Richard Melton (abt. 1595 - aft. 1643)

Born about 1595 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Margaret (Ross) Melton — married about 1615 in England [uncertain]

Died after 1643 after about age 48 in Charles City County, Colony of Virginia

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

Biography

Birth

Assuming he was about 25 when he was transported to the Colony of Virginia, Richard Milton was probably born in England in about 1595. His origins are unknown, as discussed in the Research Notes below.

Emigration to Virginia

Richard Milton was included on the "list of men nowe sent for plantacon in Virginia" submitted to the Virginia Company of London on 3 September 1620.^[1] On 18 September 1620, Richard Milton was among the fifty-six passengers transported on the Supply departing Bristol for the Virginia Colony.^[2] These passengers, including Richard Milton, arrived at the Colony of Virginia on 29 January 1620/1.^[3]

Richard Milton appears on a list made by John Smyth of twenty colonists who "remayneth to vs as servants in virginia" on 1 August 1622.^[4] He was still alive on 21 January 1624/5, when he was counted in the Jamestown Muster at "Jordan's Journey."^[5][6]

Later Life

• 28 Jun 1624 - Richard Milton called as witness in a lawsuit.^[7]
• 17 Jan 1624/25 - At a court held 17 Jan 1624/25: present Sr ffrancis Wyatt, knight, [Governor &c] Sr George Yardley, Knight, Mr Th[reasurer] Doctor Pott and Capt Smithe:^[8]

  "It is ordered that Richarde Miltone shall live at Shirley hundred and looke unto the Cattle of Barkley hundred for which he shall be allowed fiftie pound waight of Tobacco and the milke of the said Kyne, Provided that he Carefully looke unto them."

• 25 Apr 1625 - A controversy arose between the Council of Virginia and Sr. Samuel Argall with regard to the disposal of Argall's cattle. Witnesses were called to appear in court on 9 May 1625, including "Rich Miltone for Barkley hundred."^[9]
• On 14 Dec 1632 - Richard Milton witnessed a deed for John Fludd in Charles City, Virginia on 14 December 1632 and recorded 21 April 1642.^{[citation needed]} Note John Fludd and his wife Margaret and child Frances were all counted with Richard Milton at Jordan's Journey in the Jamestown Muster. John's wife was the widow of William Finch, and she and her child Francis were both transported to Virignia by the Supply in 1620.^[5][10]
• 7 Feb 1634 - Charles City, witnessed deed for Walter Auston, Gent.^[11]
• 29 Nov 1636, p. 404 - Received 75 acs. at Westover, Chas. Citty Co. S. upon the maine river ...^[11]
• 3 Oct 1638, p 602 - 400 acs. Charles City Co., ... Due for trans. of 8 pers: Andrew Parker, Christopher Stanton, Henry Palmer, William Deakes, Henry Foster, John Hammond, Eade Adams, Hanna Mawe.^[11] [It has been suggested that Henry Foster and Hanna Mawe are misreadings, and that the names should be Henry Meltan and Hanna Meltan.]
• 22 Aug 1643 - Richard Milton and Richard Tisdale assigned 2 patents, for trans. of 8 persons to Thomas Wheeler, Charles City Co.^[11]

No records referring to him after 1643 have been identified.

Research Notes

Disputed Origins

There are several competing claims concerning his origins. Various suggested birth locations include Hertfordshire; Oxfordshire; Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Richard Milton/Melton is a common name in England and many records have been found during this time frame.

Various researchers have claimed that he was the son of:

• Thomas Milton (abt.1570-abt.1640) and Elizabeth (Ross) Melton (1575-1645)
• Thomas Milton (1561-1627) and Margaret (Goughe) Milton (1577-abt.1645)

However, these claims concerning his parents are competing and disputed with no clear evidence establishing which if any is more likely than the others, so the parents have been detached pending new evidence which confirms his origins.

Unsourced Claims Concerning his Life In England

The following claims have been made about him in prior versions of this profile or in online trees, but the source is unknown and these claims have not been confirmed:

• That he served as apprentice to his uncle John Milton (Scrivener) in London, England from 1614 until September 1621.

Unsourced Marriage

Many online family trees state Richard married Margaret Ross either in England or after his arrival in Virginia, but no documentation has been presented to confirm this marriage. No records found so far in Virginia include a wife's name. No will has been located which might have included wife and/or children.

This profile previously listed an unsourced marriage to Margaret Ross in 1615 in England.

Sources

1. ↑ Susan Myra Kingsbury, ed., The Records of the Virginia Company of London, 4 vols., (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1906-1933), 3:396-3:397, at 3:397; images on Ancestry available here (subscription); transcription available here ["Records of the Virginia Company"].
2. ↑ Records of the Virginia Company, 3:405-406, at 3:406.
3. ↑ Records of the Virginia Company, at 3:426-427.
4. ↑ Records of the Virginia Company, at 3:674.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Peter Wilson Coldham, The Complete Book of Emigrants: 1607-1660, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987), 51-52.
6. ↑ John Camden Hotton, ed., The Original Lists of Persons of Quality, (New York: Empire State Book Co., 1874), 212; images, Internet Archive, (https://archive.org/details/originallistsofp00hottuoft : accessed 19 Aug 2023).
7. ↑ H.R. McIlwaine, ed., Minutes of the Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia; 1622-1632, 1670-1676, (Richmond, Virginia: The Colonial Press, Everett Waddey Co., 1924), 16-17, at 17; images, Internet Archive, (https://archive.org/details/minutesofcouncil00virg : accessed 19 Aug 2023).
8. ↑ McIlwaine, Minutes of the Council and General Court, at 43.
9. ↑ McIlwaine, Minutes of the Council and General Court, at 55.
10. ↑ Hotton, The Original Lists, at 211.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3} Nugent, Nell Marion, Abstracted and Indexed by. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800. In Five Volumes. Richmond, VA.: Press of the Dietz Printing Co., 1935. Pages 52, 59, 98, 119, 145, 165

See also:

• Richard Melton, comprehensive biography with sources.