Thomas Pettus (bef. 1599 - bef. 1669)

Born before 19 Feb 1599 in Norwich, Norfolk, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Freeman) Grove — married 1638 in James City County, Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died before 1669 at about age 69 in Littleton, James City County, Colony of Virginia

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Thomas Pettus is managed by the England Project. Join: England Project Discuss: england

Thomas Pettus resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies

Please note that this profile is under the protection of both the England Projects and the US Southern Colonies Project due to Thomas Pettus being frequently duplicated, confused with other Thomas Pettuses in his immediate family and also being married to unproven wives.

Please do not add spouses or children to the profile without first discussing this on G2G and tagging the question with "England" and "Southern_Colonies" so that both Projects can follow the discussion. Fitz-Henry-9 19:33, 23 July 2020 (UTC)

Biography

Events in England

Thomas Pettus^[1] was born sometime before 19 February 1598/9^[2], the twelfth child of Thomas Pettus and his wife Cicely King. He was their second child to bear the name Thomas in honour of his father, as his elder brother Thomas had died young in December 1597.

Thomas was baptised on 19 February 1598/9 at the church of St Simon and St Jude, Norwich, Norfolk, England. ^[3] All of the children of William Pettus and Cicely King were baptised at the church of St Simon and St Jude as it was situated at the bottom of Elm Hill, the street where William Pettus had his main house in the city. A list of the Pettus baptisms at this church is here

Thomas the sonn of Thomas Pettus was Baptized the xix of ffebruary 1598

In his father's Will dated July 1620, Thomas ("and his heirs and assignes forever") was bequeathed several parcels of land in and around Norwich, both in his own right and from reversionary bequests after his mother Cicely's death.
This Will shows that Thomas was in England in July 1620 when the Will was written, as his two brothers who were abroad (Edward and George) were said in the Will to be abroad, their father not knowing whether they were still living.
Thomas' father made bequests to the spouses and the children of his children in this Will. Thomas was not said to have either a wife or children.

Events in Virginia

Thomas Pettus is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society

The date of Thomas' immigration to Virginia is not known. He was living in Virginia by 8 March 1641/2

Member of the Virginia Governor’s Council 1641/2
Image from “Minutes of the Council and General court of colonial Virginia, 1622-1632, 1670-1676 with notes and excerpts from original Council and General court records, into 1683, now lost.” ^[4]

The original council documents are located at the Library of Virginia and in the records of the London Company. There are record losses from the early years, so there is a gap between 1633 and 1641. Excerpts from some early records exist, but Thomas Pettus is not named in them. The March 8, 1641/2 record is the first mention of “Thomas Pettus” in Virginia. The fact that Thomas was not sworn in on March 8 may suggest that he was already a member of the Council.

Col. Thomas Pettus^[1] is first mentioned as a member of the Council in Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia as a signatory to "Two Papers of the 1641/42 Assembly."^[5] During the session at "James Citty, the 30th Aprill, 1652" he is included in a list of Councillors who were already in office and did not need to be sworn in.^[5]

Married Elizabeth, widow of Richard Durant before April 1643
The only known wife of Thomas Pettus was Elizabeth Freeman

• She was first married to Richard Durant / Durrent, who died before April 1643
• She was secondly married to Thomas Pettus in or before April 1643. The dates of Durant’s death and the marriage of Elizabeth and Thomas are unknown. In April 1643, Thomas Pettus claimed the land Elizabeth Freeman had inherited from Richard Durant so they must have married before that date.
• After Thomas’ death, she married thirdly to Capt. John Grove by 1669 after Thomas’ death. ^[6]

Thomas and Elizabeth had the following two recorded children:

• Stephen Pettus born about 1642 in James City County, Virginia, and died after 1677. If he married, the name of his wife is unknown. In his book "Thomas Petyous of Norwich, England and his Pettus Descendants in England and Virginia (Volume 1)" ^[7], William Walker Pettus' estimation for hStephen's birth date was made on the assumption that he had not yet come of age when he made a complaint to the General Court at Jamestown in 1662. He is not seen in any known records after 1677
• Thomas Pettus born between 1650 and 1653 in James City County Virginia. ^[7] William Walker Pettus' estimation for his birth date made as he was described as an "orphan" in the probate records in 1671, hence he could not be born earlier than 1650 when his mother was aged 42, unlikely to have been born after she was 45 hence not later than 1653. He married in about 1682, Mourning Burgh daughter of William Burgh of Chuckatuck, Upper Norfolk County, Virginia and his wife Elizabeth Billingsley. Thomas died about February 1687/8 in Holland. William Walker Pettus writes "The year and approximate month of Thomas' death are established by receipt of money... in Holland Feb 1687, the known fact he died in Holland after receiving the money... description of Mourning Pettus as a widow in August 1687" ^[8]

Research Notes

Main Source

The main source of this biography is the excellently researched and sourced
"Thomas Petyous of Norwich, England and his Pettus Descendants in England and Virginia (Volume 1)" by William Walker Pettus IV.
Pub. Otter Bay Books 2011.
The original print run was limited to 300, but pdf copies may be purchased by contacting the author directly.

Vital Statistics

Death
Death year given as either 1660, 1663, 1665 or 1669 from the two other Pettus profiles merged into this one. Are there reliable sources for any of these dates? What is the date of the last reliable source that mentions him?

Thomas was presumably deceased before 1669:

• 1669 - York County, Virginia: "In 1669 Anne, widow of Augustine Munford, grocer of London and John Munford, grocer of the same place, appointed William Munford of York River, in Virginia, to demand certain debts from Capt. John Grove, of James River, and Elizabeth his wife, late wife of Col. Thomas Pettus. The latter (William Munford) describing himself as 'citizen and mercer of London' entered into an agreement with Robert Baxter, Robert Booth, Samuel Powell and John Munford, citizens and grocers of London, to manage very considerable adventures of money in Virginia. (York County, Virginia, records.)"^[9]

• 1671 April 7 - Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia: "In the difference betweene Coll Bacon as ffeoffee in trust of Thomas Pettus pl't and Cap't Jn'o Grove defend't It is ordered y't the said Cap't Grove deliver unto the said Coll Bacon as ffeoffee aforesaid what good and Chattles is due to the said Pettus menconed in a Deed of ffeoffment made by the mother of the said Pettus to the said Coll Bacon and Mr ffreeman in trust for the said orp't and that he make Speedy paym't and delivery thereof"^[10]

• 1671 May 25 - Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia: "Mr Will'm Monford in Court relinquifheth his executorship to the will of Cap't Groves"^[11]

• 1671 May 25 - Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia: "Judgement is granted Nath Bacon Esq'r on behalfe of Thomas Pettus orp't ag't the estate of Cap't Jn'o Grove decd for paym't of tenn Ewes and lambs w'ch are to be paid by Coll Swann and Cap't Ramsey Exec'rs of the will of the said Cap't Groves"^[11]

• 1671 Sep 29 - Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia: "Coll Nath Bacon Guardian to Tho: Pettus Sueing Coll Tho Swann and Cap't Edward Ramsey Exec'rs to Cap't Jn'o Groves for fourteene Cropps of Corne and Tob'o made by the said orphants Servants and a negroe weoman ptended by the said Coll Bacon to be due … due from the Said Groves to the said orphant and after a Large plea in Court on both sides It did not appeare that the said Cropps were Sued for in the life tyme of the Said Groves nor any thing vnd'r his hand to oblige his Exec'rs to pay the same and therefore is not allowed ag't the Exec'rs but it appeareing by certaine oathes that a negro woman was confest by the Said Cap't Groves to be pduced out of Pt of the Said Cropps It is ordered that the said Exec'rs forthwith deliver the said negroe woman to the said Coll Bacon for the use of the said orphant w'th her Cropps, But upon a Second heareing the Cropps made by the said English Servants is referred to the next Court the third day."^[12]

• 1671 Nov 25 - Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia: "The Order that Colonel Bacon as guardian to Thomas Pettus obteyned ag't Colonel Swann and Cap't Ramsey execut'rs of Cap't Groves deceased at last Court relating to y'e negro and her Crops is confirmed, and the said Execu'rs Ordered to deliver y'e same als Executn and the other differences about y'e English serv'ts Cropps is referred for determinacon to the third day of the next Court.^[13]

Statements for which sources need to be added

Soldier in Low Countries during the 30 YEAR WAR/immigrated 1637

Colonel (Councilor) Thomas PETTUS was an active participant in the affairs of Jamestowne and Old Fields at Middle Plantation, Williamsburg's name until the 66-year-old community was incorporated in 1699, and he is mentioned in many documents of the period. After Colonel Thomas died in 1660, the plantation house and land passed to his son Captain Thomas PETTUS, Jr.

replaced broken link with this one to Geni: https://www.geni.com/people/Colonel-Thomas-Pettus-of-James-City/6000000027216534088 which contains the same unsourced information.

Are there any documents which survive to confirm this statement?

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Jamestowne Society, Qualifying Ancestors, Pettus, Thomas - A6106; died ca. 1669; James City Co.: 1642-61 (Councillor). accessed 15 October 2021.
2. ↑ Due to the change of the date of the New Year in 1752 from 25 March to 1 January, the date 19 February 1598 is would be at the end of the year 1598 and is in now what we would call 1599.
3. ↑ Baptism of Thomas Pettus: Transcription of the parish registers of St Simon and St Jude, Norwich, Norfolk, England made by E.A. Tillett in 1895 Image on FamilySearch
4. ↑ Virginia Council cn; Virginia General Court cn; McIlwaine, H. R. (Henry Read), 1864-1934 ed. cn; Virginia State Library cn, digitized on Internet Archive [1]
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} McIlwaine, H. R. and J. P. Kennedy, Editors. Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia. 13 Volumes. Richmond, Virginia, 1905-1915. Editors: vols. 1-9, H. R. McIlwaine; v. 10-13, J. P. Kennedy. [https://archive.org/details/journalsofhousb1619virg/page/68/mode/2up Vol. 1, Page 66-69, 82 ff 1619-1658/59 (1915)
6. ↑ “Tylers Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine” Vol. iii p. 180 Internet Archive
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "Thomas Petyous of Norwich, England and his Pettus Descendants in England and Virginia (Volume 1)" by William Walker Pettus IV.
8. ↑ "Thomas Petyous of Norwich, England and his Pettus Descendants in England and Virginia (Volume 1)" by William Walker Pettus IV. - page 158 reference 323
9. ↑ "Mumford and Munford Families. (Continued from page 68.)," Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine Vol. III, No. 3 (January, 1922): p180; Archive.org (p180).
10. ↑ H.R. McIlwaine (editor), Minutes of the Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia, 1622–1632, 1670–1676, With Notes and Excerpts From Original Council and General Court Records, Into 1683, Now Lost> (Richmond, Virginia: The Virginia State Library, 1924) p253; Archive.org (p253).
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} H.R. McIlwaine (editor), Minutes of the Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia, 1622–1632, 1670–1676, With Notes and Excerpts From Original Council and General Court Records, Into 1683, Now Lost> (Richmond, Virginia: The Virginia State Library, 1924) p259; Archive.org (p259).
12. ↑ H.R. McIlwaine (editor), Minutes of the Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia, 1622–1632, 1670–1676, With Notes and Excerpts From Original Council and General Court Records, Into 1683, Now Lost> (Richmond, Virginia: The Virginia State Library, 1924) pp276-277; Archive.org (pp276-277).
13. ↑ H.R. McIlwaine (editor), Minutes of the Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia, 1622–1632, 1670–1676, With Notes and Excerpts From Original Council and General Court Records, Into 1683, Now Lost> (Richmond, Virginia: The Virginia State Library, 1924) p289; Archive.org (p289).

See also:

• Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. Volume I. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company 1915. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2008. Page 111
• Mike Clark, "Genealogy of the Pettus Family of Huntsville, Alabama," MikeSClark.com (http://www.mikesclark.com/genealogy/pettus/pettus.html).
• William Pettus, "Warning Against Misinformation re Early Virginia Pettuses," Genealogy.com (http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/pettus/939/).

Acknowledgements

• Pettus-137 was created by Dawn Griffis through the import of Griffis Ragland Alsford Wrighton Family Tree_2014-01-29.ged on Jan 29, 2014.
• Research Notes transferred in from merge with Pettus-137.