Stephen Tarleton (1637 - bef. 1688)

Born 23 Aug 1637 in Charles River County, Virginia Colony [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Susanna (Bates) Tarleton — married 21 May 1655 in York,, Virginia

Descendants

Died before Mar 1688 before age 50 in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent, Colony of Virginia

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Biography

Stephen Tarleton, son of John Tarleton and Ursula Fleming, was born about August 1637 in either England or Virginia Colony. No birth record has been located. At a court hearing in 1659 he stated he was 22 years old, thus born in 1637.^[1]

He could not have been born in New Kent County which was not established until 1654. Tracing colony name changes back in time, if he was born in Virginia he may have been born in Charles City County.

Charles City County formed as one of 8 original shires/counties in 1634

Named changed from Charles City to York County in 1643

New Kent formed from part of York in 1654

Stephen Tarleton was in York County by 1659 and worked as an appraiser of tobacco. In 1663 he was living in Blisland Parish in the area that became St. Peter's Parish.

It is not known exactly when Stephen went to New Kenty County to live, but he had led a colorful life before he left York County. (It's also possible he didn't actually move; New Kent was formed from part of York in 1654.) At a court hearing in York County on 12 Aprl 1660, a servant girl, Mary Gunnell, deposed, "says Stephen Torlington got her with child and did use her several times by day and also by night in her master's hall and also in other places."^[2]

On 30 August 1664 Stephen Tarleton recorded a patent in Blisland Parish, New Kent County of "394 acres on the north branch of Black Creek, which was next to the lands of Peter Adams, due by purchase from Henry Bateman in 1663 who purchased the land from Pulliam out of 100 acres in 1657." ^[3]

Following Bacon's Rebellion and other episodes of unrest in the Colony, Stephen apparently settled down somewhat. He was a vestryman of St. Peter's Parish, New Kent County by May 1685. He apparently served until his death in 1688. (Note: in records of The Vestry book of Saint Peter's, New Kent County Stephen is listed as "Stephen Carlton.")^{[4] [3]}

Notes

Settled in New Kent county, and was probably a Quaker. He begged the council for pardon in taking the oath Bacon imposed upon the people. He had a daughter Judith, who married John Woodson, and probably another Susanna, who married Charles Fleming, of New Kent.; ; IV--Burgesses and Other Prominent Persons ^[5]

Marriage & Children

Stephen Tarleton married Susanna (Bates) Tarleton on 21 May 1655 in York County, Virginia.

They had the following children:

• Susanna Tarleton was born 11 Oct 1661 and died after 7 Oct 1717; md Charles Fleming
• Judith Tarleton 1 was born 1662 in Henrico Co., VA. She died before 7 Sep 1714 in Henrico Co., VA. Married John Woodson
• Stephen Tarleton Jr. was born about 1661 in York Co., VA.
• John Tarleton was born about 1664 in Blisland Par., New Kent Co., VA. Md. Susanna Fleming
• Charles Tarleton was born about 1667 in Blisland Par., New Kent Co., VA.
• Elizabeth Tarleton, md. Stephen Hughes^[6]

Harris, in Old New Kent County [Virginia]: ... states Stephen Tarleton had two daughters, Susannah who married Charles Fleming and Judith who married John Woodson.^[3]

Political & Revolutionary Activities

Stephen was involved in Bacon's Rebellion of 1676^[7] and suffered because ot it. After the Rebellion finally collapsed, he petitioned for clemency.

"The humble petition of Stephen Tarleton of New Kent county most humbly sheweth

"That your petitioner as he most penitently and sorrowfully acknowledgeth seduced into the late horrible Rebellion, and taken yet unlawful oath imposed by the late grand Rebell Nathaniel Bacon, Jr. and being conscious of his guilt thereof did upon the firste publishing his most sacred Majesty's gratious and surpassing Act of pardon, to his distressed subjects of this late disloyall Colony lay hold of the same, and take the oath of allegiance and then was and still is ready to performe those other due and reasonable conditions which by his Majesty's said pardon he is justly enjoyned to doe and being by the Honorable Governor's proclamation of the 9th of ffebruary last referred to the determination of your honor.

"Your petitioner in all humility beseecheth mercy and pardon for his said crimes, and humbly prayeth yet he may be admitted to the full benefit of his Majesty's said Act of pardon."^[6]

Stephen was also involved in the protest of New Kent citizens through the Blisland Parish Grievances in 1677.

In May 1682 Stephen Tarleton and Charles Bostwicke of New Kent were taken into custody during the Tobacco Riots^[8] "for words greatly encouraging the present distractions, by cutting up tobacco plants. This was the last uprising of its kind before the unrest leading to the American Revolution."^[6]

Death

No records have been located for the exact date of Stephen Tarleton's death. The only information we have is the notation in the St. Peter's Parish vestry minutes that James Moss was appoint to the vestry instead of Mr. Stephen Carlton [Tarleton], deceased. Stephen had attended the vestry meeting of 5 October 1687 and James Moss attended the meeting held on 31 March 1688.^[6] It is safe to say Stephen died sometime during the winter of 1687/88.

Sources

1. ↑ York County Deeds, Wills, Orders, 1657-1662, p. 59, as cited in Tidewater Virginia Families.
2. ↑ York County Records, 1659-1662, p. 91, as cited in Tidewater Virginia Families.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Land Patent Book No. 5, page 246) This land was located in in Blisland Parish (later St. Peter's Parish, as cited in Harris, Malcom Hart. Old New Kent County [Virginia]: Some account of the Planters, Plantations and Places. Vol. 1. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2006. Page 182
4. ↑ National Society of the Colonial Dames of American in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Vestry Book of Saint Peter's, New Kent County, Va. from 1682-1758. Richmond: W. E. Jones, Book and Job Printer, 1905. Pages 6, 7, 13
5. ↑ Original data: Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. Richmond, VA, USA: n.p., 1915.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} Davis, Virginia Lee Hutcheson. Tidewater Virginia Families. Copyright 1989, Virginia Lee Hutcheson Daivs. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, Third Printing, 2004.
7. ↑ Bacon's Rebellion
8. ↑ Tobacco in Colonial Virginia