Sarah (Offley) Yeardley (bef. 1609 - abt. 1657)

Born before 16 Apr 1609 in London, Middlesex, England

Ancestors

Wife of Adam Thorowgood — married 18 Jul 1627 in St. Anne's, Blackfriars, London

Descendants

Died about Aug 1657 after about age 48 in Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Colony

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Biography

Sarah (Offley) Yeardley was a Virginia colonist.

Lady Sarah Offley is possibly best known as the owner of the jewels that once belonged to Susannah Moseley and that were seen in a painting of Susannah by a Dutch painter prior to their immigrations to American. ^[1]

• Susanna Moseley’s jewels were ultimately sold to Sarah Thorowgood (Adam Thorowgood’s wife) for a ‘great want of cattle’ when Susanna reached Virginia. Apparently, she needed the cattle to survive more than the jewels. William Moseley II eventually married Sarah Thorowgood’s daughter from her second husband. ^[2]

Origin

Sarah was baptized on 16 April 1609 at St. Benet, Gracechurch, London.^[3] She was a daughter of Robert Offley and Ann Osborne.^[3]

Immigration

Sarah was an immigrant to Virginia, at the age of eighteen.^[4]

Marriage and Children

Sarah married three times.

• Sarah married 18 July 1627 at St. Anne's Blackfriars Church, London, as her 1st, to Adam Thorowgood/Thoroughgood.^[3]
• She married, as her 2nd, to Capt. John Gookin.^[3] He died November 2, 1643.^[5]
• She married, as her 3rd, to Col. Francis Yardley/Yeardley.^[3]

Children of Sarah and Adam Thoroughgood:^[4]

1. Elizabeth Thoroughgood
2. Adam Thoroughgood
3. Ann Thoroughgood
4. Sarah Thoroughgood

Children of Sarah and John Gookin^{[6] [5]}

1. Mary Gookin; mar 1) William Moseley, 2) Anthony Lawson

Court

On several occasions, Sarah brought suit against her neighbors. She accused "Goody Layton" of of wronging her deceased husband with a "Pish;" two men for insulting her daughter, and a farmer of improperly planting his own orchard. "She was described as 'beautiful and high-spirited' with a 'backbone of steel and an indomitable will.'"^[4]

Death and Legacy

Sarah died in 1657 at Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Colony.^[3] Her tomb was at Church Point, (in what was Princess Anne County in 1819 - now Virginia Beach City).^[3] The tomb was engraved with a handsome coat-of-arms, which was mentioned, but not described in detail, by a gentleman in 1819.^[3]

Here lyeth ye body of Capt John Gooking and also ye body of Mrs. Sarah Yardley who was wife to Capt. Adam Thorowgood first, Capt. John Gooking and Collonel Francis Yardley who deceased August 1657^[7]

Sarah is said to be "the ancestress of many families in Virginia and Maryland,"^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Burnet-187-1
2. ↑ https://artdaily.cc/news/106217/Rare-portrait-of-William-Moseley-II-on-view-for-the-first-time-since-1897#.X-xb0NhKjcs
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} "Historical and Genealogical Notes and Queries" The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, (Vol. 12, No. 2 (Oct., 1904), pp. 201-02) Virginia Historical Society, JSTOR,org accessed November 3, 2025.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Cox, Barbara, "Second Generation." Thorowgood, Ghotes of Virginia, Citing Norfolk Co. VA GenWeb, Thorowgood Family by Carol Middleton; dates-Meyer & Dorman, Adventurers of Purse & Person, Dietz Press, Richmond, VA 1987, pp.459, 607, accessed November, 2015.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "Gookin Family." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, (Vol. 5, No. 4 (Apr., 1898), p. 435) Virginia Historical Society, JSTOR.org accessed November, 2015.
6. ↑ "Families of Lower Norfolk and Princess Anne Counties." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. (Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jan., 1898), pp. 329-30) Virginia Historical Society, JSTOR,org accessed November 3, 2025.
7. ↑ Lower Tidewater Virginia page 252

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192253438/sarah-yardley
• Dorman, John Frederick; Virginia M. Meyer, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5. (pp. 607-609, 460) The Dietz Press, Inc., Richmond, VA, 1987.
• Some Emigrants to Virginia
• http://www.esva.net/ghotes/thorowgd/d0/i0017574.htm#i17574
• MilesFiles: https://espl-genealogy.org/MilesFiles/site/p216.htm#i21551