of Surry County, Virginia (?-1672)
Excerpt from the Judkins Journal, Vol. 7 #3 as written by Norma E. (Judkins) Pennington.
Seventeenth century handwriting as seen in the early records of Surry County is extremely difficult to read. With a little persistence our efforts will reward us with a deeper knowledge of the life and times of those earliest ancestors on the shores of the James River.
The will of Samuel Judkin from Surry County, Virginia, Deeds and Wills 1671--1684 is a good example. Samuel says he has three sons, Samuel, Robert and Charles. He names his wife, Lidia, and says she is the mother of his oldest son. When reading old wills we often wonder if the present wife is the mother of the children named, but Samuel answers that question. Although he was not wealthy, he was certainly far from poor; having land, cattle and hogs to divide among his children. A feather bed and furniture (which included the bedstead and linens) was a prized possession and certainly a sign of prosperity, and a brass kettle of greater value than an iron pot. Early published genealogies of the Judkins family claim that Samuel's wife, Lidia was a daughter of William Gray but offer no proof. Until proof can be produced, we must say that Lidia's parentage is unknown. Also unknown are the origins of Samuel Judkin. Was he born in the Colony of Virginia or was he the immigrant ancestor? Did he come as an indentured servant? Perhaps we will never know the answers to these questions, but we will keep searching and eagerly awaiting new publications which may offer clues.
Surry County, Virginia Deeds and Wills 1671 - 1684 Page 13, dated 1671
"Samuel Judkin being Sick makes his will & testamt. I give my soul to God that gave it me & my body to ye Ground & my Land I give to my three sons Samuel, Robert & Charles to be Equally divided amongst them & to ye heirs of there bodys Lawfully begotten & yt (that) my Sonn Samuel being my Eldest Sonn & his mother Lidia being my wife I make them my Executrs. to pay my debts & to divide all my Moveables amongst them only my Sonn Samuel shall live upon ye plantation yt (that) he is now uppon & his mother shall live with him likewise, I Give my wife my feather bed & all ye furniture yt (that) belongs to it & ye Brass Kittle ? soe to divide ye moveables of Cattle & hogs & ye moveables yt (that) are about ye house or in ye plantation, any haveing as Good a share as any of them & Soe in hast I rest Leaving my Soul to protection of God & his Sonn Jesus Christ. Samuell Judkin & and Lidia my Wife they are administrators Testrs Gerardt Gronwalt Jon. Honycutt Samuell Judkins Sinior Recorded Proved in Court ye 7 May 1672
Links
*** THE JUDKINS FAMILY ASSOCIATION, as of December 2007, no longer does Virginia Judkins research. All of the Virginia Judkins research was sent to the New England Historical Genealogical Society of Boston, Massachusetts. You may contact them to find out when that material will be available to the public. ***
Return to the Association Home Page.
Copyright (c) 1995-9 by The Judkins Family Association. All rights reserved .
This page last updated January 2008