Advice needed, possible profile conflation.

Question

I have been working to source profiles of 17th century settlers in Virginia Colony. Ran into Eleanor (White) Adams, supposed wife of Capt. Robert Adams. Problem is, Capt. Adams was a mariner & sea captain from about 1609 until his death about 1626. He made over 30 trips to Virginia, Summer Isle, East Indies. His portrait included on his profile bears an inscription stating he died in 1626 at age 58.

Additional information included on this profile is record of a Robert Adams who settled in Virginia about 1622, served as Burgess in 1623-1624 and married Eleanor White about 1625 in Virginia. This Robert Adams died in 1628 and wife "Mrs. Adams" was given a letter authorizing her to administer the estate of Robert Adams of Martin's Hundred on 21 January 1629.

Now these two men don't seem to me to be the same person. It is possible, I suppose, that they were father and son, but so far no records found to support that hypothesis.

I would like to create a new profile for Robert Adams, the Virginia Colonist, who died in 1628 and attach wife Eleanor White to him. Also removing all sources for the Virginia Colonist from the profile of the sea captain Robert Adams.

Thoughts?

Comments

It seems unlikely they would be the same man.  Are House of Burgesses records extant for this period of time and would they offer additional light on the identity of the man serving and could any records of his presence for business be found showing a time when the captain was known to be at sea? That might be a bit tedious but if the Captain was working for East India Company his voyages should be documented.

---

There are records including Robert Adams takng part in activities in House of Burgesses in 1623-1624. Search would need to find where Capt. Adams was in those years. I think he was involved in sailing to the East Indies then.

Answer 1

Have you already considered/ruled out this man being the captain? 

Prob 11/151/161. Will of Robert Addams, mariner of Ratcliff, Middlesex. 7th February 1627(28)

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D884878

Only had a quick look, but he has sons Robert and Christopher & daughters Susan Wicherley & Agnes/Anne Ffysher. (Married to Lawrence Ffysher - their marriage licence mentions Robert Adams as ‘gentleman of Stepney’. Can be found in Foster’s ‘London Marriage Licences’. Also a licence for a Christopher Adams, shipwright.)

I don’t see a disparity in the various Robert Adams of Limehouse, Ratcliff, & Stepney being the same man. As you already know Ratcliff was half in Limehouse & half in Stepney parish.

There is also this (but not digital, so someone would have to look at it)

Folio 107; Robert Adams to Captain Robert Adams his father Nov 4 1625

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6766033

Folio 107 is correspondence regarding the Barbary States (Algiers, Morocco, Tunis, & Tripoli.) 

I also think there is a conflation of 3 people in the profile for Robert. Captain Robert, Robert of Virginia, & Robert of Newbury, Massachusetts, who apparently married someone called Eleanor & had a son called John (mentioned in the profile notes)