merge should be rejected.
There are some "suggestions" in the Data Doctor report regarding inconsistencies with Wikidata. I, and many others, tend to hold Wikidata in low esteem but at the same time, it never hurts to correct a source when the opportunity presents itself.
Fixing Wikidata can be easily done, but I would propose that the best solution would be to create Thomas's wife on WIkiTree as "Mary Unknown" and then I can make sure that Wikidata only has that one wife and not "Mary Jennings" or "Mary Randolph" and have the Wikidata for "Mary Unknown" point to the WikiTree version. Obviously, I could go ahead and create a WikiTree profile for Mary but attaching her as the spouse is limited to project leaders given the PPP status.
Thanks, Thom. As a Magna Carta and Medieval Project Leader, I do not always create profiles for a spouse whose last name at birth is not known, but I have now done so in this case. Like you, I have a low regard for Wikidata suggestions, especially for pre-1700 and pre-1500 profiles, and normally give them scant time or attention - life is too short, there are hundreds if not thousands of them for the Projects I lead, and for me they are a low priority. Please do fix the Wikidata suggestions for Mary if you wish.
I have now finished the main work I currently intend on Thomas Batte. If anyone spots any typos etc, please either correct them or message me.
I have detached the two Marys who were shown as his wife, because of the absence of reliable evidence, and added research notes to their profiles and to profiles of relevant family members, including this profile.
Ran trail from his brother, Batte-33, to Quincy or de Vere, following "Magna Carta badged" profiles from Batte-33 to both surety barons). ~ Liz, Magna Carta project member
Hi! I just proposed a merge with his "brother" & went to propose a merge of the daughters (Sarah m Evans) of the two Thomas Battes & found they're married to two different Evans. Do you have sources you can share for Sarah & her husband?
hmm. went to propose the merge of the daughters (Sarah m Evans) of the two Thomas Battes & they married two different Evans. Anyone have sources for them?
Batte-193 and Batte-58 appear to represent the same person because: new duplicate - same parents/married to same woman/both with daughter Sarah m Evans. Please merge.
Batte-58 and Batte-182 appear to represent the same person because: figured out where the earlier birth date had come from (baptism record for the Henry who died young) and changed it. These profiles can now be merged. Thanks!
Batte-182 and Batte-58 are not ready to be merged because: Hi Peter! The dates for these are just off enough that I'm worried they're two different people. Could you post your sources & anything else you know about Thomas Batte-182? Thanks!
Batte-182 and Batte-58 appear to represent the same person because: I am wrkign on my cousin connection to Lynn Lea Arnold and believe from her Ancestry tree and first hand accounts that Batte-182 and Batte-58 are the same person. She is descended from Sarah "Sallie" Batte Evans and I am Descended from Mary Batte Jones. The discrepancy in birth dates appears to come from Lynns discovery Ancestry's reference to "Thomas Batte Sr
in the Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current".
Additional info has been posted to Batte-180 that provides soem source documentation that differentiates Batte-195 to Batt3-180 enough to suggest that they are two separate persons as otherwise similar they may be.
Just wondering in the project cold take a peak and perhaps determine if the pending merge should be rejected.
Thanks,
Pete
Fixing Wikidata can be easily done, but I would propose that the best solution would be to create Thomas's wife on WIkiTree as "Mary Unknown" and then I can make sure that Wikidata only has that one wife and not "Mary Jennings" or "Mary Randolph" and have the Wikidata for "Mary Unknown" point to the WikiTree version. Obviously, I could go ahead and create a WikiTree profile for Mary but attaching her as the spouse is limited to project leaders given the PPP status.
edited by Michael Cayley
edited by Michael Cayley
I have detached the two Marys who were shown as his wife, because of the absence of reliable evidence, and added research notes to their profiles and to profiles of relevant family members, including this profile.
Charles City County Order Book, 1694-1700, Page 299, citing will of Thomas Batte. Digital images: Library of Virginia, Digital Collections, http://digitool1.lva.lib.va.us:8881/R/-?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=1289053 Pages 100-199, image 21 of 100.
edited by Brenda (Breland) Breland Shaffer
Batte-58 and Batte-182 appear to represent the same person because: figured out where the earlier birth date had come from (baptism record for the Henry who died young) and changed it. These profiles can now be merged. Thanks!
(Henry died 1629.)
in the Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current".
Thanks