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Francis Richard Stockley (abt. 1616 - 1656)

Francis Richard Stockley aka Stokeley, Stokely
Born about in Stoke, Staffordshire, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married about 1638 [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 40 in Northampton County, English colony of Virginiamap
Problems/Questions
Profile last modified | Created 24 Apr 2010
This page has been accessed 2,469 times.
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Francis Stockley was a Virginia colonist.
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Francis Stockley migrated from England to Virginia.
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Biography

Francis Stockley (aka Stokeley, Stokley) was born in 1616 in Stoke (later: Stoke-on-Trent), Staffordshire, England. He was the first-born son of John Stockley Sr. and his wife, Elizabeth (Woodman) Stockley. The family surname has also been spelled "Stokeley" or "Stokley" in some genealogies. His 2 younger brothers were: John Stockley II, b: 1621 in Stoke, Staffordshire, England; and Woodman Stockley, Sr., b: ca. 1624 in Staffordshire, England.

The Stockleys were at least of the "yeoman" class: independent small-landowners, merchants or small industrialists. Stoke (later: Stoke-on-Trent) was already a mining, mercantile and manufacturing center by the early 17th Century. The Stockley family had to have had resources because Francis Stockley was only 19 years old when he and his younger brother, John Stockley II, b: 1619-1621, made their trans-Atlantic passage to the English colony of Virginia in America. Later documents attest that Francis Stockley paid for both brothers' transport, against a 3-year-indenture for his younger brother.

Brothers Francis and John Stockley II emigrated to America together in 1635 as they are noted on the passenger manifest of the ship, The Two Brothers, that first landed in Jamaica before traveling on to Virginia. In later documents, Francis' younger brother, John Stockley II, stated in court that he had "come to the Eastern Shore [of Virginia] at the Cost & Charges of his brother Francis, in exchange for three years of service, and first lived in what is now Northampton County, Virginia..."[1] John II gave testimony in court there on June 5, 1640. He was a tailor by trade. Francis was a tobacco planter. Both developed sizeable plantations in the Accomack (northern) half of Virginia's Eastern Shore.[2]

From their arrival, Francis and John Stockley II, established themselves on Virginia's Eastern Shore, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, north of Hampton Roads. The area was originally called Accomack Shire, after the local Native American tribe, but in 1642 its name was changed to Northampton County. In 1663 the county was split in two and the northern half renamed Accomack County, Virginia. The Stockley plantations were both in territory that was in the Accomack (northern) half.

Page 53 of the Virginia Patent Book No.1 - Part 1 states:

"Francis Stockley (Stockeley): 50 [acres] Accomack Co., 22 Dec. 1636, pg. 406. S.E. by S on the old plantation Cr., N.W. by N. into the woods. Wly. on Henry Williams & Ely on the Cr. [Creek]. Trans. [Transportation] of 1 servant named Francis Jarvis..."[3]

From Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. I, Accomack Co., 1637-1640:

"Francis Stokeley has paid 2 bshl. corn to George Willis for Roger Moy." This establishes that Francis was living in Accomack in the 1637-1640 period.

Francis Stockley married Virginia immigrant, Joan Hall abt.1620-1663), in about 1636 (she was born in 1620 in Warwick, England). He bought a tobacco plantation in Accomack County (Northampton Co. from 1642-63). He died in Northampton County, Virginia, in January 1656 at just 40 years old, the same month as his father died in England.[4]

Francis Stockley & Joan (Hall) Stockley had 3 children:

  1. Frances Stockley, b: 1640
  2. Ann Stockley, b: 1645
  3. John Stockley, b: 1650

Francis Stokeley's Will (Northampton Co., Rec. D. & W. 5, p. 83), dated December 12, 1655, proved January 28, 1655/6, mentions his wife (but does not name her), 2 daughters: Frances and Ann, 1 son: John Stokeley, 1 brother John and John's son: William [Francis' nephew].

Will of Francis Stockley

Date Signed: 12 DEC 1655 in Northampton Co. Virginia[5]
Date Will Proved: 28 JAN 1656 in Northampton Co., Virginia. [6]s
Name listed as "Stockley". Names daughters: Frances and Ann, a son John, a brother John and William, the son of his brother John, his nephew. The will mentions his wife but does not name her. Lands owned by Francis Stokeley were in the part of Northampton County which became Accomack County after 1663. 200 acres of those lands were ultimately sold to William Custis by Francis Stokeley's heirs, in 1657.[7]

Sources

  1. Stockley Genealogy by Rosemary Corley Neal, cited on David Glenn McMillan Research on RootsWeb - John Stockley
  2. "The Marvel & Wesley Genealogy," cited on: Pugh, Haden, Dirickson Families on RootsWeb - Francis Stockley mentions their 1635 trans-Atlantic crossing.
  3. Cited in: Nugent's "Cavaliers and Pioneers," Vol. 1, p.52 - date has been mis-read as 1634 by some genealogists but is clearly "22 Dec. 1636," which is consistent with a 1635 trans-Atlantic arrival.
  4. Pugh, Haden, Dirickson Families on RootsWeb - Francis Stockley
  5. Clayton Torrence, "Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800,"pg. 404
  6. "Northampton Co., Virginia, Deeds and Wills 1654-1655," pg. 83.
  7. Source: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=bcb4bc77-e249-49c4-a732-1b5183f59711&tid=12471094&pid=398
  • Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Vol. IV Note: APID: 1,48231::0

Acknowledgements

  • WikiTree profile Stockley-1 was created through the import of James Walter Swartz Family Tre.ged on 24 April 2010.
  • WikiTree profile Stockley-7 was created through the import of James Walter Swartz Family Tre.ged on 24 April 2010.
  • A WikiTree profile for this person was created through the import of wiseoviatts.ged on 07 February 2011.
  • WikiTree profile Stockley-50 was created through the import of Clayton Burton_2009-10-26.ged on Jul 4, 2011 by Clayton Burton. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Clayton and others.
  • WikiTree profile Stockley-58 was created through the import of Coley Wolford Stayton McCarroll Bond.ged on Aug 7, 2011 by Tom Coley. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Tom and others.
  • WikiTree profile Stockley-92 was created through the import of worthington Family Tree.ged on Jun 16, 2012 by JoAnne Worthington. See the Changes page for the details of edits by JoAnne and others.
  • WikiTree profile Stockley-104 was created through the import of worthington Family Tree.ged on Jun 16, 2012 by JoAnne Worthington. See the Changes page for the details of edits by JoAnne and others.




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Comments: 6

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Stockley-58 and Stockley-1 do not represent the same person because: removing unmerged match
posted by Chet Snow
This match has already been merged and should not be included in the English project list of unmerged matches.
posted by Edwin Reffell
Stockley-50 and Stockley-1 appear to represent the same person because: Same person
posted by C Handy
Stockley-7 and Stockley-104 appear to represent the same person because: same person
Stockley-1 and Stockley-23 appear to represent the same person because: Shown as siblings, with the same parents, and same name, therefore reasonably the same person
posted by C Handy
an unsourced profile category has been added to the biography page for Francis Stockley because there is no proven source for the birth year and location and the deathdate and location. Please find the documented source and list it under the sources. Thanks.
posted by [Living Stewart]

Rejected matches › John Stockley (1621-abt.1670)

S  >  Stockley  >  Francis Richard Stockley

Categories: Virginia Colonists