Roger Gum (abt. 1645 - abt. 1696)

Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Life and Times 1.2 1684: Roger Gum's Land Grant 2 Research Notes 3 Sources 4 Acknowledgments

Biography

Roger Gum, born circa 1645, of (as yet) unknown parents in England, or possibly Ireland. His wife is unknown.

The records we have for we have for Roger Gum are scanty. Please note that what follows is largely based on the private research of family members, over the course of many years, and where possible, primary sources have been noted to support the narrative. If you are a family researcher with primary source material to contribute, please contact the profile manager.

A couple of these sources, to follow, are sufficient to determine two important things about Roger Gum:

• One: The name of Roger Gum first appears in Sussex, Delaware records at the same time as the settlement of William Penn; including a record from Penn granting him property. This would strongly indicate that he was one of the settlers that William Penn brought over on his famous Fleet. See here, at The William Penn project, where it states 'the majority of Penn’s settlers arrived in 1682'. The presence of Roger Gum on one of these ships can’t be determined for a certainty because of the 22 known ships that sailed with the fleet, very few have a listing of passenger names or ship manifest that survived until the present day that would tell us exactly who these settlers were. Still, the fact that Roger Gum is the recipient of property from William Penn, that the name of Roger Gum only begins to appear in records after the arrival of Penn and his fleet, and that name is in company with other names that also appear to have been settlers of Penn, it is a logical conclusion. It is also difficult to state with certainty that Roger Gum was a Quaker. Not everyone that William Penn invited to share in his new colony were of the Quaker faith.

• Two: There is only evidence of one Roger Gum in this area, at this time. The timeline below shows his records of activity begin in 1682, ending with his death in 1696. Therefore, the supposition of two, i.e. a possible father/son immigration, can’t be proven. The evidence is also clear from history that, prior to the arrival of William Penn's primarily English colonists, there was only a small Dutch settlement on this peninsula where later Roger Gum would live. There is, as of current writing, no support documentation to prove that Roger Gum descended from another Roger Gum of England, and no evidence that there were two Roger Gums living contemporaneously in Sussex, Delaware. See the 1767 year on the timeline for more on this.

As mentioned, Roger Gum steps into view in an exciting and well known period of history involving William Penn, and his dreams of a new world.

Ship 'Welcome', by Arnold Anderson

Early family researchers for the Gum family tree assert that Roger Gum was Irish. As we don’t know anything about him before his first record in America (1682) this has been difficult to prove. However, there was one ship, carrying Irish Quakers, that came with the Penn Fleet that is known to have embarked from Ireland. Only a very few passengers names are known.

'The Antelope of Belfast, Edward Cooke, master, is the only vessel in the list In 1682 which had any Irish connections, insofar as the records show. Nearly all the ships loaded in English ports.' ^[1]

The following timeline has been made to help us place Roger in the circumstances of history, and to highlight some of the better known names of the people who lived around him. For purposes of simplification, the area where Roger Gum settled is being called Sussex, Delaware, as it is commonly known today. It would only be called that after William Penn named it that; before it was known by the Dutch name of Hoornkill, anglicized to Horekill, or Whorekill.

Life and Times

1672: Roger Gum does not appear in the records at this early date, but it is of interest that the Dutch settlers were already in the place where Roger and many of the Penn Quakers would later settle. A famous name from this period occurs many times—Dutch settler Hermanus Wiltbank (many variations on this name but it is seen in numerous records from this time) purchases land in Delaware; his is described as the first deed of a European in what would later become known as Delaware. As mentioned, during this period, it is known by the Dutch name of ‘Hoornkil’, or as the English later called it ‘Whorekill’. (aka, Lewes, Sussex Co. Delaware)

1672: This is an interesting side note to some of the dangers Roger Gum and his family would also face when they arrived in 1682. ‘The first recorded acts of piracy in this area took place in what is now Lewes, Delaware in 1672. A large party of pirates assailed the local community and inflicted so much damage that taxes were placed on liquor sales for a year to offset the costs. Lewes became a prime location for attacks and eventually led to the government calling for large man-of-war vessels to sit off of Philadelphia and the Delaware Bay to serve as protectors of the area. ^[2]

1673: A terrible disaster befell the small Dutch community, wreaked upon them by the English under the command of Lord Baltimore. More can be read about this here: ‘The Burning of the Whorekill by Lord Baltimore’.

1674: 24 Oct 1674, the date that the Treaty of Westminster (1674) took effect in North America and the Dutch turned over New Netherland to the English, as the cutoff date for New Netherland. 'People who were born in or resided in the lands defined as New Netherland or lands that became New Netherland prior to that cutoff date, may be categorized as New Netherland Settlers.' for more, see here.

1676: This is one of the suggested years of birth for John Gum, son of Roger Gum. (but see 1688, as well) If John Gum was born this year, it predates his father’s settlement of the land in Delaware. At this point of 1676, we don’t know where Roger Gum was living. As mentioned, the Penn fleet set sail in 1682, and that is also the first year we have evidence of Roger Gum in the new colony.

1681: King Charles II grant to William Penn, named it Pennsylvania; Penn then bargained for lands that would include the ‘three districts’ that would become—many years later—Delaware, as Penn felt he needed the protection of coastline against the incursions of Lord Baltimore (note: this dispute over land boundaries between descendants of Lord Baltimore and William Penn would continue for eighty more years; read more here).

1682: December 25, the town of Whorekill became Lewistown, named by William Penn.

1683:The few hardy remaining Dutch settlers welcomed the arrival of William Penn with mixed feelings, no doubt, but mostly relief, as they hoped for a new security. He granted them the lands they were already living on, if they swore allegiance to Penn, and the laws he was enacting to contribute to order and stability.

'While in Lewes, Penn also attended a session of the court during which the surviving Dutch settlers swore allegiance to him …'this day John Kiphaven, Alexander Moulston [later Moleston], Halmanus Wiltbank, Cornelis Verhoofe, et al...haveing publiquely in open Court solmonly promised and declared in the presence of God Allegiance to the King of England his heires and successers; And fidelity to William Penn Proprietary and Governor of the provience of Pensilvania & Territories thereunto belonging and to his heires & successers After which the Governor declared all of them to be Naterallized and as free men of this Government as any English men. '^[3]

The last names of Moulston/Moleston/Molleston, etc. and Wiltbank would appear frequently in records related to the Gum family.

1683 At last we find our first record of Roger Gum. He is serving on a jury.

• An Action of ye Case. Hermanus Willtbanck Plant [Plaintiff], Richard Gill Deft[Defendant]. [From last Court. At this Court] * * * We the Jury doe find for the Deft * * * yg Jurys Names Robert Bracy Antony Heverly Roger Gum Bap. Newcomb John Barker Wm. Kenny Will. Foucher John Depree John Simons Robert Richards Fran. Williams Stephen Whittman.^[4]

1684: Roger Gum's Land Grant

Roger Gum received a grant of 500 acres from William Penn on March 20, 1684. Notice a couple of familiar names mentioned previously on the timeline: Alexander Molestedy [Moulston] and John Kipshaven, two of the hardy settlers of the Dutch colony that had been so brutalized by Lord Baltimore's men. They are now to be neighbors of Roger Gum's new property allotment.

WILLIAM PENN and ye Kings Authority: By ye providence of GOD, proprietary &, of ye province of Pennsylvania & ye Territories there unto belong To all whom it may concern we sendeth greetings. Territories there unto belong. To all whom it may concern we sendeth greetings. William Penn. Whereas there is a certain tract of Land in ye County of Sussex, called Twiner, scituated on ye West side of Delaware Bay, near the head of a Meadow, proceeding from a branch a long load branch. Beginning at a corner marked Red Oak. Being ye bounded corner tree of Alexander Molestedy & John Kipshaven, thence West by South on a line of marked trees, one hundred sixty four perches to a corner marked White Oak, thence North West and by North with a line of marked trees, four hundred twenty perches to a marked Hickory, thence North and by West with a line of marked trees seaventy eight perches, to a corner bounded White Oak, thence East by North with a line of marked trees, one hundred sixty four perches to a corner marked Hickory, thence South by East part with a marked line of trees, part parallel with a marked line of trees of ye sd Alexander Molstedy & John Kipshaven, to ye first bounded Red Oak, Containing Five Hundred Acres. Granted by order of Court at Sussex. Bearing date ye first Month Anno Domini 1684 and laid out by ye Survayor this fifth day of ye second month one ROGER GUM,                       to confirm by patent ye, I hast  given, grant and confirmed, and by these presents in my years proprietaries of Pennsylvania ye these unto belong, doe give grant & confirm to ye sd, ROGER GUM his heirs & signed for over ye sd five hundred acres of land, to beholden of ine my heirs                                Proprietaries of Pennsylvania Territories, the unto belonging of our mannor of Worminghurst in this sd County Yeilding paying these proprietaries as aforehand at ye town of in ye said County, the first day of ye first month in every year, five bushells of white wheat to suchperson or persons from him appointed for this purpose at Philadelphia ye                Twentieth day of the  mounth One thousand Six Hundred eighty and four, being ye six and thirteth year of ye Reign, of the King  of my Goverment.'

                                                     

1684: Roger Gum served as witness: Jun 10 ^[5]

Court held at Lewis. John Oaky plt; Charles Bright deft. 'An Action of the Case. The plt declares agst the deft for A horse the plt bought of the deft, which horse the deft denyth to lett the plt to have, therefore the plt Craves the Judgment of this Court for foure thousand pounds of tobacco for want of the said horse & damages sustained with Costs of suit Several witnesses was summoned as Wm Beverly, Henry Harman, Henry Puellin, Roger Gum & John Street. The Testimony of Henry Harman and Roger Gum is taken & the deft being Escaped and Run away from the sheriff. John Vines the sheriff Craved A Refferance till next Court which the Court Granted/ Withdrawn by order of Willm Emmot the plts Atturny. (RoSCD, p 280)

1684: More land descriptions of Roger Gum and his neighbors:

' Land in Sussex 'White Horse' Bounds: Luke Watson, Alex Molleston, 'Roger Gum, ___ Law. Land granted by patent 27th day, 12th month, 1684, to John Okey. John Okey and wife Mary sold 15th day, 7th month, 1686 to Philip Russell. Philip Russell and wife Sarah sold on 5 Jan 1686 to Elizabeth Frampton. Elizabeth Frampton, by her attorney Capt John Hill, sold to Wm Dyre 8th, 12th mo, 1686. Major Wm Dyre bequeathed land to Mary Cantwell, then Mary Dyre. Mary Cantwell appoints Henry Brooks her attorney. Witnesses: Henry Brock, Samuel Bullock, W. Hammond. Proved 12 Feb 1727 by Samuel Bullock. ^[6]

1686: Thomas Moulston sells the land called “Hatfield Wood” to Roger Gum

Thomas Moulsen and Roger Gum.

According to this record, Roger is a 'cooper'. Also note his neighbor of interest (down far right corner) Hermanus aka Halmanus Wiltbank.

1686:Sussex County , Delaware.

Delaware, Land Records, 1677-1947

Name: Rodger Gum , Residence Date 8 Dec 1686, Residence Place Sussex, Delaware, USA ^[7]

1686: Jun 15. 'John Okey and Mary his wife to Philip Russell. 300 Acres. For use of John Vines and Wm Emmitt by Roger Gums and Richard Laws. "White Horse"'^[8]

1686: Jul 15 (15th 4mo) 'John Okey and Mary his wife acknowledge sale and conveyance of 300 Acres situated next too Roger Gums and Richard Laws "White Horse" Patented 27th of 8th month 1684 by Phillip Russell for the use of John Vines and Wm Smith.' ^[9]

1688: (circa) The second date given for John Gum’s birth to Roger and unknown wife

1690: Pirates raid Lewes so frequently that a law is passed for citizens to carry a musket to defend their settlement.

1693: Harmanus Wiltbank died (longtime resident of Sussex and neighbor to Roger Gum

1694: (circa) Hercules Shepherd died; his widow Mary Avery Shepherd remarries Hinman; this is mentioned because the Shepherd name would become linked with the Gum name (through marriage) and later generations would be given Shepherd as a first name

1696: Roger Gum deceased

1698: Roger Gum has now died but his family remains in Sussex, which is still a tempting spot for pirates to land and plunder the locals. This threat from the seas would continue to be so for almost one hundred years. In 1698, Canoot, a French pirate with fifty crewmen, captured a Philadelphia sloop near Cape May. ‘That September Canoot sailed to the waters off Sussex County, Delaware. Residents saw the sloop but were not alarmed. The following day he stormed the town of Lewes with fifty men, plundering everything of value, including the residents’ clothes, leaving them "scarce anything in the place to cover or wear.” Canoot’s pirates also stole all the town’s livestock and forced the inhabitants to help load their sloop.’https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canoot

1700: Famous pirate Captain Kidd, visited Lewes and conducted business with several residents…. ‘Often colonists gave pirate captains safe haven and bought black market goods from them. A few residents, again in Lewes, were charged twice with aiding the notorious Captain William Kidd. They had bragged of seeing thirty tons of gold in his cargo hold. They got off with a warning to behave themselves, but Kidd was tried and hung for his crimes in London.’ see:

Now we'll jump way ahead to 1767 on the timeline. The reason for this is that Roger Gum is mentioned in a land transaction that took place in 1686, and in a way that helps us see that there were only four generations of Gum gentleman, beginning with Roger, up to this point of 1767. The image above, a partial copy of the deed, positioned at 1686 on the timeline, would appear to be the one referenced in the following 1767 transfer of land. This deed gives us:

Roger (first landowner under William Penn)

John 'his son, who died intestate'

John 'his grandson' who has since moved to Augusta VA

Jacob, 'great grandson' of Roger, who is receiving land from his uncle John of VA

1767:

Jacob Gum from John Gum. ^[10] ‘This indenture made this day of September in the year of our Lord 1767 between John Gum of Augusta County in the province of Virginia yeoman of one part and Jacob Gum of Sussex County Delaware Tanner of the other part there is a certain tract or parcel of land Scituate in the county of Sussex and whereon Jacob Gum now lives in the Broadkill Hundred bounded round by lands now in the possession of Isaac Jones, John ???, William Penewith, Moses Hall, Stringer Tinley, and David Stewart called and known by the name of Hatfield Wood as surveyed and laid out in the fourth day the year of our Lord 1681 for a certain Thomas Moulson which said Moulston by his deed of sale bearing date the eighth day of February in the year of our Lord 1686 and by other deed or deeds afterwards conveyed the part thereof to a certain Roger Gum grandfather to the aforesaid John Gum and great grandfather to aforesaid Jacob Gum and aforesaid Roger Gum by his last will and testament gave the above recited lands and premises to his son John Gum which said John Gum dying intestate the lands above became the right and property of his several children present John being one now this indenture witnesseth that the present John Gum for and in consideration of the sum 20 pound current money of Pennsylvania: to him in hand paid by aforesaid Jacob Gum with receipt where of he does here by acknowledge himself there with to be fully satisfied contented and paid half granted bargain sold aligned etc… and confirm under him the aforesaid Jacob Gum his heirs and assigns forever all his rights title claim property and interest of an into the above recited land and premises with a pertinences there onto belonging or in any wise appertaining whatsoever to have and to hold…

Roger Gum died circa 1796, in Sussex, Delaware.

Research Notes

1684, Jun 10. Court held at Lewis. John Oaky plt; Charles Bright deft. 'An Action of the Case. The plt declares agst the deft for A horse the plt bought of the deft, which horse the deft denyth to lett the plt to have, therefore the plt Craves the Judgment of this Court for foure thousand pounds of tobacco for want of the said horse & damages sustained with Costs of suit Several witnesses 'was summoned as Wm Beverly, Henry Harman, Henry Puellin, Roger Gum & John Street. The Testimony of Henry Harman and Roger Gum is taken & the deft being Escaped and Run away from the sheriff. John Vines the sheriff Craved A Refferance till next Court which the Court Granted/ Withdrawn by order of Willm Emmot the plts Atturny.' (RoSCD, p 280) 1686, Jun 15. 'John Okey and Mary his wife to Philip Russell. 300 Acres. For use of John Vines and Wm Emmitt by Roger Gums and Richard Laws. "White Horse"' ^[11]

The following has been used for a reference; as of current writing there is nothing to connect this record to the Roger Gum of this profile. There is a Sussex, England, and the later county of Sussex in Delaware was named for it. ...England, :

Transcript: Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, Name Roger Gum Gender Male Spouse Sarah Child Roger Gum, ^[12]

He passed away June 2, 1696 in Sussex County, Delaware. A possible father for Roger Gum born about 1620 in York England, married Sarah Boiton 14 Jul 1676, Marriage Place City of London, Holy Trinity Minories, London, England.

Family Reference book not pre-1700 approved source, but much of the information we have on this family comes from the liturature : "Leaves from the Gum Tree".^[13]

Received an email 21 April 2021, from Wikitree user: Marilyn Sewell Hilty-71, thank you. She had this to contribute from the "Colonial Dames" application: "Roger Gum bd- ca 1649 England dd ca 1696 Sussex CO, DE. reference- Leaves from the Gum Tree by Muriel Hoffman pages 10-14 John Gum bd ca 1677 Lewes, Sussex CO, DE dd 1724 Lewes. Sussez Co, DE married to Francess Waller Porter ca 1645 DE dd ca 1765 Suxxes Co, DE Sussex, DE married ca 1705 Sussex CO, DE Leaves fro,The Gum Tree by Muriel Hoffman, pages 14-26" As noted above have not included this book in the actual source list.

Also see:

Rootsweb.ancestry.com

Gum Tharp Family tree

One family tree can be found at https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/66957948/person/46161987079/facts

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.genealogybranches.com/antelope1682.html
2. ↑ https://www.seacolony.com/single-post/pirates-on-the-delaware-bay
3. ↑ SOME RECORDS of SUSSEX COUNTY DELAWARE COMPILED BY C. H. B. TURNER LEWES, DELAWARE PHILADELPHIA ALLEN, LANE & SCOTT 1909
4. ↑ http://wvancestry.com/ReferenceMaterial/Files/Some_Records_of_Sussex_County_Delaware.pdf
5. ↑ http://files.usgwarchives.net/de/sussex/history/okey2.txt
6. ↑ (Sussex Deed Bk F6, pp255-6) http://files.usgwarchives.net/de/sussex/history/okey2.txt
7. ↑ Detail Delaware Public Archives; Delaware Land Records; Roll Number: 4 Source Information Title Delaware, Land Records, 1677-1947 Author Ancestry.com
8. ↑ (Sussex County Deed Bk Al, p 49)
9. ↑ (Sussex County Deed Bk, A 1, p 32. Also found in RoSCD, p 420)
10. ↑ Source Citation Delaware Public Archives; Delaware Land Records; Roll Number: 4 Source Information Ancestry.com. Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original data: Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, New Castle County, RG 2555, Subgroup 000, Series 011. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware. Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Kent County, RG 3555, Subgroup 000, Series 021. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware. Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Sussex County, RG 4555, Subgroup 000, Series 030. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware.
11. ↑ (Sussex County Deed Bk Al, p 49) http://files.usgwarchives.net/de/sussex/history/okey2.txt
12. ↑ Source Information Title England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Author Ancestry.com
13. ↑ https://books.google.com/books/about/Leaves_from_the_Gum_Tree.html?id=yUpPAAAAMAAJ&hl=en

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Terrie Clark for creating WikiTree profile Gum-53 through the import of Tclarkfam3-frat2.ged on Mar 20, 2013.

Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Terrie and others.

Merge of Gum-53 into Gum-35 completed 26 July 2020 by Loretta Morrison