Hugh Gwynn (abt. 1600 - abt. 1654)

Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Spelling of the Name 1.2 Uncertain Origin 1.3 Immigrant to Virginia 1.4 Family 1.5 Military Service 1.6 Property 1.7 John Punch 1.8 Land Records and Deeds 1.9 Positions 1.10 Death and Legacy 2 Research Notes 3 Sources 4 Acknowledgments

Biography

Hugh Gwin, Colonel AKA Gwinne, Gwinn, Gwyn, Gwynn ^[1]

Spelling of the Name

Hugh's last name is spelled "Gwin (Gwinne, Gwyn)" in the index for the Journals of the House of Burgesses ...^[2] It is spelled "Gwin, Gwinn, and Gwynn" in Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents ...^[3] There are many examples of various spellings, and it may be difficult to pinpoint a pattern with any certainty.

The spelling is possibly significant, because apparently the Welsh form of the name includes the "y" ("a specific sound in the Welsh language very unlike the 'i").^[4] Therefore names of English origin usually used the "i" spelling, and this is how Owen "Winne" spelled his name.^[4] This adds to the argument that Owen was not the son of Sir John Wynn (of Welsh heritage). While it is true that spelling was largely phonetic at the time, changing from "y" to "i" would have been unusual.

Uncertain Origin

Hugh may have been born in England.^[5]

He is sometimes assumed to have been a son of Owen Gwynn and Grace Williams.^[6] Proof is lacking, and this has since been disputed.

Apparently Owen Gwinn/Winne was on the London & Va. Company rolls as an adventurer. As we know, this only meant he was an investor ("adventurer of purse"). Authors from the early 1900s may have made them father and son on this basis alone. Stella Pickett Hardy in Colonial Families of the Southern States of America ... was among these.^[7]

Not the least evidence can be found that Sir Owen Gwynn was ever in Virginia or had anything to do with Hugh Gwinn of Gloucester County, and the later had nothing to do with David Gwynn (called here his son) who is shown by the records not to have been a native of Virginia.^[7]

Hugh Gwin certainly came from an influential family. He was well educated and had resources. Within a relatively short time in Virginia, he had patented a couple of thousand acres and was a justice and a burgess.

His birth date may have been c. 1600, a guess based on his appointment to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1639.

Immigrant to Virginia

Hugh arrived in Charles River County (after 1643 York) in 1621,^[4] and by 1639 he represented that county in the Virginia house of Burgesses.^[5] Some believe he was the Hugh Wynn who is mentioned in the patent of William Spencer as "100 acs. in the right of Hugh Wynn & Robert Latchett whoe both came in the George 1621 at the charges of Capt. William Peirce" (p 16).^[3] He may have even been the "Hugh Winne," tradesman, who arrived as one of the Second Supply in October 1608,^[8] but there is no proof.

Family

Hugh was married to Elizabeth (Unknown), his executrix in 1654.

Children:

1. Hugh Gwynn, vestryman of Kingston Parish, Gloucester in 1680
2. Rev. John Gwynn, distinguished royalist minister of Ware Parish, Gloucester

Note: Hugh was not the father David Gwynn, "who is shown by the records not to have been a native of Virginia"^[7] (profile detached as a son).

Military Service

Hugh Gwin was a Colonel in the British Army.^{[citation needed]}

Property

On 17 January 1642, "Hugh Gwyn, Gent." patented, "1,700 acres near the mouth of Pyankatanke River. 200 acs. of marsh beg. at a sandy point upon Chisopeiake Bay, extending up Milford Haven Bay to the narrow, bounded by a great bay called Stengrabay, being due E. from the mouth of sd. river, etc. parallel to Rappahanocke Bay and Sly. parallel to Chisopeiake Bay."^[3] Among his headrights were Christopher Higginson, Mrs. Ann Gwynn, and Eliza Higginson (p 141).^[5]

Included in this patent was the island called Gwynn's Island or "Governor's Island," because in July 1776 Gov Dunmore tried to establish a camp.^[9] However the rebels' mainland artillery surrounding the island convinced him to abandon this idea quickly.^[9] The part known as Gwynn's "grant in the Main," meaning mainland, situated on a point of land overlooking Hill's Bay and Gwynn's Island, was the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Cricket Hill.^[10]

On 6 December 1652, "Col. Hugh Gwin (Gwyn)" was issued a patent for "300 acs. upon W. side of a tract called Gwins Island, being the surplusage of sd. island bounded S. W. upon the Narrowes W. opposite to mouth of Peanketank Riv. S. upon Deep Cr., which lyeth toward S. side of sd, Island" (p 263).^[3]

On 26 February 1653, Col Hugh Gwynn patented 200 acres on the north side of the Piankatank River, across the creek from Col. John Mattron and adjoining the property of "Maj." (later Col.) George Reade (p 248).^[3]

Some of his neighbors were Col George Ludlow who patented 2,000 acres adjoining Hugh's land on the south side of the Piankatank River and on the west-northwest side of Gwynns Creek (p 239). Another was Col Humphrey Higginson (who purchased his land from William Armstead), and also Col. George Reade (p 248).^[3]

John Punch

June 4. 1640.

Upon the petition of Hugh Gwyn gen' wherein he complained to this board of three of his servants that are run away to Maryland to his much lofs and judice and wherein he hath humbly requested the board that he may have liberty to make [10] the fale or benifit of the faid servants in the said Maryland which the Court taking into Confideration and weighing the dangerous consequences of such nicious facident do order that a letter be written unto the said Governour to the intent the said servants may be returned hither to receive such exemplary and condign punishment as the nature of their offence shall juſtly deferve and then be to be returned to their said master.

9th of July, 1640.

Whereas Hugh Gwyn hath by order from this Board Brought back from Maryland three servants formerly run away from the said Gwyn, the court doth therefore order that the said three servants shall receive the punishment of whipping and to have thirty stripes apiece one called Victor, a Dutchman, the other a Scotchman called James Gregory, shall first serve out their times with their master according to their Indentures, and one whole year apiece after the time of their service is Expired. By their said Indentures in recompense of his Loss sustained by their absence and after that service to their said master is Expired to serve the colony for three whole years apiece, and that the third being a negro named John Punch (1605-abt.1683) shall serve his said master or his assigns for the time of his natural Life here or elsewhere.^[11]

Land Records and Deeds

1637-1643 Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book No. 1, Part 2; [Nell Marion Nugent]; Page 132 HUGH GWIN, Gent., 1,000 acs. Aug. 10, 1642, Page 806. Due by order of Court dated Dec. 19, 1635, for trans. of 20 pers.* (Record incomplete).

1637-1643 Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book No. 1, Part 2; [Nell Marion Nugent]; Page 141 HUGH GWYN, Gent., 1,700 acs. near the mouth of Pyankatanke River. 200 acs. of marsh, beg. at a sandy point upon Chisopeiake Bay, extending up Milford Haven Bay, to the narrow, bounded by a great bay called Stengrabay, being due E. from the mouth of said river, etc. parallel to Rappahannocke Bay, and Sly. parallel to Chisopeiake Bay. The following names appear: Christo. Higginson, twice, William Parker, Francis Chambers, Rich. Bennett, Mrs. Ann Gwyn, Tho. Taylor, Jon. Knight, twice, Rich. Ingram, James Haire, Jon. Mills, Jon. Bradly, Sarah Allison, Tony a Negroe, Nich. Reynolds, Antho. Carr, David Jenkin, Ash- well Bird, Arundel' Parris, Allen Luddington, Nich. Gibson, Richard Kirby, Wm. Loyd, Hugh Gwyn, Tho. Dodd, Jon. Averry, Hen. Thacker, Nath. Webster, Hen. Crosby, Howell Powell, William Deane, Eliza. Higginson, Mar- garett Bivins, Isabell Richerson, Tho. Hartley, Nicholas Jones alias Bonds. Jan. 17, 1642, Page 865.

1653-1656 Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book No. 3; [Nell Marion Nugent]; Page 248 COL. HUGH GWYNN, 200 acs. Lancaster Co., upon N. side of Pieantank Riv., 26 Feb. 1653, P. 47. W. N. W. upon a creek dividing this from land of Col. John Matron, S. E, upon land of Maj. George Read & S. S. W. upon the River. Trans. of 4 pers: Peter Cade, Hum. Higgens, Susan Barker, Susan Hillery.

1653-1656 Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book No. 3; [Nell Marion Nugent]; Page 262 COL. HUGH GWIN (Gwyn) 300 acs. upon W. side of a tract called Gwins Island, being the surplusage of sd. Island, bounded S. W. upon the Narrowes, W. opposite to mouth of Peanketank Riv., S. upon Deep Cr. which lyeth toward S. side of sd. Island. 6 Dec. 1652, p. 120. Trans. of 6 pers: John Cookeley, Nathanl. Walters, Mary Joyce, Robert Wison al. Wiffon (or Wisson), George Pletsoe, Benja. Sarrow, Peter Cade, Humph. Higgins, Susan Parker, Susan Hillary, one Negro woman. Note: Land due for the last five. Land patented for four of the five, one remains still due being the Last.

1653-1656 Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book No. 3; [Nell Marion Nugent]; Page 265 ISAAC RICHESON, 300 acs. Lancaster Co., alias Gloster, 10 Oct. 1652, p. 128. Upon head branches of Atapotomoyes Cr., S. W. upon land of Samuell Sollis & N. E. upon land of John Day. Trans. of 6 pers: Isaac Richeson, Elizabeth Parker, Elizabeth Wells, Wm. Brown, John James, one Negro woman; from Col. Gwynn certificate.

1653-1656 Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book No. 3; [Nell Marion Nugent]; Page 298 COL. HUMPHRY HIGGENSON, one of the Council of State, & THOMAS HIGGENSON, his sonn, 800 acs. Gloster Co., 20 Sept. 1654, p. 304. Upon S. side of Pyanketanck Riv., beg. at the mouth of a Cr. dividing this from land of Col. Hugh Gwin, now in possession of Wm. Armstead, 500 acs. by assignmt. from Col. Ludlow of a patent of 2,000 acres, & 3000 acs. for trans. of 6 pers.*

1666-1679 Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book No. 6; [Nell Marion Nugent]; Page 38 GEORGE SEATOUNE (Seatonne), 300 acs. Gloster Co., 16 Apr. 1668, p. 139. 200 acs. part granted. to Geo: Thompson, 26 Nov. 1653, lying on the had of 1000 acs. formerly known as Coll. Hugh Gwynn's devdt. in the maine upon S. side of Peanketank Riv., adj. land surveyed for Coll. Humphrey Higginson; which sd. Thompson assigned to Edward Jelfe, who assigned to sd. Seatonne 2-May, 1659; 100 acs. by bill of sale, from -Oliver Bolfe to sd. Jelfe 19 Jan. 1653, who assigned to sd. Seatoune, running from the old man's Cr. at Peanketanke, unto William.Lewis', &c.

1679-1689 Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book No. 7; [Nell Marion Nugent]; Page 302 COL. JOHN ARMSTEAD & MR. JOHN GWIN, 202-1/2 acs., Gloster Co., in Kingston Par., 30 Oct. 1686, p. 532. Beg, on E. side of a br. neer a Chappell, in line of land taken up by Col. Hugh Gwin, decd., who sold to Mr. William. Armestead, decd; to land of Mr. William Elliott, Senr; to Thomas Allamaine; to Gwin's Dams, &c. Trans. of 5 pers.*^[12]

Positions

Hugh was a justice of York County in 1641.^[5] He represented Charles City County in in the House of Burgesses in 1639, for York County in 1646, and the newly formed Gloucester County in both the April and November sessions of 1652.^[2]

On April 26, 1662, "Hugh Guinne" was one of the two burgesses' names returned to the Grand Assembly as representatives for the newly formed "Glocester" County.^[13] This may have been in regards to Hugh's son by the same name.

Death and Legacy

Hugh must have died c. 1654 when his wife, Elizabeth Gwynn, acted as executrix of his estate; she patented 700 acres in Isle of Wight County (the same he had patented in 1640).^[5]

Research Notes

Some assume that Hugh Gwin was a descendant of Sir John Wynn (d.1626, aet 73), but this not correct. Sir John's line ended with grandson, Sir John Wynn (d.1719), who had no issue.^[4]

Beware the work by Stella Pickett Hardy, Colonial Families of the Southern States of America ..., called "worthless" by a review in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography.^[7] If you read the first, please read the other.

Hugh Gwynn Hugh Gwynn was an early settler in Charles River Co. ( Subsequently York), and in 1639 represented it in the House of Burgesses. He was a justice of York in 1641 and burgess in 1646. In 1642 he patented 1,700 acres at the mouth of the Pyanketank River,and among his headrights were Christopher Higginson, Mrs. Ann Gwynn, & Eliza Higginson. Col. Hugh Gwynn was burgess for Gloucester Co. in 1652, and probably died in 1654, when Elizabeth Gwynn patented 700 acres in the Isle of Wight County, as executrix of Hugh Gwynn, who had patented the same in 1640. HUGH GWYNN II, doubtless his son, was vestryman of Kingston parish, Gloucester in 1680. Probably another son REV. JOHN GWYNN distinguished royal minster of Ware Parish, Gloucester Co, who came to to Virginia in Cromwellian times. He had issue: EDMUND GWYNN, who married LUCY BERNARD, daughter of Col. WILLIAM BERNARD and LUCY HIGGINSON, his wife (daughter of Capt. ROBERT HIGGINSON) (Va Magazine,IV,204) EDMUND GWYNN made his will March 10,1682, and names issue:

1. LUCY, who married THOMAS READE

2. JOHN,

Humphrey and John Gwynn at the general court held Sept. 30, 1681, in their own right and as attorney for Humphrey Stafford, petitioned for the administration of the estate of Col.Burham, deceased, on the grounds that they were the next of kin.(Middlesex Re c) In 1698-9 Mr. John Gwynn is mentioned in Middlesex Records as having married Margaret, the relic of Mr. FRANCIS BRIDGE, who died about 1678, at which time she spoke of Major ROBERT BEVERLY as her father-in-law. The destruction of the records of Gloucester and Matthews prevents us from knowing much about John Gwynn, but it is very possible that he was the father of JOHN GWYNN, who married, Mildred READE, on Feb. 23, 1720. He had issue: Humphrey Gwynn born 12/16/1727 died 12/8/1794. This Humphrey was the owner of Gwynn Island when Dunsmore occupied it in 1776. He married FRANCES PEYTON, on 2/21/1755. She was the daughter of THOMAS & FRANCES TABB PEYTON. Humphery had issue:

1. JOHN , born 3/27/1756, he drowned in Milford Haven on 9/11/1770

2.FRANCIS born 12/5/1757

3.MILDRED, born 11/23/1759

4.THOMAS Peyton, born 5/19/1762 (who married ANN and had

• 1. FRANCES ANN ,born 12/14/1793, and married WILLIAM B. GILES U.S. Senator)

5. EDMUND, born 8/17/176-, :died Jan. --

6. MARTHA (PEYTON) , born 2/2/1764

7. HUMPHREY,born 2/ 9/1769

8. LUCY, born 6/10/1771; died 3/6/1772

9. ELIZABETH (TOYE), born 4/25/1773

10. MARY (TABB) , born 8/22/1774 -Marr. SAMUEL TURNER, and their daughter FRANCES H. P. TURNER marr. 8/24/1824,WILLIAM ROBINSON and their daughter MARTHA PEYTON TABB TURNER, marr on 2/25/1830 , Hon. AUGUSTINE H. SHEPHERD, of NC.

11.MATTHEW Whitting, born 9/23/1776 12. LUCY, born 5/27/1779.

William and Mary Quarterly  Vol. 18, No. 1 - July 1909 ____________________________________________________________

Sources

1. ↑ Gwin/Gwinne/Gwyn, Hugh - A3303; Charles River: 1640, York Co.: 1646, Gloucester Co.: 1652 (Burgess). accessed 12 August 2021
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Virginia. General Assembly. House of Burgesses; McIlwaine, H. R. (Henry Read), Journals of the House of Burgesses of VA, 1659/60-1963, Vol 1. Richmond, VA: [Library Board, Virginia State Library] Archive.org accessed 8 June 2016 (Vol 1, Pages xi, xv, xix, 84).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5} Nugent, Nell Marion, 1934 Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800. [1st ed.] Richmond: Dietz Print Co., Archive.org accessed 6 June 2016, (Pages 16, 141, 239, 248, 263, 653).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Johnson, Myles, (February 2003) "Wynne Mythtakes & Wynn Winners." accessed 10 October 2016.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} Merrill, Kathy, transcriber, (Jul., 1909) "Historical and Genealogical Notes." William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project accessed 10 October 2016 (Vol. 18, No. 1, Pages. 59-67).
6. ↑ Hardy, Stella Pickett, 1958 Colonial Families of the Southern States of America ... Baltimore: Southern Book Co., HathiTrust.org accessed 8 June 2016 (Page 250) Caution: Contains many errors - called "worthless" by The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography see VMHB 19:446.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} (Oct., 1911) "Reviewed Work: Colonial Families of the Southern States of America. A History and Genealogy of Colonial Families Who Settled in the Colonies Prior to the Revolution by Stella Pickett Hardy." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Virginia Historical Society JSTOR.org accessed 10 October 2016 (Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 442-448, citing p 446).
8. ↑ Sams, Conway Whittle, (1929) Conquest of Virginia, the second attempt ... Norfolk, VA: Keyser-Doherty Printing Corp., Archive.org accessed 10 October 2016 (Page 822).
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Ward, Harry M., For Virginia and for Independence : Twenty-Eight Revolutionary War Soldiers from the Old Dominion. Jefferson: McFarland & Co., 2011, accessed September 28, 2014
10. ↑ Mandell, Gayle N., Chapter 7 - Introduction, Gale/Gayle Families of America The Gale & Gayle Families, accessed 8 June 2016.
11. ↑ Encyclopedia Virginia|https://encyclopediavirginia.org/primary-documents/general-court-responds-to-runaway-servants-and-slaves-1640/
12. ↑ Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties|https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I72361&tree=Tree1
13. ↑ Kingston Vestry, The vestry book of Kingston Parish, Mathews County, Virginia (until May 1, 1791 .... ExLibrisRosetts accessed 10 October 2016 (Pages ix, 2) Citing Hening Vol 1: 373-75.

See also:

• Wrike, Peter Jennings, The Governors' Island : Gwynn's Island, Virginia, during the Revolution. Gwynn, VA: Gwynn's Island Museum, 1993.

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Myles Johnson for your excellent research and comprehensive website, "Wynne Mythtakes & Wynn Winners."