Adventurers of Purse and Person BALDWIN family

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Jamestowne, Virginia Colony

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BALDWIN

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^*1. JOHN¹ BALDWIN, listed in the muster as a "freeman," came in the Tyger, 1622, and at the census of 1623 was among those living "at the plantacon over against James Citty,"^A which had been assigned to George Sandys, Treasurer of the colony.

The Tyger, a pinnace of 40 tons, cleared her English port, with forty passengers, August 1621.^B Departing at the same time were the Warwick with 100 passengers and the Seaflower with 120 persons aboard. The crossing was rough and the pinnace met with real adventure:^C

. . . the Tiger in her passage being driven by ill weather to farr the north Cape fell into the hands of the Turks in her way but it pleased God to deliver her out of their hands by a strange accident. So, as she escaped that danger and came safely with her people to Virginia. . . . They found the people in Virginia in good health.

There is no record of the "strange accident" which enabled the Tyger to elude her would-be captors. Even so, she reached Virginia ahead of her two companions on the voyage.
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The record of ship sailings from England with their complements of settlers bound for Virginia during 1621 together with a report of the activities of the Virginia Company made, May 1620, shows that John¹ Baldwin came at a time when the future of the colony appeared very bright. The Glass Works, at Jamestown, the fur trade and supplies, as well as wives for the planters, were among the needs receiving attention of the Company.^D Unfortunately, the excellent report submitted to the Company had to be followed by an account of the tragic massacre of March 1622. John¹ Baldwin living then at "Mr. Treasurer's Plantacon" escaped being slain, but the situation thereafter in Virginia was fraught with vicissitude as a letter of 30 March 1623 from Treasurer Sandys to his brother Sir Miles Sandys in England attests:^E

Extreame hath beene the mortalietie this yeare, which I am afraid hath doubled the nomber of those which were massacred. . . . Although in particular I have not suffered much by the Indians, yet have I lost by sickness 23 of my small nomber. . . . had I not hired in good time the sixth part of a ship— which cost me 140 li. for my share—I and the rest of my men had hardlie escaped the perishing by famine.

John¹ Baldwin owned land at Jamestown in his own right as is shown in a recorded deed of sale:^F

John Radish and John Bradwell, 16 acs. James Citty Island, 20 May 1637 ... S. up to the highway running close to Goose hill marsh. . . . The whole 16 acs. due sd. Radish by deed of sale from JOHN BALDWIN, late of James Island, Gent ...

Because of conditions it appears probable that Baldwin had left the colony but he had returned by 18 March 1648 at which time he patented 300 acres in Northampton County on the Eastern Shore claiming himself as a headright.^G He assigned this land to Benjamin Mathews who repatented it, 2 October 1654.^H In the meantime Baldwin had established himself in the Northern Neck of Virginia, recently opened for settlement, where he was collector of levies for Burgesses' expenses, 1653^J and on 12 July 1653 "by the unanimous opinion of the House of Assembly" it was ordered that "John Baldwin shall have and keep his place."^K

Baldwin is last mentioned in Virginia records, 4 October 1656, when
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he patented "15 acs. 69 perches in James Island between the main river and the back river."^L Prior to the aforementioned date he had married.

John Wilkins, who patented 500 acres on the Eastern Shore, 1637^M subsequently gave to his "son-in-law" (step-son) 50 acres of this tract, the record of which is contained in a release deed, 1665, to the 500 acre tract which Argoll Wilkins, son of John, gave to his younger brother. However, the deed excepted the aforesaid 50 acres reciting that it had been given by John Wilkins to his "son-in-law John Baldwin."^N Later, as no heirs had appeared to claim the 50 acres, John Wilkins' grandson Argoll Wilkins took possession of it.

In the meantime, as is shown, the Baldwin family had departed from the Eastern Shore and later from Virginia, having apparently followed the Quaker trek to the Province of Maryland, 1660,^O where John¹ Baldwin's son became a prominent member of the South River Meeting.^P

Issue: 2. John².

2. John² BALDWIN (John¹) married Elizabeth _ , who joined him in his affiliation with the Quaker sect, both husband and wife having made bequests in their respective wills to the "Meetings."^R The Quaker records also show that the meetings were oftimes held at John² Baldwin's house."

John² Baldwin's will, 12 June 1682—25 July 1684, Ann Arundel County, Maryland names his wife, children and grandchildren and makes bequest of personalty to the Quakers.^S

Issue:^T

3. John³;

4. MARGARET³;

5. LYDIA³;

6. RUTH³.

3. John³ BALDWIN (John², John¹), executor and residuary legatee of his father's estate, real and personal, married Hester, widow of Nicholas Nicholson. The will of John³ Baldwin, 27 February 1714—26 March 1715, Anne Arundel County, Maryland mentions his estates,

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"Baldwin's Chance," "Littleton" and "Bear Neck," names wife, sons and daughters and son-in-law Robert Lusby.^U

Issue:

7. John⁴, bequeathed, in addition to land, "a house and lot in London town;"

8. James⁴, bequeathed part of "Baldwin's Chance" and 200 acres in Prince George's County;

9. Thomas⁴, bequeathed part of "Baldwin's Chance" and 100 acres of "Littleton;"

10. Mary⁴, married Robert Lusby, bequeathed part of "Baldwin's Chance, where they now live" and part of "Littleton;"

11. Catherine⁴, bequeathed "lott and houses in Annapolis" and other lands, married Captain Charles Griffith.

4. MARGARET³ BALDWIN (John², John¹) married Thomas Crutchley (Crouchly), whose will, 22 November 1709-8 April 1710, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, does not name his wife but names two married daughters, two single daughters and a son. To the married daughters was bequeathed "Baldwin's Addition," which had come to him through his marriage with Margaret³, hence it seems likely that the other children were by a (2) wife.^T

Issue:

12. Lydia⁴ married ___ Metcalf;

13. Ruth⁴ married ____ Warfield.

5. LYDIA³ BALDWIN (John², John¹) married (1) ____Watkins and (2) ___ Bittison.

Issue: by (1), 14. Thomas⁴.

6. RUTH³ BALDWIN (John², John¹) married about 1670 Captain Philip Howard (1649-1701), born in Lower Norfolk County, emigrated to Maryland where he was Justice of Anne Arundel County, 1694, and the same year a member of the Commission to lay out the town of Annapolis. Captain Howard's will, 29 July 1701-24 February 1701, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, names his wife, an only daughter and her two sons, with reversion of his estate to cousins Philip and Joseph Howard should his direct heirs fail.^W

Issue: 15. Hannah⁴ (1672-1734) married Major Charles Hammond.

Footnotes

See Front Matter - 8 KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS OF TITLES
^A Hotten 180
^B R, Va. Co. Ill 639; not infrequently the colonist's recollection of the time of his arrival in Virginia is somewhat at variance with the official record
^C R, Va. Co. I 605
^D Ibid. Ill 639
^E Ibid. IV 71
^F CP. 56, 57
^G Ibid. 179
^H Ibid. 294, 295
^J VCA XX 9
^K JHB 1619-1658/59, p. 88
^L CP. 338
^M Ibid. 84
^N ES I 163, 167
^O For Quaker movement to Md., see Clayton Torrence, Old Somerset 12-14, 85 et seq.
^PQuaker Records filed in vault of Friends' School, Baltimore, Md.
^Q South River Meeting of Preparative Quarterly, Half Yearly Meetings of Ye West River Clifts Indian Springs Meetings of Province of Maryland, 1678-1688, Shelf 33, pp. 22, 43, 57; also West River Quarterly Meeting of Friends held at Ann Chew's, Herring Creek, 1682-1709, Shelf 40, p. 7
^R Ibid.
^SMd. Cal. W. I 132
^T On 15 May 1671, Ann Vosse, widow "for love and affection" made a deed of gift to "John Baldin Jr" to Margaret, eldest daughter of John Baldwin Sr. and "now wife to Thomas Crech (Crutchley)" and to "two other daughters of John Baldwin Sr. by name Lydia Balding and Ruth Balding." (R, Northampton Co. D. & W. #11 (1668-1680), fol. 22); also J. D. Warfield, The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland 158, 189
^U Md. Cal. W. IV 26
^V Ibid. Ill 165
^W Ibid. II 229