Samuel Jefferson Sr. (1584 - 1649)

Born 9 May 1584 in Pettistree, Suffolk, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Carr) Jefferson — married 1606 in Wickham Market, Suffolk, England.

Died 12 Dec 1649 at age 65 in Saint Thomas Middle Island, Saint Kitts and Nevis, British West Indies

Biography

Samuel Jefferson Sr. (aka "Jeaffreson") was born in 1584 in Pettistree, County Suffolk, England. His parents names were John Jeaffreson (Jefferson) and Elizabeth (Unknown). He had a slightly-older brother, John (Col. John Jefferson II) as well as 2 sisters and a 2nd brother, Joseph.^[1] Samuel and John Jr. grew up to be mariners.

In 1623, a neighbor and close family friend, Sir. Thomas Warner of Parham, Suffolk, England, asked John Jefferson (II) and his brother Samuel Jefferson to sail with his ship, "Hopewell," from England to the West Indies to seek their fortune. Sir Thomas Warner subsequently became the English Governor of the Leeward Islands, the first permanent English colony in the West Indies. It was based on St. Christopher (St. Kitts) where they landed in January 1624.^[2]

Their voyage was successful and, after subduing the native Carib Indians in 1626, the Jeaffreason (Jefferson) brothers established large plantations at Old Road, St. Thomas Middle Island (St. Christopher / St. Kitts), where they raised tobacco. Samuel's plantation was called "The Red House" and John's the "Wingfield Estate," now part of Romney's Manor, St. Kitts. They imported African slaves for manual labor.^[3]

Before leaving England, Samuel Jefferson married Miss Elizabeth Carr, b: 29 June 1589 in Burgh, Suffolk, England. They were married in 1606 at Wickham Market, Suffolk, England. The couple had at least 3 children:^[4]

1. Samuel Jefferson Jr., b: 1607 in Pettistree, Suffolk, England^[5]
2. John Jefferson, b: 1609 in Pettistree, Suffolk, England^[6]
3. Susan Jefferson, b: ca. 1611 in Pettistree, Suffolk, England

After he established his "Red House" Plantation in the West Indies, possibly as early as 1629, Samuel Jefferson brought his wife and 2 sons over from England (his daughter married in England). He stayed on his plantation until his death on December 12, 1649 at 65 years old. He was buried in the St. Thomas churchyard on Middle Island, St. Kitts, near his Red House Plantation. It's not known whether or not his wife survived his passing but she is assumed to be buried next to her husband at St. Thomas' church on Middle Island, St. Kitts, former British West Indies.

Their oldest son, Samuel Jefferson, Jr., had married a woman named Elizabeth (Unknown) in Suffolk, England, in 1628, shortly before they left for the British Leeward Islands. Their son, Thomas, was born on St. Christopher Middle Island (St. Kitts), in the West Indies around 1630. After his father's death, Samuel Jefferson III and his family left St. Kitts for the neighboring island of Antigua, also a British colony by this time. He founded a plantation there. He is the direct ancestor of American President Thomas Jefferson as his son, Thomas Jefferson I, emigrated to Henrico County, English colony of Virginia, in 1682.^[7]

Samuel and Elizabeth (Carr) Jefferson's younger son, John Jefferson, apparently returned to England where he married a woman named Sarah (Unknown). He became the confidant and companion of his uncle, Colonel John Jefferson II, who, despite his age (he was over 60), fought in the Anglo-Dutch war of 1652-54, commanding the merchant ship "William and Mary" with 140 men.^[8] Col. Jefferson had a young son, Christopher, born in 1650, and nephew John Jefferson was named his guardian when Col. Jefferson died in 1660. Afterwards he lived near Cambridge, England and died there around 1671.

Sources

1. ↑ White and Allied Families of the Southeastern United States on RootsWeb - John Jefferson I
2. ↑ Thomas Warner (Explorer) article on Wikipedia
3. ↑ Lyndall J Mayes Tree: Samuel Jeafferson II and also Find A Grave Memorial# 63529535 Capt Samuel Jefferson
4. ↑ White and Allied Families of the Southeastern United States on RootsWeb - Elizabeth Carr Some sources add a 3rd son: Robert Jefferson.
5. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 007907162; FHL microfilm: 919626
   FamilySearch Record: N5KS-F5K (accessed 7 December 2023)
   Samuell Jeoffrason baptism on 11 Oct 1607, son of Samuelis Jeoffrason & Elizabethe, in Pettistree, Suffolk, England.
6. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 007907162; FHL microfilm: 919626
   FamilySearch Record: J3NH-MGM (accessed 7 December 2023)
   John Jeffrason baptism on 24 Dec 1609, son of Samuelis Jeffrason & Elizabethae, in Pettistree, Suffolk, England.
7. ↑ Jefferson Family File on RootsWeb - Thomas Jefferson
8. ↑ Lyndall J. Mayers Tree: John Jeafferson (b. Bef. 1584, d. 1660)

• http://wvrebel.0catch.com/JEFFERSON.HTML

• Lyndall J Mayes Tree: Samuel Jeafferson II

• Samuel Jefferson Sr. on Geni.com

• Find A Grave Memorial# 63529535 Capt Samuel Jefferson

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Jefferson-204 was created by Arik Russell, from firsthand knowledge, on July 19, 2011. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Arik and others.