Teague Name Study

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General Description

This is a One Name Study to collect together in one place everything about the surname Teague and its variants. The hope is that other researchers like you will join our study to help make it a valuable reference point for people studying lines that cross or intersect. Please contact the project leaders, add categories to your profiles, add your questions to the bulletin board, add details of your name research, etc.

Goals of the Teague Name Study

• To connect all individual profiles sharing the surname Teague, and its variations.
• To connect all of the genealogists researching Teague families for more effective collaboration and support for their work.
• To merge identical person records and maintain a clean, reliable source of Teague family history.
• To share the fun of discovering our ancestors and telling their stories.

Name Meanings and Distribution

Name Meanings

The meaning of any name in any particular period of time may never be precisely known, let alone in its original sense. Take for example the English surname Clark. Strictly speaking, a clerk (as indeed it was spelled before the modern era). This could refer to someone working in an office-like environment as we would understand it today, but it could also mean (and did) a scholar or scribe, being someone who could read and write. Indeed, the name is also related to the English word cleric, which is a clergyman. Furthermore, the Old Norse word that gives us these is kyrk, a term applied by Viking raiders to the English monasteries like Lindisfarne they pillaged in the early Medieval period.

So how would you define the meaning of Clark? Is it an English name? Can we assume a particular Clark was a clergyman because of his name? The point here is just that meanings, pronunciations, spellings and associations change over time. All are important, and meanings are almost certainly more complex than we imagine them to be.

That being said, there are a few clues to the various meanings of our surname, and the following are commonly believed to be reasonable answers to the question; what does Teague mean?

• In Celtic languages of mainland Britain (Cornish and Welsh), something close to Teague (pronounced like league) means: beautiful^[1], handsome^[2], or fair.
• In Cornish, a similar pronunciation yields: an enclosure (as for sheep).
• In Irish, two distinct meanings seem to exist: before the 16th Century it meant poet, or bard. By the 16th Century, it was such a common first name that the meaning became, sometimes mockingly, very like an average Joe.

Known Variations of Teague

Ireland

• Tadhg, Tadgh, Teg, Tegan
  • NOTE: In Ireland, Teague, etc. has been a common male first name since at least the 10th Century.

England

• Taig, Teage
  • NOTE: The first name Teague, etc, was so common in Ireland that, in England it became a slang term for all Irish men as early as the 16th Century. During the English Civil War (1642-1651) and Commonwealth Period (1653-1660), a "Teague" also often referred generally to a Catholic royalist, and those of Irish, Welsh, or Cornish decent. As a result, be aware that in pre-1700 records, those described as "John, Teage" or people simply listed as "a Teage" may be descriptions of people as much as their names.

Wales

• Deage, Degg, Tegan, Teage, Tecka, Tegg, Tegue
  • NOTE: Teague, etc. as a surname is much more common in Wales, the Welsh border counties of England and in Cornwall than anywhere else in the British Isles. The highest concentrations before the 19th Century, were in Cornwall.

Name Distribution

British Isles

An ongoing project to organize early Teague Families is underway in order to help researchers locate potential ancestors. See: Index of Teague Families in the British Isles before 1700. The individuals listed represent Teagues belonging to lines currently unconnected to other Teague families. Please join us in this effort, and feel free to contribute any additional information you may have.

As of the 1881 Census of the United Kingdom, the highest concentrations of the name spelled "Teague" by county, were^[3]:

1. Cornwall: 343
2. Gloucestershire: 198
3. Worcestershire: 158
4. Shropshire: 108

In the 21st Century, there are approximately 4,414 people named "Teague" in the United Kingdom.^[4] The highest concentrations by county, are:

1. Gloucestershire: 316
2. Greater London: 300
3. Lothian (Scotland): 243
4. Hampshire: 219

North America and the Caribbean

The first known Teagues in North America and the Caribbean were located in 17th Century Barbados, Jamaica and the Province of Maryland. By the end of Revolutionary War and the establishment of the United States of America, Teague families are known in at least eleven of the original thirteen colonies:

1. Connecticut
2. Delaware
3. Georgia
4. Maryland
5. Massachusetts Bay
6. New Hampshire
7. New York
8. North Carolina
9. Pennsylvania
10. South Carolina
11. Virginia

In the early 19th Century, following the Revolutionary War period, a number of Teague families from the Carolinas migrated into what was then called the Northwest Territories (later, the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and parts of the Great Lakes region of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota). By the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, additional migration of Teagues had occurred into Texas, California, and the Missouri Territory (later, the states of Arkansas, Colorado, the Dakotas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming). In the 21st Century, Teague families in North America can be found as far West as Alaska and Hawaiʻi, and likely exist in all 50 states.

In Canada, many Teague families can trace their lineage through ancestors who emigrated directly from England and Ireland long after Edward Teage arrived in Maryland in 1675, such as the McTeague's of Ontario (Ireland c. 1800) and the Teague's of Ontario and British Columbia (Cornwall c. 1820). These branches of the global Teague family are distinct lines, but certainly share common roots with the Edward Teage families at various points in history.

Oceania

There have been Teague families in Oceania, including Australia and New Zealand since at least the middle of the 19th Century. In Australia, the largest concentrations seem to be in the states of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, and appear to roughly coincide with the migration patterns associated with the post-1851 population boom and Australian Gold Rush. In addition, however, there are records of Teague families in Australia during period of penal transportation of convicts to the island continent. In New Zealand, Teague families date from the English and Irish migrations to the islands after 1840, when British sovereignty was proclaimed over the country.

In both cases, much more work remains to be done, but it would seem that the Teague families of Oceania largely originate from migrations directly from England and Ireland long after Teague families were established in North America. These lines are thus distinct, but likely somehow related to Teague families that did emigrate to what would become the United States.

Other Parts of the World

There are a few references to Teague families in territories that belonged to the British Empire throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. These include Gibraltar, British India, South Africa and Liberia. In addition, a significant number of Teagues can be found in the records of nations across continental Europe during this period, and before. For those families in European countries like Germany in the 18th Century or earlier, it is unclear if these Teague/Tegge lines are coincidental or a distinct branch of a single, shared family tree.

Teague Families and the American Revolutionary War

The highest concentration of Teague families by this period were in North and South Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Individual Teagues and their families can certainly be found on both Rebel (or Patriot) and Loyalist sides of this conflict. Many extraordinary stories of these people have survived, and can be found on the individual WikiTree pages of the Teagues involved.

• For quick reference, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Registry includes 13 references to Teague Patriots who served in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and South Carolina:

1. Teague, Alice Davis SC b. c. 1726 (DAR Ancestor # A113203)
2. Teague, Edward NC b. 1750 (DAR Ancestor # A050439)
3. Teague, Elijah SC b. 1726 (DAR Ancestor # A132130)
4. Teague, Jesse MA b. 1752 (DAR Ancestor # A113204)
5. Teague, John SC b. 1759 (DAR Ancestor # A113205)
6. Teague, John NC b. 1750 (DAR Ancestor # A131384)
7. Teague, Joshua SC b. bef. 1738 (DAR Ancestor # A113206)
8. Teague, Moses NC b. c. 1718 (DAR Ancestor # A113207)
9. Teague, Samuel SC b. 1759 (DAR Ancestor # A203826)
10. Teague, Vandever Swearingen NC b. 1740 (DAR Ancestor # A113208)
11. Teague, William SC b. 1761 (DAR Ancestor # A113209)
12. Teague, William NC b. c. 1753 (DAR Ancestor # A113210)
13. Teague, William NC b. c. 1733 (DAR Ancestor # A206925)

Teague Families and the American Civil War

The Edward Teage/Tegg Conundrum

Edward Teague is the earliest known ancestor of the majority of North American Teague families in what is now the United States, but we don't know much about him. The following excerpts from colonial records represent the foundations of what we do know. He is believed to have been born circa 1660, based on his appearance before a court in the Province of Maryland in 1674:

• Thomas Jones brings his servant Edward Teage before the Court and prays the worshipful Court to judge his age. He, ye said Edward Teague, coming into this province without indentures. After a full review by the Justices setting in Court of the said servant Edward Teage, this Court does adjudge him the said Edward Teage fourteen years of age.^[5]

On June 8, 1675, Edward and Thomas Jones again appear before a court in Maryland, to claim a headright of land granted to Jones:

• Eodem Die (this day) Thomas Jones proved his right to two hundred and fifty acres of land for transporting himself, Edward Teage, John Edomnds, Sr., Rebecca Edmonds, and John Edmonds, Jr. into this Province to inhabit.^[6]

Sometime in late 1686 or early 1687, a warrant for Edward's arrest appears to have been issued for an unpaid debt, since the court in Somerset, Maryland records that in January of 1687:

• Entries returnable the Second Tuesday in Janry: Annoq Dom 1687. n:est: Invts Caps agt Edward Teague to answer to Thomas Roberts of a plea of Debt John Robinson Subpd on; the part of y plte.^[7]

Note: "'n:est: Invts Caps" is an abbreviation that suggests that the Sheriff was unable to locate Edward to answer the arrest warrant or the plea against him.

In 1695, Edward claimed his right to 300 acres of land: 160 acres he called "Pembroke" and 130 acres called "Tegg's Delight," both located along the Susquehanna River in Cecil County, Maryland. Pembroke was the first to be patented, on October 10, 1695:

• "Charles, absolute, etc., to all persons, know ye that for and in consideration that Edward Tegg of Cecil County in our said province of Maryland hath due unto him 160 acres of land within our said province being due unto him the said Edward by assignment of 300 acres of land from Thomas Coursey out of a warrant for 919 acres of land granted the said Cousey 12 May 1695 as appears in the Land Office and upon such conditions and terms as are expressed in our Conditions of Plantations of our said province bearing date 5 April 1684 and remaining upon record in our said province of Maryland. We do therefore hereby grant unto him the said Edward Tegg all that tract or parcel of land called "Pembroke" lying in Cecil County and on the east side of the Susquehanna River. ... Containing and now laid out for 160 acres of land more or less according to the certificate of survey thereof taken and returned into our Land Office bearing date 26 August 1695 and there remaining together with all rights, profits, and benefits and priviledges thereunto belonging, (Royal mines excepted). To have and to hold the same unto him the said Edward Tegg, his heirs and assigns forever. To be holden of us and our heirs as of our Manor of Baltimore in free and common soccage by fealty only for all manner of services, yeilding and paying therefore yearly unto us and our heirs at our receipt at the City of St. Marys at the two most usual feast in the year, viz, the feast of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michael the Archangel, by even and equal portions the rent of six shillings and five pence in silver or gold and for a fine upon every alienation of the said land, or any part thereof, one whole years rent in silver or gold or the full value thereof in such commondities as we and our heirs or such officer or officers as shall be appointed by us and our heirs from time to time to collect and receive the same shall accept in discharge thereof at the choice of us and our heirs, provided that if the said sum for a fine or alienation shall not have been paid unto us and our heirs before such alienation, the said alienation entered upon record either in the provincial court or in the county court where the same parcel of land lieth within one month next after such alienation the said alienation shall be void and of no effect. Given under our greater seal at arms this 10 October 1695. Witness our trusty and well beloved Colonel Henry Darnall, Keeper of Our Greater Seal, in our said Province of Maryland.^[8]

The second of Edward's land patents was granted for Tegg's Delight on November 10, 1695:

• We do hereby grant unto him, the said Edward Tegg all that tract or parcel of land called "Tegg's Delight" lying in Cecil County on the East Side of Susquehanna River on the side of a creek called Cunnuango ... containing and now laid out for 130 acres of land more or less.^[9]

Edward is known to have died on March 9, 1697 at Tegg's Delight. His estate was appraised on September 20, 1697, and his possessions were listed as follows^[10]:

• 2 frying pans
• 1 brass kettle
• 2 old pots
• 1 hammer
• 1 drawing knife
• A sickle
• A pair of hinges
• A parcel of old iron
• A box of iron
• A handsaw
• A pair of stockings and gloves
• A feather bed
• A broad axe
• A dutch wheel
• Pillows
• 7 pairs Indian stockings
• 7 Bld. guns
• 2 chests
• A parcel of woodenware
• An old horse
• 2s 10p cash
• 2 gal. Brandy
• 400 lb Tobacco
• Cow yearlings
• 32 lbs lard
• 25 gal cider
• A grubbing hoe
• 1 pack salt
• A crosscut saw
• Indian corn
• 2 old cider casts
• 10 gals Rumlot
• A box of iron [again]
• Abill of Thomas Whomsly for 1200 lbs. Tobacco
• 1 stock lock

Interestingly, the land originally granted to Edward in 1695 remains largely intact near the modern town of Conowingo, Maryland. Since 1955, 600 acres that include Pembroke and Tegg's Delight have operated as Camp Conowingo, owned by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. Indeed, portions of the chimney and traces of Edward's homestead continue to stand where the stones were set more than 300 years ago.

Edward's birthplace, parents and reasons for his emigration to the English colonies of North America remain uncertain at this point in time. In fact, the only knowledge we have of his life comes from these scant clues in the records of colonial Maryland. This has led researchers to ask a lot of questions about who his family may have been, where they came from, and why Edward suddenly appears in Maryland at the end of the 17th Century. How we answer these questions bears directly on how we understand Edward and our Teague family origins, so we must be careful to rely on only the best possible evidence when making claims.

The next few sections detail various strategies for answering these questions, and a number of the theories suggested to tell Edward's story. Let me reiterate: At the present time, what follows is conjecture, based on the few clues we have to go on.

Travel to Maryland

Understanding the origins of the Edmonds family with whom Edward Teague was conveyed into Maryland in 1675 might shed some light on possible relationships to Edward, as well as where he was immediately prior to the time he first appears in colonial documents. Similarly, understanding more about Thomas Jones, the mariner who transported Edward and the Edmonds family, may well elucidate a great deal about Edward's movements before arriving in Maryland.

The Edmonds Family

The project to identify the Edmonds family with whom Edward Teage was transported into Maryland by Thomas Jones is ongoing. As more information becomes available, it will be presented here.

Captain Thomas Jones

Thomas Jones "of St. Mary's County, Merchant" was a mariner operating out of the port of Bristol (Gloucestershire), England. He is believed to have come into the Province somewhere in 1663/4. By 1672, the Governor of Maryland had named Jones as the High Sheriff of Somerset County, and was given the exclusive right to trade with the indigenous peoples of the Chesapeake region within the Province. In addition, he is listed as Justice of the Peace and Captain of a local militia, as well as a tax revenue collector for Somerset County. ^[11] According to a history of Somerset County written by Clayton Torrence:

• Captain Thomas Jones was an influential merchant and official in Somerset County. His home was on the south side of the Manokin River and just north of the present Jones' Creek, which evidentally derived its name from his family. The site of his home was on the tract of land called "Bridger's Lot" which he acquired by purchase. In 1675 Jones patented the tracts of land called "Nasworthies Choice" and "Friends Choice" on the south side of the Manokin River which he conveyed to William Stevens in 1679.^[12]

Despite (or indeed concurrent with) his many official duties, Thomas Jones appears to have been a belligerent fellow, given the many references to him in court cases during this time. He may have been married more than once, and is known to have died in 1701.

Perhaps significantly, "Jones" is a Welsh surname, and there are references to a James Jones, who was born in Monmouthshire, Wales, and died in 1677 "leaving a large Somerset County estate [to his brother]." Captain Thomas Jones was almost certainly James' brother, given Maryland land records from this period.^[13] If correct, it strongly suggests that Thomas Jones was also a native of Monmouthshire, Wales, and provides the intriguing possibility that Edward Teage and the Edmonds family were known to Jones (or his family) in England or Wales before he transported these people into Maryland.

Residence Prior to 1675

English Theory

Many researchers believe that Edward was brought into Maryland in 1675 directly from England itself. No records have yet been located to confirm this possibility. However, it remains among the most likely origins of Edward's family.

Irish Theory

During the English Civil War, Ireland was occupied and subdued by Oliver Cromwell and Puritan parliamentary forces of England. In 1652, the Act of Settlement formally robbed many native Catholic landowners in Ireland of their property, and transplanted them with English Protestant settlers. Many of these dispossessed Irish Catholics and "rebels" (as many as 50,000) were sent to the new English colonies in the Caribbean (mostly to Barbados and Jamaica) as indentured servants.^[14]

• Note: If this is the case, it would represent Edward's father's generation who was relocated. Indeed, when Edward arrives in Maryland in 1675, he himself is noted as free of indentures. However, emigration from Ireland remains a reasonably likely origin of the Teague family.

Welsh Theory

Much has been made about the possibility that the Teague family has its origins in Wales. This is entirely possible, and even likely. From DNA studies, to demographic analysis of the concentration of Teague names in the British Isles, and the potential that "Teague" itself derives from a Celtic language, the evidence certainly indicates that the family could be Welsh. Indeed, one of Edward's few known actions in Maryland may provide additional evidence:

In 1695, two tracts of land were surveyed for Edward in Cecil County, Maryland. 160 acres called "Pembroke," and 130 called "Tegg's Delight." Pembroke was the first, on October 10th.^[15] While it is possible that Edward (or his family) were from the Welsh County of Pembrokeshire, there is currently no concrete evidence of this, but the chances are very good.

• UPDATE DEC 2016: Thanks to Dave Teague, a will^[16] has been discovered in the parish of Stackpole Elidor, Pembrokeshire for a John Teage, dated 1608. This record indicates that John was a husbandman, and implies that a Teague family was in fact situated in that region long before what was previously known. Prior to this discovery, the oldest known Teague family in Pembrokeshire dates from a period after Edward had already been in Maryland for 15 years. Much additional work remains to be done on this new evidence, and will be presented here as information becomes available. See: John Teage, Stockpole Elidor, Pembroke, under Theories of Edward's Ancestors, below, for more.

It is interesting to note that Pembrokeshire, Wales was called Anglia Transwalliana, or "Little England beyond Wales" as early as the 16th Century. This region is linguistically and culturally English, despite being separated from mainland England by the Bristol Channel, and surrounded by more traditional Welsh communities to the North and East. As such, strong connections between families on both sides of this ethno-national line are quite likely here.

If Edward's family was from Pembrokeshire, it is clearly the simplest explanation for why he named his land in Maryland "Pembroke." However, it's possible that it had some other meaning to Edward. One possibility is that for Welsh people of the 17th Century, Pembroke was a place of great significance. In 1648, the first skirmish of the Second English Civil War began with a rebellion there that resulted in the Siege of Pembroke. Perhaps Edward's father (or family) had a connection to the battle.

The English Civil War was fought across the English political world, including in the Province of Maryland. Indeed, during the Third English Civil War, Parliamentary Forces briefly took control of the province. These wars did not settle all questions about Royal power and religious practice, and led to the Glorious Revolution in England (1688) and Coode's Rebellion in Maryland (1689). During this time Puritan forces took control, and voided the Maryland Toleration Act of 1649, which provided religious liberty in the province.

We don't know why Edward chose to settle in Maryland, but we do know that he came into the province before the Puritans ended the tolerance of Catholicism there. Edward naming his land "Pembroke" in 1695 would likely have been an evocative and meaningful choice to those living through these events, whether Edward's family was from Wales, Pembrokeshire, or not.

• Note: Pembroke was a place name already found outside Wales in the 17th Century, often established by Welsh settlers or noble families from Pembrokeshire. Edward or his family may have had a connection to any of the following Pembrokes:
  • Pembroke Parish in Bermuda, established in 1619 (See Caribbean Theory).
  • Pembroke, Massachusetts, established in 1650 near Plymouth (See New England Theory).
  • Pembroke College, Cambridge University, established in 1347.
  • Pembroke College, Oxford University, established in 1624.

New England Theory

Some researchers have suggested that the Teague family fled England before or during the English Civil War as a result of their religious convictions, much like the Puritan "Pilgrims" of Massachusetts in the 1620s. Under this theory, Edward was transported into Maryland in 1675 from one of these other New England colonies. While this is possible, no records in Puritan New England have been located that document a Teague family there during this period.

• Note: So little is known about the earliest Teague families that it is currently impossible to know which side of the religious and social divides in England the family would have found themselves on.

Virginia Theory

Some researchers are investigating the possibility that Edward was conveyed across the Chesapeake from Virginia into Maryland in 1675, which might suggest that he (and/or his parents) arrived in the American colonies much earlier. The Jamestown colony was established in 1607, and English emigration to Virginia was steady thereafter, but no other Teague families have been confirmed in American colonial records before 1675.

Roanoke Theory

One of the most speculative theories is that a Teague was part of what became known as the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke. This colony was established in 1585, and was the first English attempt at settlement in North America. During the Anglo-Spanish War, the colony disappeared without a trace, and the fate of its people were lost to history. Some have suggested that a few colonists survived and inter-married with local indigenous peoples. Proponents of this idea point to two islands off the coast of Virginia and Maryland that have indigenous names which include "teague": Chincoteague and Assateague. The specific origin of these place names is uncertain, but they were known as such in 1671 when the first permanent English settlers to the islands arrived.

• Note: While this is a fascinating theory, it is highly unlikely to be the origin of Teague families in North America. No one named Teague was discovered in the records of the Roanoke Colony, or the subsequent investigation of its disappearance.

Caribbean Theory

In the 17th Century, the English colonies of the Caribbean were a much more popular place for settlers than those of North America. The first settlers of the Carolina colonies, for example, came from Barbados, not directly from England. A Caribbean connection may provide a reasonably likely origin of the Edward Teague family.

• Barbados: Records have been located for Teague families in Barbados in the years after Edward's arrival in Maryland. ^[17]
• Bermuda: Pembroke Parish, Bermuda was established in 1619, and may be a possible reference for Edward's plot of land in Maryland called Pembroke.
• Jamaica: In Jamaica, a Richard Teage is listed as a freeholder with 88 acres in St Andrew's Parish (interestingly, an Edmond family is also listed in the parish with 70 acres), on the 1670 Survey of Jamaica.^[18]
  • Note: in 1655, England took control of Jamaica from the Spanish. It is noted in Irish records that 2,000 Irish Catholic children were sent to the island to repopulate it.^[19] It is possible that the Richard Teage noted in 1670 was one of these children, but no records documenting the fact have been found.
• St. Croix: On the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands, there is a place called "Teague Bay," which might represent a Teague family there in the 17th or 18th Century as well.

Possible Ancestors

If Edward Teague and his parents were in the British Isles immediately prior to Edward's arrival in Maryland in 1675, they almost certainly fall in the "Commonwealth Gap" Period with respect to records in England, Ireland and Wales. During this time, after the end of the English Civil War, church record-keeping was stopped, and many records themselves, destroyed. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, some (but certainly not all) were re-created from memory. Commonwealth Gap Resources.

Theories

There are a number of intriguing theories that suggest specific ancestors for Edward. These possibilities will be described here as more information becomes available.

John Teage, Stackpole Elidor, Pembroke

29 DEC 2016: In his will dated 1608, John Teage of Stackpole Elidor Parish, Pembrokeshire, Wales, is listed as a husbandman. Given his death in 1607/8, John is unlikely to have been Edward's father, but may have been his grandfather or older relative.

1 JAN 2017: Discussion and research about John Teage has been moved to his page. For additional information, and a transcript of his will, please follow the link above.

Edward Teage, Trurow, Cornwall

There is a reference in the archives of the Cornwall Record Office dated 6 AUG 1582 that describes a land agreement between Edward Teage of the borough of Trurow, noted as a draper and a Thomas Richard, yeoman.^[20] In it, Edward sells his property for the sum of £130 to the yeoman. Edward's uncle, William Teage of St. Breake's Parish, Pydar, Cornwall will warrant any further deeds as required by the buyer.

Evidently, there were land owning Teage families in Cornwall by at least the 1580s, and perhaps before. This could indicate a family root older than the John Teage family pre-1608 Pembrokeshire. Indeed, since the 1608 record we have of John Teage is his will, we can assume he was an adult in 1582, and may have been a brother or cousin to the Edward Teage in this document (and therefore William could be John's uncle or father).

Richard Teage, Cornwall

Also in the archives of the Cornwall Record Office is a document dated 1 JUN 1598 that describes a land agreement between a Christopher Teage of Polmorva, gentleman, his uncles Humphrey and Richard Teage, gentlemen, and John Arundell of Lanhern, esquire, et. al.^[21]. In the agreement, the land tenements of Trevean Manor, St. Columb Major, are described as being part of the inheritance of a Rawlin Teage, father of Humphrey and Richard, and grandfather of Christopher.

Four things seem evident from this record:

• First, this Teage family in Cornwall included gentlemen, which is of considerable note. In the 16th Century, gentlemen were minor gentry; the lowest rank of nobility. Hence, generally the younger sons of higher ranks who would not necessarily inherit land and titles. If so, the older roots of the Teage family would be in Cornwall (or the region associated with the once landed-gentry status of the family).

• Second, the sale is between the gentlemen Teages and John Arundell, esquire. This is important because the status of esquire was a higher rank of the gentry from gentlemen, and because the Arundell family were a very old and powerful family (records date to the 13th Century or before in Cornwall). That there were connections between these families is significant. All the more that the tenements of Trevean Manor in St. Columb Major were inherited by a Teage and only sold to the Arundell's in 1598.^[22].

• Third, Christopher Teage is described as being of Polmorva. Christopher's grandfather, Rawlin Teage is known to have been at Polmorla in 1548.^[23] This must have been the property he inherited.

• Fourth, a Richard Teake (perhaps the father of the Richard Teage listed in this record) is known to have been at St. Columb Major Parish (where the estate tenements sold to the Arundell's were located) in 1522,^[24] and as a Tithingman, or leader of a subdivision of a Manor, in 1531/2^[25]. These status markers imply a social position for this family somewhat higher than had been previously thought.

Is it possible that the Richard Teage noted in this document is related to the John Teage of Stackpole Elidor, Pembrokeshire? The dates would seem to line up. The fact that William, the uncle of Edward Teage of Trurow (above) was from St. Breock is significant because the Polmorla estate was located in Breock. That would imply these two families, at least, were related.

1 JAN 2017: Identifying those named above

1. A Christopher Teage was christened on 9 JAN 1604 at East Newlyn, Cornwall^[26], and was buried on 27 JAN 1604 at Newlyn (near St. Columb Major), Cornwall^[27]. His mother's name is listed in both records as Susanna. Could this be a child of the Christopher above?
2. A Richard Teage was christened on 18 JAN 1590 at East Newlyn, Cornwall^[28], and buried the next day, on 19 JAN 1590, at Newlyn (near St. Columb), Cornwall.^[29]. His mother's name is listed in both records as Susanna. Could she be Christopher's wife?

John Tege, Shropshire Courts

There is an intriguing court record from c. 1600 that describes a land claim in the county of Shropshire in the Welsh Marches. In it, John Tege sues Thomas Hurley and Humfrey Cornwall regarding lands adjacent to the town of Buckenhill within the administrative region Honour of Clone. The property in question is described as "lately belonging Richard Teage and Walter Teage his son (father of plaintiff)"^[30].

This suggests that Richard was Walter's father, and Walter was John's. Could Walter thus be John of Stackpole, Elidor's father? And his father, Richard, the same as described in Cornwall records dating from the 1522? Interestingly, Castle Clun is associated with the Arundell Family (see Richard Teage, Cornwall), and implies a link between the two Richards.

Sources

1. ↑ Cornish: See "teg" or "tegen": http://www.cornishdictionary.org.uk/browse?field_word_value=teg
2. ↑ Welsh: See "teg": http://www.geiriadur.net/index.php?page=ateb&term=teg&direction=we&type=all&whichpart=exact
3. ↑ http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surname/teague/stats
4. ↑ Ibid.
5. ↑ Archives of Maryland, Somerset Judicial Records (November 10, 1674)
6. ↑ Maryland Index to Early Settlers (1630-1680), Vol. II., Hall of Records, Annapolis, MD
7. ↑ Archives of Maryland, Somerset Judicial Records (1687-1689)
8. ↑ Maryland Land Office, Annapolis, MD. Book C, p. 483.
9. ↑ Maryland Land Office, Annapolis, MD. Book C, p. 485.
10. ↑ Inventories and Accounts of Cecil County. Annapolis, MD. Book 15, p. 295
11. ↑ Torrence, Clayton. Old Somerset on the Eastern Shore of Maryland: A Study in Foundations and Founders. Whittet & Shepperson, printers. Richmond, VA: 1935.
12. ↑ Ibid.
13. ↑ Ibid.
14. ↑ "Shipped for the Barbadoes:" Cromwell and Irish Migration to the Caribbean History Ireland Magazine. Issue 4, Volume 16. Jun/Aug 2008 (http://www.historyireland.com/early-modern-history-1500-1700/shipped-for-the-barbadoes-cromwell-and-irish-migration-to-the-caribbean/).
15. ↑ Maryland Land Office, Annapolis, MD, Book C, p. 483
16. ↑ John Teage : 1608., St. David's Probate Records, 1556-1858 9933041602419. (1608). See: National Library of Wales Record: https://viewer.library.wales/353896#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&z=-0.5505%2C-0.0797%2C2.1011%2C1.5938
17. ↑ http://www.teagueonline.freeserve.co.uk/Statics/Barbados.html (archived at {{subst:Space:WbM-01|fmt=0 |http://www.teagueonline.freeserve.co.uk/Statics/Barbados.html}})
18. ↑ http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/1670sand.htm
19. ↑ Jordan, Don and Michael Walsh. White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America. New York University Press. New York, NY: 2008.
20. ↑ See: National Archives of the UK: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/51a9e355-314b-483a-84ae-79b2ad2e62ee
21. ↑ See National Archives of the UK: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/241da796-a2c4-4ce2-a4a4-87b1719c8f33
22. ↑ See National Archives of the UK: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/cd9f6758-cf9e-4e11-ae34-159fba9f0778
23. ↑ Cornwall Manorial Surveys, Polmorla in Breock, Cornwall (quoted in the Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, pg. 2634.)
24. ↑ Cornwall Military Survey, Saint Columb Parish, Cornwall
25. ↑ See National Archives of the Uk: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/d59efb19-36b4-4d73-a4b7-3126d6bd4911
26. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JMYM-KXG : 30 December 2014), Christopher Teage, 09 Jan 1604; citing EAST NEWLYN,CORNWALL,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 916,981.
27. ↑ "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J8HJ-2J7 : 24 December 2014), Christopher Teage, 27 Jan 1604; citing , reference P 152; FHL microfilm 246,770.
28. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J73S-BVQ : 30 December 2014), Richard Teage, 18 Jan 1590; citing EAST NEWLYN,CORNWALL,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 916,981.
29. ↑ "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J8HJ-24X : 24 December 2014), Richard Teage, 19 Jan 1590; citing , reference P 141; FHL microfilm 246,770.
30. ↑ See National Archives of the Uk: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3702591