Website under construction in August of 2008.
How do you share family genealogy? This is our attempt to share with all members of this family and all branches.
If you are reading this - I have a request, if you copy something from this website, please make sure to credit the right person. I didn't do ALL the research on this website, a lot of people contributed to it and I have given credit to the people who gave the information to me - so please make sure to give the credit to the right person. And if you don't see a reference, please let me know - you can e mail me from this site. Thank you!
A word about the spelling of the name - Crosthwaite this spelling can be traced back to Crosthwaite, Cumbria, England, Glasgow & Strathclyde Scotland the variations of the spelling are attributed to typographical error and/or name changes by the family. Crosthwaite, Crosthwait,Croswit, Croswitt, Crosswit, Croswitts, Crosswait, Crosswhite, Crossright, Croswright, and Croswhite and all with variations of "s" are accepted as variations of the original spelling of Crosthwaite. New information on the pronunciation of the name from John James Henry in Tennessee, quoted Carol Crosswhite, last known in Arizona, the proper pronunciation would have been Croswit - "th" is silent and waite or wait would have been pronounced "wit", it's been noted by several members of different branches that the name was changed because they got tired of the mis-pronunciations and mis-spellings." If it's pronounced Croswit, it's easy to see why it would have been spelled this way as in the case of the marriage record at Christ Church between William Croswit & Hannah Chew Ward.
And it may have been pronounced as Crossit, I just discovered this in the "Crosthwaite Chronicles". The pronunciation was compared to another town in close proximity to Crosthwaite - spelled Keswick, but pronounced as Kezzik. I know for sure that Keswick is pronounced Kezzik because when I was in Kendal England, I asked a lady if I was in the right place to catch the bus to Keswick and she corrected my pronunciation of the word to Kezzik. JCS 9/2019
William Crosthwait, first known Crosthwaite ancestor on this website believed to have come from Cumberland England first found in Philadelphia Pennsylvania abt 1720, where his children were born, the family moved to Spotsylvania Virginia abt 1732 where he purchased land. In 1734, Orange Country was cut from Spotsylvania. This is the same William Crosthwait known to be of Orange Co. Virginia.
February 2019 New Discoveries – Or Mistakes? If you have information to support or discredit, please contact me.
The FIRST NEW DISCOVERY is with the Abraham Crosthwait married Mary Taylor claim, based on research by Vida Vance who wrote The Crosthwait's of Missouri and the Crosthwaite Sister's who wrote "The Crosthwaite Chronicles".
Although no actual proof had been offered for this claim, it remained as an assumption by genealogy researchers for years. One of the major objections to this marriage was the fact that George Taylor, who was the supposed father of this Mary, had no daughter's, only son's, which was repeatedly stated in books and other documents. In 2018 I ran across information about George Taylor's, second wife Sarah Taliaferro Conway and this information included the children of Sarah & her first husband Francis Conway II. Among their children was a Mary, and in the research I was looking at, this Mary Conway was married to Abraham Crosthwait. It wouldn't be that uncommon for this Mary Conway to be referred to as Mary Taylor after her father died and her mother married George Taylor.
9/2017-I have found what might be the answer to the Mary Taylor, daughter of George Taylor question. On RootsWeb World Connection website. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi- bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ann_blomquist&id=I06985
References Listed:
Encyclopedia of VA Biography, p 337. (some errors)
VA Historical Collection of Dinwiddie Papers, Vol 2. p 103-104. Brewer, Mary T. From Log Cabins to the White House, 1985. p 319. Sparacio, Ruth and Sam. A Digest of Orange Co VA Will Books 1734-1838, 1987. Researched and written by Ann Blomquist.
I sent out e mails to descendants of Abraham that I have met through my website, I discussed the possibility and asked for their opinions and got back a response from Sandy Herve, and she revealed that her DNA results support this theory, she had more hits on the Taliaferro & Conway families than the Taylor's. For more information about this marriage see Mary Conway's page on this website. I also state for the record, I have seen other comments from researchers that dispute this information.
The SECOND discovery is with Peter W. Taylor who married Nancy Crosthwait, daughter of Jacob Crosthwait, son of William of Orange. Who Peter descended from was not known. My genealogical buddy on this branch is Patti Adinolfi, who is a descendant. I have contacted her about the information and discussed the possibility of who I am putting forward as the father & family of Peter Taylor.
This Peter W. Taylor as son of Samuel Taylor I is at this time (9/2018) speculation it hasn't been proved 100%, but there is so much information that points to it, that it cannot be ignored. Therefore, it will be the latest theory until something else is found. I did extensive research and what I found coincided with previous research and the family tradition of Peter's descendants. For more information on this research see Peter W. Taylor's page on this website.
Finding ancestor's in the royal family of England – The Wentworth's, on my maternal side.
The THIRD discovery is with Margery Wentworth, married John Seymour who are parents of Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII. Thanks to Gerald Ralph Fuller who did extensive research on my mother's family – The Allen's and Knapps, which I have transcribed onto this website, I knew something about the Wentworth family, and since this family had titles, the name stuck with me. The Wentworth's go back to William The Conqueror and are in the Doomsday records, in the Yorkshire. So while watching “The White Queen” series, I heard the name Wentworth mentioned by Cecily Neville, Duchess of York (the mother) of Edward IV. And since I wasn't that familiar with his reign, I did a little research and found the connection to Jane Seymour & Henry VIII.
And then found an amazing amount of information on the Wentworth's on Wikipedia and free google e books, and I should also mention a fantastic PBS Documentary called 'The Country House Revealed', The Wentworth-Woodhouse is #4 of this series, and can be watched on U Tube. My ancestor Robert Wentworth inherited the Woodhouse Estate when he married Emma Woodhouse – probably in the 13th century, Robert was living in 1275. However, the Wentworth-Woodhouse House in the series was not standing when Robert married Emma, it wasn't built until after the first Wentworth ancestor to the colonies had left England, although it was built by a descendant of Robert & Emma's.
This is not the only series that the name Wentworth is mentioned, it is also mentioned in the Poldark series which is filmed in the Yorkshire area of England. The Wentworth mentioned in this series was a judge who would preside over the charge that Poldark had murdered someone. So again, it caught my attention.
The Wentworth's go back to William the Conqueror, and are found in the the earliest records known in England, the Doomsday Book, they were living in the Yorkshire area of England, it's noted that they were Saxon's not Norman's, first known Wentworth on this website is Rynold De Wynterwade, land owner in Yorkshire 1066. At an early time in history they were courtiers to the royal families through the ages, and married into many noble families.
Side Note: I do not claim to descend from the marriage of Henry VIII & Jane Seymour, they only had one child and he died without issue. I share ancestor's with Margery.
And in May 2019, I discovered that Diana Princess of Wales also descends from John Seymour & Margery Wentworth, their son Edward Seymour is her 12th great grandfather:
1. Sir John Seymour b. abt 1474 m. Margery Wentworth
2. Edward Seymour b. abt 1500 Title: 1st Duke of Somerset m. Catherine Fillol-Edward Seymour was executed for scheming to overthrow John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, as Lord President of the Council.
3. Edward Seymour b. abt 1528 m. -------Walsh or Margaret Walshe on Wikipedia. Title: Lord Edward Seymour
4. Edward Seymour b. abt 1563 m. Elizabeth Champernowne. Title: 1st Baronet
5. Edward Seymour b.abt 1580 m. Dorothy Killigrew. Title: 2nd Baronet
6. Edward Seymour Christening Date: 10 Sep 1610 m. Anne Portman. Title: 3rd Baronet
7. Edward Seymour b. abt 1633 m. Letitia Popham. Title: 4th Baronet
8. Francis Seymour b. 28 May 1679 m. Charlotte Shorter. Title: 1st Baron Conway
9. Francis Seymour-Conway* b. 5 Jul 1718 m. Isabella Fitzroy. Title: 1st Marquess Hertford. Isabella daughter of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton, on 29 May 1741. Her grandfather was Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton (1663-1690), an illegitimate son of King Charles II
10. Hugh Seymour-Conway b. 29 Apr 1759 m. Anne Horatia Waldegrave.
11. Horace Beauchamp Seymour b. 22 Nov 1791 m. Elizabeth Malet Palk
12. Adelaide Horatia Elizabeth Seymour b. 27 Jan 1825 m. Fredrick Spencer 4th Earl Spencer
13. Charles Robert Spencer b. 30 Oct 1857 m. Margaret Baring. 6th Earl Spencer
14. Albert Edward John Spencer b. 23 May 1892 m. Cynthia Elinor Beatrix Hamilton. 7th Earl Spencer
15. Edward John Spencer b. 24 Jan 1924 m. Frances Ruth Burke Roche. 8th Earl Spencer
16. Lady Diana Frances Spencer, Princess of Wales
FOURTH – The discovery of the Richard Chew house in Camden, Gloucester Co., New Jersey. I never know what a search on the internet will turn up. There's so much more information now (2019) than ever before, and hopefully there will be more to come. The Richard Chew house is referred to now as the Wainwright/Moffa House. Built circa 1699, it was scheduled for demolition, but the West Jersey History Project saved it. This is the home of my 7 x great grandfather. This branch of the Chew family were Quaker's. Richard's daughter Hannah married William Crosthwait in 1725, she mother to my ancestor Isaac. Hannah's cousin Thomas Chew married Martha Taylor, they grand aunt & uncle of President Zachary Taylor, Martha's brother Zachary Taylor grandfather. Martha Taylor's sister Frances married Ambrose Madison, they parents of James Madison Sr., he married 'Nelly' Conway, she sister of Francis Conway II, who married Sarah Taliaferro, who's daughter Mary married Abraham Crosthwait (above). James & Nelly parents of President James Madison Jr. Thomas Chew co-owned the Montpelier Estate with Ambrose Madison, when Ambrose Madison died, Thomas Chew became sole owner of Montpelier. Thomas Chew a gentleman with high moral standards relinquished his ownership of Montpelier to James Madison Sr., insuring that he and his mother had a home. John Chew first known ancestor was in Jamestown in 1622. The Chew family held offices in government and there are several historical sites that I know of, Cliveden in Philadelphia, Chew's Landing in New Jersey, the Chew/Wallings Cemetery across the street from the Wainwright/Moffa House, and of course the Wainwright/Moffa house.
And FIFTH – not so new discovery, my Mayflower Ancestor's – yes, I have the right to brag that I have more than one Mayflower Ancestor. They are: Stephen Hopkins, Edward Fuller, William Brewster, all on this website.
Ok, so if you're reading this, and thinking that all the historical genealogy, royal connections, and stories are unique, I disagree. I had no idea about any of it when I began researching in 1993 and I'm going to offer the following evaluation written by Rev. Horace Edwin Heyden. He has perfectly described what I have suspected to be true during my research.
"Virginia Genealogies: A Genealogy of the Glassell Family of Scotland and Virginia" : Also of the Families of Ball, Brown, Bryan, Conway, Daniel, Ewell, Holladay, Lewis, Littlepage, Moncure, Peyton, Robinson, Scott, Taylor, Wallace, and Others, of Virginia and Maryland. By: Rev Horace Edwin Heyden – Rena Gray Fazel, published 1891.
Page xi – “Descent.” “Honor and shame from no conditions rise, Act well your part, there all honour lies.”
Heyden writes: "This essay is made necessary by the omission from these pages of many family traditions, and the presentation of historical facts which justify the omission; also by the many comments made to the author, as a disinterested person, by individual members of prominent families in Virginia relative to other kindred, allied or associated in Virginia were those from which she descended, because of their coats of arms were undoubted, and that no other families in Virginia equaled hers. Yet none of the families from which she descended are able to note their descent beyond the 15th century.
The two greatest Virginians of the past century, George Washington and Robert Edward Lee, with either of whom any man in America might be proud to begin his lawful pedigree, knew nothing, save by tradition, of the immediate line of their English descent. No lines of royal blood, however concentrated, could add to the kingly character of these heroes who, in all that constitutes nobility of manhood, were well nigh peerless. And yet, until the discoveries by Mr. Henry F. Waters during the present year*, the English ancestry of Washington was undetermined, and that of Lee is still in abeyance."
*Since Heyden doesn't specifically say what the 'present year' is, this book was published in 1891, so I suggest it was around this time.
"If family claims can be used as a scale of measurement, there are very few American families that are not of noble or royal descent. Especially is this apt to be the case with those of English origin, which comprise most of the descendants of the early settlers of New England, Maryland, Virginia and the Carolina's."
"New England families are mainly descended from forefathers who left the mother country early in the 17th century. Those of the Middle and Southern States, mainly from those who came to America the third and fourth quarter of that century. The one is descended from the Pilgrim and Puritan element, while the other derives from the adherents of the Charleses. So much has been said, however, about the social distinctions between Cavaliers and Roundheads, as the two opposing parties were designated, that many of the present day who do no thinking, really believe that he who cannot claim Cavalier descent must necessarily be of plebeian origin. Even a cursory glance at English history will undeceive any one who holds such views. The element that gave being to New England, like that which made permanent colonies of Maryland and Virginia, was composed of the younger sons of titled families—esquires, gentlemen, merchants, yeomen and tradesmen—men of gentle blood. The war which divided England into two factions, Royalists and Cromwellians, was purely a Civil war. The American Revolution, 1775-1783, and the late War between the States, in both of which, not only communities but families were divided in sympathies, in opinions and in actual warfare, should suggest the fact that the wars of the Cavaliers and Roundheads were also necessarily a separation of communities and of families. The social standing of the leaders on the Cromwellian side before the dethronement of Charles I, equaled that of their fathers and uncles, brothers and cousins, on the Royal side."
"The number of families to be found among descendants of the New England Puritans which, like the Chaunceys and Bulkeleys, can prove their Royal descent from English kings, equals the number to be found in any other part of the United States. The same can be said of New England families whose right to use Coats of Arms, and whose ancestry is deduced by documentary evidence from ancient and titled families."
"The religious fervor of the New England settlers made it a virtue to sever all connection with the mother country before the Revolution. Hence many New England families purposely ignored their English pedigree. The patriotic feeling of the Maryland and Virginia colonies during the Revolution led to a similar neglect. Hence it is that this volume contains only two families that show proof of direct and ancient lines of descent, i.e. Peyton and Wallace. Col. Richard Lee of Virginia, 1641, the head of that distinguished family, was a Roundhead, and allied himself with the Cromwellian party. It is shown on p. 97 that his son, Hancock Lee, married the daughter of Isaac Allerton, the Pilgrim emigrant of the “Mayflower,” whose wife was the daughter of the Pilgrim leader, Elder William Brewster. But a remarkable evidence of the common origin of the New England and Virginia emigrants appears in the similarity of the names."
"Of the many names of Virginia families who came from Great Britain during the middle of the latter part of the 17th century,and settled in Virginia, the following had representatives among New England settlers from Great Britain during the early and middle part of the same century. These families will some day most assuredly be found to have had the same origin in the mother country:"
"Alexander, Ashby, Ball, Baldwin, Ballentine, Barnes, Beale, Billington, Blackwell, Bacon, Bolling, Bowen, Britton, Brown, Browne, Bryan, Burgess, Cabell, Campbell, Carrington, Carter, Cary, Chapman, Chichester, Churchill, Claggett, Clarke, Conway, Cooke, Corbin, Dade, Daniel, Eppes, Ewell, Forrest, Fox, Fry, Giles, Gordon, Green, Griffin, Harris, Harrison, Hart, Hayes, Heath, Hegeman, Hedgman, Henderson, Herbert, Horner, Hunton, Hussey, Isham, Jackson, Jefferson, Jenner, Johnson, Jones, Keith, Kendall, Kidder, Kimball, Knox, Lacy, Lee, Lewis, Lindsey, Little, Long, Ludlow, Lund, Lyons, Macarty, Marshall, Martin, Mason, Massey, Mayo, McDonald, Mead, Minor, Mitchell, Montague, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Morton, Moss, Mundell, Monroe, Murray, Nelson, Page, Parke, Pendleton, Picket, Porterfield, Powell, Randolph, Rolfe, Selden, Spencer, Stanard, Thome, Travis, Tyler, Walker, Wallace, Ware, White, Whiting, Yates, &c., &c."
"The charge has been made by prejudiced writers, and repeated, without examination, by many who draw their history from second-hand authorities, that many Virginia families are descended from the convict element sent to that colony by the mother country in the 17th century. R.A. Brock, Esq., F.R.H.S., in his admirable address of Oct. 13, 1891, before the “Historical and Geographical Society” of Richmond College, made the following conclusive reply to this charge:"
"Some writers seem to delight in the assertion that Virginians are largely the descendants of felons—vile criminals. The chief authority for the charge--”Hotten's List of Emigrants to America, 1600-1700” comprehends, according to the title page, 'Persons of Quality, Emigrants, Religious Exiles, Political Exciles, Serving Men sold for a period of years, Apprentices, Children stolen, Maidens pressed, and Others.' These lists include shipments to the West India Islands and to New England, as well as Virginia. Although the latter destination was at the period deemed quite a general one south of New England, there are more lists ostensibly for New England than Virginia. The lists themselves seem to offer no more foundation for the stigmatizing term 'convict' than in some instances that they were 'rebels' or political offenders. Dishonor can scarcely be held to attach to such. The magnanimous New Englander would vouchsafe us all of the felons as he would the entire depravity of man. The following descriptive prefix to the lists given constantly appears in evidence of the character as Christians and law-abiding persons: 'They have been examined by the minister of ________ of their conformity, and have taken the oaths of allegiance and supremacy.' The severity of the penal laws of England makes it patent for what trivial causes the stigma 'felon' or 'convict' was adjudged and affixed. 'It is a melancholy truth [laments Blackstone] that among the variety of actions which men are daily liable to commit no less than 160 have been declared by an act of Parliament to be felonies without the benefit of the clergy, or, in other words, to be worth of instant death' (1).
All persons guilty of larceny above the value of twelve pence were, by the common law, subject to the death penalty(2). It would appear that the transportation of felons to America was first authorized by Parliament in 1663, when an act was passed sending hither the 'Moss Troopers of Cumberland and Northumberland'. (3)"
"The presence of these Puritans in Virginia was speedily felt. An insurrection among the white servants of the colony in September, 1663, led, states Beverely, by 'Oliverian soldiers', gave so great an alarm that measures were taken by rigorous enactment to 'prohibit the importation of such dangerous and scandalous people, since thereby we apparently loose our reputation.' (4) In 1671 Captains Bristow and Walker were made to give security in the some of 1,000,000 lbs. Of tobacco and cask, ' that certain 'Newgate birds' be sent out of the colony within two months (5). Smith in his 'Historie' gives evidence largely as to the character and social condition of the early settlers of Virginia, and the colony was constantly thereafter a favored asylum for many of gentle birth during the civil wars of England. Whilst I heartily endorse the just sentiment of the poet-laureate:"
'Tis only noble to be good!
Kind hearts are more than coronets
And simple faith than Norman blood!--'
"yet, it is true that according to one test there is more evidence preserved of gentle lineage in Virginia than in any other of the original American colonies. The list of families in the colony, who in vested right used coat-armor, as attested in the examples of such use on tombstones, preserved book plates, and impressions of seals is more than 150. The virtue of such family investment by royal favor may appear somewhat in the fact that the Virginian rebels Claiborne, Bacon, Washington and Lee, were all armigers, and among others were the Amblers, Archers, Armisteads, Banisters, Barradalls, Beverleys, Blands, Bollings, Byrds, Carys, Carringtons, Cloptons, Claytons, Corbins and so throughout the alphabet in swelling numbers and comprehensive examples of ability and worth."
"More than a score of knights and baronets had residence in the colony from time to time, and the descendants of the Diggeses, Fairfaxes, Peytons, Skipwiths, and others are among us still.”
"It is well known to readers of English History that the gentle blood of England to-day is not found exclusively among titled families, but among the middle families or Landed Gentry, most of whom trace their descent back to the Conquest. Of the noble families of Great Britian to be found in the latest edition of Burke's Peerage, few can trace their origin beyond the 15th century. The history of this Middle Class is the history of England. To this class largely belonged the Virginia settlers of the 17th century. They came here impelled by the same motives which lead men now to emigrate to the western states of the Union—to make or redeem lost fortunes. Every advantage was offered by the Crown to induce emigration to Virginia. While those who came to New England were compelled to buy every foot of soil they owned, Virginia settlers were given the head right of 50 acres of land for every soul brought into the Colony. Englishmen of landed estates and hereditary titles had no need to abandon these for other lands excepting when persecution made it imperative. Hence it is that not the nobility nor the landed gentry, but the younger sons and their descendants, men whom the law of entail cut off from hereditary estates or the means of support, formed a large proportion of the Virginia colonists of the 17th century."
"The law of primogeniture, or the right of the eldest son to inherit all his father's estate if held by Knight service, introduced into England soon after the Norman Conquest by the influence of Norman lawyers, has determined the descent of land in England for the past 800 years. It has thus exercised a permanent influence on the social life and the land question of England. True, its direct effect has always been to enrich the eldest son and “to beggar the rest of the family.” Yet it has this advantage, in that while it creates a privileged class of landed gentry, it disperses the younger sons to seek their homes and fortunes elsewhere, without in any way affecting their lineal traits and mental and social investments. This poverty and dispersion has driven the younger sons into other lines of life—the military, clerical, legal and medical professions, and the mercantile and mechanical arts."
"There is a lot more on the history of how the sons of nobility broke away from the law of primogeniture, but I didn't transcribe it here, for more information you can find this book “Virginia Genealogies A Genealogy of the Glassell Family of Scotland and Virginia". Free Google E Book, I left off on Page xiv. On page xv, Heyden gives examples of second born sons, who learned crafts, started a business, married into noble families and were ancestor's to royals."
(1)Tucker's Blackstone, Vol. IV, 18. (2)Tucker, Vol. IV, 236. (3)Blackstone, Phila. Ed., 1841, Vol. I, side note 18, p. 137. (4)Beverley, pp. 5-8. (5)Hening II, 520.