Family History ~ First Generation~ George Sherrod

Introduction

This story is the beginning of one line of our family tree. It is Sherrod line which will merge with the Richards line and on down to our immediate family.

We start with George Sherrod. I have documented history of his day to understand the motivation for a young man to leave his homeland which was England in the early 1600's. It was an interesting journey for me.

I hope you will enjoy the story that unfolded for me.

June Daab

2008

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First Generation

George Sherrod was born in England on the Isle of Wight about 1600.

I, personally, am the tenth generation down from him.

He is my g. g. g. g. g. g . g. g. grandfather.

Where is the Isle of Wight?


The Isle of Wight is a small island in the English Channel off the southern part of England.


The small island has rich history.

The Isle of Wight is a British island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles from the south coast of Great Britain. It is situated south of the county of Hampshire and is separated from mainland England by the Solent.




Popular since Victorian times as a holiday resort, the Isle of Wight is known for its outstanding natural beauty and for its world-famous sailing based in Cowes.

It was home to the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Queen Victoria.

Queen Victoria built and made her most beloved Osborne House on the Isle of Wight her summer home for many years and later, her permanent home. As a result, the Isle became a major holiday resort for fashionable Victorians including Julia Margaret Cameron, Charles Dickens and members of European royalty.

The island has some exceptional wildlife set in natural beauty ~and is also one of the richest fossil locations for dinosaurs in Europe.

Today,
it is possible to get a flight into the Isle of Wight and rent a cottage, which is something that really appeals to me.


I had traveled extensively before actually spending time in England. It amazed me as I felt "at home" there. Was the first and only place in the world that I didn't stand out as a foreigner. The people on the streets looks as if they could be my family.


As a child, I poured over National Geographic Magazines which brought the love of exotic locations into my life. Egypt, the Amazon, Great Wall of China, etc...England wasn't actually a place I cared to see in this world, however, once there, have returned many times and love it more each time. I love that 'at home' feel when there.

REASONS GEORGE SHERROD LEAVES ENGLAND

Travel across the Atlantic Ocean was unpleasant and dangerous, and moving to the Virginia colony was a great risk. However, that was the easiest way for many Englishmen to become landowners, and for the lower gentry to climb into the upper ranks of wealth and power.

That option was not available in England, where land was controlled by the hereditary aristocracy. Roughly half of the English population owned no land, and had few opportunities to acquire it no matter how hard they worked. In the days before the Industrial Revolution created a middle class, and wealth could be acquired through manufacturing, land was the basis of wealth. The English population grew from 3 million in 1500 to 5 million in 1650, unemployment was high, and the social unrest erupted into the English Civil War in the mid-1650's.1

Reading the Early History of the Island, perhaps his future was limited there.

The small island, Isle of Wight, had become a major Military Defense Post. After the Spanish Armada in 1588, the threat of Spanish attacks remained and the outer fortifications of Carisbrooke Castle were built between 1597 and 1602.

(George was born 1600)

Elizabeth I, Armada Portrait c.1588

History of what was going on around him is interesting.

The defeat of the Spanish Armada (invading Fleet) is one of the most famous events in English history. It was arguably Queen Elizabeth's finest hour. For years she had been hailed as the English Deborah, the savior of the English people, and now it seemed that this is what she had really become. She was now Bellona, the goddess of war, and in triumph she had led her people to glory, defeating the greatest power in the 16th century world.

Spain was the most powerful country in the world. Philip II ruled vast territories of land, and had unparalleled wealth from the New World. England was a small country, with little wealth, few friends, and many enemies. If Queen Elizabeth ever felt nervous about challenging the greatest power in the known world, she never showed it, and appeared to believe completely in the devotion and loyalty of her people. By believing in them, they believed in her.

Our ancestor George, being a young man and unmarried at the time, had good reasons to change his life and sail for the NEW WORLD.




My heart is proud to know, young George Sherrod was on a ship that came to Jamestown, America's first permanent English Settlement.

On May 14, 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English men and boys landed on Jamestown Island, to establish the Virginia English colony on the banks of the James River 60 miles from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America's first permanent English colony.

Just think, it is possible that George could have met Captain John Smith, John Rolfe and Pocahontas, although my guesstimate is that he didn't arrive in the Jamestown area until a about 1620. Pocahontas and John Rolfe, a wealthy tobacco grower, were married in 1614. He took her to England, where she died of pneumonia in 1617 at age 22. She had a child just before she died and there are descendants.

Isn't that interesting to think about?
To the right is a photo of statue of Pocahontas erected in Jamestown, Virginia.

HERE WE HAVE TO GUESS that our George Sherrod arrived in Jamestown about 1620-1625 time frame. We know he married and moved to a location south of Jamestown. We hope he had a land grant. He had only one son that we could find.

The area where they lived in the NEW WORLD was later named Isle of Wight.

History of The ISLE OF WIGHT, VIRGINIA

During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the settlement at Jamestown in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads. Captain John Smith in 1608 crossed the James River and obtained fourteen bushels of corn from a tribe of Native Americans called Warrosquyoackes.

In the next few years, several plantations were established along the shore in the area south of the river.By 1634, the Virginia Colony consisted of eight shires or counties with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants.

To cultivate, build and otherwise establish a working plantation help was needed. A ship arrived in Jamestown with the first Africans brought to the English colonies in North America came on a Dutch privateer that landed at Jamestown, Virginia, in August 1619. The Africans were sold and became the first slaves in the New World. There were other indentured servants brought over from England as well.

One of these was Warrosquyoake Shire, renamed Isle of Wight County in 1637, after the island in the English channel of the same name. The name was probably changed due to the difficulty of spelling and pronouncing its Native American name and because the Isle of Wight, England had been the home of some of the principal colonists.

We can be proud that our George Sherrod and now wife and son were among those principal colonists. We hope he was one of the Plantation Owners.

George and wife (unnamed ) had one son.
John Sherrod.

George died in Isle of Wight, Virginia. Age unknown.

It is exciting to know we will visit this area later in the summer as we drive thought that area to go to the beach each summer. It isn't far from Jamestown and Hampton. We lived in Hampton years and years ago...ah...another reason to explore that area.

June

Richards Family History ~ Thomas Sherrod Richards l

As any family history, there are gaps and guesses...all which I hope to discover and make any corrections found.

What we have at this point is not only our family history, it is a very interesting story. Putting together the time lines brings out touching facts.

Thomas Sherrod Richards I, our grandfather was born October 12, 1787 and died September 30 1846 at the age of 58.
He was married twice.

His first wife was Sally Thompson, who he married Feb 16, 1815. when he was 28.
(don't know her age at this point)

They had 3 children together.
Children of that marriage:
Polly Richards,
Charity Richards, b
Joseph M. D. Richards. b 1815

Mother of these children and wife Sally Thomas died in (?) a guess is 1825.

Thomas was left with these three children who were ages, 9, 8 and 6. He remarried the following year.

He married second wife,
Elizabeth Jordan on May 26, 1826 in Pike County, Georgia.
He was then 39, she was 21.
Elizabeth Jordan Richards is our shared Grandmother.

Thomas dies at age 58, leaving Elizabeth with seven children from their marriage.
Ages 19, 17, 16, 10, 7, 6, 5. Can you imagine?

The 3 children from first marriage were all in their 20's and gone when Thomas died.

Children of Thomas and Elizabeth:

William Jackson Richards
Susan A. Richards
Thomas Sherrod Richards ll
James M. Richards (born about 1830 in Chambers, Co, Georgia, which is now part of the state of Alabama. Alabama became a state is 1819).
George Washington Richards (My Great, great grandfather.) b. 19 March 1839
Rufus Richards b. 1840
Edna Prudence Richards b. 1842

Makes me feel sad that my g.g. grandfather grew up from age 7 without a father. From family stories as well as census I do know his younger brother, Rufus, was living with George when the Civil War came...
I know that story...and will write separately.
June

Credit Card Number Stolen

Many Credit Card Numbers are being copied and sold to people in foreign locations for use.

Beware~

We have decided to follow a few simple rules.

We have been advised that we should NOT to give our card to anyone who has to take it out of our sight to make charges, even if it means going into the kitchen of a resturant with the server as he makes the charge. Resturants actually should have portable devices to make the transaction at the tables.

Notify the Credit Card BANK before you travel and ask them to note the dates and location of your travel, especially when traveling out of the country. They will know to expect charges from that location and during the dates you give them.

I, personally travel with old fashion Travelers Checks which are great for small purchases and cash. Others have to scramble around for a ATM Machine. Just not my style.

I would hate to be traveling and the bank close off my Credit Card, wouldn't you?
ALSO, call your Credit Card Bank to check the phone numbers they would call should you have a charge made that would cause them to close your account.

Amazing that when I called, there were old Cell Phone numbers that had not be updated.
Look after yourself and
BEWARE~

June

Rain Barrel

My Rain Barrel came about as an afterthought.

Why didn't I think of this before?

After adding an under deck roof for the patio below, the first rain came. We sat happily on the now dry patio to enjoy the summer rain. While there, we witnessed a problem. The new down spout, which channels rain from the newly installed under deck roof, dumped sufficient water to run back onto the patio.




So! Now there was another project to work out ~ to route the water away from the patio via an underground pipe and downhill.

The immediate solution was to put a large pot under the spout to catch the rain water until this could be completed. After another rain, the benefit of using nice rain water for my plants on the patio, was something I really didn't want to give up.


Off to the store to purchased the largest pot I could find to serve as my rain barrel. Has worked out to be A GREAT IDEA!


Since then,, I have heard of many having Rain Barrels around and even found them online for sell. Now, of course, I want a larger one.


Just talking about rain barrels at the Garden Shop brought several people drift over to add stories about their effort and interest. Am told it saves thousands of gallons of water during a summer. I love using the nice fresh rain water.
It has to help with the erosion as well.


One nice man stopped to tell me about his. He said in England they are called "Watter Butts."

Mine rain barrel fills quickly to the point that we needed the downspout made to rotate and connect to a permanent underground pipe for when we travel or the barrel is full.
Don't you think this is a fun idea?
Of course, on many islands each house, each building has a large cistern to catch and hold rain water and is at times their only source of fresh water.

Do you have a rain barrel?
June

Chicken and Dumpling Recipe

BEST HOMEMADE CHICKEN DUMPLINGS

1 whole chicken
2 Knorr chicken boullion cubes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 5 oz can evaporated milk
1 small onion1/2 package of frozen peas and carrots
1 can 10 count biscuits whole milk salt and pepper
1 bay leaf (optional)

Boil chicken until done, remove from water and remove skin and de-bone, separate into small pieces. Drain off any grease from leftover chicken broth.

Add 2 bouillon cubes and stir over medium heat. Return chicken pieces back to broth. Pour in 1/2 cup of whole milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1/2 package of frozen peas and carrots. Dice onion and add. Pour in cream of chicken soup and cream of celery soup; stir well.

Simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat. Add biscuit dumplings, each one separated into 2 pieces and cut in half making 4 pieces out of each biscuit. (I roll mine out flat before cutting.)
Boil until dumplings are done 10-15 minutes. Add evaporated milk and shake gently to cover the dumplings.
Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes more, then serve.
Makes about 8 - 10 servings
Enjoy.